Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
I was just thinking how relevant the Word of God is in today's world. Talk about up-to-date. As I'm busy getting my thoughts together and looking at a number of publications on HIV/AIDS. The reading for today is spot on. Preaching the good news what a pleasure and privilege. The brokenhearted, boy oh boy are people ever brokenhearted as they deal with a "plague" like HIV/AIDS. Release from darkness, Satan has so clouded the minds of people that every which way they turn is just darkness & despair. But there is release in the Lord Jesus. And as people are constantly loosing the fight against HIV/AIDS, loosing family, friends & loved ones. They need to be comforted as they mourn almost constantly.
Our pastors are really under great pressure as they mourn their own looses but are also having to comfort, counsel and encourage their congregations. This all while ill equipped to deal with the whole HIV/AIDS issue. So this is what my aim is this week at the Bible school. To train and better equip our leaders as they face HIV/AIDS.
Please pray earnestly. It is not an easy subject to teach and will no doubt touch on a few sensitive issues.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
FRUSTRATION
The lack of electricity really gets to a person after a while. It's been almost 3 weeks now that we have electricity only between 10pm and 6am. Slap bang in the middle of peak useless time.
I have been trying to prepare lessons for next week's Bible school teaching, from 11th to 15th Aug. I'm trying to put together lessons on HIV/AIDS. (without electricity for the computer). This is a huge subject and affects our leaders a great deal. As these people are called upon constantly to pray for, counsel, bury the dead and then as leaders of their communities and Churches take a stand. What point of view does a person take, especially one that brings glory to God. Is this God's judgment on sexual sin? Is it just reward for adultery? Should the local Church get involved at all?
The fact is that each and every family is affected in one or other way. So I'm aiming to teach on HIV/AIDS so that we can at least guide our leaders. Not only to be caring and compassionate but also to be informed leaders.
Please pray that we will be able to have a good week of lessons and discussions.
I have been trying to prepare lessons for next week's Bible school teaching, from 11th to 15th Aug. I'm trying to put together lessons on HIV/AIDS. (without electricity for the computer). This is a huge subject and affects our leaders a great deal. As these people are called upon constantly to pray for, counsel, bury the dead and then as leaders of their communities and Churches take a stand. What point of view does a person take, especially one that brings glory to God. Is this God's judgment on sexual sin? Is it just reward for adultery? Should the local Church get involved at all?
The fact is that each and every family is affected in one or other way. So I'm aiming to teach on HIV/AIDS so that we can at least guide our leaders. Not only to be caring and compassionate but also to be informed leaders.
Please pray that we will be able to have a good week of lessons and discussions.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Prayer Request
Dawn's dad normally goes to the library on Thursdays in the center of Pietermaritzburg. Last Thursday he was robbed. His ID. document was taken and some money. It also seems that some of the wires in his car were cut. He has had a number of heart attacks since the house burn down almost a year ago. Please pray that his health would fine as he was quite shaken. Also that he would be able to replace or find his documents & that he would be able to get his car sorted out quickly.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Veggie garden
We have really been blessed this year. A faithful friend arranged a roll of shade cloth for our veggie garden, so that birds, chickens, ducks & other animals would not be able to hop through the fence and destroy our garden. We have been enjoying wonderful fresh lettuce and spinach so far and the rest are soon going to be ready. Wow! fresh veggies. The local folks here seldom eat anything beyond tomatoes, onions & rape or cabbage.
A successful day
Well yesterday was very frustrating, all the usual perks of Espungabera, 16 hour power cuts etc. But I did manage to get the radiator pulled apart a 2nd time and got it back together and re-soldered by the time it got too dark to carry on. This morning I tested for leaks and Praise the Lord none. So it's now back in it's proper place in the car waiting for a test drive.
Also I managed to get diff oil to refill the back diff-axle after re-welding the 3 inch crack. That also is now going to need to be put to the test. These roads really chew up and spit out cars.
Please pray that I won't need to take the radiator out again. It's a lousy job! And even more so that my soldering will hold good.
Also I managed to get diff oil to refill the back diff-axle after re-welding the 3 inch crack. That also is now going to need to be put to the test. These roads really chew up and spit out cars.
Please pray that I won't need to take the radiator out again. It's a lousy job! And even more so that my soldering will hold good.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Investing in the future
Dawn has begun to teach 2 high school students to read, write and to speak English. Why in Mozambique we speak Portuguese? Well these two young guys played volley ball with the outreach team and became very embarrassed when they couldn't understand what the rest were talking about. So they have asked to be taught so that next year when the outreach group arrives they will not be embarrassed again. It's so good to see how the people are just so eager to learn. Who knows we may even be able to to use Armando & Fransisco as translators next year.
My second best past time
Praise the Lord for the Jesus film generator. Having it here allowed me to be able to realise my 2nd best past time, repairing our leaking radiator again. (again would indicate why it is my second best. I'm not very good at it). But this time I took the tank off completely to get to the root of the problem. The generator helped so much because we are having such long power cuts every day now for 12 hours or more. It is now 9.05 pm and I'm waiting for the electricity to come back on so I can go and do my 3rd most favorite past time, Welding the back axle of our car which has sprung a leak on the factory welding so I will soon go and make a valiant attempt to repair the silly thing.
By now you are wondering what is my 1st most exciting past time; CHANGING TYRES! What else?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Praise & Thanks
As we have been away in the bush quite a lot lately with the outreach team, we have not had the opportunity to to say thank you to everyone who has been so faithful to the Lord Our vehicle replacement fund is slowly creeping up. THANK YOU
HECTIC BUT BLESSED
Wow what a time we have just had with the outreach group. It's been run, run & run. The group arrived on Monday 30th June after a 3 day drive from South Africa. We also had Walter & Rosie from Northern Ireland who arrived a few days before the group so that they could be part of the bigger group. There were 14 folks from SA, 2 from Northern Ireland, Dawn & I, Alberto and his wife Virginia and 4 translators.
On the 3 day drive up in three cars 5 tyres were ruined. We were able to organise that 2 new tyres be bought and brought from Beira. And we had some second hand tyres here which we were able to fit so the team had full complement for the return trip.
What did we do?
1) We went to a place called Mupengo (which means "crazy") and we planted a new church. The local believers from a few churches came to help. Soon we were demoted to being the helpers but blessed as we saw the local folks take ownership and build their church. We were able to show the Jesus film 2 nights and at first we estimated there to be over 700 people. But the second night there were easily double that number, about 40 people gave their lives to the Lord. God is sooo GOOD!
The ladies of the outreach were just blown away by the hunger to learn and the huge need there is for ministry to the women. The local women are for the most part illiterate and are under a massive bondage of "culture & tradition". They just do not have any say in what happens in their lives.
2) We returned to Espungabera to get washing done & also to help out at the Espungabera Church and the building of the pastors house at the church property. Again we showed the Jesus film & had good attendance with 7 young folks giving their lives to the Lord.
On Sunday morning we split up so we could get to more than one Church to preach. Roger, Alberto and a few folks went to encourage the folks at the Makumba Church we planted last year. When they got there they found only a little boy with a letter telling folks that the whole church had gone to visit in an area which is far away and there was a sick member there. No prizes for guessing where the next likely church plant is going to be. So on their way back they stopped at one of the first church plants at Mukuyana and had a wonderful service there.
3) We went to Bunga to help with the expansion of the church building. But when we arrived the biggest part of the work had been done. They did ask our help to go and fetch some of the roofing poles. So off a few of the men went. Shoe! These people are so on fire for the Lord. The distance that these men walk to get building material from the forest is to be experienced to be believed. Again were showed the Jesus film which we have done before here and 5 more people were converted.
BUT the Lord had us teach on some very urgent matters relating to multiple wives. In this area tradition runs very deep and especially the young men are wanting to force tradition into the church. And are putting the leaders into a lot of conflict with the headmen as well as the witchdoctors. Please pray for the leaders, they are the ones who are really at the work face chiseling away.
The group left on Friday 11th July. We were able to take a short break to catch our breath with Walter & Rosie.
On the 3 day drive up in three cars 5 tyres were ruined. We were able to organise that 2 new tyres be bought and brought from Beira. And we had some second hand tyres here which we were able to fit so the team had full complement for the return trip.What did we do?
1) We went to a place called Mupengo (which means "crazy") and we planted a new church. The local believers from a few churches came to help. Soon we were demoted to being the helpers but blessed as we saw the local folks take ownership and build their church. We were able to show the Jesus film 2 nights and at first we estimated there to be over 700 people. But the second night there were easily double that number, about 40 people gave their lives to the Lord. God is sooo GOOD!
The ladies of the outreach were just blown away by the hunger to learn and the huge need there is for ministry to the women. The local women are for the most part illiterate and are under a massive bondage of "culture & tradition". They just do not have any say in what happens in their lives.
2) We returned to Espungabera to get washing done & also to help out at the Espungabera Church and the building of the pastors house at the church property. Again we showed the Jesus film & had good attendance with 7 young folks giving their lives to the Lord.
On Sunday morning we split up so we could get to more than one Church to preach. Roger, Alberto and a few folks went to encourage the folks at the Makumba Church we planted last year. When they got there they found only a little boy with a letter telling folks that the whole church had gone to visit in an area which is far away and there was a sick member there. No prizes for guessing where the next likely church plant is going to be. So on their way back they stopped at one of the first church plants at Mukuyana and had a wonderful service there.
3) We went to Bunga to help with the expansion of the church building. But when we arrived the biggest part of the work had been done. They did ask our help to go and fetch some of the roofing poles. So off a few of the men went. Shoe! These people are so on fire for the Lord. The distance that these men walk to get building material from the forest is to be experienced to be believed. Again were showed the Jesus film which we have done before here and 5 more people were converted.
BUT the Lord had us teach on some very urgent matters relating to multiple wives. In this area tradition runs very deep and especially the young men are wanting to force tradition into the church. And are putting the leaders into a lot of conflict with the headmen as well as the witchdoctors. Please pray for the leaders, they are the ones who are really at the work face chiseling away.The group left on Friday 11th July. We were able to take a short break to catch our breath with Walter & Rosie.
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