Mission to The Kingdom of KwaZulu
March began with a mission to KwaZulu/Natal where I had the privilege of participating in the Ministers Conference at KwaSizabantu Mission. Over 2000 delegates from 28 countries, including from Angola, Australia, Armenia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Paraguay, Lesotho, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Swaziland and from the United States of America, participated. We shipped up and prepositioned pallets of boxes of Bibles, Gospel booklets and Bible study materials to equip and Empower participants with the resources they need for their congregations. A large number of delegates from the Congo were delighted to be equipped with high quality Gospel books and booklets in French and Swahili. There was tremendous interest in our literature tables and we were able to equip many ministers and evangelists with boxes of Gospel literature in their languages. After the Ministers Conference, I was invited to give presentations on Church history, Reformation history, Missions history, South African history and contemporary World history to teachers in training at Cedar College of Education.
Numerous students and teachers stayed behind to ask questions for hours afterwards.
On Sunday I travelled down into the Tugela River valley to minister at Magogo, a dynamic new mission outpost planted by Uncle Erlo over 15 years ago. It was encouraging and inspiring to see the growth of this mission station. On Sunday morning the church building was packed with eager and enthusiastic Zulus. Many young people stayed behind for counselling after the service. It was another example of the abiding fruit of Rev Erlo Stegen’s phenomenal Life and ministry.
Since September, our missionary, Johan, has been based in Congo, developing the Congo River Mission. There are 18 million people living in the Congo River Basin, either on the banks of the Congo River itself or of its tributaries, who can only be reached by river. There are no roads to any of these villages. This Congo River Basin represents one of the most neglected and needy mission fields on earth. The escalating war in the Congo is threatening the area where Johan works:
Please continue to pray for Johan, in Congo, who is based in Kisangani (Kisangani was formerly named Stanleyville, located on the Congo River in the eastern part of the central Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the country's fifth most populous urban area, with an estimated population of 1,602,144 and the largest of the cities in the tropical jungle of Congo. Kisangani is located approximately 2,100km from the mouth of the Congo River, making it the farthest navigable point upstream. Henry Morton Stanley founded Kisangani as Stanley Falls Station, in 1883).
An estimated 18 million people are spread out in often very isolated villages in the Congo River Basin. Their daily existence is desolate, and they need to hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and receive Bibles in a language they understand. The Congo River is very deep in places. It is a fast-flowing river up to 16km wide in the rainy season. The distance from Kisangani to the capital, Kinshasa, is 1734km and there are 14 000km of riverbanks to reach when the many tributaries are considered. River blindness caused by the black fly is prevalent and often goes untreated. The Congo River Basin is a most strategic and neglected mission field. Johan is distributing Gospel booklets and Bibles, along with leadership training resources, to Pastors, Evangelists and Teachers along the Congo River.
We have been asked by the Chaplain General of the Zambian Army to help set up and develop a Chaplain's Training School. We have also been asked to assist our good friends in South Sudan to help them re-establish the Hospital in Lui. Missionaries in the Kingdom of Eswatini have requested more Bibles in Siswati, especially for prison ministry. By God's grace we have been able to organize some shipments of Bibles in SiSwati.
Please also continue to pray for the Chaplain General of the Zambian military who has asked us to set up a Livingstone Chaplains Training School, which will not only be for the military, Police & Prison chaplains of Zambia, but also for chaplains from all over Africa.
In February, we led the March for Life to parliament in Cape Town, to mark the anniversary of the legalisation of abortion in South Africa.
The next day, we received another container shipment of Bibles and Christian books – over 17 tonnes of literature which we offloaded and organised/categorized and designated. On average, every year, our Literature4Africa ministry distributes over 100 tonnes of Bibles and books, throughout Africa, at no charge. However, although we make these materials freely available, there are of course still operational costs that our Mission needs to cover, including custom clearance, transport and delivery charges.
"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
Written responses from Participants of the Biblical Worldview Summit Inspired, Informed, Empowered and Revived:
“I have been revived! I have a renewed purpose and direction for my life. Thank you to all involved.” “Never a dull moment! Incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable speakers. Intense, invaluable and a great way to direct your focus to Christ in all areas of life” “I loved the excursions, hikes and growth opportunities!” “I realized how I need to study Scripture more!” “For me, the highlight was Evangelizing on the streets and meeting new folk & Discovering new methods to understand the Gospel and history.” “I have been pushed and stretched More than I could have ever imagined possible.” “The team building in Newlands Forest was a highlight for me.” “The Best course I have ever done.” “I learned a lot.” “I truly enjoyed the beauty, adventure and magnificence of God's creation.” “The highlight to me was the ability to come apart and sit at Jesus feet and listen to His Word.” “Extremely good for awakening the youth and giving wisdom.” “Being able to fellowship with stronger Christians was a highlight for me” “I came to be strengthened in my Faith and I was”.
Faith in Action, Feet on the Street & People Led to Christ
We began our intensive three-week Great Commission Course by climbing Lions Head Mountain and concluded the GCC with a hike up and over the full length and breadth of Table Mountain. There were also numerous practical assignments, written assignments and exams. Each Saturday, we held Evangelism Seminars. Remarkably, virtually everyone who attended the seminars joined in the outreaches in the afternoon. We were able to distribute thousands of Gospel booklets and Evangelistic tracts, and we had the privilege of praying with a good amount of people along the Sea Point promenade and in Green Point Park. On our second Saturday we held a Muslim Evangelism Workshop. And in the afternoon, we led several people to the Lord in the Muslim stronghold/community of Bo-Kaap. We were enabled to entrust a number of Bibles and New Testaments to people we prayed with on the streets, including a Bible in the Shona language for a Zimbabwean. We also attended a Friday service in a mosque and afterwards had some intense discussions with the Imam and a number of Muslims there. We also obtained requests for Bibles in Arabic and in the Somali language. "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
Resources for MUSLIM EVANGELISM
"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; fornot all have faith." 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
If we are to fulfil the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to love our Muslim neighbours enough to learn to understand Islam, and to faithfully pray for and effectively share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with Muslims “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.” “How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:13-14
You can share The Message of Nabi Isa with Muslim friends and Neighbours:
“The desert tribes will bow down before Him and His enemies will lick the dust… All kings will bow down to Him and all nations will serve Him.” Psalm 72:9-11
You can see my article on the late Jimmy Carter:
You can view several of the Great Commission Course Presentations...
"Through our God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” Psalm 60:12
...You can see a previous Prayer and Praise Update here...
My presentation on Jesus the Light of the World to the Youth Conference at KwaSizabantu Mission here:
You can read my reports on the Mission to the Kingdom of Swaziland/ Eswatini here:
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