Prayer and Praise March 2023
- Pray for Paul, Ruth, and Alisha as they prepare to travel to Uganda, March 12-25.
- Praise the Lord for these new countries that are asking us for training!
- Pakistan
- South Sudan
- Zambia
- Kenya
- India
- Japan
- Praise the Lord for our first Zoom call with the leader in Pakistan and South Sudan.
- Pray that our monthly income could increase by 38%
- Praise the Lord for a church that supported us with a large gift this month.
- Praise the Lord for the testimonies coming from Malawi and the continued interest in Ethiopia.
Oral Story March 2023
Eager
“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed” Acts 17:11-12
What are you excited about? What do you look forward to?
Pastor Paul Kigozi said, “I am very eager to be taught. I am anxious. I want to see you because these people are eager to be taught. The people from South Sudan have been in a war all the time and God has given us the grace to bring the people together to be taught because now there is no war.” He was so excited for the training that it was difficult for him to put it into words. They are excited because this open door gives them hope and their recent past with the war has felt hopeless.
Pastor Paul is the leader of a Great Commission Church located near Juba, South Sudan. Their vision is to bring the message of Jesus to all of the areas of their country and to correct the bad and manipulative teaching that is prevalent. They recognize their understanding of ministry is still shallow and they need leadership training.
This is the perfect opportunity for our Ugandan missionaries to continue the expansion of the work they have been doing in Malawi and Ethiopia. South Sudan is the northern border of Uganda, so the Ugandans could go in and teach without drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. Whereas those from the U.S. could become targets because of South Sudan’s instability. The Orality Institute has received many new requests for training because people have been searching for training online or because they have heard of the training from a friend. Continue to pray for these open doors.
Endeavor
“We endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—For you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thessalonians 2:17, 20
It is refreshing to be with a true friend, someone that really understands you. The Apostle Paul felt that way towards his friends in Thessalonica and we have that same longing, that desire, to be with those we have worked with in ministry.
Pastor Paul, Ruth, and Alisha Kneeland will be alongside some dear Ugandan friends March 12th – 25th. During their trip, there will be four graduations and a prayer retreat.
This year there are 70 graduates; 57 of them have competed the Certificate level which means that they have memorized 2200 verses from the 84 stories of the Bible. The first 42 stories give an overview of the Bible; the second 42 cover doctrine, character, and ministry. Thirteen students have completed the Diploma level which means that they have taught those same stories for two years, and then studied and memorized the book of Romans. All the students studied hard to get to this point.
The prayer retreat will include the Ugandan leaders, the American missionaries, representatives from AFLC World Missions, along with Paul and Ruth representing the Orality Institute. The Orality Institute is always a support ministry for the national organizations that are working within the countries we visit. Our prayer is that this retreat could be an opportunity for these four groups to come together in unity, clarity, and understanding so that we can continue moving forward as we serve our one King and His ministry.
South Sudan- Request for Training
Video Resources:
Orality Institute UpdatesPrayer and Praise February 2021
- Pray for Paul, Ruth, and Alisha as they prepare to travel to Uganda in March.
- Praise the Lord for these new countries that are asking us for training!
- Pakistan
- South Sudan
- Zambia
- Kenya
- India
- Japan
- Praise the Lord for our first Zoom call with the leader in Pakistan.
- Pray that our monthly income could increase by 38%
- Praise the Lord for the testimonies coming from Malawi and the continued interest in Ethiopia.
Oral Story February 2023
Words of Hope
“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold… And we all, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.” 2 Corinthians 3:12,18
What would you need most if you were a Christian living amid persecution?
The request for training in Pakistan came as a surprise to the Orality Institute office. We had not pursued contacts in Pakistan, nor do we know anyone living there, but the Lord led Rayan (pseudonym) to find the Orality Institute online and to ask about our oral training.
Rayan has two master’s degrees in the Bible. He attended a Lutheran high school. His father was an evangelist. He was trained on how to use oral teaching in the Philippians. He has a group of master trainers who also speak English, and he has a network of Christian leaders spread throughout the country. He is the perfect leader for a new branch of ministry in Asia.
Rayan had a message for the Christians. “For centuries, wonderful faithful men and women of the Lord… have served a lot in these developing nations. I want to convey this message to my brothers and sisters, that the Lord now wants to use Asian people to go into the nations in Asia to be messengers of the gospel. He wants to use us to go and preach the gospel… and do it until our last breath. So, keep praying for us… I have many friends in the U.S. who are close to my heart and those are the people that helped me and guided me to do missions. I respect those people very much. Thank you.”
We had not previously planned to go to Pakistan, but Rayan and his friends are already translating the curriculum into Urdu and this is an open door that we must find a way to walk through. Please consider partnering with us.
Words of Life
“It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure… [so that] you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the Word of Life.” Philippians 2:13, 15
Have you considered that the Lord works in you and through you for His good pleasure?
When we had our team debrief session after the mission trips to Malawi and Ethiopia, we were encouraged from the stories of how God had been working in us and through us. Each person shared how the Lord had carried them in their weakness, caused students to respond, and allowed the work to expand. They were exhausted after a month of ministry and refreshed because it was for the Lord’s good pleasure.
Since that meeting, six new countries asked the Orality Institute for training. We have nine trainers who are ready to go but we need more funding to start these new fields. We would like to send two trainers to each of the following four countries this year. Here is a rough break down of what it would take for this to be possible. The costs will vary, but it is an initial estimate.
Zambia $3000 Two Malawian trainers
South Sudan $3000 Two Ugandan trainers
Kenya $3000 Two Ugandan trainers
Pakistan $8000 Two U.S. trainers
Leadership $3,000 additional per month
The Lord has provided the locations and the trainers. We believe that He will provide the funds for this expansion as well. He provided the means for two trips to Malawi to train leaders from four ministries. He provided for our introductory trip to Ethiopia. Prayerfully consider the role that you and your church could have towards this goal.
Into to the World
Video Resources:
Orality Institute Updates a message from Pakistan
Video Resources:
Orality Institute UpdatesPrayer and Praise January 2023
- Happy New Year! Praise the Lord for the spread of the gospel and God’s Word in 2022.
- Pray for these new countries that are asking us for training!
- South Sudan
- Zambia
- India
- Japan
- Pray that we could increase our number of monthly supporters by 200
- Pray that our monthly income could increase by 38%
- Praise the Lord for the testimonies coming from Malawi and the continued interest in Ethiopia.
- Pray for wisdom for our board as we meet January 16th.
Oral Story January 2023
Press On
“One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
Have you ever felt the Lord stretch you beyond what you could manage? That is where we are at right now.
This past year we felt stretched as we trained four different ministries in Malawi over three weeks in April; sending four Ugandan missionaries to train in Malawi over the month of November; and training one hundred Missiology students at the Tabor Evangelical College in Hawassa, Ethiopia.
During the last weeks of 2022, the International Orality Institute received invitations to train leaders in Zambia, South Sudan, India, and Japan. These invitations have come to us without any pursuit of our own, but align with our goal to train leaders, so that they can train their own people, who can multiply the training in their own country. We have seen this discipleship take place in Uganda and now the Ugandans are going as missionaries to other countries.
We feel stretched between the opportunities before us and the resources that we have available. To consider bringing God’s Word to these new invitations, we need to expand our monthly support by 38%. A Chinese friend recently told me that financial supply is easy for the Lord, because He owns everything in the world. It is much more difficult to get people to seek Him and desire to know Him. Since we have an abundance of interest in learning God’s Word, now we need to provide the means to do so. Thank you for participating with us in your prayer and generous support.
Stand Firm
“My brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.” Philippians 4:1
Who are those that you love and long for? Who would you describe as your joy and crown?
Those who have been involved in the international training can relate to Paul’s description of his brothers and sisters whom he loves and longs for. We feel close to these partners in ministry and picture them as are our joy and crown. They often refer to their trainers as their parents with the affection and respect that goes along with the title. They are like precious jewels that are being chiseled and polished by God’s Word.
Victory is when those who have been trained in God’s Word are able to stand firm on that Word and then begin to train others. It brings joy when they give testimonies of how the Lord has changed them and how He is molding and shaping them through His Word. Ernest, one of the students in Malawi, recently wrote: “Since the training, we have had time to rebuild our relationships both with our friends and in our marriages. We have seen God at work in our marriages because now we have Christ in our homes.”
Earlier in December, Ernest was asked by some friends in nearby Zambia how they could learn God’s Word the same way, using an oral strategy, so that they could train the people in their churches. Ernest has been a part of four trainings, so he was told, “You go and teach those in Zambia the very things that you have been told, teach them what you have been taught.” In other words, they are standing firm on God’s Word and “there is no greater joy than to hear your children are walking in the truth.” Thank you, Jesus, for producing fruit in their lives!
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