A Sacrifice to Cover our Greatest Need

"If out greatest need had been information God would have sent an educator. If technology, a scientist. If money, an economist. If pleasure, an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour, Jesus."

          May this Christmas season be a vivid reminder of the immense love Christ had for us, even while we were stubbornly continuing in sin, that He would die in our place so those who accept His gift might see Him in Glory!

Update from the Field

The following report, by Mike, one of our team, explains some of the ministry opportunities God has provided here in Sudan. He has been working in terrific and numerous ways; what a privilege to see His plans unfold!

Kajo Keji

After an epic 8000km overland journey across eight countries, we were warmly welcomed to Kajo Keji by the very friendly and down-to-earth Bishop Anthony and his staff. We had a very effective and appreciated time of ministry in Kajo Keji Diocese.

Evangelism Workshop

We had a week of Evangelism Workshops everyday from 08h30 to 16h30 from Tuesday to Saturday focusing on Evangelism and Discipleship. Some of the topics that we dealt with were: A Biblical Vision of Victory, Abiding in Christ, The Greatness of the Great Commission, Principles for Soul Winning, The Greatest Book, The Ten Commandments, Evangelism Explosion, The Way of the Master, The Challenge of Islam, Comparing the Bible with the Quran, Gold Nuggets for Evangelizing Muslims, The Uniqueness of Jesus in the Quran, The Lordship of Christ in All Areas of Life, Missions 9 Ways, The Power of Prayer, Understanding Humanism and The Heart of the Gospel.

Libraries for Pastors

Each day we distributed specific books to the participants according to the topic we were dealing with. The book, Faith Under Fire in Sudan was particularly well received with expressions of honour and gratitude.

Film Ministry

Every evening we showed a film for the participants. Some of the films we showed included: True and False Conversions, The Biggest Question, More than Dreams, Sudan: The Hidden Holocaust, 3 Days in Sudan, and The Way of the Master: London. It was truly a great experience to watch the participants watch the DVD, Sudan: The Hidden Holocaust. There was a constant hum of excited chatter and comments throughout the film as participants were recognizing faces and places, and at times in horror remembering the suffering of the past. This was undoubtedly the most appreciated film.

Sunday Services

On Sunday each of our team members had an opportunity to minister at a different congregation for Sunday morning Worship services.

Personal Evangelism

During the week, after each day of lectures, the participants had the opportunity to go into the local area amongst the villages and do personal evangelism. They returned with joyous reports of villagers who had trusted in Christ.

Prison Ministry

During the week we had opportunities to minister at the local prison and police station where we had the opportunity to share the Gospel with the prisoners and saw many trust in Christ.

School Ministry

We also ministered at the local Primary and Secondary School where all the students took refuge from the blazing heat of the sun under the shade of a large tree and we had the opportunity to clearly share the Gospel with these enthusiastic kids.

Bible College

We had the privilege ministering to students of a Bible College. We shared with them about Evangelizing Muslims.

Military Mission

We had the privilege of going to the SPLA barracks to share the Gospel with the soldiers. After seeing the taking down of the flag by a military officer, I was able to show the soldiers, and their wives and children, how their flag has the Gospel in it. The black on top speaks of how our hearts were dark with sin; the red in the middle shows how the Blood of Christ cleanses us and purifies us of sin; the white lines speak of how our hearts can be white as snow; the green shows us that we must grow in Grace, reading our Bibles, fellowshipping with other believers and praying; the royal blue shows us that we are now sons of the King; and the gold star shows us that we will be in Heaven one day forever.

Gratitude

As we left Kajo Kaji many participants reported how they had been extremely blessed by our coming and that they had learned much from the lectures and pleaded with us to come again. They thanked Frontline Fellowship deeply for the literature and books that we had distributed among them.

Lui

In Lui we were warmly welcomed by the friendly and down-to-earth Bishop Stephen and his pastors. We were hosted at the old Samaritans Purse doctors' compound.

Evangelism Workshop

We had an effective and appreciated week of ministry at the Lui Diocese beginning with taking the morning devotions at the Lui Hospital for the staff and patients. We held an Evangelism Workshop in the Frazer Cathederal having 22 pastors, leaders, and evangelists attend the workshops. Some of the topics we dealt with included The Greatness of the Great Commission, The Heart of the Gospel, The Greatest Book, The Way of the Master, Evangelism Explosion, The Ten Commandments, The Lordship of Christ in All Areas, Patterns for Soul Winning, Principles of Soul Winning, One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven, Missions in the Bible, The Power of Prayer, Africa's Greatest Need: Discipleship, The Challenge of Islam, and Comparing the Bible with the Quran.

Market Place Evangelism

We also gave the participants the opportunity to put into practice what they had been learning by going out into the market place to do personal evangelism.

Logistics

We were able to help the Diocese practically by driving to a remote village to collect food items that were a donation for the Synod meeting in Juba. The Diocese does not have a working vehicle. The Land Rover is dilapidated and irrestorable and the truck is heading for a similar condition, but there is still hope for it. They are struggling to get spares for their vehicles. Although the vehicle may have been parked off for a minor problem, because of the delay in repairing it, other deterioration sets in and eventually it is a total wreck.

Hospital Ministry

We spent a long time discussing with one of the doctors at the Lui Hospital about some of the challenges they are facing. The hospital is desperately short of staff. Since Samaritan's Purse left in 2007 the hospital has taken a serious turn for the worse. The nursing school which Samaritan's Purse left behind is vacant and 'crying out' for someone to use it. The hospital is 'crying out' for nurses and doctors. The patients are unable to be sufficiently assisted due to a shortage of nurses. Some critical operations have to be postponed because there are no nurses to assist the doctor in theatre. The X-ray machine is in a steel shipping container which is unsafe. The list goes on. Lui Hospital is in desperate need of help.

Film Ministry

We also had the opportunity to show certain films at night in the Frazer Cathederal which included Sudan: The Hidden Holocaust, The Biggest Question, and The Jesus Film in Arabic. Each night hundreds gathered to watch these films.

Mundri

We arrived in Mundri and muddy road. It had been raining the whole day so the road was very slippery and somewhat difficult to navigate around the huge potholes especially with the trailer which is still quite full of books and literature. I had to drive extra carefully with the trailer because the suspension needed repair having broken last week on our way to Lui. The folk at Lui assured us that we will be able to find a welding machine in Mundri.

Warm Welcome

We were well-received by Bishop Bismark and by the Director of the Teacher Training College. We were hosted at the Bishop's compound. The following morning we met a very bright, happy, and intelligent man, Canon Kenneth Baringwa. He had spent much time with Dr. Peter Hammond during the war. He fondly recounted many stories of how Frontline Fellowship had helped the Moru people. He also took us to the ECS guesthouse where we have been hosted in traditional African style 'tukuls' (grass huts).

Training at the Bible College

We have been able to do an intensive Evangelism Training Workshop at the Bishop Ngalama Bible College (which is in the same premises that Frontline renovated for the Christian Liberty High School). The topics that we were able to cover included The Greatness of the Great Commission, Patterns for Soul Winning, Principles of Soul Winning, Evangelism Explosion Gospel presentation, Missions in the Bible, The Way of the Master, The Ten Commandments, Excuses for not Witnessing, The Lordship of Christ in all Areas of Life, The Power of Prayer, Rediscovering the Christian Work Ethic. Both Hunter and Daniel have certainly been carrying a fair share of the ministry responsibilities.

Kotobi

We have also been able to visit the Kotobi Institute for Teachers' Education (KITE). The principal at KITE is a very ambitious and well organized man. I believe the College is in good hands. We had a lengthy and profitable conversation with him. We were given an in-depth overview of the history, objectives, and challenges of KITE which included how Dr. Peter Hammond had visited them during the war years under the shade of mango trees bringing Training, textbooks and other materials for their teachers and encouraging them. We were also taken on a tour of the College and were shown the newly built KITE Community Library which is well taken care of and in desperate need of more books. We were able to add to their shelves.

Teaching Teachers

We had a great opportunity to share the Gospel clearly and effectively with 91 teachers and education officials from the South Sudan Department of Education who were at a closing Ceremony of a Teachers Seminar that the state department had been running at KITE. I was given about 30 minutes to address them and the message of the Gospel was cheerfully and well received. We also gave each one The Doctor Comes to Lui book which they received with much gladness and many of them went immediately to the shade of a nearby mango tree to start reading their new book.

We were also able to donate 70 copies of Christian Teachers' Training Manuel and many useful and helpful DVDs and MP3 discs which were received with much gratitude and appreciation.

Books for Libraries

We have had the privilege of stocking three community libraries and also enriching many personal libraries with many valuable Gospel books and Christian literature. We have donated more than 150 books to Mundri Community Library which is in the town Centre, we have also donated many books to Canon Ezra Lawairi Library at Bishop Ngalama Bible College, and also the KITE Community Library. Some 44 book titles that have been able to be donated include Faith Under Fire in Sudan, Practical Discipleship, Discipleship Handbook, Biblical Principles for Africa, The Ten Commandments, Slavery, Terrorism and Islam, The Doctor Comes to Lui, Putting Feet to Your Faith, The Battle for Truth, and many more.

Meeting the Leaders

Canon Kenneth Baringwa took us to meet the Commissioner of Mundri at his office. We were warmly welcomed and he insisted that Dr. Peter Hammond and any Frontline Fellowship Mission team is always welcome in Mundri. When we met the ex-commissioner who is now the Chairperson of the SPLM, he said "Peter Hammond is our blood brother; he was here with us while our blood was flowing", another person said, "Peter Hammond is a true friend; someone who is a friend during the hard times is truly a friend."

I had a great opportunity to talk to these leaders of Mundri and to encourage them to build this new country on Biblical principles. Praise God these leaders already have a strong desire to see this county established and founded on the Bible through prayer and action.

I was able to pray for the Commissioner in his office, committing his leadership to the Lord and asking for God's wisdom to lead this office and it's staff.

Sunday Worship Services

Our team split up for worship on Sunday. I preached at the Cathedral at the English service, Daniel preached at a very rural church which was accessed by some serious bundu-bashing, and Hunter preached at Milakalaga Parish.

Film Evangelism

We have been amazed at the turnout of people to the film shows each night. Some nights there are as many as 1000 people gathered to watch. We have shown the Jesus film in some locations and also the Sudan: The Hidden Holocaust. I'm not sure which was most favourite of the two, but there has been such excitement about both films and our team has diligently taken advantage of the opportunity to share the Gospel message to the many who gather around our film equipment.

Celebrating Jesus

I have been encouraged by the way the Moru people have responded to the Jesus film. They shout with joy and the ladies jubilate in the traditional African way when the see the Risen Lord Jesus appear to His disciples for the first time after His death and burial. Each time we've shown this film at different locations, we get the same shout of praise and spontaneous applause when it comes to this point in the film. 

Tonight we are showing the film Pilgrim's Progress for the first time. The people seem to be watching in an excited sense of intrigue at this classic presentation of the adventure of discipleship.

The Team

The team morale is still good and we are now working together as a well-oiled, fine-tuned machine. Our overall health is still relatively good. Daniel, however, is showing the first signs and symptoms of malaria. I have started him on a course of Coartem, so please pray for his recovery.

Thank you for all your prayers and support which makes it possible for us to serve the people of the newly liberated South Sudan.

Status on Sudan Trip

“Africa, oh Africa, the Lord your God has risen upon thee!”

Greenery and Scenery

          Our team has been gone now for just over two weeks, encountering such breathtaking beauty and gaining new exposures throughout the land of Africa. After heading up to Pretoria for a few days to attain visas and sort out our final preparation, we headed across the border of Zimbabwe where we encountered such amazing views; from electric storms each afternoon, to the rugged rock structures and wild cloud formations. The mixture of lush greenness, winding mountains, and rugged valleys was breathtaking! On our journey northward, as my dad well described in recent update, we had some really neat ministry opportunity, and Hunter (22 yrs) has made and printed tracts for us to hand out along the way, which has led to several fruitful discussions. In addition, just within the first few days out of the country, we saw a tremendous amount of wildlife such as buck, hippos, birds of all sorts, monkeys, long horned cattle competing with us for their road rights, and even a wild bore. We continued through Zambia, Tanzania, currently in Uganda.

On the Shores of Lake Victoria

          One of the nights in Tanzania, we had to sleep on the side of the road in a mountain pass, from which we had a view of the wide stretching Tanzania expanse and a beautiful sunset. Hiked down with a couple of the locals who were heading into the valley to fetch honey from a hive there. I hadn’t put much thought into views being more stunning than Zimbabwe’s rugged terrain, yet again found several of my breaths stolen away as the land changed a full set of colors into a new unique array as the sun found its rest beyond the horizon. We found that Tanzania had little desire of wasting paint, and thus, kept road lines to a minimum. While getting some fixes on the vehicle, Hunter and I had a great chat to a Muslim about the Bible compared to his preconception of it. He was very open to hearing, and we opened up the Bible to show him what its verses actually said. Then last night we camped on the shores of Lake Victoria, the eye of Africa, with front row seats to a dark golden moon rising from among the clouds and a developing thunderstorm across the lake. We woke up this morning amongst a raging storm and, after a quick swim in the lake, packed up gear and continued on.

Kampala!

          Then we said our farewells to Tanzania and headed into Uganda. As is the northern part of Tanzania, the scenery is unbelievably green and lush! We hit Kampala tonight and had a hysterical zigzag of chaos on the way in. Lanes weren't even a thought as motorbikes whizzed in and out of vehicles holding to the single law of the road: "Bigger bumper beats all." On several occasions we were cut off by a trucker coming the opposite direction, overtaking a biker or another truck in our presumed lane. And one of the bikers, trying to squeeze through two large trucks, actually breathed in and straightened his back as he made himself more worthy to fit through. And this is all normal and accepted; very rarely did we actually hear a horn. We suspected that the traffic lights would have been stoned to death within a few hours of construction, and for the couple we did see, the only rule was that if there was a red light in your direction, you merely had to honk before proceeding. All this was watched and approved by a single police, standing in the middle of the road...what a city!

Interests of Prayer

          We will be crossing into South Sudan shortly and starting our courses and camps with the folk there. God has been so evident throughout the duration of this mission and we pray that we will continue to follow His guidance as He shows us what we are to do and say. Praise God for His mighty work for allowing such harlots as ourselves to take part in this mission. Praise Him that we aren't the ones who can change a man, but rather God in us; for if it were left up to blind to lead the blind, we would be an entirety of a lost world. Praise Him for His sacrifice and salvation which can cover sin, with which is the only way to present ourselves holy sacrifices. Please pray for the soon approaching courses, for the final preparation and review of lecture notes and sermons. Pray that the Lord will speak His mighty Word through us vessels, and that in the experience we ourselves will become more broken and more chipped away; that God would make us merely windows through which He is seen. Pray that God will do a mighty work in South Sudan, that the people will grow in fear and reverence toward the Almighty; then being spurred on to a deeper relationship and love for Christ, will go into their surroundings and continue spreading the Word of Life, the Gospel of Salvation. May His Name dwell in the land!

          Col. 3:1-3 - Therefore since you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

"Just A Weaver"

My life is but a weaving,

between my God and me,

I do not choose the colors,

He worketh steadily. 

Ofttimes he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside. Not till the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly, Will God unroll the canvas, and explain the reasons why The dark threads are as needful in the skillful weaver's hand As threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

~Benjamine Malachi Franklin

We had a call from Daniel...

this past week from his cell phone. They headed north at the beginning of the week after having obtained all the necessary travel visas in Pretoria. Daniel says he started to almost feel embarrassed at how often he was commenting on the spectacular natural beauty of the northern part of South Africa, especially the part around Pietersberg and the Magaliesberg mountains. This is the land of the massive baobab trees whose trunk widths match those of the giant sequoias of California. The strange looking boabab tree looks as if its been turned over with its roots up in the air. This is "Jock of the Bushveld" country with its giant ant heaps, some of which are as high fifteen feet.

          Later they crossed over the crocodile infested Limpopo river which forms the boundary between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Here the mood and vegetation change to classic African savannah with mile upon mile of umbrella tree forest and massive dolerite bolder rocks, some as high as three story buildings. Pressing on past Lake Kyle and the Zimbabwe ruins, a large stone fort that dates to the time of Solomon. Was this perhaps the land of Ophir from which gold was sent to Mesopotamia and Israel?

          As Daniel and team approached Harare, they encountered a fatal accident in which two people had died and were still trapped inside a small truck after it had collided with a massive big truck. The Frontline Fellowship team were able to offer assistance to one involved in the accident and took them to Harare where they could receive help. They have been able to witness to that person and to a number of others as they move north.

          Later in the week, Daniel's truck with trailer crossed into Zambia at the Kariba Dam and spent the night camping next to Lake Kariba. The beauty again was stunning and interesting. A hippo calmly came browsing up to within 15 feet of them. A small crocodile kept a lazy watch on them, perched on a rock nearby.

          As a parent, one wonders how these young men are coping with just two changes of clothing each and their luggage paired down to the minimum - for two and a half months. Why? They had to cut down on their own stuff so that they could fit in more books and material for the folk in the Sudan.

          Please pray for a fruitful witness to all on their way north. Please pray that God will prepare the folk who receive the material to help build the new country of South Sudan in a manner that pleases God. There is also the need of those Christians in the four or five provinces that could not hold independence elections because of the ongoing violence against them from the radical Islamists in the north.

Thanks for your ongoing prayers for the team.

Richard & Margie de Villiers

Pressing onwards and upwards in His strength

3 hours in, we experienced the first
of 2 trailer punctures, not realizing
the tire had blown, therefore riding
11 k's on the rim & hub

          This last Tuesday, the team launched on our South Sudan mission. Finances weren't all in place, but we felt God calling us to go. Then once we were about 4 hours out, we got a call that the finances had just arrived in to fully support the 1 vehicle going. What an answer to prayer! The Lord has shown us again and again His sovereignty throughout, His perfect plan, forcing us more and more to become dependent of His holy calling and timing, and showing us our severe inadequacy and dire need for Him!

          We've had to get our visas and documents sorted out in Pretoria, and as such have been stationed here for a couple days before continuing north. The car ride has again provided extremely good time to read, think and pray; and i was recently able to download a good audio file of the ESV New Testament which is ideal for the car as the bumps on the road make things a little more difficult to read. We've also been listening to some of Ravi Zacharias's sermons, so full of good material!

          One thing I've been struggling through, especially within the last few days, is preparing to preach to the people God puts us in contact with on this trip. I feel so inadequate when I think, for instance in preaching about suffering, how much more they already have a grasp of maintaining joy throughout heavy persecution, something I would still greatly struggle with and haven't experienced nearly to the extent they have. I feel that there is still so very much to learn and apply to my own life before I can even think of talking to others about some of those issues. But at the same time, I then feel convicted that I have become like Moses, reluctant to follow God's calling to go, creating lots of excuses as to why I am not fit. Please pray that throughout this entire trip, I would be able to answer God's calling to go, in a way that i remain of broken and humbled spirit. I become so prideful so fast; so please pray that God would continue to keep me in a position where i can learn more about Him each day, never putting myself in a position above those I minister to, judging myself by judging them. Pray for wisdom for the team, that the Lord would guide our words and use us as vessels to carry the message He wills; and may His Glory dwell in our land!

Every Man's Bridge

Something that came to mind the other night:

          If a man was made to build a bridge with a supply of whatever he wanted, he would have little problem at all in putting something down to fill the gap at hand. But in giving this same man a specific list of tools and limited materials, he would have to seek out much more carefully how to go about covering the spans with even any structure at all. In the first scenario, that bridge would crumble easily, not having been well thought or laid out, as the man sought to fill the gap perhaps with the cheapest materials, perhaps with what made the bridge look the most appealing, not working as toward a sound structure. But with the materials having been limited as in the second scenario, that man needs much planning in order for that bridge to even reach the other side. If he incorporates materials which he was not allowed now to use, materials of lesser quality, to simply fill the expanse or even merely to boast to others on his completion of a bridge to gain their respect and admiration; he jeopardizes the bridges stability, leading to the collapse of that bridge and in turn to the death of whoever uses it. He must use only the right materials, ones of strong, lasting and sound property. However this is not enough to complete a sound bridge. If he uses any material out of place, putting it where it should not be, and where another needs to function, he again jeopardizes the bridge. resulting in another downfall.

          We far too oft try to build our bridges with materials the world offers, giving in to Satan's temptations which pull us away from the sturdy structure of a life based purely on God's Word. We use inappropriate humor, negative attitudes, the gossip and mocking of others, apathy, and conformation to those materials of the world to finish the bridge, complete the path ahead, and get across to those around us; while we are told so clearly and strongly NOT to conform to this world. We must seek perfection and holiness ALONE to finish our task. For a bridge built on anything but Truth, even in just a small portion, is unstable and leads to death. And notice that as that man crosses the bride comprised of decisions and actions he makes, he is not the only one who dies; but also anyone who then walks that same bridge, who he has influenced on the building.

          Now the usage of right materials in itself is not what brings about a perfect bridge, in fact some of the most dangerous and deceptive bridges are built using correct materials, because it has all the right parts for being a supportive bridge and so deceives one crossing it who doesn't examine the placement of those parts; but perfection is a result of those tools and materials being used in their correct and intended use. Just as a cable cannot be replaced by the tar, or a beam with bolts, so too each part of Scripture must be used according to its intended purpose, not taken out of context or perhaps cut out and fit into another opening which looks prettier. In addition.we cannot just leave a part out of the bridge because if a piece is called for in a particular area and we omit it, not feeling like using it then or having the time and energy to include it, that bridge also is unstable. So too we must not only know the right materials to use, or even where and how to use them; because even if such is the case, an omission to follow through an use it has the same result as replacing that piece, that action, that calling, with something unsound and unstable.

          We must rightly divide the Word of Truth, lest we misuse it as Satan also misused it in his tempting of Jesus in the wilderness; which, if it had been heeded to and carried out, it would have brought forth death. We cannot play around with sin. It is not something to be taken lightly. The consequences for sin is far greater than the physical consequences and repercussions we face, for a spiritual death is immeasurably greater than physical death or even suffering. God calls us to holiness, to the use of the finest, most perfect and precious materials; not merely at an external glance, or even in our actions, but in our motives also! Just because we have done something considered good, by no means clears vile motives. May we seek God's plan for our lives. May we be willing to give up any pieces in our lives which will destroy a bridge. May we stick to the straight and narrow path, not straying to the right or to the left. May we find joy in the blessing of being persecuted for righteousness. And may our holy God mold us each coming moment to becoming the vessel he has intended us to be.

There Is None Good But God

Jesus did not come into this word to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live. In fact, when He was questioned by some as to why He was spending time with “sinners,” He replied, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

~Ravi Zacharias

Plans for Sudan Mission

Michael, the leader of our Sudan Mission, just wrote an update with regards to our upcoming journey and has described the situation very well:

          I’m sure you’re aware of our vision, desire, plans, and leading from the Lord to go to Sudan. If you haven’t yet seen the YouTube video detailing the vision by Dr. Peter Hammond, then you might want to check it out here.
          Our faith is under fire! We strongly believe that God has led us to embark on this Mission to Sudan to support our Brothers and Sisters in building their new country on Biblical principles. We are ready to depart. We have the teams ready, we have the literature and training material, we have the vehicles, but we still do not have sufficient funds for fuel. We do trust that God will provide according to His will.
          Some are saying that if it is God’s will for this to happen, He would have provided all the necessary funds in advance. I’m not sure what you think about that, but I don’t agree. Yes, sometimes God does provide in advance all that is necessary to complete the task, but normally, He provides just our daily bread. Think of the Israelites in the desert when God provided for them manna from heaven. He only gave them enough for each day. Think of Elisha when God fed him daily by means of the ravens bringing him meat. Think of the widow who gave her last flour and oil to make Elisha bread who thereafter was daily provided with enough flour and oil to make bread for each day. The Bible is full of examples of how God provides daily what is needed for each day.
          Jesus Himself has said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”          So, although it would be best to go with two vehicles, because of a lack of funds, we are going to have to go with only one vehicle. This is a good vehicle and is the best one to use, but any lone vehicle out in the rough African terrain is vulnerable and at risk.
          Even though there is not enough funds to get us there even with only one vehicle, we are prepared to get going and trust that God will provide for us as we travel. God is Faithful!

End Human Trafficking!

          Yesterday morning, several of us at the mission joined about 4 other groups/organizations in standing outside of Parliament with signs and banners to raise awareness of a bill in progress. Called the TIP (Trafficking In People) Bill, its passing would illegalize all brothels and organizations where trafficking occurs. Several of the women dressed up as beaten and in chains, including make-up blood and bruises. At the same time, fliers were being handed out, so we also took the opportunity to distribute tracts and talk to people.

          For the first time outside of French class, I had to speak to someone who only understood French and try to communicate what was going on. Unfortunately my French isn't so great, but it proved a good experience none the less.
          After several hours there, one of the members of Parliament who was presenting the TIP Bill came out with the bill and explained to us more about what was happening with it. Please pray that this bill will go through and be established, that the slavery we experience so heavily today will come to an end. Pray that God woud grant the members of Parliament wisdom with regards to this decision soon approaching. Pray that His will would be done in the land. Praise Him for His plan through whatever happens, for His will is infinitely more superior than our understanding of it!

Click here for EyeWitness News coverage of this demonstration

Sudan Update

Lord-willing, our team will be leaving for a three month Sudan trip in under two weeks, with a focus on discipling the Christians of South Sudan. However we will also be ministering along the way and holding several conferences and workshops as we travel through over 8 different countries. Please pray for guidance with the final preparation. Pray that with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, we would be seeking the Lord’s will and not just making our own plans. Pray for those in South Sudan, who are still undergoing persecution, that they would come to a greater understanding of the knowledge of God and would be used in a revival of their country for Christ!

Excerpt from Shadow of the Almighty

by Elizabeth Elliot

         Jim [Elliot]'s aim was to know God. His course, obedience--the only course that could lead to the fulfillment of his aim. His end was what some would call an extraordinary death, although in facing death, he had quietly pointed out that many have died out of obedience to God.

          He [Jim Elliot] and the other men with whom he died were hailed as heroes, "martyrs." I do not approve. Nor would they have approved.

          Is the distinction between living for Christ and dying for Him, after all, so great? Is not the second the logical conclusion of the first? Furthermore, to live for God is to die, "daily," as the apostle Paul put it. It is to lose everything that we may gain Christ. It is in thus laying down our lives that we may find them.

Upcoming Sudan Trip: YouTube clip

http://youtu.be/-8NxNe2bJKE

"Fear God...

and you will have nothing else to fear."

On the radio again with John tonight...

and apparently you can listen online; We'll be on from 21:00-21:30 South African time (12-12:30 Pacific Time) if you want to listen.
http://www.radiotygerberg.co.za/index.phplang=eng&redirect=home.php%3Flang%3Deng%26id%3D0%26day%3DTuesday%26currentPage%3D0

Last three and a half days...

have been quite hektik,with an estimate of 53 hrs of replicating CDs and DVDs for this upcoming trip, before part of our team headed off for the South Africa part of this mission. Praise the Lord that He has given us strength in this needed time of preparation.

          Ended it off this evening by going to Black Angus, a restaurant where i got a dish called "the Big 5," a meal consisting of springbok, warthog, ostrich, kudu, and eelant steak. What a delectable experience!

On the radio again tonight...

with 2 others from my Zambia team sharing about the trip. Please pray that God will work in the listeners lives and further motivate them in spreading the Gospel. Pray for His message to be communicated, not our own.

Zambia Missions Trip: July 24-Aug 11

ON THE ROAD

Getting the bakkie stuck in a muddy
stream for 7 hours

          It has been such a privilege to get to go on this recent mission to Zambia. A group of four of us left the 18th in a loaded bakkie (truck), filled with our supplies and material we’d be handing out for the next 3 weeks. There were about 9 days of full driving which proved to be very fruitful time to read the Word and pray. Alongside reading the Bible, I’ve been working through Shadow of the Almighty, a biography of Jim Elliott, which has been greatly challenging me in several different aspects and I would highly recommend for folk to read. We also listened through nearly the entirety of The Pineapple Story by Otto Koning, about his missions experience amoung the tribes of Guinea. On route we saw several kinds of animals, such as elephants, zebra, warthogs, giraffe, and buffalo; buck such as eland, waterbuck, red hartebeest, & impala; as well as hearing lion and hippo during the evenings and nights.

MISSION BASE

One of Angola's sturdier bridges

Sunset along the Zambezi

          Once we passed into Zambia, there was an immediate change in the quality of roads, resulting in a total of 8 punctures throughout the trip. In Zambia we stayed for just under a week at a Mission, where we were able to help in a more hands on/practical way, fixing up vehicles and doing odd jobs around the place. And how encouraging it was for all of us to see the example of servitude shown so fully by the couple who owned the Mission! Even in their old age, they were constantly looking for ways to help and take care of the people they interacted with. On Sunday, there were 3 people who had wanted to be baptized, so we drove down the winding road to the edge of the Zambezi, had a time of prayer and singing followed by the baptisms. It was a beautiful experience to see! In the following Church service, all four of us were able to give a short devotional which was translated into Luvali, the local language. Then nearing the end of our stay there, we took a day to go into Angola to drop off one of the workers and visit a few of the villages. The bridges there were usually a puzzle of about 50 pieces of cut down trees with others nearby to add to the bridge if need be.

RIVER MINISTRY

Cooking tigerfish along the Zambezi

          After our stay at the Mission, the team continued across the Zambezi River onto the Lungwebungu River (one of its tributaries). For the first few days, John, our leader, Lastone, our translator, and I, worked our way upstream, ministering to the villages on the shores as we went, while the other part of the team took the bakkie to the inland villages. After watching John preach to the first two villages, I had my first opportunity given from the boat to the 50 or so people from that village gathered on shore. Starting with Creation, we established a commonality between them and ourselves, the umzungus (white man), that we are no different to them. Then from there it progressed into the Fall of man and the problem of sin, ending with the Gospel message and the Lord’s call of Discipleship to follow Him. Afterwards, everyone on the beach was eager to ask the Lord into their hearts. But pray that it will sink deeper than the immediate emotional response, which can merely be a seed misplanted. Pray that the Message would sink deeper and take root as they grow in their fervor for the Lord rather than letting it diminish and returning to their usual lifestyle, unchanged.

SWIMMING WITH THE CROCODILES

Lastone and I swimming by a sand-
bank on the Zambezi

          Then we continued up the river, and the villages we couldn’t spend time at, we waypointed with the GPS for the the other team to get. On Sunday afternoon, we spent some time at one of the many sandbanks in the river. We were able to wash up, swim, and splash around. It was only the next morning that we found a croc’s pad directly opposite the river to where we were. The wildlife was incredible! We got some great footage of a croc sliding off the bank and splashing into the water, as well as seeing several monitor lizards on the banks and even a few families of river otters swimming down the river. In the sky were several kingfishers and fish eagles, as well as the occasional Yellow-billed Kite, hornbill, and vulture. Each night, we chose a spot along the edge of the river, and set up camp for the night. The intricate beauty around us was so incredibly stunning!

VILLAGE MINISTRY

John and Lastone giving a talk
before showing the Jesus Film

          The teams then switched round, and we continued on the land while they took the boat back down the river, spending time in new villages. While on land, we used the bakkie’s inverter to power a computer and projector. So on several of the nights, when it started to get dark, as the village gathered,  we would preach a brief sermon to them as an introduction to the film along with a couple of short clips of the ocean and different animals they had never seen. This drew people within earshot to come, and from there we all watched the film.

STIRRING OF THE PEOPLE

A watu: common means of water
transportation

          One of the days, Lastone and I walked the whole day from village to village and ministered along the way. The first village we visited was quite a large crowd; we shared the Creation message with them and continued on to questions, to which they kept us busy for a while answering and conversing over different issues, such as “What all is required for Salvation?” “Which church is the right one?” and several others. At the end of our discussion, they all wanted us to pray individually for them. But by their tone of voice and expression in asking, it was difficult to tell whether the ones who had initially asked actually wanted prayer, or whether they were trying to put God to the test as the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. However we went around person by person, and in the end it was quite amazing to see how the Lord was working, because several of the people were in tears (even through they couldn’t understand English prayers) as the Holy Spirit was working in them!

FALSE TEACHINGS AND DRUNKARDNESS

The 3 men Lastone and I talked with

          One of the biggest block we came upon was the teachings of the New Apostolic church, which permits an individual to immediately continue sinning and disobeying God after their salvation, because they teach that salvation is merely the spiritual aspect of one’s relationship with God; and since their spirit is sealed once they are laid upon by the hands of an apostle, one need not concern himself with a changed life of obedience to Him! As a result there was a lot of drunkardness amoung the villages. The next village we came to, there were 3 men sitting in the middle of the village, 2 of whom were drunk. I addressed the one who was sober by asking him whether he thought he was a good person, then worked through the Ten Commandments, ending up in a realization of his sin. However his desire to change seemed dampened by the mocking of his friends and laughter from the side. But the Lord worked in such a way that one of these men became sober and actually joined the conversation, and the other left. God created such an exciting opportunity to share with these men, one of whom I thought was a lost cause being drunk. Pray for their ministry amoung their village and the ones nearby. Pray for their excitement for the Gospel  to turn into a fulfillment of the Great Commission in that region. Pray for strength to stand up against the the devil’s fiery darts, coming with arrows of drunkardness and debauchery, darts of placidity and laziness.

PRAYING FOR THE SICK

The man God miraculously healed

          Having spent over an hour and a half at each of the previous villages, more time than we had planned, we decided to make up ground before stopping at another village; but on the way one of the ladies from the next village met us on the path and asked us for medicine for her tooth (as many of the villagers have tooth problems and pains). Seeing that we didn’t have any with us, we told them we couldn’t offer any, but what we had was far greater than physical medicine. At this they became exited and told us that we must then pray for a man who is very sick in one of the nearby grass huts; so we went into the village and sure enough, inside, there was a man lying down who had scarcely any abdomen at all, with lungs that looked almost completely deflated. The best they could figure, the man had TB, as he couldn’t breath with any ease. After explained that it wasn’t anything of the umzungu that the man would be healed by, but rather by God alone; we prayed over him and his lungs. At that time God saw fit to heal the man and fill up his lungs...right there as we were praying!!! And his voice became cleared, so he could talk. He replied that he felt much better, but that his legs weren’t allowing him to walk. So we prayed this time over his legs, and told him in the Name of the Lord Jesus to walk. That man walked! Issue and ache one after the other the Lord was working so strongly in that man. Pray that that man will lead others to Christ; that when people look at him and the miracles he experienced, they would see God and follow Him. Praise Him that one of the devil’s strongholds has become a vessel for God’s work to progress. That through the very things that disabled that man, he can now return to fight against Satan. How full of irony are the ways the Lord will bring the devil to an end.

WITCHCRAFT

          Another of the issues faced there is the widespread problem of witch doctors taking hold of the village, gripped with fear for their lives. They buy pendants (generally white, made of bone or other imitated material) to wear round their necks and wrists. This is to protect them from any sickness and harm; but yet they live in a constant fear of spirits and demons. At the next village, after we told them about the Lord and His might and warned them against the things of the witch doctor; they gave us their necklaces and bracelets to throw into the fire.

GOD OF WONDERS

Sunset along the river

          To say that God does not work in miracles now is an utter falsehood. I have attested to the working of the Spirit and the power of God. But why do we think that a miracle of healing is the greatest and most intense thing known? Is not the saving and transforming of the soul far greater than that. Psalm 73:26 declares: “My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion FOREVER.” We limit God’s greatness and power in discounting miracles, for in so doing we put God into the mold we want Him to be, not holding the power to heal someone within seconds, not holding the power to utterly transform a man’s life. The Spirit is alive!

Zambia: Sat Phone Update 3

Correction to the name of the river near to which Daniel is traveling. It is the Lungwebungu River which s the largest tributary of the Zambezi River. The link below shows a picture of the type of terrain -http://www.flickr.com/photos/36032475@N07/5618917512/

Zambia: Sat Phone Update 2

News from Daniel by Sat phone again 0n 7/30. New location is at S 14 degrees 07.450 minutes, E 022 degrees 56.118 minutes - a bit further north along the Longwebongwe River. Today we have two interpreters. Please pray for God's power as we minister to the village folk. Use the link below to see the location - http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/latitude_and_longitude_finder.htm

Zambia: Sat Phone Update 1

News from Daniel Treavelling in Zambia - short Sat phone communication. Friday 7/29, on the banks of the Longwebongwe River, about 100 km north of the Zambezi and just east of the Liuwa Plains National Park - S 14 degrees 15.484 min, E 23 degrees 00.717 minutes. Saw crocodiles on the river bank. Will be preaching and sharing the gospel to several villages in the next few days. We have four interpreters. Please pray for God to work in the lives of those to whom we minister.

Prayer Items

          There are so many things to be thankful for and to continue praying for, that it would be impossible to try and name them, but these are some of the things i feel are most prominent. Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers!

          Praises:

-the training I've been receiving over the last 3weeks has been so dense and packed with such good material

-being able to spend time with family for 5 days before training and this past weekend

-strength throughout training's hektic schedule to be able to do so much

-all the finances the Lord has provided to cover the whole of the MTP course fee and more

-so many God-fearing people that He has placed in my life to talk to and have uplifting discussions with

-a greater change of heart to seek God more and more what His will is, and a greater desire to read His Word

-Southern Sudan celebrated its independence on the 9th from the Islamic terrorism and warcraft happening there

-The opportunity to go to Zambia to be used there

-My gran is turning 90 very shortly!

          Prayers:

-this Zambia trip we're leaving for (switched from Sudan due to financing it for the whole team):

-----preparation and planning for the trip physically, mentally, and spiritually (a team of four of us, so we'll each be doing a lot of work and a lot of preaching while we're there)

-----That the people in Zambia would branch out and reach across the border into countries undergoing heavy persecution. pray that they would have a zeal, a passion and a fire to be used fully by the Lord to bring the Truth to all around.

-my own walk with the Lord to grow. I have so much to learn and sometimes feel inadequate for some of the jobs here (especially with preaching). So please pray that the Lord would fill me with courage and boldness, that I would be reading the Word daily to continue to strengthen my relationship with Him.

          Praise God, for He and He alone is deserving of our praise, our adoration, our thoughts, and our actions. God bless!

Great Commission Course Recap

          Finishing up with training tomorrow. This has been such an amazing 3 weeks of training the body, mind, and soul.

          This last week we got to do a few more outreaches, one handing out tracts to traffic as they passed by, and another was working at a mission station the whole day to dig out the foundation for a milk shed. When we got back that night, we had several Sudanese folk over to Livingstone House and celebrated the liberation of South Sudan from the Communistic North. Next day at church i was able to share my testimony and give a brief devotion. Then Monday, we had our course exams for a few hours covering the material we've discussed throughout the course. to end the day off we did another night hike up a river (this time also going through a water tunnel, so we had to work a plan to get all the backpacks through then the people).

Looking out over one of Table Mountain's gorges

          After some lectures the next morning we headed off to the shooting range to get some target practice. Got to fire a .22 rifle, a 9mil pistol, a shotgun, and a scoped 308. Lots of fun! Then after a braii there, 5 of us got an opportunity to speak on a radio broadcast (104 Radio Tygerberg) and give our testimony or a message for a 45 min slot! Such an amazing experience! Found out that there were 1.5 mil listeners! but definitely something i'll get to do more this year. Then today, we hiked up along and down Table Mountain. Absolutely stunning views! We started in the afternoon and finished coming down a gorge at 21:20.

          One of the things that has been a great impact to me has been going through the Way of the Master film series each day. I would highly recommend for people to get and watch through it. its widely changed the way i see evangelism and has had a good effect in deepening my walk with the Lord.

          Please pray for omy Zambia trip coming up: I'll be leaving for that shortly. Can't post too much detail at this point, but it's going to be a lot of work involved with preparing sermons, getting gear ready, etc., and its just a small team of us. Pray that the Lord would use us and increase the fervor and fear of the Lord within the people there. Pray that our own walks would be strengthened, so that in going in to Zambia, the depth of our love and knowledge of the Lord can flow out through our lives.

I'll post more items of prayer soon. 

          Thank you so much for your support. The Lord is doing amazing things...as is His nature. Praise God!

"If Jesus Christ be God...

and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." -C.T Studd

What a man of faith Peter was...

to step out of the boat!! That would be like someone standing on a cloud and calling you out from a hot air balloon to come across the cloud to him.

GCC Outreaches

PRISON OUTREACH
          Praise God! Today's prison outreach went SO well. We split up into groups of three, and each group got to spend half an hour in each cell. Started in song with Amazing Grace, Alive Alive, King of Kings, and a few others, to which the whole crowd of inmates enthusiastically piped along. Then we read and discussed the parable of the prodigal son, followed by two of us giving our testimonies. Then we discussed the weight of 1 John 2:15-16, and the radical change of lifestyle it called us to. After that we went around and individually prayed for the inmates who wanted it (a large majority). It was amazing to see how open they were in sharing what they had done and what they wanted prayer for. Had some good discussions with some of the inmates. After each group had visited two cells we headed back. I know that the Lord was working in that jail today; praise be to God!


CHEETAH OUTREACH

          After that we went to Spier, a "Cheetah Outreach" where they take care of primarily cheetah and birds of prey to release them back into the wild. got to hold an eagle and pet a cheetah. awesome experience!

NIGHT HIKE
          Tonight we have another white-water walk where we'll be taking a hike up a fire station path once its dark, trekking through the river (tonight we're going upstream), then hiking back, theoretically without being seen. The idea is to simulate a possible predicament if being followed by armed Arabs in Sudan or other countries.

Malawi Missions Trip: June 6-18

MCM front entrance

CHANGED HEART
          Going into our Malawi trip, I, unlike most on the team, was actually looking forward to the time for discussions I would be able to spend with the adults who were there at the children's center, and was far more compelled to go on the trip with that in mind than for necessarily spending all my time with the children there. However as we pulled into MCM (the center) to meet the huddles of children swarming around, I developed a very different sort of feeling and absolutely fell in love with them; especially as I got to spend more time interacting with them, their personalities all flourishing and manifesting themselves in such different, unique ways. Allen Phiri, Daniel Julius, Hanileck George, Benson Henry, Peter, Timvenji, and so many other boys and girls, whom our righteous Lord has intricately made and cares for.

VBS PROGRAM

Benson Henrey

          The team had the opportunity of coming each day to hold a VBS program. We had crafts, skits (acted out with translated narration), games, and free time, as well as a lunch break in the middle. Our focus through the program was the fruit of the Spirit, each new day adding another part with lessons from the story pertaining to it.

Lisa and I with craft group

HOSPITAL VISITS
          But the children's mission wasn't the only ministry opportunity that we had. We were also able to visit a hospital and go into several of the wards with gifts and pray for those with sickness and disease. There are so many people in need of our prayers! One of the mothers I met had a very young child with a head the size of a basketball. Another child had a malignant tumor on his head. Another heart problems--on and on. We take far too many things for granted; one of the most common being the mere existence of life in itself, with legs to walk, arms and hands to work, and a functioning mind to run it all. Pray for both the healthy and the sick in Malawi; as they are equally in need of the Gospel of Salvation!

brick pile: stacked and burned
from the bottom to harden

VILLAGE VISITS
          In addition to the hospital visits, we had a chance to visit some of the villages; villages from which children at the center walked each day; a trip that was round 15 minutes by car. These people are such hard-working folk! And though one grandma we visited had next to nothing, she cheerfully insisted we sat on her grass mat, laughing along with our leader as they talked with one another. In what true quality her joy came through, when there was nothing earthly left for her to cling to. The Lord is doing a mighty work in Malawi, and it was very exciting to be able to go and see it firsthand!


          I so appreciate your generous contributions to the trip; it wouldn't have been possible without them. May all the glory and praise from it go to our Father, who has orchestrated it all!