Koisaso is a Maasia Village in central Tanzania. It is a new area for the Maasia. They just migrated to the area last year from their ancestral lands near Arusha. Changing weather patterns near Mount Kilimanjaro have caused persistent and devastating drought. Much of their land has turned into a dust bowl. They walked - 21 days - to move their families and their herds to the new Koisaso grasslands. Grasslands that will support their way of life.

I had the thrill of visiting Koisaso in late January while in Tanzania. You may be asking, “Why was it a thrill to go to this remote Maasai village?” It was a thrill because Koisaso is our “grandchild”. It is home to a third generation church plant. The church we planted at Lake Jipe Orkung’u, Kenya (June 2005) planted Lossimingori, Tanzania (April 2007) who planted this new church at Koisaso, Tanzania. That makes them our “grandchild”. But the story doesn’t end there. Koisaso has two sister churches – Endarara and Mnyikwa, both planted by the Lossimingori church in 2011!

The Koisaso Church, Tanga Region - Central Tanzania

Our church at Lossimingori, pastored by Emmanuel Lazier, is a model for church planting. Pastor Emmanuel is our first indigenous pastor to graduate from a Bible College. He is following in the footsteps of his mentor, Pastor Reuben ole Tiges, of our Lake Jipe Orkung’u, Kenya church. He is leading his church to obediently fulfill the great commission and the result is what every missionary prays for - a Church Planting Movement. A CPM is defined as rapid church multiplication led by indigenous people groups. That’s what is happening in Tanzania and Kenya.

The Endarara Church, Arusha Region, Central Tanzania

Mark Maynard (L) and Reuben ole Tiges (R) with the Elders of Endarara Church

How did it all begin? In 2005 you prayerfully and financially supported us. You sent us and we planted two Maasai churches. Now, the Maasai of those two villages have planted dozens of churches. Hundreds have come to salvation and thousands living around them, from various tribes and tongues, have come to faith in Jesus Christ. That is why visiting Koisaso, our most recent “grandchild”, was such a thrill for me.

Mnyikwa Village, Tanga Region, Tanzania

We pray that you will continue to support this life changing work – there is still much to do! And we Thank You for partnering with us as we watch God’s family grow!

Watch for more on my recent trip and our humanitarian work!

howFar will you go in 2012?

THANK U FOR GIVING US FOOD

Recently we received this touching letter from the village for Lossimingori, Tanzania.

THANK U FOR GIVING US FOOD.

"Dear Mark, I greet u in the name of our Jesus Christ! Its our hope that u're fine and ur mission. The main reason for writing this letter is just to thank u for food provision. To be honest the maize u gave us has been a blessing to us. U served [saved] our life. As u have seen the photos, we expected 100 people but they came more than 400. That shows how big the hungry people.

Also Mark, I want to ask u that don't forget us because we still need u. Right now people are starving. Pray for us."

Shuaka Oltimelogi
Village Elder

Still little rain has come to the Tanzanian savannah...and our friends are still hungry and malnourished.



This Christmas, give them the gift of life sustaining maize.

To help click the DONATE button to the left....and give!

howFar will you go?

howFar Thankful For Donations For Famine Relief

No Rain Has Eliminated All Grass For Livestock

On this Thanksgiving Day howFar Ministries and The How Far Foundation are tremendously thankful for our supporters who have responded to the call for donations to send relief to our partner villages in East Africa. Although the worst reports of suffering are coming out of Sudan and Northern Kenya, eastern Kenya and northern Tanzania are also enduring severe drought conditions.




Women Gather And Wait On The Dry Savannah Waiting For Help

To date, howFar has sent nearly 8,000 pounds of maze to two of our hardest hit villages in Tanzania and Kenya.


The Food Distribution Will Feed A Large Family For 3 Weeks

To help feed the hungry in our partner villages in Eastern Africa make your tax deductible donate online or send your donation to;

The How Far Foundation, Inc.
4295 Suwanee Mill Drive
Buford, Georgia 30518

This Thanksgiving Day let us remember those who are not able to feast as we are...but are still thankful for the our Lord's provision.

Mark Maynard
Founder, howFar

Drummers of Burundi at 2011 Mission Fest

Many of you will remember that we invited the Drummers of Burundi to the 2010 howFar Celebration Banquet. We were so impressed with there moving and powerful performance that we invited them to join us at Cross Pointe Church, our home chruch in Duluth, Georgia, for this years Mission Emphasis.

Watch this unique and awesome rendition of Amazing Grace!



"And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Revelation 5:9, ESV

Horn of Africa Drought

The worst drought in 60 years has hit eastern Africa. In June, USAID reported that over 10 million people in the region require humanitarian assistance to stay alive. Since then the situation was deteriorated.


Included in the affected areas are our churches along the Kenya/Tanzania border. Our church members, primarily Maasai, depend on their cattle for survival. Because of the drought the remaining Maasai herds, now emaciated and depleted by nearly 50%, have been moved to areas far from the village to find water and grass.

Our friends are living in famine conditions. That means there is no meat, no milk for the children, and little food in the villages. They are now suffering from acute malnutrition. In response, we have sent all of our reserve funds to help feed the families in our churches.


Please pray about sending an additional gift, above your regular donation to support this ministry, for our churches in East Africa. This is a situation that demands a response. These are not strangers seen on the news in some far away land. They are our friends. They are the people who have heard and accepted the gospel because you sent us to them. They are desperate people who cannot help themselves.

You can help! howFar will you go?

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'
And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'
Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'"
Jesus Christ (Matthew 25, ESV)

Send your relief donation to:
Place a note with your gift directing your donation to "Africa Relief".

The How Far Foundation, Inc.
4295 Suwanee Mill Drive
Buford, Georgia 30518

Celebration Banquet Cancelled: The famine at our churches in East Africa requires that all of our resources be reallocated to humanitarian aid. We simply cannot justify the cost of this year’s banquet when so many of our friends and fellow saints are suffering so terribly.

2011 Celebration Banquet

EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO AFRICA DROUGHT.

Are you curios about what God has done through howFar this year? Come and see!


This years Celebration Banquet will feature several powerful presentations about our work in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The evening will include an encore performance by the dynamic Drummers of Burundi and an Africa dinner buffet.

You won't want to miss this exciting family event.

Charity tickets go on sale September 5th!

I am saddened to share with you that Maurice Abuto Amadi, my right hand in our work in Africa, has died. Maurice, not yet 30 years old, went to be with the Lord Tuesday after a two month stay in the hospital. It is not immediately clear what took his life. I know that Maurice suffered from reoccurring bouts of Malaria and Cholera, among other diseases. As with so many of my friends and acquaintances, since I first visited Kenya in 2002, it is God's will that he was taken by Africa.

(Lillian & Maurice Amadi-Far Right)

Maurice served me as driver, assistant, aid, interpreter, guard and nurse since 2005. More than that he was my friend, brother in Christ and my African son. We traveled together, across East and Central Africa, at least 20 times proclaiming the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please pray for his wife, Lillian and for his family. Maurice and Lillian were never able to have biological children but "adopted" several over the years - taking them in, caring for them and paying for their education.

Maurice leaves a void in our ministry that can never be filled.