howFar Foundation: "Three Small Coins"

This article originally appeared in May 2012. It will encourage you and strengthen your faith.

howFar Foundation: "Three Small Coins": The three of us sat, waiting, under the rickety parapet shielded from the already intense morning sun. We were waiting for our laun...

Help Us With Your Generous Gift Today!

Please consider a year-end financial gift today. Your support ensures that we can continue our 20 year work of training pastors, planting churches and caring for the least reached in Haiti and sub Saharan, Africa. 

Thank you for your generous support,

Mark & Renée Maynard

howFar will you go?

howFar Kenya Update 2022

From Bishop Reuben Tiges - Overseer howFar Churches of East Africa 

Lake Jipe Orkung'u, Kenya

Bishop Reuben ole Tiges (left), Overseer of howFar Churches of East Africa, with Emmanuel Laizer, Overseer of the Churches of Tanzania, and Founder, Mark Maynard

The Africa howFar ministry in Kenya is in possession of seven churches these are:

1.Orkung'u First Baptist which is the mother church. The same has a congregation of 207 members and two pastors, namely Bishop Reuben Tiges and Pastor Peter Kwaze.

2.Lake Jipe First Baptist church which has a congregation of 67 members and one pastor, namely pastor Japhet Mwazighe.

3.Salaita First Baptist church which has a congregation of 52 members and one pastor, namely pastor Yohana Osekeri.

4.Pithon Hill First Baptist church which has a congregation of 92 members and two pastors, namely pastor William Mwingereza (now deceased) and pastor Paul Mwingereza.

5.Karandini First Baptist church which has a congregation of 117 members and two pastors, namely Pastor Petro Noomukuu, senior pastor, and pastor Jackson Ngoyiaya.

6.Esukuta First Baptist church which has a congregation of 74 members and one pastor, namely Pastor Samson Sipaya.

7.Jerusalem First Baptist church which has a congregation of 107 members and two pastors, namely Pastor Joseph Kelero, senior pastor, and pastor Jona Kipampi.

However there are two churches that failed to progress after they are successfully planted by the howfar ministry. These are Mailitatu First Baptist church and Enderkesi First Baptist church; the same fail to progress due to several factors one being poverty. The two pastors of the mentioned churches could not bear the burden of the church as they have to go to urban cities to look for employment to feed their families. This led to the two churches lacking pastors to take care of them.

Church Members Suffered a Great Loss Due to the Drought

Nevertheless, the howFar foundation has continued running its' programs and projects despite the many challenges faced by the churches. Scholarship program for students from the less privileged families have continued enjoying education like other students in the community thanks to howfar foundation.

Our Kenyan pastors have also joined their Tanzanian counterparts in a theological seminary (Pastors Training Center) recently started by the howFar foundation in Lossimingori area. We thank the howFar for sponsoring our local less privileged pastor to join the seminary.

The maize mill project is in construction in Orkung'u village. This is aimed at creating an income generating project which will adversely solve financial challenges in church. The project cost over $5,000 thanks to howFar foundation.

Twenty twenty two has been a busy year as far as churches are concerned. We have conducted seminars and conferences in all the seven churches, but unfortunately we couldn't host our usual end of year conference due to the severe draught that has hit Kenya for almost a year. We churches could not raise the money to run the conference. We are hoping that God willing we shall hold it in January 2023.

We are looking forward to carry out much more activities come twenty twenty three.

God bless howFar, God bless its donors, God bless Kenya.

howFar will you go?

Haiti Update 2022

Diane Moffi 

Haitiworks

howFar Haiti Director

This year has been one of the worst we’ve seen since our work began in 2012.  Upon the assassination of the president in July 2021, gangs began to flex their muscles.  They took over neighborhoods by force:  killing, raping and burning down homes.  Hundreds of innocent people were killed or injured.  Ports of entry for fuel and international food aid have been under control of the gangs until early November, when the fuel depot was finally taken over by the Haiti National Police.  Prior to this action, fuel was unavailable throughout Haiti except for black market fuel, which was selling for over $20 US per gallon.  As a result of the gangs controlling these depots, people cannot get to market to sell their crops, manna packs for feeding programs cannot get to the children, hospitals have shut down due to lack of fuel for their generators, and cell service interruptions are a constant issue, also.  Kidnappings are still happening everyday!  Cholera is at epidemic levels with hundreds of people sick or dying recently.

As tragic as all these things are, we have a great God who has been with the Haitian people through all these trials.  HowFar Haiti has the privilege of working with several families affected by this violence.  Through your generosity in 2022 we have been able to help so many!

Here are some of the ways howFar Haiti has been a blessing in Haiti this year:

Gang war in Cite Soleil this summer resulted in over 400 deaths and hundreds more being displaced.  We provided medical services for several of the gunshot victims and relocated 3 elderly people to safer housing for at least a year.

We fed over 1,000 families throughout the year.  Some were prepared food being distributed to school children, and others received food kits that fed their families for several days.  The kits contain rice, beans, corn meal, oil, canned fish and spaghetti.

Our orphanage has received food every month in 2022!!  

In June, we sponsored a VBS program for children in Cite Soleil where they were fed, they played, created crafts and heard the Gospel message.  

Two wheelbarrows and 4 shovels were purchased for people in Cite Soleil to clean up after the gang war.  This is extremely important to prevent flooding after a heavy rain.  Flooding causes diseases!

With the scarcity of rice (which is imported from the US) and some of the other food staples for meals, we began an egg and bread distribution program in the fall to provide something for the children to eat.

Clean water has been purchased, either through delivery from a water truck or purchasing sachets of water for distribution in various neighborhoods, mostly in Cite Soleil where its more difficult to get clean water.

In November, we took and distributed 20 “new mother” bags in partnership with Cords of Love.  Each bag contains diapers, baby wipes, a blanket, burp pads, a kreyol language booklet on the “Roman Road to Salvation” and a kreyol language New Testament Bible.  Also, we distributed 30 kits of reusable menstrual pads for teenage girls and young women.  Additionally, each bag and kit contained a set of Cycle Beads to help prevent unwanted pregnancies!

Thank you for your donations this year!  Many people have experienced the love of Jesus through you and they have hope for a better tomorrow!  Prayers are always needed and appreciated!!!

howFar will you go?

New Churches in Tanzania 2022

While in Tanzania, Renée and I had an opportunity to worship at two of the six new howFar Ministries churches in Maasailand. 

We visited Namayiani Baptist Church and Jerusalem Baptist Church, both in the Mundoli area.

We are always amazed at how God continues to bless the work He began through us 20 years ago.

howFar will you go?

Tanzania howFar Pastors Training Center Graduation

In September, Renée and I had the tremendous joy of attending the gradution ceremony of the inagural class at the howFar Ministries Pastoral Training Center and Bible College.  In partnership with the Baptist Churches of Tanzania, and under the leadership of howFar's Country Director Emmanuel Laizer, twelve Maasia men graduated with a certificate in Pastoral Ministries. 

For us, this is the realization of a prayer that we first offered up as early as 2002. That God, through howFar Ministries, would allow us to train indigenous men who, in turn, would disciple, train and pastor their kinsman in rural churches.

Students at the howFar Pastors Training Center and Bible College

This first cohort of 12 will, in some cases, return to the church they already pastor, and others will begin new churches.

Professors From Tanzania Baptist Seminary Pray and Ordain the Graduates As Their Wives Stand With Them

Mark Maynard Preached On Being A Useful Vessel in God's Church

Over 1,000 church and community leaders and members of howFar Ministries churches, including the Bishop of the Baptist Churches of Tanzania, attended the graduation celebration on the Bible School campus at Lossimingori, Tanzania.

Presenting a Plaque Recognizing Major Donors to Pastor Emmanuel Laizer (Center) and a Graduate

Sixteen men, 12 from Tanzania and 4 from Kenya, are enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year.  They are all from howFar Ministries churches.

A Free Education

Your financial support makes it possible for an indigenous Maasai leader to recieve a FREE education preparing them to teach the truth of God's word and to plant new churches.

Bishop Reuben ole Tiges, Overseerer of howFar Churches of East Africa, with Emmanuel Laizer, Overseer of the Churches of Tanzania, and Founder, Mark Maynard

To ensure that we continue in this important work, please donate at www.howFar.org today.

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Burundi Update 2022

Pastor Renovat Barutwanaya Talks With The Batwa Community

We first shared the gospel with the Batwa people in the village of Muramvya, Burundi in August 2008. On that day, several people left behind a life of Animism and came to Christ. Since that time the church has grown. Today there are approximately 60 Batwa members of our church plant at Muramvya led by a Batwa pastor. 

Burundi 2008

See the original story HERE.

howFar Ministries Murumvya Church, Central Burundi

Today there are three howFar Ministries churches in Burundi. They are in Muramvya, Bujumbura, and Ngozi. And they are not only sharing the gospel with Twa Pygmies, but with many other tribes. 

howFar will you go?

First In Class Returns As Campus Pastor!

Many of you will remember that in 2007 we accepted an invitation to visit a Batwa Pygmy village near Gihara, Rwanda. We learned that there were no schools for the Twa children and that few ever received an education.

Our Board of Directors decided to plant a church and school in the village to reach the Twa people and to educate, train, and prepare a generation of children to evangelize their own people.

Batwa children at Gihara Village, Rwanda 2007

In 2010, Crimson Academy was launched.  One of the members of the first class was Lambert Uhirwa.  Lambert worked hard and was the #1 student in the school graduating in 2013. Lambert earned a spot in a prestigious Secondary School because of his high academic achievement.

Lambert's Graduation Ceremony at Crimson Academy. First In His Class. 2013

Today, Lambert has returned to Crismson Academy as Campus Pastor, fulfilling our dream of preparing men to return to their village to reach their own people for Christ! 

A Young Pastor Returns to Teach Where He Was Taught About Christ

Congratulations to Pastor Lambert. 

Thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to take the gospel message to Gihara, Rwanda in 2007.

howFar will you go?