Monday, September 30, 2013

MALAWI AND ONTO MOZAMBIQUE

Year end is fast approaching and the rainy season is upon us. Meaning, we head south and get out of the countries north of us due to the rain and the mosquitoes. I just got back from Malawi and Namibia and did not enjoy the hot humid nights in Malawi with the mosquitoes. I really need to be more careful and take malaria tablets. When I have US campaigners with me I always encourage them to take, but me being a South African and use to the situation have never taken. Well, I have promised myself to start taking precautions in countries north of us. One day is one day. I did not have any campaigners with me this year. As I flew into Lilongwe I rented a vehicle and headed north west towards Salema to meet Chariot 2. Malawi is really 3rd world, but you got to love it. It keeps you humble and the people are friendly. This year alone Chariot 2 has baptized 298 souls in Malawi alone. We hope to build a mini chariot for Malawi early next year due to their zeal for the Lord. We only visit there for 2 months a year with Chariot 2. Imagine if they had their own mini chariot working 12 months of the year. Greater things would happen. Please pray for this. We give GOD THE GLORY FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING.


As I drove from the airport to Salema, this is what you see at times.
Bicycles are a plenty and used to transport almost anything.
Pickups can be used to transport anything as well.
How is that for a load???
When you get to the village, it is dusty and the little ones love to run around and play in the dust. No shoes, no shirts, NO WORRIES. How is my buddy here. He came over to say hi and wanted me to take a photo of him. He had just finished eating a green mango. They are all so precious and so innocent. I love playing with them and one of the things we do when preaching in the villages, is make sure the GCM team has time to play games with them. These little ones LOVE IT when we come to their villages. They are the ones that even invite their family members to the gospel preaching.
Here we have little Jonas who followed me around and was fascinated with my arm hairs and white skin. He sat next to me and all he wanted to do was feel the hair on my arms. He was like saying "Dude you a little different" Ha Ha. He was a cutie.
Here we have a little girl walking past the gospel meeting with a water bucket on her head. She had just got water at the village water well. The others in the backroud are sitting under the tree during Sunday church service. Not everyone could get in under the Chariots tent. Look at the bicycles in the back round.
There you are. This is the village water pump.


They fill them up and put the bucket on their heads and head for home.
In the village you see so many little girls looking after babies. They are their mother's babies or older sister's babies. Everyone looking after little ones.



Here is my little friend again wanting to show me his older brother with his new born baby  - all sitting under the tree, trying to stay cool.
When I first arrived, Moster took me out to see the Church building we managed to help build last year. Every year we try help erect one church building in Malawi and the price is about $1,500.00. That's right. They make the bricks and do all the work themselves. That's why I love Malawi. They are prepared to do something themselves. This year we are going to help a Church in the Muzuzu area, where our Gospel Chariot managed to plant 2 churches. They need help and we are hoping to help. Lord Willing.
 
Here we have 2 Malawians with myself. They are Layman and Robert. They both work Chariot 2 and are responsible for over 400 souls being baptized this year. These are good guys, honest, upright and hard working. As their leader I only want what is best for them. Lifting them up and helping them reach their potential. They are now in Mozambique and then back to South Africa. They will then rest and do some farming from November to February.



I then arrived at the Village just out of Salema, where we planned a leadership weekend, where I preached 5 hours on leadership and developing those around you. We filled the chariot and had leaders from all the surrounding regions.
 
Myself with Moster interpreting.




One of the lessons was on the " law of the lid" John Maxwell teaches the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership and the first one is the Law of the lid. Meaning., leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness. How well you lead, will determine how well you succeed. Bottom line. Grow the leader, Grow the Church. Don't put a lid on your potential. Everything gets better when you get better as a leader.


The beautiful thing about teaching in Malawi is that the brethren will have a pen and paper. Most encouraging.


There were brethren in the tent and outside under the trees listening to the lessons.


At times the ladies sit on a piece of the walls of the tent.





As preaching takes place. Our GCM team work with the little kids
There you are. That's me trying to shoot a hoop or a loop. Not very good at it.


Layman, my side kick, was just as bad. The kids done better and won some candy.
Talking about food. After preaching 2 hours, it was then time to eat and the brethren fed me before preaching another 2 hours. We ate mealie meal, beans and cabbage. No knives and forks. I messed on my shirt and pants. Just not use to it. Ria would most probably say I eat like that with knife and fork, messing all over.
Before I flew out we stopped off in Lilongwe and looked at a truck that might work for a mini chariot in Malawi next year. The price was higher than what we can get it for in South Africa, but was good doing some research in this regard.
Ha Ha. Maybe we should not consider a mini chariot for Malawi. This is Moster's car that rolled down the hill and fell over a bridge. What happened was his car broke down and he contacted a mechanic who was towing him and the rope snapped and the vehicle rolled down the hill and over the bridge. Problem one. That's what happens when you drive old, old cars. Problem two. That's what happens when you tow a vehicle with a rope.

Some of the souls who were baptized in Malawi.




Namibia, Ghana, Liberia, Western Cape and Pretoria.

God continues to work. This last month has seen plenty happen. By the grace of God, funds have been sent to Liberia to our brother Isaac Daye, who will build the first mini chariot. It should be up and running in a month's time. I also traveled to the country of Namibia and flew internally to the north, to a town called Ondangwa and Oshakati, where 60% of the population live and no congregations, except a hut church 16 KM out of Oshakati. See pics below. Some good news is, we are not only building a chariot for Liberia, but sending brother Anton Ngabwe to be the missionary of the north. Anton has been working in Windhoek with the Wanaheda Church of Christ. He will finish a 4 year degree year end and then off to Ondangwa. We will then plant a congregation and campaign there with the Fredericksburg congregation in April. AMEN! God is helping us reach unreached areas. Thank you Lord.
 
 Above shows Isaac Daye and his family in Liberia who will build the fist new
mini chariot. We are now trying to get one up and running for Zimbabwe.
 
GEORGE IN THE WESTERN CAPE
 

Above and below shows the Thembuletu Church of Christ in George in the Western
Cape. This is a congregation we planted 5 years ago and managed to get a Church
building for the brethren. Sister Gladys, who's husband passed away last year, runs a
daycare for little kids and supports herself as a widow, but needed help or be closed.
We managed to roll up our sleeves and spend a month cleaning, tiling, painting and
making it livable for those little ones.
Ria visiting with me and getting involved in more ways than one. She is a jack of
all trades. Believe me. Shame, are they not precious. There are 18 of them all packed
into a bedroom. Not a good situation.
Her own kitchen being used for the daycare.
Above shows the homemade baby cots that Jackson, her husband, made
before he passed away.
Above shows Ria collecting cups, plates, flooring, education charts and curtaining
Ria also organized 20 mini mattresses for the little kids.
Then it was the big job. Going into the church building and transforming it into
a facility that can be used during the week for the little ones.
Above shows the tiler finishing the tiling. What you see at the back is a little
Kitchen where Gladys can keep the food and cook for the children, but at the same
time keep an eye on the children and helpers.
Above shows Gladman from Plett helping to paint. Zonge, Gladman and myself traveled through to help get it completed.

Above shows some of the new converts also helping with the work
Above shows some of the new brethren painting the baptistery.

Then you have me doing some painting. We decided to paint the bottom
section of the walls dark brown due to the kids playing and dirtying the walls.

Then the finishing touches. Putting up curtain rails and hanging curtains

Above shows Gladys and some of the young Christians who helped work and get her
daycare ready for the little ones to have school. We have set up a committee to assist
her as she goes forward with growing the daycare, but also reaching out to the parents
who bring the children to her. GREAT DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY
Above and below shows some of the new converts in Thembuletu, George


 
PLETTENBERG BAY

Above shows some of the little children at the Hillview Church of Christ in Plett 


Above shows Lazarus Munetsi and his wife Busi from Pretoria visiting Plettenberg Bay for 2 weeks. I asked him to visit and look into working the Garden Route for one year and help me oversee some of the works Ria and I started. You can also see Gladman, Edwin, Esau, Xolani and some of the leading ladies in the Church. They were meeting with the Munetsi's and saying goodbye before they left. Little did we know, that same day Laz and Busi would breakdown 4 hours out of town and have to be towed back to Port Elizabeth. His vehicle is still being repaired. Not a good situation. Laz and Busi eventually caught a bus back to Pretoria.


NAMIBIA




Above shows Anton and the Wanaheda Church of Christ, planted by us in Windhoek some years back. They are all ready to visit an orphanage with 175 children. The ladies class at the Fredericksburg Church in Texas sent them some funds to help the little ones. Amen and Amen. Anton is going to be relocated to the North, another AMEN,


Sister Helenie handing over food parcels for the little ones. Sister
Helenie is a long time member in Wanahede.
On my trip I then flew from Windhoek to Ondanwa in the north and met a brother I met at our Namibian lectureships. His name is Petrus and was converted in Luderitz in the south. I then promised to visit him in the north due to there being no Churches of Christ up there. I communicated with him to meet him at the Post Office in Oshakati. I then followed him to his village 16 KM out in the bush.
Above shows his mini church hut. How cute is that. Nothing wrong with that.
Above shows Petrus in his church hut with a Church of Christ sign. Amen
Above shows, yes, even a baptistery at his homestead. This just shows you
how God's word reaches people in darkest parts of Africa.

Above shows Ria my wife with Lazarus and his wife in George having
lunch together after visiting the George Church in Thembuletu

Above shows Chariot 1. Lazarus works this chariot with Bongani. This chariot is now in the Natal area with Bongani working through the province. Laz has just returned from Swaziland. Souls have been saved in Natal and Swaziland.


GHANA
 


Above shows the Ghana Gospel Chariot still working through the Accra area, having open air meetings and showing Jesus films. 3 souls were baptized the last month. This Chariot also had a breakdown and had to go into the agents for a repair. Next year this chariot will start venturing out into other regions and ultimately other surrounding countries.



Above shows some of the team that went out assisting the Ghana Chariot.


PRETORIA
 

Above shows Dimpo, Bongani, Dennis with brother Hufford, from Harding,
who did a leadership retreat in Swaziland.
The Law of Process teaches that " leadership develops daily and not in a day"
Above shows Pretoria GCM Bible School students who have made way
for a new intake.
Above and below shows baptisms taking place in Pretoria. AMEN AND AMEN