Healing Wounds of the Heart book impacts Nigerian prisons - November 18 2024

The following is a report from a Nigerian prison officer to Jerome Dung who works closely with FPMF:

Hello Jerome ,
This is the Jos prison controller (Officer in Charge) of the Nigerian Correctional Center Jos.
I'm here to share some testimonies to you about the impact of the books you brought to our prison a few weeks ago with your team .
Honestly , those books, “Healing Wounds of the Heart”, are a great tool and are making a positive impact on the prisoners here . You could not believe that a lot of them gather themselves in a room to read from the book and we are currently experiencing a low rate of stubbornness and more of calmness in the prison yard lately . I personally spoke to everyone there and the responses I got from the prisoners are really amazing and encouraging .
This is the good news:
I spoke to my friends who are also controllers in three other prisons in Nigeria. I called to inform them about the great impact these books are having in the lives of the young boys and girls in the prison here, and they wished that they also could get you and your team to come and give out those books to them .
Those other prisons are even bigger than the one in Jos that I'm controlling. I think that each prison has not less than 3000 inmates (that's a great number of young people whose lives are wasting).
Please, Jerome my prison and the three other prisons are desperately in need of these books .
Can you print more books for us please ?
This is a great tool and your team and the author is used by God to touch the lives of this people here. Please print more books and come over to my office immediately , I will give your team a car and security personnel to drive you to the other states where those prisons are located .
My friends are really eager to get those books . I sent a copy to them each and they all accepted the books with gladness .
In fact , one of the prison controllers is a Muslim and he agreed to welcome the books into the prison . What a great miracle this is .
Kindly get back to me as soon as possible Jerome . Thank you and God bless you .
Controller

Letter from Latvian Missionary - November 18 2024

The following is letter from Latvian missionary Niko regarding prison ministry impacts:

Hello Evangelist Kees Hoek. I hope this message finds you well. My name is NIKO, from Latvia who is currently in Nigeria, West Africa. I'm a missionary and visited Nigeria two weeks ago and I met someone remarkable, Jerome Dung.
I was around the Muslim and the Boko Haram axis where I was carefully going round with my team to preach to the people in IDP camps, and I met this young man, Jerome, who is doing amazingly well with much confidence and without fear, going almost deep in the dangerous part of the area where the kidnappers and Boko Haram dwell.
We had a long conversation and I asked him a lot of questions. He spoke highly of you and your ministry, FPMF.
The people in the village there embraced Jerome and accepted the materials he brought to them and I saw how excited they are that they could actually read the gospel in their Hausa language. Where did you find this vibrant young man ? 😅
Jerome reads and teaches them from the books you wrote, especially "Healing Wounds of the Heart”; I listened to him as he speaks so wonderful.
I also got a copy of the book for myself and my team members who are from different nations as well, which means that the books will get to other nations too 😃.
I'm really envious of you for having a young, intelligent, vibrant and dedicated young man in the person of Jerome. I wish I had someone as loyal as he is, but I'm really excited that God is using you both in spreading the gospel.
This message is to let you know that you indeed have a great representative who speaks well of you and your ministry and I so much believe that you are of great support to him also and his little ministry as well.
I love the team work between you people and I wish you all the best.
Best regards ,
NIKO

News from Chipokela and Chamboko - 28 September 2024

George Zulu reports about Muslim Chipokela & Chamboko villages:

Hi man of God, Kees, and man of God, Kwacha, and the whole team.
I would like to share with you what happened after the crusades we had here in eastern province with Kees. Pictures above show Muslims who are now helping others to know Jesus. I visited Chipokela village were we had a Muslim woman who asked Kees to help her with a prayer after a message at his car. This woman didn't receive an ABT and speaker because they were finished, but yet she has helped her fellow Muslim women to know and understand Jesus. 41 women joined Christian churches because of her teaching. She is requesting an ABT and speaker to help her do more teaching. Since we have run out of ABTs, she will be helped when we will have more. She has helped a lot. The other Muslim leader is from Chamboko village. When I visited the place after a month, I found over 60 Muslims who had accepted Jesus and now said: “We didn't know that Jesus died for us”. The number is growing every day because of this Moslem teacher. He was teaching Quran and Muhammad, but now he is teaching Jesus.

News from Mzimba Baptist Church - 22 September 2024

Mzimba Baptist Church leader reports:

The Audio Bible Teacher is performing very well and people are very much happy, because they now understand what is in the bible much clearer than before. We have some members who are not even able to read, but now they can understand very well when they are listening to the audio bible. This bible is helping us even when we have open-air evangelism. The teachings that are in it help people to transform their lives.
May our good Lord bless the evangelist who offers the ABTs to us.

Deliverance at JOÃO's Church - 9 September 2024

Pastor Kees reports from Mozambique:

I am now in Quelimane, Mozambique, spoke again at João’s rural church today, and five more ladies were totally delivered from bitterness wounds due to sexual abuses. Immediately after they said to the abuser “I forgive you” their bodies relaxed out of their terrible traumas. After church we visited a very poor lady member of João’s church who invited us for a meal; her amazing sacrifice. But four neighbor-men and three ladies accepted Jesus as Lord of their lives. This is Africa, seeking hard after God.

Makwenda Village Gathering - 27 July 2024

In Makwenda village, Katete, pastor Kees preached at Makwenda where we had a record 678 people receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. Ten churches were represented, totaling 1500 people.

Motorbikes well received for Ministry - January 2022

Pastor Kwacha arrived in Petauke on 18th Tuesday at 10:28 hrs at the motorcycle assembly workshop. He was welcomed by coordinators who fully witnessed the assembling of two motor cycles. Mr Elesani Zulu and Mr Mwale who got the motor bikes on behalf of Eastern ABT outreach coordinators.

Visit to Rwanda from YWAM Morogoro

Fabien Iyamuremye, an elder of YWAM Morogoro, Tanzania returned from Rwanda with one group of pastors committing to translate from our English and Swahili lessons all into the KinyaRwanda language. I have also personally had very good contact with their dedicated lead pastor Clement Rgiwanda of the Disciples of Jesus Assembly. Another Rwanda pastor, Christian, who is fluent in both English and French, will now soon complete the French text for our HWotH book. He understands that it needs to be accurate as it will be used to translate from French into regional African languages in countries where French is the national language. That will open the door for us into DRCongo.

Joshua Generation International - 10 July 2021

Through the Joshua Generation International several pastors are preparing to use our materials in their remote rural ministries. In western Kenya, close to Burundi, a Pastor Stephen Etyang Kalasinga is busy translating our book and lessons from English and Swahili into the regional Ateso language while Pastor Richard Matola is working on translating our book and lessons into Tumbuka of northern Malawi (he is an ex-Muslim from eastern Malawi), and Pastor Tadele Asefa, the chairman of The Joshua Generation International of Ethiopia is already about 20% on his way translating the book and lessons into the ancient Ethiopian national Amharic language. Pray with us that the Lord will strengthen and keep on encouraging these translators to finish the major projects they have committed themselves to, and to find us a professional translator of the HWotH book into Portuguese as well. We will do our best to reach the poor, the bad and the good, along the highways and in the forests (Luke 14:23), inviting them to the marriage banquet.

News from Niassa Province in Mozambique - 7 July 2021

Joseph Chikopa from Nsanama, in eastern Malawi, an elder in YWAM Malawi, reports:

We have faced many challenges this year. One of our disciples who was staying at our YWAM base died. He was hit by a car. Not only that, but also some of our disciples were really persecuted; one man was killed by unknown people in Mpita village. But our God, is still at work, many people are giving their lives to Him, more than before. One leader from a mosque was surprised after we gave him an audio bible and after he had listened about the topic of healing the wounded heart he came to us and said: “I want to know more about Jesus, because after listening to this my heart has been healed, and I want to follow Jesus.” His name is IS. The Audio Bible Teachers are doing amazing things.
Apart from that, the ministry is growing a lot, and we have disciples who are making disciples. God can use persecution for multiplying the work. People are following Jesus more than before.
About the Audio Bible Teachers, we need 300 more ABTs if possible.

The Gospel spreads like wildfire - 10 October 2020

Pedro Trigo of YWAM in Niassa, Mozambique reports...

The gospel is spreading like wildfire and it started in October 2016 among rural people.
This week we have had a wave of baptisms, 37 people were baptized and another group will be baptized this Sunday.
Plans are underway to visit the house churches that are faraway, like Mecanhelas & Cuamba.
This wildfire was caused by a Mozambican who laid down his life for his King Jesus. He was provided with some 3,000 AudiBible Teachers with three language programs on them, namely Portuguese, ChiYao and Chichewa, all 3 of these languages are spoken in Niassa.

We still need to find a volunteer to translate the lessons from Portuguese into Macua-Meeto.

The Audio Bible Teachers a great help during COVID-19 - 10 May 2020

Peter Calimambondo from Tete in Mozambique writes, how the ABT's are being used during the COVID Pandemic:

"In Samoa were I visited, there are three groups that continue to meet. They thank God for the ABTs that came at the right time. He said with the closure of churches, the radios are playing a big role now and people are being fed spiritually. This is helping Christians to remain connected to each other as they meet to learn from the lessons on the ABT. If we didn't have these ABT's I don't know how we were going to survive spiritually, because all churches are closed we are not allowed to meet and sing but we can meet and listen. We are most grateful the provision of these ABTs. This is how effective the ABT's are in this period of lockdown."

ABT Bible Study Group - 26 January 2020

GROUP VILLAGE HEADMAN KATHUMBA. Today we visited some Bible study groups. One of Bible study groups that was very interesting is from Kathumba G,V,H. This group of people had already started listening to one topic per week. After listening to the ABT they discuss what they heard and get different answers from the people in the group. This week they were discussing marriage. Please pray for this village so that this Group can be a good example. Pray for this group to go and start other Bible Clubs.

Community Leader Baptised - 15 January 2020

A community leader was baptised.

Report from Zambia - January 2019

By Joesph Kabwiku

On 9th January 2019 KAMFINSA. Ministered on the condition of heart of man. Many of the long term prisoners responded with broken hearts and a prayer of confession. 28 souls were impacted and 12 made open confession.

On 12th January 2019 CHONDWE PRISONwas visited. We were welcomed by the the current Officer in Charge. I had so many new inmates around. I gave out 2 Audio Bible Teachers, to add to the 8 which they already have. I had 25 inmates who responded to the Healing of the Wounded Heart message.

20th January 2019 KAWEMBESHI. I had 4 listener groups of an evangelistic team we had formed. We had to go to Lufwanyama by bicycles to visit the care groups. We managed to see only one care group as most of them had gone farming. We had a good rapport with each other even though we shared different Faiths.

23rd January 2019 PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLY. They invited me in a cell group of KITWE Kwacha ASSEMBLY of God to talk about the lessons from the ABT. I talked about the lessons and immediately, a woman by the name Chanda promised to walk with me in ministering to SOULS in rural villages. She is a WIDOW and 61 years of age. I gave a detailed explanation on the vision of the founder and the impact we have made in rural villages, countries and amongest the Muslim community. The impact made by our new Field Director Kwacha Mvula amongest the community in Makeni area was a great encouragemnt for the members of the cell group to willingIy volunteer and to go visit the ISlAM community, that I had visited last month along Ndola road called TWAPYA.

"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we faint not."

News from Bishop Livingstone - December 2018

Bishop Livingstone writes from Luchenza in Malawi: "I was with the Senior Chiefs Group of Village Head men and Paramount Chiefs. They asked that we may pray with them, thanking God for the Rains, the good Year 2018, and the better Year 2019. They added that God may bless the Vision of ABTs which are helping many lives. The issue of quarrels is now news in many areas through the help of Bible Lessons where people are learning the power of forgiveness. The Senior Chief Ndalama who organised the event, the one in a green suit, encouraged other Chiefs to establish more Listeners groups in their Areas so as to rest from being busy solving problems of reconciliation and forgiveness and at the same time having a Missionary ready right there in the Villages without supplying any food for him. That's the ABT. The Missionary among the poor and underprivileged."

FPMF Africa Update by Kees – 2018 November

These past two and a half months I was led to check out the lead from a close Afrikaner pastor-friend in Manzini, Johan and wife Madalene Malan. They suggested that I contact Dorothea Sending with headquarters in Roslynn, Northwest of Pretoria. I met there earlier this year with its director Joseph Nota, who showed great interest. I have found that this organization today works with little support from the church, but its teams of workers are diehards for our Lord’s sake, I will keep the results brief as the focus of many of you may be turning toward Christmas.

In Chokwe in the Southern part of Mozambique I found a dear friend in Daniel Hlungwane who is excited about the ABT lessons that he plans to record in the Xangani tongue of the larger part of Mozambique. His people have already finished translating 10% of the lessons.

In Tete a team headed by Peter Calimambondo and an associated missionary from Zimbabwe, Timu Takawireyi, have already distributed by now some 100-plus ABTs in rural Chichewa speaking areas with major impact. They are now visiting friends higher up North where they speak Nsenga that is also prevalent in Zambia’s Eastern Province. I hope to pass on soon a report from them.
And in Harare, Zimbabwe, I found another active team of workers headed by Nkhoma Lyson. They committed themselves to translate the lessons into Shona, the prevalent language of Zimbabwe. Now a week later a team that left the base for a field encounter in rural villages when I was leaving also, reported that they baptized 15 people.

When I finally returned on Saturday the 24th of November to Swaziland and visited a Zimbabwean living there, he surprised me with having all lessons already translated into Shona, ready to go after completing entering the lessons into a PC. Lyson has now instead committed himself to tackle the Tonga language for translation. All of a sudden Father God is bringing three major language programs to the ABT for Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia, programs I have been praying for at least three years.

Also, the kiKaonde of Northwest Province of Zambia and Southern Congo is now completely translated and being recorded and edited as we speak in Lusaka by Radio Christian Voice.

I am now heading home to write a small book about “Healing of the Wounded Heart”. Many people have asked for this so that I feel that this is part of God’s plan for me. Please pray for Father’s anointing when I write this book. In the meantime, Audio Bible Teachers will continue to flow into remote rural African villages, God willing, and change many lives for eternity.

ABT's on their way - May 2018

Another load of 2100 ABT's are on their way to Nampula, Northern Mozambique. These ABT's have the audio Bible on them as well the lessons, Healing the Wounded Heart. They will be distributed to listener groups in the rural areas.

Letter from Maximum Prison Death Row Section, Kabwe, Zambia - April 2015

"This serves to inform you that as condemned prisoners hereby appreciating the Word of God thoroughly done here at our section through you. As condemned prisoners...sometimes they resort to stress and worry. At times they led to think death would give them sotall and rest from misfortunes, frustrations as well as long life struggle of the incarceration

"As prisoners, we are still human and need interaction with other humans as part of rehabilitation. We owe you a debt of profound gratitude because you have not displayed a contempt for this section – condemn and a love of Christ and the world to come... Today as condemned prisoners we have chosen to always listen, study God’s Word as Jesus demonstrated... you urged us not to trust our feelings because they are very deceptive. In the midst of being persecuted and tormented (physically and mentally) we have vowed to obey God rather than man. In other words your teaching has healed our hearts completely. Whatever we are subjected to, no matter how much we Are reviled, despised, unloved, and even if we are put to death, we would freely choose to obey God."

Samfya Baptisms - October 2015

We gave a three day long seminar in the prison of Samfya, Luapula Province, Zambia. Much emphasis is always placed on the amazing love Father God has for us. This is so that inmates will receive hope for help from God and then assist other inmates to ask God to heal their hearts. At the end of the seminar we baptized 38 inmates, five of them ladies.

We often see how inmates struggle with demons as they leave them when they come up from the water. But here it happened to two men. When they came out of the water an invisible hand pushed their heads under again so that they were drowning, slashing with arms and legs. It seemed so easy for them to get on their knees and be far above the water with their heads. They just could not. Others then rushed in and lifted them out and on dry ground where they still lay slashing with arms and legs for a few minutes until they would finally come to some rest.

Ten days later their prison chaplain “Visitor” told us that the men had together come to him two days after the baptism, telling him that this had been an amazing experience for them: “We did not know that life could be so pleasant and peaceful”. We see here again that God is so faithful to His promise in Psalm 91 verse 14: “Because He chose to love me with all his heart I will deliver him and put him on a high place because he knows Me.” And: “I will honor him”. May our Father be glorified all the time.

Bishop, Paramount Chief Delivered - September 2015

When we recently gave a three days long seminar in the Medium Security Prison in Kabwe, Zambia, we saw once again God’s hand marvelously at work. One inmate I had known since December 2011had been remand in custody in Lusaka Central Prison. He had been convicted, to his great surprise, of aggravated armed robbery and been sentenced to 15 years hard labor. This surprised me as for the two years I knew him he had been a real inspiration to so many of the more than 2000 inmates in that prison in Lusaka. He was very capable of bringing them close to God in worship.

But now I met him during one of our seminars. In the fifth lesson we taught about healing of the wounded heart. At the end of the lesson we lead prisoners in a personal prayer in which each personally asks Father God to show them a deep painful wound in their heart. Then I lead them to ask God to forgive them for having stored up the related bitterness toward the person who hurt them in their past, and to help them forgive that person and begin loving him. Little do we know what happens between these men and their heavenly Father.

The following day as we were beginning a lesson about demon possession. This friend Bishop /Paramount Chief asked if he could share a testimony of what God had done for him last night. He then shared his background with the group. He had become a well known evangelist in Zambia after a theology study in Nairobi, Kenya. But in 1983 he had been called home because his father, a Paramount Chief had died, and as oldest son, he was called to take over the reigns.

He had permitted himself to be taken through all traditional African ceremonies to become the Chief However, since that day he had been tormented every night for the rest of his life by his father as he appeared in his dreams. Last night had been the first night he had been free of this torment, and he wept and cried for a long time. Again we see that our God is faithful to His promise to deliver those who choose to love Him with all their heart (Psalm 91:14). Oh what a wonderful God we serve. Now , a year later, he remains free of this torment and has been released from his torment.

Because of his healing Father God has opened a new door for ministry, now in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where a close friend of our Bishop is also a Bishop of a major church organization that operates in the entire Swahili speaking region there. Since May this church has been working on interpreting our lessons into Swahili for our Audio Bible Teacher. Father keeps on leading and opening doors for expanded ministry for Fatherhood Prison Ministries. We bless His name for He is so good.

A Report from Mark Chibesa from Kabwe, Zambia - September 2015

Prison visits have been so successful. The Spiritual mood amongst so many prisoners in the Condemned and Long Sentence sections is very encouraging due to the fact that Audio Bible Teachers are doing tremendous transformation in their lives.

This has prompted the President of Zambia, just this week, to commute 332 condemned men and women to life sentences. Their faces have changed from sad, ugly and worried to happy, beautiful, smilling faces adding value to the eternal glowing glory of the Almighty Father God. This transformation has been noticed by one of the top commissioners who came to my office. He said, "This gadget has the stuff that is turning the penal institutions upside down. We've had reports that prison officers now find it easy to control inmates."
Mark - July 17 2015

Revival reports - 2015 February

Swaziland's national chaplain is reporting so much revival among inmates in the Matsapha medium and maximum security prisons that it greatly affects also the lives of high ranking officers.

There is also an amazing level of revival in the Female prison Mawelawela. On Sundays now a few inmates are even conducted to churches to give testimonies of what is going on inside.

Thank You Father, please continue to glorify Your name!

Ex-inmate speaks now on National Radio

Bheki Simelani