The Msindisi Monthly - March 2007

"for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;"             (Ephesians 2: 8)

The Latest News

I have enjoyed this last month. It has been a month of growth and making new friends. Some times when we share with people about Jesus there isn't much response but this month has seen some open doors for sharing the Gospel. Also we have had the arrival of some short term missionaries to help with the kids. Becca and Suzie from the UK are here for 6 months, Diane Vincent is here from New Zealand for a year and Dave's son Aaron and Erin Fazakerly from Southport are both here for 2 years. If you want to be updated on the life of Ebyown and how the kids are faring please contact Dave Royle for his regular newsletter at moriel.david@gmail.com. The missionaries that are with us seem to be really enjoying it and Ebyown is benefiting from having the extra hands. Dave Royle is off to the UK this month but this is not as greater burden this time round because we have the extra hands to help with Sunday school. Dave's speaking itinerary is on the moriel website, www.moriel.org under the UK section. Through preaching this month and my own personal study I have been challenged and see the reality of the battle that we have with that fleshly sinful nature. It is something where we are duped into thinking that we are over it sometimes when really the battle goes on and it hits back while we have slacked.

Evangelism

The sharing of the Gospel message has gone very well this month. We speak to a lot of people and because many of the people are black I have started to preach in both Zulu and English.

One gentleman from KwaThema prayed to accept Jesus and confessed that he believed that Jesus died for him. We want to start some bible studies with him in his lunch break but he doesn't have a phone so we can't get hold of him. We do see him in town though. He sells bags at the place that we preach on a Thursday.

It is amazing that we can preach through amplification while police walk past and we preach Jesus as the only way. As Dave says, 'make hay while the sun shines.'

On Tuesdays Mike and I have been visiting the college and chatting with the students in the car park. Not all students want to chat but many are happy to. We ask a lot of questions and it is great to have their questions fired at us, honest thought provoking questions. But the Bible does have reasonable answers that correspond to history and reality because Jesus said that He is the way and the Truth and the Life and no one goes to God the Father except through Him. As CS Lewis concluded, for Jesus to make that claim He was either who He said He was, the Lord, or a demented Lunatic or He was an evil liar.

Our relationship with Pastor John from the Tsakane township is growing. We are still taking it as it comes but we have started visiting the township and sharing the gospel there. I go there and visit homes on a Tuesday night, even visiting a family that live in a tin shack and on a Saturday

Mike and I have started to go with the mic and amplifier and preaching in the squatter camp there. Many of these people have had to make these make shift homes as they were forced off the land they were staying on because it was dangerous ground, the result of mining in that area.

Last week we visited a local church to share evangelistically with the people there. The pastor saw us on that Thursday and asked us to come that evening. I will be meeting with him on Wednesday so we can see where we are both at and if a relationship might be possible. It is a lesson for me of learning to trust God to lead and yet still being willing to make a stand if there is something anti-scriptural. Normally we either try and cocoon ourselves from everybody our or we are all inclusive but God is neither. We must be willing to be put into the firing line and that takes grace and boldness.

Prayer Request

• For the possibility of more witnessing opportunities and the sensitivity, guidance and courage to proclaim God's gospel. Please pray for the individuals that we speak with, which ever names God lays on your heart.
  
• For our own devotion to Jesus. For that reality to be apparent in our own lives as we attempt to practice what the scripture tells us in love and humility.
  
• For guidance for direction now and future.
  
• For the Royle family and kids at Ebyown as those various illnesses come up frequently.
  
• For our relationship with John and future relationships to be grounded in the truth of scripture and the boldness to stand against error and falsehood both in our own ministry and in the ministries we encounter.

Contact Details

PO BOX: 10807, Strubenvale 1570
Springs, Gauteng. South Africa