Archive for the ‘mission trip’ Category
21 Jul
Pictures in Zambia
15 May
2012 Zambia Mission
Training Pastors in Zambia
Prayer Requests: 2012 Zambia Mission
My flight to Zambia yesterday had to be delayed because of passport issues. Hopefully this will be resolved in a few days. Please pray that I will have it soon.
Another prayer request is for additional funds for the work to be done while in Zambia. Would you prayerfully consider presenting this ministry to your contacts, church and associates to help with the expenses of this trip and future ministry in Zambia?
Here are the things I will be focusing on while in Zambia (May 22 – July 13).
1. Pastoral training Our main mission is to train pastors and raise up new pastors in the Word of God. I will be encouraging the leaders in this training and conducting as many leadership seminars as time and money allow. The emphasis is on the centrality of the Word of God in their ministries, proper Bible Study Methods and use of the training material as well as the implementation of the Hub Model of Discipleship.
2. Distribution of training material to over 1400 pastors presently in training or waiting to start. (There are over 1000 pastors besides these that are praying for training.)
3. The establishment of 3 new areas of ministry – Kafue, Mansa, and Kabwe.
4. The organization of a new Region This will be the combining of 5 districts into the Muchinga Region under the leadership of Pastor James Bwalya.
5. Encouragement of the work in the extreme Northwestern Province around Kabompo. This is a very difficult area because of its remoteness. Pastor George Masela is the District Leader there and needs our encouragement.
6. Outreach in Rural Livingstone area, working with our pastors there.
7. DRC There will also be contact with our work in DRC on the border of Zambia. The District Leader, pastor Deco, is waiting on French training material and Swahili Bibles. We will also instruct and encourage him and his leaders in the HUB model of discipleship.
As you can see there is much that is hoped to be accomplished. Please partner with us, the pastor-missionaries and me, as we strengthen their hands with pastoral training, bibles, ministry tools and encouragement in the work they are doing.
Specifically the need is for a minimum of $5000. Give Here
Your gift can be mailed to: Hope Builders Ministries, P.O.Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943 Designate Zambia
Hope Builders Ministries is committed to the indigenous missionary. The incredible work that God is doing in many remote places through them is marvelous to behold. We have the privilege in our day to partner with them. HBM is your ambassador overseeing the proper distribution of funds and the quality of the work. We have personally witnessed God’s favor with our brothers as they are trained in the Word and encouraged by the Western Church with the resources we take for granted.
Leadership Training Seminar
6500 indigenous pastors are in Bible training at the present moment with Hope Builders Ministries in 8 African countries. 1400 of these are in Zambia. This biblical training of pastors affects multiple thousands of believers in the congregations of these pastors. New congregations/churches are continuously being founded as the Word of God spreads in remote areas where multiple languages and cultures are not a barrier to these indigenous witnesses for Christ.
Please prayerfully consider partnering with us. We will be honored to be your ambassadors to indigenous pastoral and church planting missions in Africa.
Making Disciples in Africa,
Jeff Hawkins (HIMAfrica)
21 Feb
WHY Indigenous Missionaries
Partnering with indigenous ministries in Africa just makes sense.
When you support a Zambian missionary you have saved time, money and SOULS!
TIME is saved because these missionaries already know the language and the culture of their native country. They have a built in understanding of their people both culturally and linguistically. The average western missionary must spend years preparing to go (language studies and building support) and once on the field it takes MANY years to truly learn the culture and communicate relevantly. Over 60% of western missionaries do not return to the field after their first “furlough” meaning everything has to start over.
MONEY: It costs over $500,000 dollars to train, equip, move and keep a western missionary/family on the field for 4 (FOUR) years! It does not include the cost of “doing” ministry on the field. Native missionaries already live in the economy of their culture. There is no moving, language studies or abnormal costs of living. Unlike the western missionary they live at the same standard of living as their fellows. For a fraction of the cost ($21,000 over 6 years) 40 native pastors can be trained and equipped in the Word of God and they stay on the field all their lives.
Missions trips also known as “short-term” missions are very expensive. Many well intentioned believers spend multiple thousands of dollars to go on a mission’s trip for a few weeks. This same amount of money could support scores and even hundreds of native missionaries already on the field and working but without many needed resources.
SOULS: A HUB of 40 missionary pastors will will thousands of people to Christ, starting many new bible preaching, Gospel believing churches in their cultures. It is amazing to see and experience the growth of the church in Africa. God is bringing in a GREAT Harvest of Souls through the ministry of the African Indigenous Church. Because of the cultural and language barriers a foreign missionary may win a few hundred people to Christ and plant a church or maybe two but most do not last when the missionary departs.
A CHURCH or individual can sponsor a HUB of native missionary pastors for $300 a month. In 6 years this HUB can grow into 40 trained pastors and 40 Gospel Churches with THOUSANDS of new souls serving Christ and becoming Disciples. NOW that is FRUIT which can be shared in the DAY of Visitation! Many will gather around the Throne of God with thousands of their brethren they had a part in coming to Christ.
The Mission Paradigm has changed. Many places do not need foreign missionaries, but they do need their fellow Christians to partner with them. The Apostle Paul collected gifts from the Gentile church to take to the poor church in Palestine. A few went to distribute the funds and give accountability to the project but there were no missionaries sent to Israel. There were plenty of Christians there, even apostles. They needed material help. This is the case in most countries around the world. The Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is well established, but it is poor. It is not leaderless. The leaders there need help to train more leaders. They need Bibles and training materials. They can use bicycles and motorcycles to help them to cover more territory in places that do not have adequate roads.
Hope Builders Ministries provides the link between the American Church and the Church in Africa. With your partnership literally thousands of believers can be trained and equipped to take the Gospel to their own people in a very short amount of time and a strategic investment.
Join us today. There will be much to “boast” about in the Kingdom that is coming.
30 Dec
ITS NOT TOO LATE To Make a Difference In 2011
Looking back 2011 has been a marvelous year in Zambia to the Glory of God!
In April and May my friend Bill and I traversed Zambia delivering Training Manuals and reinforcing the HUB model of Church Planting, Pastoral Training and Discipleship. 700 NEW pastors began training with their mentor/pastors who disciple them. We began our journey in South Africa hitching a ride through Zimbabwe with Herbie who is Hope Builders Ministries’ partner in Malawi. In Livingstone we met another ministry, ERM, that “loaned” us their vehicle for the next 6 weeks so that we could make the journey throughout the vast and rugged country.
As we traveled and visited with the different ministries throughout Zambia it was encouraging to see the deep conviction and dedication of the men and women we are privileged to work alongside of. They are doing so much with so little, except FAITH. They truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, not only for saving grace but for living grace. They live by faith day to day in a place where the next meal is a matter of trusting God and hard work. We have a hard time comprehending that kind of faith and living.
Our ministry (HIMAfrica) with Hope Builders Ministries is TO SUPPORT the indigenous missionary pastors in Zambia. I emphasize TO SUPPORT because unlike traditional missionaries I do not LIVE in Zambia, setting up home and headquarters and DOING the work of ministry myself. The World of Missions is rapidly changing as church and mission organizations realize that the vast resources expended on training, equipping and keeping ONE Western missionary on the field (6 years – $500,000) is much better spent directly on the missionaries that already live on the “field” of service. The local Christians already know the language, culture and HOW to live on the local economy. (Most Western Missionaries continue to live like westerners in developing countries causing all kinds of hindrances to the Gospel.)
HIMAfrica and Hope Builders Ministries exist to support the native missionaries that are already there. We are Helping Indigenous Ministries in Africa. Hope Builders Ministries philosophy is to equip and encourage the church in Africa to fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord to Make Disciples to the end of time.
Using the local Christian leaders, who have formal Biblical training, we come along side these godly men and help them “Make Disciples” by providing the resources they need… Bibles, Training Manuals, Bicycles, Training Centers, Farming implements, basic widow/orphan support and other basic “tools” …to do the work of the ministry. These men focus on making disciples who in turn make disciples who make disciples. IT is the multiplication method taught to us in the Scriptures.
Zambia has seen over 1500 church planted and pastors trained in the past 10 years. Hope Builders Ministries has been directly involved in upwards of 5000 churches planted and pastors trained in the same period. These are phenomenal results that are unheard of in traditional missions. As the momentum builds it is possible in this next year that over 2000 new churches will be planted and new pastors begin training in Zambia alone! This is because THEY, the Disciples of Christ on the ground, are doing the work just as they were designed to do. Ephesians 4:12 clearly tells us that the PEOPLE do the WORK of the MINISTRY. We believe this. The indigenous pastors believe this. AND God does it, by His Grace and the empowering of the Holy Spirit as we obey the Word of God.
This is where you come in and can MAKE A DIFFERENCE before this year is over. Here is what you can do:
- PRAY for us (HIMAfrica) and Hope Builders Ministries regularly.
- GIVE a year-end gift to help us close the year in the “black.” Zambia needs to pay off the $4500 vehicle we purchased using funds from a fellow ministry. They need their money and we need your help to pay it back.
- MAKE a decision to partner with Lou Ann and me this next year by giving to our monthly support so that we can continue to Help our brothers and sisters in Zambia. We need your partnership.
- RECOMMEND our ministry to your church and contacts. This ministry is growing and the needed support base must grow with it.
Lou Ann and I send you our warmest blessings in Jesus Name. Thank you for loving us and partnering with us in the great work God is doing in Africa making disciples.
Jeff and Lou Ann Hawkins (working in Zambia, southern Congo (DRC) and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe)
Hope Builders Ministries, PO Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943 (all gifts are tax-deductible and will be receipted)
National Ministry Vehicle
29 Mar
Zambia Bound – Take 2
Yesterday Bill Witkowski and I arrived at the Nashville airport with plenty of time to spare. After Lou Ann and I said our goodbyes Bill and I went through security to our Gate.We were being leisurely as we had over an hour before the plane flew out when we noticed the line forming at our gate. What was happening was the plane had been cancelled for some reason and everyone was being sent to different gates and planes. Our options were to fly to London and have an 8 hour layover there (in the airport) and then arrive in South Africa Wednesday or we could hang out in Atlanta for a day and arrive in SA Wednesday OR we could just go home and come back today…and arrive Wednesday. We decided easily on Door #3. Lou Ann was almost back to Clarksville when I called in a ride from her.
And so the adventure begins. We can plan and prepare but we can not dictate life. Fortunately our GOD is not surprised or thrown off balance by such surprises. HE IS our soveriegn Lord. No one and nothing can overcome Him. So we are confident that the extra day in the States will work for our good and His glory. It has not changed our schedule in Zambia. Lou Ann and I were glad to spend another day together. I will be gone 7 weeks this trip.
As I am waiting for Bill to arrive and our return to Nashville I want to share with you some recent updates from Zambia. The biggest obstacle we are facing in our upcoming mission is the washed out bridges on the route we were going to take to the Northwest Province. This change will add at least a half day to our travels and make it much more difficult to get to one of our intended destinations. Thanks for praying with us. We are trusting the Sovereign Lord’s guidance in this as well.
As we are going about in Zambia we will be representing you. Thank you again for your partnership with us in prayer and giving. My pastor reminded me this past week of a principle in giving learned from Philippians. Paul said the Philippians had first given themselves to the Lord and then to him when they shared financially in his mission. I thank our Lord Jesus Christ in the same spirit when I think of you and your partnership with us. Thank you for giving yourselves to the Lord and to us. Bless you!
The Lord has provided in advance all the basic needs for this trip through many of you. Our main mission being to work with the District Leaders in mapping and identifying all the locations of the churches that have been planted in partnership with Hope Builders Ministries in the past 10 years. There are many hundreds of churches to be mapped. The overall purpose of this task is to help assess the effectiveness of our work and seek to make improvements.
The basic needs are met but the constant need for Bibles continues. Bibles for Believers is our ministry to provide this most precious of resources. As you provide the funds we are able to purchase language Bibles in Zambia or South Africa and then deliever them directly to the new churches planted or the older ones still needing God’s precious written Word.
Last week I receive two specific requests amounting to several hundred Bibles, and there are hundreds more churches needing Bibles. Let me encourage each of you to be a representative in your church, small group or Sunday School class to help raise funds for Bibles. Ask for a “Bibles for Believers” Sunday when the whole body brings a love offering for the purpose of buying Bibles for their poor brothers and sisters in Zambia. YOU know this is a worthy sacrifice and well-pleasing to the Lord. And as the old pastor pictured below displays, your gift will be much appreciated.
As always your gifts can be sent to Hope Builders Ministries, P.O.Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943. Designate gifts to Bibles for Zambia.
http://www.HIMAfrica.com
I will be sending out updates from Zambia every few days.
Be blessed! In Jesus Name,
Jeff
