When Anastazia Joseph divorced her husband, she was left with four children to care for. She tried getting a job but no one would hire her. She was already 30 and had very few formal qualifications.
In desperation, she took up work as a prostitute.
“I was doing it only so that I should have something by the end of the day to feed myself and my children,” she said.
After a year of this work, she found a job as a security guard and spent long hours watching the properties of various companies. It was lonely, thankless work and she was sometimes treated unfairly.
“The last company I worked at would take deductions from my salary for mistakes that I didn’t even realise I was doing,” Anastazia said.
She had to keep going to provide for her children because she had no other options.
Then on 17th October, 2017, something happened that changed her life forever.
“My church had a crusade in one of big stadiums in Lilongwe and the preacher shared about eternal life and about what one needs in order to attain this everlasting life,” she said
Though she was a faithful church member, Anastazia had never thought about her own need for eternal life.
“At the end of the crusade, the preacher asked if anyone wanted to commit their lives to Jesus so that He could be their Master, so I raised my hand.”
She followed the pastor’s prayer, confessing her sin and giving her life to Christ.
Not long after this, Anastazia switched companies and started guarding the property of a group called African Enterprise Malawi. After a few months of work the team leader, who had noticed the long hours she was doing, told her about a sewing school for women that African Enterprise ran every year.
“He said this when he saw how challenging the job I was doing, especially as a lady on my own. I didn’t hesitate!”
She ran to the project organiser to apply and was accepted in the 2018 class of women.
“For me to come to this vocational centre is by God’s love which I saw through the National Team Leader of African Enterprise Malawi,” she testified.
“I am being reached with the Gospel every day and have already learnt how to run a sewing machine and make straight lines!”
Things are looking up for Anastazia. Not only is she learning a new skill with which to make money and start a business, but God has also answered her prayers and she is engaged to be married.
Christ, her Master, is providing for her needs through the help of African Enterprise.
Even as they grappled with a life-threatening disease, dozens of people in a Kenya town found time to listen to the gospel and turn their lives over to the Lord.
During an African Enterprise mission in Kakamega, a town in western Kenya just 30km north of the Equator, a camp was set up to treat victims of jiggers, a potentially-fatal skin disease spread by sand fleas.
The camp was funded in part by Hong Kong-based Christian group Jireh Fund, which is a praying and caring organisation. The camp was operated with assistance from students at the local Masinde Muliro University and the Kenya Medical Training College.
As some 365 jiggers sufferers underwent treatment, African Enterprise evangelists took the opportunity to share the gospel and pray with them, with 65 deciding to become followers of Jesus.
In addition to helping with the treatment, Jireh Fund provided microscopes to two community medical clinics to help with diagnosis of malaria, which is rampant in the Kakamega region.
African Enterprise leaders say they are very grateful for Jireh Fund’s financial support and encouragement, and for the volunteer work undertaken by the university students.
Story written by Mike Heard, AE Volunteer.
One of the most diverse countries in Africa, South Sudan, was also host to the continent’s longest civil war – a war which lasted 20 years. Though the war officially ended in 2011, guerrilla warfare continues and the country’s economy is in tatters.
People are struggling to heal.
But AE has stepped in, offering peace and reconciliation workshops, and slowly establishing roots in the fledgling country.
Earlier this month, AE Kenya’s Team Leader and Social Action Coordinator visited the capital city, Juba, to encourage local partners and check on the work.
“Food, fuel other basic are in short supply in Juba,” said Williams Muchiri, AE Kenya’s Social Action Coordinator, “but we are seeing improvements through our work.”
AE visited homesteads, where families are growing their own sorghum. They met with a small, local AE board in Juba, discussed partnership options with a team of South Sudanese youth leaders, and chatted with the Juba City Council Speaker.
The Speaker said that AE’s workshops on peace and reconciliation earlier this year have boosted the skills of his city council staff.
“He expressed his commitment and interest in continuing to partner with AE,” said Williams, “to enhance service delivery to the city of Juba by particularly strengthen and enhance their governance capacity as a council.”
We appreciate your prayers and support as AE continues to strengthen its friendship and partnership with Juba.
We bring the Gospel of peace to a country that has only known war.
We think it’s really important to bring you news from the partnership. After the Malindi Mission in June, the work of discipling and caring for new believers didn’t stop.
Bedbug ministry
African evangelists can find themselves involved in offbeat activities as they work to spread the good news of Jesus.
An African Enterprise team visiting the Kenyan city of Malindi during a recent mission decided to demonstrate a practical side to God’s love by helping locals overcome a bedbug infestation.
Bedbugs had been plaguing the Watamu area of the city for a long time, leaving residents bedridden in some cases.
The AE team’s eradication program targeted 200 homes housing about 1000 people.
As well as easing the bedbug problem, the exercise proved a victory for the Lord. Some 25 homeowners announced that they were turning their lives over to Him.
The overall Malindi mission reached more than 93,000 residents of the city, with over 10,000 making commitments for salvation.
Story written by AE Volunteer Mike Heard.
To give to AE Missions, click here.
Thank you for raising over $90,000 to train Ghana Street Children in Accra during June, bringing life and hope to Ghanaian youth. AE volunteer Mike Heard writes about this transformative programme and its ongoing positivity for communities and families.
An African Enterprise apprenticeship programme for Street Children in Ghana has seen a destitute young Muslim woman surrender her life to Jesus and learn how to set up a profitable business at
the same time.
Rajiatu, 23, was barely making a living selling water in a marketplace in Ghana’s capital, Accra, when she met a man who promised to marry her, but who deserted her when she fell pregnant.
Unable to provide properly for herself or her child, she shared details of her struggle with a friend and was led to AE’s local office.
There, she was enrolled in AE’s Street Children Project, which saw her engaging in Bible studies as she learned how to make pastries for a living.
In time, Rajiatu decided to surrender her life to Jesus. When she graduated from the pastry course, she was given seed money and equipment to launch a pastry business.
AE’s Ghana office says that the last time it checked, the business was “doing very well”.
You are empowering young people through your support! Thank you.
To give to Aid & Development Projects, click here.
As the AE mission in Malindi, Kenya continues, thousands of people are being reached with the Gospel. Yesterday, mission teams were sent into the city to minister door to door. The city was divided into nine sections, teams were then released into those sections in order to cover the city with the Gospel.
As one team ministered throughout a neighbourhood, they came across Sarah*
Sarah’s Testimony
Sarah is a Muslim and was raised in a Muslim family. “As I was growing up,” she told us, “I had several Christian friends. They spoke to me often about Jesus and I gradually felt more and more convicted and I needed to give my life to Him like my friends had explained. When I was 16 I gave my life to Jesus and I was so happy about it, but my family disapproved of my decision and that made things difficult for me. I wasn’t able to continue as a Christian.”
“When I was 16 I gave my life to Jesus and I was so happy about it, but my family disapproved…”
As Sarah shared her story with the mission team, they encouraged her in the faith she had once lost and reminded her of Christ’s amazing love for her. She accepted Christ into her heart and has Lord over her life with joy in the presence of the team and they took her details so that she could be connected with a local church for encouragement in her new faith.
Rain Brings Gospel Opportunity
Another ministry team had been assigned to an area where there is a heavy Muslim population. While knocking on doors, a downpour began and the occupants who didn’t want to have anything to do with the Gospel, graciously let the team into their home to avoid being soaked by the rain. The team seized the opportunity to share the Gospel message with the Muslim family while waiting out the rain.
“The team seized the opportunity to share the Gospel message with the Muslim family while waiting out the rain.”
The family did not make a decision for Christ, but the team felt that many good seeds were planted in their hearts. Please pray for this family and the others like them in this neighbourhood!
Simon – Saved from the Brink
“Simon was overwhelmed with the troubles in his life.”
Simon was overwhelmed with the troubles in his life. He had recently been diagnosed as HIV+ and felt that there was no future for him. He had made the decision to end his life. Thankfully he crossed the path of an AE team while they were ministering in his neighbourhood. He shared his story with them and they were able to encourage him and share the Gospel with him. After hearing about the grace that God extends to His children, Simon decided to give his life to Christ! His joy was clear and the team has put him in contact with a local church so that he can be encouraged in his new journey as a Christian.
Leader’s Dinner
In the evening, the mission turned its focus to the community leaders by hosting a Leader’s Dinner at a local hotel. Over 80 leaders attended and heard Rev. John Wesley, AE Kenya Board Chair, speak on the importance of good character and integrity as a leader. He challenged them to live a life that glorifies God and cares for those in need. The evening ended by asking the leaders to accept Christ’s leadership over their own lives.
The mission continues through this week and we’re excited to see what else God does in this city!
So far, 19,633 people have been reached with the Gospel and 2,939 of those have made confessions of faith.
“So far, 19,633 people have been reached with the Gospel and 2,939 of those have made confessions of faith.”
Please continue to pray for these local missionaries who are dedicated to sharing the Gospel amongst their own city. Please also thank God for those volunteers who have traveled to Malindi from the various parts of Kenya and beyond! We are thankful for those Christians in Africa who are dedicated to reaching their own countrymen with the Gospel.
Stay tuned for more Malindi updates!
*Names changed for protection to the individual
