Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Just opened our Christmas Gifts, great being with our girls.

Greetings from the Wooten Family in East Africa
It is so hard to believe it is the end of 2011 and we are just around the corner from 2012.
This has been one of our toughest personal years, but also a very incredible year for the ministry in East Africa. This update is a Family and Personal update and Christmas Wish and in a few days, will give you an overview 2011 for our ministry in East Africa.
Most of you know by now, we were robbed in November at our house.(For those not of FaceBook, I will give you a brief update) 3 armed gun men, entered our home on 6 November and stole most of our electronics including TV, 3 laptops, video projector for evangelism outreach, cell phones, cameras and most of our Jewelry including our wedding bands and Sharon’s Diamond. They also took our vehicle as well. Thankfully they did not touch us but threaten us at gunpoint and with death over and over.  One of the Kenyan young ladies who was visiting her family that lived on our compound was raped.  We have been helping her with counseling and physical needs since the attack.
A real testimony of this event, is that on the morning before they caught Sharon and I leaving our house, I had taken Janene to her school where she was singing for her school Church. I left and came back in the compound while the thiefs were there and they never heard us. The first question they asked when they got us was “Where is your daughter?” When I told them they did not believe me, this is when I found they had been on our compound all night. We lost things but God took care of us and our family. We have had to move to another house, as we were warned that the thiefs were watching our house for us to bring back in electronics, vehichles, etc.. and they would return. We found a very nice safe house, and we are enjoying it. Thanks for your continued prayers.

A family Snap shot in Mombasa, Kenya

On another family note, Jessica, got to come and be with us this Christmas. We have been planning this most of the year and God made a miraculous way for us to bring her. We have had a wonderful time together. We took a 4 day vacation and went to the coast in Kenya and had a wonderul time. I have enclosed a picture of us at the beach. You will see we have gotten too much Sun. LOL!!!  The girls have been working hard on wedding plans for Jessica’s wedding coming up June 23, 2012.  We did a video call with Joshua, Allison and Alice on Christmas Eve, as well as some of my family. We had a wonderful time together talking and watching Alice run around the room.
Sharon was also diagnosed with diabetes. She had been having pain in her feet and numbness. We thought it might have to do with some pain she was having in her back. When she went to the Doctor, they found she had serious uropathy in her feet and was diabetic. The Doctor’s put her on a tablet and she has lost around 30 lbs and has her sugar staying around 100 consistently and her feeling is coming back to her feet. We are believing God for 100% recovery.

This is before Dinner on our Last night. I have some beautiful ladies.

Also a few weeks ago, her Dad, Philip List, has surgery and was doing fine, and the Doctor’s were giving him blood and something happened to his heart and he almost died. We got the call in the middle of the night in Kenya, that if God did not intervene he would not make it. Praise God he pulled through miraculously and we talked to him yesterday and he is moving around already and will be out preaching soon.

We love you all and Thank God for your prayers and kindness to us.  We do pray that you have had a wonderful Christmas and that God blesses you with a properous and glorious New Year.

Ron in his handmade Palm Hat, It was too hot, we were on a glass bottom boat and also went snorkeling.

With all our Love,
Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

Maasai IPH Churches-Reaching a Traditional People

Greetings from Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene.

As I write this, Sharon and Janene, are in the U.S. They have gone for a few weeks to help Jessica prepare for her wedding on June 23, 2012. We will arrive back next year for furlough only two weeks before the wedding. We prayed for God to help her go and he did provide, we praise God for that. Sharon is also having some problems with her feet and losing feeling. She is having that checked as well as seeing a cardiologist for a checkup.
God has been good to us in so many ways. We do want to prayerfully ask that you consider helping us during this summer months with a extra offering of support or maybe to increase what you are doing. Our account has been hit extra hard this year with the 5 trips i have had to take already to encourage our leaders in East Africa and for some problems we have had as well. We also had to move our house and even though God blessed us in a tremendous way with a beautiful house, we had some incredible expenses in the process of this move. We appreciate anything you can do but most of all, we desire your prayers.
Sharon has also got to spend some wonderful time with Josh and Allison and our beautiful granddaughter, Alice. She is loving this. Alice’s parents even let Sharon carry her to NC for a few days and spoil her. It was good for Sharon and Allison and Josh enjoyed the few days off as well.

MAASAI CHURCHES (you can see pictures of my trip on my FACEBOOK page. If you copy this link, it will take you to the page, even without a FACEBOOK page. ) https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150234426981919.319138.526391918&l=6e879f1bc8

Two weeks ago I, Ron, along with new missionaries Michael and Leslie Tignor, traveled 3 hours from Nairobi, to visit our IPH churches among the Maasai tribe in Kenya. We have more than 50 churches among the Maasai right now and have another group of independent Maasai churches who want to join us. We always do this very slowly when we get the chance to come into new relationships with churches. It pays to take heed to the scripture that tells us to “lay hands on no man, suddenly”.

We meet in a wooden church building made of off cut timber and iron sheets for the roof. We were an hour and a half drive from the main road, driving on roads made from volcanic dust that covered everything like a coat of paint. We were meet by more than 100 pastors’ and leaders’ waiting for the conference to begin. The Tignor’s and I were humored by the way they started each meeting. We were always late and one time the leader said, “We were to start at 8 am and it is not 10 am, we are starting on good time”. No meeting started even close to the time slated, but as one Kenyan pastor told me one time. “You white missionaries have watches, but we African people have time”. I have never forgotten that, even though i still get frustrated sometimes.

The Bishop asked me to speak on Tithing to the Pastor’s and the way God’s Word promises God’s blessing if we tithe. Michael spoke to the Pastor’s in one session and he and Leslie also separated the Ladies and Leslie spoke to them and they had a time with the children as well. The pastor’s conference lasted two days. On the third day, Saturday, we meet with 2 of our leaders and begin a two day journey traveling to some of our churches though out the area. We visited 12 churches in all, all on the volcanic dirt roads and we loved it so much. We visited the one permanent building we have, wooden buildings, iron sheet buildings, mud buildings and even one grass and plastic sheet building. Some were well kept and some were in a poor state, but as i kept reminding the people everywhere we visited, the CHURCH in every place was so beautiful.

One thing about the Maasai that distinguishes them, is that when they dress in their traditional dress, they always have bright reds, oranges and purples cloths, mixed with colorful beads, cut ears and clubs, sticks and spears. Many when they come to church dress as everyone else does with dresses and suits, but you will always have a few that will always have the traditional dress on, that give you a physical and a spiritual beauty.

One special treat was a traditional meal of a Goat which they killed in front of us, butchered and then skewered on sticks and cooked on a fire. Make sure you look at the pictures. They put us in a circle, brought the skewers and placed them in the center of us and one of the Pastors with a sharp knife, begin to cut pieces off and hand them to us, one at a time. It was incredible. It was a great trip and God blessed us tremendously.

One treat was the little guest house we slept in, though in itself was nothing special, when I opened my curtain, it looked out on to Mount Kilimanjaro, it was breathtaking.

Well, I had better sign off for now. I appreciate you taking time to read this and more than anything, Sharon and I thank you for your prayers and support. We love you dearly and do Thank God for you on a regular basis. Please take time to email us sometimes and let us know how you and your family are, and even let us know if you have any prayer request.

God bless and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you in all you do.
Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

Contact us at:
thewootensea@earthlink.net or sharonlist@earthlink.net
www.facebook.com/thewootensea
skype – thewootensea
Kenya Telephone – 011254721229236 – we have free incoming calls.
Twitter – @thewootensea
Support Numbers: Support 11531s, Gift 11531g and ministry acct. 11531m
Mail to: World Missions Ministry, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157
Or got to website: http://iphc.org/directory/ron-and-sharon-wooten-0 and give via internet.

The Wooten Familys’ June 2011 Update

(THIS IS WAY TOO LONG, BUT GOT BEHIND AND NEEDED TO CATCH UP – GOD BLESS)

Greetings from the Airport in Kigali Rwanda,
I have been in Burundi for the past 2 weeks for a tour of most of our Churches. I was able to visit with 33 churches. If you can, go to www.facebook.com/thewootensea and see the pictures of each church.
This year has really gone by so fast. I cannot believe as I looked back over my notes that I have not sent out an update since February. I am so sorry that this has happen. I have been keeping up Facebook posts and hope most of you are seeing me on that, but do know that many of your are not there, so I will update you on some of what we have been doing.
Sharon and Janene are in the U.S. right now. Jessica’s wedding is next summer and God provided a way for me to send them to be with her to do some planning. Janene and Sharon also needed to do some medical checkups for some small issues both were having. They are enjoying their time there but we are missing each other. They are also excited to be with Alice and her parents, Josh and Allison, for as much time as they can.
I have made three ministry trips by myself for extended stays in Rwanda, Eastern Congo and this week Burundi. I had made it a purpose to try and travel to each country and spend 10 days to 2 weeks to try and travel around the regions and visit many more of the churches off the beaten path. I have visited more than 60 churches in these 3 visits. This does not sound like much until you consider that the roads I have been traveling are disasters, to put it mildly in some cases. I have been beaten, bruised, thrown up, down and from side to side. Thankfully my back has held up well.
This has been so eye opening to me. I had done this in Ethiopia last year and was so moved I knew it has to be done. It has brought to light to me, the genuine need and the great sacrifice that many of our Pastors’ make to fulfill their calling. I feel so inadequate when I go and see church buildings made of homemade bricks, mud or even some type of reed or tree limb. Some have iron sheet roofs, some have homemade roof tiles and others have grass of some type. I have visited some places where I see pastor’s who are really on the ball that have started some huge building programs going, as they are obeying the voice of the Lord and taking a step of faith.
I sometimes wish I had access to funds and supplies that when I see a church that is really doing more than they seem they could do, that I could help them some. We have some guys that will never step out and do a work on their own and will only wait for a missionary to help them, but we also have others who have heard from God and move with no assistance from the missionary. Those are the guys we want to help.
Sharon and I traveled to Ethiopia as well in April for a joint Pastor’s and Women’s conference. It was an awesome time and we saw more than 200 leaders gather and got to hear some wonderful testimonies from Pastor’s and especially WM leaders. Sharon had a meeting last year for the first time in Ethiopia and shared with the ladies how to organize. We had more than 10 groups of women give testimonies of starting WM groups, building WM offices and doing projects in their churches and communities.
FAMILY NEWS
After living in the same house in Nairobi for 5 years our landlords told us we either buy the house or move. They wanted over $1 million for the house so we have moved. We looked and looked for months and finally as only God can do, He provided us with an awesome, wonderful, house for a bit less than we were paying. We had to spend a lot of money to get the house back in living shape, small things that add up when a house is not lived in for a few years. We are settled in and it is awesome.
All three of our Kids are in school and are doing excellent. Josh is in an engineering program in Greenwood, SC and is the top of his class. Jessica just finished her 3rd year at Emmanuel and made the president’s list again and Janene finished her Junior year with very good grades, we have not got the final report yet.
Alice, our granddaughter, is just awesome. I miss holding her. She just turned a year and I have realized that I have only held her maybe 5 times over a period of 10 days when I was in the U.S. last year. Sharon is enjoying being with her and got to keep her overnight for a few days when she arrived.
WRAPPING UP
You guys are so special to us and we know we cannot do this without you. God is our source, but He uses you to supply that to us and our ministry. We continue to need your help, maybe more than ever as the global economic depression is hitting here as well and we face more needs in our churches than ever as well. Thanks for supporting us.
If you would like to help me put a roof on a church, buy a property, etc… we really need the help with this. We can do this in memorial or honor of a special loved one. No gift toward this is too small or too large. We have roofs that will go from $1000 to $10,000, and other projects that need more than $50,000 for conference and training centers.
Love from our family to yours.
Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene
Contact us at:
thewootensea@earthlink.net
www.facebook.com/thewootensea
skype – thewootensea
Kenya Telephone – 011254721229236 – we have free incoming calls.
Twitter – @thewootensea
Support Numbers: Support 11531s, Gift 11531g and ministry acct. 11531m
Mail to: World Missions Ministry, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157
Or got to website: http://iphc.org/directory/ron-and-sharon-wooten-0 and give via internet.

2010 Yearly Review

Your Missionaries to East Africa                    Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

First of all, before I begin to update you on what we have done in the past few months since I have updated you, we want to tell you again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FAITHFUL PRAYERS, YOUR GENEROUS GIVING AND BEING THERE FOR US AS OUR DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. We know we cannot do this work without you. The thousand plus Pastor’s and Women’s leaders who have been trained in Conferences and seminars, the many hundreds of souls that have come into the kingdom in the past year, the Tens of Thousands of miles Sharon and I have traveled by road and air with no serious problems or incidents are a testament of your continued prayers, support and the goodness of God who watches over our ministry. First of all, just a report on our support and ministry finances. This has been a very challenging year but a blessed one as well. We have seen some slowdowns in our income and prices have really increased in East Africa. We are paying over $5 a gallon for fuel now and air tickets to all the East Africa countries we travel to have increase by 25% to 35% as well as building materials, food products, hotel costs, etc… Our support account has stayed in the black, we are very thankful for that, but it is the lowest right now it has been in many years. Again, we are thankful for the many of you who have so faithfully given to us. We would also ask that others of you, as God would lead you, consider helping us as we continue to do this work in East Africa.

 (At the end of this report, you can see the different ways you can support us.)

There is no way I can give you a full detail of everything we have done this year. Hopefully you are getting our occasional updates and newsletters. I will give you a glimpse of some of the highlights of 2010. Sharon and I have literally traveled thousands of miles, mostly in different directions. We have conducted well over 20 training seminars for Pastors, Church Leaders, Bible Students and Women’s groups. I, Ron, traveled to each of our countries in East Africa at least once, and most of them several times for different meetings. Sharon traveled all around Kenya for conferences and to Sudan, Malawai, and South Africa for WM leadership meetings.

We hosted more than 10 different teams of varying sizes from 1 person to a 19 person team. We have together preached close to 100 times this year in churches and conferences. We have also hosted many in our home this year. One of our main areas of ministry we have is hosting fellow missionaries, national leaders and traveling guests in our home. We have had more that 150 nightly guests in our home this year and have fed many more meals than that. We really enjoy this part of ministry.

We have several building projects going on this year and several new ones beginning just after the New Year. We also had the first General Conference for Kenya this year which took over a year to plan and God helped us to make this a special event for IHPC in Kenya. We elected our first National Bishop and board for Kenya and had over 300 in attendance. Dr. Beacham and Ernest Turner were with us for this special meeting. We also had a missionary retreat in the country of Turkey where all the missionaries from Africa gathered together for a week of inspiration, fellowship and vision casting. It was a great time. I also had to travel to the U.S. for meetings in October/November. I spent 8 days in meetings and ministering in Oklahoma and then got to visit my Kids, granddaughter and Family for 2 weeks.

Yes, if you don’t know it by now we are grandparents. Josh and Allison gave birth to Alice, our first grandchild this year. Sharon got to travel to the U.S. just after her birth and stayed with them for 1 month. God made it possible for her to go again in August/September and she spent a few more weeks getting some Nana time. Josh and Allison have moved back to Greenwood, SC and Josh is back in School. Jessica is still at Emmanuel College in her third year as an early childhood major. She loves it and is doing very well in school. Janene is a junior at Rosslyn Academy here in Kenya. My Mom is still doing pretty well. Her health has improved some, but her memory is getting worse. She has a type of dementia and the Doctor’s don’t think it will get any better. God continually takes care of her and she still lives at home. I spent a few days with her while I was in the States.

Well, I could go on but I have gone too long already. We pray that you have a Merry Christmas and a very Blessed New Year. We know it is a trying time for many people and we constantly hear from people who have had cutbacks, lost jobs or their business are on a downturn. We do pray for you often and will continue to do this. Know if you need us to pray for anything specific all you have to do is email us or message us on Face Book, or send us a letter. You can even call us.              (All our Details are below)

God be with you in this New Year.

Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

You can support us in one of several ways.

1. We have a website through our mission where you can give instantly online. It is http://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html Below picture you have two options for a one time gift or to set up a monthly debit from your account. You can enter the amount you want to in the box. It is set at $20 as a default.

2. You can mail your check to World Missions Ministry, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. Make Checks payable to World Missions Ministry and in the memo line make sure to put “Ron & Sharon Wooten Acct. 11531S” Our gift account is 11531G and our ministry Account is 11531M

3. You can give through you Local Pentecostal Holiness Church or PH Conference.

Email’s – thewootensea@earthlink.net; sharonwooten@earthlink.net; rmciphcea@gmail.com

Face Book – Ron Wooten or Sharon L. Wooten Telephone – Skype: thewootensea

 Telephone : 011254721229236

Sudan Trip and Moving around Kenya

Greetings from the Wooten Family once again. 

We trust you are doing well and that God is blessing you and your family.  We are once again excited to reach out to you and share what we have been doing in the past month.  And even more to tell you how thankful and honored we are to have you as a prayer partner and Ministry Supporter.

Before I get into the last month, let me ask for our prayers for the next few weeks.  Tomorrow, August 9, 2010, Sharon begins a week-long Women’s Ministry training and annual seminar being held in Nairobi.  She will be joined by Gailya List, Summer Sneed and several African Women who will be ministering and teaching.

I also leave for a 2 week road trip to Goma, Congo, Gisenyi, Rwanda and Jinja, Kampala.  It will be a 2500 mile trip on some pretty bad roads and my back has been given me some problems the past few weeks.  I need you prayers.  We will be conducting 2 Pastor’s conferences and connecting with some new Pastor’s in Goma, Congo who are interesting in working with IPHC missions.  I am home for 4 days then head to Ethiopia for a 6 day Pastor’s conference in Addis Ababa.  August is a busy month.  Also Janene and Jessica start School.  Jessica is an upcoming Junior at Emmanuel College and Janene is an upcoming Junior at Rosslyn Academy in Nairobi.

Thanks also for your continued prayer for Josh and Allison and Baby Alice.  Alice is doing great and by the pictures we see she is growing up so fast.  I can hardly wait until the last week of October to get to see her and hold her in my arms.  Josh lost his job a little over a month ago.  He has just found a part-time job and they will be relocating to Greenwood, SC.

On July 1 -3, the leadership team from Rwanda came to Nairobi for a 3 day intensive brain storming meeting for the work in Rwanda.  I really feel that this work is getting ready to explode in growth.  We have several building projects going on right now and opportunities for several more.  We have a medical team coming in September and a Pastor’s conference next week.  We are also working on securing a plot of land we purchased a few years ago but several men were trying to steal it from us.  We are praying that it comes back to our hands in the next few months.

On July 12th, Sharon and I headed to Kapoeta, Sudan with a team from Operation teaching tools in NC.  We had a great time of ministry through VBS, Teacher training workshops for our School and Dr. Dawn Quashie work with a Kenyan Dr. in our clinic in Sudan.  They saw many patients in the 5 days we were there.  One of the most exciting things was seeing around 100 young people and children come to Christ in the VBS and the children’s ministry.

The team came back to Kenya and visited our orphanage in Nakuru and ministered in 3 of our churches in Nairobi.  It was a great time and many thanks to Missionary Rose Boyd for connecting us with and leading this team.

 

Then on July 23rd, Sharon and I, went to Namanga, Kenya on the border of Tanzania with a team of Pentecostal young people from Switzerland.  They were one of the best organized youth teams we have ever worked with.  We went across the border of Tanzania to one of our churches.  We had over 150 young people and Children for a day long meeting.  We had a fabulous time together with the team and they really blessed our church.  On Sunday, Sharon and I visited a small Maasai Church in Kenya while the team went back to have Sunday services at the church in Tanzania.

We then left on Wednesday, July 28, to go to Eldoret.  We had to have some meetings with our Bible School director and staff and spent some good time with Missionaries Douglas and Remy Barton and Kevin and Summer Sneed.  Our Bible School is going through some real financial shortcuts and we had to make the hard decision to release some of our Kenyan staff.  It went well and we still have a good relationship with the staff.  God is going to work this out for us and I do appreciate the sacrifices made by our missionaries in Eldoret to make ends meet at the school.

Since i will be away on our 27th Anniversary, Sharon and I also took one night away in Nakuru on the way home from Eldoret.  We went to the Lake Nakuru Game park and got the last room in the Lion Hill Sarova Lodge.  It was incredible and the park was beautiful.  Go to my FACEBOOK and see some of the Pictures.

Well I had better sign off for now, but once again, thanks for your love, support and being there for us.  God be with you all and know that we also pray for you and look forward to hearing from you. 

Together in His Service,

Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

We have new support numbers through our Mission.

Support or Love gift – earmark which and send to number 11531S

Our Ministry account – 11531M

You can also go online to http://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html  – You can give monthly or one time at this link.  There is also a ways to Give button that gives you options for drafting bank accounts, etc..

Mailed gifts go to IPHC WMM, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157

It’s Already July, Where has the Year gone?

Greetings after too many months without an update.  I have kept in touch with Facebook posts and personal emails, but I am so sorry that I have been very delinquent in my Blog posts.

My Mom and Baby Alice

Our Son Josh and His Baby Girl - Our First born with His First born

 

We have had an incredible year and God has been blessing the work here in East Africa.

I will give you just a brief overview of some of the things that we have done in the past few months.

In January, Sharon had 2 WM trainings in two different conferences.  I had 3 board meetings finalizing plans for the Kenya General Conference, that was held in April.  I also spent 1 week in Eldoret at East Africa Bible College and was the main speaker at the Spiritual Emphasis Week.

In February, Sharon and I traveled to Rwanda where she lead our first IPHC Women’s Ministry Leadership Training.  Sharon returned to Kenya and I conducted the Wedding of our National Leader in Rwanda.  After wedding I traveled 1 hour from the capital city to Kayonza to speak in our church there where we are building a beautiful Church. 

Sharon Training Women in Rwanda. This was her first trip to Rwanda.

Preaching in our new Church building in Kayonza, Rwanda. Still much work to go.

Rwanda Bishop Bernard's Daughter and Son in Law

On Sunday afternoon, I caught a flight to Burundi and then traveled to Uvira, Congo.  I was the graduation speaker at our Bible School there and then hosted our annual Pastor’s conference.  We had a great time and I had the chance to License and/or Ordain 19 pastors. 

On Wednesday I traveled back to Burundi where we had the Burundi Pastor’s Conference from Thursday – Saturday.  We had a great meeting and had over 30 pastors and leaders attend the meetings.  We have had some struggles there where a former leader has tried to divide our work.  We held elections and the present leadership were put back in overwhelmingly.  I also had the chance to ordain and/or license 10 pastors.  I preached at two of our churches in Bujumbura on Sunday and traveled back home on Monday.

19 Pastors who received Ordaination or License with IPHC Congo

Laying Hands on Pastors receiving Ministerial Credentials

Congolese and Burundese Bible School Graduates 2010

When I arrived back in Nairobi, we were meet by IPHC international Evangelist, who had come to do a week of crusades and revival meetings we had set up for her.  She had already traveled to the Kanja, Kenya about 4 hours from Nairobi and Sharon and I drove up to meet her after I arrived.  She had a great meeting and saw several hundred come to Christ and many people came forward and testified of healing and other miracles in their lives. 

March began with a bang.  Irvina Parker and Evelyn Harlow arrived the 1st of March to hold our first Girls Ministries (Missionettes) training.  Sharon was joined by our other female missionaries in Kenya and more than 50 leaders from the 4 conferences in Kenya.  They had an awesome week and it turned into a training time/Holy Spirit outpouring.  God really touched the hearts of the ladies.

The next week I had a Medical Team come from the US to go to Sudan.  We traveled there with 3 Dr.’s, 4 nurses and 5 others who did Children’s ministry and pitched in with whatever he medical team needed.  We saw some incredible cases.  One little Boy had a severe burn on his arm.  It was blistered and infected so bad.  We had no anesthetic to dull the pain and Josh Smith had to deep clean the burn to get the dirt out.  The baby cried, I cried, Josh cried and we were amazed as soon as he finished the child stopped crying.  I burnt my fingers a few days ago and complained for several hours with the pain.

Little Boy with Burned Arm and his dad, after being cleaned.

In April, we were focused on the first General Conference for Kenya.  We had a very successful time.  Dr. Douglas Beacham and Rev. Ernest Turner were able to come and lead the meetings.  They chaired the business sessions and did some great teaching and preaching for us.  We elected the first Kenyan National Bishop, Rev. Ayub Njiru.  He was  serving as the Conference Bishop of the Central Conference in Kenya.  Rev Chris Ocheing became the new Bishop of the Central Conference.  He is the assistant Pastor with Missionary Philip List, at the International IPH Church in Nairobi.

I am going to stop there and will continue in a few weeks with more updates. 

FAMILY NEWS!!

On March 31, 2010 our first Granddaughter was born.  Joshua and Allison had Alice Oliva Wooten.  She of course is the most beautiful little Baby girl ever born, well at least since my two baby girls were born.  They are doing great.  Sharon was able to go to the States for the month of May to help Josh and Allison and to be Grandma.  Janene is in the States right now with Josh.  Papa Ron doesn’t get to see this little angel until October.  I can’t wait.

Me and my Main Lady in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

Ron, Sharon and Janene at Missionary retreat in Turkey

God bless you all and thank you for all your prayers and gifts.  As I have said before, I get so overwhelmed by the kindness all of you show us.  May God continue to be with you.

Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

We have new support numbers through our Mission.

Support or Love gift – earmark which and send to number 11531S

Our Ministry account – 11531M

You can also go online to http://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html  – You can give monthly or one time at this link.  There is also a ways to Give button that gives you options for drafting bank accounts, etc..

Mailed gifts go to IPHC WMM, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157

It’s My Turn! – Sharon

Well, hello to all our dear family and friends!  This time it’s Sharon writing.  I hope you are all doing well and enjoying some beautiful spring weather by now.  This year has been exciting and busy.  I decided to jump in with both legs and started the year off with the Daniel Fast.  Did any of you do this fast?  I told my friend that I was on the Daniel Fast and the devil was coming out!  The first three days was really hard but I must say that God was gracious and helped me make it through.  It is very true that fasting draws the presence and voice of God.  Or maybe it just gets us to a place where we are conscious of His presence more and have an ear to hear that voice.  

January was full of company but as they say in Kenya, “Guests are a blessing”.  The first week in February I went to Eldoret to do a WM training for District WM Leaders.  It was a wonderful time and we certified 13 new leaders. In one session the women began to share about abuses.  It was heartbreaking.  There are wonderful marriages here, but there are also many marriages where abuse is common.  I will never forget what one of the women shared about her friend who’s husband is a pastor and she leads the worhsip.  She said, “My husband beats me on Saturday night then I have to lead worship on Sunday morning.  I cry and people think that God is blessing me but I am asking God – “Why do You let my husband beat me then I have to listen to him preach?”" But we had some wonderful times of prayer and I believe God healed some hurting hearts.

In Mid – February Ron and I were privileged to travel to Rwanda, both a beautiful and very clean country . They are working hard to rebuild their nation .  I held the first WM training for pastor’s wives in Rwanda.  I was received very warmly and shared with them about “Giving birth to the Promise”.  I traveled back to Kenya to help Janene prepare for her Valentine Banquet and Ron stayed on then traveled on to Congo and Burundi.  Ron held pastors’ conferences in both these countries. 

On March 1st Irvina Parker and her sister Evelyn Harlow came for a very special event here in Kenya.  We held our first Girls’ Ministries training here in Kenya!  Everywhere I travel women are asking for ministry to girls.  This is so needed but we needed God to bring it about, and He did!  I can never thank Irvina and Evelyn enough for their excellent training and ministry.  Check out Girls’ Ministries on facebook to read about it.  We had representatives from all four conferences and certified 25 GM Sponsors.  The women told me, “The baby has been born, now it is up to us to feed it and help it grow.  At one point in our meeting the women were on the floor crying out to God for the next generation.  Please pray that the Girls’ Ministries will take off and blossom here in Kenya.  Our dream is to see it spread all over Africa.

Next week I have another pastor’s wives conference and then we prepare for our first General Conference here in Kenya in April.  So this year continues to be busy.

I must stop here to let you know of one other very, very important date coming up in April.  We are very proud to announce that we are going to be grandparents in April!  Josh and his wife Allison are expecting our first grandbaby girl on April 9th.  We would appreciate your prayers for Allison that all goes well.  We are so excited and can hardly wait!  I have even taken up knitting again and have knitted a sweater, booties and a blanket for my sweet pea! And I am in full “spoil” mode.

I will be in the States for the month of May to see my new grandbaby, and my children.  Being away from family is by far the hardest thing about being a missionary.  Anyway, I will be in North and South Carolina and hope to see many of you.  And you can be sure that I will have my pocket ”Grandma Photo Album” with me.

Well, I have run my mouth (or blog) long enough.  I just want to close by saying that we love and appreciate you all.  Your words of encouragement, your prayers and support are a life line to us.  Thank you for every time you have called our names in prayer.  We pray that God will richly bless each of you for your great kindness.

Love to all of you.  Sharon, Ron, Jessica and Janene

We have new support numbers through our Mission.

Support or Love gift – earmark which and send to number 11531S

Our Ministry account – 11531M

You can also go online to http://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html  – You can give monthly or one time at this link.  There is also a ways to Give button that gives you options for drafting bank accounts, etc..

Mailed gifts go to IPHC WMM, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157

End of the Year Lookback!!

Below is the copy of  my upcoming Paper Newsletter sent out by world Missions.  Most of you on the WEB are not on my snail-mail list.  God bless and have a Great New Year.

Ron Wooten Newsletter – Dec 2009

East Africa Report

Looking Back through 2009

It is December 29, 2009 at about 9:00 pm in our home in Nairobi, Kenya.  We have just finished our Christmas Celebrations as you have and are now preparing for a wonderful and busy 2010.  We see many challenges ahead of us as we approach this New Year, but we are also believing God for great opportunities.

As we reflect on this year passing, we want to take a moment to tell you once again, THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU, for your kindness, faithfulness and love to our family. As I have said many times before, we know we cannot possibly do what we believe God has called us to do in Africa, if you did not do what God has called you to do by helping us financially and by praying for us.  It is truly a partnership orchestrated by God. 

As we enter into this New Year, we ask you again to humbly seek the Lord about how you can be a part of the ministry here in East Africa.  We continually need the spiritual foundation of your prayers to help break the strongholds that try to hinder the work and we constantly need the financial support to continue to travel, preach, teach and build the Kingdom in tangible ways as well.  As you seek God, our trust is in Him to provide above and beyond what we could ask, think or even imagine.

Brief Overview of 2009

Our family has had a very busy year.  As most missionaries, we have many facets to our ministry.  We do travel and preach and teach a lot but we also host teams, visitors and national leaders, do correspondence to our supporters and Headquarters, fill out reports, oversee building projects, attend and chair meetings and a long list of other things.

For over two hundred days this year we have guests in our home, sometimes just one person and other times a large group.  This includes preparing meals, making many trips to the airport to pick guests from overseas, carrying visitors to shop and tour Nairobi’s tourist sites and other things that go along with having visitors.  We enjoy this part of ministry as well and thank God for the opportunity to share missions with those we enter our home.

Between Sharon and me, we have made more than 25 ministry trips out of Nairobi and more than 16 of these trips have been out of Kenya to other East Africa Countries.  Sharon made a trip to Zimbabwe, the country she spent most of her childhood as a MK (Missionary Kid), where she spoke at a large Conference WM meeting.  Ron made3 trips to Sudan, 3 trips to Ethiopia as well as multiple trips to Burundi, Rwanda and Congo.  We preached and taught many times and have seen more than 200 people come to Christ through the preaching of the Word. 

We have also been blessed to host at least 10 ministry teams that have come to East Africa.  We have had a few come to work in Kenya, 3 have come to Sudan and had our first ever IPHC Medical team go to the country of Rwanda.  In the ministry of these teams well over 1000 people have been seen by Medical personal, training seminars and ministry conferences have been held, $1000’s of in ministry supplies and medicines have been handed out, building projects have been completed and many hundreds of souls have come to Christ through the ministries of these teams.

One special highlight was that Janene, our last born, got to travel with us to Ethiopia.  Sharon, along with Gailya List, (Sharon’s Mom) and Summer Sneed were speaking at our first IPHC Women’s Ministries Conference.  Janene is really wanting to get involved more in our ministry outside of Kenya but travel is so expensive it is very hard.  I told her we would pray that God would make a way for her to go with us and He did.  She loved it and sang a few times with Summer, took pictures for her Mom and gave a testimony one day.  It was a great time.

We could share more but I have already gone too long in this letter.  Again, we love you all so much and pray that God continues to bless you, prosper you and use you for His glory and purpose.  With all that is happening in our world around us, let’s not get caught looking at the circumstances around us so that we sink, but let us keep our eyes on Jesus.  He will see us through.

Prayer Request for 2010

As you pray for us this year, a few things we have already scheduled I will ask for your prayers.  The first thing is I would ask you to pray for is our first General Conference in the country of Kenya.  It will be the 13 – 15 April, 2010. This will involve much planning and many meetings.   Sharon is traveling to South Africa in January for a WM Conference and will travel with me to Rwanda in February for a WM Conference/Pastor’s conference and a wedding.  I have a trip to Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia and Sudan also planned in the first quarter of the year as well.

Blessings and Support information

See you in our next newsletter.  Remember to write us at the address above or email us at ‘thewootensea@earthlink.net’.

Our support account number at World Missions Ministry is ‘Ron Wooten Support 06081’.  Our gift account is ‘06082’ and our ministry account is ‘06084’.  If you would like to be involved in any project from feeding orphans, building churches, buying bicycles or sewing machines or even bibles, get in touch with us.  We have projects from $10 to $100,000 that you can get involved in.

Until next time,

Ron, Sharon,  Jessica and Janene.

How can you send in your gift or support?

1. You can send through you local IPH Church or mail directly to World Missions Ministries, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. In either case make sure you earmark it ‘Ron Wooten Support – 06081’; Gift Account 06082; or Ministry Account 06084.

2. You can go tohttp://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html – This is our personal IPHC webpage. On this page is a link that you can give instantly. Click on the word Donate in the blue box and it will take you to another screen. You can only give to our support account from this page.  If you would like to give a love gift or to our ministry account you would need to send check or go to step 3. After you do this it will direct you to a checkout cart where you verify your gift and enter CC info.

3. Also on that same pagehttp://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html is a ‘Ways to Give’ button. You can actually download a form and/or get info to set up a monthly draft or do a monthly payment from you online banking. Make sure you earmark in the Memo, ‘Ron Wooten and then the specific account you want it to go for.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE WOOTEN’S IN KENYA

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR WISH FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS.

It is our prayer from our family to yours that this Christmas Christ will reign supreme in your life, home, family and Church.

We do love you so much and thank God for you and thank you for your prayers, your financial support and your kindness and love to our family.

We have seen God do many miraculous things in our work in East Africa and we

Are continuing to push forward as He enables and provides for our every need.

Love from our family to yours.

Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

To Many Things to Give a Title, but it has been Awesome!

Greetings to all my dear Family, Friends and of course Faithful Supporters.

(I HAD A TERRIBLE TIME TRYING TO PUT PICTURES IN THIS BLOG, NEVER SUCCEEDED.  PLEASE GO TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE, THEWOOTENSEA OR GO TO WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/THEWOOTENSEA TO VIEW SOME NEW PHOTOS.  GOD BLESS)

We have had a wonderful month and a half since I last posted a blog.  In my last Blog I made an appeal for a special  help and many of your came through so wonderfully and graciously.  It has helped tremendously that Words are way too inadequate to convey our deep feelings of thanks and we are as always, overwhelmed by your generosity.

This is a long post but please read it all.  I have ended with some personal information as well about with some brief family news.  God bless you one and all.  Ron

PASTOR’S CONFERENCE IN KENYA HIGHLANDS

In Mid October we had our Highlands conference Pastor’s Conference.  It was an awesome time.  Bishop Laban Wekesa hosted us and several of our other missionaries for a great conference.  We were also joined by Missionaries Hugh and Lois Hoyle, where Hugh taught a series of lessons to the pastors on the book of Nehemiah.  He did a great job and the pastors so enjoyed him.  We have over 120 pastors and leaders in attendance for this 4 day conference.  I had the wonderful chance to share Bishop Carpenter’s first Thrust 20 video and also shared and incorporated his vision into our vision for East Africa.  We are challenging the churches in East Africa to Double in the next 10 years and to do 50% of that in the next 4 years.  They receive it overwhelmingly.  I have received the report that several pastors have already began to share this vision to their local congregations.

We also had the wonderful opportunity to license over 20 new pastors and ordained 6 Reverends.  It was a great time and they closed the conference by giving us gifts and letting us know how much they appreciated their missionaries.

 

SUDAN

Ron spent 10 days in Southern Sudan with a team of 3 man team of Royal Ranger leaders.  He was also accompanied by Missionaries Kevin Sneed on his first trip to Sudan, Missionaries Gary and Alesa Akerman who are serving a 6 months term in Sudan, (Longer I am praying) and SOW worker Clay Hearn.  We had a great time.  We spent 4 days doing construction work on our Church building in Kapoeta and visited two of our other works.  I preached in Naakwa County, at our church there.  We had well over 150 in attendance and saw at least 40 stand to pray to receive Jesus.  I admit it was hard to communicate because the people do not really know how to act in church and shout out at any moment.  I preached a simple message on John 3:16 about God Loving us so much that He Gave His son, Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life and He is asking that we love Him so much that we give our Life to Him.

We also traveled the longest 12 hour day i have spent in a long time on a horrible road to Torit to visit our 3rd compound.  The road has gotten so bad that a trip that would normally take about an hour and a half in the U.S. took us over 5 hours.  It was miserable.  We spent just over 2 hours at the church meeting with some of our believers and then drove another 5+ hours back.  We were exhausted but fulfilled and the next day, everyone said they were glad they had gone.

Thanks David Moore, Richard Black and Levon McCutheon.

PASTOR’S CONFERENCE IN MOMBASA, KENYA

I was home a few days and then traveled to Mombasa, Kenya.  A 7 hour drive from Nairobi to the coast of Kenya.  Mombasa is the main port for all of East Africa located on the beautiful Indian Ocean.  International Evangelist’s Bob and Toma Corum and Pastor Lonnie Gunter from Mt Airy, NC came to assist us at the conference.  The Coast Conference is lead by Bishop Philemon Njagi and was started not quite 3 years ago.  We started with just 25 churches and now they have 37 with a few more house fellowships that are already started.

Our numbers were down this year because they have been having times of flooding through out the coast area and now he rains have stopped, many of the pastors were taking time to plant crops in hopes that more rain may come.  This did not stop us from having a great conference and the pastors were again appreciative that we made the effort to come.  Kevin Sneed and I stayed over the weekend and preached at two of our local churches there, and we both had wonderful services.  I preached at Bishop Njagi’s church to a pack house on tithing.  They received the message well and at the end it seemed the who congregation stood and prayed a prayer of repentance and committed to be faithful to the Lord in their tithe.

FIRST ETHIOPIAN WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

I arrived home from Mombasa on Monday afternoon November 16 and on Tuesday afternoon, Sharon, Janene and I, along with missionary Gailya List (Sharon’s mom) and Summer Sneed left for Ethiopia.  We took the two hour flight and arrived in Addis Ababa at 8:30 pm, slept there and left at 8:00 am the next morning and drove for almost 7 1/2 hours to Dilla, Ethiopia.  Dilla is known in the Coffee world as the area where Coffee was discovered and where one of the most famous Arabica coffee in the world.

This is also our headquarters of IPHC.  We meet there with many of our WM leaders from Ethiopia for the first time.  Women in many parts of Africa are very oppressed.  Ethiopia seems to be even further behind in allowing women to be used in the church and they face many hardships.  As Sharon, Mrs. Gailya and Summer ministered to them about the call of God on women and encouraged them that God had made them for a purpose and could use them even in their culture to touch and change lives, you could almost see the women changing.  As we were leaving after 2 1/2 days of teaching and ministering the women were hugging Sharon and the others and kissing Sharon on the face.  One night especially after Sharon finished speaking on giving birth to the Promise God has put in your heart, the women came and knelt on the dirt floor, some of them with their faces in the dirt, crying out to God for more than 20 minutes.  God was moving mightly.

PERSONAL NEWS

God has been so good to our family.  I, Ron, have now lost over 150 lbs. and just crossed the 1 year mark. Praise the Lord!  I am doing well and no complications from my surgery.  I am still having problems with my back from the compression fracture, and I am taking pain medicine but God is helping me carry on the work and we are staying busy as you can see.  Sharon is doing well and the WM work is growing.  She has had 3 leadership trainings/inspirational conferences lasting 4 + days each in the past month, and has begun her first satellite Micro finance Project with a WM group in the Highlands conference in Kenya.

Janene just traveled with us to Ethiopia.  She has begged me for some years to carry her there and God made a way for her to go with us.  Her school gave us permission for her to go and she loved it.  She sang twice with Summer Sneed and gave a testimony one day and served as photographer for the group.  She has a heart for Missions and we expect to see her involved in some type of missions one day.

Jessica will be coming to Kenya for Christmas break.  God has provided miraculously for this and we are excited about this time together.  She has not been home since she left for college two years ago and she is so excited.  Please pray that God will provide the needed finances to help us do the things she desires to do while she is here.  Lastly, as most of you know, Josh and Allison are expecting their first Child, a little girl and our first Granddaughter in April.  We are especially excited about this.

Well this has gone on too long, but we have had a lot to talk about.  Thanks again for your prayers and support.  If you desire to support our ministry financially please follow the instructions below.  God bless you and keep you and we trust you have a great Thanksgiving with your families.

Love and prayers,  Ron, Sharon, Jessica and Janene

 

How can you send in your gift or support?

1. You can send through you local IPH Church or mail directly to World Missions Ministries, PO Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. In either case make sure you earmark it ‘Ron Wooten Support – 06081’; Gift Account 06082; or Ministry Account 06084.

2. You can go tohttp://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html – This is our personal IPHC webpage. On this page is a link that you can give instantly. Click on the word Donate in the blue box and it will take you to another screen. You can only give to our support account from this page.  If you would like to give a love gift or to our ministry account you would need to send check or go to step 3. After you do this it will direct you to a checkout cart where you verify your gift and enter CC info.

3. Also on that same pagehttp://wmm.iphc.org/missionaries/africa/wooten.html is a ‘Ways to Give’ button. You can actually download a form and/or get info to set up a monthly draft or do a monthly payment from you online banking. Make sure you earmark in the Memo, ‘Ron Wooten and then the specific account you want it to go for.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS CAN BE DONE THROUGH THE GIFT ACCOUNT OR IF YOU WANT TO PUT INTO OUR PERSONAL “SUNTRUST BANK ACCOUNT” SEND ME AN EMAIL AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE ACCOUNT NUMBER.  WE CANNOT GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR A GIFT TO OUR PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT.