Canadian based philosopher and author of Lalibela’s Wise Man, Matshona Dhliwayo, once said: “Time crawls when you are bored; walks when you are occupied; runs when you are busy; but flies when you are having fun.”
We just can’t believe we are half way through October…and we haven’t had the time to write a newsletter or to update our blog posts! We have been having so much fun training folks how to make disciple makers!
September started off with Strategy Training (the disciple making model of Jesus) for members of the Rondebosch Archdeaconry. This is a phenomenal group of dynamic people and they were so energised by what they learned that they were planning ways to get the information out to more members of their churches even before we had completed the training! You’ve got to love folks who are so positive…they are such an inspiration to us!
We continue to be involved at our local church in Villiersdorp. Johann presides over the Eucharist every second and fourth Sundays when we are here and we lead a disciple making group on Tuesday evenings. This is a mixed group, ethnically, linguilly, and denominationally. Cool, huh? Louise is getting more involved in local outreach as well, especially in the local schools. We are also praying about our disciple group getting more involved in the informal settlement in our area…and organising an interdenominational carolling event for the whole village.
We drove up to Johannesburg to attend the J-Life Regional Summit the third week in September. We took the Queen along as she has a sister in Pretoria…they hadn’t seen each other for many years and we thought it would be a good opportunity to do two important things at once! They had a grand time together, talking about the past and laughing about so many things. It was a very good idea and we are thrilled we were able to give them this gift.
The J-Life Summit was absolutely awesome. We met with representatives from many southern African countries and had an opportunity to share stories of how we train disciples and thus learn from each other. We spent quite a bit of time in prayer and waiting on the Lord. At one such time, we felt the Lord impress on us the need to share this training with more southern African countries as well as north African countries.
We have already trained some folks in Ethiopia and Egypt, but there are many north African countries that could benefit from this training. In particular South Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya. We also feel that our Lord is leading us to take this training to Rwanda…and to train disciple makers in every country in between. This is a dream for 2020 as we are already booked solid for 2019…if this is from the Lord, it will come to pass. Please pray with us.
We hardly had time to catch our breath when we had to turn the Godmobile around and head on up to Durban for the Anglicans Ablaze Conference. While in Durban, we managed to meet up with Johann’s oldest brother, Eldon. They had not seen each other since their mum’s decease in 1993! It was an amazing reunion.
Just over 2000 people attended the Anglicans Ablaze Conference. Johann had an oportunity to do two workshops on Mobilizing Disciple Making Movements and to deliver a Bible Study on the development of Simon Peter as a disciple maker. There were so many awesome speakers including Archbishop Moon Hing from Indonesia and South African pastor and author Africa Mhlophe. The Holy Spirit certainly made His presence known through our time there.
We returned home elated but plumb tuckered out, as our dear friend Lowell Hughes says. There were so many things we needed to attend to before leaving yet again for a short retreat with one of the churches in the Rondebosch deanery. This was a great time for follow-up. The theme was Speaking Life…being intentionally positive in all we do and say…building up ourselves and others with positive statements based on what God says about us in Scripture.
So many people are negative in South Africa now because of the various situations facing the nation…but God has not abdicated nor has He abandoned us! He is still doing amazing things as we saw at our trainings, the J-Life Summit, and at Anglicans Ablaze. So, we choose to focus on the positive.
One of our Gambela students is attending the Discipleship Training School at YWAM in Muizenberg. We will be picking Ajikune up and bringing him home for the weekend…showing him so many things and exposing him to some South African cuisine. Pray for him! J
Louise is currently doing biblical studies by correspondence through George Whitefield College, one of my alma maters. It is aptly named “Explore”. She has just started and will be writing her first exams in November. Keep her in your prayers!
Praise the Lord with us for changed lives. So many people in the Anglican Church are becoming intentional about making disciples. God is on the move throughout southern Africa. People are hungry for the true Gospel.
Pray for more opportunities to train. We have plans for training in the Cape Town area next month.
Pray for the various difficult situations facing the nation of South Africa.
Pray for continued good health for us so that we can do the work the Lord has given us to do. Unfortunately our eyes have deteriorated quite a bit and we need new spectacles, but that’s all part of the old wear and tear, no?
Pray for the many opportunities we have now to minister to members of our respective families.
Pray with us for our children and grandchildren in the US. We miss them so much and sometimes feel so cut off from them. Praise the Lord for FaceTime…but sometimes one just wants to hug them.
We love you all and thank the Lord for you all.
Many blessings
Johann and Louise
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