Oasis International

Rwandans Healing from Inner Wounds

Pius Nyakayiro is our first distributor in Rwanda. We made our first shipment to him in 2009. A second shipment will arrive to him in just a few weeks. Pius shares our enthusiasm of bringing quality Christian literature in Rwanda. But books aren't his only ministry.

Pius is Director of Good News Jail & Prison Ministry (GNJPM) in Rwanda. GNJPM serves the country's correctional facilities by providing spiritually mature and equipped Christian chaplains for the inmates. 

Although they primarily focus on the Rwandan inmate population, GNJPM decided to take care of another group in Rwanda affected by the 1994 Tutsi genocide. Now 16 years after, Rwanda is still bandaging up its wounds and pain from this horrible experience. Those who were children during the genocide are now between the ages of 18 to 22. Many are orphans who have not dealt with the issues of pain, anger, and forgiveness for those who hurt them.

Their psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs demanded the attention of GNJPM. They refined the mission of GNJPM-Rwanda to meet the needs of healing, reconciliation, and restoration of these survivors in addition to the original purpose and mission of GNJPM.

In May 2010, GNJPM-Rwanda conducted a four-day workshop on inner healing and forgiveness for the 55 genocide orphans living in Kinyinya - Kigali suburbs. Most were teenagers who survived the genocide but still suffered from many wounds. 

The workshops tackled different topics in order for the participants to experience real healing. The Bible-based topics ranged from: source of tragedies they endured, suffering before the God of love, the father heart of God, trauma and mourning, Jesus the pain-bearer, healing of the inner wounds and forgiveness. 

After spending time in these topics in a large group, they were given an opportunity to share their pains and sorrows in a small group setting. During small groups, each person was encouraged to write down all the pain they had experienced on a piece of paper. Together they crucified their papers on the cross as a symbol of handing their pains over to Jesus, the pain-bearer. Later on the papers were burned and buried as a symbolic act of releasing their loved ones they did not bury and so much more which had wounded their hearts. This was a time of weeping and incredible deliverance.

Their openness in sharing what the Lord was doing in them was confirmation of the inner healing. One powerful testimony came from a women at the workshops:

“I lost all the parents during the genocide, and remained with some relatives who raised me from childhood. When I was still in primary school, I felt they were helping me in everything they were doing for me; as I grew up, I begun thinking whether my parents had left any possessions or material goods. When I asked about this, it became a big problem with my caretakers and they said, ‘They had used my parents’ possessions to raise me up and pay my schools.’ This has brought much conflict and chaos between us, until I handed the case over to the Tribunal to be tried. The court has commanded both my caretakers and the perpetrators who destroyed lives and belongings of my parents to restore whatever goods were misused to the rightful remnants, but nothing has been handed over to me. Consequently, my caretakers chased me out, and I was homeless for 2 years; I could sleep wherever was opened for me, until I eventually got a shelter in this site.

I have endured a lot of hardships; it was too hard for me to get food and other basic needs, and while struggling with this kind of life, a certain man impregnated me. When I had given birth, the man renounced his social responsibility on the child. Because of all those trials, I became a very hopeless woman, and I was convinced that ‘there was no love, God, nor happiness in this world’. I decided to hate God, and all people especially males.

 But these 3 days I have been in this seminar listening to your teachings, my mind is being changed. I have realized that if God was not on my side, many things that were in my life would have killed me. So please, keep praying for me so that I may be changed completely, able to love God, my relatives, and all the people. I want to forgive those who hurt me, I want to care for my child, and I want to begin praying because I had abandoned to go to church, and all prayer matters.” 

Most of the participants were ready to go back to the community to face those who murdered their relatives, and express forgiveness to them. They were also determined to restore broken relationships with their remnant families that had chased them out, since they have believed that their future is in the hands of God Almighty. 

 

Author Spotlight: Shaunti Feldhahn

We recently caught up with Oasis' author, Shaunti Feldhahn. Her book titles include For Men Only, For Women Only, and her most recent, For Parents Only. The former two are guides on how men and women are unique and how they should relate and communicate. We wanted to learn more about her ministry and how these books apply to African culture. Here is the interview. Enjoy!

Shaunti, we hear from our partnering bookstores that your books For Women Only, For Men Only, and now, For Parents Only are having an extraordinary impact. Tell us more about these books and the heart that you have for Africa.

I’m so pleased to hear that these books are having such a great impact. You know, the topics of gender and parenting have universal reach. This is not simply cultural specific material that applies only in the U.S., but it relates to the whole world. I hear from my close Nigerian and South African friends, constantly, that the research I’m conducting and the findings are benefitting them as well. There are some things that are just true about how men and women are wired and it persists no matter where in the world we live. It brings me such joy to hear that men and women’s relationships around the globe are being strengthened because clearer lines of communication are being cultivated.

My books are based on the large amount of social research that I’ve conducted. For instance, I’ve done interviews with hundreds of men about their communication styles, their marriages, and their frustrations to get a better idea of how men process information. At times, at the end of these interviews, I’ve had the chance to share with these individual men some of my findings. I’ve witnessed strong, dare I say, macho-types tear up, feeling understood for perhaps for the first time. I’m able to articulate for men (in this case, but women too) what they’ve struggled so long to express. See, God has wired our brains distinctly as male and female. We’re truly wired differently. Women, for example, do tend to be able to conduct mental multi-tasking far better than men.

Because I have small children I am not able to travel oversees easily. For the time being, Jeff and I focus our time on marriage seminars in the US and developing our website with greater resources and online tools for couples and for parents.

But, I’m excited to hear about the transformation in Africa – just as excited as I would be to hear that men and women who live outside suburban Atlanta are being changed. All of our marriages can have hurts and pains resolved through some of this greater understanding. In the same way, the truths of the Bible are the same across all peoples, all times, and all cultures. And the mandate that God gives men and women – husbands love your wives and wives respect your husbands – is the same no matter the time or the continent. The message of love and respect is the same whether you are a suburban mother, or an African farmer, or a woman living in downtown Jos, Nigeria.

Shaunti, the latest book that we are distributing in Africa is For Parent’s Only. Can you tell us more about the making of this book and its audience?

Yes, this book is really about getting inside the minds of your kids and understanding where they are coming from. It’s geared toward the parents of youth and teenagers . These would be youth between the ages of 11 and 18 – those children who are still at home with their parents, but who are becoming increasingly independent.

So often, I see that parents of these youth have forgotten what it means to be 13…15…17 years old. They don’t get what matters to their children. They don’t understand the increasing ache for freedom. Because of this, they so frequently misunderstand their children, misinterpreting their desire to separate their identity from mom and dad. This book is designed to help parents wake up to the desires, interests, and ability of their children to be independent.  For example, this book speaks to the misnomer of why teens are “allowed” to be emotional, in their mind, but why parents are not. My hope is that, through this book, parents are able to really understand the realities about growing up that, albeit surprising, are true about all children.   If some of these struggles are kept hidden, it will cause them to be disconnected from their child.

To write this book, I surveyed thousands of teens. And I wrote this book in collaboration with Lisa Rice, who at the time had teenage children. The scenarios laid out in the book were the very realities that Lisa was living out each day and which I’m now living out with my daughter as she gets older and as she asks herself questions about what she believes.

Through the writing of this book and as I speak with groups of parents about my social research, I, time and again, claim  the promise of Proverbs 24:3 which says, “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;  through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” To me, this proverb is a picture of an empty house and the question it begs is: “What fills the house? What’s going to fill your house? Is it going to be joy, peace, and delight as you work toward open communication? Or, is it going to be discord?”

My hope is that this book will equip people with the knowledge of what’s going on inside their teen’s mind but they are unable to communicate.

 

The Need for the NLT Life Application Study Bible in Rwanda

I was able to visit the large Assembly of God church here in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, this morning. Before the service, we spent a few minutes with the lead pastor.  He would like the church to start a bookshop, the entire country is in great need of Christian resources.  We were on the subject of our project for Africa with the New Living Translation, and he just immediately told us how much Africa needs a Bible that is easy to understand and how much he uses his NLT Life Application Study Bible (LASB) in his ministry and teaching.

 

I was able to tell him that in Kenya, these Bibles are available for pastors and students for great prices through the equipping program with Tyndale.  Wow, he was really excited about that.  They have all 150 pastors from his denomination coming to his church just next week for their national conference.  I shared a short testimony in the service about our literature ministry – as visitors often do in Africa. Later, as he talked about the conference and all the pastors that are coming, he said he was reading this morning and he believed that God wanted their church to bless these pastors as they came.  He wanted people to bring soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste to church next week as a small token of blessing.  In the front they would have baskets for people to put their offerings to bless these rural pastors – many who did not even have the money for a bus ride to come.  Does your pastor need a toothbrush?

Then he said something more.  He said, “you know that leather Bible, the Life Application Study Bible, that I preach out of so often?  Matthew Elliott, the man who greeted us earlier, told me this morning that those are available in Kenya for pastors at nominal costs.  I want to commit this church to giving each one of these pastors a copy of this Bible.  We will find the money.  It will not be next week, but we will do it.”  

What a wonderful way to start the week, and a wonderful way that God had prepared the way.  Here is a pastor that loves his NLT LASB that was also having 150 pastors to a conference this next week.  I just happened to show up to say that we could supply enough of these Bibles for each pastor, at a price that people could afford.  Thanks be to God and blessings to Tyndale for making the program possible!


Matthew

Gospels Go Out By The Tens Of Thousands

Beyond the thousands of books that go out every month, Oasis in Nigeria has also become a storehouse for evangelism ministries.  We see tens of thousands of gospels and tracts go out to ministries for FREE.  Each ministry that requests materials must write a letter about their need and we wanted to share a few with you. Thank you to the ministries that supply free materials; George Verwer and OM, World Missionary Press, and Living Water.

______________________________________________________________________________________

City Ministries of EMS/ECWA (Evangelical Missionary Society,
Evangelical Church of West Africa)
Jos

I wish to apply for the following tracts for our outreach and
Evangelism program within Jos and our outside stations in Kano, Kaduna,
Sokoto, Lafia, Makurdi, and Zamfara:
Gospel of John Hausa, 2 cartons; Living Water, 5 cartons, other tracts
respectively.

I would be grateful if my request is given due consideration.

 **

 

Evangelism Team, COCIN LCC Kwergoro, Gindri

Shalom. I which to ask if we will be giving some Christian Gospels
that will help in strengthening the faith of newly covers and those
rededicating their lives and those we meet in the course of our
outreaches.

 **

 

Dear Sir,

Application for Evangelism Materials

I am a member of Prison Fellowship of Nigeria, Plateau State chapter.

I apply to you to give me some evangelism materials: Four cartons of
Living Water.

The Purpose Driven Life Swahili

We had the privilege this year to partner with ICM (International Christian Ministries) in the translation of Purpose Driven Life (English) to the language of Swahili.
 
We were excited to be offered this opportunity which also allowed us to be involved in the final publication process —from edits to the interior text to the book cover.  The result is a strong product birthed by the efforts of many—a true example of the Body of Christ at work.
 
We recently shipped the books along with additional Oasis titles to Tanzania (a major Swahili population), Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.  With the help of our distributors in those respective countries, the books are being processed through customs and clearing and delivered to designated locations also including Eastern DRC and Burundi.
 
Thank you Dr. Phil Walker, President of ICM-USA, for allowing Oasis to be a part of this exciting project.  Thank you to all that support and pray for Oasis and our efforts to provide Africa with great Christian literature at affordable costs.  We are humbled and grateful.

*Picture Above--Customer buying The Purpose Driven Life-Swahili at CLC Kenya's booth during the Nairobi Book Fair, September 2009

Report from Tom Halgren in Liberia

We received the below e-mail from Tom Halgren who is in Liberia doing market research and training for Oasis.  We thank God for his provision.

Hi All,

The internet was working terrible yesterday and was not able to get more than two messages sent out. Seems to be working this morning, hopefully my last morning in Monrovia. I am scheduled to leave this afternoon for Lagos on Air Sometimes (Bellview).
Had a little excitement the night before last at the guesthouse. I was going down to the kitchen to fix dinner so I turned the large floor fan on in my room before leaving. Ate, did my dishes and headed back to my room. Several feet from the door I could see flames shooting out from the gap under the door. I found the floor fan which had a large heavy compressed rubber base in flames. I mean not a small fire but flames shooting up a foot or more from the base which was less than a foot from the end of the bed and the sheets hanging over the end. The fan had fallen forward onto the bed with flames shooting out of the motor. Yet the sheets never caught fire. If the sheets had went, the mattress would have went and then the curtains up to ceiling.
I quickly unplugged the fan but ended up with cord in my hand as it was burned through. I knocked the fan onto the floor and tried to kick the burning rubber base away from the bed. In the process ended up with a burned finger and both big toes blistered. Was able to get a pan of water from the kitchen and get the fire out, but I can assure you it was a mess to clean up.
Why the sheets never caught fire I can only say, thank you Lord. There was not even a burn hole in the sheets. Not the kind of excitement I needed to end up my stay here in Liberia.
Thanks for the prayer coverage during this trip. Pray Bellview will fly today and arrive close to 11:00 tonight in Lagos.

Tom

 

For Prayer and Praise in Nigeria

The edited Prayer and Praise Requests below come from Craig Ewoldt, our Managing Director in Nigeria.  Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

Praise:

• Monday we have two new ladies to help in the shop. From the interviews, they both seem like they will do VERY well. Both are avid readers, mature, and have potential to serve the customers exceedingly well.

Prayer:

• Two of our three folks that can drive in Jos are sick; four of our five vehicles (both ODL and personal) in Lagos are down because of bad fuel, and one of our generators.

• We have had computer and Peachtree (accounting system) problems in both Jos and Lagos for the past three weeks. Everything we have gained over the past six months we have lost (not data) and more. We will try to get paid help from Peachtree directly, as it seems that there are corrupted files--in both places, unrelated. Pray this is solved without great effort.
  

• The surveyor has completed his fieldwork over a month ago for the new property, and has still not brought his report. I am beginning to think there is an evil spirit of delay as many Nigerians believe. There are many delays we are dealing with, maybe more than one hundred, but this is the most severe.  Pray for grace for us and breakthroughs.

Testimony from the Web

We recently received this testimony from our website and wanted to share with everyone. God is doing some wonderful things in Africa!

"It's amazing how affordable Christian literature from Oasis is. It is making impacts on the study culture of Pastors in Nigeria. I am opportune to have a firsthand witness in the past months how many Bible school students in and around Jos - Plateau State are enriched with the word power through Oasis book distributions network. Many a pastor that lost their properties and books in the recent Jos Crisis in Plateau State, Nigeria were given lots of expensive Christian books and Bibles to help them keep up the pastoral calling. That I think was very awesome! Keep up the good work and God Bless."

Oasis African Headquarters-Update

  Over the last weeks your Oasis staff in the US and Africa has felt like we are living out James 4:13-15. Let me share it with you: Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money,” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow…Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ NLT

We had been fervently praying that last line (If it is the Lord’s will) over our building purchase. We were moving forward doing what we thought we should when we discovered that God had something better in mind.

After many meetings, conversations and negotiations with the owner of our current property, which Oasis Distributions has leased for the past nine years, we could not come to agreement. Looking to God to provide, we began to look for alternatives. Through the Christian community in Jos, we found a property owned by a believer that knows the mission of Oasis and wanted to bless us!

This compound is in a better location; is more accessible to the public; is better suited to our needs; and has much more room to expand. The best news is that the cost to us is half the cost of the previous property---partly because we are a vital ministry to the 500,000 or so Christians in the community!

Workers have already begun erecting a security fence that will surround the compound. Drainage culverts and sewage lines are being professionally laid; driveway gravel brought in and the electrical system will be updated. In addition, a new insulated roof will be added, security windows, new floors, landscaping, and parking. Add some paint and it will be beautiful.   

The cost of repairs and renovation along with attorney and transfer fees bring the cost of the property to roughly $139,000 total.

We are very happy with what God has obviously provided as we waited on Him! But before we can move in there is a lot to do and we need your help.

Craig Ewoldt, Managing Director of Oasis Distributions Ltd. in Jos, Nigeria, writes: We thank God for leading Oasis in Nigeria to a new location for our ministry. It is much more strategically located for serving our customers, at about half the cost of purchasing our current site. We began our search for another place for our shop, distribution center and offices when we were unable to either extend the lease or finalize the purchase of the location we have been in for the last nine years. Our contractor is now busy finishing the renovations needed for us to move by late December. This new location in Jos will serve as our center for reaching out with life-changing books and Bibles to Nigeria and the rest of Africa. This location does not include housing, but Beth and I, and Tom Halgren, our colleague, have also found good housing to rent. Please pray as we work toward the move of the shop and housing.

We need your help because we have borrowed on books to purchase this property. Let me explain. Praise God, we paid for the property in cash! But we need those funds to buy Bibles and literature. Our work in Nigeria alone is doubling in 2008 over 2007 but without the funds used to pay for the building, we will not be able to buy the life-changing Bibles and books that African Christians so desperately need. We must replenish our stock.  

So your help is really needed to complete the challenge. If we are able to raise the rest of the cost of the building quickly, there should not be any significant delays in supplying needed literature to the African church.

This new building will serve as an African Headquarters for Oasis far into the future—we are putting down deep roots. So far, we have seen over 4 million books and Bibles go out. It is our goal to see that greatly increase up to 1 million Bibles and 750,000 books per year in the next several years (oasisbiblesforafrica.com). This building is an important tool to accomplish this kind of growth into the 16 nations of English-speaking Africa.

As you think about your strategic giving to end 2008, please consider helping us complete this project. If the past is any indicator, and if our growth continues, millions of books and Bibles will go out to people from this building in the next years, and millions more will go to other African countries coordinated by staff working on this compound.

Now that is a great legacy to leave Africa and a great reason to buy a building!

Dream On

Flying today I read something that helped me clarify an idea. Thought you might enjoy it.

When I was a kid my teachers used to write on my report card, "Daydreams." It bothered me that a teacher thought negatively of me, but I kept on daydreaming. As I got older I began to think that daydreaming might have been a good thing. But I didn't have a well-stated hypothesis to support the premise.

Today in United's Hemisphere's I read “Running Strong,” an interview with Billy Mills, a Native American who won gold in the 1964 Olympics. One of his answers, a remembrance of his dad’s advice, was poetic:
“It’s important to pursue a dream that heals you.
With dreams come desire.
With desire comes self-motivation.
With self-motivation comes work.
With work comes success.”
From Hemispheres July, 2008 © 2008 Pace Communications

That’s it. With daydreams come desire. We just call them “dreams” when we’re mature.

Oasis came out of a dream. How could we get Bibles and Christian books to parts of the world where they were hard to obtain? How could we reach millions of folks who wanted but couldn’t find a Bible? To quote Oasis’ President, my son, Matthew, no organization has enough money to subsidize or donate all the Bibles needed to meet the need. So the dream was for Oasis to do it on a sustainable basis so every time we printed a book, it would produce a modest income, enough so we could print it again and again.

That’s it. With the dream came desire, with the desire came self-motivation, with the self-motivation came work, and with work is coming success.

I think the Lord can be in our dreams.

Edward Elliott
Founder/Chairman