Tuesday, February 28, 2023

East Africa Trip

 

East Africa Trip

Above: training of trainers on Monday before we head out to train at IFM Uganda.

Below: half of my "Riverside" team heading to Bujagali for outreach.

We took two boats over each morning and back in the evening

I've just got back from more than three weeks in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Thanks so much for your prayers -- I could sense God's peace and hand on my time in Africa. I had a great time in each country connecting with many great trainers and farmers alike!


My goal was to continue to cultivate relationships and grow new ones for the purpose of spreading the Good News through Farming God's Way in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.


First off was a week in Uganda devoted to In Field Mentoring where trainers from all over the world gathered to reach out to three local communities, meanwhile developing our trainers "in the field" as they teach the rural farmers. It was great to meet old friends and make new ones in the great Farming God's Way family. Southern, Western and Eastern Africa were represented as well as North and Central America -- it's amazing to meet people who are reaching people all over the world! I was in charge of a team in a community called Bujagali which is actually one of our own communities where Isaac works - Isaac did a great job of getting our community ready. Our outreach coincided with a celebration of witchcraft in the same village -- it was a spiritual battle but we know Who is winning! Pray for these people in Bujagali who are captive to evil spirits and jealousy. Pray for our farmers to implement with courage and to share their knowledge with their neighbours. We already have a number of farmers who have seen the great difference following God's ways makes! One young man has enough (dry) beans to feed his family for a whole year! Each day of our outreach started with a nice peaceful boat ride across the Nile to our site. I really enjoyed getting to know our team over the week! At the end of the week we were able to accredit 5 new trainers; Jesse, working in Central Uganda, Deo working in Western Uganda and DR Congo, Paul working in Liberia and Nicaragua, Denis working in Central Uganda as well as Joel working in East and Central Uganda. These are the most accredited trainers that we have ever had at an In Field Mentoring event. This is a testament to the great work done by Klint and the rest of the Uganda team! Exciting times -- we can't wait to see how things will unfold in the future! We were able to see 14 people come to the Lord during the week! Pray that these people will carefully tend to the seed of the gospel and grow in their faith.


While in Uganda, I was able to see Tugume and Andrew which was good! Tugume is busy at second-year university and Andrew continues to work in Kampala. I also spent my last day in Uganda with my good friend Bill who is reaching out to DR Congo. It was good to have time together like we used to when we both lived in Jinja. He dropped me at the airport in Entebbe where I left for Rwanda six hours late, after a cancelled flight.

praying ffor our Well Watered Garden

Uganda

Top: Jesse giving a practical lesson to students

Middle: Praying before we make our "Well Watered Garden"

Bottom: Our ministry team "Riverside" amazing group of people!

I was really looking forward to the Rwanda part of the trip. I feel quite at home in Rwanda which I think is a product of Jane being Rwandan, having family there combined with the more orderly way of life. Also, the roads are good, there is almost no garbage anywhere and they drive on the right so I feel like there are some similarities with Canada. I can understand much of the language but have never been really good at speaking as all of my Rwandan relatives can speak Luganda.


I was also looking forward to engaging with Peter and Venuste who are great men whom I first met in 2019 at a previous Uganda IFM. Together with Peter and Venuste, we organized a national training in Nyamata, a town just east of the capital Kigali. Peter and Venuste have been working with ATN, a local NGO, for a number of years teaching their communities Farming God's Way and putting it into practice themselves with astounding success! These guys have so much potential! Their impact on their communities can be easily seen in tangible ways!


With ATN's help, we put on a three-day workshop in Nyamata which had over 50 people in attendance! A great turnout -- including the local agriculture agent. People from all over the country came, including some Buruindians sent by my childhood pastor Ray Bale who has worked in Burundi and DR Congo for many years. After the second day, I was able to visit a few nearby farmers whom Peter works with and then after the third day, I drove with Venuste all the way to the southern part of the country to stay with him for a couple of days and visit his family and a few of his farmers. Farmer follow-up is one of my favourite things to do -- we were able to witness amazing changes in people's lives as they worked faithfully implementing Farming God's Way. One man, Anaclet, who is a government teacher is getting more from his tree tomato plot each week than he gets from his government teaching job per month! That doesn't even take into consideration that he has enough food for his family from planting maize and beans and cassava! These Rwandan farmers under Peter and Venuste have very quickly moved from attaining food security to economic freedom in a matter of 3-4 years! Another lady, Betty, testified that she went from weighing 50kg as a poor and stressed out conventional farmer to now weighing a contented and healthy 80 kg after switching to Farming God's Way with her husband Philipe. These people are so eager to share Christ and their new-found path to prosperity with their village friends despite jealousy and theft from their fields. They have gone from being despised and overlooked for their poverty to being people who are sought after for their knowledge. One of the reasons these people do so well is that Peter and Venuste are such inspiring examples themselves! Please pray that this marvellous work in Rwanda will continue. My time in Rwanda solidified my relationship with Peter and Venuste and ATN's leaders and thus we look forward to growing a great training and trainer development network in Rwanda through our established connections


Another bonus to my time in Rwanda was meeting my newest niece Precious Kalera who was born while I was there ! What a great time seeing friends and family and growing our Farming God's Way network there!

Rwanda

Top: Peter training in the garden

Middle top: With one of our farmers husking her maize crop -- what joy!

Middle bottom: Phillipe with his well-mulched maize plot

Bottom: Pastor Anaclet with his tree tomato crop and coco yams

My last stop on my trip was a stop in Kenya for almost a week to help run the first Kenya National Training in some time. There has been a lot of Farming God's Way activity there over the last 15 years or so but we needed to consolidate our network and bring new life to the existing relationships. Kenya is in great hands with a great team of trainers and implementors; the goal now is to make these relationships strong and intentional with a move towards coordinated training and follow-up. Antony and Griffin were able to join me for the training with Antony having done a massive amount of work to get the workshop organized. Thanks to Karen Community Church for hosting us so well! We had over 70 people in attendance which was a great way to start off this new era in Kenya! With people coming from all over the country we look forward to great reports of God's Kingdom advancing.


Thanks, everyone for your prayers and financial support for our work. I'm hoping such strategic trips will be the norm going forward. Your faithful prayers and giving really make our work possible.

Kenya

Top: Learning about teren ropes with Griffin

Top middle: some well-dressed farmers learning in the Well Watered Garden

Bottom middle: Griffin teaching in the garden

Bottom: Prayer: the foundation of humility -- where it all begins!



We continue to need your financial support, your prayers and even your moral support! A donation, a prayer or an email with an encouraging word go a long way to extending the work we do! Thanks so much!

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