Changes in Finland

GNN Finland org. had its 15th anniversary in June 2023. When beginning this mission association, we could not imagine how extensively the work would be blessed. Without supporters and intercessors, this would not have been possible. Vantaa International Christian Fellowship (VICF) is our  domestic mission. Last year, two teaching series were arranged: 40 Days of Purpose in the first part of the year and the Alpha course in the second half. Encouraging teaching is always a necessity.

During Pr. Jonathan Lemmetti’s family’s farewell to  Australia, we blessed Pr. Edsel Klit (from the Philippines) on 4th of June 23 service as the new Associate Pastor. In Australia, Jonathan is promoting the GNN vision and joins GNN mission trips from there.

The very following week we met Pr. Kimmo Sarajärvi  who had just arrived with his family after 12 years of missions in Costa Rica. He became our new CEO after Jonathan. Thanks to Kimmo, our newsletter is also published in Swedish.

Overview of the Missions Carried Out Last Year

UGANDA
Along with Pr. Aki Miettinen, at the ’Joint Forces’ event, we held seminars  for the Christian army and police officers in the outskirts of Kampala. Many of them had been in peacekeeping forces in Somalia and Western Africa. During free time, they shared the Gospel with unreached Muslim villages nearby.

From Kampala, we headed towards western Uganda. There, in Mubende, we shared the Gospel in numerous radio broadcasts. Bp. John Magaba hosts these programs in the early morning hours. The programs even reach neighbouring countries and people get saved weekly. Also, we gave training to one Somali convert who came from Nairobi. Muslims are tracking her because of her faith. Before the Sunday services and our departure to Tanzania, we held a seminar for 50 pastors about UPG (unreached people groups).

TANZANIA
Thirty-five pastors who participated in our Sending Seminar in Dar-es-Salaam were interested in ’How to  Get Started with Missions?’. The host of the seminar,  Pastor Temba, began to expand his ministry into new  areas shortly afterwards. He also became part of the GNN -team which arranges children’s ministry training for the remaining national regions.

Last year, this team trained 583 participants in 6 regions. In three years, we have trained 1860 Sunday school teachers, pastors and bishops throughout 18 of the nation’s 31 administrative regions. The video teaching series (in Swahili) being used
comprises two 8-part lectures.

Note! We were forced to postpone these important seminars for this year to the remaining 13 regions. Contributions towards these efforts have been minimal. Yet, Children are the largest unreached people group in the world and children’s ministry has mostly been a key to reach families and new tribes.

African pioneer ministry support reference is 3560

SOUTHEAST ASIA

During the graduation ceremony of the Bible school in Sumatra at the end of May, 37 pioneers were sent to new areas and 9 of them to unreached people groups. God has surprisingly opened up new doors in Southeast Asia. During the latter part of the year, we began to put our focus more on those nations.

Last September/October we headed to Vietnam, the Bible school in Indonesia and East Malaysia in Borneo with a week of teaching in each place. Our Asian coordinator, Pr. Shierley Siwi, superbly arranged the teaching programs. Throughout our training, we strived to awaken the national workers to reach out to their own nation’s people groups. Even the shortfall in the budget was taken care of, confirming we were doing the right thing! God is never late!

At the end of the year, we also received donations for the purchase of 2 boats, it’s the only way to travel up the turbulent jungle river to a new tribe in the interior of Sumatra. The other boat is of aid to the work amongst the Akid tribe in the archipelago near Sumatra.