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LAUNCHING JGHM-EAST AFRICA BRANCH 

ESTABLISHING LIGHTHOUSE OF PRAYER
KENYA-UGANDA
 

There are two major reasons that JGHM has decided to concentrate on East Africa for the next few years. One is simply that we must make each year count in the light of my “advancing age”—now seventy-seven and one-half. The other is the remarkable “gifts” that God has provided in the persons of Martin and Anne Shikuku in western Kenya’s Rift Valley. When Martin was my student in a college course on prayer in April 2006, he absorbed the message that I was teaching and immediately begin to run with it. At that time, he shared dreams that God had given him for his life and ministry—building on the Word of God and prayer as two major emphases. My visit simply provided material to fan the fire that was already burning. On my first visit to his church in Eldoret, he and his congregation presented me with beautiful carved elephants. He explained that I am the “big elephant” and that he and his partners would be the “little elephants” who intended to follow the “big elephant” in providing prayer seminars throughout West Africa.

I firmly believe that Satan himself understood the prayer power in ministry. Martin, his family and his congregation were greatly affected by the post-election violence in December 2007. He and his family fled to the police station in Eldoret for safety. Everything in his house and church were destroyed, His father-in-law was murdered. I wrote our Doorkeepers and partners that the “Little Elephants” were in trouble. Their response to the need was to give over $13,000 to allow Martin to reestablish his ministry. God has richly blessed.

In a sense, you and I can feel that Martin belongs to us. We have provided funds for a van for Martin. He has built the large church building of any Baptist church in West Kenya. He has started a preschool and a Bible institute for those called into the ministry. He translated the workbook into Swahili and is just completing a Luganda translation to use in Uganda. He has conducted many, many prayer seminars and has traveled with me for seminars in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and DR Congo.

Why have we chosen Martin to head the new JGHM-East Africa Branch? Simply because God has His hand on Martin in a very special way. Of all the work being done by many others through the prayer seminar ministry in many countries in the world, we believe that the potential that a man sent from God named Martin George Shikuku will allow us to make the biggest impact ever.

    We need your prayer and financial support for the April 25-May 14 prayer seminars. Please put Sue and my family on your daily prayer list as well. We will attempt great things for God; we will expect great things as He blesses our efforts.