Greetings to everyone in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ! Spring has sprung and the grass is rizz, according to a famous/infamous poet. We are anticipating a wonderful summer ahead.
GENERAL
Like every other country in the world, South Africa has been experiencing the economic meltdown. Unemployment, bankruptcies and other ills have taken their toll – as usual, the poor suffer the most. Gasoline prices have fluctuated and marched upward in spite of the government’s assurances that they are holding prices “steady”. Worse, the electricity company (mostly owned by the government, therefore a monopoly) has hiked the price up over 60% in the last year! We’re trying to hold our own and ensure that we spend every dollar wisely but it is a struggle. The only positive news is that until recently, the exchange rate has been relatively strong (R8 for $1) but has now fallen to R7.30 for $1, which has cut into our budget.
CAPE BIBLE SEMINARY
The Monday evening CBS classes have been a little hit and miss during this period. Usually, I teach in a home nearby for one Monday, then we travel through the mountains to Worcester (90 mins) for the next Monday evening. However, due to troubles on the farm in Worcester, we haven’t managed to keep that schedule as consistently as we’d liked. Still, the local group has been visiting and fellowshipping together.
Otherwise, the classes have continued, notably the new group at Anathoth. A group of farm workers meet on Wednesday evening – a bonus is that many visitors who stay on the farm using the facilities have also attended the classes. A few Americans, Zimbabweans and people from Malawi have been taught the Word and all the feedback has been so positive. It is always lively and engaging.
This year’s attendances haven’t been that good due to the economic pressure. People don’t have money for public transport or gas so they have had to cut back on expenses. But the classes have benefited so many people and new churches have been started by former CBS students.
One sad note: the church at Elsies River has finally closed. I used to teach every second and fourth Sunday morning at Bro Sam Jacobs’ congregation. They have been through two or three splits; the church building has been sold to another group because the people couldn’t raise the funding. Bro Sam called me with the news and their plans haven’t been finalized.
TRANSLATOR’S OFFICE
Thompson Ntobie has been working hard in his office. Every last Saturday, we conduct a training session for young men who have formed an Evangelism Team. The E-Team does its job – evangelism. There are four in the group, one of whom travels 300 miles from the northern desert area to attend on that day! All of these young men originally hail from Queenstown.
The Board voted a generous donation to the Translator’s Fund in 2008. I have carefully husbanded it and ensured that Thompson had everything he needed to keep the office running smoothly. We have bought materials, serviced the office equipment, sent him on a missionary journey into the Transkei and kept his body and soul together. The first $1000 was nearly depleted when Shirley sent the rest last month. At first, I didn’t want to exchange it because of the lousy Rand/Dollar rate – I wanted to hold it in reserve until it improved. But for some reason, when I went to the bank, I felt strongly that I should exchange the money.
It was a good thing that I did. The next week, Thompson started complaining about his left eye. A few years ago, the Jenison church donated funds for his eyes. Thompson had cataracts and underwent laser surgery. He was overjoyed and worked even harder when his vision came back. But this time, he’d lost central vision and was afraid that his eye was finally giving out.
With the final $1000 for the Translator’s Fund, Thompson had his eyes checked, then the surgeon offered to do surgery right away on the central core. This time, he gave Thompson a special rate and his left eye is now 1000%. The joy on Thompson’s face is one to behold. (There is about $200 left in the Fund.)
QUEENSTOWN
The churches in Queenstown have been working just as hard as ever. They have laid the foundations and a few courses of brickwork to a new building in Linge. This will be the third church built in the last few years! They do everything themselves and considering this is a rural area and most people are unemployed, it is even more noteworthy.
Thompson and I have been teaching there, trying to maintain a quarterly schedule. They are always hungry and eager to hear the Word taught and the CBS classes are always full. In 2008, approx 200 people were baptized into Christ. (No one keeps records and it is difficult for Thompson and I to keep track because there are so many isolated villages and farms.)
Last month, I was called by my Xhosa clan to Queenstown. My clan father, Bro Ben Tsewu, died of cancer. He was a long –standing, strong elder in the church, highly respected and very insistent that the Christians study the Word diligently. Bro Ben was the first to welcome me into the Tshonyane clan of the isiXhosas (I am the only white Tshonyane in their history). All clansmen came to the funeral and I was given the place of honor to preach over his coffin. The hall was
packed – perhaps a thousand people jammed the aisles, doorways and windows, plus there was no room on the stage except for me and a translator. People were standing all around me and I had to have a 360-degree preaching posture. Bro Ben was 86 and will be sorely missed by everyone in Queenstown.
The trip didn’t go smoothly this time. Outside of Queenstown at dusk with the light shimmering in the distance, the exhaust under the car collapsed and dragged the Renault to a halt. One of the deacons of the church quickly organized a repair crew and they repaired it just off the road as heavy trucks and buses rumbled by in the dimness. We were stuck in the icy cold night air for about four hours. On our return journey, Thompson became ill, shivering with a fever. I sent him to the doctor when we arrived in Cape Town at 2 am the next day.
PRISON
People frown when I say that I have to go to jail the next day. One of my son’s friends, Ray, got himself into major trouble and was jailed in 2008. Kyle and Ray had become friends in high school and since Ray was an orphan, my son invited him for BBQs and to share our Christmas table.
Ray remembered me and the way he learned the gospel in our home. When he was jailed, Ray called me and asked for help. I began to visit him, taking him food, telephone cards and Christian books – I saw that he’d lost a lot of weight and was very gaunt. But with each visit, he seemed to improve and I learned that no one else visited him – he was alone and was thankful for my visits and small gifts. As he read the Bible and books I’d taken him, Ray turned to the Lord. He made friends with two others who had accepted Christ while they were behind bars and shared the exercise yard with him – Rodney (65) and Patrick (28).
Around the books, they discussed and studied together, encouraging one another, staying out of yard fights and gangs. The other prisoners thought they were oddballs but they kept praying and remaining faithful in their studies. Ray would call me or write with many questions. Recently, I visited Rodney and gave him one of the few remaining Thompson Chain NIVs – he was nearly in tears. It was like handing him a gold bar. Through another pastor who visits the same prison, I passed another Bible to Patrick.
I’ve told them all that they are in good company: the apostle Paul was a prisoner as were others who accompanied him. This has cheered them up! Hopefully, next month, Ray will be up for parole and we might host him for a few days so he can get back on his feet. A whole new ministry has opened up with a “captive” audience.
BCC (BAVUMELENI CHILDRENS CENTER)
There are many changes in the structure of BCC. Primose’s daughter,
Euphonia, left for the far north with her husband, Godfrey, and her daughter, Faith. They had been running a day care center at BCC along with the feeding program. The local authority closed down all the day care facilities due to several deaths of small children in nearby centers. Godfrey was offered a good job in the north and they moved there quite quickly. The feeding scheme still operates.
Lorna Rutter (Reinaldo’s wife) quit her job as a day care teacher after many years of hard labor. She will now assist BCC and help Marty Wallace with creative ideas and skills development of the kids there. The BCC trustees have decided to focus on the spiritual welfare and teaching, community projects and outreach. This is a much bigger challenge than it seems but we are all positive and working hard to accomplish new goals.
A generous donation of a 40’ Container was made by a local shipping company and I used my contacts to have it delivered by a crane truck. It was set down on the vacant land across the street from the center, close to the existing 20’. It will be used for storage and perhaps a space to teach and train kids in different handcrafts and skills.
One of our visitors this year was Rusty Draper from Zephyrhills, FL. I met Rusty during my furlough last year and he expressed a desire to visit the mission work in South Africa. He was already committed to work in Brazil and wanted to take the opportunity to swing over to Africa. Rusty arrived in August and immediately dove into several work projects at BCC. Marty was delighted to have skilled help and the two repaired many things at the center.
One of the most positive ideas that Rusty had was so simple, it made all of us step back and think why we didn’t think of it, too! He suggested to ask for another two Containers – a 40’ and 20’ – then in conjunction with the two we have already, form them into a pattern on the empty lot. A crane could be hired to set the four Containers in such a way to leave a central area, which could be covered by roofing. A soup kitchen with a serving hatch could be housed in one Container and the others used for classrooms/storage/work areas. This idea alone would save BCC from building a new center for the moment and also, since the Containers are considered temporary structures, we wouldn’t fall afoul of the municipality!
Please pray with us: we have approached several shipping companies with our request and this plan could be quickly realized!
“ANATHOTH”
Despite all the glitches in the plans for a storage facility, progress has been made. I finally made a contact within the Stellenbosch Municipality, thanks to a Christian man who has rendered assistance. I drove out to Stellenbosch a few times to discuss it face to face and we now have an approval, provided one of the plans is altered.
Originally, the draughtsman used steel for the roof but this was too expensive. A Christian lady, Carina, suggested that I discuss this with her husband, Carl, who is a roofer. He immediate drew up other plans for wooden trusses and a better roof design. which would save money.
I took this to the lady at the municipality, who discussed it with the engineers. They have given the Green Light provided we submit a plan for this new roof structure. I am waiting for the draughtsman to finish it. I called yesterday and he will have it ready within a week.
The steps to complete the storage facility are simple: tear down the existing brickwork (I think it used to be a stable), clear the cement foundations, determine if we can still expand and use the current foundations, mold the cement blocks, build the walls and top it off with the roof. We have decided that we do not need electricity but instead will use skylights in the roof. It is a storage facility only and won’t be used for an office or anything else. This will save us money, too.
We need a fund raising effort so that the structure can be completed. At the moment, there is about $7000, which will cover the foundations (if there is no major problem using the existing one) and perhaps a third of the cement blocks. I estimate that we will need $18-20,000 (at the current exchange rate) to finish the building, which is very cheap by American standards.
We are so close, I can taste it! I understand that Bob and Roberta have another two Container loads ready to be shipped and they have been very patient to store everything on their property. One the building is finished, all those books, Bibles, etc can be stored in the new facility.
The distribution of good Christian teaching materials, study Bibles, commentaries, etc has made huge impacts upon the work here. People as far away as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia are aware that we can help them. Criminals in prisons have been blessed with Picture Bibles and there is such a need for more Bibles and teaching materials. The New Testaments are given primarily to the youth all over the country – since they can only get this type from us, they can recognize another Christian, who is a total stranger!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
This began two years ago during the work visit of Tom Dumez and the work team from Michigan. I was asked by Danielle to write a few paragraphs each work day and e-mail it to her. Since then, it has grown in leaps and bounds, far beyond anything I had ever imagined.
It is still sent and every week, I have new additions to the mailing list. No one knows for sure but the latest estimate is that it reaches 5,000 addresses all over the world. I have had feedback by Christian men and women who rely on their daily challenge. I understand that a number of pastors, elders and teacher use it for their sermons or classes.
If anyone wishes to receive this free of charge, all they have to do is e-mail me and they’ll be added. (My e-mail is zimcko@gmail.com)
VISITORS Rusty Draper not only worked hard at BCC, using his building skills and ideas, he also sang for several groups. He explained that he wasn’t really a speaker, although he did do so! Instead, his talent was singing Southern Gospel Rock. The first Sunday, he wowwed the Congolese church – they’d never heard of anything like it before! The next Sunday, we worshipped with our Portuguese- speaking brethren in Goodwood and he sang one song in English and another in Portuguese, which he’d picked up in Brazil. The Christians were flabbergasted and so pleased to hear something new in their own language! And the final Sunday, Rusty sang at Elsies River, performing two encores to a happy, clapping congregation.
My thanks to Rusty and his wife, Donna, who didn’t travel with him but helped him to serve the Lord on foreign fields. The Christians here are still talking about the new music and Rusty’s singing.
There are several people who might visit during the coming months: Mark Vernik; my sister, Sara; a Russian lady, Marina, with her Swedish boyfriend, Tommi; and, although it is doubtful, my cousin, Carol. Please pray for these visitors and the Lord’s blessings for their travels.
PERSONAL
My Mom, Jean Zimmerman, is doing fine in Monroe, WA. My sister, Sara, and her husband, Vic, recently visited her and aside from the usual slowdown, Mom is doing well. She misses my Dad and has been cleaning out the closets and passing on the books, lessons, etc which my Dad was working on. There are plans afoot to move her back to Michigan to be near Sara but this will only be in 2010. (Mom will be 91 in December.)
TRIBUTE
I was saddened to hear that Dave McLaughlin died. His cancer had spread and he’d lost so much weight. Despite his illness, Dave traveled with me to Kentucky to visit our supporting church in Hartford during furlough. He never complained and kept working just as hard as he was accustomed to do. Dave and Mattie had been serving in the South African Christian Mission for over two decades. Their love, support and care for the African Christians and for myself personally was such an encouragement and blessing. Yes, he perhaps talked a lot. Yes, he always had an opinion. Yes, he had many ideas. But he served Jesus with all that he had.
I only had a chance to speak to him a month or so before he died. I wish I could have closer to the time. I would have told him something similar to what I told my Dad. “I love you, Dave, I’ll see you later!”
THANKS
There are so many who have helped so much in SACM. I appreciate everyone’s help, concern and prayers. We are moving into a new phase with new hands at the helm. We face the future with confidence and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all that we do.
My personal thanks to all of you who have been so helpful to me during furlough and via e-mails and phone calls. My trials were many but through it all, I have trusted in the Lord and His faithful servants.
Thank you, one and all.
Steve Zimmerman S.A. Christian Mission, Cape Town.
