ELI TIMELINE:
- 1986 – Don Rogers takes first trip to Kenya with his church as the pastor from USA meets and agrees to a return visit to Africa (Living Spring Christian Fellowship – Garden Grove) but this time to Tanzania.
- 1987 – USA Church plans trip to Tanzania.
- 1988 – Church and Africa trip leadership leave church – trip to Tanzania canceled. Church board informs Tanzania pastor by letter.
- 1988 – Pastor from Tanzania writes back to USA church and invites them to send someone – Don agrees to be the church representative and leaves for Tanzania for a one month trip to and around Mwanza, Tanzania. God led encounters, shocking poverty, suffering pastors, and openness to the Gospel turn Dons world upside down. Upon his return and sharing the stores of the journey – Seven other people ask to join Don him on his “next trip to Africa”.
- 1989 August – Don leads first short term team to Tanzania village ministry- holding open air meetings and simple training sessions for Christians.
- 1990 – USA Church raises funds through garage sales to sponsor two boats and a fishing net to help suffering pastor in Bungonia, Tanzania,
- 1990-1994 – Don returns each summer to explore and expand some economic projects with the local churches while also holding leadership training sessions for pastors. Several short term teams join and participate.
First projects were located in Igoma, Tanzania which include: Propagating and selling tree seedlings, Cement water storage jars, Hand powered washing machine, Poultry production, Cement roof tile production, Cinva Ram earth Block press production, 55 gallon metal drum oven Bakery. During this time Don meets and is assisted by Kenyan – David Tarus.
- 1994 – Pastor of church and two businessmen meet with Don and encourage him to launch a 501 C3 ministry. First STAFF join the ministry as Cathy Bushnell and Wendy Ludovici live in Tanzania to start indigenous Christian Pre-School and Dynamic Youth Ministry Program.
- 1995 – Empowering Lives International becomes official! Church (Living Spring Christian Fellowship – Garden Grove, CA) provides small office space and access to office equipment. Name of EMPOWERING LIVES INTERNATIONAL is chosen as best representation the calling and overall goals to see people empowered Spiritually, Physically, and Economically.
- 1996 – Don and Amy are married and move to Tanzania. They make exploratory trip to Kipkaren, Kenya (Home of David Tarus).
- 1996 – 2000 – Don and Amy move to Kenya to begin Kenya ministry and construction of Training Centers with David Tarus in Kipkaren River and also Samuel Teimuge in Ilula. Short term teams participate and help expand the ministry. Demonstration farms are established and expanded to include appropriate technology, agriculture, and animal husbandry.
- 1998 – Empowering Lives Tanzania is registered and initiated with home base being on the shore of Lake Victoria near Bunda, Tanzania.
- 1999 – Jesus Cross Over Bridge constructed in two weeks in partnership with Kipkaren River community / ELI / Hillside Community Church (Cucamonga, CA).
- 1999 – Anti Alcohol Programs begin with Village wide survey and visit from short term team Dave Kentish (Lambs Fellowship Murrieta, CA). The program grows rapidly and passes the milestone of seeing over 1,000 people set free from alcohol within four years.
- 2000 – Ministry in DR Congo begins at request of Congolese National leadership. First projects begin in Keredi slum with women’s Bible study and soap making project.
- 2003 – Kenya leadership Samuel Teimuge meets Sudan Pastor Stephen Reech in Eldoret, Kenya.
- 2003 – ELI partners with Kipkaren, Kenya community and local village church to begin construction on a desperately needed health clinic.
- 2004 – ELI Expands construction in DR Congo – Keredi Slum with additional School classrooms at ELI Christian Academy – helping over 300 needy children. Chihonga village “Get Your Goat” program takes root and grows to help over 200 families.
- 2004 – ELI launches several village wide HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns that are soon followed with counseling and testing programs.
- 2005- First Orphanage opened in Ilula, Kenya – eventually caring for 96 full orphans.
- 2005 – ELI Kenya leadership agrees with Stephen Reech to launch Empowering Lives Sudan. Reech make his first trip back to Sudan in fourteen years! While there he is given land by the local chief and in turn ELI is given 50 acres to begin operations near Bor, South Sudan.
- 2006 – SUDAN Christian Primary School is launched being the first school in this location in over 20 years. Beginning with 170 children from ages 5-15 – all begin in the first grade!
- 2006 – ELI begins collaboration with a successful training strategy to initiate Dynamic Business Start-up Program in Kenya.
- 2006 – Second Orphanage opened in Kipkaren, Kenya – eventually providing care and education for 95 orphans.
- 2006 – Brook of Faith Christian School constructed and opened to provide schooling to almost 100 orphans and other children from surrounding villages.
- 2007- Kenyan Missionary Isaac Ruto joins ELI Tanzania leadership to begin a FIELD FARMER training strategy that over the next few years proves highly successful in terms of results and cost effectiveness.
- 2009 – April – ELI opens ONESIMUS Dairy Cooling Plant as a for profit business in Kipkaren River, Kenya. Over the year this business grows to employ 7 people and purchase milk from over 1,000 needy families.
- 2010 – Isaac Ruto returns to Tanzania with the goal of impacting over 5,000 families with the FIELD FARMER training strategy.
- 2006-2010 – Training Centers in Kenya, Tanzania, DR Congo, and So. Sudan continue to partner with village families, local pastors, and communities to provide training and the message of God’s love to see lives transformed and empowered spiritually, physically, and economically.