Jeremiah 29:11-14a"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity."
We can definitely say that God has exciting plans for Lake Tanganyika and its people! Like in Jeremiah 29, we know that the Lord's plan for the people are good and that it is a plan to save them and to set them free from the bondages of the sin in which they are living. God works according to His time and He uses circumstances and people he chooses.
From middle June up to middle September different people and outreach groups has visited us and we are yet again amazed at what God has done through. People came to help and support us and God has blessed us in a way that we did not expect. The ministry benefited in many ways through the donations from different people and through practical help that was rendered to us.
On their visit to all the different places and ministries we are involved in, the outreach people saw and experienced God at work. Every year our prayer is that Go will touch people's lives and give them hearts full of compassion for missions. God is faithful and we know that He did just that again this year.
We want to thank every visitor from South Africa and England!! May that which you have seen here stay with you and continue to bless you for years to come.
To put all that God is doing onto paper is always very difficult, but wewill try and highlight a few of the break throughs and share some of the plans that is lying ahead for the future:
Prison ministry
During the time of the last outreach group, the Jesus Film was shown on the prison grounds and all the prisoners and wardens got to see the gospel message. TTN (To the Nations), who does evangelism outreaches throughout Zambia, gave training to members of the police inMpulungu. Because of our previous association with this organization and working together in the past before, we used the opportunity to start with weekly discipleship sessions with the policemen. Our missionaries have been going every Friday and they are testifying that God is at work and that the numbers of the group is growing every time.
Vegetable tunnels
The vegetables in the tunnels are growing well. The past month, it has been providing all the vegetables needed for the prison minister food and we are selling that which is extra. In the near future we want to extend our visits and feeding of the prisoners to 6 days aweek. Currently we only share at the prisons on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We trust that the money we make out of selling the vegetables willbe sufficient to finance the entire prison project as well as support the families who are faithfully working in the tunnels.
Work in Nsumbu.
One of the supporting churches of TTN from Australia is getting involved in erecting three different clinics in different places in Zambia. Because of our relationship with TTN, Nsumbu(one of the villages we are working in) was chosen as one of the places forstarting a maternity clinic. TTN already received some medical equipmentfrom abroad which will be arriving in Mpulungu soon. The thing that we are very excited about is that they are also looking at equipping a boat with medical equipment which will be used on the lake.
Plans for next year
A second South African couple is joining us inMpulungu next year, specifically to help with the boat ministry. Div is just too busy with other areas of the ministry. As a family, we are moving into the Day Care Centre, making the house we are currently renting available for them to live in. Cynthia is a nurse and she will also homeschool her three boys. Div is busy building an outside kitchen area on the property of the Day Care Centre from where all food for the prisons and for the orphans will be cooked. He is also planning to build an ablution block as well as extra classrooms.
Day Care Centre.
We are currently in the process of registering a school at the Day Care Centre. This year we started with a playgroup for 10 orphan children between the ages of 5 and 9. We are in the process of finding schools for the three older children. Next year the group will be split into two classes, a playgroup and a grade 0 class. Ethel and Lucy are ready to take these two classes and are busy identifying more children for next year while they are continuing with children's ministry groups each week. It is our desire to send another person for teacher training in Kabwe next year so that we can be ready for a third class the year after next. Please pray for the necessary funds needed for the training.
Personal
The Lord has answered our prayers and next year we are receiving a lady who will help with Mariska's home schooling. Holly Steward is from America and she will be helping us for 12 months. She will also be involved with our work with children and youth. She loves small children and are a trained music teacher. This is the two areas in which we currently have a need for people with expertise. We are amazed at how God is provided for so many needs through her coming! Please pray for her workpermit which we recently applied for. Also pray for her preparations in coming here. We are expecting her on the 9th of December. Holly is very excited about this opertunity to serve God in the mission field.
"Youth Evangelism Explosion"
The youth of Mpulungu enjoyed their "Youth Evangelism Explosion" so much that they decided to present it to the youths of a neighbouring town. They practiced very hard for the event that took place on the 11th of October. The numbers of the people who attended the event was not as they expected,but the comments of those who did, was very encouraging. They definitely want the group to come again. Mariska and Riaan worked hard as they were part of those organizing the event.
Good News II on the internet!
For those of you that have internet available, please the following website to see the videos made by an outreach group that visited us last yearAugust. This will help you to form a picture of what the area looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/inservice4jesus
Thank you very much for your prayers and support to us and to Good News II Ministry!
Div, Eleanor, Riaan en Mariska
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