Jenkins Update Happy Spring

Happy Spring! We have been enjoying the warmer weather here in ND! Living for so many years overseas where we had mainly two seasons--raining and dry or muddy and dusty -- I have been enjoying the seasons here in the U.S. This Spring seems especially meaningful as many are getting their COVID vaccine and we are starting to see the beginning of the end to this pandemic. Spring symbolizes hope.  After a cold dark winter, the longer days of light and warm sun bring joy. Ruth, our daughter was able to spend her Spring break with us recently. It had been a long 14 months since we had been together--the longest I had been away from any of my kids. It was a wonderful week, wedding dress shopping, wedding planning and just catching up. In a little over a week our son, Caleb, and his wife will be here for Easter. Then our other son Ethan will be here for the long weekend! I can not express to you how much having my family gather means to me. We have really enjoyed this season of having our oldest daughter Sophia and her family living close this year. Hanging out with my granddaughter Penny has been a delight! Ruth trying on my wedding dress for fun!  Dave and I have been pretty busy these days. I have been babysitting for a couple of families 3 days a week but have recently reduced it back to two days. Dave is doing a project with Global Neighbors another non-profit that is in town that works to welcome immigrants. Dave is running a leadership cohort of immigrant leaders to learn about our community, each other, and how to make change where we live. For more information check it out here https://www.bismarckglobalneighbors.org/nilp We have also been busy with our EADC ministry. We have started a new series on Facebook called What is the Church?  We are doing these live Sunday mornings at 9:00 am CT or if our granddaughter sleeps over on Saturdays we do it Sunday evening at 5:00. We are discussing what are some of the more important reasons that we as believers gather and as we move out of this COVID season what we are desiring Church to be. What did we miss the most about Church? We have had some great public discussions as well as many private discussions with people who have reached out to us. We see that this series has struck a chord. Dave has also engaged in several conversations on social media as well as many African Whatsup groups he is a part of giving information about the COVID vaccines and helping to correct misinformation that can spread over these groups. This season reminds us of ways we would partner with local medical and government in our early years in Uganda when we were fighting the Aids epidemic.  As we have had COVID and also gotten our shots we have felt safer to engage our community more. We have visited several ethnic churches on Sunday mornings. There are 6 African churches that are currently meeting here in the Bismarck/Mandan area. It has been enjoyable to meet more friends from Africa and we always enjoy singing and worshiping with our brothers and sisters. We have also been invited to eat in a few homes and have enjoyed getting to know these families better. Eating African food has been a bonus!  We are looking forward to starting to host people in our home as things open up more here. I have really missed not using my hospitality gifts. Thankful that we have had so much of our ministry online as it was easy to pivot in this past season. Off to visit an African Church in Bismarck,ND Besides serving Africans living here in our community, missional living has also called us to live incarnational with the marginalized and under-resourced. We are living in low-income apartments and many of our neighbors are native Americans. Dave has gotten to know many of our neighbors as he is out walking our dog and has had many conversations. This last week, there was a knock at our door and one of our neighbors asked if I could give him a ride to help his mother who had recently had a fire in her apt and was moving into a mobile home that had been given to her after her father had passed. I was free so I said sure. Dave was resting at the time or he would have done it. As we were driving I was asking him about how his mom was doing after the fire and how his partner and young child were doing. He mentions how helpful and kind Dave had been the night of the fire. Then he shared your husband is easy to talk to. He said he seems very genuine. I said yes Dave is the real deal. As I dropped him off in the mobile home park, I was struck that God is using us here. Not just with what we think is the focus of our ministry but also just in how we live with our neighbors. I am sad sometimes that we are not in a position to own our own home but then I think who would be a light in this apartment building?    Thank you to all that make it possible for us to serve as missionaries here! Are you wondering what to do with your tax refund or your incentive gift? Please consider either a one-time gift or becoming a monthly supporter. Give Now

2020 Year End Overview

Name of Project:  East Africa Diaspora Community    Progress of the organization (person) towards stated goals (or lack thereof): It has been remarkable that the Jenkins were able to notice a significant shift in the secondary migration of Africans into the Dakotas and relocate to be close to it.  Most people are not as aware of demographic and economic movements as the Jenkins, and how that impacts missions.  We also find it remarkable how the clustering of Africans that are in Western North Dakota are so like the Jenkins’ experience.   There is a cluster of West African from Nigeria and Cameroon where Jana was conceived and born.   The other cluster of East Africans is largely Kinyarwanda speaking with a heritage of cattle keeping in Rwanda, Congo, and Burundi.    That is a great follow-up of the relationship network the Jenkins had developed as they worked with Rwandan, Burundian, and Congolese refugees during their time in Uganda, and then served in Rwanda later. We are also pleased to see how quickly the Jenkins were able to shift plans to remain relevant during the pandemic.   With Dave’s past column writing and their radio experience plus how they have tried to use social media to stay relevant as their network scattered, they were able to shift quickly to keep disciplining relationships ongoing when face-to-face contact became minimal. Financial Health of the organization (person): This is one of our biggest concerns.   The Jenkins have been living on the poverty line for several years.   They survive by working multiple jobs.   It is tragic that such effective missionaries struggle to find adequate support.   Dave spent months this year enumerating for the census.   Jana babysat.   It made good sense for Dave to resign from the pastor job when the church would not create a Covid policy at the time North Dakota had some of the worst infection rates in the world.  Yet, it does create another financial struggle. We are a bit at loss to know what to do to turn this corner.   We see almost no missionary who brings the network and skill set that the Jenkins do to the East African Diaspora.   Yet, most local church mission committee’s policy frameworks would not support this work.   Most denominational structures would not promote the necessary unity.   The ministry is highly relational while most foundations are looking for specific items to do.   Items of praise and gratitude to God: The Jenkins lived through Covid.   Though recovery is taking time we do not see them as Covid long haulers. The Jenkins influence grew significantly on social media during the pandemic.    For instance, on Dave’s Facebook Live sermon today there was dialogue from Burma, Uganda, United States, and Rwanda.   The amount of diversity is out of the ordinary.   The dialogue came from both missionaries and church leaders.   The Jenkins’ voice is greatly respected among their peers. Items of concern for prayer and further monitoring: The Jenkins health: Dave’s spine, Jana’s diabetes, and Timothy’s cerebral palsy.   We are encouraged that Dave is running and, in the gym, again.   We are encouraged that Jana has lost weight and diabetes numbers have come down.   We are encouraged that Timothy’s left foot healed well from surgery and he is active. Any additional information to share? We are curious how the relationship will develop with other immigrant-serving non-profits in North Dakota.   We feel that EADC needs to establish good partnerships with local churches and Christian nonprofit organizations for long-term success.    We are hopeful for Dave’s short-term contract with the Global Neighbors leadership program.   We are also thankful that Dave has picked up a few opportunities to preach in Anglo churches in the last two months.   We hope he can do that more frequently. Are there additional services that your support network can provide that might interest you or help the ministry to flourish? We perceive that Dave and Jana have been greatly underutilized by the American church after their return to the United States.   It may be their gentle nature.   They also see themselves as friends and peers of Diaspora people, so they do not market their network as a project.   If you come across churches or organizations that need expertise in East Africa, disabled sports, and recovery from injuries there are few people with more fruit or expertise.   When the Jenkins are in Kampala or Kigali they are known within the top tiers of government, media, business, and education.   If the need arises within churches or organizations, you know please get in touch with the Jenkins to serve as consultants or speakers. Dave and Jana are enjoying the sunrises and sunsets of North Dakota. Thanks so much for your support of the Jenkins and their ministry to East Africans in the Dakotas and around the world.  The EADC Advisory Board  GIVE TODAY