Spotlights – Winter 2017
By Emily P. Meyer
Mbale, UGANDA
“Pray that the Almighty Lord helps whoever uses the lessons to use them effectively, that God opens up ways for us to get funds to continue running the ministry in Uganda, helps and opens up ways to reach more people in various places, that we may be led, guided, and protected with the power of the Holy Spirit in all we do for the Ministry of Christ in Uganda.” James Byakika’s prayer requests illuminate his deep reverence for the Lord and the sobriety he has in his Kingdom work role with SLM. James served for seven years as a SLM volunteer in the eastern Ugandan town of Mbale. With another year under his belt as Ugandan National Director, he is even more committed to utilize SLM tracts, booklets, Bibles, audio lessons, and funds to pour into Bible correspondence courses, evangelism to Muslims, church planting, prison ministry, conferences and seminars, counseling, orphanage ministry, and discipleship with Ugandan people. In a country with a devastating history of child abduction for Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, SLM is now seeing people walk in true freedom with salvation through Christ. Perhaps this nation’s frighteningly dark history is what has fueled much interest in SLM lessons and the making of new disciples.
James has a vision for an incomegenerating system that will lead to the sustainability of the ministries he shepherds for SLM in Uganda, with needed tools of: a car to travel to more people, land and an office to reduce hiked up costs from rent, more books from the States, and an in-house photocopier to both reduce the cost of photocopying and use as means for income. Your contributions go a long way in the work God is doing through SLM’s efforts in Uganda.
Nairobi, KENYA
Recent world news has spotlighted the plight of the Kenyan Presidential election. Years’ worth of corruption has created an environment of political unrest and polarized economic statuses. Still, Kenya, a place of landscapes topped only by her beautiful people, is set apart by freedom to worship and wide doors to spread the Gospel. For 26 years, National Director, Timothy Kyuli, and his wife, Nancy, have served Kenyans from their home base in Nairobi and five other cities, with their two children right beside them. Their ministry portfolio is diverse with Bible study lessons supplied for discipleship in churches, prisons, police administration, and high schools to name a few. Good stewardship is implemented with in-country printing of materials. The Kyulis champion both the needs of the impoverished and the potential for continued impact. Because of the high level of corruption, most Kenyans do not earn enough wages to meet their physical needs. Since providing for the needs of their families is paramount, Kenyans are less concerned about spiritual needs. More funds would bring tangible help for the immediate as well as a shift in more people’s futures won for Christ.
Currently, the 18 member Kenya team operates in a facility with high rent. One of the ways to address long term needs would be to buy land and build an office. As you prayerfully examine how you might support God’s work in this country, ask God to transform the hearts of Kenyan leadership from corruption to righteousness, for peace during post election tensions, safety for the Kyuli family and their teammates, as they travel frequently through difficult terrains, provision, and improved health.
Kinshasa, DR CONGO
Nestled in the heart of Africa is the home to over 81 million people: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). For 17 years, Lufua Nlunda Ghislain and Mbuyi Tshibuabua Peter have served in the region of Kinshasa (DRS) as National Missionaries. There are over 200 Afro ethnic groups represented, where the majority speak French, 20% claim to be protestant, and 30% of children under 5 years of age are malnourished. Interestingly, the majority of the population are children under 14. BUT the literacy rate is close to 64% for ages 15 years and older. The DRC is both a host and source country for refugees with thousands coming for refuge from neighboring countries and just in July of 2017, 3.8 million Congolese were internally displaced due to violence between rebel groups and Congolese armed forces. These facts are important for what Lufua and Mbuyi do in partnership with SLM here.
SLM lessons are distributed through a network of people (couriers) which literally pass materials hand to hand. Through this system, SLM has touched even the outreaching countries with the Gospel. The Bible courses and tracts are used for ministries in areas of evangelism, discipleship, schools, prisons, and serving the Associate Discipleship Schools. The national missionaries of the DRC have needs for support teams to come alongside them physically and financially as they serve and also for relief resources for projects with prisoners and social assistance. Pray that God continues to give these courageous SLM missionaries wisdom, strength, protection over their families, and also for how you might contribute to more people coming to Christ through SLM’s efforts in the DRC.
Crato, Ceará, BRAZIL
Not so long ago, Brazil was at the forefront of everyone’s attention as this largest country in South America hosted the 2016 Olympics. Just several months before this worldwide event, Samuel Milanez Pereira started his official role as Co-Director in Crato, Ceará, Brazil, where he lives with his wife, Alice, and little girl. Samuel works to teach students about Christ, bring new churches into the ministry that will use lessons from SLM, and is in the process of creating a better information organizational system for SLM Brazil. The main resources that are used to reach people for Jesus through this ministry are Explorers 1, Love, Dating, and Marriage, Light from the Gospel of John, A Country Called Heaven, Basic Bible Truths, and The New Life in Christ 2 & 3.
Samuel’s team helps keep the passion fresh by placing a pin on every city where they send one or more lesson booklets in Brazil. It creates excitement as visitors and workers alike view a sea of push pins sticking out of cities all over Brazil representing the amazing work of the Lord. Even as they see these victories, there are still many heavenly battles to be won in this area of the world.
Pray for more Brazilian churches to catch the vision that SLM has for discipling and Bible teaching by coming alongside to partner with SLM’s efforts. Ask God to continue to bring committed students who hunger and thirst to know Him more intimately. As you consider how you might contribute to the needs for SLM Brazil, know that there is a need for a new computer and a new car to help this ministry run more effectively. Continue to pray for Samuel, his family, his team, and what God is doing there.
Missionary Highlight: MADISON, GA
Matthew Malin is 24 years old, is a recent graduate of Piedmont International University and serves as recruiter for them. “Matty” lived in a Christian home his entire life. Being a pastor’s son, ministry was inundated into his daily life early on. Growing up, Matty knew what it meant to be a Christian, but it never affected his heart.
At the age of 17, Matty came to a saving knowledge of Jesus and began his ever-growing relationship with Christ. Now, he firmly believes that he has been called into full-time vocational ministry preaching the Gospel and making disciples; specifically with college-aged students.
This calling has morphed into an opportunity working with Source of Light in their Extreme Assignment Internship program. Matty will be recruiting and actively discipling the college interns during their time at SLM.
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Brian Thigpen earned his Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language so he could serve in areas not open to traditional missionaries. He and his wife, Kimberly, served in Asia for several years before health problems brought them back to the United States. The past eight years, Brian has taught mathematics in a public high school and actively served in their church. Brian joined SLM in September 2017, using his gift for numbers in the financial department, his problem-solving skills assessing and improving efficiency in publications, and his experience with international partnerships with the many international Branches at SLM.
Before marriage, Kimberly Thigpen taught children and did writing projects in Bangladesh, then served in an AIDS orphan project in Uganda. After she met and married Brian Thigpen, they lived in Southeast Asia for several years. When Kimberly’s Addison’s disease and other health problems brought them back to the US, she began writing books and training on fighting human trafficking. She has been published over 200 times and authored over 20 books (see www.kimberlyrae.com), and now looks forward to using her experience and gifts using words to reach the world with SLM.
Brian and Kimberly have two children, Daniel (13) and Hope (9).
