November Updates

As we usher in the Advent season, I am so grateful to each of our MOPS Africa leaders for the sacrifices they make to share the love of Christ with women in their communities. With God at their side, these leaders are the reason we are celebrating another successful month of MOPS in Africa.

This month, we welcome Meble, Fosua, and Claire into our MOPS Africa Volunteer Team, as our newest Cohort Leaders. As we grow in size, now reaching almost 200 groups, it's important that we have leaders on the ground who can help keep our groups strong and focused on the purposes of the MOPS ministry. I am honored to have each of these ladies join the team!

Meble, Uganda

Fosua, Ghana

Claire, Rwanda

With our newest Global Curriculum finalized, we are well underway to have it available in seven additional African languages: Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda, Luganda, Lhukonzo, Twi, French, and Portuguese. Here, one of our most rural teams in western Uganda is translating by hand into Lhukonzo.

This month was the first meeting for two of our newest groups in Nigeria. Below is Pure Word MOPS Nigeria. Welcome to Emmanuella and her new group!

And, here is a peek inside some of our other MOPS meetings and trainings across the continent this month:

Ewutu Breku MOPS in Ghana. Harriet, Fosua, and Philomina congratulating momma Gracie Aidoo on her newborn baby 

MOPS Zambia monthly leadership meeting. Also, congratulating leader Lozi on her newest addition!

MOPS CPM in Nigeria during a birthday celebration

MOPS group in Kigali, Rwanda have a snack during their meeting

MOPS Mentor meeting in Nigeria, led by Chioma

MOPS group in Northern Rwanda, visited by country coordinator Stephanie. This mom is sharing how MOPS has changed her life and her marriage!

Leader Maureen's group learning to hand-sew in Lusaka, Zambia

Nakuru, Kenya MOPS and leadership meetup

Monthly leadership meeting for MOPS Ghana

Wordway Liberty MOPS in Ghana

Blessed Mothers MOPS in Nairobi, Kenya

Soroti MOPS in Eastern Uganda, led by Peace. Please also pray for Peace as her home caught fire this week and there was much damage as a result.

Wayaki MOPS in Kenya

October Updates

Another month into this crazy year. And though my posts are generally upbeat, I don't want to minimize the hurt and tragedy of this year on so many of our MOPS moms around the world.

The economic impact of the lockdowns and the medical issues many have faced this year are nothing but terrible. And my prayers go out to each of the leaders and moms that are struggling right now. Our ministry encourages and equips moms. We believe that better moms truly make a better world, through a relationship with Jesus and their local church. When church is impossible to attend, and when we can't meet in person for encouragement and community with friends, we have to cling even harder to the only One who is always there, lockdown or not. May our strength and refuge be in Him today and every day. May He see us out of the other side of this valley.

This month in MOPS Africa, saw a rise in trainings and new groups as some areas have been able to open up recently! We have recently welcomed 24 (!!) new groups in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. God is good.

Blessed Mothers, Nairobi MOPS - led by Carol

Assembly of the Disciples of Christ MOPS - led by Theophine

Our Kenya team has been busy, visiting and training groups in various regions of the country this month. Well done ladies.

Kisii MOPS, visited by coach Pamela and country coordinator Sylvia

Nakuru MOPS, visited by coach Pamela and country coordinator Sylvia

North Rift Valley conference on Oct 30, led by coach Janet and attended by leaders all over the region representing six MOPS groups

MOPS Ghana also had a training in a new area to share about our ministry. I was so happy to be a part of it over Zoom, and look forward to the fruit of their efforts!

I want to send a special congratulations to our several MOPS mommas who have had babies these last few months. And specifically to one of our group coordinators - Rosemary in Tanzania.

And finally, a congratulations to MOPS Zambia Country Coordinator for her ordination this month. May God be with your always, Pastor Favour!

Here are a few other beautiful faces we saw this month:

Preparing food at the Amasaman, Ghana MOPS meeting with Rev. Dorcas

MOPS meeting in Lusaka, Zambia with coordinator Elevine

Riverside MOPS meeting in Kenya

Waiyake MOPS meeting in Kenya

September Updates

Writing these monthly posts always brings such a smile to my face. I love celebrating what our African leaders are doing.

First, I want to celebrate the team that God has so faithfully put together these last few years. Our African groups are under such good care, and it is a special thanks to this MOPS Volunteer Team that dedicates their time and resources to continue the success of this ministry. Thousands of lives (over 4,000 families to be exact) are changing because of these women as well as the leaders of all of the 160 African MOPS groups. 

In other big news, our newest Global Curriculum has finally been released! It's a beautiful collection of 12 devotionals for our groups to use in their meetings, with creative ideas to bring joy and practical application into their mothering experience while helping them take their next step towards Jesus.

We'll be working to get this translated into eight (!!) African languages over the next few months for release in early 2021.

As many lockdowns continue to ease, the African groups are trying to meet together again. Here are some great photos and stories of this past month:

We have 11 new MOPS groups in the Kasese area that started this month! Here is Kathwekabuya MOPS

Ghana monthly leadership meeting

Leah and Sylvia visit Gatundu MOPS in Kenya

First face-to-face meeting in Guinea Bissau, as the group started during the lockdowns

A Kigali, Rwanda group sharing their recently made beaded bags

Bugalo Uganda Teen MOPS working hard in their sewing class that they do in conjunction with their MOPS meetings

Our new MOPS leader, Ruth, working with a church in Danane, Ivory Coast to start a MOPS group

Rev. Dorcas and one of our MOPS Ghana groups meeting outside

Kiyabobo MOPS in Western Uganda

Waiyaki, Kenya MOPS meeting

Special Needs Uganda MOPS meeting

Githunguchu, Kenya MOPS meeting

Dominion MOPS in Lusaka, Zambia

Waiyaki MOPS moms in prayer

July/August Updates

After a blogging break last month, I have so very much to update you on. What an amazing God we serve!!

We have added three new MOPS Africa Coaches this month. We warmly welcome these women of God onto our official MOPS Africa leadership team:

Chioma Obasi, representing Nigeria

Leah Njeri, representing Kenya - Nairobi 

Janet Kimitios, representing Kenya - North Rift

Filling two new Kenya coach positions has allowed Sylvia Nyameche to move to a country coordinator role for MOPS Kenya. 

Congratulations to all of our newest MOPS Volunteer Team.

Earlier in August, South Africa held its Virtual MOMCon. Sonja and Ernadize hosted a wonderful event, and a terrific replacement (given the circumstances) for the big conference we were supposed to join them for in person this summer. They used videos from last year's US conference, and well over 200 moms joined them live for this great two-day encouragement and training opportunity. Several MOPS groups in South Africa are in the process of being started because of this awesome event.

Three big trips took place this month, as areas slowly ease COVID restrictions:

1. In Kenya, MOPS coaches Pamela and Janet, along with Pastor Sammy, visited all seven North-Rift region MOPS groups. As leadership was passed on from Pamela to Janet in this MOPS area, these remote groups were very excited to get updated live training and greetings from the Kenya leadership. 

Sylvia and Leah also took a trip to check on some area groups. And most recently, Sylvia traveled out to Mombasa on the East side of the country to launch a brand new group!

A visit from Pamela and Janet to Makutano MOPS

Sylvia launching Kenya's newest MOPS group, in Mombasa

2. Five members of the Ghana leadership team, including coach Harriet, took a trip to a new region - Cape Coast - where they met with 38 interested leaders from many local churches to teach them about the MOPS ministry. We look forward to welcoming many new groups as a result of this trip!

3. Stephanie, our MOPS Rwanda leader managed to visit 7 of the15 Kigali-based groups this month, before the government re-imposed stricter lockdown restrictions. They were all so happy to have a visit with her after such a long time away.

And here are a few other fun highlights from the last two months: 

Zambia leadership team meeting

Waiyaki MOPS meeting in Kenya

Gatundu MOPS meeting in Kenya

Zambia MOPS meeting in Lusaka, with coordinator Elevine

Selfies at the Ghana leadership meeting in Accra