Printing Work: Helen and I are now both fully involved in the work in Evangelical Mission Press at Bellville. The increasing movement of nationals from further north has created an upsurge in interest for vernacular tracts, which had fallen off a little since the days when missionaries came south to travel out of Africa and ordered large volumes of other languages on their way through the Cape. We have seen a large uptake in French Bibles, especially paperback, which are now very popular. As well as English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu, which are the four “stock” languages, many other vernaculars have been requested. Lunda and Shona are in high demand for delivery to Zambia and Zimbabwe respectively but we have also been asked for Setswana, Sesotho, Shangaan, Chichewa, Swahili, Herero, Bemba and Lozi, among others. Outreach work in the townships and on the trains, demands large volumes of tracts. One brother from a neighbouring town ordered 30,000 tracts in six languages. We would ask for prayer in relation to the needs of the printing work. The Gospel calendars are now in print for Botswana and South Africa and we anticipate all being delivered by early December. For 2012, we have added Herero and Zulu to the vernacular list, which brings the total number of languages printed in Gospel Calendars to twenty. Continue to pray for those who distribute these from door to door. One fellow labourer in the Northern Cape has recruited teams of young believers to travel and help at weekends and he has targeted close to 6,000 homes in small towns where little outreach work has been done in the past in a very needy area. Pray for the distribution over the next three months.
Ministry & Preaching: This last month has seen blessing which we must confess was beyond our asking and very much beyond our deserving. I was asked to undertake a series [14 nights] on prophetic topics in the Elsies River assembly on the edge of Mitchell’s Plain and the meetings were supported by nearby small assemblies. It was my first full length series on prophesy and two local sisters did a wonderful job creating a four-metre full colour version of Harry Ironside’s Revelation chart, for me to use as a back drop. The believers were supplied with study notes each night as some had no commentaries of any kind and therefore the uptake of handouts was significant. It was personally a huge challenge which, physically, mentally and spiritually I didn’t feel adequate for. The Lord gave much help and the numbers grew with around one-hundred-and-forty present on the last night. The assembly provided a question box with a question night at the end of the series, where help was given from experienced brothers from other assemblies. There was a few minutes of gospel emphasis each night also and we had asked the Lord for evidence of blessing, yet we were very unprepared for eight young men and women professing faith in the Lord Jesus the Sunday after the Chart came down. We do not understand, and “canst not tell” the moving of the wind of the Spirit. Each one expressed a genuine dread of being left behind when the Lord Jesus comes for the Church. It took many of us back to days in our youth when the “Coming of the Lord” was often preached and was a factor in the conviction of many. We leave them all with the Lord and trust the profession of faith is as a result of a genuine work of the Spirit in their hearts. Do pray earnestly for these young people, some from very difficult backgrounds. We have a desire to repeat the topics in other districts locally, as well as having received requests from other areas and provinces. We ask for prayer for much wisdom in the preparation of such topics and the continuation in ministry on current events in the light of Bible prophesy, as many today are asking questions which can be answered only from the Word of God.
Travel & Vehicles: The planned trip to Zambia, not only to deliver the 2012 calendars and the large volume of Lunda literature, but also to fulfill promises of ministry in various assemblies across three provinces, is now scheduled. Helen will accompany me and we intend, Lord willing, to leave at the beginning of December. The only obstacle presently is the Land Rover. The long schedule of work is now at the “road test” stage. We decided before the Lord that to repair was less costly than to replace. The state of the mechanicals were worse than was diagnosed and so the time frame, replacement parts and the budget were well exceeded. We are very much cast upon the Lord to allow the vehicle to be back on the road and used in His service again, as He permits. We give the Lord the glory for preserving us on every journey in southern Africa in the five years since the vehicle last had major repairs and we look forward to further travel, in His will, in days to come. Do remember our travels in prayer. We can understand a small fraction of what Paul recorded as, “in perils in the wilderness” but thus far we have returned safely from every journey, by God’s grace.
It has been a year of much unexpected trial in many ways, yet we give glory to the Lord and admit that, out of them all, the Lord delivered us. We are no more than, “unprofitable servants.” It is a constant wonder that we are permitted to be used in any small way for Him. Do remember our family in prayer also. Our children have presently got International exams and both have decisions to make for new direction in 2012. We move towards His coming and our not far distant review. May we all be blessed with something accomplished for which to receive a little, “Well done” from the Lord Jesus Himself.
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