WOW!! WOW! WOW! What an AMAZING mission trip our team of four experienced in Kenya and Uganda, Africa. Our USA team consisted of me, my wife Stephanie, Lynn Fullen, and Patricia Harner. This was Patricia's first time to visit Africa, and it was indeed life changing for her and the people there absolutely fell in love with her. Patricia represented the Church of New Beginnings from Glade Spring, Virginia, while me, Lynn and Stephanie are Wholly Yours Ministries team members.
Thanks to everyone who prayed for us and financially supported this mission. Thanks also to our wonderful Wholly Yours Ministries Team in Africa for all the hard work and planning it took to make it a success. Many of you followed us on Facebook and Instagram and we want to thank you all for going along with us on this fantastic journey.
As most of you know, Wholly Yours Ministries is an international outreach ministry, primarily working at this time in Kenya and Uganda. Africa. We are not a church, and our outreach programs are open to everyone to participate. We believe in going into all nations, making disciples, and baptizing them as Jesus instructed in Matthew 28:18-21. These programs consist not only of preaching the gospel through revivals, seminars, and supplying bibles, but also through love in action. Our "Love in Action" programs include education, food, medical, housing and sustainability programs.
During this mission trip we were honored to hold two Wholly Yours Ministries seminars and share the gospel message. One was for a duration of three days in Kinawambuzi, Myugi, Uganda and the other was a one-day seminar in the Budalangi area of Kenya. We also spoke at several churches and at a youth conference.
In addition to the photos of our conference and speaking engagements, you will see several of the entire Wholly Yours Ministries Team participating in the "Love in Action" programs. While these programs are carried out by our team in Africa on a continual basis, we were honored to take part while we were there. We were excited to be involved in the feeding program where we feed a hot meal to fifteen primary school students every school day, who may not otherwise have food at home to eat. This also provides an income to the people preparing the food.
In addition to the food program, we took part in the Wholly Yours Ministries medical outreach jigger removal program, which many will be familiar with, as we have done this in the past. During that program we also supplied shoes to those that did not have them. One of the photos is of an elderly woman that came to get treatment, and she had never had a pair of shoes. She was so precious and had such a light in her soul that can be seen through her eyes.
There are also two programs that so many of you participated in and I want to again thank everyone that gave to these two efforts, supplying reading glasses and bibles. What an amazing difference you have made in the lives of so very many. Please continue to gather reading glasses and we'll take them on our next mission. Bibles are a constant need, the very heart of our ministry, and we are constantly in need of finances to buy them in English and the native languages there.
We also participated in a wedding! Actually, the biggest wedding I've ever attended. Tradition in Africa is, once you are born again, you must have a Christian wedding, even if you were already married in a civil union. In fact, pastors who have not been married in a Christian ceremony, cannot perform wedding ceremonies and it's even a requirement of the Kenyan government. Pastor Athanus Atimbo, the Vice President of Wholly Yours Ministries, was married to his wife Carolyn prior to having his four children but they could never afford a Christian ceremony. Their church, along with some personal funds from others, made this possible. No ministry funds were used for this wedding. Please join me in congratulating them on this monumental occasion in their lives and in our ministry.
Last, but not of least importance, we launched Church of New Beginnings churches in both Kenya and Uganda while we were there. As most of you know, my wife Stephanie and I are members of the Church of New Beginnings in Glade Spring, Virgina, a non-denominational evangelical church. We are very proud and honored to be part of this church, have our ministry originate from it, and be under the leadership of Pastor Jeff and Suzanne Wallace. As most of you know also, Wholly Yours Ministries has helped plant several churches in Kenya and Uganda over the past four years and we needed an organization to place those churches under and any future churches the Lord has us help plant. This is very important as we buy land, build churches, and acquire other property, to protect our assets and also for continuity of teaching. It's also very important from an accountability standpoint. We are not trying to build a large organization; however, we need to have the ability to establish evangelical churches in areas where Wholly Yours Ministries is called to minister and none currently exist, as led by the Holy Spirit.
While Wholly Yours Ministries is a separate, independent ministry from the Church of New Beginnings, I will be representing the Church of New Beginnings in Africa on an everyday basis, until the Lord appoints someone from the Church of New Beginnings in the United States to take on that role. It is a big job establishing church organizations across continents and countries. We really appreciated Patricia Harner traveling with us to welcome all the Church of New Beginnings churches of Kenya and Uganda into the Church of New Beginnings USA family. Patricia has been part of the leadership of Church of New Beginnings in Glade Spring, Virginia from the very beginning, over twenty-five years. Please join us in welcoming all the churches in Kenya and Uganda into our family......we were one, now we are many!
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog and please be a part of what God is doing through our ministry. We need your prayers and financial support. You can give through PayPal (account whollyoursministries@gmail.com), CashApp (account $WYM59), through the mail at Wholly Yours Ministries 483 Oak Hill St. NE, Abingdon, Viriginia, or other methods that are convenient to you. God bless you for helping us help others and enjoy the photos.
Wholly Yours in Christ
Rev. Paul Havens
Wholly Yours Ministries
Founder and President
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