ASI Project Reports
Light Bearers Ministry
01/01/2017
Light Bearers is a full-throttle gospel ministry, spurred by an urgent desire to hasten the second coming of Christ, by spreading the good news of His saving grace in the context of the three angels’ messages, as fast and as far as possible with the talents and resources God gives us. We live to see people enlightened with the love of Christ and equipped to bear that light to others as effective disciple-making disciples. Without question, literature distribution is the most direct and cost-effective means of placing the gospel in the hands of the masses of humanity, especially in the developing nations of the world. This being the case, Light Bearers operates a publishing ministry devoted to the mass production and distribution of gospel literature. Each year we put into circulation multiplied millions of truth-filled publications in numerous languages, all absolutely free of charge.
Because of the funds we received from ASI, we were able to send an additional container of gospel literature in 2015. We had many requests for literature from Kenya. Therefore, the ASI funding was used to send to Kenya a 20-foot container holding over 2 million pieces of literature. Here are a few of the stories of how that literature has impacted lives.
Kenya – Prison ministry
What message does one give to a prison full of inmates who committed capital offences? Most were sentenced to 20 years and more and others were on death row. As we approached the high-walled Naivasha maximum security prison, my eye caught the sign: “This is a crime-free area.” I was not sure if that was supposed to give me comfort, since I have never been in such a prison. I started my sermon with this ice breaker: “Seeing the high walls and all the security guards, I can assure you that I feel very safe in this prison. What the guards don’t know is that you are innocent… because you are forgiven. You are just experiencing the consequences of your actions.” While the smiles were still visible on the inmates’ faces I turned to Isaiah 61:1 and read the following words on Jesus’ mission: “The Lord has anointed me…to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” I wanted them to know that God’s love alone can change hearts.
Before the sermon, we graduated about 210 inmates who studied the Bible lessons sent by Light Bearers. Shaking the hand of each inmate, looking at their joy and listening to their testimonies made me realize the impact of these studies on the lives of these prisoners. I knew there was joy in heaven. The container of literature was all worth it; souls are changed for eternity!
Ndegwa was on death row. He had no hope of ever being released. The team who does the prison ministry had introduced the Bible lessons to him. He eagerly studied the set of lessons, and his life had changed completely. The power of God’s grace had touched his heart. If God has forgiven him by His infinite mercy, why could he not appeal to the president of Kenya who has the so-called “power of mercy” to release anyone? He decided to send his Bible lesson certificate to the president as proof of his decision to serve God and his change of heart. Shortly afterwards the message came back to him in the maximum security prison that his case had been reviewed and that he was set free. Ndegwa was baptized and now serves as an elder in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The 110 prisons in Kenya are literally flooded by Lightbearers literature. Since the commissioner general of Kenya prisons had directed that an Adventist chaplain be assigned to each prison, the doors have flung open for the Seventh-day Adventist Church to evangelize inmates.
The chaplaincy positions have created a channel for the church to reach the inmates using literature from Light Bearers. Since the container to Kenya in 2010, and earlier this year a second container, literally thousands of inmates have read and studied the Bible lessons and received literature. Hundreds of baptisms have resulted. Not only prisoners but also the prison staff are given the opportunity to study God’s Word through the lessons.
Thank you ASI, for making this possible for the people of Kenya!