Winning Souls – By Drake Kanaabo

God’s vision and plan is that every generation should influence its own people with the gospel. We are responsible for winning our own generation to Christ. We cannot run away from this responsibility. No one else is going to come from another generation to convert this generation…

Mission Challenge: “Winning SOULS”

By N.E.T.S. Minister, Drake Kanaabo

(Note: Drake Kanaabo and his wife, Josephine, live in Kampala, Uganda, and have evangelized in remote areas with Harvest Ministry’s NETS Outreach since 1991.)

What have we done to win our generation?

Over the last few years, I’ve taken particular interest in the annual plans of churches and I’ve noticed that many churches do not include evangelism in their plans. Most annual plans feature seminars, conferences, concerts, fundraising drives, etc. but not soul winning as a priority.

A great deal of the activites going on in our churches are designed for the benefit of people who are already saved. Church leaders in general no longer seem to possess any passion for lost souls. This is the reason why in many churches, evangelism has been relegated to an insignificant department often manned by newly saved, inexperienced Christians.

Friends, something has gone wrong.

Get Back to Soul Winning!

While there is absolute sense and legitimacy in us planning for the welfare of those who are already saved, it is unacceptable for us not to care any more about the eternal destiny of the unsaved. It is time we got back to the primary mission of the Church: witnessing for our Lord Jesus.

It is time we put back evangelism where it rightfully belongs: as a priority in our plans and programs…

Those early church folks understood their high calling to witness for Jesus. If it weren’t for the obedience and determination of people like apostle Paul, we Gentiles might never have received the gospel. Maybe today we would be Muslims or Animists! But thank God for those first believers. They completely focussed on winning their generation. They refused to trade that mission for anything in the world. We must follow their example!

Winning Our Generation

God’s vision and plan is that every generation should influence its own people with the gospel. We are responsible for winning our own generation to Christ. We cannot run away from this responsibility. No one else is going to come from another generation to convert this generation…We can never escape from this question: What have we done to win our generation? What impact have we made on our villages, cities and nations?

Some two billion people living right now on planet earth are yet to hear the gospel for the first time. These people live in Asia, in the Middle East, in North Africa. They are a part of our generation but they don’t have preachers to proclaim the gospel to them. What are we going to do about these billions? It is our responsibility to reach them…

(This article is excerpted from Drake Kanaabo’s book, Winning SOULS, published by Redeemed Evangelistic Church, Kampala, Uganda
© Copyright 2001: Drake Kanaabo. All rights reserved. Used with permission.)

Christi’s Mission Adventure in NIGER!

Here’s a ministry update from our 20-year-old daughter, Christi Dunagan, who just came back from her second summer mission, this time from NIGER, WEST AFRICA:

Hey Friends and Family!

Well, this summer has just been packed full of adventure and experiences. After five and a half weeks in Cambodia I had a 10 day break at home with my family before I jumped on another plane (well.. several planes, actually) to go to Niger, West Africa, where I would be a little over three weeks with my sweetheart Trae’s family, ministering with them at several local churches and helping with two week-long African children’s camps.

The trip was awesome. Living with the Childs’ family for several weeks was such a great learning experience and glance into what life as a foreign missionary family is like. The children’s camps were incredible as well. Hundreds of kids from different parts of the country all came together to learn more about the Lord. Hundreds received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and left ready to take what they learned back to their homes and villages

Thank you so much everyone who helped support this trip. God bless!!!

Christi

The life expectancy in Niger is only 52 years old, and 49.7% of the country is under the age of 14. Children’s missions outreach is a crucial part of ministry in this country that is so lost and in need of the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

This is a newly saved “Gourmanche” girl. Niger is only approximately 3% Christian. Tribal tradition includes scaring the faces of babies to identify their village and people group. The Gourmanche people also file their teeth to points as a sign of beauty and identity. In the past two years several churches have been planed in Gourmanche villages and hundreds have come to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

Here’s my special guy, Trae Childs, doing a puppet show with the kids, speaking in the “Housa” language. In addition to English, he speaks “Housa” (fluently) and French (nearly fluently, although very “African”). Trae is a 3rd generation missionary kid; his missionary grandparents have been preaching the Gospel in West Africa (in both Nigeria and Niger) for 30 years; and his parents and family have been full-time missionaries (focusing on evangelism, church planting, discipleship, and poverty relief) in Niger, West Africa for 13 years. 

More about the Childs Family and their missionary work in NIGER
More about how to pray for NIGER, WEST AFRICA (link to Operation World)
More about Christi’s earlier mission outreaches (to CAMBODIA & E. AFRICA)

Kid Orphan Sponsor Featured on TV News

KELOLife Television in Aberdeen, South Dakota ran a feature about one of our Osanidde sponsors, an energetic 10-year-old, named Ethan, who’s been selling lemonade (for three years!!!) to support his orphan friend, Allan, in Uganda. Ethan really takes his sponsorship commitment seriously!

It’s a sweet news clip . . . and a blessing!

You can view the TV station’s video file right here. And if any of you could take a moment to log in to view the article on the TV station’s website, it would be wonderful to add some positive comments about the feature. Please keep Harvest Ministry and all of our orphan children (currently over 700 kids!) in your thoughts and prayers.

P.S. Ethan was inwardly “moved with compassion” with a specific burden on his heart; he felt that if he didn’t raise that last $4, his orphan friend would “die.” We’re all so inspired by Ethan’s commitment; but be assured that if any of our sponsors are unable to meet their commitment (of $1/day), we’ll simply trust God together for His provision!!! Amen???

See our “N.E.T.S. Ministry” Brochure

Through Harvest Ministry’s National Evangelism Team Support outreach, we can work together with anointed national ministers of the Gospel to reach a harvest of SOULS for Jesus Christ.

Click to access - or to PRINT - a PDF file of this current Harvest Ministry N.E.T.S. (National Evangelism Team Support) information brochure.

N.E.T.S. Ministry Leaders

It is an honor and a blessing to work alongside anointed national ministers to more effectively reach the lost with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Currently, Harvest Ministry is partnering together with five N.E.T.S. Ministry Teams (led by these five anointed men of God, their wonderful wives, and assisted by their many ministry co-workers), in Uganda, East Africa, and in East India.

N.E.T.S. Ministers Drake & Josephine
Kampala, Uganda

Focusing on City-Wide Evangelism, Evangelism Training,
Orphan Ministry (Osanidde Village), and International Missions
More about Drake & Josephine

N.E.T.S. Ministers Naboth & Alice
Mbarara, Uganda

Focusing on Church Planting and Overseeing, Pastoring,
Village Evangelism, and Orphan Ministry (Guma Na Yesu).
More about Naboth & Alice

N.E.T.S. Minister Joseph (& Margret)
Bwera, Uganda

Focusing on remote Evangelism in the Rwenzori mountains
Village Church Planting, and Care for Pastors
More about Joseph & Margret

N.E.T.S. Ministers Paul (& Juliet)
Masaka & Kampala, Uganda

Focusing on City-Wide Outreach Preparation,
Evangelism, Prayer, and Organization
More about Paul & Juliet

“Tentative” N.E.T.S. Ministers Paul (& Krishna)
Andhra Pradesh, India

Focusing on remote village evangelism and church planting
Preaching, helping the poor, making disciples
More about Paul & Krishna

BUKWO MISSION: AUDIO REPORT

Jon Dunagan shares an AFRICA MISSIONS update from Harvest Ministry’s recent evangelistic outreach to Bukwo, Uganda – April, 2010.

Hear the details about an exciting dream, God’s timely provision, dangerous mountain-cliffs, an unexpected delay, and many front-line praise reports about MINISTRY, LOVING ORPHANS, and REAPING SOULS . . . fresh from the HARVEST FIELDS!!!

LISTEN HERE (click on REPORT FROM AFRICA MISSION).

• Audio only
• Time Length: 20 minutes.
• Recorded at the Dunagan’s home church in Hood River, Oregon.

MyCause4Orphans

A new vision for a new voice . . .

The Vision:

We have a vision on our hearts to recruit mission-minded individuals (youth, small groups, and families) to be a new voice for orphans.

MyCause4orphans is a vision to inspire the next generation to see (and to share) the huge needs 4orphans, to pray for a specific “cause” 4orphans on their hearts, and to inspire and equip these individuals to see their cause 4orphans fulfilled.

MyCause4Orphans:

This new myCause4orphans vision and the 4-minute video referred to in the brochure is still “in process.” During the spring/summer of 2010, Harvest Ministry will be selecting a “target group” of youth, small groups, and families to test-run the idea.

Specifically for this MyCause4Orphans youth & family mission outreach, Harvest Ministry is now partnering with thecause.org, a Christian mission facilitation organization, based in Bend, Oregon.

(Note to YOUTH & FAMILIES with a heart 4orphans: Please contact us if you, or your family, or your youth group would be interested in learning how YOU could participate in MyCause4Orphans by helping to “try out” this new idea.)

MyCause4Orphans – MISSION PARTICIPANTS:

“Osanidde Village”

MyCause4Orphans: Osanidde Village – GENERAL ORPHANAGE SUPPORT

Creative Idea: Share the need & pray

Mission#: MyCause4Orphans #0001

MyCause4Orphans mission number (#0001) can be used for easy online giving for anyone’s committed (or special) Osanidde Village child sponsorship or orphanage support.”

To support the needs of Harvest Ministry’s Osanidde Village orphanage (for temporary orphanage assistance or for easy online giving for any regular Osanidde Village sponsorship commitment), please go to thecause.org – click “DONATE” and write FOR: “MyCause4Orphans #0001″

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Tim & Wendy Jo Berg & Family

MyCause4Orphans: Bedding & Teddy Bears FOR THE GUMA KIDS

Creative Idea: Write letters & share the need

Mission#: MyCause4Orphans #0002

“We are passionate about raising the remaining $ for bedding for the precious orphan children at Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center, in Uganda, East Africa. Blankets are $5/each. So far, we have raised enough support for 400 blankets. Our preliminary goal is to provide new blankets for all 502 children. Olivia is also praying for God to provide teddy bears.”

To help Tim & Wendy Jo Berg & Olivia with their cause FOR THE GUMA KIDS (specifically for blankets, and then teddy bears), please go to thecause.org – click “DONATE” and write FOR: “MyCause4Orphans #0002″

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Next Generation School Project

MyCause4Orphans: Vision for a greatly-needed “NEXT GENERATION” Secondary School & Vocational Ministry Training Center at Osanidde Village on Bussi Island, in Uganda.

Creative Idea: Use facebook & twitter to share the need.

Mission#: MyCause4Orphans #0003

“A huge need at Osanidde Village is appropriate education for our older teenage children. In 2011, we will have 15 teenagers. Our desire is for these children to stay on Bussi Island to attend a Christ-centered secondary (high) school, and for each child be trained for God’s purpose and destiny. To do this, we plan to build a 3rd school building, then acquire new secondary teachers.”

To help with NEXT GENERATION Secondary School & Vocational Ministry Training Center, go to thecause.org – click “DONATE” and write FOR: “MyCause4Orphans #0003″

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Caela Dunagan

MyCause4Orphans: Manilla Envelope Gifts for all the kids at Osanidde Village.

Creative Idea: Share the vision with kids, teens, and young adults

Mission#: MyCause4Orphans #0004

“”It was so exciting to go on a mission trip to Africa with my mom and to visit all the kids at both Osanidde Village & Guma Na Yesu. It’s so exciting when sponsors send gifts, but I want to help many of the kids who’ve never received a gift. My vision is to motivate others to help me to prepare special gifts (each in a large manila envelope with a $2/shipping fee) for all 160 children.”

If you would like to give specifically for Caela’s gift project thecause.org – click “DONATE” and write FOR: “MyCause4Orphans #0004″

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Jessica Wagar

MyCause4Orphans: Bedding for Orphan Children

Creative Idea: Bake Sale

Mission#: MyCause4Orphans #0005

“Jessica enjoys baking and cake decorating, and she also has a big heart for orphan children. She organized a bake sale at her Christian high school to raise money to make a difference. Her bake sale will help to provide greatly-needed bedding for Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center.“

To help with Jessica’s cause to provide bedding for the GUMA kids please go to thecause.org – click “DONATE” and write FOR: “MyCause4Orphans #0005″

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New Osanidde Mattresses

MyCause4Orphans: 100 Needed Mattresses for Osanidde Village

Creative Idea: Share the need online (facebook, website, twitter)

Mission#: MyCause4Orphans #0006

“Recently, Harvest Ministry organized a successful orphan project to provide for 500 desperately needed mattresses for Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center. Now, we are believing for 100 new mattresses (to replace old and yucky ones) for 100 children at Osanidde Village. Cost is about $10/each”

To give toward this need for 100 new mattresses for Osanidde Village thecause.org – click “DONATE” and write FOR: “MyCause4Orphans #0006″

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Rebecca & Anna Phillips & Friends

MyCause4Orphans: Greatest Orphan Need

Creative Idea: Sew & Sell African Purses – Raise Awareness

Mission#: MyCause4Orphans #0007

“Becca is a graduate of George Fox University, and Anna graduates from high school in June. They have a vision to raise awareness and support for orphans. In college, Becca studied in Rwanda, Uganda, and China; she also taught English in South Korea and ministered (twice!) at Osanidde Village. It is an honor to have Becca and Anna working to help launch MyCause4Orphans.”

To help toward Rebecca, Anna, & Friends, & their cause for orphans thecause.org – click “DONATE” and write FOR: “MyCause4Orphans #0007″

More about this new vision . . .

Believing for an INCREASE OF GOD’S GRACE:

For Harvest Ministry, it is a JOY to now care for over 700 precious orphan children (up from 610) through the ministries of Osanidde Village, Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center, and a network of village church-based Family Zone Centers.

To help meet these needs, we are believing for an increase of God’s GRACE and PROVISION and CREATIVE ideas.

INFO BROCHURE:

Here’s a brochure to help explain this new 4-part vision. For youth and families who want to participate, here is what this project involves:

1. See the need 4orphans pray for God to stir your heart with HIS COMPASSION.
2. Make a decision to get out of your COMFORT-ZONE.
3. Choose a specific “CAUSE” 4orphans that “tugs” on your heart.
4. Pray for a specific goal & CREATIVE IDEA . . . and take action:

MyCause4Orphans:

Read the brochure, pray about the needs, discuss with parents (or family) . . . pick a specific CAUSE, GOAL, & CREATIVE IDEA, then CONTACT US to apply for your MISSION #.)

CLICK here to download the brochure – in pdf format.

P.R.A.Y. WITH US . . .

The new vision 4orphans will be established on the foundation of prayer. Please PRAY with us for . . .

• P – Prayer and intercession
• R – Resources to meet the increasing needs
• A – Administration assistance
• Y – Youth mobilization

Stay tuned for more . . .

Harvest Outreach in BUKWO, UGANDA!

In the lush and mountainous area of Bukwo, Uganda, thousands of people crowded into the village center each evening to listen to the Gospel message, with fervent intensity.
For years, this area (located in the middle of an extinct volcano) has been isolated from the rest of Uganda, due to nearly impassable roads; yet new roads were just built as the area had only recently been established as a new Ugandan district. It was God’s timing!

For this Harvest Ministry outreach, 12 remote churches gathered together for the first time, and we praise God for the multitudes of people who surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. We are so thankful to everyone who prayed with us for these precious people, and appreciate those who helped to send us with God’s Good News. Please continue to pray for the local pastors and church leaders of this Bukwo district, as they will now work to train and disciple these new believers to serve and follow the Lord. To God be the glory.

April Mission to BUKWO, Uganda

Keep watching this post for daily updates from this week’s Harvest Ministry mission outreach to BUKWO, UGANDA, and please PRAY for many people to repent and to surrender to JESUS CHRIST!!!

Harvest Ministry’s mission to Bukwo, Uganda is April 13th through April 21st (with the actual evangelistic outreach dates from Thursday, April 15th to Saturday, April 17th). Bukwo is a remote and isolated area in East Africa, on the Uganda/ Kenya border. This lush region is located inside of an extinct volcano, with a population consisting of various mixed tribes (with primarily tribal religions). As far as we know, this hidden area has never had a public open-air GOSPEL OUTREACH. Please pray for SOULS to be saved as we share the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST. PRAYER FOCUS forAPRIL 14th:

• PRAISE: Jon & Daniel arrived safely into Entebbe, Uganda, after several long flights. They will spend the evening in Kampala, Uganda (with NETS Minister Drake Kanaabo). They will travel tomorrow morning, by road, on a long drive to Bukwo.
• HEALTH: Pray for health and strength, and continued safety for traveling.
• PREPARATION: Continue to pray for the advance team, and for intercession to increase, both in Africa and among prayer supporters in the U.S. (and in other places).

APRIL 13:

• ADVANCE TEAM: The Harvest Ministry team is already in BUKWO, UGANDA. The advance team is being led by Ugandan NETS minister, Paul Kintu, and Harvest Ministry’s music leader, Geoffery. Pray for these two national leaders to have wisdom, favor with government leaders, and unity with church believers, as they are finalizing preparations.
• TRAVEL SAFETY: Also, please pray for traveling safety and health for Jon Dunagan and Daniel Dunagan as they are flying to Uganda, East Africa today (en route through Amsterdam, Netherlands).

Details: Jon Dunagan will be going on this outreach, accompanied by our 17-year-old son, Daniel Dunagan (a homeschooled high school senior), along with NETS Ministers Drake Kanaabo and Paul Kintu, and Harvest Ministry’s Ugandan evangelism team.

What is a mission-minded child?

Follow CAELA’S 1st MISSION TRIP:  MARCH – This month, mission-minded Caela Rose Dunagan (age 12) went on her first missionary adventure with her mom, Ann Dunagan . . . to UGANDA, E. AFRICA!!! Highlights included updates/checkups on over 700 children at Harvest Ministry’s two orphan ministries (Osanidde Village and Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center), sharing at several village churches, and ministering at an African Women’s Conference.

Read Caela’s personal mission updates on our twitter-feed (or see the side bar right here on this website for recent entries) -#CaelaOnMission.

A mission-minded child may want to become a missionary–or a teacher or a doctor or a newspaper reporter or a state governor or a pastor or a businessperson or an airplane pilot or an author or a florist or a mother–as long as its what God wants.

The following excerpt is a highlight from the introduction of The Mission-Minded Child – Raising a New Generation to Fulfill God’s Purpose (Authentic, 2007). Hope you enjoy it!

So, what is a mission-minded child?

A mission-minded child . . .

• dreams of fulfilling God’s destiny.
• prays for that next-door neighbor.
• A mission-minded child may want to become a missionary–or a teacher or a doctor or a newspaper reporter or a state governor or a pastor or a businessperson or an airplane pilot or an author or a florist or a mother–as long as its what God wants.
• is not a picky eater!
• takes home a photo magnet from the visiting missionary family and puts it on the kitchen refrigerator.
• is healthy, active, and adventurous.
• spends a summer night sleeping outside on the trampoline, gazes up at a sky filled with twinkling stars, and realizes God’s plan is infinitely bigger than his or her own backyard.
• imagines rollerblading on the Great Wall of China!
• recognizes the names of David Livingstone, Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, and Loren Cunningham.
• knows how to use chopsticks.
• has a reputation for thoroughly enjoying the Bible sword drills and memory verse contests at church.
• puts extra money in the monthly missions offering and feels extra good inside.
• thinks it could be fun to sleep in a mud hut in Africa!
• reads all the way through the Bible by the age of ten (or eleven or twelve)–and is excited to start again!
• stares at the photos in the new geography textbook or magazine and imagines climbing to the top of that Egyptian pyramid, snorkeling in those tropical-blue waters, and giving a new outfit to that poor boy with the ripped-up shirt.
• befriends the new kid at school.
• thinks beyond the “box” of what’s merely expected and hopes to do something big, or something little, for God.
• wants to obey (even when no one is looking).
• loves Jesus!

For Christian parents and teachers, “world missions” is not just an extracurricular subject to teach our kids, it’s the core of our curriculum. Let’s raise the next generation to have a passion for God’s Great Commission. As Hudson Taylor (a famous missionary to China) often said, “The Great Commission is not an option to consider, it’s a command to obey.”

And how about adding to our list!!!  How are you raising your children to have God’s heart for the world and His Great Commission, and in your childrens lives (in day-to-day routines and in your “where-the-rubber-meets-the-road” reality) what is it like to be a genuine mission-minded child in your experience?

Now it’s your turn:

A mission-minded child . . .

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