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2021 J-Life Africa Newsletter #2

Dear Friends … a HUGE Thank you for your interest, continued prayer and support in many ways for the ministry of J-Life across the continent.

We are so excited for how the Lord is continuing to advance Vision 2030 and His Kingdom. As we start to measure transformation, we can see how God is continuing to grow African leaders with a passion for disciplemaking, that leads to churches and communities transformed by Jesus' life.

We could not do this without you!

With many thanks,
The J-Life Team all over Africa

J-Life’s 2030 Vision Stories:

Growing African leaders in ZAMBIA:
A leader of a particular church who was living a hypocritical lifestyle was seriously challenged during the Disciplemaking group training and was able to confide in the facilitator for help. After a series of one on one sessions, that leader has transformed and is able to live a life that exalts the Father. He has since, taken it upon himself to help other leaders whose lifestyles are not pleasing to Christ. He has come to appreciate the significance of living a life that is Holy Spirit empowered as it helps in living an upright life before God.

Maturing leaders in MALAWI:
Esther is a mother of 5. She is a middle aged woman. She has been a born again Christian for some years. She has had a heart for growing others in the LORD but she didn’t know how. After going through Strategy training, she decided to pick one lady to be her disciple. After going deep with her for 7 months, she demonstrated a completely transformed person. She started living out the life of Christ. When her friends asked her how she had become more Christlike, she referred her friends to Esther. But Esther told her “...Don’t bring them to me, start your own group. Walk with her as I did with you. Share your life with her...” As of now, she has three ladies whom she is going deep with while Esther has started implementing Disciplemaking in her cell group of her church. She hopes that more groups will emerge from this one by the end of the year.

Scattering seeds in ETHIOPIA:
Wondemagegn is one of our Movement Builders in the Southern Region. After he took the first module of our J-life training, he moved to the remote area called Dimeka where the nomadic people called Hammar live. This young man is a high school teacher by profession and he started sharing the love of Jesus with this community. More than 55 of the indigenous people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour!

Planting fruit-bearing disciples in SOUTH AFRICA:
Eric has 4 disciples whom he is going deeper with. These 4 now each have 3 disciples whom whom they have been discipling this past year. Some of these new disciples are from a camp event held this year. The new disciples, young men, were in gangsterism and involved in drug abuse. They are slowly moving into a better lifestyle.

Providing physical rescue for dry, desolate, and weary communities in NIGERIA:
A church in Uyo has provided borehole water for domestic consumption in the community and a lot of people and homes are beneficiaries of what God has used the J-Life family to achieve.

Our leaders in East Africa ...

Jean Bosco Mutebutsi, J-Life Country Leader, Burundi

"The Lord has been so faithful over the last 6 months. We did a Cast Wide event among 20 churches in Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi. We took 18 churches through Strategy training, which led to now having 6 Pastors that are training leaders in their churches. We have 3 other churches starting this same training in two weeks and others who are interested in starting soon.

We are getting very good reports from church leaders that they are grateful to have a model to use in disciplemaking. They understand clearly what they need to do when it comes to fulfilling the Great Commission. One pastor who is planting a church in Gatunguru, in the Western side of Bujumbura, shared that as a result of learning about strategy he has started to disciple new believers with the purpose of helping them grow to mature believers ready to bring others to Christ."

The Mutebutsi family serving with
J-Life Burundi

James Katende, J-Life Country Leader, Uganda

"Our first ever J-life national summit took place April; we had 48 of our choice leaders come together from seven different regions (Entebbe, Kampala, Kalagi, Mukono, Masaka, Lira, Dokolo, Hoima, Luwero). We prayerfully committed ourselves to grow 200 Ugandan leaders who will be planted like trees in 15 gateway cities, multiplying and transforming society.

We have been conducting face-to-face trainings in Kasanda region and Nawampiti and 45 leaders have been released for disciplemaking in their communities and churches.

We praise God for one of our trainees in Nawampiti region; during the Foundations modules she repented from the wrong biblical teachings she was involved in because of wrong influence from a false prophet, she is now pastoring a church rooted on sound teaching, and Jesus focused, she is also mobilizing other leaders for our trainings."

Pray with us:

That goal of 200 leaders in 15 gateway cities by 2030 will happen.
That more will be impacted despite lockdown through our online work and impact group meeting in homes right now.
Safety in this fourth wave of the pandemic in our nation.

The Katende family serving with
J-Life Uganda

Eric Muhire, J-Life Country Leader, Rwanda

"God is mightily using our leaders as we see Christ is glorified in the lives of all their communities. New groups are starting as disciples are trained to find their own person of peace and launch new groups geared towards community impact.

We thank God for what we have been seeing:

10 leaders are seeing their communities transformed and people discipled to the 4th generation
6 GC2 groups now are being trained
We have already established in 4 gateway cities among the 8 targeted
67 Movement Builders have been equipped
18 leaders are in "Go Deep" relationships
67 churches are being impacted
7 teams are journeying through Disciplemaking Small Group material - 2 families, 3 young leaders from an Anglican church, and 2 from two different secondary schools.

We ask for prayers for continued protection as we make disciples who make disciples. Please pray for our national summit and resources continued to be provided".

The Muhire family serving with
J-Life Rwanda

Samson Otieno, J-Life Country Leader, Kenya

"We are currently established in eight major regions and pioneering in several, our strong grassroots network is a testimony of our strength.

Two of our regional leaders in Meru took the initiative to journey with youth leaders in this region. There is a big need to reach young people who were at home because of the closure of learning institutions. More than twenty youth leaders from different churches were mentored, trained and coached through the J-Life process training (GC2) and challenged to implement it in their churches and communities. The result was amazing, we were able to commission these young leaders together with their pastors and there were testimonies of the impact it had on the church and community. We pray that the ripple effect will be sustained!

J-Life Kenya has plugged into the Vision 2030 and is determined to grow at least 8 new leaders planted in 3 gateway cities every year in Kenya for the next ten years. We are glad to invite you to help us achieve this through your prayers and support."

The Otieno family serving with
J-Life Kenya

Michael Titus, J-Life Country Leader, Tanzania

"Our Country has 50 million in population, 50% are Islam; only 14% are Evangelical Christians. Vision 2030 is growing in seven gateway cities of Tanzania including Zanzibar, by raising 50 influential leaders who will increase the impact of the church in the communities, and in turn we will have healthy churches to transform the country of Tanzania.

We praise God for the transformation which is taking place now, especially in our Muslim communities through our Disciplemaking Groups which are being implemented by our local leaders.

Prayers

Pray for us as we are reaching Muslims areas in the Coast Region and Zanzibar, pray that we will be wise on how to contextualize in order to influence effectively.
Pray for our endeavor in reaching children, as it is a very effective way of reaching families. Please pray that we will be able to mobilize the church to prepare children by discipling them to be a light in their homes.
Pray for Monica and I as we lead the movement in these countries."

The Titus family serving with
J-Life Tanzania

Billy Honc, J-Life Regional Director, East Africa

"We ask for prayers for our six East African country leaders, for God's protection around them and their families. They continue to travel, building movements and shepherding their Regional Leaders and Movement Builders and Multipliers.

On a personal level, we have had the pleasure of hosting a missions team from the USA over the past few weeks and Darlene and I leave for a 2 month visit to the States for July and August. We ask for prayers for rest and time with family, as well as renewed energy to continue the work in East Africa."

The Honc's overseeing
J-Life East Africa

GROWING A DISCIPLEMAKING MOVEMENT ...
A look at more ministry happening across Africa

J-Life Côte d'Ivoire "We spent 4 days in a locality 100 km from Abidjan to equip leaders and especially to spend time one on one going deep with them. In Côte d'Ivoire the Methodist Church experienced a great schism a few years ago and the 2 branches resulting from this situation do not speak or meet. There have even been periods of violence between communities. But here in Toumanguié, we have the local leader of the Protestant Methodist Church and the leader of the United Methodist Church joining hands, working together for the Kingdom, and being trained together to reconcile their communities. With the coaching and mentoring of J-Life, this is becoming a reality and they have started to be cited as an example beyond their area. We glorify God for the fruits that are already emerging."
- Arsene Sony, Country Leader

Top Left J-Life South Africa: "The 4th week of Coaching for Implementation after Disciplemaking Group training - it has really been encouraging. I realize again that information does not mean transformation. When we Go Deep with people, it leads to lasting fruit!" - John Abrahamse, South Africa
Top Right J-Life Burundi: "Last month, we trained 20 leaders in Strategy and we have 3 churches that have started to go through the training and others are starting as well. Please be praying that we may see the training moving people from information to changing the way of doing ministry. We are very encouraged to see what the Lord is doing!"
- Bosco Mutebutsi, Burundi

Top: J-Life Cameroon  "Praises and thanksgiving for a successful and refreshing J-Life Summit with our Care Team and MBx's. Thankful for a very impactful time to sharpen Vision 2030, share DNA, values, evaluate our fruits, and strategically plan for the future of the movement in Cameroon and beyond. It was a mixed-gender powerful summit! We are thankful to all who prayed and gave resources to make this happen!" - Florence Fokoua, Cameroon
Bottom left: J-Life Tanzania  "We had a great time together at our National Summit with our Movement Builder Multipliers and their Movement Builders whom they are 'Going Deep' with. There was a great move of the Spirit as we were able to equip them and send them back for multiplication and transformation. Thank you for your prayers!" - Michael Titus, Tanzania
Bottom right: J-Life Kenya  "One of our University students is now taking 2 of our new students through Personal Best!" - Billy Honc, Kenya

Watch here for a more in-depth look into the motivation and mobilisation behind Vision 2030!

Please pray with us:

For now, more than ever, that disciple making becomes a priority among families and churches across the continent and through this, Jesus can be made known to many!
For protection from Covid.
That the Lord provides financially during these tough times for all our Country Leaders and Field workers and their families.
New gateway and strategic cities being pioneered, that people of peace are evident and the Spirit guides in establishing His presence there.
Small group training, online training, and regional meetings - that the Lord continues to use these.

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" Whoever claims to live in Him
must walk as Jesus did"
1 John 2: 6