This letter comes from Ziya Alfred in Kenya.

Dustin Manis
CEO

The first worship service was on the 7th and 30 people attended the service which started under a tree. The person who will be in charge of this Church as from now on is Jonathan.  Jonathan lives more than 20 Kms away from the Church and will be walking every now and then to take care of the new believers.

Apart from that there are some testimonies

1. A lady was witnessed to on the first day and said that she was not ready to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior because she was a muslim. When we visited her home the next day said that she was in need of Jesus and therefore received Jesus as her Savior. 

2.A family of Mgalla who was once a church member and then joined the muslim faith got saved. Mgalla was a church member and a good musician. This man later on stopped going to Church and joined the muslim religion because he thought that no one in that Church cared for him. When he heard the gospel, he accepted Jesus together with his wife Sadaka and their two sons.

3. A Muslim lady known as Fatma was fearing to receive Jesus because she thought that she could be killed later on was ready to accept Jesus. Fatma has been having an eye sight problem for many years and has been given medicine by the muslims but has had no improvement or healing. When she heard the gospel, she at first resisted but later said because I have seen many people getting saved and getting healed, I am ready to receive Jesus and I know for sure that the Lord will heal me and even if not, I am sure of eternal life after this life.

4. The residents of Silaloni have never had rains since the beginning of this year. Therefore, after sharing the gospel in one home and 6 people receiving Jesus in that home, they asked us if we could pray for the rains to our God. So we prayed for the rains and before we left the area, it rained for almost one hour. This happened very early in the morning on the forth day that being on Saturday.

From our Associate Eastern Director, Paul Karani

1. May 10th – Rev. Samson Zulu (one of our IAM missionaries) writes out a request for financial assistance for a LOAM that he was planning on July 7th – July 10th in Sinda, Zambia. Samson near Lusaka, and Sinda is 280 miles away from him. He then sends the request to his National Director, Edison Tembo.

2. May 24th – Edison Tembo (Zambia’s National Director) and Edenson Sikatali (his associate) approve the LOAM request, and send the request on to their immediate superior, Fraywell Chipeta (Southern Director).

3. May 27th – Fraywell approves the request, and returns it to Edison. Edison then emails it to the OKC office for approval.

4. May 31st – Brent approves the request for $500, and asks me to add it to the wire for June.

5. June 1st – The monthly wire goes out, along with the $500 for the Sinda LOAM.

6. July 8th- 10th - The LOAM proceeds, with the oversight of Samson’s Regional Team Leader – Youdah Nkhoma, who lives 76 miles from the LOAM site. Most of the $500 that was sent was used for the travel of Samson and his timothies from Lusaka to Sinda.

7. July 28th – Edison sends a testimony of the LOAM, with results and specifics.

LOAM Request Form

LOAM Report

I've never seen this more true than when I was in Africa. The pastors came from all around to attend our Leadership Development Institute in Mombasa. 

Some had literally traveled for days. I noticed throughout our time with the pastors, wives and children, no one complained. No one complained they were sleeping on the concrete floor of a school. They were grateful they had thin, foam mattresses to sleep on. To some, that was a treat! They were grateful for the meals provided, for the materials given them, and overwhelmed by receiving their very own Bible. 

As we worshiped together, the joy was palpable. Seeking God together, we were content. 

Glynis Crawford
Director of Communications

Two Schools

Brothers,

I give glory to God who gave me a chance to preach to two schools this week and teach at a one day ladies seminar. In the first School that is Mjanaheri Primary School on Thursday, a total of 625 students received Jesus as Lord and Saviour of their lives.

In the second School that is Mapimo Primary School, where I do visit every Friday morning, there are 43 students who received Jesus as Lord of their lives.

I was also privilaged to teach 40 ladies on Saturday in a women seminar about the responsiblitIies of women in the Church. These ladies were encouraged and they asked for another day next month.

Let the Almighty God receive all the glory.

In Christ,

Paul Karani

Witchdoctor's Church

We once went to Zambia to spread the word of God. On our trip, we reached two places namely, Muyombe and Wenela which are located to the Northern part of Zambia. These places, Muyombe and Wenela are about two hundred kilometres from where I live.

We discovered a certain church known as Ntchini church (Witch doctors church) This particular church was allowing polygamy in its doctrines. This church had many members. As we found out about the way they worshipped, we discovered that they could choose one person to preach the word of God. They could choose the elders of their church. After he finishes preaching, people were told to come in front of the high priest. This particular high priest could scrutinise their problems and sometimes those with witchcraft related problems could be given herbs .They could also collect charms and they could command those they have collected their charms to cook them food with good relish such as chicken.

This church is very common there and it has many members especially from rural areas. On the second and third day we preached an attempt to transform them to follow the true ways of worshipping. God opened the door for us and we preached to their high priest who accepted Jesus to be his Lord and personal saviour. Currently, the high priest and his family are members of Baptist church.

Currently, the brother to the high priest is here in Malawi to undergo Bible School training in Mzuzu. As he came to us, he explained that the church is expanding as many people are flocking to his church because their leader knew the Lord Jesus Christ. We would like to thank the almighty God for the power which he showed, to transform these lost people. Glory is unto him now and forevermore. Amen!

Justice S. Qoma

After twenty-five years of renting office space, we are eagerly anticipating major changes in the days ahead: the increased number of offices we’ll have available, great opportunities to host events for supporters, visitors, and personnel from Africa, and greatly expanded storage facilities, in addition to even having some room for future growth. Yes, this “permanent home” will be a very welcome blessing to the entire ministry of Reaching Souls International.

But recently the thought crossed my mind: “As excited as we are about this “permanent home,” how incredibly more thrilled we should be about our “ETERNAL HOME”—yes, Heaven . . . in the presence of Jesus Christ, our Savior, forever!

That “ETERNAL HOME” will have no shortage of space: Indeed, there are rooms still being “added” for the thousands who are embracing the truth of Jesus every single day—Africans, Chinese, Indians, Colombians, Cubans, Americans, and on and on and on—those who are being drawn to the Savior by God’s Holy Spirit, those who are placing their faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

Our “permanent home,” as we refer to the future ministry headquarters of Reaching Souls International, is wonderful to anticipate.

But our “ETERNAL HOME”—now that is truly something to get excited about!

By Jim Falkenberg
Special Assistant to the President

Several years ago I was asked to teach a class on spiritual warfare . . . to pastors . . . in Africa! Until then, little had I understood how incredibly REAL spiritual warfare is in Africa TODAY!

As I prepared to teach that class to African pastors, I quickly began to realize that spiritual warfare in America and spiritual warfare in Africa are definitely two different things. Yes, we’re all aware that the devil attacks believers in various ways: sometimes very subtly, sometimes as a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8).

So I met with former missionaries to Africa and with Christian nationals who had grown up in Africa. I asked each of them to help me understand the extent of how powerful the spiritual warfare is in today’s Africa.

I was amazed at their responses. Their consensus was this: “Spiritual warfare is the single most important factor that affects individuals, families, and even the Church in Africa today.” They told me that nearly every family is impacted in some way by “the wiles of the devil.” No, most of us in America don’t see Satan’s influence in the dramatic ways that the people of Africa are experiencing them, so we tend to underestimate that impact. Yet in Africa the people know, without a doubt, that their adversary is very active and very powerful.

But the message that the Church of Africa is boldly proclaiming is this: “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). And God is truly winning that great battle in countless lives as men, women, children . . . and yes, even witchdoctors . . . are placing their faith in Christ and, through God’s Spirit, are overcoming Satan’s power.

Jim Falkenberg
Special Asst. to the President

His answer about the Bible rocked me, and I had to tell him, as we traveled down the dark, dusty, bumpy road, that it was really sad for me (because I had numerous , 15-20 maybe?) Bibles sitting on shelves at my house; and also really sad for him, because although the Word was so precious to him, he had to BORROW a Bible to accomplish the task he believed the Lord had assigned him.

As I asked him what Bible he would prefer, English or in his native tongue Chichewa, he simply replied that it didn’t really matter to him…he just wanted a Bible! Stunned again by his simple reply, and thinking of all those Bibles on my shelves 8,000 miles away, one of my fellow team members who had been listening intently to our conversation, handed his Bible to Isaac from the back of the van, saying simply “It has my name etched on the front cover, but you're welcome to it.” The smile on Isaac’s face pierced the darkness of the night…Isaac now had his own Bible!

How precious is the Word of God to me? I continue to ask myself that question as I think back on that experience a little more than a week ago in Malawi…

Robin Palesano
CFO

1. RSI operates on a biblically-based model: 2 Timothy 2:2 lays out that model—“The things that you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

2. What we teach to our African pastors is relevant: exactly what they have told us they need to expand their ministries, to reach their villages, and to grow their churches.

3. RSI is edifying: that is, it is designed to build the Body of Christ in Africa.

4. RSI is people-focused . . . evangelical Africans and Americans working together to reach people with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. It’s efficient. A little goes a long way in Africa where people are desperately looking for hope. And they’re finding eternal hope in a relationship with Christ.

6. It’s incredibly cost-effective: for every 61 cents RSI spent (on everything!) in 2010, one African came to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

7. It’s fully accountable on two major levels:

a. Our African pastors are accountable to their chain-of-command leadership through both onsite spot-checks and required consistent reporting;

b. Our American leaders are accountable to RSI’s supporters, through our membership in ECFA, Charity Navigator, and a comprehensive annual audit.

8. RSI is involving: that is, it allows men, women, and responsible teens opportunities to see first-hand what God is doing in Africa while using their spiritual gifts to minister to people.

9. RSI is “growing” the African church with a constant emphasis on biblical discipleship. It’s enduring as those who come to Christ are staying in the churches and growing.

10. RSI is focused on eternally-changed lives, leading to eternally-changed nations.

11. RSI’s “Nationals Reaching Nationals” is a common sense approach, maximizing strengths (location, language, etc.) while minimizing barriers (costs, travel, etc.).

12. RSI’s method is timeless: the Word of God is at the center of everything . . . taking the never-changing Truth to an ever-changing world.

A dozen reasons! And, oh yes, one more . . . Reaching Souls International has always been and always will be God’s ministry. He is the One Who changes people’s lives for eternity!

Jim Falkenberg
Special Assistant to the President

Recently, Charity Navigator (a charity evaluator) awarded Reaching Souls with their 4-star rating for sound fiscal management. In a letter we just received last week, they wrote, “We are proud to announce Reaching Souls International has earned our second consecutive 4-star rating for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances. Only 19% of the charities we rate have received at least 2 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Reaching Souls International consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America. This “exceptional” designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Reaching Souls International from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”

As your funding increases, you have more choices in how to spend it, and we want to make sure we’re handling the monies God has entrusted to us in honorable ways. Thank you for your faithful support and pray we remain faithful as well.

Dustin Manis
CEO

I’ve seen pastors come in throughout the country that had no prior training but knew very well that God had called them into the ministry.  Many did not even have a whole Bible to use to preach and teach from.  To experience it in person was life-changing for me. 

As I think about our responsibility as God’s children, Jesus clearly instructed us to “Go ye therefore and teach all nations” and because Jimmy Hodges understood that calling and obeyed it, Reaching Souls has impacted the Kingdom in a mighty way over the last 25 years.  I realize that for those of us here in the United States, it is difficult to imagine that 3.6 million lives in just one year can be saved through the work of few men and women in Africa.  But Praise Be to God that is what we saw in 2010. 

In my role as Associate Director of Development, I will have opportunity to meet with many of our contributors to the ministry and I look forward to sharing the past, the present and the future of Reaching Souls International.  I have no doubt the best is yet to come.

Brad Adams
Associate Director of Development  

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. I wish to inform you that on February 18th, 2011, we had a baptism and Lord’s Supper. 30 People were baptized .This followed an open air meeting in the surrounding area. During the period, 80 people gave their lives to Jesus and out these, 30 were baptized in our church.

The lady in the picture is Mrs. Ester Sakala Banda of Intercontinental Hotel Lusaka, Laundry department. She came to know Jesus during the crusade at Lilanda market. She is married with 5 children. Her husband is Mr. Edward Sakala ,who is a teacher in the government. On those baptized on this day, 10 were men and 20 were females. Of these ladies, 5 are school aged. Of the men, 4 areyoung men who are still at school.

This was a normal or ordinary crusade; it was for three days as from 16th to 18th February, 2011. The testimony of the lady is that her marriage has experienced some break downs because of drinking of beer. And the husband, used to suspect her of committing adultery because of working for the hotel and drinking beer. In Africa, working in a bar or hotel raises a lot of suspicions among some family members. But after knowing Jesus, there is peace in the family and the husband is in the baptism class and will also soon be baptized.

May our good Lord bless you all.

Edison Tembo
National Director, Zambia

Within the arena of Reaching Souls International we must always keep in mind the key elements of the following acrostic for A F R I C A:

A All glory goes to God for what is accomplished: this is His ministry, and we are His servants.

F Far-reaching into other nations of Africa and to other parts of the world (India, Cuba), as God directs and opens the doors to the people and places of His choosing

R Results are given only by God’s Spirit as He moves in the lives of those who hear and read the Truth of the Gospel.

I I must decrease while Christ must increase. My (our) role is to proclaim (and help others proclaim) the message of Jesus Christ and not to focus on “me” or “us.”

C Churches that are planted must be evangelical, based upon God’s written and proclaimed Word, and effectively “grown” through biblical methods.

A Accountability is essential: first, to God; then to our shareholders (those who support through prayer, finances, and time); and between our African pastors and our U.S. staff.

Jim Falkenberg
Special Assistant to the President

The end of 2010 brought some incredible numbers and in sharing them with you, please join us in giving God all the praise for He continues to do great things!

Villages Reached  59,858

Baptisms 385,564

Church Starts 2,635

Salvations 3,653,247

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  
Colossians 1:11-14

Over 3.5 million new believers in Africa! That's a number we love to track.

Glynis Crawford
Director of Communications

After a few testimonies were given, Manuel Martin Del Sol stood and came to the front of the room. Manuel began to recount for us his story of salvation and service to the Lord. He shared that just 8 months ago, he was a lost man. He was riding his horse beside the road when something happened that caused him to fall from his horse. A short time later a man stopped to help him and gave him a ride to the next town. During the ride to town, the Gospel was shared and Manuel put his faith and trust in Jesus Christ! That is amazing, miraculous, and compelling. But that is not the most gripping part of the testimony. Manuel went on to share that since his conversion 8 MONTHS AGO, he has started 3 churches.

Maybe you are thinking…wait, where did he go to college? What seminary did he enroll in? Who told him he could be a preacher? Is he licensed? Ordained? I had some of those thoughts and I expressed some of those thoughts and concerns to the crowd that had gathered. The crowd began to respond to me with Scripture, reminding me of the life of Saul/Paul and going on to explain the sufficiency of Christ. Needless to say, I am a believer – not only in the Savior Jesus Christ but in the power of His call and the prompting of His Holy Spirit. May He forever be glorified and may He make His name known and advance His Kingdom in Cuba through Manuel and many others just like him.

Brent Parsons
COO

A few weeks ago, I invited one of our National Missionaries to speak to my Sunday School class, and one of the questions that was raised was “If I came to stay at your house for a few days, where would I sleep, what would I sleep on, and with what would I cover myself?” Charles Changala, our Associate Southern Director, very simply replied “Oh yes, you can come anytime to stay at my house. You will sleep in the extra room (they have two rooms), and we will get you a mat (made of banana leaves) and we will lay it on the floor (dirt, unless it’s rainy season, then it is mud), and you can cover up with another mat, if we have an extra. You will be our honored guest!”

Oh Lord, please forgive me when I think the overflow of blessings you afford me are shared with others around the world. Keep me thankful, humble, sensitive, and compassionate toward those who are overjoyed at the thought of this spoiled Christian man spending a night with them in the home they praise you daily for providing. Thank you, Charles Changala, for showing me true meaning of gratitude!

Robin Palesano
CFO

Her response astounded me: “I want to represent Jesus Christ to my employer (he’s Muslim) and to my customers,” she said. “If Jesus loved me enough to give His life for me, the least I can do is to represent Him and let others know He loves them, too.”

Wow, what a testimony! She went on to tell me that her boss had agreed to allow her to be off work on Sundays so that she could attend her evangelical church and she, as assistant manager, would work on Fridays so he could worship at his mosque.

We can’t possibly imagine the pressures that surround Christians in Egypt where nearly all of life is dictated by Islam. According to best estimates, perhaps 15% of Egypt’s 77 million people are non-Muslims, with a much lower percentage being listed as “evangelical Christians.”

As the Egyptian government is still in its formative stages, following the February 11 resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, please pray for those brave Christians who are willing to “count the cost” of serving the One who gave His life for them.

Jim Falkenberg
Special Assistant to the President

Reaching – verb, action, pro-active, helpful, rescue
Souls - reaching what?, Souls are paramount, this is the primary objective, this is our reason for existing as an organization, this is our purpose
International - not limited to Africa, worldwide, global, everyone – everywhere, all inclusive, everyone counts, says missions, widens the field, the world is the target

The name states exactly what we are about. For the evangelical (our target audience), it leaves no room for ambiguity. In a time of increasing pressure for tolerance, political correctness, and apathy – it says what our core driving force is.

Personal Evangelism - It is easy to say you do mission work in Africa. This is non-offensive and puts you in a positive light. Reaching Souls International places you at the point of an evangelism outreach situation just by mentioning the name. It is also bold for Christ. Even bolder that “Jesus Christ Ministries” because the name itself says that we believe that there are absolutes and we are all about proselytizing. There is right and there is wrong. Missions has been often dumbed down to merely doing good in a foreign land. This is non-confrontational. Jesus was offensive to the world. There is no other way to the Father, this is what we believe, we care and this is why we are “reaching souls” all over the world.

Nationals reaching nationals - this is how we do it, this is training pastors & evangelists, this is supporting national evangelists, this is placing orphans in the homes of other nationals, this is lifting the pastors’ vision to reach their own people.
Notes on Logo -
Christian literature and materials seem limited to globes, crosses, and Bibles. Sometimes a combination of any of the three.

Rough/faded font - says we aren’t new, we’re hard at work, we’re hands on, in the field, rugged, sleeves rolled up, grunt work

The Hand - Christ is the One who saves men’s souls. The reaching hand signifies God. He is in charge. It is His ministry, His work, His credit. This ministry exists because He wills that it exist. God Is not willing that any should perish – He takes the initiative and reaches out to us.

Globe - the globe contains life. Multiple lines running through the globe illustrate movement or action. God is currently at work reaching souls. God is moving history towards the climax that He has intended for it we’re invited to find our place in His plan. Action exemplifies this ministry’s reputation of progress, efficiency, & effectiveness. The Color Gold - the color gold was chosen for the globe to represent the value of souls. Using gold reminds people (employees and supporters) about what this ministry is all about. What is the value of a man’s soul? Gold reminds us of something precious, something of the greatest value or importance.

Reaching souls is the reason this ministry exists. It is who we are and what we’re about. It’s why our friends invest their prayers, time, finances, and influence.

Dustin Manis
CEO

He is also sharing Christ with those around him, preaching to the crowds that gather every time he rides in on his bike and turns on his Peavey sound system. Singing praises to God as the children, teens and adults crowd around to hear the truth of God’s word. Leading them to Christ, connecting them to a local church and building in them a foundation for a relationship with Christ. Brick by brick.

The vision for Reaching Souls was given to Jimmy Hodges 25 years ago and has been built by God. There are over 800 National Missionaries in the field today. Each one is called by God and excited to spread His word throughout their nations. Cultures are being changed as the truth is spreading to one heart at a time. New foundations are being laid. Brick by brick.

Glynis Crawford
Director of Communications

Jim Falkenberg
Special Assistant to the President

Last Friday, Casual Friday, took on a whole new meaning for me. We (Dustin Manis, Wayne Fagala, and I) had been in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania for a week of intense training and meetings with 21 of our National Directors and Associate National Directors from 7 countries of Africa. The days had been long and tedious. We had spent 4 grueling days hammering out budgets, goals, strategy, and expectations for 2011.

Then came Friday… I had asked our International Director, Elias Kashambagani, to organize a day for relaxation and fellowship. He planned a day that we will never forget. We began the day at the Zoo of Dar Es Salaam. I’d say the zoo was positioned on about 5-8 acres. The animals were all kept in pens made of chain link fence. I’d never been so close to lions, tigers, leopards, giraffes, etc. When we sat down in the shade, I wondered how many of these men had ever been to a zoo. When I asked how many of the men to raise their hands if they had never been to a zoo, 9 of the 21 responded saying that they had never experience anything like this before.

From the zoo we made our way to the coastline of the Indian Ocean. Several of the men took off their shoes to wade in the clear ocean water. Again… many of these men come from landlocked countries and this was their first time to ever experience the ocean.

The men that are supported by Reaching Souls International are men who know how to enjoy a casual Friday. If there are men on the planet that deserve a day of rejuvenation – these men do. Last Friday was a reminder of just how great the creation of our Father is and how wonderful His servants are. You can expect great things in 2011 as God works mightily through His faithful followers.

In Him,
Brent A. Parsons
COO

At Reaching Souls, we talk a great deal about accountability. We feel it personally, corporately and internationally. We are accountable to God for being wise stewards and faithful servants. We are also accountable to our supporters. 

A large part of this accountability is our leadership is Africa. These men provide front row observations of the ministry happening in Africa. They report the activity and numbers of the National Missionaries. They provide guidance and direction for the men in the field. 

Elias Kashambagani, Eastern Director and Fraywell Chipeta, Southern Director oversee the seven nations with their Associate Directors Paul Karani and Charles Changala. In addition, each country has a National Director and at least one Associate Director. Through these layers of leadership, accountability and support are maintained at a consistent level.

And...all of this information is available to you. 

Please join us in praying for this leadership meeting. Many foundations for the future are being laid and we are praying for God's guidance and provision in setting these benchmarks in place.

Glynis Crawford
Director of Communications  

Every day, Africans struggle to have the basic necessities of life. Water, food and shelter are daily concerns. Things like electricity, education and medical care are distant thoughts. Choice in career or any other area is a rare commodity.

I pray I will never forget the incredible blessing of being able to walk almost anywhere in the US and either turn on the tap for a fresh drink of water, or buy a bottle of clear spring water to quench my thirst. Thank you Lord.

Robin Palesano
CFO

We try. Because for us every day is measured in souls.

We get so excited when the news of another soul saved reaches us. As we receive reports from the seven countries in Africa, we see the days and months measured in the changed lives of men, women and children. Then the months become years and the salvations become millions. MILLIONS! God is so good.

To date, in 2010, we have seen over 3 million salvations reported. On average that means that over 8,000 people got saved every day of last year! And these numbers are not complete. We are waiting on year-end reports and we expect the numbers to increase and when they do, we will share them with you.

For now, rejoice with us! God is at work in Africa through the faithful men he has called to spread his Good News and through you, the faithful supporters of these men.

Glynis Crawford
Director of Communications

Like many of us at Christmastime, I become very mindful of how God has blessed me. When I get past crowded shopping malls, ribbons and bows, and the hustle and bustle, the birth of Jesus and all that entails is pushed to the forefront of my mind. I know how unworthy I am to receive God’s love and grace. Yet, He does love me and He does love you.

When I reflect back on this year and the places I’ve been and the people that I’ve met, I become even more thankful. I’m thankful that I was able to meet them. And that the birth of Christ will be celebrated in so many parts of the world.

I’m thankful for my life, my family, my church, my job and ministry, my friends, and my health. I count the opportunity to serve Reaching Souls as one of my greatest blessings. And as one who has the privilege of seeing the results overseas, I am grateful for our prayer warriors, our financial supporters, all of our national missionaries and their families, the orphans and their guardians, our staff, our US team members, and everyone else who God works through to make this ministry a success in His eyes.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

Gratefully,

Dustin Manis
CEO

When Renatus asked him on my behalf to sing a song of praise as part of the interview, Onesmo gently nodded his head in approval, closed his eyes, and began singing in his native Swahili tongue.  After a refrain or two of the song, tears began to flow from not only the eyes of Onesmo, but also from those of Renatus.  When Renatus was finally able to recover his emotions, he explained to me that Onesmo was singing a song he had written himself, about the wonderful day that Christ had delivered him from the Muslim faith, and he was praising the Lord for the chance to tell others about Him.  Onesmo sang, Renatus translated for me, and we all wept, rejoicing as we celebrated the life-changing day that Christ “made us alive together with Christ!”  Ephesians 2:5 (NAS)    

Robin Palesano
CFO