Volume 4 No. 4 | July 2024

BREAKING NEWS

Photos courtesy of Elder Benson Ouma and Judith Hawkins

Every night we rehearsed, “If it is in the Bible, it is for me. If is not in the Bible, it is not for me!”

From July 1 to 23, I became Missionary Judith during a two-week evangelistic meeting on the shore of Lake Victoria in Homa Bay, Kenya! This was a very significant event because I returned to the first church I helped establish in 2002.

Today, the Homa Bay Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church (an English-speaking congregation) is making a difference in the city and thrives as it serves as the hands and feet of Jesus. The church members enthusiastically supported the event.

Maranatha in Homa Bay is currently building a beautiful edifice, which will serve as a center of influence in the city. A dedication is planned for late 2025.

I was part of a team of presenters for the Homecoming Impact Harvest evangelistic campaign. Dr. Lameck Osunga (left) offered information on improving health. Joanes Guga (right) provided wisdom on improving family relationships.

The event received strong support from the church administrators (seated to my right) of the West Kenya Union Conference and Lake Victoria. Samuel Misiani (second from right) is the president of West Kenya Union Conference. Samson Okwach (far right) is the president of the Lake Victoria Field. These are the supervising organizations for the churches in this region. The ladies standing (pictured above) traveled more than 525 miles from Mombasa, Kenya, to participate in the evangelistic series.

Dr. Charles Okatch, a government official and dentist, translated for me on my first trip in 2002 and assisted me again this time.

Nightly attendance was consistently strong, and the audience actively engaged and participated.

The meetings were held in the town’s market because it would reach many people and merchants.

Various church choirs provided music each evening.

The Maranatha Seventh-Day Adventist Church children’s choir sang in the church on Sabbath morning.

The Holy Spirit’s presence dominated the meetings as people responded to the various invitations to give their hearts to Jesus, begin Bible studies, renew their commitments to Christ, and be baptized. Pastor Joseph Kingi added to the flock “such as would be saved.”

It was wonderful to see Rodah Owayo, who was my Homa Bay host in 2002. I visited her in a Nairobi, Kenya, hospital. Please keep her in prayer as she continues her recovery.

Elder Karen NyOdhiambo (left) and Lillian Okatch (right), a registered nurse, are my Homa Bay sisters!

RECENT HAPPENINGS

Photos courtesy of the Takoma Academy Facebook page

That’s Keira, first person in the first row on the left!

Champions!

My granddaughters are gold medalists! Their group, the Takoma Academy Chorale, competed in the World Choir Games in Auckland, New Zealand. They were among 250 choirs from 30 countries who were participating.

Keira and Kyla, who were my 2023 Mexico mission trip companions, had an adventure of their own while I was in Kenya.

Takoma Academy won a gold medal in the Spiritual category and a silver medal in the Secondary School Choirs category. Kyla stood out as a female tenor, a rarity among the choirs at the games.

To hear the Takoma Academy Choir perform Elijah Rock, part of the Spiritual category repertoire, click here.

The group sang Hold On with the Mountain Top Chorale from Nigeria. The choirs performed the same song, then later joined forces to serenade an audience outside. The collaboration was lauded by Interkultur, which organized the World Choir Games, and featured on their YouTube channel.

Keira

Kyla

PARTNERSHIP REPORT

GRM2 is the only organization partnered with Refuge House, the abuse shelter, to provide monthly gifts for the residents, including sorely needed bus passes.

The ladies’ needs continue to increase as Refuge House resources are stretched between multiple housing facilities.

Basics, like soap, lotion, hair products, toothpaste, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products, are regularly in short supply.

Your donation of any amount will both encourage the ladies and enlarge GRM2’s impact. Our goal is $1,000, which includes special gifts for Christmas.

Please help us help women who have sought protection at Refuge House.

DONATE TODAY

A MOMENT OF HONESTY

I pray that you are enjoying the bimonthly newsletters and email updates. We are also posting weekly on our Facebook page (Gaza Road Ministries).

We experienced some unexpected glitches on our website, and it will be corrected shortly. Soon, we will launch our virtual programs and subscription-based access to materials.

Since we began in 2020, GRM2 has:

hosted two successful “Living THE Balanced Life” Enrichment & Empowerment Women’s Conferences
received recognition for its community outreach with Refuge House
purchased an electric bike for my Cuban translator
raised almost $5,000 to support the medical and evangelistic work in Papua New Guinea
updated and revised my devotional memo series and made them available via eBook on Amazon
launched the Abigail’s Daughters Enrichment Group Coaching Program, and
you have prayed me through three international mission trips.

When God assigned me GRM2 with the primary purposes of ministry for women and sharing the Good News, especially via international mission trips, my willing heart accepted. However, my thinking brain wondered: Where was the earthly support?

All God’s bidding are also HIS bills. He has asked me to ask you, His stewards, to support GRM2’s regularly recurring expenses. One-time or recurring donations are both needed. Any amount is like the tiny mustard seed—it will grow because God gives the increase. Even the widow’s two mites have yielded unmeasurable funding for the cause of God.

GIVE TODAY

One last note: I regularly pray for you as a supporter of GRM2, but my prayers can expand to include your specific requests. Please feel free to share to with me.

SHARE YOUR PRAYER REQUESTS

Thank you for caring, sharing, and supporting GRM2. All donations are tax deductible.

Pay attention to what is in the fish you are eating.

A recent article reported sharks in the ocean tested positive for cocaine and other drugs. This demonstrates the danger of our exposure to unhealthy chemicals through the consumption of contaminated fish.

These “Cocaine Sharks” swim free off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To read more about them, click here.