VENDA BIBLE SCHOOL
Look what is happening...the roof is going on. Since these pictures were taken, the roof has been completed. This is the new Bible School going up at the Tshidimbini Church of Christ in Venda. Very, very exciting. The brethren in Venda are mature and will assist us in many ways. Once upon a time this was just a dream, today it is becoming a reality.
This Bible School will help us train men up in the region. GCM has an office in Thohoyandou, Venda, just 20 minutes from this building. We have over 1000 students studying with this office. The Chariot works in Venda every year and hundreds have been baptized. Wow! now a Bible School. I believe the Vendans are going to turn that region upside down for the Lord. I leave on the 27th November to attend the graduation in Pretoria and then onto Nelspriut and Venda. Cannot wait to discuss 2009 with the brethren. Dimpo and Lazarus will be traveling with me.
Above shows Bongani Mabena preaching in Natal. Bongani has worked with us at GCM for some years now. He is a wonderful co-worker with so much potential. When not on the Chariot he works with the Church in Tsakane on the East Rand. One thing about anyone working with GCM, we don't just preach for a Church of Christ, we work with a number of congregations at once.
Above shows some of the meetings in the Natal area. The Chariot stopped and preached in Empangeni, Isikhawini, Dlangezwa, Ngwelezane, and Ilovo. There were 24 souls baptized during the month-long campaign in Natal.
PLETTENBERG BAY
Above shows the Hillview Church of Christ in Kwanokutula. This is in Plettenberg Bay where I live. We started off in a shack. Then moved to another shack at a sisters house. We then managed to build us our little Church building. We are growing. It is exciting. We still do not have a short term Bible School like some of our other offices. We don't have sleeping quarters for students. However, we are trying to get premises for this purpose. We will be sending 2 men to Pretoria for training in February. Gladman and Edwin will be going. We put a fence around the Church. We have a problem and that is we are now running out of chairs. Good problem to have. Above shows the congregation as well as me with some of the men I am working with.
Above shows Harrison who works with me full time. We have taught our congregation to help the poor or those in need of food. Above shows Harrison with some of our food parcels. We assisted a lady in the community whose house burnt down. It was so sad. A fire started in a shack next to her house witch spread to another 5 shacks and then her house. This lady was in Church on Sunday to say thank you. We will now encourage her and study with her.Above also shows my hard working wife. She has to be the hardest worker GCM has. She makes me feel tired and guilty at times. I have often said what takes me 5 hours takes my wife 45 min. Above also shows Harrison handing over Bible certificates to those completing our correspondence causes. There are a number of doors opening in the area. God is working.
WORLD BIBLE SCHOOL FOLLOW UP
Above shows Mr and Mrs Shange. Shange is part of the A team. He is the brother doing most house to house WBS follow up. He has a GCM vehicle with gas to get to as many as possible every month. We do not like doing one on one follow up due to the cost. We prefer to have seminars where we can invite a 1000 students. Then maybe only 200 come. This way we shoot many birds with one shot. Imagine going to 1000 different homes visiting students. We would never be able to afford the cost. So we rather pay the postage and invite students to visit us on a certain Saturday. However, if we do go out visiting that one student who seems very receptive, this is the man on the mission: Shange. We converted Shange and a number of his religious group some 10 years ago. He is a good man.
Some of the 11 souls baptized by Shange this last month. Shange traveled to the Free State some 5 hours out of Johannesburg. It is wonderful to see some of the high school students repenting and seeking the Lord. Shange has a portable baptistery in his pickup. All he does is assemble it and fill it up with water. Sometimes it is difficult to find water.
