Africa Report and the New Year

Our trip to The Dominical Republic in the spring and two trips to Africa in the fall were very productive. The attendance in the Dominican Republic increased significantly and the final count of graduates in Nairobi, Kenya was 450. They were all bishops and pastors. Those bishops and pastors will take the school to their congregations next. We should have about 1000 new graduates this year.

This brief 7 min. testimony by Bishop Mophat Kilioba will present the value of our school better than I could. http://youtu.be/fCK24NuJPkw Bishop Mophat was one of my students in 1985 and is presently bishop over about 3,300 PEFA churches in Kenya. He is insisting all his leaders get an education through N2NCU. Our curriculum is available virtually free of charge to leaders in developing nations. Most of them have a full-time job in addition to pastoring. This is an affordable way for them to get an education without leaving their work.

In Kenya our team established new schools in a refugee camp in Northwestern Kenya. There are about 200,000 refugees there and several pastors among them serving about thirteen churches in the camp. Our plan was to establish schools in Burundi, but the civil unrest kept our team from going there. Instead our team went to Zanzibar to established new schools there. Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania and is 98% Moslem. Bishop Mophat had a meeting with one of the top leaders of Islam on that Island, so they know what we are doing.

We will be probably returning to the Dominican Republic next spring with the HPIM team. There is a possibility that I will also go to Kenya again with HPIM. Our HPIM theme this year is “Understanding and Activating Spiritual Warfare.” I will return to Africa with N2NCU in the fall for the graduation. All three of these trips will require me to raise funds again.

Meanwhile I am beginning to schedule ministry here in the States. I will be in Pennsylvania with a deliverance ministry next week. The HPIM annual meeting in Sarasota, Florida will be March 8-10. Beyond that I have not yet scheduled ministry. My annual tour of Western NY will probably be in April, but no dates are set at this time.

We have an anonymous donor who has offered $500.00 per month matching funds for any new donors who will pledge a monthly amount for one year. If someone pledges $100.00 monthly, for example, that amount will be contributed by this anonymous donor, so the income to On Word will be $200. If we have $500.00 total new pledges, that will be matched. Let us know if you are interested in being part of this fundraising effort.

As usual, we are looking forward to a very productive year.

Fount Shults
President On Word Ministries http://www.onword.org

My Vision Revisied

I was meditating on my financial situation and felt I need to share publically what I heard.

First, I will give a background so you will understand my heart. For many years I have refused to promote myself and my ministry. I thought that would be self-serving. I firmly believe that when Father guides, he provides. That has proven to be the case for me through my whole life. For example, Father prompted me to finish the Dissertation for the PhD and not to seek employment until it was done. It took me about 18 months to finish. Even though I started with only about two hundred dollars, all my financial needs were taken care of without my asking anyone for help. We had our fourth child during that period. The Doctor was paid in the fifth month and the Hospital bill was paid before we went. People didn’t even know I was unemployed.

Various leaders in my life have told me I need to promote myself if I want others to support me. My response is always the same, “I can’t do that.” The reason is not that I am unable; I cannot bring myself to self-promotion without losing my sense of integrity. Others may have permission form Father to do that; I do not. As a result, I have lived ‘hand-to-mouth’ as long as I remember. I am ok with that, but I have a vision beyond what is presently coming in to On Word Ministries. I firmly believe the vision is from God.

My Father has provided for every ministry trip I have made to train leaders in developing nations. Sometimes that provision came from others; sometimes I had enough to do it on my own. That is evidence that the vision is from God as far as I can see. I have hesitated to ask for funds for my personal livelihood as a missionary based in the States. I know that all of you have your own needs. So I have not asked even though the leaders who are close to me have encouraged me to ask. “You have not because you ask not,” they say. I know that is biblical, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Why?

This is what brought me to the meditation I mentioned above. “If the vision is from God,” I ask myself, “then why are finances so tight? Father has provided for my needs without my asking even when I was unemployed. What is different here and now?” As I was in the presence of Father with these questions, the following came to me:

“People don’t give to needs, they give to vision.” I remembered this statement which I have heard from leaders who are very successful in raising funds, and I believe it’s true. But I sensed there was something else. So I waited. “This is not about what I need; it’s not even about what I do in training leaders in other countries. It’s about vision.” However, I have made my vision very clear on Facebook and on my blog. Working with Nation 2 Nation Christian University and with Harvest Preparation International gives me an opportunity to do what I’m called, commissioned and sent to do. So what’s missing?

This is what I heard, “People give to what they believe in. They give to what they feel is worthwhile.” There are two things here: the belief system and the feelings. The belief system is in the head, the feelings are in the heart. People will say they believe in the vision, but if they don’t feel connected, they don’t give. If what I believe resonates with what others believe, their heart will feel what my heart feels. This brought me to a personal challenge: “What do I really believe? What do I really feel?”

I believe that the living and active Word of God will change the social and political atmosphere when it is spoken by the Spirit. I have over 50 years’ experience speaking the Word and changing the lives of young people on college campuses. I believe this world-changing Word which the Father has given me will begin to do for nations what it has done for students. I believe this Word will continue to influence nations through the video recordings long after I have passed over to the other side of reality.

That’s what I believe and that’s what I feel. I believe it and feel it so strongly that I have been willing to go on several short-term mission trips at my own expense even when that left me short in my personal ‘bottom line.’ I have a passion to see leaders in developing nations receive the training they need but can’t afford. I will continue to do what I do because I believe what I believe and have a passion to see it happen.

Our website is being updated to reflect this passion. It will be up and running as soon as we get it built. Meanwhile, feel free to visit the website and listen to the free teachings available on the ‘listen to Fount’ tab. We are serious about keeping it free.

Looking forward,
Fount Shults
President and Founder: On Word Ministries
http://www.onword.org

Testimonies from Korea

Our experience in Korea this year was awesome, as usual. This year our translator was gracious enough to translate several testimonies that came in after we left. Here are a few.

The first testimony is from our teaching and ministry on Generational Iniquities.

“As Fount and Lynda were teaching, I realized I was experience the pain of my grandmother who had abandoned her family. I confessed the iniquities of my ancestors (Lev. 28:40) and forgave my father and my uncle who had caused me pain. After the school, I talked with my cousin about the situation and realized I was really free from this bitterness. I now have joy because of what God has done and courage to continue receiving from him.”

The second testimony is a result of our teaching on lies we believe because of a traumatic experience in childhood. These experiences often leave behind a belief (on the feeling level) that is contrary to the truth of who we are and what abilities we have.

“All my life I have believed I can’t do anything, that I’m ugly and would be better off dead. Today I confessed my sin of believing the lies and living as though they were true. I forgave the offender and myself and renounced the lies I had believed. Father God spoke to me, ‘You are free now; you have the victory and I am waiting for you with open arms.’ I am really free now.”

The third testimony came from our teaching on the emotional wounds we sustained in childhood abuse. We encourage people to connect with Jesus in the painful situation and allow him to bring healing.

“I had many wounds from my parents while growing up. I felt something very special when I forgave my parents. After ministry, I saw a picture of Jesus holding my hand saying, ‘I was there with you, and I will help you overcome.’ I told him I was not confident. He said, ‘I will be with you to bring you into fullness.’ I saw myself as a little girl in prison. When I forgave myself, the little girl was released.”

This final testimony is related to our teaching on Word Curses. When important others speak negative words against us, we often begin to think we are worthless and abandoned.

My father used to tease me while I was young. I felt lonely, afraid and rejected, like no one cared about me. While Fount and Lynda were praying for us, I realized my parents did the best they could with what they had. After I released my parents, our Father gave me a word, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isa. 43:1). Now I am free.

As usual, we encourage you to share this blog with others who might be encouraged through them. If they desire to be notified as new blogs are available, they can enter their email address above to the right.

Looking Forward,
Fount Shults
President and Founder
On Word Ministries
http://onword.org