I am pleased to announce an incredible blessing from God for our 4^th Annual Evangelism Training and Outreach at Manna College in Kenya. It is coming up in just a few months, July 30-August 13. This trip will feature the replacement of rusted and hole-filled, 40-year-old roofs on two of Manna’s buildings. In an unexpected act of generosity, money from the Jo Oberg Memorial Fund has been donated to Great Awakenings to help pay for this. Funds in the amount of $45,000 have been graciously given for the project. Through this donation, along with construction volunteers from Great Awakenings, we will be blessed to replace these roofs that have had perpetual water leak problems for many years.

Ms. Oberg served a 20-year career in the U.S. military. In the year following her retirement from the U.S. Navy, she came to faith in Christ. The spiritual transformation provided a second career for her. Eventually, she became a missionary with OMS International and also started up her own mission’s organization, Jo Oberg Ministries. Her passion for Christ and missionary work landed her in Tiwan. There she traveled to various cities sharing the gospel, and at one point, also travelled to China to secretly distribute Bibles.

Jo Oberg went to be with her Lord on August 11, 2023. The donation from her Memorial Fund to replace these roofs will be a great blessing to Manna College for years to come. The memory of Jo Oberg’s passion for missions and evangelism will live on through the work of Manna College as they train gospel workers to proclaim Christ throughout Kenya and East Africa. Proverbs 10:7 says, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing…”

One of the important life lessons I have observed through this extraordinary gift is this – planning ahead. Jo Oberg was able to provide this blessing, because she planned for it. She had a will and planned to set aside some of her finances to be given toward God’s work after her death. If she had not drawn up a will, nor laid out for what would happen with her finances after she died, none of this would be taking place. It would have been a missed opportunity.

If you do not have a will, please take time to do some research and get one set up. And whether your financial nest egg is big or small, plan to allocate some of it to the work of missions and evangelism. My wife and I just updated our wills a few months ago and anticipate doing this very thing. Let us all learn from Jo Oberg and have the legacy of our love for Christ continue through planned giving. 

Our 2026 Kenya Ministry Team

I am excited to announce the 7th and final member of our 2026 Kenya Ministry Team.

You are likely familiar with him, Cecil McLeroy from Rogers, Arkansas. He is part of the Rocky Branch Baptist Church. He started doing mechanical and construction work as a teenager. For a career he worked for 30 years with Baldor Electric, and in his semi-retirement he owns and operates McLeroy Lawncare.

Cecil went with us this past summer as part of our construction crew. Originally, he had not planned to return, but God began moving on his heart that he needed to go back to see his Kenyan friends and finish the job he started.

Along with me, Cecil will be joining our other team members, whom I wrote about in my year-end letter. Eddie Darby, from Belleville, Kansas. Mariah Mazur, from Rogers, Arkansas. The Vajda family; Jim, Ruth and Maggie, from Wakefield, Kansas. (Pictured: Eddie)

Before I started writing this newsletter we completed the purchase of our airline tickets. We thank God for your gifts that enabled us to do that.

We are still working with Manna on the details of all the ministry we will be doing while there. This is what we have at printing time.

• Clint: I will be teaching the Evangelism Class to Manna College students each morning and afternoon. In the afternoon, there will be evangelistic outreaches that will be taking place. Then in the evening, I will be preaching at nightly outdoor evangelistic meetings. I will also be preaching in local churches and have other speaking engagements.

• Eddie, Cecil and Jim: This will be our construction crew. Their main focus will be working on the roofs of two 100 x 20 buildings at the Manna College campus. They will be removing all the metal sheeting and the wooden frame that it is nailed to. Then they will install a new frame and lay down new metal sheeting. (Pictured: Vajda family)

• Ruth, Mariah and Maggie: Their focus will be ministry to women, youth and children. Some of their outreach will involve teaching, giving testimonies, sports, games, crafts and coming alongside some of the Manna College women staff to help with cooking, serving and other duties while building relationships.

Our entire budget for this ministry trip to Manna College is $93,000, including the cost of the roof replacement. All of our team members are working to raise their portion toward this goal. We are a month into our fund raising efforts with $42,000 left to go. (Pictured: Mariah)

Would you like to prayerfully consider joining with us? Perhaps you might like to give a donation toward one of the team members you know, or toward the trip in general. Pray to see if God would have you provide a gift of $5,000, $1,000, $500, or a gift of $250, $100 or $25. Click here to learn how you can give. 

1 Corinthians 12:14 says, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many.” Praise God for the body of Christ! As we prepare to return to Kenya, we recognize that one gives, another prays, and another goes. Together, with our different roles, we are one body working to accomplish what Christ has commanded.

The Clyde Christian Church – Since 1890

One focus of Great Awakenings in our 21 years has been to be an encouragement to small and rural churches. There are so many of them in America, and they make up the spiritual backbone of our nation. Over 40 Sundays ever year I am preaching God’s Word in these churches with sometimes three to 25 people, and it is always an honor to serve them.

One of those has been the Christian Church in Clyde, Kansas. It is a town of less than 700 people with one protestant and one Catholic church. The Christian Church sold its building due to declining attendance and income, but they continue to meet at the Community Historical Building. (Pictured: the old building)

They started in a schoolhouse in the countryside around 1890. Then as population declined, they moved to town to their previous building. Over the years they have watched the Presbyterian, Baptist and United Methodist churches all close.

For a long time they have not had a full-time or part-time pastor but a rotation of preachers from Sunday to Sunday. There are thousands of churches just like this across America. Because of your support I am privileged to minister in churches like Clyde Sunday after Sunday. And every week when I stand up to the pulpit, I study hard, prepare diligently, pray and give my very best to honor God, that each person may truly know Christ and live for Him with all their heart. Paul stated in Colossians 1:28-29, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Pictured L-R: Shirley, Trish, Joyce in their new meeting place)

Thank you for taking time to read this newsletter, and I hope and pray you have been encouraged in your walk with Christ.

Servant of Jesus.  Servant of Yours,

Clint Decker
President
Great Awakenings, Inc