Slideshow of South Africa Mission

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Courtesy of Kelsey DeLannoy

The Longest Day!

I think that today was the LONGEST day ever! We had a meeting with a large group of people that all have an interest in combatting HIV/AIDS. Each one of them had time to share or preach. We got to the church at 9 am and it didn't start until 10:45 and we finished at around 5:30! It's tough to sit in a chair that long! But there were some great speakers.

We had the minister of education's assistant there, as the minister was working with the strike and it is amazing at how much they were asking for the church to get involved in their schools. They are realizing that their strategy of using condoms is still keeping the HIV/AIDS problem at huge rates here in S.A. The only thing that will work is abstinence. Government doesn't want to say it isn't working but the statistics are proving it! They basically encouraged us to take this message into the schools and it is welcomed! That is very exciting! Our schools would never allow a faith based program in them.

Then we also heard from the representative of the National Aids Council. His statistics were staggering! 40% of women from 20 - 35 are HIV positive in some areas in S.A. This number is basically the same for several years now! We didn't even see any dip in the chart that they showed!

We also heard form Dr. Phalatse who was a fireball for Christ! He just said abstinence is the ONLY way to get a hold of this problem and he was powerful and entertaining and really interesting to hear from. We don't know if he has heard of Smart Choices but he covered all that we covered but much more Christ centered! He held nothing back. He and his wife have also started publishing a bi-monthly local magazine and welcomed us to submit articles for publication.

Then Glynn got up and he also did an excellent job sharing what we are doing in the schools and he refuted the National Aids Council (he had already left) but emphasized that only abstinence is going to stop HIV/AIDS not a national push using condoms. 

One of our students from Botse Botse school last year.

Then we had Dawie and Lizel Pieterse from Campus Crusade for Christ and they shared how they are working in local communities to help build homes for orphans and community sights for soccer and how they work with local groups to teach skills to people so they can learn life skills to work. They are doing an amazing work all over the world! It was very inspiring to hear all that they are doing as an organization. All of this activity is part of a fairly new initiative by Campus Crusade called GAIN for Global AId Network.

Then we heard from Hospice workers and what they are doing with the sick and dying and what they are doing with the children left behind. They were asking for more help from the churches as well. And asking for people to take in orphans.

Then we also had a group of teens who did a skit that they present in the schools from a group called Life of Art. It was done in the Tswana language but even so you could get the point.

Then there was a group called Love Life and they ministered to those infected with HIV/AIDS kinda like what He Intends Victory does at our church. 

That is what made for the LONGEST day ever. But it was also interesting to see so many people working together to help bring relief and healing to so many hurting people.

Tomorrow we are supposed to present the Smart Choices program to church leaders so they can go back to their churches and get the program going in their local schools. (when the strikes end)

Tammy

A wonderful warm people!

 Well, it has been a few days of very busy ministry here in South Africa!  God has done amazing things in our lives, and in the lives of those we came to minister to.  We have been blessed to experience several church services with our brothers and sisters, some of them a bit charismatic but all were a great time of worship and fellowship.

  Our ministry with HIV and AIDS education has been filled with amazing stories of God’s hand at work in both circumstances and hearts.  ALL of the government offices of South Africa are on strike right now!!!  That means no students in school, unless they are in private schools or universities.  Despite the strikes, God had plans for us to meet with upwards of 600 kids last week in several schools and other venues, and most of those kids made commitments to Christ for the first time.  Praise the Lord for that harvest! 

All of our team members have done a great job of humbly communicating this very tough subject to a country that is in desperate need of the information.  I am blown away at how little the people here know about the virus that kills most of them.  Even the adults know little to nothing about how HIV is transmitted and the truths about the damage that it does.  So this “Better Choices” curriculum is very effective in two ways:  It teaches the people about the virus, and then we bring it all together with the only hope that any of us have, JESUS CHRIST!!!

  We have also been able to have some fun together.  We went to a local game preserve and saw many of the amazing South African animals that are here.  It’s springtime here so many of the animals had their young.  Baby giraffes are really cute!  We saw a lion, many rhinos, monkeys, warthogs, Kudo, etc. etc..  We were also invited to a brii (bbq African style) so tasty, and a fun way for us to hang with some of the locals and eat some different types of meat.

 We are now in Greytown, South Africa.  If any of you have seen the movie “Faith Like Potatoes”, that is where we are.  Angus Buckham’s farm and ministry are right around the corner.  We are hoping to swing by there on Tuesday afternoon to see him and hear about his ministry.  We are staying at the house of a gentleman that was one of Angus’ elders.

  

The government strikes are still going on.  So please continue to pray that God will provide safety and many people for us to share with.   That’s all for now.  We covet your prayers and know that God is in total control!

God Bless,

South African Missions Team

Teaching in the schools!

Greetings from South Africa...

Well, we started our "Better Choices" curriculum this week. We are teaching HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention along with the real need, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Any time an opportunity to bring God's Truth to the public schools and the community opens up like this... we want to grab it!  Bringing hope to the nations.

All the preparation, organizing, teambuilding, and prayer... it was all leading up to this week. As a side note, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we could already see God unfolding his perfect plan for all of the work that was ahead of us. God quickly knit all of our hearts together for one purpose:  to share the Gospel for God's glory!

Here is another display of God at work this week, are you ready for this?  We've talked alot as a team so far about being flexible on missions trips, and in all our preparation we encountered opposition right away... it seemed wherever God was building a house, the enemy was building right next door. The enemy knew the Gospel was going out to the nations! It just so happens that this week, in our province in South Africa, most of the schools were suffering from a teacher's strike, which in turn shut the schools down. No school, no students...No students, no venue to teach the students... right?

WRONG! It was amazing to see God at work, in His perfect will and timing, open up so many doors for the nations to hear His Gospel! By the end of the first day, in all the excitement and changes of plans, we had collectively shared "Better Choices" and the Gospel with over 400 students and locals! Over 400 South Africans were reached on the FIRST DAY! Praise God!  God will accomplish what He wants, when He wants. God is good, all the time...All the time, God is good!

We finished our curriculum with hundreds of locals in the Richard's Bay area today and saw God do some great work:  educating the people and students about HIV/Aids, presenting the Gospel through the Jesus Film, testimonies, and God's Word. Many students were led to the saving truth of Jesus, committing their lives to Him! Praise the Lord!

Thank You for all your prayers, please pray that many would continue to come and hear the Truth of Jesus as we travel to Greytown on Saturday.

In Him - Colby Long

A Glimpse of Heaven in Worship

Today, Sunday, has been a great day of praising the Lord with our South African brothers and sisters.  Worship here is so powerfully led by the Spirit!!  Not sure I've ever heard so many harmonies all at once.

We stopped by one of the orphanages that Beacon of Hope ministries has been involved with for many years.  The video clip linked below is from that orphanage.  Their worship moved most of us to tears!  I'm sure you will understand why once you've seen this video...it's a must watch!

Orphans in S Africa Praising the Lord from Mark Breyer on Vimeo.

Tomorrow will be filled with training for our first day of Aids Education, training with our S African partners.  Pray that our time with them will be filled with divine appointments. 

Orphanage Pictures

We had a great time this morning playing soccer with our newest friends!  The kids at this orphanage are mostly all Christians already, but we will be bringing them some great times along with the word as we hold a vacation Bible school over the next few days.  Here's Sam and Phoebe with some of the kids who are clearly delighted to see them!

We've arrived!

We have all arrived safely after 36 hours of total travel time!  You may notice a few extra folks in the picture below, taken as we arrived in Durban.  There is another team from a church in California that is joining us here.  The Lord is already knitting our hearts together with them, which is a blessing since  we will be ministering together in the coming days.  

The work is already at hand.  Today, we will be going to an orphanage to minister through a vacation Bible school for the kids.  After that, we'll show the Jesus film which always has a powerful impact.  Please, join with us in prayer, because without the Holy Spirit going before us and preparing hearts, our efforts will simply be man's work.  We want to see the Lord moving in a powerful way as He draws many to Himself!   To Him be the glory always.