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Saturday, August 28, 2010

Special Report-Poured Out For Africa

This is one of Pastor Habimana's churches in DR Congo. This Church was called 'The Widow's Church.' It was recently destroyed by a local volcano shortly after we left. This picture was taken in DR Congo. That is Pastor Habimana on the far left, next to Pastor Don.
Pictured below are two short term missionaries from Texas who had the joy of sharing God's love to women at a Women's Conference in DR Congo. They were also able to give each woman $10 in American money! These women were overjoyed!! Pastor Lewi is interpreting on the far left.
Pastor Don Schwarz

Philippians 2: 17Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

Psalm 82:3Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

The first time Africa showed up on my radar screen was a normal day some six or seven years ago when I was reading daily news services. I was shocked when I read of a Congolese militia soldier who brutally killed a mother’s two little girls right in front of her! I laid out on my floor and began to cry out to the Lord for this poor lady. I then began to learn about the situation in the DR Congo.

The short story is that as a result of the Rwanda genocide in 1994 the Hutu Militia, those who killed about 1,000,000 Tutsi men, women and children in 100 days, fled into the DR Congo. There they, many militia groups cropped up and took sides against one another. It doesn’t help that these areas of DRC are mineral rich. These militia are organized, well financed, demonic animals and caught in the crossfire are innocent civilian populations. Gang rape of men, women and children is common and is used as a weapon of manipulation, terror and war in their bizarre manner of dominance. So, I was praying and crying out to the Lord, but what more could I do?

What can a Jewish American do to help these precious souls under such oppression on the other side of the world? Since asking these questions I have been reminded that little is much when Abba is in it! The Lord began to supernaturally introduce me to pastors who have been planting churches in Rwanda and the DRC. They have been taking care of orphans, widows, raped women, and others who are suffering in the midst of this horror and trouble since it began in 1994.

I have had the honor of living Psalm 82 by bringing teams to the DRC and coming alongside Pastor Habimana in the DRC who has planted 91 churches, many of which are right in the midst of all this trouble. I have listened to, cried with, spoken to and given comfort to many widows and orphans who have experienced trouble like most have never imagined.

We have been going to the DRC for about four years and have seen the Lord Jesus bring so much glory to our Father in heaven! We have preached the gospel in a stadium, the streets, churches, and refugee areas and seen thousands receive Jesus and become His disciples! He will bring justice to those who are these unrepentant afflicters of such demonic wickedness! Until then our Savior sends His Holy Spirit and us to comfort and restore many who are afflicted and needy. So how can you help me, to help them? As the Lord leads I would direct you to our website to see some pictures and videos to help you understand our work and get more information.

Additionally, I am thankful to announce something good that our government is doing---something good what a concept!

The US Congress has passed bills to begin to address the fuel for these militia’s power and money--the mineral business. I have attached two articles, one which explains the most recent atrocity where Pastor Habimana oversees churches and the other explains a recent bill passed by Congress. Please pray about contacting your Senate and Congressional Reps and let them know what you think about these precious souls who need our help. If your Representative has voted for these bills give them some encouragement and explain that you are praying for American missionaries who work with churches in these areas and that you want to see more done. It is nice to have something good to say about and to our government officials for a change. So thank them for what they have done, encourage them to do more, and it is important they know that you are behind them in this regard!

Please pray for our next team going within a few miles of the village in the news service article in this report---our dates are October 10-23.

May our Father be blessed by our heart that beats with His!

Praise King Messiah Jesus!

Poured Out For Africa

Pastor Don Schwarz

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jlAHNE7LlueeKFImcT0sUoQQB8XQ


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/world/africa/23congo.html?_r=1

If you are interested in helping us pour ourselves out for Africa please consider getting on our free newsletter by contacting me personally by email donschwarz@earthlink.net.

We have three basic modes of participation for our partners:

Praying: Contact us for prayer initiatives.

Giving: Many opportunities to give towards food, Bibles & Africa mission trips.

Going: If you are interested in joining us on an Africa trip contact me for a mission trip application.


VIDEO: WOMEN REJOICING IN DR CONGO


Saturday, August 21, 2010

AFRICA REPORT: How Can I Best Prepare For The Difficult Days Ahead?



In these pictures Short Term Missionaries are painting the toe nails and finger nails of widows that live in Rwanda. The Word of God, jewerly and hair products were given to all the women present.


AFRICA REPORT
Pastor Don Schwarz: Poured Out For Africa

Philippians 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered (poured out) upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.


Psalm 41: 1-2 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.


So many followers of Jesus today are very concerned, and legitimately so, about the days ahead. However, the “need” to prepare can be a bottomless pit into which our adversary would like to push us. I think it is wise to prepare, even with provisions, if the Holy Spirit has led His child that way. But then how much is enough? And with what do I fill my little corner of creation? Is food for me and my family enough? What about others and how about water, and heat for the cold, and what if it gets really bad and I need to defend myself, and what if the bad guys have a better plan than me?
Here is where I begin to look further into the Lord’s word for His plan of preparation and here is the direction our family is taking.
We are today considering the poor. We are going to them, encouraging them, giving them resources for food and clothes, doing all we can to sow into their lives in a way that can only be described by them as this “Now we know the Lord has not forgotten us, because He has sent you.” That is what a widow, who had been raped by men in Rwanda during the genocide there, told one of our team members at a special meeting we had for widows.
There are countless stories I could share of times in churches, the streets of slums, garbage dumps where animals and people try to find a meal, and the Lord has sent us there to comfort and bless people.
In one church service in the slums of Nairobi we asked the pastor to buy some food for all who were there (about 50). They bought many loaves of white bread and a soda for each person. You should have seen the looks on their faces. It was the look of someone in America sitting down to a steak dinner, something these have never had in their life. I have heard people say “but Don there are poor right here in America.” That is true and we should help whoever the Lord gives to help. But think of this, most poor in America have never experienced or imagined “poor” like this. My wife, who has been seeing pictures and listening to my stories for years, recently went with me to Kenya. She was so overwhelmed on this occasion in the Nairobi slums that she could hardly speak the rest of the day after we returned to our hotel.
These are the ones to whom the Lord has sent me. If you look at the world today poverty and famine are sweeping the globe like King Jesus said it would in the time of the birth pangs just before His return. I cannot help them all, but I can help the ones the Lord has given me and Lord willing I will be faithful in this regard and on their behalf.
Many use to believe, and I think tragically many still do, that poverty and famine could not cover the landscape of America. I personally believe that it probably will, maybe sooner than later.
Proverbs 19: 17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.
Here is another great passage that tells us how to invest wisely. Think of those who have invested in banks and other financial instruments. How have many of them done in the last few years? Conversely, an investment in heaven’s economy always pays back with dividends! This is our investment strategy—to have mercy on the poor. We are certainly not rich by American standards, but compared to these in Africa we are in pretty good shape today.
So, me and my house are preparing mostly by considering those who are in poverty and famine today. From what I see in Psalm 41 since my heart is motivated by the love of Jesus and faith in Him my future during time of trouble is already secure. He has promised me deliverance and I will simply trust Him at His word. Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, because He first loved me! He loves the poor and helpless too, and I want to show them!
See our blog and website for more information, and our blog has some new pictures and videos of some of our latest trips to Kenya and Rwanda. Also find contact information there to be placed on our monthly newsletter.
If you would like to join us in helping the poor by praying, giving, and/or going contact me for more details.


In King Messiah Jesus Christ!

Don Schwarz
Pouredoutforafrica.blogspot.com
Pouredoutforafrica.com
Cell: 832-878-0756

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Do I Have Godly Character?






AFRICA REPORT: Pastor Don Schwarz Poured Out For Africa

Philippians 2: 17Yea, and if I be offered (poured out) upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

Do I Have Godly Character?

Psalm 68: 5A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ it is my greatest desire to be acquiring godly character. For this to be so the things that are important to my Father in heaven must become important to me---right? It is easy to make my lips move and say I am a follower of Jesus. But, it is the fruit of my life that determines what is in my heart. Didn’t Jesus tell us that a good tree bears good fruit?

That is why our ministry began helping orphans in Africa. About six years ago my Abba spoke to me by His Spirit to my spirit. He reminded me that pure and undefiled religion ministers to orphans and that I did not (James 1:27). I then proceeded to tell Him something that He had obviously overlooked-the fact that I did not know any orphans. Graciously, He then instructed me that if I would have the faith to obey Him---He could work out the details of locating some orphans for me to go and bless, and love, and pray for, and buy food for, and believe Him for great things for, etc. So now we have been to many African countries and today have different orphan outreaches in Kenya, Rwanda, and the DR Congo. Other than seeing a sinner on their way to hell being saved and set free by Jesus, I cannot think of anything better that helping hungry, hopeless, desperate orphans and sharing with them food, hope, and an environment of safety---oh dear brethren THEY ARE CHILDREN! By grace we help some eat, hear the gospel, go to school, buy clothes, but here is the best! I am trusting King Jesus, who by the way loves to please our Father, to help us plant an orphan village with housing, vocational training, farming and livestock, and a Bible College, JUST FOR ORPHANS! It is in Rwanda and is called the Poured Out For Africa Gospel Village. Rwanda has about 10,000,000 people and guess how many are orphans? About 840,000 are fatherless, which makes up almost ten percent of their population---can you imagine? So please pray for me as I want to partner with our Father in heaven to be a father to the fatherless. It is the least I can do since I had no Father in heaven until Jesus saved me and through Him I was adopted into His eternal family. We should all understand what it means to need the Father’s love. POFA also help some widows in Africa and has plans to integrate them into our Gospel Village work.

If you would like to hear more about our work in Africa, please contact me personally by phone or email. We are looking for new Kingdom partnerships who will help us advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I obey the Lord and leave my home and family to preach the gospel, make disciples, and minister to orphans and widows. Will you pray about helping me do this work and provide for my family while I am gone? The time has come to lay treasures up in heaven more than ever as the treasures here are fast depreciating in value. We take a very small salary from this ministry and the rest goes to doing the Kingdom work in the field of harvest.

Take a look at our blog to see a video and pictures of some of our Father’s children in Africa. Praise King Jesus and THANK YOU FATHER!

Don Schwarz

Mission Pastor/Executive Director

Poured Out For Africa www.pouredoutforafrica.com

pofa@earthlink.net 832-878-0756

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Return Trip To Rwanda & DR Congo! OCTOBER 2010


Dear Followers of King Messiah Jesus,

Praise and bless His holy Name! I am so blessed in this letter to share what we are planning for this fall. Can you believe we are now planning for the autumn of 2010?

Well, we have been to Rwanda and the DR Congo once already this year.

However, we only went to about seven of the ninety one churches Pastor Habimana planted in Goma in the DR Congo. Also, our friend and co­laborer Pastor Lewi has planted many churches in Bukavu, DRC. You may remember that this is the city of a couple million people that hosted our stadium event in 2008 in which about fifteen hundred came to the Lord. On our last trip we did not have enough time to go to Bukavu and many of our friends were very disappointed. So, Lord willing, we will go to some of the churches we missed in Goma and then boat down beautiful Lake Kivu to minister the gospel in Bukavu. There will be rejoicing and reunion as we visit our friends and brethren!

Both of these cities are still recovering, in the midst of great poverty, from many years of brutal internal war that is I think best described as a genocidal stalemate. Five and a half million were killed in twelve years making it the deadliest war since WW2. What a people that need grace and mercy from the loving kindness of our SAVIOR JESUS!

We customarily begin our trip in Rwanda which of course was the genocide that sparked the trouble in DR Congo and Burundi. As I write this letter I weep over the trouble and hopelessness and the tears turn to those of joy at the love and mercy we can take to them that only the true and living God provides! In Rwanda we start by going to the Genocide Memorial that details the horrible atrocities. This prepares our hearts to overflow with compassion so that we can then go to the people with the healing in His wings!

Also, while in Rwanda we will continue to meet with government officials and attorneys and others who are helping us with the necessary details that pave the way for our Poured Out For Africa Gospel Village for orphans. Please join with us in prayer for this holy work of our Abba in heaven. This work is moving slower than I would like, but there is progress and for that I am thankful.

The Lord has given me a team of CPA’s, attorneys, businessmen, and other wise counselors, that are necessary to make sure we have a “kosher” foundation that people can give into with great confidence we will be successful. For example, my attorneys in Rwanda and Houston have helped me understand what I needed so I could establish the best name for the orphan village. We have now filed the necessary paperwork here and officially have the name POURED OUT FOR AFRICA GOSPEL VILLAGE legally registered and will file for an INGO (International Non­Government Organization) in Rwanda at the appropriate time.

Please keep praying that the Lord would show you how to participate—here are three areas where we need your partnership: praying, giving, going.

Please contact me with any questions or comments.