It's Not A Competition...

Pastor Danny Cunningham

As with any ministry, 4 Him In Africa depends on receiving our support through the giving of others in order to accomplish our mission.  For years I have shared our story with anyone who will listen making sure that they understood the financial needs we have. Twice a year our mission team leaves the United States for Uganda, while at the same time God continues to grow the ministry obligation here at home. At the beginning of 2013, we found ourselves on the threshold of a new and exciting chapter in this ministry. In addition to all our usual and ongoing efforts we are also looking to find sponsors for 400 Ugandan children to attend school. Even though that is a lofty goal for the first year our team realizes that God has always provided for our needs, and we are always able to testify about how His provision has allowed us to continue participating in His work.

School motto proudly displayed

We all give to some charity almost on a daily basis. Whether we drop money into a jar sitting on the counter at our local convenience store to help a cancer patient, or drop money in the slot located under the pickup window at the fast food restaurant, Americans give. People will send money to Jerry’s kids year after year without hesitation and then write a check for cancer research the very next day. It seems that more and more opportunities to give our money keep popping up each year. There always seems to be a new charity, a new organization or another natural disaster in some remote region of the globe, yet we continue to give. When people see all the good that is being done because of their giving they are inspired to keep giving; its the feeling of making a difference that helps them to be more giving. A quick glance at several sources on the Internet shows that Americans give close to 300 billion in charitable donations each year. Overall people are far from being stingy with their money.

Lifesong Primary students outside the rented school building

Faced with the goal of finding 400 school fee sponsorships this year we have started trying to learn how to get our website noticed. We continue to study and try new things to promote our site. Some might see us as being in competition with the rest of the non-profits for the dollars people give. That is not true with us, and that is exactly the point I want to make. We know that people give for many reasons. Some give out of a heartfelt need to give, and others because they need a tax break, and some give just because they want to further their own cause. But then there are those who give out of their love for Christ, not just giving as a tithe or offering, but giving simply because they love the Lord. We don’t compete for those dollars although we do ask people to give, but ultimately we know that the money we collect is provided by God because we pray and ask him to meet our needs. Ours is not a competition; our need is no greater than the others who have a mission in this world.

What we believe about our funding is biblical: “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.” (Php 4:18 ESV) It is the giving of many that provides for the mission God has given us and no matter how well we advertise our need, whether over the internet or by word of mouth it is still those who give to God that God uses to supply our needs. And it is for that reason we testify God has provide all we need for His glory.

Stop by and check out the website.... (click here)

Meet Emmanuel

Meet Aijuka Emmanuel! He is just the newest child to be matched to an American sponsor. Emmanuel is a 6-year-old boy from Rubindi Trading Center in southwestern Uganda. He attends the Mt. Hebron Christian Academy where he is currently in the Baby Class (our version of nursery school). Unfortunately Emmanuel is an orphan but he does have a surviving brother. His favorite food is posho and beans, he likes to learn English and he hopes to become a teacher. If you are interested in sponsoring a student then check out our webpage at www.4himinafrica.com.

Passion...

I have made it a practice to use this blog space to promote, encourage, and update the work we are doing in Uganda, and now the DR Congo. It is usually a matter of my words being posted, and then a few self assuring thoughts about the post, and then that one overwhelming thought, “will anyone ever read what I just wrote”. Sure there are those who have been a big part of the ministry who may take a glance, but will anyone ever understand my passion for this work through the words I write.

The truth is I have learned that everyone who has followed God’s call into a diversion from daily life and experienced that release of joyful emotions through that mission has found passion. Yes some may say, “these days everyone has an agenda”, but for most of us “passion-ites” the word “agenda” is almost an insult. We have learned that there is no agenda for those who follow their heart onto the mission field. I find that hearing a testimony in Bible fellowship class about an individual walking next door to tell his or her neighbor about Jesus and having that neighbor respond in a positive way, can express as much passion for sharing the gospel as any foreign mission trip that I might talk about. Yes, many people are passionate about the mission God has given them and that passion must be shared.

 Passion is a funny thing; passion has the ability to move others while reason very seldom does. There are different reasons for sharing your passion that all have a place in our world. It is obvious that sharing your passion will always give glory to God. It is His activity in your life while you are doing what He called you to do that makes you passionate. Serving for, and with our God at the same time will produce passion. Because passion is God created, I think it’s right to say that sharing your passion causes people to get closer to God. Then we also share our passion in order to bring others to what we are passionate about. The idea is that you received your passion while doing a particular mission and in order to do that mission bigger and better you need the help of others. Finding that help from others seems to be ever present in the mind of a “passion-ite”.

I have found that God has called others to the same mission field that He has called me, but finding them is sometimes very difficult. I truly believe they are out there, and I need to be as passionate about finding them as I am about the mission. Although many have different roles in the mission and each role is needed they still need to find the passion that will drive them to do their part. It is not about my calling to this particular mission that they need to hear, but it is my job to share what God is doing with the passion I have. I believe people are more likely to follow our passion than our need.

Henry Blackaby, the author of the well know Bible study “Experiencing God”, writes “When God starts to do something in the world He takes the initiative to reveal His will to His people. For some divine reason He has chosen to involve His people in accomplishing His purposes.”[1] I am reminded of the story from the book of John about Phillip and Nathaniel. Phillip tells Nathaniel to come see the one they have been waiting on, and Nathaniel replies with those famous words; “Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Phillip said to him, "Come and see." (Joh 1:46 ESV) It sounds like Nathaniel is following Phillips passion rather than his reason. Jesus knew who he wanted and He used Phillip to get it. These truths have kept me telling the story of the work that we have been called to with the passion I have been given through the wonderful things God has done.

Today is a different day, and the ministry has became much more than it was eight years ago. For this reason I find myself trying to share the passion in a new way. After forming a non-profit corporation and developing a web site complete with electronic giving I find myself trying to share my passions to a much different audience. All of us that have been called to this particular mission are working hard to share our stories not just to a local audience, but now to millions. That’s right we are trying to reach the world with our passion. With such a big task in front of us we have had to come to the terms with the fact that we must change our way of thinking.

Can one share their passion through social media? Is it possible to create a means of telling the story which will bring Nathaniel to meet Jesus? Will anyone change their schedule to take the time to read this post? Are we competing with millions of other “passion-ites” for those valuable mouse clicks?  Will we have to let pictures and videos share our passion? There are lots of questions that will need to be answered if we are going to reach the number of people who are supposed to share our mission. I must remember that it is still God’s calling, and have faith that the right people will hear the story. I must admit that it is humbling to know that telling our story on the internet means my part is finished when I hit send and then it is all about you and God.

Thanks, 
Danny

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[1] Henry & Richard Blackaby and Claude King, Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Rev. and expanded. ed. (Nashville, Tenn.: LifeWay Christian Resources, 2007), pageNr.33

Meet Justus

Meet Mwijukye Justus who now has a sponsor. Justus will now be able to continue his education at Mt Hebron Academy. He is 5 years old and the only living family he has in Uganda is his father. His American sponsor family, the Ballard’s, have two sons, Luke and Landon, who will be able to start a relationship with Justus very soon. Justus lives in Rubindi Trading Center in southwestern Uganda. Justus is one of the new sponsorships received by “4 Him in Africa Ministries”. 

Our Mission Continues

Once again we are preparing for another mission trip to Uganda Africa. This team will be doing the same type of ministry as we have during the other trips except for one unique difference. During this trip we will be ministering in a refugee camp. These Congolese refugees have left their home in northern DRC because of the fighting that continues there. This camp is called a homestead camp because the Congolese are given a plot of land when they arrive where they can erect a home and plant a garden. In October 2012 the camp was processing seven hundred folks a week and projected that eventually sixty thousand residents would call that place home.

After a brief visit to the camp in October we began to explore the possibilities of sharing the gospel at the camp. Pastor Simon and the Revival Miracle Center churches began to collect donations of clothes, food and finances with a plan to hold a weeklong crusade and conference there where they would distribute the contributions. In January 2013 the crusade was held and over 225 people were saved. Many people attended the event and received food and clothes. Not only did the Congolese people welcome the ministry, but there is now a new relationship between the Ugandans and the Congolese as they explore other ministry opportunities.

In October 2012 I was part of a small team who traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to train pastors. We met in the city of Uvira with 200 Congolese pastors for 4 days of Bible and church leadership training. While we were there we shared about the refugee camp and some of the pastors felt the need to help with the ministry there. It was obvious that the connection with the Congolese pastors in the DRC and the mission opportunity at the Congolese refugee camp was more than a coincidence. Although there are no immediate plans to return to the DRC we are looking at ways continue to work with these pastors.

As for the refugee camp there are immediate plans to start a church there with many more to follow. This is an incredible opportunity to share the love of Christ with a group of people who have lost a lot. The camp has a 40 year contract which means that before the last Congolese refugee returns home there is always going to be a ministry opportunity. Our plans are to continue supporting the work that has started and to promote ongoing ministry in the years to come.

Danny

Keeping Up

The one thing I have to admit is that keeping up with a blog has proven to be more of a task than I had imagined. It has been months since the last positing was made. The mission trip in April was nothing short of fantastic and the next is right around the corner. Rather than throwing a lot of information at you all at once let me share an update letter that we have drafted for those who have participated in supporting the ministry.

August 15, 2012

I am writing to thank you and to share some exciting news.

Let me start by sincerely thanking you for all you have done for the Uganda ministry through prayer and financial support. During just this most recent mission trip, literally hundreds of people were reached as the Word went out through the crusades. New and old believers alike were ministered to in an all saints conference, Uganda’s version of discipleship training. More heard the Gospel through our evangelism efforts and our work with the youth of the villages hosting the crusades and conference.

The second week centered on a bush pastor’s conference and a youth ministry. While the pastors received the teaching/training and support needed to shepherd their flock, the youth of the village shared in a VBS like ministry focusing on a “creation to the cross” message. We also had the opportunity to minister to prisoners and provide some much needed encouragement to many fledgling bush churches.

And our mission work continues to expand within Africa. Even today we are planning for our first pastors training conference to take place in the Republic of the Congo. This work is in addition to the work within Uganda, and not a replacement and so a lengthy mission trip grows even longer. There are already 250 pastors signed up and awaiting our arrival in the Congo and this is on top of the more than 300 pastors that have been trained in Uganda! God is really moving in Africa.

Now for more exciting news; the first step to the formation of our international charity is completed. The ministry is now officially incorporated as 4 HIM IN AFRICA Ministries, and we anxiously await the awarding of our nonprofit status. The charity is involved in providing sponsorship for children to attend school and to fund the target schools as need be.  Within Uganda there is no publicly funded educational system and unless sponsored the majority of children receive no formal education. Our intention is to provide food, clothing, shelter, education centered on Christian values to those in need…really our goal is to provide a future full of promise. This charitable organization will work in harmony with the current missions efforts of evangelism, education, training and support.

Your continued support is essential to provide for these ongoing efforts in Uganda and beyond. Only God can judge the success of our efforts but we wish to share some unbelievable news with you: on review of records kept since January 2010 by our Ugandan ministry partner, Revival Miracle Ministry, more than 7000 people have given their lives to Christ and 5180 have been faithful in baptism. Please prayerfully consider your role in this ministry. You can donate directly to, 4 HIM IN AFRICA Ministries and indicate Uganda on the memo line. Please help us to share the love of Christ with the people of East Africa.

God Bless

Danny

As you can see 4 HIM IN AFRICA Ministries has been busy. God is so good and so busy blessing us. It is amazing to see what He is doing through us and our ministry partners in Uganda and beyond. Stay tuned and I promise more to come.

4 HIM IN AFRICA Ministries

PO BOX 1020

Elkview, WV 25071

As our website is not yet completed the newsletters and brochures are not available on line but we can get them to you in PDF format, so don't hesitate to request them.