Dear Partners,
II Kings chapter 2 contains the story of how Elisha came to be the bearer of the mantle (cloak) of Elijah. On the day that Elijah was to be taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, he tried to convince Elisha, whom he had been mentoring for some years, to part company with him. However, Elisha refused, and instead of deserting Elijah, he requested “please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”
II Kings chapter 2 contains the story of how Elisha came to be the bearer of the mantle (cloak) of Elijah. On the day that Elijah was to be taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, he tried to convince Elisha, whom he had been mentoring for some years, to part company with him. However, Elisha refused, and instead of deserting Elijah, he requested “please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” The boldness and courage undergirding Elisha’s request of his mentor is apparent to all who have read I Kings. Elijah’s faithful, Spirit empowered ministry to the people and kings of the northern kingdom of Israel has brought him great stress, persecution, a multitude of hardships, and much grief. Elisha knows this, yet he asks to receive Elijah’s mantle. If you read the chapter, you will learn that because Elisha witnessed Elijah being caught up into heaven by a whirlwind, his request was granted. The mantle fell to the ground at his feet.
If we could have stood beside Elisha at that moment, we might have been tempted to ask him “are you really going to take it? You know it will make you a target. Kings and false prophets will wish you dead. Your opponents will be many. The cost physically, spiritually, financially, and in every way conceivable will be great. Are you sure?” The text tells us that without hesitation Elisha took Elijah’s mantle and immediately called upon Elijah’s God to be with him. God answered immediately and continued answering Elisha’s prayers until his death.
Last Saturday night, the elder of the CRM family, Blaine Anderson, took his last breath and entered the presence of his Savior. As I have tried to explain to our field partners who Blaine was, I have used the words “one of the founders of CRM.” To my way of thinking, John Shepherd and Blaine go together like Elijah and Elisha. John was called to heaven first, and Blaine picked up the mantle and continued to be the “glue” who kept CRM’s partners together. He was the last Nyankusi to travel to Kenya with a CRM team, having done so in 2019 at the age of 81. Yes, eighty-one! It is no surprise that much honor and respect were shown to Deloris and her family at his funeral and burial. He was the “real deal.”
The passing of elders such as Blaine raises afresh the question “who will pick up the mantle?” CRM exists, in part, because Bob Calvert and I asked John Shepherd to mobilize older men and women with gray hair to help us reach older Maasai. That quest began in 1998. Most of those early volunteers are now either with the Lord or are physically unable to travel internationally. Blaine’s funeral reminded me of how much his ministry with CRM impacted his life. He had a Story Cloth and Maasai shuka (red blanket) draped over his coffin. I am sure there are many other men and women who could testify that their involvement with CRM’s mission has powerfully impacted their lives.
Will you pick up the mantle? Will you join us in the ever-expanding field of opportunities our Lord is opening before us via CRM’s field partners? It’s about praying, giving, and going. Not everyone can do all three, but everyone can do at least two.
Below I will give a summary of how our Lord has most recently blessed CRM’s field partners because of your investment.
Sevier Heights Bush Evangelism Team
Steve Whitted led this Sevier Heights Baptist Church of Knoxville, TN to work with CRM field partner, John Rampei, in Kenya. Steve picked up the torch for leading this church’s ministry among the Maasai after the Lord called Bill Paul home. Steve reported that the team did evangelism in a variety of settings: boma to boma, open air markets, secondary schools, and even on the campus of a college. They use the first Story Cloth when sharing the Good News of Jesus. Steve reported that 1,540 people indicated they wanted to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. The headmaster of the college requested Rampei return and start a church on the campus. Rampei reports that new churches will be opened as they follow up in the days ahead with those who received the Lord.
Mathew Dhol in Bentiu
Because you gave, CRM was able to fund Mathew Dhol’s trip to Bentiu, South Sudan. It is the capital of the Unity State. As can be seen in the above picture, Unity State has over the last several months experienced an historic level of flooding. Mathew carried out two Story Cloth training events, one inside Bentiu Town, and one inside a nearby huge IDP camp. Because of the flooding, people living in outlying villages fled to the town or the IDP camp. They have lost all their livestock and crops.
In God’s timing, Mathew arrived on the scene to share the Good News of God’s love. One picture is of folks Mathew interviewed about the impact the training had on them. All together he trained 120 people and among them were military chaplains, soldiers, and police officers. Mathew almost died while there. He spent over 2 weeks in an MSF (Doctors Without Borders) hospital.
CRM donations were used to send Mathew extra Story Cloths and 500 Nuer Bibles. Further funds have been utilized to buy hundreds of micro-SD cards loaded with scriptural resources in the Nuer and Arabic languages. Additionally, 5 projectors and flash drives loaded with Gospel resources, have been bought for use among Nuer people, S. Sudan’s second largest tribe, and a people group which remains largely unreached. Additional funds have been sent to enable Mathew to travel to Malakal, where he will do more Story Cloth training. He is thrilled by the response of the Nuer to this strategy for teaching the Bible.
Youth Center in Maridi South Sudan
Because of your giving, CRM was able to sponsor a soccer tournament in the Western Equatoria State of South Sudan. This was done in partnership with the Baptist Convention of South Sudan. The main local leader there is named James Baibai. James remained on the ground there all through the worst of the fighting between 2015 and 2021 and persevered through many tribulations. James has been a true torch bearer for his people! The soccer tournament was such a success, that local political leaders asked Baptists to open a youth center, where Bible studies and various ministries can be carried out on behalf of youth whose lives have been so disrupted by war.
The local Baptists responded by procuring from local political leaders a land grant, and a letter instructing the local forest service to supply them with all the lumber they might require. The same leaders have also promised to give out land for new church starts. Local church leaders formed a youth committee, and they immediately went to work clearing land and making bricks.
In light of this unique opportunity, and the enthusiasm and commitment displayed by the believers on the ground, CRM donated $6,200 to fund the buying of construction materials. At least 13 different tribes live in Western Equatoria, some of them remaining very unreached by the Gospel.
Other major ways CRM has recently made strategic use of your donations to empower Gospel movements among least reached people.
- The Bible school class based in Darfur resumed classes in early February. CRM sent $5,200 to support the 18 students and their teachers for this two-month semester. The food budget for this school is high because there are always people living on the compound who have been chased from home after receiving Jesus as Lord. The students will graduate in April.
- CRM donated $6,300 to support a training event for 50 women. This will happen in Darfur in March. This plan was formed because the CRM team which planned to train women and men in Khartoum in November ’21 had to cancel.
- CRM recently used over $5,000 to purchase 500 micro-SD cards, 8 projectors, and 8 flash drives to empower believers in South Sudan and Tanzania. Those resources will result in widespread kingdom growth for years to come.
- Austin Henry will lead a team of four, two folks being members of the Salem Baptist Church of Knoxville, to continue construction work at the Oloika Children’s Home of Kenya. CRM donations have thus far enabled this orphanage, which ministers to over 90 children, to have a borehole with a solar system, and two dormitories. This further construction work with provide latrines, bathing rooms, and provide for other substructural needs. This team will leave February 18.
March Training in Arusha, Tanzania
Between the dates of March 21-25, a CRM sponsored team of 8 people will train up to 40 Maasai believers utilizing the first Story Cloth. The desired outcome of this training is to equip 25 women, and 15 men who are committed to carrying the Gospel to Maasai in the less reached areas surrounding the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara Regions. Several MBBs from a least reached tribe located in western TZ may also join us. Lori Bryan will once again train both the men and women in trauma healing counseling, and the ladies will be taught how to make washable feminine products.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for A____ who reports experiencing severe pain in his back related to the condition of the discs in his lower back.
- Pray for the teachers and students at the Darfur Bible school as they are in session through late April.
- Pray that all the details related to the training of 50 women in Darfur will come together, and for the protection of all involved as they gater in one place. Conditions within Sudan remain very unstable, and Darfur is one of the most affected places.
- Pray for the construction team which will be on the ground in Kenya February 18-27. Covid related issues make international travel more challenging than normal.
- Pray for Michael Tatile and other Maasai Baptist leaders of Tanzania as they choose the 25 women and 15 men for the March training. Pray for the 8 Americans who will lead the event. This team will leave the USA on March 18 and return on the 28th.
- Pray for Ding Lual and Mathew Dhol as they lead training events among Nuer people in Malakal and the Kakuma Camp.
- Pray for the believers in the Western Equatoria State of S. Sudan as they build the youth center in Maridi.
