Mulimutya? (How are
you?) We’re John and Janel Breitenstein, serving in Kampala, Uganda with Engineering Ministries International (eMi), East Africa.
eMi is a non-profit
Christian development organization designing facilities
that serve the poor in developing countries. These facilities (hospitals,
orphanages, schools, clean water projects, etc.) directly impact communities by
meeting physical needs and communicating God's love in a practical way. We
partner with Christian workers, pastors, and other non-profits who have a
vision to help the poor and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Employing
primarily local construction labor in our Construction Management program provides
a ripe mission field for intentional evangelism and discipleship.
East Africa contains some of the poorest
nations on earth. Our hearts are invigorated and amazed by what God is
accomplishing to bring true hope to this beautiful place.
John is currently Personnel Manager. This is a curious hybrid of about
six different roles in our growing office! But it particularly includes “Member
Care” of our international staff, also extending that care to missions organizations
that aren’t large enough to have member care; managing local Ugandan staff;
helping with office organizational strategy; running human resources; and more.
He conducts conflict management seminars for regional missions and church
workers, and training seminars for our local staff. John loves this “internal
shepherd” role—and that it extends beyond the office into a thriving community
among the eMi staff that functions a great deal like the early church in Acts
2.
Janel’s work occurs largely from home with the numbers of people that
circulate through our gate, enjoying dinner with us or a cup of tea on the back
porch. Most of her time is dedicated to caring for our family, particularly our
four children, whom she educates. Janel also teaches weekly Bible classes at a
local refugee center.
Our family’s ministry is largely indirect, as we provide support for
members of eMi—itself a support ministry. Our office is constructing a hospital
and community center for HIV patients aided by Cherish Africa. We’re helping
the people of Bahanama, a small community in western Uganda, to find clean
water—managed by a local intern our office is training. We’ve designed and
managed a facility that trains pastors in Jinja, Uganda. It’s exciting for us
to see God provide tangible physical resources to some of the poorest of the
poor.
More directly around us, our family witnesses God moving in the lives
of our friends and coworkers: like Monica, our Ugandan friend who was given in
marriage at the age of 13, and now seeks help to run her own business and raise
her two daughters. He’s deepening the walk of the surveying students from a
local university where John’s assisted in a practicum class that offers a
chance to use surveying equipment they’ve never seen—with a side of in-class
devotions and work on an eMi project. We’ve seen him change the life of Oliver,
an AIDS orphan who’s worked for our family for two years. We love to see him
work in the interns that we mentor—both from the Western world and East
Africa—as God works powerfully in the next generation of believers. 
God is unquestionably the main character in the story He is writing in
East Africa, and it’s deeply humbling and fulfilling to be a part of His Body
here. If you’d like to stay in touch, you can find us here on our blog or Facebook.
. 
The opportunity we see before us is to bring aid to poverty-focused, gospel-centered Christian ministries;
to build quality structures of relief for the poor where they may grow in grace;
and to help build into the lives of men with the gospel of Christ.
"How can we help?"
- Pray for us. Pray that God's Kingdom would come with power in East Africa, and any other ways you feel compelled to pray! Check out our newsletters and current prayer requests on this page.
- Encourage. We'd love to hear from you.
- Give. Our salary--our food, groceries, and rent that keep us serving in Uganda--is dependent on the generosity of others. We're hoping to have our financial support secured by our departure in January 2012. If you'd like to do this electronically, click here. Gifts can also be sent (made out to eMi and designated to John and Janel Breitenstein) to eMi, 130 E Kiowa, Ste 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
