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|| Newsletter Archive ||
August, 2006
Dear Partners in Ministry,
The partnering together of people with commonly held missional objectives has historically been foundational and still remains one of the bedrocks of Christian missions. It is what we as God’s people do - it is who we are - we are partners in the cause of Christ. We are His body. The Body works together. God, for sure, isn’t reliant on us. He is powerful enough to do everything on His own - but He wills to use us. Partnering doesn’t need to be done. One could, theoretically, do God’s work all on his own, without the help and encouragement of others. But ministry for God is not usually, if ever, accomplished without God‘s people working together. It takes people with resources and people with vision and people who give money, and people who give of their time, and people with individualized skills and people with experience - all working together to fulfill a common goal.
We thank God for the partners we have in this ministry - those in American churches who are faithfully praying and giving financially; our friends at Evangelical Baptist Missions who facilitate so much and provide needed direction and counsel; our African pastors and church members who are enthusiastically coming alongside us in God’s ministry; the Afrikaan churches who are participating in ministry in vital ways - from paint for the Kopano Baptist church building to helping with Sunday School materials; and those of you who actually come and see and do so much more than sightsee - you pour yourself into God‘s ministry with your hands and your hearts. There are so many partner-related thanksgivings! This is a Body-of-Christ ministry - and it is beautiful to behold.
This month we will let one of our current additions to the Zak-Pak, Amy Nicewander, who is visiting us for 2 months from one of our supporting churches in Minnesota, share from her perspective some of what God is doing in molding her into His image during her time here in Africa.
“Dumela! (Hello!)
These past few weeks have been incredibly busy, yet God directed and planned. For church, we went to an Africaans church which was quite a difference from the typical African churches we've been attending. During that time we were able to share testimonies of what God's doing in our lives and in Mozambique and to play/sing special numbers. Afterwards we joined them for tea and coffee (which is typical for an after church gathering here in South Africa) and pleaded with them to come and visit our church here in Onderstepoort that Mr. Zak helped to establish. A few consented and this last Sunday we were so pleased to see three of them come! Not many people attended the Africaans church, so three people coming was kind of a big deal. Anyways, more about church this last Sunday later...
You may remember I mentioned a woman named Mary who the Zaks are very close to. Well Mary's sister, Anna, got married this last weekend. We were all invited to come, we helped Mary prepare the food, serve the meals, and clean up. Mary's family was so thrilled to have us come to help. When we got there, there was much to do in preparation since there is no electricity and things go much slower. One of the most exciting things though that we were able to see was the exchange of the lebola (which is the payment that the husband must give for the wife). Along with money, the charge was also for a cow. This cow was brought before the meal and was slaughtered in their yard for all to see. What an experience! I didn't really want to watch, but what I did see made me think of how the people in the Old Testament of the Bible sacrificed their animals as payment for sins. I realize now how big of a deal this would have been. Sacrificing and preparing an animal is not a thing that takes five or ten minutes. And to think that Jesus, the Son of God, went through much more than that to be our sacrifice, our payment for the things that we do that displease God… To see this cow being sacrificed for the family's meal put the two experiences together of the immensity of Christ's death with the sacrifices of the Old Testament.
Beyond these thoughts, we were told on numerous occasions during the wedding that they had never seen "white people" work so hard as we were. Yet we were only washing dishes and cutting up vegetables. But we knew that they would be watching and our testimony was for God which we let them know. We love God and we love them which pushes us to work like we do.
Another opportunity we have had was to show the Jesus' film to a small settlement called Solomon's. They had never seen the film, and seemed so tucked away in their homes all connected together and made of cement and tin. There were only about 40 people who lived here and most if not all attended the film. I was able to greet many of them before the film and talk to them a bit about Jesus handing them a tract as well--with my friend August who is able to interpret for me. A large number of the people from Solomon's were very drunk before the film, but through prayer, two men came forward to be saved at the end. What a blessing and encouragement it is to have men come to Christ. Most of the churches here consist of women and children with only a few men.
Speaking of men within the church, this last Sunday a group of six churches in the area came together to join a mass choir. They came to our church here in Onderstepoort and sang beautifully for us as well as for many from these churches who came also to listen. There were so many men who attended the service. In fact, it seemed there were more men than women! This is a huge prayer request here in Africa--for men to attend church and take leadership roles within it. There were people who came to the service who were not Christians, and what a blessing it was for one of the visiting pastors to go forwards and share his testimony of how he is not perfect and how he came from a background of excessive drinking among other things to a personal relationship with God. What a testimony coming to a people who are so tempted to get rid of their thoughts of unhappiness with alcohol. This is no different from people in America, but it seems so much more prevalent here. Anyways, the whole service overall was a true blessing to me and I hope as well to the people who attended.
I keep learning and witnessing the difficulty here of having to say goodbye to so many people so many times. I have only known the people who have come and gone for a while, and have gotten so attached already. It must be very difficult for the Zaks to go through this so often. It seems that when we become good friends, it is already time to leave. But through that I know God has put them in my life for a reason and that makes me more confident in His sovereignty and also makes it less difficult to know that this won't be the last time I will see them--if not here on earth, then in heaven one day.
Each Sunday night, we're able to minister to those who go to the Zak's church in the evening. Aside from singing and helping set up for church, I've been able to help after church when the youth comes over to have refreshments and just "hang out". It's so neat to be part of their evening church which is attended by people who speak mostly Tswana and only a few who speak English (different from their morning church). It's fun to provide some hot tea and bake some brownies for their hungry stomachs after a long day. And then of course to kick around a soccer ball with the boys or play jump rope with the girls.
A team of three from Fourth Baptist Church in Minnesota came to minister here as well about a week ago. They are here in South Africa for about a week and a half, and it's been so encouraging to see them working alongside the Zaks and us who are already here. Plus, it was a real treat to receive some letters and packages from my parents which the team brought!
With the Fourth team, I went to a church in Soutpan this last week to replace broken windows in the church, but ended up taking care of some children in the daycare inside the church so that the men could work on the windows. Oh, the children here are so excited to see someone with white skin. Even though there are many here, the area where they live is not connected really to the "white" areas of town. So in the midst of singing songs with them and learning their games that I don't know how to play, I'd hear a little "Lacua!!, Lacua!!" cry out at me. After turning around, I'd see a little girl laugh and laugh back at her calling me "pasty face!!"
Now that I'm about half-way through this trip, it's neat to look back and see just how far God is stretching me. And something I should add that you can pray for me for is that the Zaks are taking me to Zambia to help at a camp there. So I'll be able to have my first counseling experiences as that'll be one of my main focuses there the Zaks said. So please pray that that goes well and that God gives strength and determination to me in Zambia the last week in August. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts!
Amy Nicewander”
Serving the King with Gladness,
Kevin, Sarah, Benjamin, Nathanael, Caleb, Luke, Cortney, Jacob, & Josiah
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African Churches Rooted and Built up in Him. - Col. 2:6,7
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