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Prayer Email #7
Sent 5/27/2004
Hello Friends! I
can’t believe it’s been over a month since the last time I wrote to you—time
is really flying here! I know most of you folks up there in the Northern
Hemisphere are fixin’ on starting up summer, but things down here in the
South are beginning to get a little chilly. For all those of you who were
wondering—Africa DOES get cold! It’s all good though, and I’m happy to still
be living in a place that has changes of seasons. Anyway, enough about the
weather, let me share some things that God has been up to around here…
Teaching:
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We have been SOOO busy with all our
classes. It has been quite fun, but challenging at times, keeping up with
different classes who all seem to be on different lessons. We are almost
done with our curriculum at one school (Ntsika) and the lessons there are
getting quite interesting.
Yesterday we were talking about protection,
mainly highlighting why condoms are not a successful strategy for prevention
of HIV/AIDS, or other STDS. Our lesson included this ingenious game
demonstrating how condoms fail. We had one student stand on one side of the
classroom holding a clipboard—her “shield”. We then got other volunteers
representing pregnancy or STDs to throw paper balls at her, while she tried
to fend them off with her clipboard. In the last phase of the game, we gave
paper balls to everyone in the classroom, to demonstrate that the more
people a person has sex with, the higher their risks for getting a disease.
This phase of the game ended up resembling a stoning as everyone pelted the
poor girl with paper balls, but I think our message got through!
Bible Studies:
-
The Bible Study in Kenton continues to go well, and it is a blessing to get
to encourage the believers (see prayer requests below!). We have also begun
to show the AIDS videos on Sunday afternoons there and they are being met
with much enthusiasm.
Our Wednesday night Bible study with the Youth group just keeps getting
better and better. It’s amazing to see how God is working in the lives of the
Youth and really giving them a hunger for the Bible. It is almost a 180 turn
around from where we began and that’s exciting!
The Ntsika Bible study continues to be a challenge, and there is still a lack
of interest in serious study of God’s word. We have been brainstorming about
ways to get closer to the kids there, and we are trying to work out some sort
of fun after-school sports/recreation/Bible study time. We are hoping to get
some Rhodes students involved in this, so we will be praying and waiting to
see where God leads about that.
Miscellaneous:-
This past Monday, we went with Bob Morris (our supervising missionary) and
some Xhosa pastors from the Port Alfred area to Alexandria. In September, a
volunteer team will be coming from the States and helping with a tent revival
in that township, so we went out to do some investigating.
Pastor Chendu took Megan and I to the high school there and it looks like we
will be able to start teaching there next term. This will be a great
opportunity to get into the community before the work in September begins. We
also met a teacher there who has a vacant house in the township, and is
willing for the group to stay there. God was definitely blessing our time,
and preparing the way for the work He has to do in Alexandria.
I have been attending the Bible studies with the Rhodes students and have
found the students to be a source of great encouragement to me. God is really
moving through their group and they are pumped up about serving Him. I have
found that God always seems to use them on Thursday nights to give me the
energy I need to finish the week well. Last month, I went with the girls from
the group to a weekend camp, and that was also a very encouraging time.
Recently, I have been feeling a bit discouraged and even a little homesick.
Usually, whenever I feel this way, I just try to keep busy and not think
about it. At the beginning of last week, I could feel the discouragement
coming on, and I decided to just give it over to God. I prayed and told Him
how I was feeling and gave it to Him to do whatever He chose with it. The
results were AMAZING. Out of nowhere I began to get e-mails from people I
hadn’t heard from in months, encouragement from friends here, and even a
package from home! It was so wonderful to see how God was taking care of me!
And now…for the part you’ve all been waiting for…(drum roll)…
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the Kenton believers. They have been discouraged
recently, and some are falling away, which is even more discouraging for
those who are faithful. Pray that God would encourage their hearts and
show them His plan for their lives. Help them to know how to live and work
in their community in a way that leads others to Christ. Pray also for
this Saturday, as they are having an open-air revival service. Pray that
God would use this time to encourage the believers and draw others to
Himself.
Pray that Megan and I would be sensitive to God’s leading in this
situation and that we would know how to encourage them. Also, pray for the
AIDS program. They are excited about how they can get involved in their
community, pray that God would reveal His will in this to them.
Pray specifically for Mamma Hoyi. She is really going through some hard
times and I can tell that the enemy is trying to steal the joy of walking
with the Lord from her. Pray that God will send her special encouragement.
- Pray for the Youth group. The kids really are growing a lot and
God is breaking down a lot of walls between us and them and they are
really starting to open up. Pray that Megan and I would have wisdom in how
to love them and challenge them in their walks. Pray specifically for
Lizzie, Nicolette, and Kerri. These girls are really searching and
although they have a Christian orientation, they do not seem to have a
personal relationship with Christ. Pray that they would see their need for
Him, turn from how they are walking now, and choose to walk in Christ.
- Pray for the work that is beginning in Alexandria. Everything
seems to be moving ahead smoothly, but pray that God will continue to
prepare the way for whatever He wants done there. Pray that as we start up
in the school that we would be able to build relationships in the
community that would reflect Christ’s love.
- Pray for us as we continue to make decisions about the schools we
are already working in. Our curriculum will finish this term at Ntsika,
so we are trying to figure out how we can continue our relationship with
the people at that school. Pray for the possibility with the Rhodes
students and the Sports days. Pray that God will give us vision and wisdom
if this is indeed His plan.
- Finally, pray for Megan and I as we work day to day. It can be
discouraging here at times, and sometimes its hard for me to see any fruit
from what we do here. It is easy to questions my purpose for being here
and even question God over this matter. Pray that I will be content in the
Lord and obedient to Him no matter how I feel. Also, pray that God will
strengthen my relationship with Megan. Pray against any attacks from the
enemy that may try to hurt our relationship.
Thanks so much for all your prayers and
encouragement! You really have no idea how much it means to me out here, and
how you guys are what God uses to get me through my week! I love you guys,
and would LOVE to hear what He is doing in your lives as well!
For God’s Glory heather :)
See some
Photos from Heather Here
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