The prison door slammed shut behind Jabari* as he hurriedly stepped out into the city street for the first time in several years. The sounds and smells of the city were sensory overload to one who had been incarcerated for so long. His stomach was growling
in hunger, and he found himself wandering through the city market looking for something to eat. It wasn’t hard to make his way through the densely populated street—the crowd split as he walked through it. Whether he owed this favour to his greatly dishevelled appearance, or the stench of the clothes he
student from his highschool, a bright student in the class ahead of his.
As the conversation progressed, Jabari admitted that he felt very angry, as he had been accused by his stepmother of murdering his mother and had been thrown into prison by the authorities. Jabari believed it was his stepmother who had actually murdered his mother so that she could marry his Father, but she had blamed Jabari for it. After several years in prison, he was finally released.
He secretly confided that he had a plan, hatched while in prison, that
wore that were rarely washed, “He had a plan . . . he would go back home and seek revenge by
murdering his stepmother and then committing suicide.”
nobody could tell for sure.
By good fortune, Jabari
managed to find a box of old fruit that had been tossed on a pile of rubbish in the marketplace and he sat himself on the ground todevour it.
The winter sunshine was warm on his back, but there was a cold chill of fear and revenge that ran down Jabari’s spine as he contemplated his next moves carefully. He had no money for the bus home, and he also had no shoes. So, with no choice but to walk the long trek back toward his family residence in a distant province, he set out on his way.
Reaching the edge of town, Jabari came across one of the Kenya mission sites, and stopped to ask what was going on. The preachers told him a mission was in progress but was currently in recess so the people
could have dinner before the next program would commence.
As the conversation progressed, Jabari told them he had been released from prison earlier that day.
A local man, Peter, recognised that this man as a former
when he was released, he would go back home and seek revenge by murdering his stepmother and then committing suicide…
Our evangelists David and Peter realised two lives were gravely
at risk and prayed and began to share God’s word with the young man. They took Jabari to the nearest elder’s home and gave him a meal. They talked about a God of love and forgiveness who gave his life for the very ones who would nail him to the cross. Jabari’s face began to soften, and his heart was visibly touched. When invited, he responded by giving his heart to Jesus. The young man left with a new resolve to leave revenge with God, and was given a Bible and some money in his pocket for transport home. We didn’t see Jabari again, but we often think of him and pray that he will be touched daily by the unfathomable love of Christ and continue to give and receive forgiveness that can only come from the One who gave His life for us.
*Jabari’s name has been changed to protect his identity.
A team of 17 volunteers for Amazing Facts Oceania including Pastors, Lay-Evangelists and Medical Workers responded to the call, and braved the unknown to follow our Lord’s commission to “Go and make disciples of all nations…”. (Matthew 28:19). Led by Ettienne McClintock, Partner Relationship Manager at Amazing Facts Oceania, the Team flew from various parts of Australia and New Zealand to Kenya, Africa, for a two week mission on June 22 – July 6, 2024.
The Team from Australia and New Zealand: Left to right, Marcos Castellano, Dr Gabi Luna, Dr Pratap Philip, Beatrice Cortez, Pr Christopher Petersen, Craig Young, Robert Everett (behind), Pr Lorenzo Berry, Linda Strahan (front), Ettienne McClintock, Michelle McClintock, Alison Wells, Ed Wells (behind), Pr Robert Tinega, Martha Mongina. Front row kneeling: Danny Swanton, Dr Simon Smith. Not pictured: Keneth and Byombe Olak
The Mission involved running medical outreach clinics, prison ministry, and school outreach during the day, and preaching in the afternoon/evening across 20 outdoor sites for 2 weeks. Prior to the team arriving in Kenya, 33 other sites sponsored by Amazing Facts Oceania had completed their programs with local evangelists leading these programs, making a total of 53 sites. God BLESSED mightily!
Our medical team treated 5,000 needy people and brought hope and healing.
In response to the Evangelistic series preached across 53 sites by the Amazing Facts Oceania Team as well as local Evangelists, 4,454 precious souls responded to God’s call on their lives and committed their lives to the Lord in baptism! PRAISE GOD!!!!! To follow on from the preparation work done before and during the campaign, the churches on the ground are now turning their attention to discipling these precious new additions into God’s family as they ‘grow up into Christ’.
A HUGE THANK YOU to our volunteer team from Australia and New Zealand, and also the team in Kenya led by Pastor Robert Tinega, who organised the mass-scale campaign with the support of Nyamira West field SDA Conference.
And a MASSIVE THANK YOU TO YOU, OUR FAITHFUL SUPPORTERS, for making this mission possible! Kenya extends their sincere thanks and gratitude!
Collectively, YOU raised a total of $65,930 for Kenya, and this is how it was used:
$19,200 AUD for Bibles (which purchased 1600 Bibles – a mixture of Swahili and English) and $25,730 AUD for Bible Studies (which printed 83,000 study guides). The Bibles and study guides were eagerly received by prisoners, students, and attendees (photos to follow). One of the evangelists described the crowds as “very hungry for the Word of God!” YOU also helped to fund the advertising of the programs and hire tents, sound and lighting equipment across 53 sites and medical camps in 12 different locations ($21,000).
THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!!!
Following are stories of lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through MISSION.
Answer to Prayer: After serious monsoonal flooding just a month before the programs, God worked a miracle in answer to earnest prayer and held off the weather. It was a noticeable blessing in a region where it rains almost constantly; it did not rain for two whole weeks while we ran mass-scale outdoor evangelism…until the last person had been baptised! Then it poured!
Below: The crowds turned out in the thousands across multiple sites during the 2 week campaign, amounting to tens of thousands of attendees. Umbrella’s were for protection from the sun, not rain!) The photos struggle to capture the size of each site, as they were very spread out in multiple directions.
Below: You can’t see them all here, but there were 7,000 people tuning into the message in various indoor and outdoor venues at Kisii Central (Ettienne’s site) on the first Sabbath.
Below: Soaking up the messages – men on one side of camp and ladies and children on the other (=
There were 4,454 baptisms across 53 sites! Praise the Lord!
Some of the Baptismal Candidates
A large group of high school students were baptised, pictured here with with Ettienne and their new Bibles!
Baptisimal candidates
Below: A group of eager listeners responded to Robert Everett’s appeal to follow Jesus and be baptised.
Baptismal ‘fonts’ came in all shapes and sizes!
Pastor Lorenzo baptised over 100 people in a shallow creek.
Just out of sight was a local lady doing her washing in the creek who was so intrigued, she watched attentively until the baptism had finished.
Any bit of water available did the job!
The joy on this girls face at her baptism was something to behold!
224 prisoners gave their hearts to Jesus in the Kisii prison and were baptised in a portable baptismal font inside the prison! (more on this story to come)
Kenyan Riots Cause Chaos During 2 Week Campaign
The results were incredibly exciting and we have many stories to share! But Mission does not happen without its fair share of challenges – the Devil makes sure of that! Just as the meetings began, violent political protests were breaking out in every city and province across Kenya against the Government’s new tax laws. Dozens of people around the Governor’s office in Nairobi were killed and hundreds injured in the protests, making headline news around the world.
There was a significant threat of terrorist attacks aimed at foreigners due to international pressure on the Kenyan Government to pass the tax bill. One of our Pastors, Lorenzo, was in a taxi on the way to preach at his site and was stopped by violent youths who saw a foreigner in the car, and lay across the road to stop the vehicle. Pr Lorenzo sent up a quick prayer for safety. The youth’s demanded money and items of value. The team had nothing to give, so they vandalised the taxi before finally letting Pr Lorenzo and his driver go – thankfully unharmed!
As the first week of the mission unfolded, rioting, gun shots and fires broke out around the city of Kisii. The team were wondering if they were going to have to stop the mission before it had hardly begun. We sent out an urgent call for prayer through our social media pages and through various prayer warrior groups around the world (thank you to those of you who prayed for the safety of our team and for the success of the mission!). At the peak of the unrest, people were being warned not to attend large gatherings, but for the most part, the team continued working through the tear gas and chaos, and the eager people kept on coming!
While Ettienne was preaching one evening, he heard the shouts of a riot approaching with gunshots going off at regular intervals. The audience was clearly nervous, especially as the riot drew closer to the evangelism site. Sensing the danger, Ettienne paused and asked the congregation if they were happy for the program to continue? With one voice the audience indicated that they were happy to stay and for the message that evening to be preached. Ettienne prayed and asked God for special protection. He felt the peace of God come over him as he continued the message, and soon the gun shots began to fade away into the distance. That day, many decisions were made for Christ (see photo below).
God promised in His word that “no weapon that is formed against you will prosper” (Isaiah 54:17), so in answer to the earnest prayers of thousands of God’s faithful children, the preachers and medical workers across all the sites were protected and the work was able to proceed in spite of Satan’s best attempts to stop it! The mission produced a harvest of souls that could only be possible through a God who works miracles in the hearts of people! We would love to share with you a few stories of transformation that happened during the program.
Alex’s Story
His shoulders were slumped, and he stared at the ground as he walked aimlessly along, his hands pushed deep into his pockets. What was the use in trying anymore? He had spent the last of his money trying to get an education, only to be rejected time and again when he applied for jobs. As the eldest son of his family, Alex was expected to help provide for them, but at this stage, he couldn’t even provide for himself! He had spent the past year sleeping on a park bench in the city, and wasted the last of his money buying alcohol to drown his sorrows.
“Why am I even alive?” Alex yelled, as he threw a stone angrily at a fence post. The stone hit the post with a satisfying ‘thud’. He leaned against the fence post to further contemplate the meaninglessness of life, and looked out over the city. Seeing a commotion and hearing the sound of music in the distance, he decided to investigate further.
Coming closer, he lingered on the outskirts of the public school where there were tents and a large crowd of people listening as a white preacher got up to speak. He began to hear a message of hope from God’s Word that drew him in, so he decided to stay for the duration of the program.
As the evangelist Danny made an appeal at the end to anyone who would like to lay down their burdens and give their life to Jesus, Alex felt his heart strangely stirred. The preacher spoke of a God who loved him, who could bring hope and healing; of a shepherd who could lead and guide him and give his life purpose and meaning. Maybe that was what he was missing! He found himself moving through the crowd towards the front, his eyes streaming with tears. That day, the Angels sang a little louder as another lost soul surrendered his heart and life to Jesus!
The local church in Kenya is now helping Alex in practical ways, and giving him Bible studies to prepare for baptism.
Pictured below: Alex is second from the left in the black jumper.
Below: The evangelism site and team that ran four programs a day for two weeks, including family ministry by Linda Strahan at the mission site where David and Peter (far right) met Jabari.
Medical Evangelism
Our Medical Team included Dentists, Doctors and Nurses from various parts of Australia, as well as a local health professionals. They ministered to over 5,000 people in need, and received openings to share God’s love, pray for people and invite them to the evening programs.
Pictured Below: The Medical team ministering at Kisii prison
The Medical Team ministered to the prisoners in practical ways. Among other problems, overcrowding and filth in the prisons had produced scabies, so the prisoners were given scabies treatment (see picture below), and their clothes and bedding disinfected.
There were 12 medical camps spread around Kisii supporting the Evangelism sites, which the medical teams moved between to minister to the public.
Pictured Below: Dr Gabi (far left) and other members of the medical team in action
Below: Nurses Alison and Michelle dispensing medicines from the doctors prescriptions.
Below: Dr Pratap Philip consulting with a waiting room filled with patients
John’s Story: “Why the Stick?”
Doctor Pratap Philip from Melbourne (pictured above in blue) said “The work in Kenya was hard and long with limited staff, equipment and medicines, but it was the most blessed experience! There were so many outstanding events, but one story moved me so much, I have to share it with you! At one roadside clinic a man of 22 years of age turned up with a large stick in his hand. He said his name was John. When he opened his mouth, his front teeth were missing. He spoke fluent English and had completed the equivalent of grade 12 in Kenya. “Why the stick?” I asked, because he had no obvious disability. The story that fell from his lips brought tears to my eyes. “I fell into bad company leading me to a life of drugs and alcohol. My family threw me out of home, so now I live by using my stick. I catch rats with my stick, and I roast and eat them. My stick helps me dig out ground nuts to eat so that I can survive.” He grinned a toothless grin. Even though I (Dr Pratrap) was there to help him medically (a conversation that began with a warning not to eat rats!), I felt compelled to tell him about Jesus – the healer of the soul who loves him and wants to welcome him as a son, no matter what he has done in the past. I asked John, “Would you like to receive Jesus into your heart and find peace? He said “Yes” and prayed the sinners prayer after me. I invited him to the meetings and he attended so he could learn more about Jesus. It was a joyful moment when John was baptised at the end of the program!
Our Dental team ran dental hygiene lectures and performed many tooth extractions across multiple sites
Dental Hygiene Workshop
Prison Evangelism
The Evangelism Team ministered during the day to Kisii prison, where the local Sabbath keeping church has been very active – even setting up a weekly fellowship group within the prison! The Amazing Facts Oceania team shared evangelistic messages of hope in Jesus, calling the prisoners to make a decision for Christ. Praise God – 224 prisoners gave their hearts to Jesus and were baptised! The prisoners were super excited to receive the Bibles that you generously donated (photos below)
The Prison Ministry Evangelism Team with some prison officials
Ettienne and Pr Robert preaching in the men’s prison
Below: A prisoner rising to a new life in Christ!
Below: Ettienne giving Bibles to the prisoners. There was so much joy in the faces of many inmates to receive their very own Bible – a treasure chest of instruction and encouragement from God!
Below: Candidates taking their baptismal vows. One prisoner who was baptised donated land to use to build a church.
Below: Ministering in the Kisii women’s prison
The prisoners did not have any fruit in their diet, so the medial team donated fruit for all the prisoners, which was received with much excitement!
Pictured below: Dr Gabi and Dr Pratrap giving fruit to a prisoner
Outreach to Public Schools
Our evangelists were able to visit and speak in both public and Christian schools. In one PUBLIC school, 500 students were moved by the testimonies of our Evangelist Danny and Doctor Pratrap to learn more about Jesus love for them. They eagerly accepted Amazing Facts Study Guides.
At another public school, Pastor Lorenzo shared a message to the students on finding their identity in Christ. The entire student body arose to their feet in response to an appeal to give their lives to Christ! These were incredible opportunities never to be forgotten. Please pray for these young people that they will grow up to know and follow the Lord!
Danny Swanton & Dr Pratrap Philip shared their testimony and Bibles study guides with 500 students in a public school
Dr Simon Smith and Pastor Robert Tinega also ministered to hundreds of students at another public school. The students were very excited to receive Amazing Facts study guides, and the team also gave the kids some of the free Bibles you sponsored!
Pastor Christopher Petersen in action at the Evangelism site with an interpreter
Below: Pastor Christopher spending time with the locals
Below: Evangelist Craig Young was ‘welcomed into the family’.
Keneth Olak (Below, right), the “Australian Kenyan” who brought his new bride from Australia to Kenya to run a campaign on the second week of his honey moon. Now THAT is commitment!
AUSTRALIA a Mission Field?
Seeing the way people responded to the call of Christ in Kenya was incredibly refreshing! As one of the evangelists who went on the mission trip said, “I will never forget the differences between Kenya and my own country of Australia. We need to capture the same sense of urgency the people of Kenya have to hear and respond to the Gospel!”.
In western countries, we realise that the most challenging mission field is possibly right in our own backyard. Our society is so secular and there are so many distractions, people just don’t feel their need for God the same.
But time is fast running out for planet earth, and each of you has friends and family who may not yet know the Lord, so we at Amazing Facts Oceania have made a commitment to preach the 3 Angels Messages in Australia with renewed strength and vigour.
To this end, we are launching a robust digital media and television campaign this month with a presentation called, “Kingdoms in Time” which focuses on the prophecies of the Bible that have all come true, with the final prophecies soon to unfold.
We want to partner with YOU to give you tools to share Jesus in a fresh and relevant way with people in your circle of influence. You are welcome to purchase bulk copies of the Kingdoms in Time DVD and Magazines for evangelism at discounted rates by calling 0467 577 950.
Keep your eye out for this campaign running at present on AFO Facebook and instagram, and be sure to like and share it. A version of it will also run soon as an ad on Chanel 9Gem:
Kingdoms in Time Social Media Version
Kingdoms in Time Full Presentation:
At the end of the presentation, we offer the Kingdoms in Time DVD or Magazine as a free gift to viewing audiences around Australia who can text us to make a request. International viewers can download the magazine FREE off our website: www.amazingfacts.com.au
After watching Kingdoms in Time and showing people why they can trust the Bible, we then invite our audience to do their OWN study of God’s Word with Amazing Facts Bible Study correspondence course where you can enrol at www.amazingfacts.com.au/bible-study
A Personal Note from Pastor Doug
We at Amazing Facts International are EXCITED to see the work and mission going forward at Amazing Facts Oceania! THANK YOU for giving so generously to support the Kenya appeal for Bibles and Study Guides last month. May God richly bless you.
This month our Oceania appeal is for study guides and Bibles for the prisons and people of Australia. The Bible school and free offer programs have already doubled the number of requests for magazines and study booklets in our Australian office over last year, and our budget hasn’t quite caught up. Anticipating the response that will come from the TV and social media ads for KINGDOMS IN TIME, our team have stepped out in faith to print 6,000 more study guides to keep up with the demand and ear-marked 200 copies of Kingdoms in Time Magazines and DVD’s for Australia (project cost = $8,000 AUD).
We also want to give FREE Bibles to anyone who does not have their own copy of God’s Word (conservative project cost = $3,000 AUD).
Prisoner Michael – “ecstatic” to receive his own Bible!
Michael from Barrallon Correctional Centre in Ipswich, QLD, received his own Amazing Facts Bible last week. We wanted to share his heart-warming response with you:
“I received the Bible you sent, and I am absolutely ecstatic! I feel so blessed to have you all supporting and praying for me! Even though I am in prison, you have lifted my spirit after a hard week. THANK YOU! I hope to do all your Bible studies and be ready to be baptised soon.”
Because of YOUR heart for MISSION, Amazing Facts is reaching some of the most difficult mission fields in the world! Thank you for giving generously to help searching people receive God’s word into their hearts.
Your “seeker of souls” sized gift of $50 will help online viewers find answers to their most pressing questions and pay for the printing of 45 study guides. A “heart for the lost” sized gift of $100 will pay for half a dozen Amazing Facts Bibles to seekers like Michael. And a “hasten the soon return of Christ” sized gift of $500 – $1000 will fund dozens of Bibles and print hundreds of study guides and magazines to share with searching people who need to know the truth before it’s too late! Whatever amount God puts on your heart, I know it will be multiplied to bless others. THANK YOU!
As a token of our deep gratitude for your gift this month, we are offering YOU a “Kingdoms in Time” DVD or Magazine. Please let our staff know which is your preference if you would like a copy. Enjoy it, and then share it with a work colleague or friend.
The gift of the month for donations to Amazing Facts Oceania over $50 is “Kingdoms in Time” DVD or Magazine.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” Numbers 6:24-26.
Yours in the Blessed Hope,
Pastor Doug Batchelor & The Amazing Facts Oceania Team
Johnny Wong, Ron Milson, Charmaine Wigglesworth & Ettienne McClintock
Request Prayer
If you have prayer requests for yourself or for others, please send them to us by replying to this email. Our prayer warrior team are here to lift your concerns in prayer before our loving heavenly Father. Email: hello@amazingfacts.com.au
9 Gem Amazing Facts Program Update – 3 weeks of Olympics!
The Olympics have claimed Amazing Facts time slot on 9Gem for 3 consecutive weeks (starting last Sunday). We have postponed the final 3 “pinnacle of prophecy” episodes for August 18 when we resume our normal airing time at 6:30 am Sundays on 9Gem. In the meantime, we will be posting fresh content on Youtube, and will also send you the weekly TV program through email.
To view on demand TV episodes with Pastor Doug Batchelor, be sure to subscribe to Amazing Facts Oceania Youtube Channel to receive notifications of LIVE events. Please also connect with us on Amazing Facts Oceania Facebook Page. STAY BLESSED!
Check out Amazing Facts Bookstore. Save on books, Bibles and sharing resources. Now available through the Australian online store or in our Brisbane Resource Centre (address below).
