The Wooten's Window
A Look Back at a Year of Blessing and Favor, and Forward to New Opportunities!
Praise the Lord to our wonderful supporters, family, and friends. We rejoice with you in the new year that God has given us. First, we want to say, “Thank you!”, once again. Thank you for every prayer, for every financial gift, and for every message of encouragement. We are so grateful.
This year, Sharon and I celebrated 41 years of marriage and ministry, and over 25 of those years have been serving in World Missions from right here in East/Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA). For Sharon, it marks 43 years in Africa, since her parents moved here when she was three months old. We don’t know what this new year or the coming future holds, but we know who holds it all, and in Him we have complete confidence. I was reading the words of Jesus in John 15.5; “Without Me you can do nothing,” and was reminded again that this is all about Him and His call and purpose in our lives. To Him we give all Glory. In Swahili they say, “Utukufu wote unamwenda Yesu”.
A Look Back
We are excited about 2025, but in this newsletter, we want to reflect on 2024. We want to look back at just a few things God has done, so we can rejoice together.
Even with the physical issues I faced in 2023, and trying to space my travels out, Sharon and I traveled to Ethiopia, Burundi, the DR Congo, Rwanda, Egypt, and all over Kenya. Ron went to three of these countries twice. We ended the year visiting our daughter in Wales and went together to Poland for a few days of prayer walking. We had many opportunities in Wales and England to share about East Africa.
Throughout the year, we were able to conduct or assist in 10 Great Commission Equipping Conferences (GCEC)/Pastor’s Conferences throughout Kenya, three Bible School graduations, six Women’s Conferences and trainings, and many other preaching and teaching opportunities. We also had the joy of seeing many new men and women licensed and ordained into the ministry. One highlight was Ron going to Assiut, Egypt, where the church ordained four young men for ministry. This is a great advancement for Egypt. We have also received reports of thousands of new salvations across our region, and we have more churches than ever before. We have faced some very tough times in a few areas that I will mention at the end, asking for your prayers.
Sharon praying for Women’s Leaders in Ethiopia after a time of ministry and training. We arrived late and only had the light from one light bulb.
Ordaining our new Egyptian Pastors. Rev Emil is standing at the Pulpit.
In May, we held an East Africa Leadership Training in Nairobi. Six countries had at least three leaders present, and two other countries brought at least one. There were over 30 in attendance for these sessions. Unfortunately, the leader from Egypt could not attend. In this meeting we took the leaders through Phases 1 and 2 of the GCEC, but the highlight was having our leaders share highlights, statistics, and prayer requests from their countries. We had special times of prayer, worship, and fellowship. It was a joy and blessing to have all our IPHC missionaries in ESSA join us for this meeting. Another highlight was having our Chinese and Ethiopian believers in Kenya prepare food for two of our meals. One of the things we challenged our leaders with was that to reach new cultures, you must be willing to eat food that you are not accustomed to eating. It was remarkably interesting to see them eat Chinese dumplings and Ethiopian Injera.
ESSA Leaders Meeting-May 2024.
2024 was an incredible year of seeing humanitarian outreach continue through feeding programs among rural schools and unreached Islamic areas. We deeply appreciate the faithful support of some of our friends who have helped keep this ministry going. We are currently feeding around 1500 children at least three days a week, with others being fed daily as they attend school. This is in addition to what our IPHC People to People ministry does. We are amazed at how God has continued to open doors for us to spread the gospel through food, solar audio bibles, and the Jesus film in Somalia. I may never get to visit this work myself, as I would draw unwanted attention, but the men that God has raised up in the region are doing incredible ministry.
Providing food and water in Somalia villages and camps.
IPHC water tank in Somalia. We have installed 7of these now in camps and villages in the country.
Prayer Needs
The advancement of God's Kingdom always comes with battles along the way. Those battles are won when we pray and God intervenes. We have had many battles recently, and we are asking you to join us in praying that God will help in these major needs:
• Please pray for our church in Rwanda. The IPHC has been deregistered there, and all churches have been closed. We cannot hold services of any kind. We are one of many Churches closed by the government. Thankfully, a few of our schools are still working, and a few humanitarian ministries are continuing, but we are trusting God for a reversal. I am actually writing this newsletter from Rwanda as I have come to try and find a way forward to get our registration restored.
Praying for our church in Rwanda. This was taken a few months ago after a General meeting.
• Pray for our leader, Rev Emil Said, in Egypt as he recovers from a fall and hip replacement surgery. Rev Emil is a wonderful man of God, and this has taken a heavy toll on his body. It also affects the church. I hope to be able to visit him in February.
• We have several other leaders who are facing heavy attacks in their families and there are other pressing legal issues with land and registrations in Kenya, Uganda, and Burundi.
• I need monthly support for two Somali leaders who are faithfully discipling and evangelizing the lost, as well as feeding and doing other humanitarian work.
Furlough in 2025
Let me also announce that from April 2025, Sharon and I will be home on Furlough. It has been a little over three years since we were home to visit churches and give reports. I did come home a few months in 2023 after I had the minor stroke, but we did not visit churches or conferences. If you would like to have us come for services, men’s or women’s meetings, conference meetings, or any other opportunity please message me at rwooten@iphc.org or rmciphcea@gmail.com I don’t have a cell number yet in the US, but will be getting one soon.
God bless you, and, once again, thank you so much for your help, your love, your prayers, and your friendship. You mean more to us than we could ever tell you.
Let me close with this CS Lewis quote, “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done!”
We thank Him for all He has done and would never take that for granted, but we know this morning and every day, we need His new mercy, His grace, His direction, and His help.
