Muslims Embracing Jesus | Thobo Famine Relief

Above: Pastor Ibrahim with Empower Dreams Projector

Muslims Embracing Jesus | Thobo Famine Relief

Empower Dreams supporters, the Lord is working in powerful ways in Thobo, thanks to your faithfulness. Through your generosity, we’ve been able to partner with Pastor Ibrahim Allail Jelly, bringing both relief and the Gospel to those in need. This report highlights the awe-inspiring ways God has moved, showing why your past and future involvement is so vital.

A Miraculous Harvest: 50 Muslims Accept Christ

In Pastor Ibrahim’s first trip back to the Thobo area since Empower Dreams’ relief efforts, the impact was immediate and miraculous. Fifty Muslims responded to the good news of Jesus Christ and have now committed to being discipled as Christ followers. This incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit is just the beginning of what we believe will be a historic movement in the region. Hearts are wide open to Jesus in Thobo, and we’re witnessing a transformation like never before.

Explosive Growth at Safaya Church

Since the relief funded by Empower Dreams supporters, Safaya Church has seen unprecedented growth. Attendance has soared from just 150 to an astounding 692 members in a matter of weeks. This rapid expansion is a direct result of the relief efforts, as people have been touched not only by the physical aid but by the spiritual care that followed.

Above: Al-Gadariff revival crusade; “Life is better with Jesus”

Three New Churches Born from Relief Distribution

The Lord continues to use the relief efforts to plant the seeds of new churches. As a direct result of the distribution, three new church branches have been established. These churches are now thriving hubs for discipleship and worship, bringing the light of the Gospel into communities that were once unreached.

Raising Up New Leaders

The Lord is also raising up new leaders to shepherd these new believers and churches. Three new leaders are currently under development, ensuring that this movement is sustainable and continues to grow. Through Empower Dreams' partnership with Hope of Nations, we are helping to equip and encourage these future leaders for ministry.

Empower Dreams: Partnering in Historic Transformation

As we look to the future, Empower Dreams is committed to walking alongside Pastor Ibrahim as the Lord continues to move in Thobo and beyond. This region of the Nuba Mountains is experiencing an unprecedented transformation for Jesus, and Empower Dreams supporters are at the heart of this historic moment.

Through your prayers, your time, and your financial support, you’ve helped open the door to this incredible work. The Lord responded to your faithfulness, and the result is nothing short of miraculous. But the work is far from over.

We invite you to continue supporting Empower Dreams as we witness God’s hand at work in Thobo. Together, we can be part of this awe-inspiring movement and help ensure that this transformation reaches every heart in the region.

The Lord is continuing to do AMAZING things in Thobo! Watch the newest video on the progress.

Bringing Hope to the Katcha in Sudan

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Northern Peru Discipleship News

Your willingness to give and pray has been mightily used by the Lord. Ricky and Carol Hendon's granddaughters are thrilled that your generosity has made Camp Yuri easily accessible for the youth of Peru, enabling them to be discipled and loved. This accessibility will also allow for greater ministry capacity and results. Hope you're as excited as we are.

Lord using you in Southeast Asia

Over the past several years, Empower Dreams have been partnering in Southeast Asia discipling and making movements in highly sensitive areas, that prevent us from being able to use names and cities.  Courageous new believers have been banished from villages for not renouncing Jesus. Some people have been hospitalized from beatings for following Christ. Other believers have had homes destroyed and identification cards confiscated to prevent them from working and traveling, and yet they continue to follow the Lord and share the good news of the Lord’s saving grace.

New Improved Quality Materials:

We thank the Lord for him using your finances to fund new higher quality disciple materials. Your generosity is making infrastructure (books and videos) to large people group’s heart language accessible. They are designed to take someone from not knowing the name of Jesus to being a reproducing leader. The job has always been to train the folks as quality pastors. Your finances (this summer) have helped once again fund new pastor training, development, and encouragement! This pastoral training will be an ongoing effort in this Southeast Asia region.

The Lord is using your prayer and generous giving to see people continuously be discipled and saved! The best is yet to come!  Please keep praying.

Powerful Catalysts To Reach The Unreached

Kris Watson and I were grateful to participate in the Global Alliance for Church Multiplication (GACX) 2023 conference. Organizations from around the world came together again, to further and explore the powerful benefits of partnering to pursue bold visions and to share discoveries and best practices to reach the last people groups.  “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”  Proverbs 11:14

Whenever I get a chance to get to know the organizations strategizing and cooperating to love, reach, and disciple the world’s people groups, I’m so impressed and encouraged.  Organizations full of smart, faith filled, and fearless people.  The Lord’s A-team is at work.  What can you do?  Don’t be caught on the sidelines. You were made for more.  Come join us and see. www.empowerdreams.org or info@empowerdreams.org.

Historic Recording and Movies Press Release

Empower Dreams Partners with Faith Comes By Hearing in Historic Recording

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) in partnership with funding from Empower Dreams recently produced an Audio New Testament recording and Gospel Films of the Books of Mark and Luke for a North African people group. (For security reasons, the language, people group and country cannot be revealed.) The historic recording in this highly remote area marks the first time these people have heard the entire New Testament or watched God’s Word in their own heart language.

Jonathan Huguenin, Vice President of Global Partnerships and Language Recording for Faith Comes By Hearing, expressed gratefulness for Empower Dreams and their shared mission. “Organizations working together by combining their strengths is becoming the norm in Christendom,” Huguenin said. “We are so thankful to be partnering with Empower Dreams to serve language communities living in sensitive parts of the world.”

Empower Dreams Board Member Kris Watson says the recordings align with Empower Dreams focus on unreached and often oral people groups. “History shows that having resources in the heart language is often the single most important tool in helping people come to faith,” Watson said.  

Empower Dreams and Faith Comes By Hearing also trained and equipped a local team to begin reaching this indigenous group with God’s Word in their heart language. You can watch an English language sample of the Gospel Film of the Book of Mark. (https://live.bible.is/bible/ENGESV/MRK/2?audio_type=audio_drama ) You can listen to an English language sample of a recording in the Book of Luke. ( https://live.bible.is/bible/ENGESV/LUK/4?audio_type=audio_drama )

FCBH and Empower Dreams thank the Lord for their supporters that helped make this possible and look forward with hope to fruitful harvests.                                                                          

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ABOUT FAITH COMES BY HEARING

Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH), founded in 1972, is a worldwide ministry working with partners to provide  Audio Bibles and Gospel Films in the languages of the world. Our Vision 2033 goal: In the next ten years, we will work alongside partners to record and freely provide God’s Word in every language that needs it. For more information about Faith Comes By Hearing, visit faithcomesbyhearing.com. 

Contact: Deana Day, Communications Coordinator, 505-881-3321 ext 1624, 479-644-2756 (mobile), dday@fcbhmail.org

ABOUT EMPOWER DREAMS

Empower Dreams, founded in 2011, comes alongside of a few select ministry partners that have a track record of fruit and God has called them to that next layer of growth and that growth requires funding.  Empower Dreams trusts the Lord to raise the funds for that growth. Since about 2020, the Lord has increased the focus on discipleship and evangelism infrastructure and often to oral people groups. For more information about Empower Dreams, visit EmpowerDreams.org.

Contact: Paul Staudacher, info@EmpowerDreams.org

Katcha People Sudan Update

There are important answered prayers to report as Ibrahim and his family have a temporary SAFE home in Uganda and the Katcha audio and video equipment is still safe at the church in Juba that hosted everyone.

However, there is still a communications blackout for most in Sudan, so Ibrahim has a very tough time knowing where or how his leaders are doing.

There is continued chaos and destruction on many fronts in Sudan.

We all have more questions than answers right now.

With the war, we just don’t know what’s next.

Please pray for protection and guidance for our Katcha champions, the persecuted church in Sudan, and that this will all lead to redemption and beauty in His kingdom for the Katcha People.

First Ever Bible Katcha Rollout Training - Despite a WAR

Hello dear friends of Empower Dreams! I have some exciting news to share with you about the early May training we conducted to reach the Katcha people of Sudan and South Sudan. You may remember that the Katcha are an unreached people group living in the Nuba Mountains and in area refugee camps. They have never heard the gospel in their own language, but thanks to your prayers and support, we are one step closer to changing that!

Here are some highlights from the training:

We praise God for His protection and provision for all the families of those who participated in the training. They had to flee from the violence in Khartoum, but they are now safe and settled in new locations. Please continue to pray for peace and direction for them and their congregations.

The thank the Lord for the great leadership of Ken Smith in coordinating the training.

We thank God for healing Pastor Ibrahim from malaria. He is one of our key leaders who has a heart for the Katcha. He is facing many challenges, such as traveling long distances to reach remote areas while keeping his family safe. Please pray for God to guide him and give him wisdom and strength.

We are grateful for the team of Sudanese ministers who came to learn how to share the gospel with the Katcha using Proclaimer audio Bible devices. They were very enthusiastic and eager to learn. They also received practical training on how to use the audio Bibles. These devices will enable them to play the Bible in the Katcha language and create listening groups for discipleship.

The “listening group” training conducted by Christine from Faith Comes by Hearing was received with excitement and enthusiasm.

Those who were advocates of church planting/Discipleship Making Methodologies(DMM) said repeatedly that this kind of system was the best “discipleship” tool they had ever been exposed to! Those who knew the Katcha people predicted this would make a huge difference in the spiritual lives of the Katcha.

Unfortunately, most of the Katcha champions who were supposed to attend the training could not make it because of the Sudanese war violence. In fact, Pastor Ibrahim’s wife and children were trapped in Sudan during the training. Yassir was one Katcha minister that was able to join. He is a brave young man who has a passion for his people. He took all the equipment with him and he is planning to go to the refugee camps and eventually to the Nuba Mountains to share the gospel with the Katcha using best practices ‘Listening Groups.’ Please pray for his safety and success.

We are amazed by what God did during this training despite all the challenges faced: the loud rain on tin roofs, the war violence, malaria, and wondering if their wives and children were safe. He showed us His power and grace in many ways. We are confident that He will continue to work in and through us as we go to reach the Katcha with His love. 

Thank you so much for your faithful partnership with us. Your prayers and donations make a huge difference in advancing God's kingdom among the unreached. Please keep praying for the Katcha people. We believe that God is preparing their hearts to receive Him and that soon they will join us in praising His name!

 The best is coming and hopefully soon.

We are so thankful for you and we love you.

Your partner,  

   The team at Empower Dreams 

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