First, we want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and support during this difficult time of surgery and healing. Our family has felt all of your love and sacrificial support during this time. As I write this letter, it is now mid-July, and I have been healing for four weeks now since the removal of my ascending colon. I am almost to the point of feeling back to normal, but I have to continue to take it easy, as I still have four more weeks of healing. Again, our family cannot say thank you enough for your prayers; the healing process is going well, and they have determined that all of the precancerous tumor cells have been successfully removed!
Now, about the ministry! While I was in the hospital and at home recovering during most of June, my family was keeping the ministry going at church. It was a blessing to see Jeffrey step up and teach the teens for their teen activity that we have one Saturday a month! Also, during the month of June, we decided to make it our Missions Month to try and start teaching our people at LBC of Acacia about missions giving. For this, we asked three different national pastors to come in and preach/teach to our people on the subject of missions and missions giving. God knew that this was indeed the month for us to do it, for I was not able to be there for most of the Sundays due to my surgery and recovery, so all of the services were already covered! We also praise the Lord for the way He spoke to our people in regards to missions giving! At the end of July, we will add up the missions-giving cards that are turned in and see how much, as a church, we will start giving to support missions! It’s a blessing to see that we were sent halfway around the world to be missionaries—now we have seen God start a church, and that church is now getting involved in seeing others go out as missionaries to other areas where we cannot go!
May and June marked the completion of our third and fourth months of PPTA! The men are really growing spiritually! They are asking really great questions during the class sessions, which shows that they are searching for the truth so that they can stand where God would have them to stand upon the truth of His Word! We have heard several good testimonies as well on how the people back in their churches are thankful for the correct teaching and growth from God’s Word!
Thank you again to everyone who has sacrificially given toward this program! Together we are seeing God do a great work in these men’s lives and in their ministries, which will touch countless souls for Christ!
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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I used to believe that salvation is all about asking God for forgiveness of sins. I also used to think that one must do good works in order to go to Heaven. Although pastors of such churches say, “Do good works and you will go to Heaven; don’t do good works and you will go to Hell.” But I came to know that salvation is when a person has secured a place in Heaven. In other words, when you receive salvation, you have been rescued or delivered from the danger of everlasting punishment of your sins. I also learned that I should always believe in the Lord and be always trustworthy. In “purpose of works,” I learned that I will be justified by faith before God and not by works because salvation is not by works. I also learned that I will believe in the Lord in order to be saved and then be baptized.
We as believers must be active in spreading the good news of salvation to others. God’s plan is for His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. The word Christian is found only three times in the Bible, while the word disciple or disciples is found 273 times. Those who have believed on Jesus Christ for salvation ought to be disciples of Christ and ought to be active in getting others to become disciples of Christ. A disciple of Jesus must follow God with all of his belongings.
~ Valencia
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Pastor Samwel
Rongo Region
We have been teaching our people through the Bible, and they are really starting to understand the Bible more clearly. We have also witnessed more spiritual growth in our church and God’s presence in our services! These are just some of the things God is doing in our ministry here in Rongo, and we thank God for what He is doing through our people.
Please pray for us, as we are in need of a church structure.
Pastor Samwel
Pastor Julius
Bondo Region
Things have been a little slow here in Bondo, but we praise the Lord for the souls that we are seeing saved through the consistent soul winning of our church members! We also thank the Lord for two new church members that have joined the church family this month.
Pastor Julius
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Isaac
Bungoma Region
I’ve been teaching our church members the importance of soul winning and how to lead others through the Gospel. They have seen how much I’ve improved in my soul winning from what I’ve learned and applied from the PPTA school. Due to this, the church members have been very interested in learning how to lead others as well!
David
Kuria Region
I thank God, for there was one person this past month that was very hardened to the Gospel; but through active soul winning, the individual came to place their trust in Christ!
Felix
Kuria Region
I have seen a great change in my church since starting the PPTA program. Our church members are really growing in truth from God’s Word now!
Zablon
Kisii Region
From what I have learned in soul winning from the PPTA program, I have been now teaching the members of our church. Our people have now seen spiritual growth in our church and souls being saved.
Nahason
Kisii Region
I thank God that from the soul winning program in PPTA I have been able to take what I have learned and witnessed seven people put their trust in Christ alone this past month, and three of them have come forward for baptism.
