Greetings in the Lord’s name to each and everyone! We are well and thankfully daily for all the blessings given to us so freely.
GENERAL
The Minister of Finance announced a budget surplus of R42 billion but little of it is reaching the ordinary man in the street. The bad news is that at every level of management in nearly every government department, local and national, the funds sit idle while the affirmative action employees relax at their cushy jobs. Cabinet ministers are howling about “lack of skilled workers” to keep the departments functioning. A truly bizarre Alice in Wonderland situation. This is prompting more strike action by labor unions, which in turn, is causing more disruption in services!
Gasoline will rise by another 26 cents (SA) per liter. I just can’t believe that whenever they feel like it, the Petrol Equalization Fund (PEF) can simply tax consumers as and when they wish. It hurts us all the time.
Unemployment remains very high. Our Congolese refugees are struggling valiantly to find any work – Bro Komade is a qualified lawyer but must wash cars for a daily wage. Yet, under the direst circumstances, their faith and courage never wavers.
TEAM DUMEZ
Tom Dumez led a work team from Michigan in October 2006. Danielle, Lydia, Tom and a tall guy who’s face was so far away we couldn’t see (Darl), worked long and hard at the Bavumeleni Childrens Center. It was a constant flurry of action as they painted, hammered, renovated and repaired many defects and urgently needed work. Thompson also assisted and helped me scout, buy and deliver the building materials. An entire exterior front wall was torn down and brand new wooden boards affixed and sealed. Primrose and the kids were absolutely delighted. During the final week, three more Team members arrived from Zimbabwe to pitch into the work with equal verve and determination. A huge amount was done in such a sort time.
In addition, every member of the Team was asked to speak at a Cape Bible Seminary class or during a worship service. Some were nervous but all participated with a good heart – both Tom and Darl preached with excellent effect, which left indelible impressions on the listeners. The person who was impacted the most was Thompson Ntobie. The Team visited with him several times and the final day was very heart wrenching for both sides. Thompson still frequently asks after the Team and the question he wants the answer to is: when are they coming back?
The Team had maybe two days for sightseeing and the weather was great. I felt quite emotional when I had to say goodbye at the airport. I understand Tom is planning another work visit in 2008. (The Team can tell you more about this trip and show you pictures and share their stories.)
CAPE BIBLE SEMINARY
The normal courses and classes have continued at a hectic pace. More and more, the refugees are asking for Bible classes as well as English courses. Their main problem is that they can speak French, Swahili and Lingala fluently but all of those languages are useless here. In order to acquire any kind of steady work, they must be fluent in English. Sam Jacobs asked me to start English classes in a rented Elsies River building – initially it was well attended but eventually ended after a dispute with the rental payments.
Bro Kiku (a pastor from the Congo) has invited me several times to teach and preach to his congregation meeting in a school room in Eersterivier (about 30 minutes from Cape Town). It is the first time I’ve ever had someone translate in French and Swahili! The church is growing and they recently had baptisms in the muddy river nearby. Early this year, Kiku and I sat down to plan a teaching schedule for his people – they are eager and keen to learn. Most are Pentecostal and have the zeal but little knowledge.
Due to intense internal problems at Elsies River, I am no longer teaching Sunday morning CBS classes. For two years, I have had to juggle my schedule to teach every 2nd and 4th Sunday mornings but the church has split several times and the warring factions cannot seem to agree on much. I was faxed by one of the self-appointed “pastors” who threatened me not to side with another faction. So, I have stepped away and even Samuel Jacobs doesn’t keep in regular contact any longer. I understand that the attendance is down to a handful and that they are struggling to keep the doors open. Please include this church in your prayers.
BOOK/CONTAINER PROJECT
Last year, all the boxes of books and Bibles had to be removed suddenly from the temporary warehousing. Everything that could go wrong with the move, did go wrong but with the help and excellent work of our Congolese brethren, it was all transferred safely into the annex of the Elsies River building. The owner of the church property told us that we could use the annex for as long as we needed it free of charge. Of course, Graham Malgas and I were overjoyed. It seemed a perfect solution. (Bro Graham is the local manager of the Bible and book distribution.)
Since then, it has been a seesaw of disappointment and joy. Bro Graham registered our project as an NGO, which allows us to approach local municipalities for assistance with schools and places to open little reading rooms in the communities. Usually, this process takes months but somehow, Graham managed to do it in weeks!
Tom Dumez found over a thousand brand new Bibles donated by a Grand Rapids publisher and delivered them to the Snyders in preparation for shipment to Africa. He also found steel shelving to send, too. Bob and Roberta work so hard to collect materials and other items, pack and store it, too. Every time this kind of news reaches me, I want to do cartwheels!
The bad news has taken a lot of slack out of our efforts, too. Despite asking people not to rifle through the boxes in the annex, they have done do. Graham was tearing his hair out as Bibles and other valuable books were being pilfered by Christians. It was all obviously do to the dissension and infighting between the factions but it did not help us at all. Then, the owner of the building announced he was selling the property and/or renting it – he has changed his mind so much that we no longer know where we stand. Under these circumstances, I cannot risk shipping the Containers with such valuable materials to Africa unless this situation is resolved, once and for all. We have been moved from place to place, which has severely disrupted our distribution. In the end, it is the African Christians who suffer the most for lack of good books, Bibles and teaching materials.
Yet, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. (Please explain, Dave! Lights, action, camera!)
EVANGELISM
With all the projects and programs which are in action, we must never lose sight of our goal – to seek and save the lost, whether they are in rural communities or the urban ganglands. The teaching and training of ordinary Christians to shoulder the responsibility of reaching their friends, neighbors and communities is paying off. It took awhile to get the big wheel turning but now, these equipped Africans are gradually introducing themselves where they are needed.
It is difficult to provide statistics but I estimate that nearly a thousand people have been immersed in Jesus and perhaps, half that number are backsliders who have returned to their first love. I run into strangers who attend churches whom I have never seen before. I even had one African happily greet and thank me at a filling station, showing me a New Testament, which could only have come from our Bible distributions!
The hard work and labor is changing hearts and lives for Christ. I know there is a lot of bad news pumped out by the media daily and it is easy to get caught up in that cycle but, despite the struggles and disappointments, the gospel is being preached and people are coming to salvation. It is us who must be faithful and dedicated to our common goal.
PERSONAL
It started off as a simple request by Danielle, one of Team Dumez. She asked me during their work visit if I would be willing to write a Thought for the Day – it was close to her heart and I agreed with some reservations. Before the rest of the Team left, they also gave me their e-mail addresses to be included in this new program. From Monday to Friday, I used my personal devotions to form a Thought, then sent it out as requested. From six recipients, the Thought for the Day has grown to nearly 4,000 all over the world! I am astounded that it has blossomed so much. One Christian man feels that after a year’s cycle, he might want to publish it in soft cover. I can only thank our Father for His blessings in reaching so many people. (If you want to me included, send me your e-mail address or check our website where Mark Vernik posts it.)
Our sons (Kent, Kyle, Brice and his wife, Louise) are living and working in South Carolina. We miss them terribly but are proud of their achievements. It was a disturbing uprooting for them to leave a country in which they were raised and travel to a relatively foreign land to start anew. We thank you for your prayers for them.
As many of you know, Pat had to make two sudden trips to the United States because of her mom, Lee Sweeney. The first trip was an emergency surgery and Pat nursed her for six weeks before turning it over to a visiting nurse. But within a month, Lee died in her sleep. It was an emotional journey for all of us, particularly Pat, who had to see to all the arrangements. Lee’s ashes were brought back to Africa at her specific request – she visited here twice and loved the African Christians so much that she wanted this to be her final resting place. Pat and I climbed the slopes of Devil’s Peak one spring day and scattered her ashes around a grove of silvertrees, Lee’s favorite. The slope faces north, the direction where many of the African churches worship.
THANKS
We honestly don’t know how to thank everyone who labored so hard to make the Lord’s work here such a success. Perhaps you don’t feel as if you’re involved but from our perspective, all of you are co-workers with us in Africa. From the McLaughlins, who do so much for the Africans as well as our family personally, to the Verniks, Snyders, Team Dumez, the Whites and the Neuenschwanders (esp Shirley who handles so many details and yet stays sane) we thank our God for each and everyone. May our Father bless your efforts!
Steve and Pat Zimmerman
Cape Town.
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