We are so blessed and excited to have the opportunity to take our family to Zimbabwe for a six-month mission trip. We are writing to you in hopes that you would be part of our support network. More on how to do that at the end of this letter. Over the past four years 

we have partnered with a Christian non-profit organization called Beacon of Hope International (BeaconInt.org) and have traveled to Africa, specifically South Africa & Zimbabwe, to teach the HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program called Smart Choices. We also had the opportunity to train other people to teach the program and visit local orphanages that BOHI sponsors. Each of our short term mission trips lasted around two weeks but we both have a desire to continue serving in Africa on a much deeper level. After much prayer and careful consideration, we feel God calling us back to Africa. We are planning to go for six months in 2016, from March through the end of August. We plan to bring the whole family, kids included! The kids will be 12,10, and 3 at the time of our travel.

Why six months? What is there to do for that long on a mission trip?

Bryan has one specific goal for being there six months: to start and build discipleship programs for all the elementary, Jr. High, H.S. & even some Jr. College students that participate in The Smart Choices program. Since this is a Christian organization, the program does include The Gospel. We talk about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and what it means to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. During our short term mission trips, we saw around 1000 students consider themselves Christians or accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior for the first time. This is where the discipleship program comes into play.  This program will help the students understand what it really means to be a Christian – a follower of Christ. There will be one-on-one training, small group discussions, Bible reading and memorization, Scripture application and prayer while in a fun and friendly atmosphere with other young men and women who want to increase their knowledge of and love for Jesus. We are very excited to have the opportunity to do this in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Obviously, going to this location will be much different than back at home, but how we make disciples of Jesus should always be the same. Ultimately, Jesus himself commanded his own disciples to make disciples. Matthew 28:18-19, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

A big part of implementing a new program like this is leadership training so that it will continue after we return home. The discipleship program will not be limited to just Zimbabwe. Our vision is that the leaders we train will take this program and implement it in the other countries of Africa where Smart Choices is being taught, namely, South Africa, Zambia, and Uganda.

Anjuli and the kids will be working with the local orphanages and farms to help support families and children in the area. The details will be better defined the closer we get to March.

Why Bulawayo, Zimbabwe?

There are a few reasons why this is the best location to launch this discipleship program in Africa.

1. Resources! We will be able to partner with Scripture Union, a Christian evangelism and discipleship organization that focuses on children meeting Jesus through the consistent reading of the Bible. We were able to train leaders from this organization in 2014, so they’re familiar with Smart Choices and they have access to all of the schools in the area. Scripture Union has already made contacts and built relationships with thousands of students. This will be a big help in inviting students to be a part of the discipleship program.
2. Jeff & Tammy Scorziell! When they lived in the U.S., they attended the same church as our family. On a practical level, it will be nice to have some friends nearby. More than that, they will be there for us as mentors to guide us through life in Bulawayo. Jeff is the Lead Pastor at Bulawayo Baptist Church. He will help us understand the culture better and the way of life in Bulawayo, which will help us in building and running the discipleship program.
3. Tammy Scorziell & the Sandra Jones Center! Tammy is amazing and she runs two different farms: a chicken farm, as well as a big self-sustaining farm full of fresh vegetables, fish, chicken, goats, and rabbits. These are on the property of the Sandra Jones Center (SJC), where they both care for orphans in a family atmosphere, giving them hope for a better life. Anjuli and the kids will be helping Tammy on the farms and at the SJC.
4. Bulawayo Baptist Church! This will be our home church while living in Bulawayo. We also will have a chance to serve the church, whether it’s on Sundays or during the week through community outreach opportunities like soup kitchens, kids programs, and an annual VBS with hundreds of children in attendance.

There are two primary ways you can be part of our support network:

Prayer Support:  Prayer is what will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in ministry. Without prayer, nothing will happen. We will post prayer requests and trip updates at watanabemission.blogspot.com and on the BOHI blog. Will you commit to pray for us and will you email us to let us know?

Financial Support:  As you can imagine, a trip like this requires financial support from a number of people. We need to raise $35,000 by the time we leave in March. If you can support us in a financial way, we would be very grateful. We need both one-time and monthly support. All contributions are tax-deductible.

Give by Credit Card   Choose the "Pay in Installments" feature to give monthly support.

To give by check, make checks payable to “Beacon of Hope, Intl” with “Disciples2016” in the memo.  Mail to 24851 Costeau St. Laguna Hills, CA 92653.

We are excited about the opportunity and experiences the Lord has in store for us, and what he will do through us. We hope you see the value in what we will accomplish and that you will partner with us in meaningful ways. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Love, 

The Watanabe Family