Jesus is GOD!

"No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. " I Corinthians 12:3

When 9 year old Nuraan began attending the Bible club in Eindhoven, June asked her if she had permission from her Muslim parents. She assured June and me that her parents know she is coming to a Bible club. We've been studying the miracles of Jesus, the Son of God. Recently during a review game I asked: "Why could Jesus do these miracles?" The first eager hand to go up was Nuraan's. (Her face is prominent in the photo below.)Imagine our joy to hear her answer, "Because JESUS IS GOD!" While most of our Bible club children plan to attend the first service of Eindhoven Baptiste Kerk, Nuraan's parents and the New Apostolic mother of two other children have said they may not come. Pray for all the children at the Bible club as the message of the gospel continues to go out to them at the Bible club on Sundays at 5 pm.

Jason and June are continuing to be trained in children's work. They are preparing lessons, teaching verses, leading in songs, and directing review games. It's great to work myself out of a job, since there is more than enough work for the two of us!

Last night, the ladies from Calvary Bible Baptist Church gathered here for a Bible study on Biblical Womanhood. It was a good opportunity to look at the Scriptures together. Unfortunately, illness hindered 3 women who had been planning to attend. We are praying that the Lord will allow us to escape this virus that we've been exposed to.

The people from Calvary Bible Baptist Church in Northpine are very supportive of the new work in Delft with their prayers. We also appreciate the encouragement of Pastor Kevin Simpson from Immanuel Baptiste Kerk in Eersterivier and of Pastor Delphin Mintoor from Victory Baptist Church in Kuilsrivier. Some of the believers from these 3 works will join us along with Jason, June, and Jeremy as we go out later today to distribute 500 invitations to the first service in Delft tomorrow at 9a.m. Tony will have to transition quickly from preaching the Word in Afrikaans at 9a.m to preaching the Word in English in Northpine at 10:30!

Death and Life

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"

There were two funerals in February. The first died, to die. The second died, to live.

As far as we know, 45 year old Wayne went out into eternity unprepared to meet God. We had witnessed to Wayne on numerous occasions during the years that we ministered in Eersterivier since meeting him after his mother came to Christ under our ministry in August 1996. The last time that Tony and I saw him was during a visit to his home, where we sat in his lounge and witnessed to him. He told us, "Moenie julle oor my bekommer nie. Ek gaan my saak met die Here regmaak voordat ek sterwe." (You mustn't worry about me. I'm going to get right with the Lord before I die.) On 7 February, Wayne died on impact in an accident when he lost control of the truck he was driving. The next day, we were again in his lounge to offer condolences to his wife, his 13 year old son and 6 year old daughter. A few days later, we attended a "roudiens" ("grief" service) at the home of Wayne's mother, where Kevin Simpson preached the gospel to the family and friends of Wayne. Unfortunately his widow's family decided to have the funeral in the Catholic church where the gospel of Christ is not preached.

On 16 February, "Ma" Martin, 79, went home to be with her Saviour. What a blessing to attend her "roudiens" where the family gave testimony of her walk with the Lord and praise to God for her faithfulness to Him while raising a family of 12 on her own after the early death of her husband.We reflected with great joy, seeing and hearing the testimony of at least 8 members of "Ma"s family, whom we had the privilege of influencing for Christ between 1996 and 2002. At her funeral, Tony prayed at the gravesite that those who were attending her funeral who did not yet share her faith, would soon come to put their trust in Christ alone who has power to forgive sins. There by the grave we made contact with her granddaughter, who lives in Delft. Pray for Sharon and Fanie and the children to believe in Christ who is able to forgive sin and to deliver us from its power.

Our Xhosa friend, Thandiswa

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Matthew 9:38

When Amy, our oldest daughter, matriculated from high school in South Africa, one of her 6 subjects was Xhosa, the most widely spoken of the tribal languages in the Western Cape. While Amy, Rob and Jake were visiting us this past Christmas, they met Thandiswa. Amy's Xhosa language skills were a bridge to Thandiswa, the waitress who served them at tea one afternoon. Later, Amy and Rob took Thandiswa some of our gospel literature in Xhosa. Thandiswa has made numerous contacts to Amy in America via cellphone. Evidently, God is working in her heart and we, on both sides of the ocean, are praying for her salvation.

During February, Tony and I had three opportunities to witness to Thandiswa who lives in the N2 Gateway community of Delft. We had the joy of sharing Christ with her at tea, in her home, and recently, at church in Northpine, where Tony is ministering to that English assembly. Thandiswa is working her way through the book of John in the Xhosa Bible that we gave her. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that we will be able to channel Thandiswa into the work in Eindhoven, Delft for two reasons. One is that she has no transportation from N2 Gateway, which is almost 10 km's from Eindhoven Primere Skool where we will begin holding services in Afrikaans on 1 March. The second reason is that Thandiswa doesn't understand Afrikaans, the mother tongue of almost 100% of the people in Eindhoven.

N2 Gateway community is large enough to support an English-Xhosa ministry. Won't you pray for God to send forth labourers?

A Visit, a Visitor and a Vision

"Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 "

Last Monday Tony and I paid a third visit to Priscilla and her mother, Elaine. Priscilla recently reached a very low point and is now ready to seek help for her addiction. She plans to enter the hospital for a week of detoxification, followed by 7 weeks of rehabilitation. We took this photo of her with her daughter, Pharen Lee, so she will have it to look at while being apart for 8 weeks. Her bright smile belies the sad state of her life. We stressed to her that rehabilitation is not her greatest need. She and her mother understand their need for regeneration. We have shared the gospel with them on 3 occasions. Pray for their salvation.

More than 20 people from both the works (Northpine and Delft) spent the evening with us at our "games night" this past Friday. While Chris and Cedric braaied "wors" (sausages) for us, the rest of us enjoyed croquet and volleyball. After the good meal, we all gathered in the lounge for a challenge that Tony brought from I Corinthians 10:31. He encouraged these young people to make it their life's ambition to make others have a high opinion of their God through all that they do.

After the challenge we enjoyed several games that challenges our skills of observation and conversation, as well as Bible charades. Caren (above) struggled to remember the name of the man that Tony acted out when he "dipped in the River Jordan seven times. " Don't laugh at her!! (Unless YOU remember his name!) Amos entertained us well by his charade of King Herod.

Last Thursday we welcomed Amy Blackburn to our home for a visit. She has just returned to South Africa after a trip to America . We took advantage of her visiting with us by asking her to teach the Sunday afternoon Bible club in Eindhoven. The children listened well and eagerly participated in the review game. Their correct answers revealed that they didn't struggle to understand the lesson that was presented in English. How delighted we were to hear them answer this question: "How is trusting Christ like "A, B, C?" Mickayla, Mishe and Sandy helped answer: "Admit you are a sinner. Believe that Christ died for your sins. Choose to turn from your sin to Christ." All the children enjoyed Amy's two new puppets that visited the Bible club. We wish Amy well as she departs this week to begin work with a new ministry in the Wilderness-George area.

The Bybelklub which currently meets on Sunday afternoons at 3:30 pm will be phased out when we begin the Sunday school of Eindhoven Baptiste Kerk. Lord willing, we will hold the first service of the new church plant on 1 March at Eindhoven Primere Skool. After Jason, Jeremy and Tony recently submitted a request to the governing body of the school, we received permission to begin meeting at the school. In preparation for the new church and Sunday school that we envision, I began to train Jason to help June with the children's ministry about a month ago. Jason is always eager to learn and to embrace any opportunity the Lord gives him. I will be unable to help with the children's ministry on Sunday mornings. After the 9 a.m. service each Sunday in Eindhoven, Tony and I will need to immediately leave to drive to Northpine where Tony will preach at the 10:30 a.m. service at Calvary Bible Baptist Church.