More news from South Africa

We have been having a blessed and interesting time in South Africa.

Thank you for your prayers. God is touching us and JoAnn is doing much better. Mikki is still having a cough but we have not had to miss singing or preaching in any service. We anointed Mikki last night before service and she was able to sing just fine. God is good.

If we forget to pick up our utensils to eat with when we get home, remind us. We have learned how to use the utensils God gave us (fingers) here in the rural area. We went to a small, by the side of the road, “restaurant”. We had wood fire cooked chicken, pap and chakalala. All traditionally eaten fooThey have been feeding us well and JoAnn had to tell the one lady if she did not stop feeding us so well she would not be able to button her skirt. The lady laughed.

God is still speaking to people’s hearts and people are seeking Him. Last night we also had prayer for healing after the time of praying at the altar. Many have a cold or the flu. Several children were prayed for.

The people here have been so accepting of us. A special  lady named Treasure, and rightly so, has been cooking for us here. She also took a week off work and took care of us in 1998. She is a trained cook and we have been spoiled these days. She has also made us traditional pudding and bread. I am going to try and bring the recipes home with me. 

I hope to write more at our next stop;

The church where we were last night has a single lady pastor and the church and house has no security fencing. One of the trustees asked us to pray they could raise the rest of the funds they need to put up the fence. They also asked us if we could pass the word along. I believe the total for fencing was 21000 Rand, which is about 2100 US dollars. They have raised 10000 Rand so far. They are concerned that their female pastor has no security fence and are trying by every means to raise the needed funds. Please pray for this need. If the Lord would lay on your heart to help them with this I will find out how we can best get this to them.

Keep on praying, it is our best offense and defense here. We cannot make it without a strong prayer covering. May you be blessed as you continue to remember us and South Africa. Also please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq. Especially pray for the children who are being killed.

People praying at the altar

Forgiveness seems to be the message that reaches people

The Lord enabled Mikki to preach a good sermon on forgiveness last night. As has been the practice lately, JoAnn then closes the sermon and starts the invitation. We then have the local pastor finish the invitation so it goes smoother as there is no need of translation. This is an invitation for forgiveness of sins as well as asking the Lord to empower us to forgive those who hurt us.

Thanks Pastor Ken for all the good sermons and teaching on forgiveness. It is a much needed message here. There are many with deep wounds. It continues to show us how God can use our stumbling words to touch hearts. Again many came weeping with great sorrow, almost a wailing sound. Our God is so good.

Please continue to pray for us to be used by the Holy Spirit to see souls saved and Christians to completely surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Your prayers make a big difference.

Pray also for us physically. We have had a few problems lately but have prayed and are trusting the Lord to heal our sinuses and throats. He has been good and neither of us has missed a preaching turn. The singing has been interesting some times though. JoAnn has to devise a new way to trace Mikki's sketches as the paper here is newsprint and dark. She cannot see through it so can not trace Mikki's sketch as usual. You definitely have to rely on the Lord here. It makes you get back to the basics of Christianity, I can not but Christ can.

Blessings on you all from here in South Africa.

I will try and attach some pictures and maybe a couple of short videos if they will upload. The first is a hello from Welverdiend, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

 

JoAnn preaching Rev. Kangu translating

Our lunch at Masingita (shack church)

 

 

 

 

 

Congregation at Welverdiend & Mikki talking to a young child  before church                          

Do you believe internet 2 days in a row

We just finished Our last night at Hebron. We go to a small shack church tomorrow. Mikki will teach Sunday School (all ages) and JoAnn will preach.

We have had good services here. The pastor asked how many had received help this week and many raised their hands. God is so good.

I will try and attach some photos if we can get the internet to hold. Not having any luck with videos right now. We have been advised to get service with a different cell company Monday. I think we will have to do that.

Mikki found a friend

Congregation our last night

How they get home at night

Finally WiFi that is working Another update

Forgive us for not being able to update more often. We have been having problems with having WiFi that works.

The Lord has been blessing our services and many are coming to the altar to pray. God is faithful and His Word does not return void. We had good services at Mamelodi with several responding and some being prayed for for healing. One young lady was having asthma problems and after she was prayed for she could take deep breaths. 

We also has a fantastic service at Remotse with our old friend Rev. Wassenaar Ngobeni and his wife Rev. Winnie.  Mikki & I had sort of a tag team message on forgiveness. God worked in the hearts of the people. The front of the church was lined with people weeping and some crying loudly. God did a really much needed work here.

The last 3 days we have been at Hebron Church near Acornhoek. God has been faithful there as well. We have a day off tomorrow then start services again Saturday. They are taking us to Kruger National Park to see the animals. We are hoping to see a leopard.

Today we went with many of the pastors from this area to comfort to Dr. Enoch Litswele, now retired, who lost his eldest son this week. We had not seen him since 1998. He is a gentle man of the faith. He testified that like Horatio Spafford, who wrote the song It is Well with My Soul, even though he is sad it is well with his soul.

Please pray for Dr. Litswele and his family

Pray for a boy named Michael who was given poison, possibly by some of his schoolmates

Pray for our continued health and strength

Thank you again for your prayers and financial support. May the Lord richly bless you.

We will try and add pictures as we have a more stable internet.

Ministering in two very different churches

On Sunday morning we ministered at Chatsworth. It is a blended congregation that has a largely Indian background. The service is in English. It is very much in a city with a nice building. God was there in a very special way.

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings we were in Tongaat Habinathi. This church is in a smaller township in what appeared to be a lower income neighborhood. Zulu is the main language here and we used a translator. Again the Spirit of the Lord was very present in the services.

Praise the Lord that people came for prayer in all 3 services. At Tongaat the ex-pastors widow, we had stayed with them our last trip, asked us to pray for her 2 sick children. After we prayed she said she felt the Lord touch her when we anointed her for her children.

We fly to Johannesburg Thursday for our next meetings. Please continue to pray for God's leading and the Spirit's anointing on the services.

I will try and download a couple of videos for you.

Chatsworth

Tongaat

Giving Zulu Bibles

Awesome service today. Also some of the animals we have seen.

We had a really awesome service today in Chatsworth. The presence of the Lord was really strong. I will post some from there tomorrow.

Here are a few pictures of a lion and rhinos we saw at Hluhluwe Game Reserve. The lion had killed a buffalo that morning.
The mama and baby rhino watched us for a while peacefully. The video shows she thought we stayed too long and slowly started moving toward us. After we backed up she felt safe enough to take her baby and leave.

lion waiting

big fellow

big yawn

red chin says he likes it raw

 

enjoying supper

mama and baby rhino

           

A great service tonight at Nseleni Church of the Nazarene. Also a great visit to Hluhluwe Game Reserve this week.

A big thanks to Janet and Lise for a wonderful time at Hluhluwe. We saw 4 of the big 5 during this trip. For those who don't know, the big 5 are: lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant. We saw all but the leopard. God was so good to let us see so many animals. I will be posting pictures.

We also had a really good service at Nseleni Church of the Nazarene. Mikki drew, we sang 3 songs and Mikki brought the message. Several people prayed at the end. Pray they will continue to grow in the Lord. They sang for us as well. I am still learning my Africa phone so the video will be sideways, but you can hear the song they prepared for us. Also there was not much light so the pics may be a bit dark.

I will post more pics over the next few days.

Had communion with our African brothers & sisters

Today we had two morning services. One at Shallcross and one at Calvary in Pinetown.
One congregation was quite large and the other just bought a home they are having services in.
Mikki preached in the first service about forgiveness and JoAnn preached in the second about abiding in the vine and reaching others with love.
We had a great time in the Lord today. It was a privilege to help serve communion with Pastor Lazarus at Shallcross. Been a busy, but blessed day.
Thank you all for your continued prayers.

2 more great days with the Lord working

The Lord was moving in our Wednesday night service and Thursday Bible study. Several people prayed. JoAnn preached Wednesday night and Mikki taught the Thursday Bible Study.

We go to a Child development Center tomorrow and 2 services Sunday. We will also be delivering more Bibles tomorrow.

We received news recently that a friend from home, Mickey VanderKooi, passed away suddenly. Please pray for her husband Bob and family.

We appreciate your continuimg prayer support .