​Dear Friends
​
Bibles for Africa
Today, at Livingstone House, we have offloaded another 20 foot container shipment of 17 tonnes of Bibles and books by hand. This is the eighth container that we have received so far this year and another one is due in two weeks' time. Yet, as fast as we offload, sort out and designate these Bibles and books, the demand for these Scriptures in the field exceeds supply. In less than two weeks' time we are needing to load up 28 tonnes of Bibles and books for Zimbabwe. Today, as on most days, we have vehicles coming to load up with Bibles and books for Missions, ministries, churches and Bible colleges.

​The Power of the Printed Page
We praise God for Eagles Nest Ministries in Illinois, who gather up Bibles, New Testaments, Sunday school materials, Bible study materials and other Gospel materials to donate to Missions like ours, so that we can carefully, prayerfully and strategically distribute them where they are most needed and will be used most effectively.
 
Congo Overland Mission
Last night our Congo Overland Mission team gave an inspiring Report back on the successful five month Mission to Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Burundi and Zambia. The team crossed 11 international borders, travelled more than 20,000km, and conducted 366 meetings in 6 countries. This included conducting 7 Reformation FIRE Seminars, 15 Great Commission Seminars, 36 film Evangelism outreaches, 14 Evangelism campaigns, 30 Sunday sermons, and 38 open-air Evangelistic outreaches. 
 
Congo for Christ
The team served the suffering church in the Congo, in an area that has been terrorised by violent groups. This very remote part of the Congo has been caught up in the crossfire of numerous conflicts and wars that have raged throughout the Great Lake region. After a Revival and Evangelism Camp the team conducted an Evangelism Explosion week in the town with door-to-door Evangelism, film Evangelism, open-air crusades and baptisms of new converts in Lake Tanganyika.
 
Back to the Bible Training College
Next week I will be conducting a Biblical Worldview Course at Back to the Bible Training College with 120 pastors-in-training from over 15 countries throughout Africa. I will then have the privilege of presenting the Graduation sermon for the third year students who have completed their studies. 
 
Soldiers for Christ
Immediately after this I will be participating in the Association of Military Christian Fellowships event. Approximately 600 soldiers from over 100 countries are expected to gather in Cape Town for this Global Interaction 2014. These events are only held every 10 years and this will be the first time AMCF is gathering for their international convention in Africa. I participated in the AMCF 20 years ago in Virginia, USA. This will be the shortest distance I have ever had to travel for any military conference! 
World War 100
This year as we have commemorated the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I. I have written numerous articles, prepared many PowerPoints and given many presentations on the causes and consequences of the Great War, conducted memorial services, completed a Mission to England, spoken at conferences, on many radio programmes, internationally, and conducted a whole series of presentations at the Reformation Society. 
 
25 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Sunday, 9 November, marked 25 years since the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Just as the Brandenburg gate in Berlin had become a symbol of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War, the breaking down of the wall by brave citizens of Berlin, November 1989, brought about, not only unity for the city, but for the country and the continent of Europe. To mark this tremendous victory over communism, Berlin set up the Lichtgrenze, consisting of over 7,000 illuminated helium balloons tracing the division of the city. On the evening of Sunday, 9 November, these illuminated balloons were released, symbolising the power of light over darkness. Not all the darkness can put out the smallest light! 
 
Instant Obedience
It has been my privilege to meet with Brother Andrew (of God Smuggler fame) several times, initially through Hospital Christian Fellowship. The first time I met Brother Andrew, was just before my military call up. He had conducted Devotions at HCF. Afterwards he looked straight at me and, with great intensity, said: "Young man, when God says duck, duck! Don’t ask why, or when. Just duck, immediately! Because a bullet will pass straight through where you were standing!" 
 
Seven Year Jericho Prayer March
The next time I saw Brother Andrew at HCF, it was shortly after my national service. There at the Mission Devotions he unveiled his 7 year Jericho Prayer March initiative to focus concerted prayer on behalf of, and with, the persecuted Church of Eastern Europe, to pray for the fall of the Iron Curtain and collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. 
 
The Power of Prayer
This was 1982. I must admit to being incredulous. It may be hard for those who had not lived through the Cold War years to understand, but the Iron Curtain was one of the immovable realities of that time. It seemed incomprehensible that we would ever see the Iron Curtain come down in our lifetime. I was personally convinced that it would still be there when our Lord returned! Nevertheless, the fact is that, 7 years later, the Iron Curtain did collapse, beginning at the Berlin Wall. The cruel division of the Iron Curtain was breached by the prayer movement that began at Leipsig and spread throughout East Germany and all of Eastern Europe. 
 
Remembering Rhodesia – Praying for Zimbabwe
49 Years ago, on Thursday, 11 November 1965, at the most solemn moment of Armistice Day, Ian Douglas Smith, the Prime Minister signed Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. This act of bold defiance, which came after many months of negotiations and fruitless discussions with the British Foreign Office, resulted in a most extraordinary explosion of diplomatic activity, international outrage, economic sanctions and motions of condemnation from the British Common Wealth, the Organisation of African Unity, the United Nations, the Soviet Union and the US State Department. In credibly, with the Soviet Union involved in the sponsoring of violent revolutionary movements worldwide, Rhodesia's principled attempt to stand against communist intimidation and the terrorist threat was labelled "A threat to world peace!" This from nations engaged in nuclear arms races and invasions of other lands! 

Resisting Revolution
We in Rhodesia had a very strong sense of national purpose. We felt that we had been singled out by God, to be a stumbling block in the path of international communist aggression. Standing firm against communist terrorism for 15 years, Rhodesia won valuable breathing space for the free world. In much the same way as the 300 Spartans held up the enormous invading force of Persians at Thermopylae, and as the courageous Knights of St. John resisted Islamic invasion of the small Island of Malta, I believe, that, in time, history will recognise that sacrifices and the courage of Rhodesians in resisting communist terrorism, contributed to the ultimate collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989. ​

​A Principled Man of Integrity
On 20 November, we remembered the death of Ian Smith, 7 years ago. Rhodesia was an incredible country and our Prime Minister, Ian Smith was an example of humble integrity. He was a man of his word. He said what he meant and he meant and he said. A veteran of World War II, Ian Smith, had flown for 6 years in the Royal Rhodesian Air Force, flying Hurricanes and Spitfires. He was shot down twice, survived five months behind enemy lines and walked across the Alps barefoot. I have a picture of Ian Smith cycling to work and remember meeting him, without any bodyguard, policeman, or chauffeur, in sight, during the war years. Ian Smith was a man who feared God and no one else. From 1986, he took a personal interest in the activities of our Mission, met with me regularly and provided valuable insights as to how we could infiltrate Mozambique effectively for our Bible smuggling operations in support of the persecuted Church there. 
 
Young Reformers - Out to Change the World
Over Reformation Day, we held a World Changers Camp in Franschhoek, hosted home schoolers for a guided tour of the Huguenot Monument, conducted a Reformation Celebration service at the Huguenot Monument and launched Young Reformers – Out to Change the World.
 
Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Racing
This week Lenora returned from a month overseas. She was representing South Africa at the international Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Racing festival, held in Sarasota, Florida. After this she was able to visit her parents, whom she had not seen for over two and a half years, in Arizona, and help her father, Rev. Bill Bathman, in the completion of his latest book. 
 
Irreplaceable
Next week our Mission will be screening the new Focus on the Family film: Irreplaceable. 

​South African History Boxset
To assist Christian teachers and Homeschoolers, we have produced a power packed South African History audio and data boxset. This includes 16 audio lectures, 12 PowerPoint presentations, 20 lectures, and 20 historic studies in Afrikaans. This bilingual audio and data boxset covers character studies of prominent South Africa Christian leaders, such as Jan van Riebeeck, Georg Schmidt, Wolraad Woltemade, Paul Kruger, Andrew Murray, President Martinus Steyn, Danie Theron, General Christiaan de Wet, General Koos de la Rey, Carl Hugo Gutsche, Emily Hobhouse and David Livingstone. There are articles on The French Huguenots, the Voortrekkers, the Battle of Blood River, the Battle of Majuba, the Great Trek, the Anglo Boer War and the Battle for South Africa.

To view the PDF as published in the Frontline Newsletter CLICK HERE

Christians have been killed by a jihadist group in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The victims were reportedly tied up and hacked to death by the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces-National Association for the Liberation of Uganda.

The ADF-NALU have targeted Christians in the north-east of the DRC for several years.

​Evangelism and Discipleship
Our Congmataza Mission Team has safely returned after a successful five month Mission to Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia. The team crossed 11 international borders, travelled more than 20,000 kilometres, and conducted more than 360 meetings in 6 countries. This included 7 Reformation FIRE Seminars and 15 Great Commission Seminars. We screened the Jesus film 36 times, conducted 14 outreach campaigns, preached 38 open-air Evangelistic messages, and preached 30 Sunday sermons.

Literature Evangelism
The Mission Team also distributed more than two tonnes of Bibles, New Testaments, Discipleship books, Gospel literature, Evangelistic tracts, DVDs, audio CDs, and MP3 discs to pastors, church leaders, and Evangelists.

Grace of God
We can report with joy that God granted us favour at all police roadblocks, as we were not harassed by even one corrupt official throughout these months of ministry and travel! This is truly God's grace, as Africa is riddled with corrupt officials looking for a bribe. Although we travelled over a vast variety of rough, potholed, and corrugated road surfaces, we only suffered one puncture. We also praise God that our team was kept safe whilst we travelled through dangerous areas where rebels and bandits vigorously terrorise travellers and locals alike.

Congo for Christ
The main goal of this Mission was to serve the suffering church in Congo, in an area that has been terrorised by a number of violent groups. This region of Congo is very remote and disconnected from the rest of the country, with little infrastructure and support from the government. With the generous help of our faithful supporters we were able to purchase and distribute a hundred French Bibles, three thousand Gospels of John and Romans in French, 11,000 WMP Gospel booklets in French, 660 Biblical Principles for Africa in French, and 300 Broad and Narrow Way posters, and almost a tonne of Gospel literature, Discipleship books and Evangelistic material, to these needy believers who are on fire for God. This is a church that is thriving under difficult conditions and is making a positive difference in their community.

Evangelism and Revival
We conducted a Revival and Evangelism Camp about 2 hours' drive outside the town, where about 70 members of various churches attended the week-long program. After the camp we conducted an Evangelism Explosion week within the town where we held Evangelism Training sessions in the mornings. Afternoons we went out into the streets for door-to-door Evangelism. Many members of the church were energetically and joyfully involved. In total we conducted 41 meetings in Congo, including 19 lectures and training sessions, 6 outreaches, 3 open-air crusades, 5 screenings of the Jesus film and 6 Sunday sermons.

Burundi for Christ
In Burundi we had over a week of ministry in the capital city. Burundi is a country of great need with a long history of political and tribal violence, as well as many religious distractions from the Truth. Ancestor worship is very big and the Catholic church is also a very strong presence as a consequence of Belgium rule. Witchcraft is a powerful force used by many and feared by most. There are many Evangelical and Pentecostal churches that gather in homes and small buildings, but the sad truth is most of these churches are ignoring the Gospel and are instead preaching and spreading a prosperity 'gospel' that is contradictory to the Scriptures.

We conducted two Reformation FIRE Seminars in Bujumbura and the stark simplicity and power of basic Biblical teaching confounded and astonished many of the participants who expressed "This is what our churches and our country needs!" ​

​Tanzania for Christ
As we travelled deeper into Tanzania we saw more and more signs of Islam's insidious advance. Tanzania is about 35% Muslim, and their numbers are growing. We visited two churches and conducted a Reformation FIRE Seminar in each one. We screened the Jesus film almost each night we were there. On one particular night the neighbouring mosque tried in vain to drown out the sound of our powerful speakers by singing and chanting on their own PA system at full blast - in fact after 2 hours their sound system burned out.
​
We were blessed to see the spiritual growth in the church since our previous ministry in this area, as well as the hunger for sound Biblical teaching. Our host kept us busy each day with opportunities to speak at schools, a college, and at mid-week church meetings. We conducted 30 meetings in Tanzania.

Malawi for Christ
There is a desperate crisis unfolding in Malawi that will soon destroy this beautiful country, unless the Church takes its responsibility to fulfil the Great Commission seriously. Malawians are being gullibly enslaved to the religion of Islam and they don't even know it. In fact, as did Esau, they are selling their souls for a morsel of food. During the "hunger season"; due to economic mismanagement, the subsistence farmers are not able to bring in sufficient grain to feed their families. People literally go without food for days, sometimes weeks.

Years ago, Gadhafi sponsored numerous mosques to be built all over Malawi in his attempt to Islamise Africa. At that time, there were few converts in those mosques, but due to the 'hunger season' and the ignorance of the dangers of Islam, that is now changing. During the hunger season mosques are stocked with grain and supplied with ample meat. The Muslims offer this food to anyone who declares themselves a Muslim. In desperation, many people flock to the mosques, declaring themselves to be Muslim in order to obtain free food.

We conducted Great Commission Seminars with a focus on Muslim Evangelism in 7 regions where this is a problem. Often you would find that even church-goers would convert to Islam for the sake of hunger relief. We conducted door-to-door outreaches in strong Muslim areas, challenging those who would hear us to answer this question: "How can you wash away your sin and your guilt?" We found that even leaders in the church could not answer this simple question!
We spent painstaking hours, often in the vicious heat, teaching the basic foundational truths of the Good News. This, you may find hard to believe, was a profound enlightenment to the whole church in most cases. We conducted 186 meetings in total in the 8 weeks that we ministered in Malawi.

Zambia for Christ
We found Zambia to be a very Christian country - in the sense that there are many churches and many shop names that display Christian influence. But the presence of casinos, night clubs, drunks and litter made us realise that the need is still great. The Church needs a lot of Leadership training and Discipleship training. We conducted three Reformation FIRE Seminars in different regions and also had ministry opportunity to speak in school classes and at one school assembly. We found many who expect to get into Heaven by good works.

South Africa for Christ
Of course we could not focus all our efforts on countries outside our own, so we were privileged to have had the opportunity to also conduct some rural ministry in the Wild Coast. This is an area that is under developed and un-churched. There are no churches in this particular area and we spoke to a fair number of individuals who expressed a keen desire to have a church in their village where they could fellowship. We screened the Jesus film, preached the Gospel in school classrooms and at a school assembly. We distributed thousands of Gospel booklets and Broad & Narrow Way posters, and conducted door-to-door Evangelism in the rural area.

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:37-38

There are so many places and areas of desperate need; so much harvest ready for the reaping; so many gullible souls lost… and not enough workers to fulfil the need… There are thousands, no millions, of young people in South African Churches who could be harvesters in this great field, but they choose rather to chase after illusive material gain that has no lasting value.

I challenge all young Christian people to seriously consider participating in the Great Commission Course this January 2015. You can make a difference in this world. Are you going to watch it happen? Or are you going to make it happen? Join us in striving to make a difference!
"Only one life, it will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last." - C.T. Studd

Thank You
I would like to express our deep gratitude to those of you who 'go' by giving generously of your finances to extend our reach and multiply our effectiveness; others who 'go' by praying, encouraging, communicating, or sharing your resources with us, which enables us to persist in the missionary call which God has called us to. May God richly reward you and perpetuate your prosperity. Your partnership in the Gospel is greatly appreciated.

In His service - and loving it!

Michael Watson
Missionary Field Worker

​Through Sickness and…un-Health
Renee and I are still trying to recover from a relentless bout of flu that has been troubling us for the last 3 weeks. We are definitely on the tail end of this now, but it is still stubbornly refusing to submit to the handfuls of medication that we have been throwing at it.
Ryno has now succumbed to a bad eye infection that is progressively getting worse and also, to add to that horror, he has a painful infection in his ear. It looks much worse than it is - with his head bandaged up to cover his right eye and a large dressing over his left ear - he looks like he barely survived a vicious war! Please pray that we will be able to find good medical attention for him soon.
Mission Overview
We have now been on this Africa Overland Mission for 11 weeks, ministering in 6 countries including:  South Africa, Zambia, Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, and Malawi. We have conducted more than 210 meetings and travelled more than 12,000km. We still have two months of scheduled ministry ahead of us.

​Reformation FIRE in Burundi
After our busy and effective Mission to Congo, we entered Burundi where we conducted a Reformation FIRE seminar in the capital city. Pastors from Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi were present at this seminar as well as many members of the host church. The sound system that they use for their worship is insanely loud. So much so, that we had to use earplugs to relieve the pain that we experienced as the invasive decibels assaulted our hearing.
​
The pastors were very grateful for the teachings and declared that this is what Burundi needs - sound Biblical teaching. There are so many false doctrines going around in this area frustrating the believers, that when they hear basic Biblical doctrine, they are overwhelmed by how profound and true it is. We were able to distribute to each pastor a copy of Biblical Principles for Africa in French, The Apostles Creed, and also a copy of the Reformation FIRE Manual.

Muslim Evangelism
Whilst in the capital city of Burundi, we had a wonderful opportunity to minister to a sincere seeking Muslim woman from the Middle East. This really seemed to be a God-ordained appointment. For the sake of protecting her identity, I will call her Fiona.

Ravenous Wolves!
We got to know Fiona as a wonderful, friendly, kind, and generous lady who was sincerely seeking the truth. As we got to know her more, we discerned that, in her seeking, she had been seriously misled by 'wolves in sheep's clothing' who were cunningly enriching themselves through Fiona's purse and ignorance of authentic Christianity. This 'pastor' was clearly an imposter and sorcerer, using divination to hypnotise the unsuspecting sincere seeker into a state of trust. This situation is just 'the tip of the iceberg' of the immensity of the deception that exists here in Burundi. Since the Roman Catholic Belgians colonised this land, the people have been misled by many false forms of Christianity.

"…in later times some will depart from the Faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…" 1 Timothy 4:1

A Goat for a Goat, and a Cow for a Cow
Fiona, and a colleague of hers who was also an unfortunate victim of this 'ravenous wolf' imposter, told us how this 'pastor' had 'discerned' that they had snakes (which were demons) wrapped around their hearts and other organs of their bodies and they needed her (the 'pastor') to pray for them to save them from looming destruction. As they submitted themselves to 'prayer', (which involved a physical mock 'operation', having to lie down on the ground as this 'pastor' 'operated' on them to remove the snakes) the pastor would then 'discern' that these demons (the snakes) refused leave because they wanted reimbursement. "Those who sent me here," she would say speaking on behalf of the demons, "sacrificed a goat, therefore if you want me to leave, you should give me a goat!" The 'pastor' would then say to Fiona, "A goat is worth $500. The demon won't go unless you give me $500." Some of these demons also demanded a cow. "A cow is worth $1000…" Sometimes even a child was required…

A Forest of Snakes!
Each time a 'snake' would be removed from Fiona's heart, the 'pastor' would discern that there was another one. And that one too would require a payment of some kind before it could be removed. Fiona's colleague blurted out in pent-up frustration, "I have a forest of snakes living in me! It's only since I met that 'pastor'!" Fiona told us that she had paid more than $1500 monthly to this 'pastor' to deliver her from these demons that were allegedly haunting her and wrapping snakes around her heart, but without any progress. "Isn't your God powerful?!" She asked in apparent exasperation. "Why, after paying so much and doing so much, is your God not able to drive out these demons?!"

Faith Comes by… the Word of God
We were able to impart a different and more Biblical perspective of Christianity to Fiona, for which she was immensely grateful. We told her that what she had experienced was not Christianity at all. We showed her from the Word of God that Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with God through Jesus. We explained that she doesn't need to pay money in order to be free. All she needs is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. She listened, paying close attention to details, asking questions, and drinking in this new information gladly. She said, "You have released me from that prison I was in."

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ." Romans 10:17

Please continue to pray for Fiona, that God would reveal Himself to her and that she will continue to seek Him diligently.

"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ… Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."Colossians 4:3-4

May God bless you thoroughly!

In His service - and loving it!

Michael Watson
Missionary Field Worker

Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Office: +27-21-689-4480
Email:  mission@frontline.org.za

Victory Loves Preparation

​Dear Friends and Family
​
Greetings in the precious and powerful Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

"For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through Him and for Him."Colossians 1:16 
Our Congmataza Mission team is, I am happy to report, in good health. Ryno is recovering from the wound in his shoulder and I am feeling much better after a course of antibiotics and typhoid treatment.

We have been on the road conducting this Overland Mission to Congo now for more than 2 months; we have already travelled more than 9,836km through 6 countries conducting 129 meetings, 6 Reformation FIRE Seminars, and 3 Evangelism Training Seminars.
In my last update to you, I ended by requesting prayer as we were about to enter Congo into a region where there is a long history of instability and violence. Thank you very much for praying.

We have had an exciting and fruitful time of ministry in DR Congo. Let me start by telling you how the border crossing went.

​Border Officials, Literature, and Grace
Our rig was loaded with more than 2 tonnes of Gospel literature, Bibles, and other resources for pastors, evangelists, and church leaders. This literature is distributed free of charge and is therefore non-commercial cargo; in addition to this, most of the literature is 'in transit' and just passing through the one country into the next, but the border officials don't always see it in this way. They normally see it as an opportunity to procure and invoke a stubborn, uncompromising bribe from our unyielding pockets. As you can well imagine, this can seriously complicate a border crossing for us. We praise God that up to this point, we have had trouble-free border crossings.

Ominous Corruption
However, now that we were facing the notoriously corrupt Congo border, we were somewhat apprehensive about crossing this border with so much literature, much of which was intended for ministry outside of Congo. Only 750kg of our cargo was allocated for Congo. We had been warned by other missionaries and colleagues of the intense levels of corruption by these border officials, to such an extent that some vehicles have been confiscated and commandeered by such corrupt officials. We obviously did not want this fate to take over our rig, so we made preparations and arrangements to prevent this from happening.

"Victory loves preparation" Anonymous

Pre-emptive Measures
We made contact with a trustworthy pastor in Burundi who was willing and able to assist us and made arrangements with him to store in his home all the literature that we would not need in Congo (which was allocated for ministry in other countries on our return journey). This was very helpful, because there was quite a lot of our cargo that we needed to store safely.

Our host pastor in Congo also did a sterling job of contacting the necessary customs officials and getting the vital paperwork in place, this was no easy task, but an essential pre-emptive measure. He also placed various influential members of his congregation at strategic points along the border control to assist us through this tricky gauntlet.

Border 'Bienvenue'
As we warily drove up to the border carrying only that which was essential to our ministry in Congo, we intently followed the cell phone instructions of our host pastor who was coordinating this tricky border crossing. We were joyfully and warmly welcomed by his vivacious wife whose smile alone cut the tension in the air and hushed our edgy minds. Soon we were joined by the pastor and his team who easily and effortlessly guided us through the immigration and customs control. It was wonderful to be welcomed in such a manner. I knew we were in good hands.

Police Security
Once we were in Congo, we were introduced to the Chief of Police, who is also a member of the host church, and we were assured that his team would be looking out for our well-being during our stay in Congo. There would be a team of police and soldiers that would surround our camp at night. The area where we were staying has in the past experienced much violence and insecurity. A village just north of this location had recently been attacked.

Which Side of the Road?!
In South Africa we drive on the left side of the road, but in Congo you drive on what’s left of the road. In fact, the rule is that you should drive on the right-hand side. The roads (or what is left of them) are not roads at all, the locals here call them "ways". The one main road which runs through the town is often swarming with overloaded motor cycles, bicycles, tuc-tucs, cars, trucks and lorries all hooting, weaving in and out of gaps, contending for the little bit of tarmac that is all that remains of the main road. Each driver is just trying to guide the tyres of their vehicles to the best possible path avoiding potholes, ditches, the encroaching road edge, and all other traffic that is trying to do the same. How they miss each other is still a wonder to me!

No Water, No Electricity!
We were told upon our arrival, that the town where we were staying had neither water, nor electricity for the past three weeks. The inhabitants of this lakeshore town all had to go down to the lake to collect water in buckets/jerry cans. The lake is quite polluted and therefore not an ideal source of water for drinking or even for cooking. Here is what I wrote in my journal on Thursday 31 July: 

"Congo is really tiring us out. There is no water in the taps. So far, since we have been here, water has only come in the taps twice - one of which was this morning. We have left our containers under the tap in anticipation of water. This morning we filled all our containers. The last time we had water was on Sunday. We have been using the lake water which is very filthy. There are all sorts of pollution in the lake - sewage, hippos, people bathing, clothes are washed, litter, even used medical needles are found on the lake shore. We have had to treat this water with chemicals(chlorine), boil it, and filter it. I am hoping that this would be enough to keep us from getting all sorts of diseases. We are happy to have clean water now."

Amazing Church Growth
The church that was hosting us in Congo was the same church that hosted us last year when we visited Congo during the Africa Overland Mission. Last year when we were here we conducted a Great Commission Seminar focusing on Way of the Master Evangelism training. It was quite clear then already that the pastor of this church has a great passion for Evangelism and Missions and has been trying (effectively and successfully) to motivate his church to get involved in reaching Congo for Christ.

This year when we returned to these energetic believers we were astounded to find out that their church had grown double its size! Since we left them last year, they have regularly conducted door-to-door evangelism, putting into practice the Way of the Master and they have reaped the fruits of their efforts. This was really encouraging to us, to know that our labour has not been in vain.

Poisoned Shoulder
During our first week of ministry in Congo, Ryno (who is on our Missionary Training Program) started complaining about an itch/pain on his shoulder. It looked like a simple pimple, so we just laughed it off and ignored it. The next morning, however, it was a little bigger and had developed a hole about the size of a black pepper corn. It was now also obvious to see that this was in fact a spider bite, there were two very clear holes where the fangs had penetrated. I realized that this was a necrotic spider bite and that the poison was destroying the cells in the wound and would continue to do so unless we found a remedy. Since my knowledge about spider bites is limited, I consulted my good friend 'Google' to find out what can be done. My internet research informed me that there was not much one can do to prevent the poison from doing its dirty work. As Ryno was already taking some strong antibiotics, we realised all we could do was to keep the wound clean and dressed with lots of betadine/germoline.
​
Encroaching Putrefaction
Each time we changed the dressing of the wound on Ryno's shoulder, we were disturbed to find that it had grown bigger than the previous time. Soon the hole in his shoulder was about the size of a human eye. The smell was that of rotting flesh which was accompanied by the sight of green, black liquid puss that filled the ever increasing rancid crater. This had to be cleaned out thoroughly each day and a new dressing put on. I soon realized that if this continues, I will have to try to get Ryno out of Congo and find professional medical attention.

Medical Mercy(less)
We went in search of medical attention for Ryno in neighbouring Burundi and were directed to an Anglican Medical Clinic which apparently had very high standards. The problem we encountered here though was the language barrier. When the nurses asked what the problem was we indicated the shoulder dressing and, communicating through an interpreter, told them it was a spider bite. The nurse proceeded to open the dressing and inspect the problem. She told us, "Whoever cleaned this wound the first time did not do a good job". I took the blame for that. This nurse immediately started thoroughly, aggressively, and mercilessly, cleaning the wound, extracting chunks of white, green, and brown matter, cutting at the wound with a surgical knife, and scrubbing it with sterile gauze, without any anaesthetic!

Ryno was bravely enduring this torture and each time he tried look over his shoulder to see what was going on, the nurse, smiling sadistically, would push his head away saying "Don't look here". It was only while she was finally dressing the wound again that she inquired, "How did you get this wound on your shoulder?" We repeated, "It was a spider bite which started very small and grew into this big hole you see here now." The nurses were quite fascinated with this, as if they had never dealt with a problem like this before.

Revivals and Resistance
This area experienced two revivals in the 20th century. One in 1911, and again in 1962. The people here speak of great moves of God among the people during these times - great miracles, great fear of God, great increase in the fertility of the land, and most of all a vivid realization of the presence of God. When rebels attacked the area they put up a fierce resistance and sent the attackers fleeing.

Revival and Evangelism Camp
We were invited as guest speakers at a Revival and Evangelism Camp. This seemed quite appropriate considering the historic significance of revival in this area. This camp was attended by more than 50 participants coming from different regions of the Congo. We had a wonderful time of ministry, fellowship, and outreach with these passionate believers. I was very glad for the French lessons I had taken in preparation for this mission. Between the use of broken English, French, and some hand signs, we were able to communicate somewhat with our beloved Congolese brothers and sisters.

At the camp I spoke on topics such as: Revival in the Bible and in History, What Can be Preventing Revival, How to Revive Your Devotional Life, The Way of the Master, How Jesus Did Evangelism, Christian Action, Outrageous Courage, and How a Local Missionary Can be Self-Supportive. After many of the sessions we would break up into discussion groups and discuss the practical issues and seek answers on problems encountered.

Explosive Evangelism
After the Camp we headed back to town for what was called an Explosive Evangelism Week. We started early in the mornings with Way of the Master training and then in the afternoons we would go out into the streets doing door-to-door Evangelism followed by screening the film Passion of Christ. The church was fully involved and their teamwork and tenacity was certainly admirable.

Renee also conducted a Youth Seminar where the theme was Shine Like Stars. The church was packed with eager youth intently listening to find out how they might become stars. The message that came through in the end was this, "If you want to be a star, you must be connected to Jesus!" There was great discussion amongst the group and the Q & A session went way overtime as these enthusiastic youth asked probing questions.

The Harvest is Plentiful
During our time in Congo and through the efforts of this energetic church, there were more than 330 people who prayed to surrender to Christ as their Lord and Saviour, 210 of which were from one-on-one encounters during door-to-door Evangelism, 18 of which were baptized in Lake Tanganyika. Praise the Lord! We are so excited about this.

Literature and Resources Distributed
By God's grace, and with the help of generous supporters, we have been able to distribute and deliver to the churches and believers in Congo: 91 French Bibles, 11,000 French and Swahili Gospel Booklets, 3,000 Gospel of John and Epistle to the Romans booklets, 660 Biblical Principles for Africa (in French) books, 300 Broad and Narrow Way Posters. We were also able to deliver to churches for their libraries and for distribution many DVDs such as: More Than Dreams, In Your Face, Herman Who?, What if Jesus had Never been Born?, Call for Discernment, Amazing Grace, Basic Christian Training Boxset, Islam Rising, and The Biggest Question. Some of the MP3 audio discs that we were also able to deliver included: Revival, Evangelism and Discipleship, Answering Skeptics, Heroes of the Faith, and Great Commission Course 2014 Boxset. We were also able to deliver to the vibrant Congo church mini SD cards loaded with the Jesus film in French and Swahili and many other digital Evangelistic resources which can be inserted into cell phones and shared amongst friends and contacts wirelessly using either Bluetooth or the internet.

Thank You!
We really appreciate each one of you who pray for us and who encourage us by email, sms, WhatsApp, and Facebook. We also are constantly aware that we would not have been able to do any of the above had it not been for the Mission's generous financial supporters who have given of their finances to extend our reach and impact. Thank you for your sacrificial giving which has bought diesel, tyres, food, medicines, Bibles, Gospel books, Evangelistic tracts, and visas.

Please do visit the Frontline Fellowship Facebook page for pictures of our ministry and adventures as we progress on this Mission through Africa.

May God bless you thoroughly!

In His service - and loving it!

Michael Watson
Missionary Field Worker

Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Office: +27-21-689-4480
Email:  mission@frontline.org.za

Victory Loves Preparation

​Conflict in the Congo has killed 4 million people in the last 8 years. For centuries, the Congo suffered at the hands of Muslim slave raiders. When the Belgians intervened, the Arab slave trade in the Congo was replaced with exploitation by some unscrupulous mining corporations. Since being granted independence in 1960, the Congo has been torn apart by a succession of civil wars, military coups, and unrestrained wholesale plundering of its resources by a succession of socialist dictators.

​After Sudan, the Congo is the second largest nation in Africa. The Congo covers 2,344,858 square kilometers including most of the Congo river system and much of the vast central African rain forest.
​
The Congo includes 450 different ethno-linguistic groups making up an estimated 60 million people.

The Congo has long had a reputation for being Africa’s “hell hole.” It was the setting for Joseph Conrad’s 1899 book“The Heart of Darkness” – and the inspiration for Hollywood’s “Apocalypse Now” film. It’s a reputation which the nation’s rulers have consistently reinforced with post-independence chaos, widespread anarchy, endemic corruption, brutal violence and looting of the nation’s resources devastating the country’s infrastructure.

Although the Congo has vast mineral resources and tremendous agricultural potential, it is one of the poorest counties in the world. At one point its previous president, Mobutu Sese Seko was reputed to have been the fifth richest person in the world while his nation was one of the poorest in the world. In the year 2000 the public debt of the Congo was calculated to be 166% of its GNP. At that time the average income per person was only $110 a year. Investigators claimed that Mobutu’s personal wealth was roughly equivalent to the collosal national debt! Mobutu was said to have “looted the country into paralysis.”

The Congo’s fertile fields and tropical forests cover an area larger than the combined areas of California, Oregon, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The Congo is rich in diamonds, gold, copper, uranium and other precious metals. The huge Congo River has the potential to generate enough hydroelectric power to provide all the electrical needs of the entire continent.
Yet, the majority of Congolese have to live without electricity, plumbing or access to education or medical services.

Since independence the once efficient network of roads and railway lines have deteriorated and become overgrown by the jungle. Hospitals and health clinics have been looted and destroyed. Literally millions of Congolese have been massacred, often by the very soldiers and police who were meant to be protecting them. When the mission hospital at Nyankunde was attacked, an estimated 1,000 Christians were massacred. Survivors reported that the chaplain was first savagely tortured before being murdered in a most cruel way. Several hundred patients who survived the massacre fled on foot through a 170 km of dense jungle to report on the atrocity.

Documenting the human rights abuses and persecution of Christians in the Congo can be overwhelming. Reports of kidnapping, torture, rape, mass executions and cannibalism abound.
Immediately after independence in the 1960’s tens of thousands of Christians and hundreds of missionaries were martyred, particularly in the Communist Simba rebellion of 1964.

After the Rwandan Holocaust in 1994, Rwandese and Ugandan forces struck across the border at the Hutu militias (Interahamwe) that had been responsible for the genocide and were being protected in the Congo. As the dictator Mobutu fled, rebel leader Laurent Kabila was able to seize power. But, in 1998, after Kabila turned against his previous allies, the Ugandan and Rwandese forces again invaded the Congo in support of Banyamulengu (Tutsi) rebels.

Soon the armies of eight other nations were embroiled in the conflict in the Congo. Massive military aid and forces from Communist Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Congo (Brazzaville) and the Central African Republic along with elements of the Sudan army supported Kabila’s forces in the West against the Rwandese and Ugandan forces in the East of this vast and troubled country.

Along with local inter-ethnic conflicts and warlords, the Angolans aimed to liquidate the UNITA rebel bases, Sudan sought to punish Uganda for its aid of the SPLA in Southern Sudan, while the Rwandese hunted down the Hutu genocidists, and Zimbabwe’s army was used to enrich its generals and politicians at the expense of Congolese natural resources.

Much of the country became a war zone, the playground of multiple foreign armies, and approximately 4 million were killed. Millions more flowed like a tidal wave of refugees across the land and spilled over into neighbouring countries. The destruction of communities, dislocation of families and social chaos caused by these catastrophic upheavals shattered the nation. Lawlessness, violence and large scale looting devastated much of the Congo.

The Maoist president, Laurent Kabila, was shot dead in 2001. His 29-year-old son, Joseph Kabila, then assumed power and began a process of negotiating peace between the various warring armies. He appointed five of the opposing generals as Deputy Presidents and sought to integrate into a national army the soldiers who had previously been trying to kill one another.

Despite its disastrous track record in being able to take bad situations and make them much, much worse, the United Nations was invited to oversee this attempt at peace in the Congo. Since 2000, the UN has spent billions on its peace-keeping mission in the Congo. With 17,500 troops in the Congo, MONUC is the largest UN force anywhere in the world. However, corruption has continued to cripple the country, and violence has continued unabated in several parts of the country.

Now, as the Congo attempts to hold its first free elections ever, the logistical challenges are a nightmare. NGOs operating in the Congo describe it as: “Among the very worst places on earth”, “as broken, volatile and dangerous as ever”, “a record of human devastation unmatched in recent history” and “Africa’s ultimate hell hole!”

Out of the Communist chaos of the Congo, the Christian church has emerged as the only viable national structure to survive the general social, political and economic collapse of the country. The growth of the church in the Congo over the last century has been dramatic. The number of Christians in the Congo has grown from 1.4% of the total population in 1900 to over 90% professing Christianity today. Of these 23 million are Roman Catholic (organised in 14,000 congregations). There are over 12 million Protestants including a million Presbyterians (in 525 congregations), half a million Methodists (in 3,750 congregations) and a hundred other Protestant denominations.
The state’s school system has collapsed. The number of street children and orphans as a result of AIDS deaths and broken homes are staggering. Estimates exceed a million AIDS and war orphans.

The government’s nationalization of hospitals and schools in the 1970’s was a disaster. Just about the only functioning schools are church run. The Catholics have dominated the education field, but Protestants are increasingly striving to rise to the challenge as well.

There is a famine of Christian literature and an intense hunger for Christian books. There is also an intense and urgent need for leadership training at every level.

Many nominal Christians have no clear grasp of repentance and faith in Christ. Animism, witchcraft and syncretism are also major problems. The vast swamp lands north east of Kinshasa include many communities which have never been effectively evangelized. The half a million Swahili speaking Muslims need to be reached with the Gospel. Despite the Muslims mounting considerable efforts to spread Islam in the Congo, very little has been done to try to reach Muslims for Christ.

Despite the small Pygmy peoples of the Congo rain forests being despised and abused by the Congolese, there has been a tremendous turning to Christ amongst them. Nominally 30% of the Pygmies claim to be Christian.

Because of the war and collapse of infrastructure, missionary involvement in the Congo has suffered drastically. There have been several evacuations of missionaries from whole regions. The number of missionaries officially in the Congo is misleading as most are actually based outside of the Congo. Much of the country needs to be re-evangelized.

CONGO FOR CHRISTRev. Bill Bathman, Charl Van Wyk and I were invited to conduct Biblical Worldview Seminars in the Congo. Although the war is officially over, most of the infrastructure in the Congo is devastated and there is still instability. Despite sporadic ongoing violence in some parts of this vast country the churches in the Congo are dynamic.We experienced first hand the endemic corruption of government officials in the Congo when, within minutes of arriving, bribes were being openly demanded. Rev. Bill Bathman was taken into custody and his camera confiscated for taking a picture of the: “Welcome to Lubumbashi” sign! It took over an hour of intensive negotiations before they released Bill Bathman. And several more hours before the camera was returned.When Charl arrived to conduct a Biblical Worldview Seminar in Mbuji Mayi, in East Kasai province, a security official detained him in some back room at the airport wanting a bribe before he would be released! By God’s grace, the church officials managed to negotiate Charl out of this beauracratic trap without paying any bribe at all.

We had been invited to conduct Biblical Worldview Seminars for church leaders and political candidates for the upcoming elections. The Congo is heading for its first elections ever. The “Democratic Republic of the Congo”, in its 46 years of independence from Belgium, has never been a democracy. The Congo has been afflicted by corrupt dictators and a series of devastating civil wars. Most roads are impassable and the jungle has overgrown much of the once efficient railway network.

Even though the Congo has its own port access to the Atlantic Ocean, all of the exports and imports in Katanga province have to be transported up by rail and road from Durban in South Africa! The fact that a central African country with access to the sea would depend upon trucks and trains traveling the full length of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia illustrates what a degraded state the once efficient infrastructure of the Congo has fallen into.

There was tremendous excitement over the shipment of over 800 copies of the new revised French translation of our “Biblical Principles for Africa” book. With the help of friends in Paris and Geneva, this greatly improved second edition of the French translation was printed in time for this mission and we were able to deliver them for the delegates to the Biblical Worldview Seminars in the Congo.

The hunger for Bible teaching, literature and leadership training in the Congo was intense. Services and seminars started at 8 AM each morning and we were kept busy until late each night. On the first day we had over 500 pastors, teachers and political leaders participating in the Biblical Worldview Seminar, the next day this had grown to 800. On the third day we had approximately 1,000! The delegates included the mayor, a judge, some generals, political leaders and hundreds of pastors and teachers.

We presented 12 lectures, and spent many hours in question and answer sessions, spoke on two T.V programmes and two radio interviews. Our hosts organised the seminars under the banner of REDTCO: The Gathering of the Children of God for the Transformation of the Congo.

On Sunday we preached at 5 different congregations. The church where I preached was packed to overflowing with over 3,000 enthusiastic worshippers. The service lasted for over 4 ½ hours. Even after the service Christians gathered for further Bible teaching throughout the afternoon and evening. It was almost midnight when our team returned from ministering all Sunday.

Please do continue to pray for the Christians in the Congo, and for REDTCO, as they attempt to mobilise churches to work together to win the Congo for Christ.

“Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all…” 1 Chronicles 16:24 – 25

Dr. Peter Hammond
P.O. Box 74
Newlands 7725
Cape Town
South Africa
E-Mail: admin@frontline.org.za

​Frontline Fellowship was invited to minister at the first Congress of REDTCO ("The Gathering of the Children of God for the Transformation of the Congo")
​
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (which in its 45 years of independence from Belgium has never been a democracy) has been afflicted by corrupt dictators and a series of devastating civil wars. It is in a degraded state. The infrastructure is ruined, most roads are impassable, the jungle has overgrown much of the once efficient railway network, warfare has devastated the country leaving up to 3million dead and corruption is rife. Yet the churches which invited us are dynamic, growing and determined to see the Congo transformed by the Gospel of Christ.

​The Frontline Fellowship Communications Director, Johan van der Merwe, who also joined us on this mission to the Congo, raced against time to have a recent translation into French of Peter Hammond's book "Biblical Principles For Africa" printed.
​
By God's grace the first French edition of this dynamic book was completed in time and the teammanaged to deliver 900 copies of "Principes Bibliques pour L'Afrique" which were carried in and distributed to the delegates of the REDTCO Congress in Lubumbashi. There was great excitement to receive this long awaited book as Christians in French speaking Africa desperately need more Bible based literature.

Johan and I were joined by Jo-Ann Downs, the Deputy President of the African Christian Democratic Party, and together we presented training for the 450 leaders from all over the Congo who had gathered for this historic event. Dealing with issues such as Biblical Principles for Government, Crime and Punishment and How to Make a Difference in Politics, the Congress considered how to evangelise the Congo and transform it into a Christian nation. Working documents were discussed and Resolutions were finalised and voted on.

After the Congress a Thanksgiving and Dedication service, lasting over 6 hours, was conducted in a large church nearby. In a very moving time of intense prayer on their knees, the congregation and Congress delegates dedicated the Congo to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We also visited a local Christian school and were interviewed on radio and by a national TV station. A local TV station broadcast the presentations at the Congress each day and local newspapers covered the event with two full pages of reports.

This was my second mission trip to the Congo so far this year. As a result of my earlier meetings in the Congo a delegation had travelled to KwaSizabantu to attend the Ministers' Conference in March. 

We were overwhelmed by the generosity and gracious hospitality of our Congolese hosts. Bishop Lamba Lamba, the President of REDTCO, has already made tremendous progress in laying foundations for Reformation in the Congo and has a great missionary vision. REDTCO has contacts in the Ivory Coast, Belgium, France, Zambia and South Africa and they already have representatives in every province of the Congo. They have also sent out church planting missionaries who have successfully established congregations in Zambia and South Africa (where growing numbers of French speaking refugees have settled). One of their ministers came and participated in our Biblical Worldview Summit in Cape Town.

Please pray for our Christian brethren in the Congo - despite their desperate plight they are being used of the Lord to turn their troubled country to Christ. Pray also that we may be able to assist in their great task of evangelism, discipleship and Reformation in the Congo.

Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74,
Newlands, 7725,
Cape Town, South Africa
E-mail: admin@frontline.org.za

​His report back was what you would expect from a dedicated Christian missionary who had previously been a career officer in the navy. He came with maps and charts, photo albums, well organised flip-files of reports, and a well-illustrated PowerPoint slide presentation on the objectives, findings, prayer points and strategy for the future.

INTO THE HEART of DARKNESS
The Congo must be one of the most difficult mission fields in Africa. The logistical complications, vast distances, endemic lawlessness and corruption, frustrate any travelers. When the great explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, travelled down the Congo River in the 19 th century, he encountered aggressive tribesmen and violent cannibals, and had over 60 battles – fire fights – to fight off attackers. The Congo River inspired the original Heart of Darkness novel.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, covers a vast area (2,344,858 square kilometers) including most of the Congo River system and much of the vast Central African rainforest. Approximately 55 million people, in an estimated 450 ethno-linguistic groups, live in the Congo. It’s vast mineral resources and agricultural potential was squandered by post-independence chaos, widespread corruption and mismanagement - which enriched the political elite but which impoverished the nation. Most of the road system is impassible, little of the previously efficient railway functions, a succession of dictators have plundered the nation’s resources and virtually destroyed the formal economy and most of the functions of state. Civil wars, assassinations and incredible brutality and cruelty have devastated this long suffering nation. Literally millions were slaughtered in the violence.

Not only did Johan have to face many discouragements from Christians and fellow missionaries in South Africa warning him about the dangers, difficulties and "impossibilities" of ministry in the Congo, but once he arrived in the Congo he was assailed by a barrage of attempts to distract, delay, and deviate him.

“Why worry about the rural tribesmen by the river, they’re not going anywhere. We need your help in the city. Can you help me with our church-building project?” Johan was aghast at the prevalent greed, selfishness and short-sightedness.“What’s in it for me?” was the common response, even from people who were meant to be pastors. “What can you do for me?”

Days in the capital city, Kinshasa, turned into weeks as one official after the other expected bribes, and frustrated his plans when he refused to pay any bribes. Quite aside from the jungle of bureaucracy and endemic culture of corruption which seeks to paralyze all legitimate commerce and ministry, the Congo is paralysed with corruption. The whole country is obsessed with material things, money, greed and self-centeredness.

It appeared that the vast harvest field of isolated villages needing the Gospel of Redemption were not of any concern in most of the churches in Kinshasa. Johan noted very little discernment in the churches which in many cases evidenced Animistic syncretism and disco type drums and dancing. Rhythms dominated for hours of swaying and dancing to the drums. Worldly music seemed to subvert the church’s mission. An unhealthy focus on money, an obsession with envy and covetousness, general lack of integrity and superficial church relations, are all being used by the devil to distract, divert and defeat the church in the cities.

Some times Johan felt like Jeremiah pleading with the Lord; “Why do you send me to these people. They don’t want to listen.” He said that sometimes he could understand why Jonah wanted to flee in the opposite direction to where the Lord was sending him.

The worldly and wicked environment in the city was oppressive. He was also disturbed by the horrific and widespread cruelty to animals and destruction of the environment. The cities were also far more unhygienic than the rural villages.

“Everyone seemed to be in survival mode. It was disappointing to see how dishonest and selfish most of the people were. My expedition to the Antarctic was easy compared to the Congo. In the Antarctic you only had to deal with the harsh environment, here in the Congo we had not only the oppressive heat, insects, mosquitoes, rats, but the stifling bureaucracy and discouraging ever-present corruption. It was also astounding how many attempted to side-track me from the river ministry to helping build their projects in the city!”

“There was so much emotional blackmail, guilt manipulation, scheming, designed to exploit gullible, naïve white foreigners.”Johan spoke of the dangers from false brethren, those who pretended to be pastors, the freeloaders and con artists.

However, Johan praised God for how the Lord protected his health, protected his property, guided him as to who to trust and where to go, and mightily blessed his research, outreach and preparatory work to establishing a Bible depot/mission station/coordinating office in Kisangani, and to buy, or build, a 300 ton payload, dedicated mission riverboat (the MV Good News Trader) to minister to the isolated and remote villages and homesteads along the banks of the Congo and its tributaries - the Tshope, Lomami, Aruwhimi, Itimbiri, Mongala, Lulomga, Ruki, Ubangi and Kasai Rivers.

Please pray for wisdom, insight, integrity and righteousness, for the spiritual and physical needs of the very severely neglected and deteriorated isolated villages along the Congo River and its tributaries. Pray for wisdom and insight for the ship design and conversion and building procedure and process, and for the ability to overcome the wide variety of onslaughts and obstacles in the Congo.

"Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Deeclare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." 1 Chronicles 16:23-26

Peter Hammond