Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Operation World Country Facts: St Helena Island


St Helena

British Overseas Territory of St. Helena

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 412 sq km
St Helena (122 sq km), 2,000 km west of Angola in the south Atlantic. Two dependencies: Ascension Island (90 sq km), 600 km to the northwest, and Tristan da Cunha (100 sq km), 1,200 km to the south. Also several uninhabited islands.
Population: 4,406    Annual Growth: -1.34%
Capital: Jamestown
Urbanites: 39.7%

Peoples

Official language: English    Languages: 1 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians4,17294.70-1.6
Evangelicals3898.80.5

Challenges for Prayer

The isolation of the islands makes vibrant ministry and church life a huge challenge. Connection to the outside world and to Christian resources is limited. The small and more transient populations of Ascension and Tristan have even less evangelical presence and ministry, if any.
     For an additional Challenge for Prayer see Operation Worldbook, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of St Helena.

http://www.operationworld.org/saih

Operation World Country Facts: Mozambique

Mozambique

Republic of Mozambique

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 799,380 sq km
The Zambezi and 24 other rivers divide the 2,800 km-long land and make north-south travel difficult.
Population: 23,405,670    Annual Growth: 2.35%
Capital: Maputo
Urbanites: 38.4%

Peoples

Peoples: 62 (15% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Portuguese, understood by less than 30%    Languages: 53 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians10,878,95546.482.6
Evangelicals2,606,51211.15.4

Answer to Prayer

The country has enjoyed peace since 1992 after 30 years of war, and the politicians have genuinely endeavoured to maintain and build on this peace. The government has performed admirably in advancing the nation’s democratic, economic and religious freedom status.

Challenge for Prayer

Mozambique’s brokenness continues. After being shattered by colonialism and civil war, natural disasters and debt burdens, Mozambique remains one of the world’s poorest nations. Personal brokenness also persists as many have been traumatized by the violence and deprivation. Turn these major challenges into prayer:
a) Continuing natural disasters. The cyclones, floods and earthquakes disrupt development and destroy infrastructure, not to mention take many lives.
b) Dependency. Heavy reliance on aid and a high public debt combine with existing poverty to make economic growth a challenge. Many struggle from day to day just to survive, but progress is being made.
c) Disease. Life expectancy averages only 48 years, to a large degree because of disease and extremely basic medical facilities for most. Pray for effective, practical programmes that assist those who need it most.
     i AIDS is a major challenge, with 16% of the adult population HIV-positive. The faith communities and government have united with a national action plan. Pray that a reversal, as in some other African countries, might occur.
     ii Malaria is an even greater bane, with a much higher prevalence – over 5 million cases a year – taking many lives and sapping the health of those who survive.
     iii Other medical issues such as diarrhoea and tuberculosis become even more lethal amidst intense poverty and especially when combined with the above two diseases.
     For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Mozambique.

http://www.operationworld.org/moza

Operation World Country Facts: Swaziland

Swaziland

Kingdom of Swaziland

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 17,364 sq km
Small, landlocked enclave between Mozambique and South Africa.
Population: 1,201,904    Annual Growth: 1.34%
Capital: Mbabane
Urbanites: 25.5%

Peoples

Peoples: 12 (8% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: siSwati, English    Languages: 8 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians1,017,77284.681.6
Evangelicals301,80125.10.2

Challenges for Prayer

The impact of HIV/AIDS cannot be overstated – it has devastated the population. Life expectancy plummeted to age 32 in 2008 (according to some reports), and 26% of adults (up to 40% in other reports) are HIV-positive. Sixty-one percent of all deaths could be attributed to HIV/AIDS. The pandemic has denuded society of a young adult workforce, and many households are orphaned and led by the oldest sibling. All talk about ministry and evangelism is irrelevant if this issue is not addressed. Pray for:
a) Treatment of those afflicted. Anti-retrovirals are available for free, but there is a severe shortage of adequate care facilities. Widespread poverty exacerbates the suffering.
b) Sexual morality must be restored. Until purity and fidelity are practiced as a social norm, this scourge will never be defeated. Polygamy and a lack of holiness among Christians contribute to the problem. Pray for marriages and families to function as God intended; that in itself will be a great victory against AIDS.
c) Christian response. Genuine Christian love, demonstrated in practical and gracious ways, has the potential to win many to the Lord. No church trying to be relevant can afford to ignore the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of AIDS sufferers. Training pastors to address this challenge is a strategic key.
     For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Swaziland.

http://www.operationworld.org/swaz

Operation World Country Facts: Lesotho

Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 30,355 sq km
A mountainous country completely surrounded by South Africa. Only 10% is arable.
Population: 2,084,182    Annual Growth: 0.88%
Capital: Maseru
Urbanites: 26.9%

Peoples

Peoples: 13 (8% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Sesotho, English    Languages: 6 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians1,861,38389.310.9
Evangelicals253,04012.12.7

Challenges for Prayer

The mountain population of 600,000 are among the poorest and most vulnerable. Nominally Christian, they have little contact with the life-giving gospel. Lesotho’s churches are beginning to wake up to this challenge. Operation UP, an indigenous agency, is committed to reaching every family in the mountains and planting 50 evangelical churches in the next five years. Other agencies include AIM, Joy to the World,YWAM, Fill the Gap Ministries, the Full Gospel Church and Global Evangelism Ministries. Many villages are accessible only on horseback, others by MAF plane. Pray for fruitful and sustainable ministry that yields thriving churches.
Christian support ministries:
a) MAF has a unique and vital role in this land of high mountains and few roads. MAF planes operate on 26 landing strips with 17 full-time workers and 6 aircraft. They provide support for Christian workers and a fly-in doctor service. Pray for these pilots, their families/support teams and for their safety.
b) Youth work. Scripture Union is active in sharing God’s Word with young people, especially through school groups.
c) Christian literature in Sesotho (the mother tongue for most) is in short supply. Operation UP and others are working on addressing this shortage by translating materials from English.
d) Christian radio has had a strong and positive impact in the lowlands. Harvest FM, Catholic Radio, Jesu ke Karabo FM, Mo-African FM and KEL Radio. These stations are instrumental in reaching even non-churchgoers. Pray that they will be used for spiritual rather than political purposes. TWR broadcasts daily in English.
     For an additional 4 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Lesotho.

http://www.operationworld.org/leso

Operation World Country Facts: South Africa

South Africa

Republic of South Africa

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 1,218,363 sq km
A republic with nine provinces at the southernmost point of Africa. Relatively well watered in the east; arid with increasing desertification toward the west coast.
Population: 50,492,408    Annual Growth: 0.99%
Capital: Cape Town (legislative). Pretoria (administrative). Bloemfontein (judicial)
Urbanites: 61.7%

Peoples

Peoples: 62 (10% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: – all the major ethnic languages. English and Afrikaans are the main languages in higher education    Languages: 11 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians37,990,48875.240.9
Evangelicals10,649,52121.12.2

Answer to Prayer

Prayer initiatives started in South Africa have gone on to impact the entire world. The Global Day of Prayer started in Cape Town and is now observed in every country in the world by hundreds of millions of Christians. Groups such as Transformation Africa and Jericho Walls also have profound spiritual influences far beyond South Africa. The Mighty Men weekend conferences impacted the hundreds of thousands who attended with a muscular and uncompromised gospel message.

Challenge for Prayer

The legacy of apartheid continues to impact the nation. Despite progress in some areas, inequalities and injustices of the past continue to shape the future. Pray especially for:
a) Reconciliation among all races. This applies not just to black-white dynamics, but also to coloured and Indian peoples as well as to relationships among various black ethnicities. The “rainbow nation” must still deal with contempt, mistrust and deep-seated hurts and fears among peoples of this diverse but troubled land. Pray that the Church might lead the way by living out the truth of oneness in Christ Jesus.
b) Poverty and economic inequality. Land redistribution and affirmative action in employment are contentious intiatives that seek to assist the previously disadvantaged, but they come at a cost to the efficient running of the economy. Extremes of wealth and poverty persist. The black majority itself includes a wealthy elite and a poor majority, but the middle class is growing. Pray for economic measures that might uplift those most needing assistance without crippling the effective running of the economy.
c) Rape and violent crime rates are alarmingly high. The proliferation of illegal firearms, poverty, desperation and lack of justice fuels hopelessness and anarchy. Pray for those working for justice and for people’s safety – especially pray for the beleaguered police force. Pray for Christian ministries working with children at risk, jobless young people, prisoners and the police force. Pray that the spirit of violence – both physical and sexual – might be bound under the authority of Christ.
     For an additional 10 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of South Africa.

http://www.operationworld.org/sout

Operation World Country Facts: Namibia

Namibia

Republic of Namibia

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 823,144 sq km
Predominantly arid, semi-desert; the driest African land south of the equator.
Population: 2,212,037    Annual Growth: 1.94%
Capital: Windhoek
Urbanites: 38%

Peoples

Peoples: 35 (6% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: English, though few speak it; most speak Afrikaans    Languages: 37 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians2,022,68791.441.7
Evangelicals270,32612.22.2

Challenges for Prayer

Missions are experiencing a time of growth as the need to re-reach many peoples in Namibia becomes apparent. Pray that they would minister in the power of the gospel, but also with sensitivity. Major missions are: AIM, YWAM, AoG, SIM.
     For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation Worldbook, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Namibia.

Operation World Country Facts: Angola

Angola

Republic of Angola

Africa

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 1,246,700 sq km
Large coastal state on the South Atlantic coast. Cabinda is an oil-rich coastal enclave to the north of the Congo River.
Population: 18,992,707    Annual Growth: 2.71%
Capital: Luanda
Urbanites: 58.5%

Peoples

Peoples: 60 (3% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Portuguese    Languages: 41 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians17,870,23894.093.0
Evangelicals4,277,14322.54.4

Challenges for Prayer

Forty years of almost constant war (1962-2002) have devastated Angola. Innocent civilians suffered the most – 90% of the casualties were civilians, millions were uprooted, their homes and churches destroyed and hunger was used as a bargaining chip in the power play for aid. One in 350 Angolans is a victim of landmines, 70-90% of the population live in poverty, and the length of roads destroyed or damaged amounts to nearly twice the circumference of the planet. Greater than the physical damage are the psychological, social and spiritual wounds, which will require years to overcome. Pray for:
a) Those seeking to alleviate physical suffering by clearing landmines and rebuilding infrastructure, homes, hospitals, schools and churches. The six million landmines are being cleared – but over 80,000 people have already been crippled by them. Early signs of progress are promising. Many agencies are involved, including WVI, Tearfund and several consortiums of churches and agencies such as Church Action in Angola.
b) Healing of the invisible wounds. Reconciliation is a painstaking process, and the sheer number of those hurting means that more counselling and training are long-term needs.
Luanda and other major cities attracted the displaced but had no capacity to shelter them properly, so squalid squatter camps rapidly sprung up. A large proportion of the rural population fled to urban areas due to food shortages and lack of security. The government is accused of failing to care for these unwilling refugees. There are large numbers of orphaned and abandoned children; many are falsely accused of witchcraft by relatives as a pretext for getting rid of them. Others are forced or sold into prostitution to feed themselves. Pray for those working with the urban poor and the children at risk.
     For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Angola.

http://www.operationworld.org/ango

Putting us on the map!

Putting us on the map! 

We will be working in seven countries...from upper left anticlockwise: Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique. St Helena is off-shore to the West. South Africa is divided up into several Provinces.

Please pray for us as we seek to build a larger support base. 

We are in the States for an indefinite period of time seeking opportunities to engage with individuals and churches. Let us know if you would like to hear from us!

Thursday, January 26, 2017

As clear as mud...???

We have had a few replies to our last newsletter and thought it best to compile a list of the most frequently asked questions.

Are you returning to Ethiopia? No. We went to Gambela, Ethiopia to get an Anglican College up and running for the growing church in the area. We have completed that assignment and SAMS-USA has approved our calling to go elsewhere.

Will you still be with SAMS-USA? Yes. We have not changed our sending agency and you can still give tax-deductible donations for our ministry through the SAMS-USA website. (https://secure-q.net/Donations/SAMS/3723)

We have asked SAMS-USA if we could open up a separate vehicle account, as we will be travelling to seven southern African countries. This is not a project account but solely for the purpose of raising funds for a vehicle.  In order to help SAMS-USA they would appreciate if donors would please send them checks and write the checks to SAMS-USA and in the memo write Vanderbijl Vehicle.  While this is still tax-deductible, they would prefer not to have this go through the online giving page, as this account will be 100% for our vehicle.

SEND CHECKS TO:
SAMS-USA
PO 399
Ambridge, PA 15003
Please feel free to call Denise Cox at (724) 266-0669 should you have any questions.

Are you going to South Africa? Yes and no. While we will be stationed in Kenilworth, a suburb of Cape Town, we will be working in seven southern African countries, namely, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, and the St Helena island group.

Will you have a salaried position in Southern Africa? No. We will be going as SAMS-USA Missionaries to work with “Growing the Church”, hereafter GtC. Only two team members of the GtC are given a small stipend. The Anglican Church in Southern Africa has been described as poor, black, and female, many of whom are not primary bread-winners. The following documentary is focussed on a township in the Cape area, but could be true of many other areas in South Africa and beyond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoMl_G6rL9k

Isn’t the Church in Southern Africa well established? Yes and no. While the Church in southern Africa has a rich history, it is a tainted history. Apartheid divided people and fostered mistrust and animosity. In many ways, the Anglican Church led the way in breaking down barriers, but there is still a lot of work to be done before brethren can dwell together in unity. War has torn communities apart as well, especially in Angola and Mozambique.

What will you do in Southern Africa? Louise and I will be teaching basic discipleship using the J-Life model (see here: https://www.facebook.com/jlifeafrica/), as well as prayer based on Mark Batterson’s book “The Circle Maker” (see here: http://www.thecirclemaker.com/watch and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0WsmlYWnlE), and missions based on SAMS-USA Short-Term Missions Leader’s Training material.

What will your new budget look like? We have included a document at the end that SAMS-USA has put together based on their calculations for your perusal. The bottom line is, we need an additional US$ 1,000 to US$ 1,500 per month.

How can we help? You can help by continuing to support us financially and prayerfully…we cannot do this ministry without you, as you are an integral part of the mission. We need our senders!

If you are able to increase your support, we would be most grateful.

If you know anyone who might be interested in joining us all as part of our southern Africa team, please let us know or let them know!

Spread the word any way you can!

Let us know if you have any more questions! We do not want to be as clear as mud!!!

Thanks for your love and concern…we say it often, but perhaps not often enough. Y’all mean a lot to us and we simply cannot do what we do without you. You team members in our boat or the wind in our sails…and we appreciate every one of you.

Blessings.


Johann and Louise


Johann and Louise

Southern Africa



ANNUAL RECURRING EXPENSES (BASED ON SECOND YEAR):



  SALARIES
$35,682.44


  HOUSING (BASED ON ACTUAL RENT OR RENT VALUE)
$11,340.00


  FICA  (7.65% OF SALARY AND HOUSING)
$3,597.22


  PENSIONS
$5,173.95


  HEALTH & LIFE INSURANCE AND SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH
$7,644.20


  MINISTRY & RELATED FIELD EXPENSES
$109.20


  GREAT COMMISSION FUND (15% OF EACH GIFT PROVIDES
$11,214.18
    ADMINISTRATIVE AND PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR THE

    MISSIONARY AND HELPS FUND THE WIDER MISSION

    OF THE SOCIETY.)



TOTAL FOR ANNUAL RECURRING EXPENSES:
$74,761.19


TOTAL FOR ONE-TIME EXPENSES:
$3,600.00
  (TRAINING, DOCUMENTATION, TRAVEL TO FIELD, TRANSPORT

  OF GOODS, LANGUAGE SCHOOL, FURNISHINGS AND/OR AUTO)



MONTHLY FINANCIAL NEED OVER  FULL LENGTH OF TERM:
$6,295.50


NAME: 2013 Two salary template
01/26/17