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. 

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.

Durban

Most African congregations are comprised of women and children.  The men are happy for the women to go to church; but may not go themselves.  We praise the Lord for the many men who are attending Compensation BC and for their eagerness to grow spiritually.  Recently, they asked Barry to start teaching an adult Bible study while the children are having Sunday school.  Please pray for Barry as he starts to prepare for the adult study which will begin in January.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide him in his studies and preparation.

Please pray for two university students, F and A, who have received Jesus DVDs and New Testaments.  Pray that during their break from studies, they will look at the DVDs and read the New Testaments.  Pray that S and W would be able to reconnect with them when they return from stateside, and would be able to encourage them to consider Jesus. 

Hundreds of adults and children live in abandoned buildings or shelters in inner city Durban.  Pray that the message of hope and the love of Jesus will be shared with them.  Pray that they will know the love of God in a very real way.  Pray that the Church will reach out to these precious souls during December.

Due to conflicts between DRC and Zimbabwean immigrants at the Compound in Compensation, many of the families will be displaced in lieu of farm workers moving into the housing.  Please pray for L and her family who are faced with the task of moving out of their room. Pray that they would find suitable accommodation, and that it would be in the area so that she and the children could continue to walk to church.  Pray for this single mother of five to be able to find full-time work so that she can adequately provide for her family.

Christmas is currently a public holiday in South Africa.  However, that may not be the case for much longer.  Recent complaints and requests have been made to the government commission that say the Christian holiday is biased and unfair to other religions that do not have public holidays in South Africa.  Pray for the Christian community in South Africa as they face this issue.

Pastors L, A and S are all hoping to see new church plants in the coming year.  Pray for wisdom for each of these men.  Pray for S and W to have wisdom to know how they can assist and encourage their efforts. Pray for the Lord to open more doors of opportunity for evangelism training as S and W return from the States.

Durban, South Africa

James will be house-sitting for fellow workers until the family returns from the U.S. in early October.  Pray for James as he lives in the house and takes care of the family dogs.  Please pray for the family to receive the medical clearance that is required so that they may return to South Africa.

Pray for M, one of the students in S’s ESL (English as a Second Language) classes.  Although M has moved to Johannesburg, S was able to share Truth with her during one a recent visit to Durban.  M is also in touch with fellow workers in Johannesburg who are ministering to her.  Pray that the Lord would continue His work in her life and that she would come to faith in Christ.

Durban, South Africa

September 16^th through 22nd:

Join Linda in thanking the Lord for R’s continued desire to study God’s Word.  As the study of “Seeking Him” progressed, it was evident that it may have been too advanced at this time.  So, the ladies have started a study of the women of the Bible instead.  Please pray that both ladies would see God afresh through the lives of these biblical examples.

While in Johannesburg this week, Barry will also be driving another 3 hours to a rural area in order to deliver and install window screens for fellow workers.  Houses built in these areas are never “uniform”.  All the windows in the house are different measurements, with even the measurement of top of the window being different from the bottom of the same window.  Pray that the screens will be the correct sizes and that installation over the existing security bars will go without problems.

Three-year-old AIDS Orphan at Medical Crossroads

In Durban, little Seth is 3 years old, and was brought to Tabitha Ministries’ orphanage as an infant after his mother, mentally deranged in the last stages of AIDS, buried him alive.  An alert neighbor dug him up and caregivers at Tabitha have raised him. Because he is HIV-positive, he has battled with illness after illness, and recently was hospitalized with meningitis.  He has taken the first round of Anti-Retroviral (ARVs) and they have not been effective in stopping the virus’ effect on Seth’s little body. Doctors are hesitant to give him the second round of ARVs as they are much stronger than the first and are concerned that he won’t be able to handle the drugs.  If they decide not to give him the second ARVs, they will take him off all medications and he will most likely die within a month.  PRAY that he would be strong enough to take the meds and they will work to bring him back to health.