Even though COVID-19 has closed many churches and hampered God’s work in many parts of the world, AFCOE Africa evangelists and Bible workers—dedicated servants who you support with your compassionate gifts—are forging ahead, reaching souls for the kingdom by their creativity, steadfast faith, and the sheer power of the Holy Spirit.
When the pandemic struck Africa, borders closed and cities went into lockdown. Local officials, together with the police and even informants, began monitoring the movements of residents. Suddenly, even conducting in-home Bible studies became difficult.
People quickly lost interest in studying the Bible, as the virus and a pandemic of fear spread from country to country and village to village. But it wasn’t just fear of the virus that kept people homebound. Townspeople were afraid of the police, who would beat them if they ventured outside of the “stay at home” mandates or allowed visitors into their homes. They could even be arrested.
To avoid this, AFCOE Bible workers had to exercise extreme caution in their outreach. AFCOE Africa evangelists began conducting “mini” evangelistic meetings in different homes at different times of the day. Some preached their Prophecies of HOPE series on local radio stations. Through these means, God began to gather in souls for His kingdom.
We thank the Lord that, despite these restrictions, your unfailing support has continued to drive forward the work of Amazing Facts evangelism in Africa!
Baptisms in South Sudan
In South Sudan, AFCOE Africa evangelist Alison, together with his fiancée, finished an evangelistic series that resulted in 11 people being baptized—one of whom had been a member of another church all her life. Her local priest had told her that she would go “mad” if she read the Bible. But that did not stop the determined woman. She obtained a Bible and began reading it anyway.
When Alison and his fiancée offered to study the Bible with her, she was overjoyed. One of the first to begin attending the evangelistic series, she asked Alison about baptism before the series had even ended.
Reaching Teens in Kenya
Other AFCOE Africa evangelists, two young men working together as a team, began conducting evangelistic meetings and Bible studies in a youth rescue center in Kenya. A place for teenage runaways or those involved with drugs or crime, the center housed about one hundred youth, with the average age between 15 and 17. With all schools currently closed in Kenya, the director of the rescue center—a fellow Sabbath-keeper—heartily welcomed our evangelists. Eventually, 45 youth signed up for baptism, along with several of the staff and security guards.
Floodwater Baptism in Uganda
In West Uganda, where torrential rains have brought much devastation, AFCOE Africa evangelist Stuart ended his series with a “floodwater” baptism, baptizing 12 candidates in turbid waters. One of the candidates was a former Pentecostal pastor.
Stanley, another AFCOE Africa evangelist, finished a series of lectures on the radio—combining home visitation and group Bible studies, which resulted in 178 baptisms.
Neither natural disaster nor disease kept your generous gifts from paving the way for God’s mighty truth to be preached on the continent of Africa!
Storacles Lessons Reach Children
You are also reaching children at another rescue center in Kenya, the Eldoret Rescue Center, which houses children ages 6 months to 18 years old. Some of these youth came from abusive homes; others were homeless, living out on the street. The institution is divided into three sections: young mothers and infants, girls, and boys.
When the Lord opened the door at Eldoret, AFCOE workers readily began to teach Bible truth using the Amazing Facts Storacles of Prophecy lessons. God abundantly blessed the meetings, resulting in the baptism of 54 children and two staff members. Several local pastors and church leaders assisted with the baptisms; and 20 more baptismal candidates are soon to come.
In one inspiring story, an 18-year-old Muslim named Fatumah at first did not attend the meetings, as her faith forbid her from going. Eventually though, she began to show up. Carefully attentive to all that was said, she took detailed notes and finally indicated that she wanted to be baptized. “I’m a completely different person,” Fatumah declared. She now wants to help others come to a knowledge of Bible truth.
Earnest was an older boy with a hearing impairment. Able to read and write, he attended the meetings, keenly reading the Storacles lessons and even encouraging other children to arrive on time to the classroom where our AFCOE evangelists were conducting the Bible studies. He also made a decision to be baptized and give his life to Christ.
Mercy and Winsham were the two staff members who, after joining in on the meetings and Bible studies, also decided to be baptized. Winsham even came to the meetings on crutches. By your gracious support, these two women made a commitment that not only changed their lives but made a great impact on the other staff members.
Radio Evangelism
At 90 years of age, John C. is considered an “old man” in his local village. John was once a Sabbath-keeper, but when he moved to Western Uganda many years ago, he found no Sabbath-keeping church in his area.
So he started attending a local Sunday-keeping church and continued there for many years. All that changed when your gifts made possible AFCOE Africa Evangelist Edgar’s radio broadcast Prophecies of HOPE.
It began with John’s grandson, Daniel, who stumbled across the series and soon became a regular listener. Once Daniel shared with his grandfather what he was learning, John decided to listen on his own.
As for Daniel, he requested Bible lessons and ultimately asked to be baptized. But when evangelist Edgar visited him and his parents at their home, he discovered that the family had no desire to see their young son join a Sabbath-keeping church; they even threatened to expel him from both their home and the family if he took the next step.
“I kept praying with and for Daniel. What encouraged me were his determined efforts to follow the truth whatever the cost,” Edgar shared. And Daniel kept listening to the radio program. After a presentation by Edgar on the millennium, Daniel realized that he had reached a turning point in his life. Though a senior in high school, he said, “Everything can wait, including my own education. I would rather miss out on everything else in order to attain this knowledge of salvation.”
Broken Radio
Soon though, Edgar began receiving phone calls from one of Daniel’s older sisters, accusing him of dividing their family and demanding that he stop calling Daniel and their younger sister, who was also listening to the radio broadcasts.
Shortly after, Daniel’s little sister was taken away from home to live with another sister in an effort to prevent her from learning more precious truths alongside Daniel. Then, the radio at Daniel’s home was mysteriously damaged after he listened to Edgar’s presentation on the Antichrist. Undeterred, the young man slipped over to the neighbors’ home to listen on their radio.
Eventually, Daniel’s older brothers and sisters cut off all financial support for his education. On the very day he was to be baptized, his parents took away his phone, rendering him unable to make arrangements for transportation to the baptism site.
Troubled but Determined
Daniel was so troubled about missing his baptism that he became physically ill. But as the days and weeks passed, and he continued to secretly listen to the broadcasts and complete his Bible lessons, his conviction to follow Jesus deepened. Nothing can stop a heart that has committed itself into the care of our loving God! There was a second baptism scheduled—and Daniel was determined to be there.
Early in the morning on Sabbath, he escaped his home without even a change of clothes and found his way to the baptismal site. 
To his surprise, among the other candidates was his Grandpa John, who had made the decision to be re-baptized on the very same day!
Later that day, Daniel informed his parents that he had been baptized into a Sabbath-keeping church. Although his parents were unhappy with his decision, he was not sent away. Instead, he was allowed to remain at home, prized in the family due to his industrious nature. Now, Daniel has even more opportunities to witness to his family.
AFCOE Africa Director Lowell Hargreaves and the Amazing Facts team in Africa thank you for reaching people, both young and old; for providing Bibles and lessons in the language of hungering souls; for making possible the training of Bible workers and evangelists who face trial after trial in order to lift up God’s last-day message in the midst of a dark world. Year-to-date, thanks to your generous support, there have been over 1,200 baptisms by Amazing Facts evangelists and Bible Workers in Africa, leading more hearts to Christ!
None of this would be possible without your faithful support. Thank you for bringing light and truth to thousands of hurting souls in Africa.