What a wonderful training session for these young disciples.

Many of you are aware that we are working on building a petting zoo at the Garden of Eden family ministry in west Mount Vernon, so a visit to the kangaroo farm in Arlington was an opportunity to visit and also learn how the caretaker’s guide and teach visitors about the animals and allow them to interact safely with the animals.

We are blessed to be co-laborers with our brothers and sisters in Christ that have chosen to dedicate their lives to the reaching of the lost in their communities in central Africa.

We now have two countries that we are working together with that have lifted restrictions and are now able to return to doing crusades and outreaches. Each of our coordinators have been given the sound and video equipment needed to work with existing church families to organize these outreaches.

Unfortunately, some of the equipment has failed and they are having to pay rent for those pieces of equipment. That money comes out of the little money they have for transporting the equipment, which limits the number of outreaches they can organize.

In the DRCongo, they need an amp/mixer ($500) and a bass speaker amp ($300). In Burundi, they need a generator ($1,500), 2 speakers ($400), amp/mixer ($200) and two microphones ($100).

This is equipment they can purchase in Africa.

Please pray that they will soon have the equipment needed.

If you or your friends can help with any one item or would like to send a donation to meet these needs it would be appreciated and help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to those that have not heard.

We can’t, nor do we want to, escape the fascination these Harvest Kids have for the Harvest Rabbits and all God’s creation. Many thanks to everyone that has donated items and time and have visited the ongoing garage and produce sale to help raise money for the Harvest Kids so they can build another primary school for vulnerable children in Africa. This morning the kids helped finish up setting up for the garage sale, then set up a refreshment table with iced water and cookies for people that stop by. They have always enjoyed doing that ministry at the I-5 rest areas in the past, so they created their own.

The day was spent crushing cans and counting the change they have donated. They then added the money that has been made so far on the garage and produce sale and have $2,641 which is close for their goal to raise the money needed for the roof ($3,900). The project so far has included: $2,760 for property for the new school; $3,050 to refurbish the old church building to be used as a temporary school so they could start this June with 80 children, 35 of them from Muslim families. The government allowed this on condition the new facility is completed by the end of the year; $800 for textbooks for the teachers and students and $4,110 needed for the building. After the money for the roof is raised and sent to Africa, they will continue to raise the $1,780 for doors and windows and the $3,800 for plaster and paint. The kids would appreciate any donations to help them finish this school.

After lunch, we enjoyed playing the M&M game which gives everyone, including adults, an opportunity to share something about themselves so everyone can better get to know each other. Afterwards, we painted posters that will be hung at the Garden of Eden family ministry location in west Mt. Vernon. Some of the kids journeyed out to the Garden of Eden to meet with some other families and children to play and worship the Lord after the regular Harvest Kids fellowship. It is a blessing to share the love of Jesus and help them to become true disciples by teaching them to be “givers” instead of “takers”, becoming “selfless” instead of “selfish”. They truly have the joy of the Lord in their lives.

Every day we are in contact with our co-laborers in central Africa that continue to share the gospel with those in their communities, even with the restrictions imposed on them by various lockdowns.

These lockdowns isolate the people in the large communities from food and even the limited, if any, medical care they might have had prior.

We just received the June testimonies from Pr. Evariste in Burundi where they have no lockdowns, and they were able to coordinate seven two-day outreaches in different communities and witness 678 people accept Jesus that are now being discipled by local believers into new or existing church families. They are in need of help to replace one of the generators and some of the mics and speakers.

We have also sent $15,000, which is about half the money needed to purchase land for a farming project that will eventually provide enough income to cover the ongoing costs of keeping all the existing coordinators in Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Burundi and the DRCongo active in ministry.

Linda & I were blessed to get up at 4am, while it was still somewhat cool, to load up for Linda’s first trip to visit with our new Harvest Vision coordinators in the Chewelah and Colville communities in eastern Washington. Through the day we saw temperatures above 110, but the spirit of joy and fellowship with John & Lena in Curlew and with Jarett & Brianna and their family was more than enough to keep us on task.

We appreciate everyone that supports the ministry that John and Lena do in the communities of Republic, Curlew and the surrounding areas. We were able to bring food and clothes donated in Skagit County. They distribute these to local ministries that serve those that are in need.

 John & Lena also work with a Christian man in Republic that has recently installed showers in his laundromat and set up a ministry station that will provide Christian fellowship for those that often struggle just to meet their own needs every day. Their vision is to build some housing on the property they have north of Curlew where they have been the last few years.

We also visited the 22 ½ acre farm and slaughterhouse that they will be helping oversee in the future. They will actually be living in an apartment on the property and setting up the attached home to be Bread & Breakfast for renting to hunters, even as the actual slaughterhouse will reopen to butcher domestic and wild game for the community.

John will start working as a hunting and fishing guide in the fall. They also are preparing to set up the barn as a home church fellowship. We are encouraged to see the opportunities to reach out with the gospel and help each new believer begin to use their own gifts and calling to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After we left Curlew, we drove to Chewelah and met with Jarett & Brianna and dropped off boxes of food for their ministry. They are both working but preparing to purchase a commercial lot in downtown Colville to build a Christian coffee house for bringing the Body of Christ together to help share the love of Jesus to those that are broken hearted and crushed in spirit in their community. We are looking forward to the fullness of the vision that God has given to them.

We have been in constant prayer for the people in Uganda who were put on a 42-day lockdown over two weeks ago. Two days ago the lockdown was extended to a full lockdown except for agriculture. The schools are shut down and all the children are back in their homes. The situation in the capital city of Kampala with a population of over 3 million is critical. Some of the people that were able to leave the city went back to their villages. Obviously, the situation outside of the few larger cities are not as critical as far as food, but they are unable to get help with other issues, including medical needs. No work and now, no transportation for the people. In the city, for those that have any money, they can walk to a store and purchase and then have it transported to their home using a motorbike (boda boda), but they are not allowed to transport people. Presently, Pr. Martin walks 8 ½ kilometers to the store to purchase food, when he has money. Not a problem for most of the people, because they do not have money because no one has been able to work.

Many people have a sickness with a lung issue, even though the “covid” results are negative and the hospitals are full. Mandela Stadium is being used as a medical facility but the government has told the people there is a lack of oxygen. Pr. Martin said that they have put microphones on the outside of the church building at the Kibuli church in the ghetto slum to speak words of encouragement to the people. Please join us in prayer. Pr. Martin is trying to purchase some staples, like beans, so they can be rationed to the people. Please join with us to pray for the people.

“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”