Vision and Hope Birthed

“We have been living with Muslims all around us and working with them. Now we know how to connect with them and reach them.”

From up and down the coast of Kenya people gathered in Mombasa to learn about spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to Muslims. Two reasons why this area is so important:

1. Many areas contain unreached groups—mostly Muslims—where the Gospel is little known or understood. They are impoverished physically and spiritually and need Jesus’ word of life!
2. These poor areas become targets for Al Qaeda related terrorists to recruit into a radical form of Islam.

We trained in the coastal heat alongside our Kenyan team from western and a trainer who specializes in Muslim outreach:

1. How to build bridges to Muslims seeing them as potential friends rather than enemies.
2. Using the stories of Isa (Jesus’ name in the Quran) to introduce spiritual conversation.
3. Telling the stories of the prophets from Adam to John the Baptist to develop the theme of the need for blood to be shed for shame and sin to be removed.
4. Telling the story of Isa (Jesus) as the only one who can remove the sin/shame from a person’s life.
5. How to see movements of disciples reaching and making more disciples within these groups of people.

Pastor/businessman in Mombasa:

“I was supposed to be working this week, but I could not miss a session. I am preparing now to train 20 people from my church to send out to many different areas along the coast to do this work of reaching Muslims and disciple making.”

As the week went on, you could sense the excitement growing in people’s hearts. After several intense days, we wrapped up on Friday and many wanted to get out of town before the traffic started up. Many times, we see this happen and people begin to trickle out of the conference in order to make their way home. BUT, on this particular Friday not ONE person left their seat until the training ended. They were hungry to impact their Muslim friends and to see how they can facilitate movements of disciple makers among these people.

Sent by WhatsApp after the conference to John Omondi:

“Praise the Lord Jesus Christ Mr. Omondi. Am much grateful for the inspiring teachings. God bless you indeed. I assure will work hand in hand with you and DMM (Disciple Making Movements) in my area and am going to start. Thank you for everything once more sir.”

Another participant:

“Because of this training my team of eight leaders is learning even more. We really needed this encouragement and training in order to reach even more people.”

Final word from John Omondi, the Kenya team leader:

“This was one of the most successful trainings we have ever had because out of the 75 participants almost three quarters are willing and ready to move. I continue to receive calls from different areas saying they have started and that we should visit them and see how they are doing. Starting next month, we as a team will begin visiting these areas to encourage them in the implementation of disciple-making movements among the Muslims and other marginalized tribes.”