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#SHINE21GlobalMIssionChallenge- Blog 1

So I am calling this the SHINE "21" challenge. A 21-day global impact mission involving 21 people, preceded by 21 days of fasting and prayer, and chronicled in 21 blog posts. Yes, I hope to publish one blog per day over the next 21- days of our global efforts here in Rwanda and then next in Kinshasa. 


The challenge's hoped for outcome is a powerful manifestation of God's glory during two of our SHINE ministry's 2014 summer festivals in Rwanda and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.


The challenge is already half way through.  The first half was a 21-day fast I engaged in from July 7 to July 27.  During those days, like the prophet Daniel in Daniel 10, I ate no meat, ate no bread, and I abstained from all caffeinated drinks, drinking only water and occasional grape juice and eating vegetable based foods. 


It also involved the recruitment and training of additional people to our SHINE staff to make a total of 21 people that form the team for this high impact two-nation mission. 


For the Rwanda portion, in addition to the four SHINE staff (Stanton, Ceallaigh, Shug, and I), God gave us 14 additional participants from two Twin Cities based churches: Westwood Community Church, Chanhassen, MN and Renovation Church, Blaine, MN. 


For the next portion, I have two pastors joining me in Kinshasa; Pastor Gary Brothers of Cape First Family Church, Cape Girardeau, MO and Pastor McNay Nkashama of Global Impact Center, Minneapolis.  Along with my wife we constitute 21 people.


Today, our Rwanda team arrived here in Kigali, Rwanda and so begins the second phase of the challenge.  By God's grace we travelled safely from Minneapolis to Amsterdam to Nairobi and eventually to Kigali arriving a few hours ago.


We checked in at Kigali Serena Hotel at 1 AM. In a few minutes we will be checking out and heading to the Kigali genocide memorial.  It so happens that mid last month, Rwanda marked 20 years since the end of the genocide that killed one million people in a mere 100 days.  God forbid that that should ever happen again.


After the memorial visit, we will take the one hour drive to Muhanga which will be the epicenter of our week-long evangelistic mission. 


Today also marks the end of three-days of fasting and prayer by three-hundred Rwandan intercessors from all across Rwanda over the city of Muhanga ahead of the mission week.  They had congregated in Muhanga praying day and night and eating nothing. What a powerful thing for the church of Rwanda.  And now, let the harvest begin!


Lord, do it again!  May you be greatly famous through your servants as we reach out with your love to thousands this week here in Rwanda. Follow us on Facebook for pictures!


     

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