Crio Annual Report 2008
Crio Annual Report 2008
Dear Fellow Leaders of Crio Ministries:
First I would like to thank all of you for standing with Janice and me during 2008 which has been an incredible year of growth for Crio.
The highlight of the year was for us to visit our churches in four nations of southern Africa. This was our first "solo" mission trip to Africa. It allowed us to present the Crio vision and establish the leadership principles and policies that we guide our ministry by. The response was overwhelming, and 2009 looks to surpass 2008. This prospect could be unsettling in some ways, but we know it is of the Lord and He is with us in this ministry of planting and nourishing churches in Africa.
A quick summary of 2008
projects accomplished:
1) Burkina Faso: a new church's outer walls
plastered; completed two school buildings-one for a Crio Bible College and the
other a Christian primary school; financed an exploratory trip to Ivory Coast
for possible church planting
2) Ghana: two plots purchased for a Bible College;
45 students graduated from Crio Bible College in Kumasi
3) Nigeria: sponsored several crusades with
Bro. Lynch; roofed a church in Port Harcourt; two pastors recruited from
adjoining nation of Cameroon
4) Sudan: completed eight-person dormitory for
Crio's first in-resident Bible College; financed trip to Zambia for
national director to attend our leadership seminar; graduated six pastors in the
First Year Course (they have all returned for the second year studies at
present); provided laptop computer and copier
5) Zambia: held three day leadership seminar
attended by 75 pastors (50 have affiliated); financed crusade and
provided rent for Christian pre-school in Chipata; personally held outdoor
crusade in Lusaka with 60 conversions; preached on Christian TV and radio
6) South Africa: purchased a tent for a new
church in Hammanskraal; provided a laptop for a new church in Jeffreys Bay;
purchased a PA system for a new church in Johannesburg; held a one day
leadership seminar in Hammanskraal
7) Botswana: held a three day leadership
seminar and affiliated three new pastors; visited several villages for
possible church planting, including a new plot of 20 acres in Mabua donated by
the village chief to Crio; attended tent crusade in Francistown conducted
by Bro. Magwenzi and saw his new truck
8) Zimbabwe: purchased a large commercial
truck to transport the 2,000 seat tent of Evangelist Kenneth Magwenzi;
purchased digital camera and PA equipment for Bro. Magwenzi; provided
emergency food for churches in Bulawayo area; provided support for four
orphans to cover school fees/food; affiliated new pastor in Harare and
added 11 new churches in Bulawayo area; financed crusade to plant new church
near Bulawayo
9) Uganda: affiliated five new churches in
Kampala area
Crio continued to provide funds in Kenya for two
orphanages in Kakamega, and two orphan projects in Kitale and Gakoe totaling
over 100 children. Medical care, food, clothing and school fees are
provided as well.
Janice and I visited our Crio church in Duncan, Ok. in Jan. to see the remodeled church that Crio financed. Pastor George lost his beloved wife in Sept., however, after a long-term illness and coma.
Crio's first employee, Dr. David Ajibabe, of Tulsa was made Administrator of Crio Bible College and will oversee the progress of all our students in Africa and the U.S. The First Year Curriculum has been completed and we now have 60 formal lessons to train pastors/leaders with. Crio is now set up with the U.S. government to monitor R-1 (Religious Worker) visas, which is quite an accomplishment after much paperwork, forms and an inspection of our Poteau headquarters by Homeland Security. The approval of this status will allow us to add more workers to come from Africa as the Lord opens doors for, and one is in the process of applying now from Zambia.
Crio also administrates the endowed Bev Hesser Memorial Scholarship at Hosanna Christian School in Klamath Falls, Or., that is now in its fourth year of awarding $300/semester.
We have continued to partner in many areas with Bro. Winston Lynch in Africa. In the Congo a new open-air PA system was purchased for crusades, and all of Crio's Bible College curriculum has been translated into French, the language of learning there. In Kenya a well was dug in West Pokot, two 4WD vehicles were refurbished, a church roofed in Gakoe, a corn crop financed for the needy in Kitale, and expenses to relocate a church in Manyatta was provided. A small home was constructed in Nairobi for a pastor displaced by the post-election violence and monthly support provided for him for twelve months until new employment found. Crio also supported some of Bro. Lynch's travel expenses. A new endeavor was also begun to support an outreach to Torit,Sudan, by the church in Kitale. Two Kenyan pastors were schooled in Yei, Sudan, at our new Crio Bible College who will plant churches in the Torit area in '09. In cooperation with the Government of South Sudan, Crio also has begun to reconstruct a bombed-out primary school in Torit, finance teachers and provide food for students. They even allow us to teach the Bible!
Copy machines and computers were financed for the Charismatic Seminary in the Philippines.
Crio is coming up on its ten year anniversary this Dec. Since that time we have financed all or part of 31 Crio church buildings and 26 Living Stones Churches totaling nearly sixty projects. Most had the the land purchased as well. The newly finished Mission Home land in Nairobi was also financed and some of the construction. Five vehicles were purchased and several PA systems. We are now working with 166 Crio churches and 59 Living Stones churches in 14 African nations totaling 225!!! The Bible says "not to despise small beginnings," Zech. 4:10, and who would have known such a dream could develop into what Crio is today. Well I guess the Lord knew, and we ask you to join your prayers with ours for His Spirit to continue to lead us into His paths.
About the Father's business, Bro.
Ron