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!