SUMMER 2010 - SUMMARY REPORT

Dear Praying Family and Friends,

I stayed the longest, trained the largest number of leaders, travelled the furthest, and covered the largest number of countries. I intend to give details in the coming days and weeks. For now, however, I simply wanted to give you a bullet-point summary of what has happened this last summer, just so you have the big picture. If you would recall, the summer began with a bad road accident in which my driver and I almost lost our lives. But the accident spurred me more than ever to give my all toward this summer. So here is a short summary:

I. LEADERSHIP FORUMS

This time around we have trained the largest number of leaders from across Eastern Africa and beyond. My fellow pastors and I crisscrossed East African boundaries and conducted 8 forums and other leadership meetings. It was a summer of multiplication—Timothys making Timothys. Here are the forums:

A. KIGALI, RWANDA FORUM:

-The Kigali forum (initially meant for ten countries) brought leaders from six countries, namely, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, DRC. Bishops, pastors, leaders came with one goal and desire—and that is to be equipped for the ministry. It was powerful and beautiful!

B. MBARARA, UGANDA FORUM:

-Once again we launched a forum in the hometown of the Ugandan President (Yoweri Museveni). This evergreen town is both beautiful and blessed with abundant food. Yet, its natives experience a different kind of hunger- a hunger for the gospel of Christ. God met with us in this forum, and the leaders went home changed forever! The fire is still burning there!

C. TABORA, TANZANIA FORUM:

-Tabora is called the headquarters of witchcraft in Tanzania. Its natives include Arabs that remained behind when slave-trade ended. Today (many years later) darkness still lingers in the atmosphere, marked by strong presence of witchcraft practiced by the native folk Muslim Arabs and native Africans. Here the arch bishop of the African Inland Church, Tanzania and other leaders invited me to help train their pastors for the ministry. Revival broke out in the middle of this forum. The leaders went back with a renewed passion to reach and disciple their people.

C. DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA FORUM

-Dar-es-Salaam (literally a place of rest) got its name from slaves and their Arab handlers. After slaves walked a long distance from inland, they finally got some rest at the shore before being shipped, and they called it a place of rest. Spiritually speaking, today, Dar es Salaam is not a place of rest for many. It is a stronghold of Islam, only second to Zanzibar. Here, we conducted a successful leadership forum for pastors who then went back and stormed their city with the gospel of Christ. Once again, God met with us in Dar-es-Salaam and the fire is still burning.

D. MWANZA, TANZANIA FORUM

-Mwanza is simply a beautiful place on earth. It seats on the shore of Lake Victoria and its landscape is filled with hanging rocks sitting on little hills. This is also the headquarters of African Inland Church in Tanzania, and a place where I have done the most work in Africa in the last ten years. At the historic AIC Makongoro Church, two pastors from Kenya and I conducted a blessed leadership forum. The pastors had waited for two days for us to arrive and would not leave till we got there. What a forum this was! Here too God showed up in a powerful way!

E. MALINDI/MOMBASA, COASTAL KENYA FORUM

-Christianity entered East Africa through this part of Kenya. Today it is an Islamic stronghold and is also the tourist resort in Kenya. It has some of the best beaches in East Africa, but it is awash with all sorts of immorality. Here we conducted a powerful leadership forum, equipping leaders to contend for and spread their faith in the face of Islam and tourism influence.

F. NAIROBI, CENTRAL KENYA FORUM

-This is where my spiritual journey began over twenty years ago. Cosmopolitan and influential as it is, Nairobi plays a major role in shaping the rest the country and beyond in myriad ways. And here too, we conducted a powerful leadership forum for pastors, grounding leaders in the basics of the Bible and challenging them to make Christ known in every corner of this city.

G. BUNYORE, WESTERN KENYA FORUM

-Western Kenya has a strong presence of African Indigenous Churches (replete with religious syncretism of sorts). The region is simply hungry for the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ. Here, our leadership forum equipped pastors in Bible knowledge and challenged them to evangelize their villages and ground their followers in the timeless truths of God’s word.

II. MISSION TEAMS

A. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF PELHAM, ALABAMA

-This great church once again led a mission team which preached the gospel in Kenyan public schools, did street evangelism, ministered to orphans and blind students in Kenya and Tanzania. And once again, God used this team powerfully as they faithfully labored to share the love of their Savior with the African people. Thank you FBCP for loving Africa with me!

B. LITTLE FLOCK BAPTIST CHURCH, KENTUCKY

-My history with this great church goes along way. We have served God in Africa together for many years, and it was a great honor to have Little Flock come back to Africa with me this summer. The team labored tirelessly and faithfully all the way from Nairobi to Western Kenya. We spoke to thousands in public schools, conducted two large pastors conferences, served orphans and blind students, did street evangelism, and provided hundreds of bibles to leaders. Thank you Little Flock for loving Africa with me!

III. PUBLIC SCHOOL EVANGELISM

-The combined efforts of the US mission teams and of the pastors I work with all over East Africa saw approximately 55, 000 students hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in public schools all across the East African region. Little Flock team alone spoke to approximately 6, 800 students in Kenya. This region is 70% under the age of 25. Thus, reaching the youth is a priority for me!

III. MEETING WITH BISHOPS

-Upon completing the Mwanza, Tanzania Forum, I remained behind to meet with the bishops and other Tanzanian Church leaders. I had a fruitful meeting with the Arch Bishop and other bishops of Africa Inland Church, Tanzania. We explored many ways to help them train their leaders all over Tanzania. Africa Inland Church is one of the most thriving evangelical churches in Africa today. Their leaders desperately need training, so they can feed their flocks.

IV. NEW CHURCH PLANT and FREE WATER

-In partnership with First Baptist Church of Pelham (FBCP) from Alabama, we have secured a piece of land on which a Baptist Church will be planted and a well of water drilled for the Kosele community. Kosele Village lacks and desperately needs both waters—the Living Water and the well water. The project will begin soon, now that we have the land. Here true needs will be met!

V. MEETING WITH NAIROBI SOUTHERN BAPTISTS

-Nairobi Province has 70 Southern Baptist Churches with a number of them very influential. Leaders from these churches met with me and asked me to help train their youth leaders, a request which I could not turn down. So beginning November this year, I will begin training leaders for these churches. This is bound to be a powerful partnership, and I am excited about how God will use it for His glory and for the benefit of the 70 Baptist Churches of Nairobi.

VI. MEETING WITH THE UNIVERSITIES

-I met with Kenya Baptist University (currently Kenya Baptist Theological College) and Africa International University (currently Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology) and discussed possible academic partnerships in which I come in and teach some selected courses for them. They were truly excited at the prospect of this partnership. I am also pursuing the same with Day Star University. We will be formalizing these partnerships soon.

VII: THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS SUMMER

A. SUMMER OF MULTIPLICATION

-For years now, I have trained hundreds of pastors all across East Africa, and that investment finally paid off this last summer. I mobilized these pastors across the region to do with others what I have done with them over the years. We all divided and went to work with dedication. Thus, leadership forums were conducted all over East Africa, involving a total of seven countries and hundreds of leaders. This is 2 Timothy 2:2, multiplication at work! It was powerful to watch!

B. SUMMER OF SPIRITUAL BIRTHS

-I also mobilized my fellow pastors across East Africa to step up public school evangelism in their own regions and localities. And our joint efforts (including my US mission teams) saw approximately 55, 000 students hear the gospel of Jesus Christ this summer. We also preached in churches all across East Africa this last summer. Many sons and daughters were born into God’s kingdom. And to God we give all the glory!

C. A DARK SPOT IN THE GLOBAL MAP

-There is a dark spot in the 21^st Century global map, and I think I just stepped into it this last summer. Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, DRC, and Southern Sudan have experienced some of the worst human suffering in this century. Taking the gospel (directly and indirectly) to these areas this last summer only served to remind me that the mission of preaching the gospel in Africa is far from over! I saw this naked need with my own eyes, something akin to Matthew 9:35-38.

D. SUMMER OF EXPANSION

- We served 7 countries this last summer

- I entered into new partnership with various Tanzanian Church leaders.

- Southern Baptists of Nairobi invite me to train their youth leaders.

- A number of Kenyan Christian universities open up their doors for me to help.

- We secured land for a new church plant and for free water for Kosele Village.

VIII. MANY THANKS

1. INDIVIDUAL FRIENDS: I want to thank my individual friends (and churches not mentioned below) who stood with me, ensuring that I was covered in prayer and that my needs were met as I labored for souls in Africa. We did it together. Thank you friends!
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2. ASHLAND AVENUE BAPTIST: I am truly grateful to Ashland Avenue Baptist Church for its continued support with my tuition, so that I can be free to serve God in Africa during the summer holidays. Your investment in me is paying off greatly in Africa and beyond!

3. WALNUT STREET BAPTIST: I am very grateful to Walnut Street Baptist Church for supplementing my tuition needs, helping with my visa issues, and for sending part of the funds to ensure that I had money to rent a vehicle for the ministry this last summer.

4. MIDDLE CREEK BAPTIST: I am equally grateful to this small church for sending part of the money to rent a car and for providing its parsonage for my use so that I have a place to return to after a long summer in Africa.

5. SOUTHERN SEMINARY: I am very grateful to my professors at Southern Seminary for their faithful and longtime support. My professors have worked with me as I do a delicate balancing between being a fulltime PhD student and a missionary back in Africa. I am truly grateful for your support and mentorship.

In the coming days and weeks, I will address various parts of my summer in detail, but I will do so in various emails, so it is not overwhelming. I just wanted to paint the picture for you in this email. Pictures from this summer will also come later. Once again, thank y’all!

For Christ and the Nations,

Charles Juma Juma

“I preached, as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” Richard Baxter.

“I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should bring my salvation to the ends of the earth”

(Isaiah 49:6)