The Operation Breakthrough Team (l-r): Mrs. Jenny Simons and The Rev’d Canon John Simons from the UK, Pastor Matthews Mwalw’a, The Rev. Elizabeth Utugi Kamau, Mrs. Elizabeth Talitwala, and Mr. Charles Ngethe from Kenya.

n recent years, different SOMA missions highlighted the work of the Holy Spirit in intercession, spiritual warfare, community transformation, and reconciliation. We brought overseas guests to minister in the USA, and we advocated breaking down denomina­tional and racial barriers. All of these ministry foci intersected in one recent extraordinary and unprecedented event—Operation Breakthrough!

During this intercessory prayer mission in late June, 115 people came together from around the nation and especially from eastern Prince William County, VA. Ten days of mission was long enough to bond with one another and become a body of multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-denominational folk.

Ten days was long enough to pray together and to learn from our Kenyan and British team members through their teaching, sharing, and example. We learned from Scripture that five major sins defile the land: idolatry, sexual immorality, bloodshed, slavery, and broken covenants. We also learned about identification repentance from the Kenyans—how to follow the example of Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah of identifying with our forebears and praying and asking God’s forgiveness for sins that have been committed on the land.

Near the end of the mission, a mighty move of repentance swept over the gathering, and the sound of public confession and weeping over the sins of our nation could be heard by all present. Each of us entered into repentance for the pervasive idolatry in our land. Races repented for their sins against one another, and both men and women con­fessed sexual sins that had ensnared them and that have become endemic in our land. A male Hispanic pastor embraced a white female Episcopal priest in a profound demonstration of humility, repentance and reconciliation. This powerful God-encounter lasted five hours, and partici­pants knew they were in God’s real and holy presence.

The mission allowed time for us to put the principles into action: we applied the repentance in prayer for healing and restoration. Small teams went to strategic locations in the community to discern, pray, and do spiritual warfare. We visited places that a core team of intercessors discerned to be geographically related to the major sins that defile the land.

Host rector, the Rev. John Guernsey says, “I had prayed specifically that God would give us some kind of indication that He was moving in our prayers. Since Operation Break-through, reading our local newspaper has been exciting.”

Matthews and Utugi call the mission to worship.

For example, one participant had the opportunity to pray for the mayor of a nearby town as others of her small team prayer-walked the area of the municipal buildings. The next week the Town Council of that same community voted an Operation Breakthrough participant, a godly pastor, to fill a vacant seat on the Council. Praise the Lord!

After one of our small groups prayed at a large events center, a self-proclaimed satanist postponed indefinitely a concert there because of a family medical crisis. While we rejoiced at the cancellation, we also took the opportunity to pray for healing and that the Lord will bring them to salvation.

Another group prayed at a nursing home, a very dilapidated and depressing place. One team member had a vision of the buildings being lifted up by their foundations, the land scraped clean and the buildings being replaced. Three days later the newspaper reported that this same nursing home is going to be completed demolished and entirely rebuilt. No beds will be lost! Praise the Lord!

Operation Breakthrough was so important because there was a great impartation of faith and anointing to us all. It gave intercessors a solid Scriptural foundation and under-standing, practical experience, and the desire to pray for specific strategy in their own communities. Like any good mission, this mission put “feet” to what we have read about the effectiveness of corporate, united, effectual prayer. �

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Overseas Missionaries to the USA

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The Rev. Elizabeth Utugi Kamau.

peration Breakthrough was extraordinary for many reasons, but one of the most notable achievements was that 115 persons gathered for ten days to sit at the feet of anointed teachers, mostly from Kenya. Our honored guests from abroad taught from experience and with God’s revelation and insight.

“Much of the teaching sent shock waves through my spirit, so much so that I wondered: Where have I been all these years? Why haven’t I known this before?”

The Rev. Elizabeth Utugi Kamau was the pri­mary presenter. She distributed a 104 page outline of her material, giving participants an invaluable tool to have for reference. Her teaching was practical and presented with ease and humor.

There is power in living in the “opposite spirit:” receiving rather than giving; getting in touch with our need, rather than always having the answers; saying “Thank you” for bringing good news to the USA. �

You Mean I Can Go???

By Ms. Julie Fanton

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Sarah Jackson and Johnson Ebong-Oming (left) team teach.

can’t believe I got to go to Uganda! I mean that’s for really holy super-Christians isn’t it? I am just a plain ordinary Christian, who teaches a few Bible studies. A journey of faith is the best way that I can describe our mission in April to Lango Diocese, Uganda. A time of learning about faith, seeing it in action and stepping out myself.

The Rev. Dr. Ron Jackson, St. Luke’s of the Mountains, La Crescenta, CA, led our multinational team. Other members included: Ms. Sarah Jackson, St. Lukes; the Rt. Rev. Henry Orombi, the Rev. Canon Felix Anecho Okello and Archdeacon Charles Upoka, all from the Nebbi Diocese, Uganda; the Rev. Johnson and Mrs. Vicky Ebong-Oming from Kampala; and me, Ms. Julie Fanton, Prince of Peace, Woodland Hills, CA.

Bishop Charles Ordu-Kami, consecrated just last year, asked us to lead a conference for his clergy. They felt isolated and disillusioned. Although the situation appears almost overwhelming, Bishop Charles is a Spirit filled man of vision. By faith, he has started with what little he has and is moving forward.

Our conference was the first time the priests and spouses of the diocese have ever been brought together. After our presentations on leadership, family, stewardship and pastoral care, they spent time in small groups working through questions, sharing their own difficulties, and encouraging one another. They began to form friendships. Most of the 200 in attendance even camped out together on the Cathedral floor for the duration of the conference.

As for stepping out in faith myself, well I pretty much had to. I was very insecure about teaching and preaching and wanted to prepare well in advance. God, however, had other plans and preferred that I operate in the power of the Spirit instead of my own power. It worked out just fine.

The wonderful people in Lango Diocese with whom I shared, laughed, and wor­shipped will own a part of my heart forever. My parish is starting a mission program and Lango diocese is our first project. I will treasure my mission experience forever, and I pray that God will call me to Uganda again, and again, and again. �

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Intercessor Training in the USA

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t a special meeting last October, the SOMA Board decided to expand SOMA’s ministry within the USA with a special focus on training intercessors. In addition to the Operation Breakthrough mission for people from around the nation, we have also offered intercessor training for three parish retreat weekends this spring.

Mrs. Brenda Dormstetter (All Saints’, Woodbridge, VA) and Mrs. Judy Lynch (Church of the Savior, Ambridge, PA) led an on-site prayer room for a women’s retreat at Christ Church, Overland Park, KS. Mr. Bill and Mrs. Marney Geesey (St. James, Newport Beach, CA) and Mr. Mark Scotton (St. Luke’s, Akron, OH) trained interces­sors for the men’s retreat at Christ Church. Mrs. Betty Mallory (All Saints’, Woodbridge, VA) led the prayer room covering the St. James, Newport Beach, CA, womens’ retreat. The goal was to equip the local intercessors to lead prayer rooms themselves.

As a result of this hands on ministry, SOMA is becoming better known in the USA. One rector concluded that at her church, “SOMA is a well-known name…and, it is associated with the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer ministry.” �

Director's Corner       By Mrs. Edwina Thomas, National Director Go to the top

Jack and Donna Wheatley

A SOMA Family Welcome!

t is with great joy and excitement that I introduce SOMA USA’s new Associate Director, Mr. Jack Wheatley.

Jack was chosen from an outstanding field of persons who applied. Four of our Board members and one former Board member interviewed him and his wife Donna, and I know that all of us are pleased with this choice.

Edwina Thomas, Director

Jack and Donna come from St. Clement’s Pro Cathedral in El Paso, TX. Former SOMA missionary, Mrs. Melanie Wayne attended our Board meeting in San Antonio in early March and immediately thought of Jack when we discussed the position opening. Upon her return home to El Paso, she drove directly from the airport to Jack’s house to personally hand him the job application. Jack phoned me to talk on several occasions and then met a couple of times with a Board member who lives nearby. After looking over his application, we invited him and Donna to fly to Woodbridge to spend four days with us—staff, Board members and the All Saints’ community.

We all noticed that he is a man of remarkable character and integrity, with a genuine ability to establish relationships and engage with people.

Several things have captured my attention about Jack and his potential with SOMA. He comes from the business world. He and Donna experienced a call to the mission world seven years ago and have walked out the “waiting time” through obedience in the midst of significant obstacles.

During one of our conversations, he said something like this: “I have heard about the bishop from Malawi and two priests who were recently in Albuquerque for 10 days. Now that’s the mission trip I want to go on. I would talk to each of the churches about SOMA’s work, meet with potential donors, and build SOMA’s mailing list and donor base.” Ah, I wish you could have a “snapshot” of the cartwheels that my heart was doing!

Jack and Donna are both sure, as are we, that this is where God wants them. We look forward to their arriving in Virginia in the fall.

Welcome Jack and Donna!

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