​Initially, after his conversion, Erlo Stegen resisted God’s call for him to enter the ministry. “I was unwilling to go, the price was to high. So, for 18 months, I went through hell as I rebelled against God. The price of disobedience is a thousand times greater of that of obedience.”
​
Before his conversion, Erlo Stegen had hated reading books. To him, reading was always a burden.“After Jesus came into my life, I loved reading the Bible and it became my most precious book.” Before his conversion, he never sung and would explain to his teachers that he was incapable of singing. “Yet now I could hardly stop singing.”

He lost all interest in the parties, dances, and obsession to make money. The things of the world receded and the promises of the Scripture became very wonderful and precious. He was especially impressed with the promise in John 15: 7: “If ye abide in Me and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you,”

John 14:12: “I say unto you, he that believth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father.”

John 16:24: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name: Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

Erlo Stegen was a missionary for 12 years before the Revival broke out. He was determined not to“play church.” He preached straight: “ Repent and change your lives. If you don’t, you are on your way to hell.”

He saw the debilitating and devastating impact of ancestral worship and witchcraft. One day, after pointing out in a sermon that the founders of all others religions are dead and buried, but only Jesus is alive forevermore. “His grave is empty because He rose from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and all power in Heaven and on earth are given unto Him. There is no other name given among men by which we can be saved other than the Name of Jesus. There is only one way: Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the same today as He was two thousand years ago.”

He had hardly finished the sermon, when an old woman came up to him and pleaded with him to pray for her daughter who was insane. Erlo Stegen described the shocking scene: “In the middle of the hut I saw a girl sitting on the floor, her arms bound to the center pole with wire. The wire had cut deeply into her flesh, so that blood was flowing down, and she was covered with scars and wounds. She pulled at the wire with such violence, that it cut deeply into her arms. She spoke incessantly in foreign languages.” Her mother explained that for weeks she had not eaten anything, nor slept. “She breaks the strongest ropes, then she runs around into the neighbours fields and gardens and destroys everything. When she bites someone, she won’t let go. Look at my cattle pen. I don’t have any cows, sheep or goats left. Every animal I owned, I sacrificed to the spirits. The cows I didn’t kill, I had to sell them to pay the witchdoctor. I haven’t got any money. I am at the end of my strength.”

Then the missionary drove this troubled girl to his parents’ farm where they provided a room where the girl could stay while she was prayed for. The demon-possessed girl smashed the furniture, pulled out the springs from the mattress, broke the windowpanes and frames and turned the room into a pigsty.

“We prayed day and night for three weeks, but the girl wasn’t healed. Instead I was at the end of my strength and close to a nervous break down. The girl sang her satanic hymns incessantly. The girl blasphemed the blood of Jesus. Horrible, sacriligious songs resounded throughout. The girl renounced the blood and death of the Lord Jesus as only the devil could do. What was I to do? Everyone had heard me preach: ‘don’t go to the witch doctors, don’t sacrifice oxen and goats to the spirits. Jesus is the answer to every problem, come to Him.’ We Christians had failed. In the end we all gave up and had to take the girl back.”

Erlo Stegen thought that he was a complete failure. “I had preached the Gospel for 12 years and there weren’t even 12 true Christians in conformance with Biblical standards to show for it.” Many hundreds of people had come forward at his Gospel meetings and made public commitments to Christ. He knew that many of these converts still craved cigarettes, engaged in worldliness. He knew that the Bible taught that we were to“Love not the world, know the things that are in the world”1 John 2:15 and“Be not conformed to this world” Romans 12:2. Yet he perceived that his converts were still worldly.

He then challenged his whole congregation to come to two Bible studies each day: 7 AM and 5PM.“We will take our Bibles and we won’t explain anything away. We won’t justify ourselves either, but accept things as they are written.” Jesus said: “ Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise shall enter therein.” Luke 18:17 and “Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

They started by studying the Book of Acts. From the outset the Lord took hold of their hearts. The more they studied Acts, the more their hearts were broken. They saw how the early Christians continued with one accord in prayer. They marveled at this miracle. Not quarreling and slandering behind one another’s back, but with unity in spirit. The death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ had so deeply affected them that they were in harmony. They saw that the Lord had promised the power of the Holy Spirit for them to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:8). In Acts 4:31 they read that when the early church prayed, the place was shaken. “We pray and we don’t move the world, the world moves us!” - Matthew 18:3

“The early church didn’t tolerate sin, they had no room and no time for sin, and dealt with it most severely. We worship God and tolerate sin in our midst! If you pray for Revival, you are asking for something the world doesn’t understand. We read the Bible so superficially that we cannot grasp what it is all about.”

Then, a meeting was suddenly interrupted by a young woman, a new convert, who stood up during the service, and asked if she could pray. Her simple prayer was: “Oh Lord Jesus, we have heard what the early Church was like. Couldn’t you come down and be in our midst as you came down two thousand years ago? Couldn’t our Church be same as the one in Jerusalem?

“Revive Your work, O God” became the prayer of the congregation. “A week and a half later, God rent the Heavens and came down!”

It was December 1966 when the Revival broke out. Rev. Erlo Stegen explained, “We were at a loss, we had reached a deadlock and we were in a spiritually desperate situation.” In John 7:38, Jesus says, “he that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”When we asked ourselves: “Whether such rivers of living water were flowing out of our lives?” We had to answer “NO!”

Erlo stood and challenged his congregation: “Let us search the Scriptures and let the Word speak to us. Let us not twist and turn what we read. Let us disregard our ways and customs, our church traditions and our personal religious opinions and let’s hear what the Bible has to say. Do we really believe as the Scripture says?”

Erlo Stegen explains that Revivals are terrifying things. When the Holy Spirit comes, He convicts us of sin, of righteousness and of judgment to come. “For God resists the proud” - 1 Peter 5:5

“What is our greatest danger? In reality it is God Himself. There is nothing in this world that we need fear more than God. Even if the whole world were for us, but God against us, we would be fighting a losing battle.”

“Judgment must begin at the house of God. The first thing that happens when the Holy Spirit comes into a person’s life is that He convicts that person of sin. There is brokeheartedness. Many conversions are not genuine; the ‘converts’ are not born again with the Holy Spirit. There are ‘Christians’ who don’t even know what it means to be convicted of sin. We cannot love Jesus if we do not know what forgiveness of sins means. The deeper the conviction, the greater the love for Jesus. He who is forgiven much, loves much.”

Erlo Stegen testifies how the Lord convicted them of pride, prejudice and idolatry. “‘Let us get down on our knees and pray,’ I wept incessantly and cried out ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner.’” That was the beginning of the Revival.

It was Christmas time when the Revival broke out. “In times of Revival, the Word of God comes alive. It smites us and pierces our heart. The Word of God is like a hammer that breaks the rocks into pieces. It now became clear to me that it wasn’t the heathen who were standing in the way of Revival. I could only cry out: ‘Lord, there is only one person who hinders Your work, and that is me! Please forgive me!’”

They were praying in a cowshed when they heard a noise like a great wind. “Everybody was conscious of the presence of God. All I could do was to bow down and worship the God of Heaven.”

Then a witch, who was in charge of a training school for witches, came to Erlo Stegen. She said: “I need Jesus. Can He save me? I am bound with the chains of hell. Can He break these chains? If Jesus doesn’t save me right now, I will die today and go to hell!Pray for me, that Jesus rids me of these evil spirits.”

Rev. Stegen and some of his co-workers began to sing hymns of victory, of the risen Christ, the Mighty Victor who has overcome the devil, conquered sin and death, paid the price with His own blood! As they sang, the woman flung herself on the ground on her hands and knees and began to move around like a wild animal. The sounds of many dogs barking from within her and a herd of pigs grunting were heard. “We prayed: ‘O Lord set this person free!’ ‘Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.’ - Zechariah 4:6”

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” - Ephesians 6:12

“The moment the evil spirits left her, the expression on her face changed abruptly. She shone like a saint who had been living in the presence of our Lord and Master for many years. With the glow of Heaven shinning on her face and in her eyes, she cried ‘Oh how marvelous, Jesus has set me free! Jesus has broken these chains of hell!’”

Rev. Stegen recounts that for the next months they hardly had any sleep at all as day and night they were so busy counselling and praying for hundreds upon hundreds sick, troubled and demon possessed people. Time and again people exclaimed, “A power within us has driven us to come here. We can’t sleep anymore, we can’t recover our peace of mind, and all we can see is our sins!”

“Hundreds of people flocked to where we were in Mapamulo. We could go out the front door of the building at any time of the day, any day of the week and there would be a hundred, maybe two hundred, people standing outside. Hardened sinners would be weeping like little children. It was as if the Day of Judgment had dawned. The conviction went so deep that some of them couldn’t believe that Jesus could forgive them. They came with tears, and they left with joy. Their lives were changed and all things became new. Children were converted and parents were astounded at their change of attitude and behaviour. Husbands and wives were astounded as their partners were transformed. God kindled His fire and it spread through the valleys and the mountains so that thousands were saved in one week. That happened among the Zulus. There is no limit to what God can do.”

“From that time on the Zulus no longer said that Christianity was the white mans religion. That was the end of that saying. They have experienced that Jesus Christ is their God too. I remember a blind man whose eyes had suddenly been opened walking up and down shaking his head and crying out again and again: ‘Jesus is my God! He is truly my God!’ Sick people would be brought in on stretchers and rise and walk around…As a rule we never prayed for healing before the person involved, has settled their spiritual lives. Divine healing always begins in the heart.” The Bible teaches us in James 5:16‘Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed.’ Healing of the soul is put first. Physical needs are secondary. Spiritual illnesses must be treated first. To be liberated from irritation, anger, resentment and other sins are a thousand times more valuable than to be healed of physical ailments.”

People would come saying, “ We cannot carry on living in sin. We must bring them to the light. We need forgiveness of our sins. We cannot go home without having peace with God.”

A young Hindu woman, together with her 16 year old daughter, came and told Rev. Stegen: “My daughter here has been mentally handicapped since birth. Many doctors have said that she was incurable. So I went to the Hindu temples, but even our gods couldn’t help her. Two weeks ago I met a Zulu man who said to me: ‘why don’t you take your daughter to Mapamulo? There are Christians there that serve the Lord Jesus. If you take her there, they will pray to Him and He will heal your daughter.’ When I heard that I said ‘that is the God I want to serve!’ The moment I said that my daughter was healed and in her right mind. Here she is, you can speak to her.”

The daughter spoke, “From now on, I want to serve your God, our gods failed, but your God has healed me!” Erlo Stegen explains: “There is no God like Jesus Christ! When will the nations acknowledge that there is no Lord but Him? The Lord of all lords, The King of all kings.”

At Tugela Ferry, an 18 year old girl, Anagreta, who had been completely paralyzed for 18 months and who had been treated in 5 different hospitals was brought to the services. She lay, immovable, on a stretcher. Her skin and hair was scalded from when witchdoctors fried frogs in a pan until they were boiling hot and then put them on the girl’s head. After counselling her to repent of her sins, Rev. Stegen prayed for her and “the bones of her body began to shake like the leaves of a tree.” She leapt out of her bed onto her feet and started running! In an instant the Lord Jesus completely healed this girl.

The news of this event spread like wildfire throughout the entire area. It was as if the very air was charged with the presence of God. Anagreta was taken to Pomeroy Prison were her father worked. He was so filled with joy to see his daughter healed and delivered.

Rev. Stegen explains: “There is no greater power than that of our Lord Jesus Christ. All power in Heaven and on earth has been given unto Him. Go therefore and teach all missions, baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things what so ever I have commanded you. What a God and what a Saviour! May God grant that our lives do not bring dishonor to His Name, but are such that people may recognise that the Word of God is the Truth!”

Dr. Peter Hammond

​This article is also available as a PowerPoint here.
​
"The Lord gave the Word; great was the company of those that published it." Psalm 68:11

The written Word can go where and when the human voice cannot.
Literature is the most cost-effective way of proclaiming the Gospel.
It has no passport or visa problems.
It knows no fear.
It never loses its temper.
It never tires.
It is never discouraged.
It can tell its story over and over again.
It can be received, read and studied, in secret.
It speaks without an accent.
It never compromises.
The written Word is more permanent than the human voice.
A drop of ink may make a million think!

"So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17

​"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…" Romans 1:16
​
"For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

"Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:11 

"The entrance of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130 

"O, how I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97 

"Therefore, you shall lay up these Words of Mine in your heart and in your soul…" Deuteronomy 11:18 

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16 

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away." Matthew 24:35 

"But the Word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8 

"So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11


Dr. Peter Hammond

We as Parents are Responsible for the Education of our Children
As parents, we can delegate some of the task of education, but we can never delegate the responsibility. Children do not belong to the state; they belong to God and are entrusted by Him to parents, to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4.
 
Textbooks for Teachers
There are tremendous educational resources available from a Biblical worldview. Since our Mission launched Christian Liberty Books in 1995, we have sourced and imported a wide variety of Christian textbooks to aid Home educators and Christian schools with Christ-centered, Bible-based textbooks and Audiovisual resources.
 
A Serious Shortage of Christian History Books
However, while my wife, Lenora, dealt with most of the subjects our children were learning, I focused on History and Geography. Sadly, I found most of the history textbooks being offered by Christian suppliers most disappointing, inadequate and in some cases, dangerously deceptive. As a Missionary who has travelled widely and ministered in 38 countries across four continents, for over 38 years, I have been to many museums, monuments and battle sites and have learned from some key individuals who played important roles in the history of the 20th century. Frequently I found myself correcting the textbooks on matters of fact and needing to present more contexts for statements, or assertions, which continued to surface in all too many textbooks. Textbooks which were meant to be Christian.
 
Correcting Textbooks
At one point my daughter asked how I could be crossing out things in the textbook and writing in the margin, different dates, facts and information. "How can the textbook be wrong?" she asked.
 
Misinformation and Disinformation
I explained that often, state textbooks are the result of the work of committees and people who have no first-hand knowledge of the subjects they are dealing with. In all too many cases, secular humanist textbooks have been used as sources by well-meaning Christians, who present the same selection of events and personalities. All too often they give the same explanations, while adding a Bible verse, or a spiritual slant to the final paragraph of what otherwise mirrors the same distortion of history that the government schools are giving.
 
How Can We Discern What is True?
This led to the next question of: "How can we know what is true?" That has been a life-long concern and adventure for me. My first History teacher in High School in Rhodesia, Mr Rees-Davies, warned us: "Beware the victor's version!" Mr Rees-Davies was a Member of Parliament in Rhodesia, at a time when parliamentarians were not paid a salary, but were normal working people who did their service to their country, while continuing in normal careers. Mr Rees-Davies pointed out that, during wartime governments set up propaganda departments who lie to cover up their own failings and slander the enemy in order to motivate their people to sacrifice and serve the cause. Afterwards, wartime propaganda tends to morph into peacetime textbooks.
 
Always Ask Why?
Time and again our history teacher warned us not to accept the official version, not to take textbooks for granted. Always ask the question: "Why?" Double-check your sources. Research. Investigate evidence. Identify trustworthy sources. Crosscheck references. Where is the hard physical evidence? Have forensics been done? Do the numbers add up? What is the fruit?
 
Travel Can Broaden Minds
As I began travelling across borders as a Missionary, my understanding of the world and of history had to change dramatically. Christian friends in Eastern Europe challenged my understanding of world history. Katyn 1940, Yalta, Operation Keelhaul, the betrayal of 100 million Christians in 15 nations behind the Iron Curtain to Stalin's Soviet Union in 1945 and much more. As I smuggled behind the Iron Curtain, worked in the killing fields of Mozambique, Angola and Rwanda and ministered in war-torn Sudan, I documented history in the making.
 
Learning from History Makers
By God's grace, I have had the opportunity of learning first-hand from Ian Smith, who was Prime Minister in Rhodesia for 14 years, Ian Paisley of Northern Ireland, General Constant Viljoen, Colonel Jan Breytenbach, General Ben Partin. (USAF), Brother Andrew, George Verwer, Rev. Bill Bathman, Rev. Erlo Stegen, Professor Fritz Haus, Francis Grim, Dr. James Kennedy, Dr. R.C. Sproul and many others. From research, travel, investigation and first-hand eyewitness testimony from reliable witnesses, I have learned to never trust Hollywood and the politicisation of history.
 
The Need for a Christian History Book on South Africa
For many years I have been asked to produce a History book on South Africa. Those who have heard my presentations at the Reformation Society, or at Reformation events and Biblical Worldview Seminars, have encouraged me to put these presentations into writing and have them published as a book that can inform, inspire and empower both teachers and students.
 
Marxist Hijacking of History
It was Karl Marx who declared that the first battlefield is the re-writing of history! Marx's comrades have certainly been very busy with distortion, disinformation, indoctrination and propaganda. Most of the news media, entertainment industry and educational institutions are less than useless when it comes to understanding the times and knowing what really happened and why. There is a pervasive hostility to Christianity growing throughout the Western world.
 
Break Free from Deception
In order to liberate our thinking from current fashions and propaganda and to recognise potential potholes and traps, we will find immeasurable insights and practical help by studying the people, events and issues that shaped the past and affect our present situations. Forewarned is forearmed.
 
Discover Your Roots
The longer you look back, the further you can look forward. A tall building needs deep foundations and a tall tree needs a deep and intricate root system. In order to understand who we are, we need to understand where we came from, to understand the events and issues of the past that correspond with our challenges today.
 
History is a Battlefield
Today historic monuments are being targeted for destruction by volatile mobs stirred up by Marxist revolutionary agitation. Deception leads to bondage and terrible destruction. The Ministry of Education in South Africa reports that the Rhodes Must Fall movement caused over R300 Million worth of damage, just on university campuses in one year alone. Everything has consequences. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
 
Rediscovering our Heritage
The chapters in the Sketches from South African History book (208-page book with 185 pictures and maps) have been developed over many years of travel, research, investigation, presentations and interactions with key-players in our country's history. It is now also available in Afrikaans, with three new chapters by Cuan Elgin and Stephen Mitford Goodson added: Sketse Uit Die Suid-Afrikaanse Geskiedenis (216 bladsye met 228-prente en kaarte). There is also an accompanying South African History Audio and Data MP3 Boxset (includes 20 audio lectures, 15 PowerPoint presentations and PDF versions of this book, in both English and Afrikaans).
 
Examples of Excellence
May the examples of excellence and illustrations of man's depravity and rebellion against God and God's mercy, grace and sovereignty intervening in the course of human events recorded in this book, be an inspiration and practical help to you as you seek to work for a better future. "Now all these things happened to them as examples and they were written for our admonition..." 1 Corinthians 10:11
 
Click here to purchase Sketches from South African History online, as an E-Book.
 
Hardcopies of Sketches from South African History, Sketse Uit Die Suid-Afrikaanse Geskiedenis and The South African History Audio and Data MP3 Boxset are available from Christian Liberty Books, PO Box 358, Howard Place 7450, Cape Town, South Africa, Tel: 021-689-7478, Fax: 086-551-7490, Email: admin@christianlibertybooks.co.za and Website: www.christianlibertybooks.co.za.
 
Dr. Peter Hammond
Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
Email: mission@frontline.org.za
Website: www.frontlinemissionsa.org

Other Frontline History related E-books, include:
The Greatest Century of Missions
The Greatest Century of Reformation
Victorious Christians - Who Changed the World
A Christian History of Africa
Church History Manual
Faith Under Fire in Sudan
 
Other Frontline E-Books include:
Biblical Faith and Modern Counterfeits
Practical Discipleship – Bold and Biblical Faith in Action
The Power of Prayer Handbook
Reforming Our Families
The Apostles Creed – Firm Foundations for Your Faith
The Ten Commandments - God's Perfect Law of Liberty
Biblical Principles for Africa
Bybelse Beginsels vir Afrika
Discipleship Handbook - Making Disciples, Teaching Obedience
Slavery, Terrorism and Islam – Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat
The Authority of Christ and the First Day Sabbath
Character Assassins - Dealing With Ecclesiastical Tyrants and Terrorists
Putting Feet To Your Faith
Going Through – Even If the Door is Closed
Going On – with A Nod From God
South Africa – Renaissance or Reformation?
Livingstone 200 Missions Manual
​

Fight the Good Fight of Faith
It is absolutely vital that Christians are informed and informing, educated and enlisted, motivated and mobilised to action. We need to be informed: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” We need to be interceding: “Praying always with thanksgiving.” We need to be involved, we need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We need to be making disciples of all nations, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded.

Could you not do Something More for God?
Could you start a Bible Study and Prayer group in your school, home, workplace or community? “… what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

We need to reclaim surrendered ground, expose the fruitless deeds of darkness.

Submit to God. Resist the devil.

Fight the good fight of Faith. Stand up for Jesus.

Step out in Faith. Speak out boldly and Biblically.

Dr. Peter Hammond
www.FrontlineMissionSA.org

By God’s Grace, Abrie and I returned safely after completing Missions to Lesotho, Swaziland and throughout South Africa. Driving over 10 260km, altogether we gave 66 presentations, Bible Studies, sermons or devotions. 

​​In South Africa, we gave a Traffick Proof presentation at three schools, a Fight the New Drug presentation at two schools, a Bible College and two mid-week meetings, gave Reformation Challenges and Mission Reports at 4 churches and a school, ministered at an Old Age Home, a Drug Rehab in a prison, and at an Evangelists’ meeting. Abrie preached at two Sunday Services in South Africa.

Religious Freedom in Schools
We praise God for the freedom and resources to preach the Gospel in schools in Lesotho, Swaziland, and in South Africa. Considering that religious freedom in South Africa is under serious threat (see articles on www.christianaction.org.za ), we should take advantage of these open doors whilst we still have them. Our friends in America and Europe do not enjoy this same religious freedom in schools. Government-run Christian Afrikaans schools are particularly being targeted by militant atheists. Please pray for religious freedom to prevail in the OGOD vs Laerskool Randhart & Others (6 schools) case to be heard from 15-17 May in the Johannesburg High Court. Pray for FORSA as they assist other organisations acting as a Friend of the Court.

We gave presentations at four schools in Mseleni (Northern KwaZulu Natal) and distributed World Missionary Press Gospel booklets to each learner. At one school, I gave a Fight the New Drug presentation to a class, gathered outside, under a tree. The learners asked many questions about sexual sin.

At a school in Pretoria, I gave the Traffick Proof presentation to each grade in a row, sharing the Gospel each time. The teacher who had invited us, thanked us and said we are welcome to come back the next time we are in the area.

Enthusiastic Evangelists
Evangelists from Africa Youth Evangelism have been preaching the Gospel in schools for more than 50 years. We encouraged these Evangelists at their weekly prayer meeting and donated Bibles and books to them. One of their founders – Joseph Chauke, has been preaching the Gospel in schools since 1966 and despite being in his 80s, is still going strong!

Practical Theology
It was also wonderful to do ministry with our friend, Harm, in the Pretoria area. Harm attended our Great Commission Camp in January and is one of the most enthusiastic evangelists I have ever met. He invited Abrie to minister at a weekly Bible Study, which he started, and teaches at the Drug Rehab in Zonderwater Prison. Harm told us that the many interesting questions he gets from inmates each week fuels his desire to pay attention in lectures and to study the Bible for answers. Every Bible College student should be involved in weekly evangelistic ministry to turn their academic knowledge into practical Theology! We have sent up dozens of boxes of tracts, Bibles and books to Harm which he has enthusiastically distributed in prisons and on cross-border missions. Harm ensures that every inmate leaving the Drug Rehab, if they want one, receives a Bible.

Harm also organised for us to share evangelism testimonies and give the Fight the New Drug presentation at a gathering of 20 friends and family at his home, and at a young adults Bible Study at his church.

Missionary Doctors Make a Difference
We were invited by a Christian Action supporter and wife of a Missionary doctor to give a presentation on Operation Nehemiah at a Sunday Service in rural NorthernKwaZulu Natal.Dr Kobus Viljoen and SIM missionaries, Dr Victor and Rachel Fredlund’s hard work and dedication enabled Mseleni Hospital to win an award for the best run government hospital in the country! More importantly, they have refused to perform abortions at their hospital, but this has not been without spiritual warfare. Dr Victor Fredlund has faced court battles for alleged mis-management! Please pray that God would strengthen and encourage them during these on-going court cases.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:26

Thank you!
Thank you for all your prayers and support. May God continue to bless and guide you in His perfect will.

Taryn Lourens
Africa Christian Action ​

​“The kingdomsof this world have become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Revelation 11:15

Geography
Swaziland was isolated for many years from any contact with western civilization due to its geography. It lies nearly 1,600km (1,000 miles) from the coast of the Cape of Good Hope, and inland beyond a shield of mountains called the Lubombo Range. It is bordered by Mozambique to its north-east and South Africa to its north, west and south. It is a small country, with a surface area of 17,364 km2 and a population of about one million people.

Political Control
The Kingdom of Swaziland was established in the early-18th century. The present boundaries were drawn up in 1881.After the Anglo-Boer War, Swaziland was a British protectorate until 1967. It gained its independence in 1968. Whilst Swaziland is generally quiet and peaceful, due to it being a country with only one ethno-linguistic group, student and labour protests in the 1990’s pressured the king to introduce reforms. Today King Mswati III is Africa's last absolute monarch in the sense that he has the power to choose the prime minister, other top government posts and top traditional posts. In 2004, Mswati promulgated a new constitution that allows freedom of speech and assembly for the media and public, while retaining the traditional Tinkhundla(constituency) system. The king is deeply respected by the people, although he has been criticized by some for his lavish lifestyle.

Religion
Mswati is apparently very positive towards Christianity, even holding his own Easter Conferences at which he preaches! Also, about two weeks before we arrived in Swaziland, he had passed a law stating that Christianity is the only religion that may be taught in schools. The Gospel is preached openly in schools, prisons and on national radio. Whilst these are positive moves, Swaziland is still steeped in Animism, such as animal sacrifices to appease the ancestors. Polygamy is common, with King Mswati himself having 13 wives.

Missions History
Sometime in the mid-1830’s, King Sobhuza I heard that many of the great chiefs of neighbouring territories had Christian missionaries residing and working among them and it is reported that being spurred by a dream, in 1838 he sent a delegation to Basutoland to seek a missionary who would come to live in his royal household and give his son Mswati an education.

The following is an extensive quotation from 150 Years of Mission Churches in Swaziland, 1844 -1994, by Marjorie Froise, Master of Theology thesis, UNISA, 1996: 

King Sobhuzal's dream and the requests to Wesleyan Missionaries
King Sobhuza’s dream played a significant role in the history of Missions in Swaziland. Sobhuza saw men carrying round pieces of metal (probably coins) and a scroll. In his dream, he was told to choose the scroll. Before his death in 1839, Sobhuza is recorded as having addressed his counsellors, "Seek a white man (teacher) for my son; he will preserve him and the nation" (Jones, 1993, p.182). Several delegations were eventually sent, but it was not until after the death of Sobhuza, that the call was responded to by Wesleyan Missionaries, James Allison and Richard Giddy.

This dream of Sobhuza held a further message for the Swazi people. To Sobhuza, it was a warning from the ancestors never to fight the white people and this played a role in Swazi relationships with Europeans through the years (Scutt, 1966, p.18).

First Missionaries to the Swazi
James Allison, the son of 1820 settlers in South Africa, became a teacher, then lay-preacher and later a pioneer missionary in the Wesleyan Church. Allison, accompanied by Richard Giddy and Sotho evangelists responded to SobhuzaI's call and arrived in Swaziland in June 1844. They were met and escorted to the residence of the regent who had oversight of the country until Mswati II, Sobhuza’s young son, was old enough to take control. The welcome was warm. The speeches that were made gave some indication of the expectations of the people. Allison's diary, records the speech made by the Queen Mother: "The teachers have at length arrived in the midst of us. Our enemies have long oppressed us. The teachers are our only hope. Through them we may be preserved from destruction."

First Fruit
The king may have been looking for more than education or religious instruction, but rather that the missionaries would act as a buffer between them and their enemies, particularly the Zulus. They were allotted land in the south and the position of the site given to the mission, strategically placed between the royal court and a troublesome Zulu tribe. In their enthusiasm to present the Gospel message Allison and Giddy may not have fully understood this implication. They stayed long enough to build a house and chapel and plant fruit trees before returning south. They left two Sotho evangelists, Job Nkambule and Barnabus Mthembu to commence the work in Swaziland.

Rapid Growth
Allison and Giddy returned to their mission station and Allison made formal representation to his Mission to consider commencing a work in Swaziland. While awaiting his Mission's response he began learning Siswati and translated the First Catechism with the assistance of two Swazi men who had accompanied him home. A year later, in July 1845, Allison returned to Swaziland with a party of thirty.He developed the base at Mahamba, the site allocated him by the royal household.Mission stations were established in new areas and the teachers, who had accompaniedAllison, began the task of establishing the new ministries. The work advanced rapidly.

Swazi’s Turn to Christ
Allison's congregation at Mahamba grew to between five and six hundred, including those from surrounding villages. Requests were received from chiefs across the country for teachers to be sent to them. The records of achievement over the two years of Wesleyan work in Swaziland showed remarkable growth. Four chapels and six preaching stations were established, recording twenty-six accredited church members and a further forty-one on-trial members. Allison, together with ten catechists, was planting churches and ministering to the people. During the second year of ministry in Swaziland an estimated 12,000 attended church services.

Trouble brewing
This period of rapid expansion and growth in the church was taking place at a politically turbulent time. Mswati II, the newly installed young king, turned against Malambule, who fled before him to take refuge at Allison's mission station. Allison refused to take sides and attempted in vain to mediate. A force of about 1,200 of Mswati's warriors, supported by Ohrigstad (Lydenburg) Boer Commandos, arrived at the Mission station during a Sunday morning service attended by some 700 - 800 people. A carnage took place leaving between fifty and sixty people dead, including women and children. Mswati demanded the surrender of the wounded, all the women and children and also a woman who had stated that 'God was greater than Mswati'. It was clearly believed by Mswati and his councillors that Allison had interfered in internal politics and this incident was referred to many times in years to come as the church sought to advance.

The Exodus
Allison surveyed the damage caused by this incident. The area around the main Mahamba mission station was depopulated for thirty miles, while an outstation was burnt to the ground, killing twelve people who had taken refuge. On the 17 September 1846, Allison reached a decision to move to Zulu territory and, together with about 1,000 people, he arrived at one of the outstations. Two months later Allison reached Pietermaritzburg accompanied by about 200 people.

A Closed Door for Christian Witness
The door to any religious activity was effectively closed with the withdrawal of Allison and his party. Mswati perceived the missionaries had meddled in politics, but he also resented the fact that Allison had fled with his subjects. Furthermore, the missionaries had created a Christian counter-culture that challenged and undermined Mswati's supremacy and the existing social structure. Allegiance was being paid to the missionaries and Christian teachers rather than Mswati. His indiscriminate killing was challenged, and traditions such as polygamy, levirate marriages, and dress codes were opposed.

Missionaries Return
It was only after the accession of the new king, Mbandzeni, in 1875 that Missions were allowed to commence ministries in Swaziland. From then onwards, the Wesleyans returned (including Daniel Msimang, one of the Swazis who had fled with Allison to Natal as a boy). Missionaries from the Berlin Mission Society began work there and also Anglicans established churches throughout the nation.

​Ministry in Swaziland - Radio Recordings
Driving through the town of Manzini, we noticed that there was a radio recording studio at the Christian Media Centre. They gave us the opportunity to record fourteen 5 minute devotionals, seven of which will be aired as prologues (which open the broadcasts for the day) and the other seven as epilogues (these end the broadcasts for the day). These will hopefully be aired on the one of the national radio channels. In the prologues we worked through the Seven C’s of History and in the epilogues we worked through Reformation 500 and its Relevance for Us Today and the Five Solas of the Reformation.

Highest HIV Prevalence in the World
Swaziland officially has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS (in terms of the percentage of the population of their country) of any country in the whole world. Some of the reasons that have been suggested for high HIV statistics throughout Southern Africa are: polygamy undermines the Christian principle of the sanctity of marriage; urbanisation has destroyed much of the traditional, cultural restrictions on sexual immorality (e.g. virginity testing); the flood of immoral media from the West; and poverty combined with the strong pull of materialism has led to what is sometimes called the ‘sugar daddy’ syndrome, where women may have several boyfriends who give them money (for e.g. airtime) in exchange for sexual favours. Add to these practical factors the fact that Christians have preached a watered-down Gospel and have failed to disciple their congregations in a comprehensive Biblical Worldview and you have a recipe for rampant sexual immorality.

Teaching at Orphan Student Centres
There are roughly 100,000 orphans in Swaziland, with the vast majority of them having lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. Our only initial contact in Swaziland was the Founder and Director of the Swazi Orphan Teaching Foundation. He invited us to teach for two days at two of these centres. The Swazi Orphan Foundation has five student centres across Swaziland to which children who cannot afford school fees, or who have dropped out of school for various reasons (e.g. pregnancy), can receive some educational input from volunteer teachers. We conducted two days of teaching at two centres. Topics included: The Seven C’s of History, The Gospel, The Greatest Man Whoever Lived and How to Study the Bible. Each student received a Gospel of John and Romans booklet and several other Gospel or Bible teaching leaflets produced by Frontline Fellowship. We donated English Bibles, books and audio-visual materials to each centre’s library.

Swazivision
We met a Dutch missionary at the KwaSizabantu Ministers Conference, who is the founder of Swazivision. Swazivision arranged for 15 Swazi pastors to attend the Ministers Conference. The pastors said they were deeply challenged by their visit to the Mission and one of them commented: “We have never seen anything like this before!” This missionary graciously allowed us to stay in his guesthouse during our time in Swaziland and arranged for Abrie to preach at the Sunday Service of the congregation he is a member of in Big Bend. In addition to their prison and AIDS orphans’ ministry, Swazivision convenes Leadership Conferences for pastors, managers in the tourism industry and other leaders in society. We donated a box of Bibles and other Gospel literature to them for their work.

KwaSizabantu Schulzendal’s Ministers Conferences for Siswati Pastors
The KwaSizabantu Mission station near Malelane and close to the Jeppe’s Reef border of Swaziland, annually holds Ministers’ Conferences, with many pastors from Swaziland attending. They also arranged for 25 pastors from Swaziland to attend the Ministers Conference in KwaZulu Natal this year, 6-8 March. Frontline Fellowship has previously donated Bibles and books for pastors attending these Ministers’ Conferences. Co-workers of KwaSizabantu Schulzendal minister regularly in Swaziland. King Mswati has even requested a meeting with them and has offered them land to build a Mission station in Swaziland.

Future Leadership Training in Swaziland
God willing, in co-operation with Swazivision and KwaSizabantu Mission, we plan to organise a pastors’ conference in Swaziland later this year, where we can train pastors in Biblical Evangelism and Expository Preaching.

Pray for Swaziland
Pray that pastors would boldly preach against sexual immorality and call people to repentance and Faith in Christ. Pray that they would teach on Biblical purity and principles for strong marriages, so that the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland could be eradicated. Pray that bondage to ancestral spirits would be broken. Pray that the Kingdom of God would come in the hearts and minds of the Siswati people in such a way that it would flow out from their hearts to transform the Kingdom of Swaziland, to the Glory of God.

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Abrie and Taryn Lourens
Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
Email: mission@frontline.org.za

​“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him who brings Good News, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”Isaiah 52:7

Upon the Mountains
Lesotho is sometimes referred to as the ‘kingdom in the sky’ as it is a country ruled by a monarchy, situated mostly in a mountainous region with the Drakensberg mountains in the East and the Orange Free State province on its Northern and Western borders. Lesotho is completely enclosed by South Africa. Formed as a British protectorate in 1843, Lesotho was granted independence in 1966.

​Economy
Small cement-brick houses dot the hills and the valleys, with some villages, high in the mountains, only accessible by hiking, or by Basutho pony-trekking. There is virtually no commercial farming, with most families growing maize just for themselves and owning a few cattle or sheep. Only 17% of Basuthos have any form of employment.

Missions History
The first Protestant Missionaries to arrive in 1833 were French Missionaries from the Paris Evangelical Mission Society, which had close connections with the London Mission Society. Missionaries started the first church, school and hospital in Lesotho. Initially Thomas Arbousset, Eugene Casalis and Constant Gosselin planned to go to what is now Botswana, but later changed their plans when they heard from some Griqua that King Moshoeshoe was requesting Missionaries to stay in the area (the King may have believed that he could obtain firearms from them to protect the Basutho against the Kora – an Afrikaans speaking people of mixed descent). The Sesotho translation of the Bible was completed in 1879 by Adolphe Mabille, the son-in-law of Eugene Casalis. Catholic missionaries arrived 30 years later in Lesotho. Today, according to Operation World, 48 percent of the population professes to be Catholic. The original church building is still standing and is still in use as part of the Lesotho Evangelical Church denomination. The LEC is the largest Protestant denomination in Lesotho. 

Morija Theological Seminary
In 1890, Morija Theological Seminary was started. Today, the seminary sadly has only 30 students and 10 lecturers. We met with the Principal of the Seminary and donated books to the Principal and for their library.

​Ministry in Van Rooyens Village
With the permission of the village Chief, Abrie gave an unplanned open-air Gospel sermon on Eli's Sin and the Responsibility of Parents, after a village meeting that was held to discuss what to do with some children who were disrespecting adults. We screened the Jesus Film in Sesotho to about 150 people.We also spoke at two schools in the area. One of the schools is a Christian school that houses, feeds and educates about 150 AIDS orphans in tin shacks on the property. We were impressed to learn that each learner must help in the vegetable gardens or with the pigs, and is examined on their farming knowledge!

‘Church’ Disrupts Ministry and Steals Bibles
Sadly, it seems as if the ‘Health, Wealth, Prosperity’ false teachers are dominant in this village. After an evening service that Abrie was invited to preach at, our host then called people forward for healing and deliverance, undermining the Gospel message Abrie had just proclaimed. During the JesusFilm screening, this ‘church’ held a ‘service’, with their loud singing and shouting distracting those trying to watch the Jesus film. Also, we had temporarily offloaded some of our boxes of literature in this building and awoke the next morning to find that 16 Global Study Bibles had been stolen! 

Stuck in the Mud on the Way to Church
Lesotho officially had been having rain almost every day for about 4 weeks, leaving all dirt roads (that is all roads except for highways) muddy. Our 2 x 4 bakkie got stuck in the mud on the way to our Sunday morning service. Thankfully, another bakkie was able to pull us out after Abrie did some digging.

The Glorious Gospel
Lesotho has the second highest prevalence of HIV/AIDs of any country in the world. Life Skills programmes at schools and billboards promoting condoms, can only put a Band-Aid over the cancerous problem. In all our presentations we emphasized theglorious Gospel – that when God saves a person, He gives them a new heart, with new desires. God puts His Spirit in us and enables us to obey His Commands.

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My Statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."Ezekiel 36:25-27

Go Tell it On the Mountains
Then it was off to theAfrica 4 Jesus Mission, about 14km from Mafeteng, in a valley in the mountains. Our bakkie wound up a bumpy dirt road to a pass, at 2000 feet above sea level, and then had to wind down again into a valley. Missionaries from South Africa, living permanently at this base, run a Discipleship School, where young people who have finished school can study the Bible and help with outreaches in the villages. The Africa 4 Jesus Discipleship School students from Kimberley also visit the Lesotho Mission once a year to help with the pre-school, farming projects, building projects and outreaches. We ran an Evangelism Seminar with the students, teaching them the Ten Commandments with actions, to teach about sin. The Law shows us how sinful we are and how desperately we need Jesus Christ to save us. Then we explained the Good News of the Cross and God's promise to take out our hard heart and give us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:25-27). "Therefore, the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by Faith." Galatians 3:24. We also accompanied the students for their weekly Bible Study in the nearby village. The Missionaries believe these local Bible Study groups are the most effective for discipleship as they are more accessible to the villagers. People are more open to asking questions than at a formal Sunday service.

Jesus is The Good Shepherd
Africa4Jesus was given land for their school by the local chief on condition that they help the local Herd Boys and Men. Herd Boys are considered to be the outcasts in Lesotho. Boys who are orphans, or whose parents cannot afford to send them to school, are given the job of looking after another family’s cattle or sheep. Many Herd Boys wear a balaclava to hide their identity. Most feel too ashamed to come to a Sunday Service. However, Africa 4 Jesus says several attend their all night prayer services held once a month. The villagers also prefer these meetings to last the whole night, because they are afraid of evil spirits if they walk home in the dark. Africa 4 Jesus plans to start a Night School to help the boys and men to learn how to read and write. It struck me that shepherds in the first century, were also considered the outcasts of society. By Jesus calling Himself the “Good Shepherd”, whose sheep “hear His Voice”, He identified Himself with those rejected by men, as well as of course providing analogies that rural people could understand.

Witchdoctors or Pastors?
The Reformed Zambian pastor, Conrad Mbewe, in his sermon, “Are We Preachers or Witchdoctors?” makes the observation that ‘health, wealth and prosperity’ false ‘churches’ are fast becoming the normal face of ‘Evangelical Christianity’ in most parts of Southern Africa. After our encounter with such a ‘church’ in Van Rooyens Gate, we saw many other posters advertising ‘healing crusades’ all over Lesotho. Indeed, many of these so-called ‘men of God’ are nothing more than a witchdoctor with a Christian name. They are seen to have special power and special knowledge. In Missions in Africa, it therefore essential to deal with The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture, “What is the Gospel?” What the Bible says about suffering and the different causes of sickness, as well as the Duty of Discernment. We emphasized the importance of testing everything the so-called ‘man of God’ says against the Standard of God’s infallible, unchanging Word, the Bible. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Mount Moroosi
We drove three hours to get to Mount Moroosi for a Great Commission Seminar for 31 pastors. Abrie gave presentations on Why Are We Here? (Genesis 1-3), the Duty of Discernment and the Hurt of Healing. Even though he was gently rebuking the unbiblical practices that most of those pastors were probably involved in, the host pastor still thanked us for our presentations, saying “this is what we need”.

Butha Buthe
Our next stop was an old Baptist Mission, near the town of Butha Buthe. Abrie taught a Bible Study lesson on Genesis 1-3 during the midday Prayer Meeting and then also taught at an evening service on Why and How We Should Study the Bible.

Leribe
Our last location and meeting was an Evangelism Seminar for pastors in Leribe. The pastors appreciated our teaching and book donations.

Pray for Lesotho
Please pray that the Gospel seed sown and that the Biblical teaching given will transform hearts and minds in Lesotho. Pray for Missionaries in Lesotho that they will continue to persevere despite the challenges of living in rural areas, still steeped in Animism. May more workers be sent to “go, tell it on the mountains, that Jesus Christ is Lord!”

“Proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvellous deeds among the peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. He is to be feared above all.”1 Chronicles 16: 23-25

Taryn Lourens
Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
Email: mission@frontline.org.za

​"'…Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

Reformation to the Remotest Regions
2017 is Reformation 500. 31 October 2017, will mark the 500th anniversary of Professor Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses on the church door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) in Wittenberg. This is by far the most significant spiritual anniversary that will take place in our life time. Reformation 500 provides us with an inspiring historic milestone to inspire, inform and involve our families, congregations, communities and countries, in rediscovering the foundational Biblical doctrines which: revived worship, renewed prayer, revitalised families, restored Biblical economics, re-established Christian schools, reformed society, removed idols and restricted government to Biblical limits.

​Eurochor in Cape Town
In less than six weeks we will be welcoming the Eurochor in Cape Town. The Eurochor is unique in every way. With over 150 members drawn from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Romania, this youth choir is affiliated to KwaSizabantu Mission, and has thrilled audiences throughout the world with multilingual, varied, colourful and captivating concerts. We have been given the privilege of hosting the Eurochor and have organised a series of events, including an opportunity for the Eurochor to sing at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Amphitheatre in Cape Town, Saturday, 29 October, 3pm; participate in the Reformation Sunday service at Strand Street Lutheran Church in Cape Town, Sunday, 30 October, 10am and on Reformation Day, to be a vital part of the Reformation Day Celebration service at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek. Thereafter they will present a concert at the NGK (Dutch Reformed Church) in Franschhoek, Monday, 31 October at 3:30pm. "Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing Psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy Name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore! Remember His marvellous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth."
1 Chronicles 16:8-12

Reformation 500 FIRE
On 31 October 2012, we launched the Reformation 500 FIRE (Fellowship for International Revival and Evangelism) initiative at the Reformation Day Celebration services at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek. This included publishing The 95 Theses for Reformation Todayand The Coalition on Revival Reformation 500 FIRE Manual, which includes: The 42 Essential Articles of a Christian Worldview, A Manifesto for the Christian Church, 25 Articles on the Kingdom of God, 7 Essential Actions Local Churches Must Take, the Authority of Scripture, as well as other vital documents produced over the last 40 years, by the Coalition on Revival, in order to lay firm foundations for Biblical Reformation and spiritual Revival in our congregations, communities, countries and continents.

Reformation Africa
Since then Frontline Fellowship Mission teams have widely distributed these publications throughout Africa and conducted Reformation FIRE Conferences and Seminars in Zambia, Malawi, the Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan.

Resources for Reformation
Since the launch of the Reformation Society, in 2005, we have produced a series of books to inform, inspire and involve a new generation of Reformed Christians, to make a vital difference in their congregations and communities, including: The Greatest Century of Reformation, The Power of Prayer Handbook, Reforming our FamiliesandVictorious Christians - Who Changed the World. In addition, other vital discipleship resources, such as: Practical Discipleship, Putting Feet To Your Faith, Biblical Principles for Africa (also available in Afrikaans and French), Discipleship Training Manual, and The Firm Foundations for Your Faith series, including The Apostles Creed, The Authority of Christ and the First Day SabbathandBiblical Faith and Modern Counterfeits, have also been produced. A series of audio visual resources, MP3s and audio data boxsets for Understanding History and Reformation and Revival, have also been produced. Our Literature4Africa ministry has distributed an average of 180 tonnes of Bibles, books, New Testaments, Gospels and Sunday school materials, each year, completely free. "So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

​Africa Overland Missions - Field Workers for Reformation
In order to sow the Gospel seed and lay foundations for Biblical Reformation and spiritual Revival, Frontline Fellowship has sent out a series of Africa Overland Missions, including the Livingstone 200 in 2013. Now we are planning and preparing to send out an Africa Reformation Overland Mission to conduct Evangelism and Soul Winning Seminars, Discipleship Seminars, Great Commission Seminars, Biblical Worldview Seminars and Reformation 500 FIRE Seminars. As Professor John Wycliffe sent out the Lollards to preach and sing the Scriptures and to distribute copies of the Gospels throughout England, so we need Field Workers of the Reformation to establish Revival Prayer Meetings, Bible Studies, Reformation Societies and Christian Action Groups throughout Africa. "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

Transforming Nations by Changing Lives
Our Mission is working at completely revising, updating and expanding our Chaplains Handbooks, Biblical Preaching Handbooks and Digital Libraries in order to educate, energise, equip and empower pastors, teachers, chaplains, Evangelists and missionaries throughout Africa, to inform, inspire, involve and impact their congregations and communities for Christ.

Firm Foundations for our Faith
The Coalition on Revival (COR) documents reprinted in the Reformation 500 FIRE Manual, includes the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978), 42 Articles of the Essentials of a Christian Worldview and the 17 Sphere documents, Manifesto for the Christian Church, Articles of Affirmation and Denial on the Kingdom of God and other vital resources, which give a clear, Biblical response to the many challenges and threats confronting the Church today.

Mobilise for Reformation
It is our vision to mobilise the Christian Action Network members throughout Africa to organise regional seminars and conferences, where we can educate, equip and energise leaders to motivate and mobilise their people to inform, inspire, involve and impact their congregations, colleges and communities throughout the country. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16

Weapons for Spiritual Warfare
Along with the Doctrinal, Discipleship, Evangelistic and History textbooks, which our teams will seek to donate to colleges, schools, ministries and ministers, our Comms office is devising up-to-date Digital Libraries, on discs, USB flash drives and SD cards, to equip and empower principals and pastors, educators and Evangelists, chaplains and councillors, missionaries and ministry leaders, throughout the continent. In addition to the printed and Digital Libraries being delivered and distributed by our teams in the field, we already have over 300 sermons and lectures uploaded on our SemonAudio.com page, over 160 PowerPoints on our Slideshare, and many hundreds of articles on the 17 websites we have established, including www.ReformationSA.org, www.Reform500.org, www.frontline.org.za, www.christianaction.org.za, www.gospeldefenceleague.org, www.williamcareybi.com and www.livingstonefellowship.co.za. 

Libraries for Pastors
Various authors have donated books and Study Bibles for us to entrust to suitable pastors and teachers. Dr. R. C. Sproul of St. Andrews, has donated a large number of Reformation Study Bibles, which we have already carefully, prayerfully and strategically distributed far and wide, as far as South Sudan. We will be praying for authors, publishers and film producers to grant us the permission to upload films, books and study notes on SD cards and USB flash drives for Digital Libraries to be strategically delivered to those in Restricted Access Countries and to Unreached People Groups.

Great Commission Course
To select, orientate and train many of the Field Workers needed to assist our Missionaries on this Reformation 500 initiative throughout Africa, Frontline Fellowship will be conducting the Great Commission Course (30 December 2016 - 18 January 2017), near Cape Town. If you are interested in being involved, on the ground, with Film Evangelism, Literature Evangelism, transport, teaching, technical support, or any other aspect of this continent-wide Reformation 500 movement, please contact us admin@frontline.org.za and plan to participate in the upcoming GCC.

How Can You Help?
This movement needs manpower, material, money and much prayer. We already have a number of teams who are trained, experienced and eager. However, we need more co-workers, support staff and National Co-ordinators to maximise impact and expand this movement. Our Mission has produced many of the materials needed, but we need far more from other specialist ministries, such as Answers in Genesis, Way of the Master, Evangelism Explosion, World Missionary Press, and others. 

What resources can you contribute to the Reformation 500 FIRE movement throughout Africa? Please contact us to arrange how we can put you in touch with ministries that are shipping containers of Bibles, books and Sunday school materials to our ministry. They will be able to include boxes, or even pallets, from your ministry. If you have produced films or documentaries, such as, Polycarp, Indoctrination and Agenda 2 and would be willing to grant us permission to upload these onto SD cards and USB flash drives for Digital Libraries to equip trusted Christian leaders in Restricted Access Areas, we would be most grateful.

Do you have contacts in any African countries that you would like us to visit, equip, train, or deliver resources to? Contact info@christianaction.org.za for us to follow up on contacts you would like included in this Mission. We are also trusting the Lord for the financial resources needed for the diesel, travel costs and equipment needed to complete these series of Missions in the next year.

Be Thou My Vision
We need a positive and practical vision from the Word of God for our personal lives, for our families, for our churches, for our communities, for our nations and for the world. "Where there is no vision, the people perish…" Proverbs 29:18

The vision of the Africa Reformation Overland Mission is to equip and empower God's servants, to build upon Luther's legacy, to follow in Livingstone's steps and continue William Wilberforce's war against slavery, to fight the good fight of Faith, to make disciples, teaching obedience in all things that the Lord has commanded. The aim of this Mission is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, throughout Africa, working for Reformation in the remotest regions.

Strategic Impact
The Africa Reformation Overland Mission is being designed to carefully, prayerfully and strategically engage and Evangelise the largest number of people, on the ground, with personal instruction and equipping and empowering them with the very best resources, to enable them to establish and expand God's Kingdom in their communities. This will involve a concentration of forces, focus in prayer, with the printed page, with the most up-to-date technology, visiting, supporting and supplying some of the most desperately needy Christians, including in Restricted Access Areas and in some of the most neglected regions amongst Unreached People Groups. 

Back to the Bible
The Coalition on Revival study documents will help provide focus and foundation for congregations and colleges, to resist the corrupting influences of secularism and call congregations and communities back to the Bible, as God's infallible, inerrant and irresistible Word.

Back to the Bible for Reformation and Revival
The Reformation 500 FIRE movement will focus on the three R's: Redemption, Reformation and Revival. Redemption and Revival are God's sovereign work. We need regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is by the grace of God alone, received by Faith alone, on the basis of Christ's Blood Atonement on the Cross of Calvary alone. Scripture alone is our ultimate authority and everything is to be done to the glory of God alone. Evangelism is our first step, education is the next. But the goal is empowermentby God's Holy Spirit. Through faithful preaching of God's Word and patient teaching on how to apply the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life, our Missionaries will seek to inspire a hunger and thirst for God's righteousness and energise God's people to steadfastly seek God's face for Heaven-sent Revival. "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" Psalm 85:6

Do You Share This Vision?
As we approach this year's Reformation Day and the launch of the one-year countdown to the momentous Reformation 500: 31 October 2017. Will you join us in fervent prayer andenergetic strategic action to fulfil the Great Commission, making disciples, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded, seeking first His Kingdom, loving the Lord our God will all of our heart, soul, mind and strength? 

"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the Kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations." Psalm 22:27-28

May God enable us to be faithful to His Word and effective in His service. May we be brave and bold for God.

Yours for Reformation and Revival

Dr. Peter Hammond

Reformation Society
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
Email:  mission@frontline.org.za
Website: www.ReformationSA.org

​Dear Friends and Intercessors
 
We greet you in the precious Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We have reached our half year mark and we confidently say, "Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever." Psalm.106:1.
 
We have received a total of 7 container shipments of Christian materials from both Edwin L. Hodges and Eagles Nest Ministries since January 2016. We, at Literature4Africa and Frontline Fellowship, would like to express our gratitude to the teams at Eagles Nest and Edwin L. Hodges for their continuous support by sending us Christian Materials and Bibles. With these materials, we are able to support the needs of many ministries which include chaplains, missions, schools, NGOs, NPOs and churches as well as Evangelists, Sunday School Teachers and Missionaries in South Africa.

​Not only are Churches and ministries within the Cape Town region blessed, but all over South Africa and other African Countries, these materials are distributed. Missionaries collect material at Literature4Africa which they distribute around the African States during their mission trips. We have many individuals who struggle with reading and the audio and visual materials are such a blessing to them. Various Higher Educational Institutions and Schools where Bible study groups are formed, collect Christian Books, Bible Study materials and Bibles.
 
Through the year we can supply Christian materials for events, conferences, seminars, and rallies conducted by organisations. Truly, the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever. We have placed some testimonies and emails of gratitude below, trusting that you will continue to pray for the receiving and distribution of the free Christian materials in Honour and Glory of God.
 
May His presence rejoice your hearts.
 
"For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
 
TESTIMONIES
"I collected some Bibles and study material from you. In January I could bless some pastors with Bibles and study material in Gaansbaai. I was later driving back to Johannesburg and stopped at the following towns and also blessed Pastors and Leaders with some Bibles and study material. Merweville, Beaufort West and in Ennerdale. Thanks for helping me with the resources to enable me to reach out. God bless and keep you all at Frontline Fellowship. Blessings",
Richard Jaars
GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"A very happy and God blessed year for Jonathan and all family and friends. I received my package and am very happy. Will take me some time reading through all of them, but, thank you so much again. The box was absolutely filled up to the cover with tracts.
Be Blessed", Deon
GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thanks so much - I cannot tell you what a blessing L4A is and how grateful I am that God led me to it! Have a blessed day and see you soon!"
Erica
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thank you so much for the free Bibles and Sunday School literature. This is much appreciated. I have been in full time ministry for more than 40 years and know the frustration of not having adequate materials for the Sunday School and youth work and so the work done by Literature4Africa is a great God-send.
Those who have received the Bibles have been overjoyed with this gift.  Prior to our Sunday morning service, I could hand out Bibles to a mother and daughter who had received Christ as Saviour in this past week. Every Wednesday I have an interdenominational Bible Study and prayer meeting in New Horizons and it was with joy that a request for a Study Bible could be met and the pleasure was great when a senior citizen received a large print Bible. Three other persons, not from our prayer group, also received Bibles. I myself was delighted with the Study Bible.  This was the Study Bible I had always wanted.
The rest of the Bibles will be handed out as the need presents itself or when people receive Christ as Saviour in whatever form of evangelism we pursue. Thank you so much for the tracts. This is perfect for street evangelism. Once again, thank you very much,"
Pastor D.K. Smallberg
Living Hope Assembly
Full Gospel Church of God
New Horizons
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Myself and our facility just want to thank you and your organisation for the children education literature that we received. I appreciate the support and advice that you gave me. Hoping that we can engage with you on a regular basis and may the Lord continue bless you with your good work. Please keep our children facility in your prayers and don’t forget to notify us if you have new literature. God Bless and have a blessed day."
Shereen Michaels
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"I thought I should give a short report back on the evangelizing material you have given us. We got comments from hospital patients who we have given the In Touch magazine by Dr. Stanley. One lady says she has been so discouraged in the soul but after reading an article about not giving up, she felt so revived. Every week we take these booklets to hospital to give to people. We are certain that even though we don't get to meet again with other patients, they sure have testimonies. Even the Bibles, it feels so awesome after leading someone to salvation and leave them a copy of the Bible. We are so grateful to be doing this, thank you so much guys for enhancing the ministry of God."
D. Muchena
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"I would like to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for the books we collected last week. My friend told me about the resource material that is free for collection, and my, was I blown away when I arrived there.
We just started a house church and my wife has been home-schooling our kids for the past 7 years, hence the books we got were excellent and just what we need to assist us in our ministry. The books are invaluable; one cannot put a price on what I picked up. I got books on how to build a new church, on how to evangelise your community more effectively, I can go on. A HUGE thank you for being such blessing."
God Bless my brother, Deon Cox
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Dunoon Chapel would like to express our gratitude to Literature4Africa for the gift of these Bibles. Currently the chapel is growing tremendously with more and more children and adults coming. Live The Call."
Franklyn Joseph
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"We here at the Evangelical Bible Church in Mitchell’s Plain started with the 1 John and Revelation Explore the Bible series. We are truly blessed with the material and our young people are enjoying and growing in the Word of God. Have a blessed day and I will keep you updated with the developments of our library and studies."
Brian Johnson
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thank you again for the 72 ESV Bibles you arranged for me. We couriered them to Port Elizabeth and I can confirm that they arrived early last week and were handed out to the youth group.
Lucinda Zaza was our colleague in PE who originally asked for the Bibles, and was overwhelmed by how quickly they arrived and their quality. This is what she had to say when asked why she wanted to give her youth group the Bibles, There’s nothing else I’d rather do, He has done so much for me, He pulled me out of the deepest pits when I didn’t even think I could make it. I’m living proof that He doesn’t abandon His own. I love Him dearly and I’ll die trying to mould these kids into realizing how precious they are to Him as well. Thank you again!"
Michael Vice
SOUTH AFRICA

​ 
"We finally had one of the congregants make us shelves for the library which is in my office. Thanks again for the books much appreciated."
Kevin Stemmet
Pastor Evangelical Bible Church Bayview
SOUTH AFRICA 
 
"Sunday morning we handed the books to the Sunday school and men for Father’s Day. Wow! ‎Were they exited. Thank you."
Bradley Petersen
SOUTH AFRICA
 
"On behalf of the Bible College, I would like to thank Literature4Africa for your contribution of 8 ESV Study Bibles and 10 Reformation Study Bibles (KJV). Your support helps us to continue in our missions and assist our student. Thank you again for your support."
Rev. Isaac KIM
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"We as the Atlantis EBCOSA are very grateful for the gifts that you and the organisation could have given us. We do appreciate it a lot thank you."
Your brother in Christ
Alfonso Swartz
SOUTH AFRICA
 
"It is two months after our Annual Ladies Camp we had at the end of April this year and I am only getting a chance to email you today. The ladies were very excited for their reading material especially the First Choice Bags with the “Weight Loss” information in it. We really appreciate all your effort and contributions that you have given to make our camp a success."
Charlene Skippers
SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Greetings in the Wonderful Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude for your Donation. Our prayer is that the Lord will always guide you with wisdom and bless you with prosperity."
Pastor & Sis Mostert
Pentecostal Protestant Church Ocean View
SOUTH AFRICA
 
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and behalf of Great Commission Chapel for the material provided. We will make good use of it to further God's Kingdom. God bless you."
Marlon De Wee
SOUTH AFRICA
 
"The students at ICBM (International College of Bible and Missions) really appreciate the materials you have blessed us with. Thank you and see you soon, God willing."
Brian Johnson
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Greetings in Jesus Name. Thank you so much sir.
Wow what an awesome blessing going through the material it’s so wonderful. Thanks for support. God Bless."
Susan Moss
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thank you so very much for your incredible attention in helping me with some ministry material. I was so thrilled to be able to pass this on to a couple of churches in Capricorn for their Sunday school and also for the adults. They were so touched by this and couldn’t believe it! As I mentioned there are a couple of safe homes for human trafficked ladies and the books are absolutely amazing. Thank you very much for all of this. I also had a look at the CD in all languages and that will take a while to go through …also the music is just so fabulous. Thank you for your care and for the time you took to assist me in this endeavour - To give to those who may not be able to afford anything themselves - and I will certainly make time to contact you again and bring some wonderful ‘Saints” in to see what you have.
The Bibles are just incredible. Thank you. I know that they were in short supply. That seems to be the ‘rod’ that so many of the people we minister to don’t have. So we will pray for more and more. The material is great, but the solid Word, to hold and page through is just brilliant.  
Bless you - and once again, thanks so much for the time you took to explain everything today. I think that you have all done a great work and it’s so good to see references to things such as online Bibles and the links to them. Very precious indeed. Wow again! and thank you - we pray for your safety and Proclaim the mighty anointing of our Lord Jesus Christ on all you do and for this material to go out to the corners of the earth and the blessing upon those that receive it all, in His Name. God Bless you and take care. Hope to see you soon."
Jane Jones
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thanks for the magazines and tracts, I pray that God will continue to bless the Ministry at Literature4Arica. Will keep you in prayer. God bless."
Theresa Oakes
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"I told you we are building a library for the church as well for the school of ministry that we running at our church. There we are so thankful to Literature4Africa for your help, most of the books are from you. May The Lord be so gracious to you all as you stand to make the Gospel possible to all. With Thanks."
Pastor Pierre Kalala Oasis Church
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"I started with the library at church. Congregants were excited and many (young and older) checked out books. I just had to start with this project, even though we do not have proper book shelves as yet. It has always been my desire to start a library at church and with these donations it has become a reality. Once again thank you to all the sponsors for their generosity. God bless. Yours in his service."
Rev. C.V Adonis
Beacon Valley
Evangelical Bible Church
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"It was blessed meeting you and to connect with such a powerful resource Centre. Thanks so much for the wonderful material. I know many lives will be touched by this. May you have a blessed weekend. Shalom."
Pastor Saayman
Hour of Decision Gospel Mission
Retreat
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"This is just to thank you for the ministry that you currently have. What a privilege it is to be useful in the Master's hand. I really appreciated the fact that you show real interest in each and every one you meet in your ministry. Thank you for the warm welcome and I see your heartbeat when you interact and distribute the spiritual literature. Continue with the good work and attitude towards your ministry. Be Blessed."
Pastor Kevin
Evangelical Bible Church - Strandfontein (Bayview)
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thank you for the books and Bibles we receive from you, it was a great help to those who don't have a Bible, also to enlarge people's knowledge and to grow spiritually. May God bless you in your ministry."
Naomi Panti
Upper room family worship Centre
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"I want to thank you for assisting me with study material, I did send some to a church in Tanzania. They use it at a Christian School and did send me a message that it’s really helpful. We are co-labourers in The Kingdom of Jesus Christ. God bless."
Richard Jaars
GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thank you for adding me to your mailing list. What an honour it was to meet you on Friday. Thank you for your assistance and hospitality that you had given me and my husband. It is highly appreciated. The literature we got on Friday has already started to encourage us, our youth and our Sunday school. Thank you."
Charlene
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Just like to thank you so much for donating some study Bibles to Joy Bible School recently. I am a student there, so enjoying the course and very glad to have my own good study Bible now."
Nicky Eiserman
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"I am from the Moravian Church in Mamre. We want to thank you for the books we received in Feb. 2016. It was much appreciated and was received with great happiness and laughter. You made such a lot of children very happy. May God bless you in the work you do to make people and children very happy and let them feel important. The books were so welcomed, even on the surrounding farms where we do missionary work, we handed out the books and you made it possible, to make those people so very happy. Thanks ever so much until next time. God bless."
Sr. Myrtle Schreuder
Chairperson of Mamre Moravian Sunday school
SOUTH AFRICA
 
"Thank you so much for all the literature we are able to collect from the stores, it is a great help to ladies that belong to our Women’s group and it enables them to find healing and be at peace with themselves and also helps with the restoration of families."
Moriedah Dien
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
 
"So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah.55:11

Jonathan Soeker
Literature4Africa Manager

Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
​Email:literature4africa@frontline.org.za

​South Africa’s first Mission Station has now become a mission field. Genadendal is located 140km up the N2 from Cape Town and is near the picturesque town of Greyton. The first Mission station in South Africa was started by the German Moravian Missionary George Schmidt, in 1738, amongst the Khoi people. This once flourishing mission station is now a forgotten village that is struggling with the challenges of drug abuse, alcoholism, immorality, AIDS and poverty. Some of the pastors and guardians of the children believe the situation in Genadendal is hopeless and that youth there are a lost generation. In response to this, Frontline Fellowship was invited to initiate a series of outreaches in Genadendal, believing that Jesus came to seek and save what is lost and that He promised that what is impossible with men is possible with God (Mark 10:27)!

Genadendal Mission Museum
The Genadendal Mission Museum is well worth a visit. To visit Genadendal’s church square, Die Werf, is to journey back in time. It boasts both a watermill in working condition and a fascinating museum that gives visitors insight into life in Genadendal centuries ago. There are also many interesting artefacts such as an old Heidelberg printing press, a pottery wheel, musical instruments, textbooks used at the first teachers’ training college in South Africa started as part of the Mission, and many of the old tools and implements used at the smithy. The original Moravian Mission church houses the oldest pipe organ in the country.
 
Meeting with the Museum’s Director
I met with the Director of the Museum, who strangely enough is a Hindu! I evangelised him and encouraged him about the potential of the Museum as a tourist attraction.  

Children’s Ministry at Bereaville
On 6 July, I went with Francis and Joseph to help with a children’s holiday programme at the Moravian Church in Bereaville, which is an area adjacent to Genadendal. There were about 40 children at this event. 

We gave three presentations at this meeting. The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived (Die Mees Belangrikste Mens - translated from Dr Peter Hammond’s PowerPoint), The Ten Commandments and the Evangelism Explosion Kids Gospel Presentation. 

Most of the children in this area are very neglected by their parents (if they even know who their parents are), and so often misbehave in order to get attention. We had to shout many times and be innovative to get them all to keep quiet and listen to the presentations. 

Holiday Programme with the Grace Foundation
Dr Roland Graser’s inter-denominational Grace Foundation organises children’s upliftment programmes during each school holiday. I had the opportunity to speak at this programme each day, for three days in a row. I spoke on The Rich Young Ruler, The Ten Commandments and theEvangelism Explosion EE Gospel Presentation.

​Calling All Children
We tried to get more children to come to the meetings through driving around Genadendal in our bakkie using Oom Roland’s “loud hailer”. About 20 children participated in the programme.
 
Building Relationships Through Sport
In order to burn some of the mischievous energy of the children, we also played cricket and soccer with them. It seemed like the children were very appreciate of us spending time with them.
 
Jesus Film Screenings
We screened the Jesus Film in Afrikaans on three consecutive nights, in three different locations. On the first night we screened it out in the open, up against a white wall. I approached teenagers gathered around a fire and began a Gospel conversation with them. They acknowledged that they knew taking drugs is a sin. I invited them to watch the film. Children came out of their houses bringing crates to sit on. Eventually there were about 30 people watching the film. The second night we showed the Jesus Film at the Moravian Church in Bereaville. About 40 people, mostly children, came to watch. On the third night, we showed the film in the Moravian Church in Voorstekraal, another area overlapping with Genadendal. I preached a Gospel message on two of the evenings and Ryno, once. We paused the film at the Crucifixion and used this as the perfect springboard for asking “Why did Jesus hang upon the Cross?” We preached a straight message on the Holiness of God, the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance and surrender to the Lordship of Christ.
 
Set Free in Prison
On the last day that we were there, a man who was converted to Christ in prison came to share his testimony with the children. He also warned them about where they would end up if they pursued a life of crime. What shocked the children the most however, was his revelation that you do not get any sugar on your cereal or porridge in prison!
 
Literature Distribution
We gave each person who attended the Jesus Film screenings tracts in Afrikaans including: Where Will You Spend Eternity?, The Greatest Book in the World and also several from the Christian Literature Fund: The Way to God, Good News of the Gospel, ABCs of Spiritual Growth, Unemployed? Work to Find Work, and “I was too Scared to Talk to Jesus”. We also distributed JUIG! tydskrifte to adults.
 
Opportunity to Share the Gospel with a Muslim
One good thing I can say about Genadendal, is that there are very few Muslims there!I had an opportunityto share the Gospel with a Muslim who said that he used to be a Christian. We challenged him about the Deity of Christ and God’s Justice.
 
Schools Ministry
During another Mission to Genadendal, we had the opportunity to go from class to class at one of the schools, giving the Traffick Proof presentation (originally developed by Justice Acts). This presentation warns children about the ways traffickers trick children, teaches them good questions to ask to evaluate scenarios and tells them who to call if they are in danger. Trafficking is a reality in Genadendal! Some children told me about a white van that picked up some children who were never seen again! This presentation provides an excellent springboard to the Gospel. We explained how we are slaves to sin and we need Jesus Christ to set us free. We shared with the children that they will face God on Judgement Day if they do not repent and turn to Christ. Later that day, when we were walking through the streets sharing the Gospel, many of the children in Genadendal came running up to us shouting “traffick proof!”
 
Lack of Gospel-Preaching Churches
In talking with people on the streets, and with a few pastors from the area, it is clear that most churches in Genadendal are not preaching the Biblical Gospel. It seems they are seeking man-centred, pragmatic solutions to the problems they see around them and are not dealing with the heart of the matter – our sinful hearts. They are preaching that the Bible is just a book that teaches one how to live a moral life. I was told that most church-attenders do not even bring their Bibles to church!
 
Future Opportunities
We pray that this once thriving Mission Station would again become a Valley of Grace and even a City on a Hill, shining the light of the Gospel to the rest of the Cape. I have been invited to preach at churches and at further children’s holiday programmes.  

Thank you to all those who made this Mission possible. 

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to Salvation for everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16
 
Abraham Lourens
Trainee Missionary
​
Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021-689-4480
Email:  abraham@frontline.org.za