Soweto

The evaluation of the volunteers (FUGE team from the US) with the Boitshoko leadership went well. Boitshoko already looks forward to the next team as they saw value in what the last volunteers did. Alan starts a Bible study on Fridays. This first time all the workers will attend. Please pray for open hearts.

I will lead an evangelistic Bible study for 5 times with the group learning marketable craft skills. And one session on running a business. Pray for the efforts of the Boitshoko workers. Pray for those learning a skill that their goods would sell to provide some income. A lady from a local church donated knitting needles for the group. Pray other local believers would donate time, supplies, visits and prayer.

Nationals in Namibia

This month has been exciting as we have seen many  answers to prayer, some of them  requests that we have been praying for since we arrived in Namibia 4 ½ years ago! 

      This month, the children’s ministry we began at New Song Family Church when we first arrived in Namibia, was turned over completely to nationals!

      The Breaking Free Bible study groups which Lisa began a couple of years ago continue to multiply, with at least 5 new groups meeting this year from 3 different churches…most being led by Namibians!

       The school in Katutura where Lisa serves as counselor is in the process of bringing on a Namibian in order to ensure that the ministry is sustainable. Lisa will continue to serve as a supervisor and trainer at the school.

      A young couple we have been mentoring for some time are feeling God's call into the pastorate, and have expressed an interest in church planting. Just a few weeks ago they began a Bible study in their home on Wednesday nights. Please pray for God's blessing upon this family as they step out in faith following His call. Also pray for wisdom and guidance for the two of us as we seek to encourage this couple.

In addition, if you would join us in prayer for the following:

      Pray for the students who will be graduating from the Namibian Evangelical Seminary on the 23^rd of this month. Pray that these young men and women would live Godly lives, putting into practice the many truths they have learned in their ministries throughout the country.

      Pray for wisdom and guidance as we set out to partner with some of our colleagues in crafting bible stories that will address the many social needs in this country.

      Please pray that we might have more rain. The rainy season is almost over and yet we have had no more than an inch or two of rain this year. This will prove to be devastating in the months ahead if the Lord does not intervene and send more rain our way.

Loving Learning in Cape Town

Cape Town Baptist Seminary has a vision to train the head, the heart and the hand. Classes are designed to cover all three of these areas to equip the student for ministry.  In the Children's Ministry track, students take Introduction to Children's Ministry, Evangelism and Discipleship in Children's Ministry, Education and Communication in Children's Ministry, Organization and Administration in Children's Ministry and Counselling in Children's Ministry. The seminary year runs from January through November. Pray for one student (B) who is a husband, father of three and pastoring a township church as well as attending seminary full time. He was sharing with his lecturer (an IMB missionary) recently how the Sunday School has grown and children are learning about the Lord. His excitement and enthusiasm was so evident as he shared that what he has learned in the Children's Ministry track has enabled him to equip and encourage teachers of the children. Pray for B and many other students who meet the challenge to share the Gospel with children and parents in their communities. Pray for the seminary as they train the head, the heart and the hand to equip students for kingdom work.

Pray for Work in Durban

April 17th marks the first day of R teaching Muslim evangelism through his local church’s “Seminary Café”.  Over the next couple of weeks, members and other interested individuals will be able to sign up to attend.  Please pray that no barrier will stand between interested parties and this training.  Pray that the Lord will work to bring many to hear about how they can share with their Muslim neighbors and co-workers.

-Pray for an upcoming neighborhood seniors’ event to be held on April 20th at Gethsemane Baptist Church.  Pray that many seniors would attend and that this day of entertainment would demonstrate the love of Christ to them.

-R had been sharing with J for several months.  When the restaurant where J worked closed, they had lost contact.  On a recent outing with the family, R happened to see J again.  Please thank God for this reconnection and ask Him to renew J’s interest in the Injil (New Testament).

-A attends the Tuesday Ladies Bible Study led by Robin Taylor.  Please pray for A as she continues to try and sell her home.  She and her husband have a Visa for relocating to Australia to be close to family.  This Visa runs out the end of this year.  Pray God would bring the right people to buy their home, and that they would be able to finalize everything before their Visa expires.  E is also a member of the class.  E’s family is looking for another home to lease.  Pray that God would direct their path to the right house for their family. 

-Twenty-two people have committed to come to the small group studies offered through Umhanga Baptist Church.  Please pray for these students to remain faithful to attend the classes and for them to gain wisdom and insight through their study of God’s Word.

-W continues to train small groups in both Trinity Baptist and El Shaddai Baptist on Tuesday evenings.  Pray for W as he prepares for the training, for obedience among those being trained and for God to use His people to bring the gospel to those who need to hear.

-Many of the ladies attending the Tuesday Ladies Bible Study have husbands who are lost.  Please pray for the salvation of these husbands and that they may accept the Lord before it is eternally too late.

-A young lady from Texas is most likely coming to do an internship through BGR (Baptist Global Response) at Tabitha Ministries at the end of June.  Please pray that all the details, tickets, shots, etc will be sorted and she will arrive in God’s perfect timing!

-R and J ask that you please keep praying for Pastor L.  Pastor L’s car was repossessed just before his son’s wedding.  He is rebuilding a vehicle, having started with only the engine block and the body.  He is buying the pieces as he can.  The windscreen has been ordered and he has already gotten it running.  Although there is still a problem with brakes that have seized up, the car will be owned outright when he is done.  Pray that his perseverance and self-discipline will be an example to the congregation that he serves and that God would be glorified through him and his family.

Soweto/Joburg Fuge Teams

'FUGE-leaders volunteer team has arrived! Monday, they begin a full week of ministry.  In Soweto, they will be leading devotions, sharing testimonies, singing, Bible stories and activities with kids--lots of kids, listening to the workers, doing garden work and accompanying the health care, orphan & education workers as they do their jobs.

In downtown Joburg (Johannesburg), they will be prayer walking, sharing the gospel in an area a local pastor hopes to begin a Francophone church, and teaching "American" sports at one high school.

Both teams will be visiting a local orphanage connected to a Baptist church downtown.  You can find out more about this orphanage at http://www.onelifematters.org/projects click on One Baby South Africa.

Please pray that God would be in charge of the whole trip. Pray for interactions in which the Gospel gets to be shared. Pray the 'FUGE team would spread the fragrance of Christ each place to go. Pray they will be an encouragement for the Boitshoko workers. Pray for safety and working the kinks out of the inevitable changes that will take place.

Cape Town - Youth Leadership Camp

Christian Youth Leadership camp takes place in Cape Town this week, March 12-15, wrapping up on Sunday, March 24th. We will be inviting the leaders from the schools, parents, campers, and local Baptist churches.  FUGE leaders will be working with our CTMET team. We would encourage you to invite your prayer supporters to join us in prayer, as well. The more the merrier, well actually the more will have an opportunity to take part in and see our God be glorified!

"Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we could ever dare to ask or hope. May He be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen" Ephesians 3:20-21

Snake Park, Soweto

This Saturday, 4 women and 4 youth showed up interested in starting a church in the main part of Snake Park. While we were in the US, the church moved to block 12, a good 20 min walk from the main part of Snake Park, so now there will be 2 congregations. These 8 have committed themselves to do the work of the church. Alan will train and for a few months preach twice a month.

Pray these faithful ones will be committed under God's leadership to do God's work in the place they call home. Pray they would not become discouraged in 'doing good'. Pray that they would witness and that others would join them. Pray that leaders would emerge.

Tshepisong, Soweto

One morning this week we tagged along with home based care (HBC) givers from Boitshoko Community Center. In 2002 three people began Boitshoko to assist the community of Tshepisong and the surrounding squatter camps (informal settlements). As they say here in SA, they have "gone from strength to strength". There have 5 divisions and have a hospice using part of their facility.

Five days a week, 14 health care workers visit with 123 home bound patients. Not every patient is seen every day. Some people are recovering from a surgery, some have AIDS, and others another chronic condition. They no longer have the funds to take food parcels. They offer encouragement, wash wounds with salt water (antiseptic is no longer available) and listen.

After visiting in one house, I had a conversation with one of the workers. "Beth", she said. "yes, Z", I answered. "No, now you are Z and I am Beth. What can you say to this woman? You can do nothing for her, yet everyday you have to come see her. It is depressing". I had no words in response.

Please pray encouragement for these care workers. Pray that the government would soon be providing what they have in the past. Pray for those who are receiving care, some getting better, some dying. Pray for the partnership we have begun with Boitshoko and 'FUGE and International World Changer teams. These Southern Baptist programs for high school and college-aged youth with mission awareness, involvement and overseas mission's trips. And ultimately people will be saved and join together as believers.

Transforming A Nation in Durban

TAN (Transforming a Nation) will host a discipleship round table discussion for workers in KZN onFebruary 26-27 at Westville Baptist Church.  Pray that this time of sharing would encourage the participants to implement discipleship principles in their local context.  Pray that many would share the gospel and see more come to faith as a result of their attendance.

Door of Hope in Soweto

The morgue reported that 200+ babies are abandoned in Joburg (Johannesburg) every month!  Many are abandoned on the street or in a river.  In order to give mothers a better option, for many years, one Baptist church/orphanage downtown has had a door in their wall where mothers can leave their babies with caretakers.  Now, Pastor C and Joburg team member, Kurt, are hoping to install a door and orphanage home in Soweto.  Pray for their meetings with two pastors in Soweto.  Pray that through these meeting they can finalize a church home for the door so that construction may begin.  Pray for God's plans are clear.

Mapping the City of Durban

Petrol in the car…check.  Road map...check.  National partner…check.  Sounds like someone is ready for a trip, right?  Only if that trip was in your own city!   One of the strategic things Urban Team Leaders are doing this year is mapping out their city.  Joined by a national partner, Durban team member, Charles found there to be 22 mosques in just one small section of Durban, South Africa.  Pray the people living in this part of the city will hear the Good News and give their lives to the One True God. 

Church in Windhoek

For the second year in a row, New Song Family Church (NSFC) in Windhoek chose to fast and pray throughout the month of February. Even children chose to eliminate certain foods in order to mark the seriousness of their prayers before God. The church was unified in prayer each day through a sent out prayer calendar, as well as the members coming before the Lord with their individual requests.  The congregation entered the month of fasting and praying with great excitement and anticipation over what God would do through that time of NSFC’s people humbling themselves before God and seeking His face through prayer.  Some of the prayer requests have already received God’s answer, while others are still being eagerly awaited.  Please pray that the people of NSFC will stand firm in all that they have discovered about God through February’s time of fasting and praying and continue to seek God for His victory over sin, His spiritual protection over families, His salvation for family and friends, His spiritual, physical and emotional healing, His direction and purpose for the future, His raising up of spiritual leaders, His drawing the people of Namibia to Himself, His will to be done through the governmental leadership of Namibia, and a renewed passion for sharing Jesus to a world that is desperate to know Him. 

Refugees in Cape Town

Many of the people with whom Gail, worker in Cape Town, South Africa, ministers to are refugees from Burundi.  These people come from a country with internal strife.  In the 1980’s and 1990s, over 1.1 million of the people of the Hutu and Tutsi tribes were murdered as these tribes fought each other for equality and power within Burundi and Rwanda.  The instability from this as well as from unstable government leadership in this third world part of Africa has lead many Burundians to set out for stability and a place to call home that will give their children a future.  This home for many of them is South Africa.  These people have left family in the capital city and tribal lands.  In January 2013, a very large fire engulfed the tin covered open-air outdoor market in the capital city of Bujumbura.  Many people lost their homes and all means of a livelihood for themselves and their families.  Burundians all over South Africa were heartbroken and amazed at this vicious infernal outbreak that could take people’s lives, homes, and sources of income.  They were even more amazed at the report that it was set by the police.  Please be in prayer for these people loved of God as they struggle to get back on their feet, rebuild homes, and mourn their losses.  Pray for them to search for the peace and harmony that only the Lord can give.  Pray that, in the midst of this loss and confusion, people will give their lives to the Lord and follow Him.

Durban

With the end of summer vacations here in South Africa, the Sunday school of Compensation Baptist Church will be starting up in full swing.  Pray for R as she steps into the role of the lead teacher for the younger children’s class.  We praise the Lord that L has stepped up to help with the older children’s class.  Ask the Father to work in the lives of these precious children to bring them to faith in His Son.

-We ask that you begin praying now for the teams that will be coming from the States in 2013 to minister.  Pray that God will begin to work in the hearts of those whom He desires to come and that the work done would be fruitful.

Marriage Ministry

L is a former neighbor of S and W.  L has been counseling a Muslim couple who were her friends during university days.  Pray for this couple (I and B) who have reached out to L and are open to hear what the Bible has to say about their marital problems.  S and W ask that you pray for them as they communicate with L and help her through this process of sharing Christ with this couple.

Oneness

Oneness Ephesians 4:4-6 “You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.”_(MSG) God has brought together both young and old believers from four local Baptist churches along with the members of the Xhosa Student Ministry team to reach youth in seven different Cape Town schools this new school year. What does He ask for? Oneness. Praise God for the unity we share because of Him. Ask God to help us in everything we think, say and do to permeate Oneness in Him to others.