"Power Equal To The Task" - Departing for Africa

Helen Keller once said, "It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal."

Her words profoundly resonate with me as I prepare to return to sub Saharan Africa. 

The tasks of making disciples in people groups who are just beginning their walk with Christ and of taking the gospel to tongues and tribes who are yet to hear is daunting.  It is a task for which I must ask for power equal to the task.

And as I do, I am reminded of the promises made to us. 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

Please pray for me as I work in Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo from March 28 - April 12.  Here are a few of the projects that I will be working on.

• Interviewing and hiring a Chaplain for Crimson Academy of Kagina, Rwanda. The primary school was born out of a church that we planted several years ago. Construction will start on a Secondary School within the next three months so that graduating students from the Primary School can continue their education. A Secondary School education is Rwanda is rare and only goes to the wealthy and to the highest performers. The Chaplain will minister to the spiritual needs of the children, their parents, and to the community at large. Please pray that God brings us the perfect man for the job. 
• Meeting with local government officials in Kagina, Rwanda.  It is very important for us to have a good relationship with the local government officials - particularly with other, more radical, groups moving into the area. Our goal is to partner with them to meet the needs of the local community; spiritual and physical. The government is very happy that we have brought a church to the community, a community center, a Primary School, and Rain Water Harvesting System and soon, a Secondary School.
• Visit Church Construction in Burundi.  After three years of delays we have finally started construction on a church in the Batwa Community at Muramvya, Burundi. Lord willing, the church will be completed the last week of March and I will dedicate it while there.
• Pastoral Training Partnerships.  I will be meeting with representatives from International Training  Center ( A division of Walk Through The Bible) to discuss enrolling our indigenous pastors in the Pastoral Training Programs. ITC has a campus in Rwanda and are developing them in Burundi and DR Congo now.
• Visit Mudja Church. I hope to obtain a VISA to enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo so that I can visit our church at Mudja. You will remember that the Batwa village was decimated by M23 Rebels in February. My goal is to encourage them, assess the situation and make plans to strengthen Mudja Baptist Church and to offer humanitarian aid. We will visit the HowFar Medical Clinic in Mudja and thank the team for their hard work. We hope to take an expanded Medical Mission Team to the Mudja area in July. 

Your prayers and donations make our evangelical work possible. Your gifts are changing peoples lives here and into eternity!

CLICK HERE to make a special directed gift to help the people of Mudja rebuild their community!

Mark Maynard
Founder & Executive Director

Is His Love In You?

‎"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (1 John 3:17 ESV) howFar will you go?

Click HERE to make a tax deductible donation to help those who cannot help themselves today! 

March Prayer Requests

Hadija...Sharing in Her Muslim Community

Thirteen months ago I was in the small town of Handini in east central Tanzania. Pastors Reuben, Immanual and I were asked to pray for a boy who had been bitten by a snake. While at his home we met a young Muslim woman named Hadjia.

Here is an excerpt of what I wrote about our divine encounter with her.

""The heat, carried on the wind that blew through the open windows, told us that midday had almost passed. One final prayer with these new Christians and it was time to go. I turned to step across the threshold but my way was blocked. The women, once gathered at the far end of the passage, were now sitting just outside the door. 

A young woman rose and said, “My name is Hadija. Will you pray for me?”  

With a smile I replied, “Who do you think that we are?”  

“I see that you are men of God.” 

“Yes,” I said, “we are." 

“I am not able to feed my baby the way I should,” she said. As she spoke she pulled up her blouse revealing an open sore on her breast. 

“O God,” I wondered, “is that cancer?” 

Once again, in that Muslim household, the gospel was clearly and openly presented. And Hadija also became my sister in Christ.""

Hadija and her family. February 2013 - Handini, Tanzania

Today, Hadija, is a follower of Jesus Christ. She attends a church that she found in her small town. And she shares with others what Christ has done for her.

"I even asked them about the Bibles we gave them last time", Pastor Immanal said. "They still have and many other Muslims were impressed so they often come and read, sometime borrow."

We were able to share the "Good News" with a Muslim household  in a distant land because of our partnership with you. 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16, NASB)

"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” (Romans 10:14,15 NASB)

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (I Corinthians 15:1-4 NASB)

"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9, NASB

Please know that your gifts to howFar Ministries are making it possible for people  to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ...and be saved!

Whatever Happened to Juma? "Three Small Coins" Update

Many of you have asked me about what happened to Abraham, Juma and Hadija - the people that I wrote about last January in my story entitled Three Small Coins.  (Read the story here.)

Recently, we sent funds to Pastor Immanual Lazier in Tanzania to make the four day trip to go and visit them.

Juma and Abraham. Handini, Tanzania February 2013

Here is an excerpt from his report.

"I greet u in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. My brother, right now I am in a place where we met a man with 3 small coins. I met him again this evening after my half hour walk searching for their house. And this is what he told me.   

The lady with the breast cancer is now healed since the time we prayed for her last year. The other [lady] is okay too. And they have been waiting for me [to come and visit them] for a long time. His son who was bitten by a snake, he is okay too. He started walking though he still need some checkup from the hospital. 

I was over joy to hear about them. But promise one thing, that u will continue to pray for them as u know they are new in faith at the middle of Muslims. 

Aren't the good news to u?"

Yes, I am overjoyed to hear the wonderful news of how God has worked in the lives of these three people.  I cannot help to wonder how this has impacted the small Muslim community in East Central Tanzania.

Join me in praying that many will come to Christ as they witness God glorify Himself through His mercy and grace.

"And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Revelation 5:9

Devastation at Mudja Church

A few days ago I received this heartbreaking message from Pastor John in Goma, DR Congo.

"Mudja people are nowadays passing a terrible moment: famine has increased, activities are stopped and thy do not receive any help or assistance" 

"Rebels have just left Mudja but before they leave, they wrapped (raped) 11 women and our clinic does not have enough equipment ( medecine and other materials) to heal them. Apart from this case, they have also stolen every thing from our people( clothes, goats, heans,...) and burnt 28 of their houses. Therefore, Mudja people are each time asking a help from the church. We wish you pray for them."

"Please! I'm sorry for the delay, so far I don't have my own computer and I have to pay much money each time befor I touch the others' computer."

Today, howFar sent $1500.00 in relief to the people of Mudja, DR Congo. The funds will be used to purchase food and medicines to help the Batwa Pygmy villagers recover from the devastation caused by M23 Rebels who seized and occupied the area in late January. 

Batwa women stands in front of her home. Mudja, DR Congo 2009

"Forty men in military uniforms who were heavily armed also besieged the town of Mudja before withdrawing to an unknown destination, local sources added to Kibati.Interviewed, one of the leaders of Joint Verification Mechanism border stated that it cannot verify these allegations at the request of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). For its part, civil society in North Kivu confirms this. Kavota Omar, spokesman for the organization said that citizen residents of Mudja Rusayo panicked, fled their homes to seek refuge in Goma and in other IDP camps around the city." (Source: Inyenyeri News, http://www.inyenyerinews.org/

Please pray for the saints at Mudja Church who are experiencing pain and suffering on a scale that we cannot imagine. 

To help our church members at Mudja donate on line today! 100% of your donation will go to supply food and medical aid to the Batwa of Mudja who cannot help themselves.  

Inaugural Class - 2005

Students return to school at howFar's Jipe Primary School, located near Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya on January 7th. The school, for semi-nomadic Maasai children, opened in 2005 with 60 students in pre-K and Primary One. On January 7th the school began its 8th year with over 300 students attending grades pre-K through Primary 8. Last year Jipe Primary School finished 1st in the District.

Students at howFar's Lake Jipe Primary - 2010

Only approximately 15% of Maasai children attend primary school and very few attend secondary school.

Our goal is to establish Jipe Secondary School on the howFar compound so that our students can continue their education.
howFar will you go to help these Maasai children escape the cycle of poverty through education?