Brandon and Ali Heselschwerdt Prayer Letter: PPTA and Medical Missions Clinics

March did exactly that—it marched right on! It is hard to believe that the month has already come and gone, but we are excited to report what God has done and what He is doing here in Kenya, East Africa!

At the beginning of the month, we had the national pastors in Ruiru for the Pastors’ Practical Training Academy! We have 13 pastors altogether who will be finishing up their training in another two months and then graduating. Just two weeks after the PPTA training, from March 18-23, we all came together again in Migori, Rongo, and Ndhiwa to have the Medical Missions Clinics. We were blessed to have Truth for Today Medical Missions bring 15 helpers to run the clinics. Our team member, Andrew Richey, brought 14 people from his church who helped with translating, and our team leader, Peter Morris, was in charge of our national pastors as they did the soul winning each day. Peter’s daughter Lindsay did vitals with my wife Ali, and our children were able to help in the pharmacy (Jeffrey), vision (Hannah), and walking patients (Esther). We also had 2 men from our church help with translating! All in all, this ministry would not have and could not have been possible without the entire team coming together! We praise the Lord, as we were able to see 1,448 people come through the clinics in just 5 days. From this, we were overjoyed to see the majority of them make professions of faith!

Since the clinics, the three hosting pastors have been busy following up with those who came through the clinics! We have already received positive feedback from the hosting pastors, which I would encourage you to read about in our other letter, “A Word from Our Nationals.” We thank you for your prayers through this ministry opportunity, and we praise the Lord for what He has done and will continue to do from this ministry!

Besides the medical clinics, we have also been very busy in our church plant. We have just finished a series of studies looking at what it means to be a true New Testament church. We are now starting week by week to study one doctrine at a time that we believe as a church and then adding it into a doctrinal statement. It is a slow, step-by-step process, but it truly has been exciting to see the growth week after week! Pray with us, as we are hoping that by October or November, we will be able to have those eligible come together for our Charter Service to plant Lighthouse Baptist Church of Acacia, Kitengela, officially!

Lastly, we have continued having our teens meet one Saturday a month to have a time for Bible study and fun! It has been great to see them come together in unity as they grow in Christ!

Please continue to pray for the hosting pastors from the medical clinics as they follow up with those who came and try to get them into discipleship and church! Please pray for the establishment of Lighthouse Baptist Church and for our spiritual growth! Please pray for our teens as they prepare for a Teen Conference in August. Lastly, thank you for your faithful prayers for Ali, as she is doing much better; please continue to pray for her strength and health.

Thank you all, and may the Lord bless you!

Your co-laborers for lost souls across East Africa,

The HESELSCHWERDT Family
Brandon, Ali, Jeffrey, Hannah, and Esther
Romans 10:14

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My name is Jentrix Sifuna, and I am a mother of five children. I was raised by a family that knows God, and I knew God through my mother, who taught me to go to church at a young age and to go to Sunday school. Then as a young woman, I later participated in the worship for adults.

For all this time, I was taught that you are saved and know Jesus through prayer of repentance and participating in the work of the church, doing good deeds, obeying God, giving alms and tithing, and going to church. I was taught that this was the way to Heaven.

The only way to go to Heaven is to know that all of this is a lie. The only way to go to Heaven is to put my faith in Jesus Christ alone, to know that He died and was resurrected for the forgiveness of my sins and that His gift to me is the Son of God, which is eternal life.

I learned this through Pastor Brandon. I was lost but sought by Jesus. Now I am a new creature and renewed. I was washed, sanctified, justified, and forgiven. Now I am a child of God. I have eternal life, and I am sealed by the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Jentrix Sifuna

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Pastor Samwel (Oyora, Rongo)

Most people liked what we did (Medical Missions Clinics), and the service led many to Christ. Most people are asking when the next medical clinic is going to be. I’ve already started a Bible study, and it’s been on for two Sundays now. The first Sunday, we had 11 new people come, and the second Sunday, there were 17 people. I have been following up with those who came to the medical clinics twice a week and have been going from door to door where I can reach on foot. My prayer is to start a church from those we have reached through the medical clinics and to find a church building or place where we physically meet. I also want to have another medical clinic.

Pastor Jacob (Nyandago, Migori)

People were very happy with the Medical Missions Clinics, but even more so, they were happy in how they were being led to Christ. They are most appreciative.

Pastor Wycliffe (Bongu, Nthiwa)

Praise God! I am glad to present to you that since the clinic that took place in Bongu, 8 people have joined the church. The area chief came to church last Sunday to pass his appreciation of the good vision that our church has for reaching the community, both spiritually and physically (health). The church also has obtained a good connection or relationship with the government.

Finally, the entire community has given a pat on the back of our church for being transparent and not bias during treatment. Several calls have reported to me through my contact in the tract that the treatment helped them, and they got healed. We thank God for everything that took place.