An Expanding Ministry

On their second visit to Uganda one pastor suggested to Janis and Laurie that the prison ministry should be extended into other parts of Africa. This was repeated on their third visit by a Congolese Pastor (Pastor Israel Lenge), resulting in a ministry trip to DR Congo in 2009. That trip covered 4 countries – Uganda, Kenya (just for a weekend) Zambia, where through the choir ministry in the UK contacts in two Zambian prisons were already corresponding with Janis and Laurie, and finally up into DR Congo. Later that year a mission was undertaken to Kenya with the main aim of encouraging prison ministry there. Pastor Israel Lenge had been leading a church in Kenya and had helped to organise that mission. He was so encouraged by the results of the ministry both previously in Congo and now in Kenya that he felt God’s call to return to DR Congo to specialise in prison ministry there and currently is setting up Streams of Mercy Prison Ministries, Congo. Janis and Laurie visited DR Congo again in May 2010 with the aim of launching that ministry, and again in July 2011,June 2012, and Janis alone in May2013. In January 2013 Janis and Laurie ministered in  South Africa and Janis include a visit to prisons in Zambia in May 2013.

To date 67 African prisons have been visited. (33 in Uganda, 15 in Kenya, 4 in Zambia,7 in DR Congo and 8 in South Africa) and over 3800 inmates have indicated a desire for God to change their lives, as well as a few prison officers! These men and women are being followed up by local pastors. Some have now been discharged from prison, are leading honest lives in the community and are established in local churches.

Picture: Left to right. Pastor Jimmy Wandera; Ex prisoner (now a committed Christian), Laurie Homewood.

Another prisoner in Tororo came to see us with the news that having accepted Christ as a result of our ministry, he was released two weeks later and reunited with his wife who, having returned to her parents home during his imprisonment, was so impressed with the change in her husband that she became a Christian also! Both are now established in a local church and the man is now studying to complete his education and thus improve his job prospects.