Countdown to Decapolis
We’re back in Africa!
We are overjoyed and want to shout it from the rooftops. We are back in Africa! But before I tell you all about the where, what, who and why, let me share something equally wonderful with you…
As this crazy year developed, something that’s given us great comfort is the miracle of our evangelistic campaign schedule. You see, when we did our planning for 2020, we felt the Holy Spirit directing us to do something we had never, ever done in 45 years of CfaN.
God knows what He is doing
Those on the planning committee did not know the full extent of what the Lord had graciously prepared for us. We simply felt Him leading us in a different way for 2020. And then, lo and behold, His wonderful provision was revealed when it became clear that we would have had to cancel any campaign plans made in that time, anywhere in the world. God knows what He is doing! He knew all along that this would be no ordinary year.
As you know, God laid on our hearts to do another new thing at the end of the year, and that was to have multiple evangelistic campaigns happening at the same time in different cities, blanketing a region of East Africa with the Gospel. We’ve called that the “Decapolis”, and our original plan was to hit ten cities in Kenya in 2 weeks, with five separate campaign teams. You have been helping us to pay for the expansion and reorganization of our entire sound and lights system. And we have been training over 50 dedicated, new evangelists at Bootcamp 2020, all of whom are longing to get out there and see people saved.
With the campaign organization team in full swing, suddenly it seemed there was a huge roadblock in the way. Kenya would not be opening for travel after all. The same God who directed us not to plan campaigns the whole year, also told us to be in East Africa in the final quarter.
He makes a way where it seems there is no way!
My friend, literally as that door was closing for now, another was swinging wide open. The nation of Tanzania opened their hearts – and airports – and within just a few short, wildly busy days, our entire team changed direction and focus. In a flurry of activity, tickets were booked, plans were made to start driving our equipment overland, and almost before we could say, “Amen!” we were already there!
Take every opportunity
As always, what the enemy meant for evil, the Lord turns to good. Not only are we seizing this opportunity to do no less than five evangelistic campaigns in five cities in Tanzania in November, but we will still be going to Kenya next year, once their borders are open. So, instead of the ten campaigns planned, this will now eventually be fifteen, because “He never sleeps, nor does He slumber”, and the time for harvest is now.
It’s happened so fast – we’re already there!
As you read this, our campaign organizers have already been on the ground in Arusha, Tanzania for over 6 weeks. Bret Sipek is the Executive Campaign Director, ably helped by two more directors, Lukas Repert (from our Frankfurt office and a Bootcamp graduate) and Jared Horton, a highly experienced evangelist who has ministered with CfaN many times over the years. These three men of God have already given intensive training to local organizers, who are appointed by the local churches.
Bootcamp goes into action
Along with the campaign directors, there are already 8 Bootcamp graduates in Tanzania, working as interns to help with the planning. It’s our desire to build a whole new generation of thoroughly equipped, experienced campaign directors – so they are involved in every aspect. It’s extremely hands-on, a real apprenticeship. Most of these interns will stay right up until the Gospel meetings in November.
Decapolis / Bootcamp Initiation
The Bootcamp graduates who are not working as interns will be coming to join the team in two groups, for three weeks each time. The first group joins us in September and will be conducting smaller outreaches in Arusha, our main base of operations for the Tanzania Decapolis. In schools, markets, prisons and hospitals, they’ll be proclaiming the Gospel anywhere they can.
The second group will be heading out to the five Decapolis cities, two weeks before the main events, doing village outreaches and preaching. But they will primarily be there to help with anything and everything that needs doing before the five campaigns take place. That includes taking care of the hospitality, the travel needs and finances. And then there’s the media, a very important part, because people won’t come if they don’t know it’s happening. Our people will be giving interviews on the radio, getting billboards raised, putting up posters and giving out flyers, and even driving big trucks through the streets, inviting people over loudspeakers.
A single event of this size is an enormous undertaking. To do three in a single week, and two the next week, all in different cities, is unheard of! It’s never been done before, and certainly not in so short a time, so we need all the help we can get.
The countdown has begun
Besides the practical organization, there is so much more going on, and it is really exciting! It makes you wish you were in one of the churches there right now. Our amazing team, and our enthusiastic, fired-up Bootcampers are out there constantly, mobilizing the churches. They are preaching on Sundays, doing youth rallies and ladies’ conferences, conducting teaching seminars and training sessions. We want each city to so be shaken, so that anticipation is at fever pitch by the time the first campaign meeting starts.
Our team is also spending a lot of time equipping an army of local evangelists, so it won’t only be our interns out there preaching in the lead-up to the main event. They’ll be working side-by-side with local evangelists and church people. And that means, long after we are gone, we know that the work of spreading the Gospel will continue in this entire region.
We’re already there – and we need you!
What we have taken on looks crazy to the world, but we know the Lord has it in control, just as He had our schedule all planned out when we couldn’t know why. But we do know there is no time to lose! November is approaching fast, and there is a vast amount to do in a very short time. Please stay connected to us – it’s all moving quickly – and follow Lukas and the team in our Tanzania blog on the website for weekly updates here:
Decaplis Blog
Right now, we need your prayers more then ever. And we really need your help! I’m going to ask you plainly – are you able to send us a special gift at this time? Can you help us to move swiftly in answer to the Lord’s call? Please don’t delay. There is such a small gap available to us, and by faith, we have already taken it! We’ve put it all on the line to go, to invest in the Kingdom of God in Tanzania.
Together with you in Him,
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
and the entire CfaN team
P.S. If you are already a monthly partner, then thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making it possible for us to react so quickly and get to Tanzania in time. We appreciate your giving heart and faithfulness so much.
