Africa 2024

Hello, and thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported my work in past years. To those I have yet to meet, welcome! Let me tell you about myself, my mission and how you can help.

 

My missions journey began eighteen years ago with a trip to India that changed my perceptions of the world and my purpose in it. Since beating cancer several years prior, I had been determined to spend my time in service to others. In that spirit, I had volunteered for a mission trip to Kolkata, where I could be part of a long tradition of service to women in need. I arrived at Mother Theresa House dirtier than I had ever been and feeling less prepared for anything in my life. My hostess, Serifa, greeted me. One side of her face was covered in scars that led to a lump of flesh where her ear should have been. My heart went out to her. I had heard of spousal abuse perpetrated with fire, but meeting Serifa brought a shocking immediacy to the brutal realities faced by many of the women that came to the House.

 

With Serifa’s direction, I threw myself into service. Every morning, I changed bed linens for the women who could not. I spent hours redressing burns so severe the gauze could not be fully removed without leaving behind pieces. My days became a routine of bed pans and meals, toilets and laundry.

As I made myself useful, I took every opportunity to listen as each of the women I met told their stories of pain and inconceivable trauma. So many of their histories were the same and so many so different, each told in the language of touch and sight.

At first, I didn't know what to say to these women. I felt awkward thinking my efforts were wholly inadequate to their suffering. But, over days, I worked up to a cautious hug from one, then a smile from another, and when I finally gained the courage to share my own story of trauma, I discovered that I could express God's love in a voice they found familiar and, hopefully, comforting.

A year later, I walked into L418 church knowing my purpose: to be a leader in service to the vulnerable, downtrodden and hungry, both physically and spiritually. After countless hours of study and training, and with the support of many generous friends, family and strangers, I embarked on my first trip to East Africa in 2018. Over the course of a month, my team distributed food to hundreds of women and children, met with church and community leaders, and held motivational seminars open to local populations. We also increased the organization’s geographical reach and growing connections in the region while surveying building sites for future a future library, orphanage and school. 

Your help will enable me to build upon the work we started in 2018 and bring much needed help and encouragement to local communities.

 

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MISSION:

As a mission leader, I have been given the incredible opportunity along with a talented group of individuals to train and minister to approximately 3 - 5,000 bishops, pastors, and ministers in the East African region. Our L418 (Luke 4:18) mission team is a San Diego, CA - based apostolic fellowship ministering to approximately 350 leaders from 250 churches throughout Africa.

Through a series of conferences, our goal is to establish regional leadership to maintain the oversight, mentoring, and growth of the Church. The conferences will welcome attendees from more than 8 neighboring countries; many of whom

will be walking and biking across rugged terrain in an effort to participate.

Our challenge, much like in India those years ago, is not only providing support, but also training, equipping and delivering healing to those

on the ground, bringing Kingdom realities on earth as it is in heaven.

My hope for this mission is to simply answer the call God has placed on my heart, whether it's helping place physical food in their hands or in the healing of

their souls.

Ultimately, this undertaking is rooted in the conviction that development involves not only giving support, but also sowing seeds of growth that will encourage and strengthen the surrounding villages because these men, women, and children have so much to share with the world, they just need the chance to do so.

Dates: October 29 - November 27, 2024. We will be hosting 15 conferences in 5 cities across Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia.

With your help, we can do it!

First and foremost we need your prayers. Pray for the ministers, the hungry, for their healing and our safety, and pray that we can have a significant impact on the lives of the people we interact with.

Second, we need help to spread the word. Please take a few minutes to read about our ministry and its goals to get a brief understanding of the situation in East Africa and inform others of our mission.

Finally - and most importantly - we need your financial support. It will ultimately be you who have made a financial contribution who will make this mission trip possible and give my team the tools to accomplish our goal of helping to fulfill the need for guidance that the Church in East Africa is seeking. The funds raised will cover airfare, transportation, lodging, and meals, as well as logistical costs of each conference.

Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read this message and for supporting our mission!

All my love and appreciation,

 

Connie