On March 24, Friends from Indiana Yearly Meeting, the Friends United Meeting Richmond and Africa Ministries Offices, and the African Missions Committee gathered in support of the missionary work of Nicholas and Dorcas Otieno. Nicholas and Dorcas are serving as FUM Living Letter Missionaries in Tanzania. Regrettably, poor internet service prevented Nicholas and Dorcas from fully participating in the meeting. As Living Letters, Nicholas and Dorcas fully depend on the support of generous Friends to fund their ministries. For the past two years, their support has been provided by Indiana Yearly Meeting. We hope that, in the future, their ministry support will come mostly from African Friends. John Muhanji, Director of African Ministries, and the African Missions Committee are working to develop a ministry network to support the Otieno's ministry. Until then, Nicholas and Dorcas continue to rely on the support of the wider community of Friends.
During the March 24th meeting, we acknowledged the amazing work Nicholas and Dorcas are doing in Tanzania. New churches are being planted in new communities and regions, leaders are being discipled, pastors are being mentored, young Friends groups are being established, and Tanzania Yearly Meeting officers are receiving vital guidance. We shared the common concern that this ministry not be stopped because of the lack of funding. To give the African Missions Committee more time to gather support from African Friends, FUM has drawn on funds from the Mary Glenn Hadley Fund, and Indiana Yearly Meeting pledged an additional six months of support. We also discussed the need to develop a broader mission strategy for Tanzania, and envisioned other African missionaries being called to serve that enormous country, which is geographically too large for one missionary couple to serve alone. Indiana Yearly Meeting General Superintendent Pat Byers closed the meeting in prayer for Nicholas and Dorcas, and our shared missionary vision for Tanzania.
Friends in Africa and other places are invited to give in support of the Otieno’s ministry through Friends United Meeting. Friends in Kenya may give by MPesa [Select "Pay Bill" 514608 Account: "Your Name" & “Otieno Support”]. Friends may also give online [www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/giving/donate, select “Living Letters: “Dorcas and Nicholas Otieno”].
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