Friends,

God at Work in AFRICA!

Did you know….AFRICA is the second largest continent in the world, divided into 54 countries and home to 1.2 billion people? It is home to the world’s longest river (the Nile), and it continues to produce more diamonds and cocoa beans than any other continent. But the fact I want you to remember most after reading this newsletter is that in spite of persecution, Christianity continues to spread throughout Africa at an amazing rate! Currently, 26% of all Christians in the world live in Africa. At the current rate, by the year 2060, that number will be 40%!! And God has chosen to place Reach Out in Africa at such a time as this to work closely with youth pastors and parents as so many young adults are proving to be open and responsive to the Gospel!   Currently, we are training and equipping youth leaders and parents to reach and disciple teenagers in 15 countries in Africa! Here are just a few of the highlights from Africa over the last couple of months: DRC

The Implementation Workshop was a great success in DRC last month. The 41 leaders who participated in the regional event shared how God is powerfully working through their ministries to reach the younger generation. Some leaders shared how they have formed prayer groups and that they are watching God answer their prayers day and night. Others shared that they have seen the young people of their areas impacted through the creation of outreach opportunities. They celebrated the news that over the last quarter, there were 243 students who made professions of faith from the churches represented! And, they were all incredibly encouraged by the stories that were shared. They also took the time to pray and strategize about challenges that were mentioned. At the end of the workshop, they conveyed how valuable the workshop had been for each of them and expressed a desire for there to be more opportunities like this available to them in the future.

LIBERIA

Randy Riggins and Charles Juma re-engaged with youth pastors/leaders, trained in JFYM during Reach Out’s trip to Liberia from six months ago, via Zoom on May 23. Here are a few quotes from (and comments about) that Zoom call:     “Through the scripture, current trends, and statistics you shared when you were with us, we now understand the urgency of getting to these young people NOW. Once you guys left, we started to pray about next steps. God has placed a large burden on our hearts for the young people in our country. We started a new church in our area several months ago and everyone attending but me is under the age of 30!”  - Ugo (Pastor on the outskirts of Monrovia)    “They are so inspiring. You can tell this is the air that they breathe. You can see it on their faces. The passion of these youth leaders is so encouraging!”  - Charles Juma (ROYS Continental Leader for Africa)    “One of the churches in our area has started using the resources you gave us and they have seen an explosion of young people attending their church. Please pray for us this summer as we begin hosting evangelistic student camps.”  - Nyanda (Leads a “school-based ministry” in Liberia)    “It is exciting to see these youth leaders begin to take what was absorbed in the seminary classes and forum that we taught and begin to follow through with the action plans that they created from those teachable moments. Leaders are building leadership teams, engaging schools, and creating atmospheres of prayer in their ministries. God is at work in the lives of the youth leaders of this country!”  - Randy Riggins (President – Reach Out Youth Solutions)  BOTSWANA

Lawrence Kariuki, Country Leader in Botswana, reported that they recently held an implementation conference in Mmankgodi with 43 pastors and youth leaders in attendance. A youth pastor shared that the students of his church came together one weekend this spring and went door-to-door in their community sharing the Gospel. Over 100 people made professions of faith as a result of that one specific outreach event! KENYA

Charles Juma (African Continent Director) and Lawrence Kariuki (Botswana Country Leader) attended the First Priority Global Summit in Nairobi. Leaders from 18 countries were present, sharing stories of how God is using teenagers to reach their friends with the Gospel. During this summit, Reach Out Youth Solutions and First Priority Global forged an even deeper bond and commitment to strategically work together in globally training young leaders. *Next month, Benny Proffitt (First Priority Global) and Randy Riggins (Reach Out Youth Solutions) will join forces to train over 500 youth leaders in India! Here are more pictures below, also including Charles, Lawrence, and Nyuma Kiyumbi (Tanzania Country Leader).

This quarter, your financial support also allowed Reach Out to minister in Africa by:  Hosting 13 Implementation Workshops that encompassed more than 600 leaders Providing a new localized translation of JFYM in MALAWI Purchasing bicycles for school evangelism in ZIMBABWE Opening a new continental office for Reach Out Youth Solutions in KENYA 

UGANDA

It seems appropriate to end this newsletter with a thank-you from Asher Kalema, Reach Out’s Country Leader in Uganda:

“We thank all the partners of Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry for extending the work of the kingdom to the end of the earth…may the good Lord continue to bless you as we do this work to reach the world.”

To join us in this disciple making movement across Africa and around the world, you can give HERE.

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Jesus is Lord,

Randy Riggins, President Reach Out Youth Solutions

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