Outreach to Vuwani, Tshifhefhe, April 15 to 28

We are so thankful that no problems arose when we went to the village when driving. The previous time had been enough. We arrived at the church that were arranged and unpack everything to setup the kitchen and bedrooms.
The pastor's wife began to talk with us and later told us that she has been for two years in the Living Word Bible Institute, which Living Word Ministries in Venda have established a few years ago. The people received us sincerely.

A week before the outreach when we should have gone, it was canceled. A major accident where by five people from the church had died and the church have buried them. The morning we went to the outreach the pastor phoned Richard again (our organizer) and asked another cancellation, but Richard replayed that we cannot delay anymore. We wondered why they wanted to delay, but the answer the following week when they saw what we did and after the sermon in church. The pastor told them that a massive Easter conference where held and a host preacher who had urged them to pay for his hotel and for all his expenses were paid and every time he preached. The pastor of the church thought we work in the same way and wanted to postpone until they had more finances to pay us. We never take money from anyone we reach out to. After he saw how we worked, he is stunned. You could really see his gratitude in the way he dealt with us.
Bushman and I drove one morning the white bakkie to Thohoyandou to repair the handbrake (R1355), because it did not work. We get the truck slowly 100% ready for July's outreach to Doa, Mozambique.

We tried to arrange with the schools to teach AIDS education, but unfortunately the headmaster made excuses and refused us. The AIDS program is a way we give the Gospel mixed with AIDS education. Our main goal is to get kids saved and to let them understand that it is only Jesus that can prevent premarital sex and also to help escape HIV.
Our representative of Mozambique, Robert, visited early to make arrangements for the outreach in July to Doa. We want to go for three weeks in the villages of DOA , teaching and learning them deadly diseases that occur in their area, including to strengthen the pastors and establish new leaders to be leaders of their villages and also do normal outreaches to get people in the Kingdom of God.
Edwin, the pastor who along with Louis began the ministry, came from Thoyandou where his home and church are, came to preach two nights with my team. The second night he brought almost his entire youth and all his children with him.
The first Friday and Saturday we had very few people attending at our team. But we still gave a powerful preaching and serving the people. The other team had more people, but the nights vary with numbers.
Sunday's service was very blessed when Louis preached in the church where we stayed. The people were sp thankful that we preached the true crucifixion and explained it in depth, because they say they are tired of people who preach that God wants everybody rich.

The second Tuesday, it drizzled all day. It's good to see that many people in the villages are trying to make money by starting their own little businesses. We went to a fairly large butcher where only one type of meat (beef chops) are sold and only one refrigerator and decided to support them for something to eat after we had fasted. The meat was soft and tasty, although a very drunk woman has disturbed us. We could not reach out then because of the rain, but the next night we reached out though it rained that day and God stopped the rain just before we left.
The pastor of the church and a friend of his spoke with me on a project they are doing. The project is about to giving prisoners a better future after they come out of prison. They served in the correctional services and get people saved and when the prisoners get out of jail then the pastor provide them with power tools or other equipment so they can start a business to provide for their families, because there are many who come out and there are nothing and nobody to help them to get work, then they just go back to jail.
The outreach was generally very successful with no problems. All that can be listed as problems were that Louis's team was chased away two times one night because they stood by unbelieving people's houses to preach, the rain and my team sometimes had very few people in the evenings to serve. It was a normal outreach where nothing serious stood out except God's goodness and mercy to protect us and guide us into all the arrangements and works.

Report By Armand Petzer

Witnesses

·         There was a woman who testified that she could not sleep in the evening, but after team 2 held the service at her house, she now knows that she was saved after she took Jesus as Saviour, she can now sleep deeply and get rest.

·         There was an old woman who had a rough life when she was younger. She testified that she had three accidents and one where she was pronounced dead by her doctor, but God made her alive again for a reason. She was attacked by people with knives and God saved her, she did not say how. The police arrested her a while ago because she was selling illegal liquor from her home. The night in the cells she received a dream of three women who were with her and that Jesus came to her with two angels, she did not explain further. But the following Monday the police took her into a vehicle to the court. One police man told her that God has a plan with her and that she must get right with Him. In court she saw the three women of which she dreamed about, they have committed other crimes but they were also accused of selling illegal liquor. She was released that day, but as she fills in the papers another police man said to her that she must get right with God because God has made a goal in her life. It’s close to the church where she stays and gave her life for Jesus there one day. Her feet began to hurt and she was later no longer walk and could not go to church anymore. She was so incredibly happy that we are so close to her home because she said we helped her to get back strong in the faith because she could no longer go to church and her spiritual life has deteriorated. She also said her feet were healed after we prayed for her and that she now can walk to church. She is not ashamed of the Lord because he saved her life. She is thankful to God for the preacher who had come to heal her legs. The Lord touched her legs and now she wants to go to church again.

·         A boy of seven said he heard the word of God and seen the movie about hell and the Lord has touched his life and change.

·         A woman of about 37 told the Lord changed her life.

·         A woman has said that we also have weed in one's life. She gave an example of weeds that grow among the corn that you must remove, the same with life, get evil the out.

·         Another woman said she was glad she received the word of God. She encourages people to have high regard to us because we have come to bring the pure word of God. She said that many lives changed and were touched and encouraged people to continue to let their children go to church because we are the salt to give taste to the world.

·         A woman thanked the team who came to their area because she had a new encounter with the Lord and she pray for the team that they will be more on the way of the Lord.

When we love God we will serve people.

·         A man urged the people to give their lives to Jesus and be saved. He also encouraged the Christians to keep going to church to worship the Lord because many are spiritually dead without Jesus.

·         A woman thanks God for the message about sin that were brought by the team because she has a lot of sin, and learned that it was wrong. She accepted Jesus and wanted to do no more sins.

·         A woman said she loves the Lord with her whole heart and he is so good for her since she attended the meetings. She encourages others to accept Jesus. She asks God to bless the team so that others can hear the message she heard.

·         An old lady thanked God for complete healing of her pain in her arms. The preacher preached and said you must take a step in faith, and she did it and God did a miracle in her life.

·         Many testify and thank God for what He has done in their lives. One person sayd that he is so grateful for all the people at the meeting because they could have been in a bar.

·         A woman said that she did not know that hell is real, but the film placed her in great despair because she don’t know where she will go, heaven or hell. The Lord had convinced her of her sin and she accepted him as her Savior.

·         A woman said that she did not grow up in nice manner. She thanks God for showing her the right way through the events and sermons. She should have been dead, but it is only God's grace that she still lives. She believes she is still alive so she could accept Jesus. She encourages others to take Jesus.

·         A young girl thanks God that she could accept Jesus as her Savior.

·         Another woman thanked the Lord for the outreach in their village because it is a shock for those who perished. She encouraged everyone to accept Jesus because Hell is a horrible place.

Statistics

People reached: 2830     Commitments: 2443

Kids: 399                            Commitments: 370

I want to thank everyone for your wonderful help, though it spiritually, physically or emotionally, we appreciate it extremely. God does miracles and he change hearts wherever the Spirit moves. It's so nice to have a family of faith that can unite God's Word and ignite the hearts in darkness. What is freely given to us also freely distribute. Thank you for your friendship. May Christ's peace and joy always be with you, because He is in you.

Greetings in Jesus Naam

Living Word Ministries South Africa Team