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Africa, a Beautiful Place |
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 Recent events seem again to have focused attention on Africa. Who did
not follow the news of the recent pirate attack on a US flag ship off
the coast of Somalia, and the dramatic naval rescue of the ship’s
captain? Who has not heard about the brutality of Robert Mugabe who
continues to victimize his people to the point of recently stating:
“Zimbabwe and its people belong to me!” While he lives in luxury, the
majority of Zimbabwe’s people are dying of Cholera, AIDS and
malnutrition. Likewise, in Sudan millions of people have been herded
into the desert of Darfur and left to die because that country’s
president has vindictively blocked all foreign aid and outside help.
And so this hopeless picture is multiplied across Africa in countries
like the Congo, South Africa, etc.
Therefore, at a casual glance, and believing only the one-sided opinion
of the media, it’s easy to come away believing that Africa must be
cursed;
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Prayer Bulletin September 5, 2008 |
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 Ten years ago my Dad – Uncle Piet as he is commonly known around here – walked into my office and announced that he was reporting for active duty. Of course, knowing that he was already in his seventies and retired I expressed my puzzlement. But he quickly explained that he was not asking for job, nor expecting any favors in return. Rather, he had come to realize that his time here on earth was running out. So, as a strong man physically, with a lot of practical skills to offer, he desired to give his last years serving God’s purposes with the strength of his hands and through a life-time of experience in construction, maintenance and structural development.
What could I say! The Lord had just given AFnet this huge property at the time, and here was my Dad; a man that I knew could do anything, reporting for duty. But I also knew that he was a man who never took “no!” for an answer. And so, Uncle Piet has not only become a household item here on campus, but also has turned this once abandoned property into a beautiful campus that we all are proud to be associated with.
Today at 83 Uncle Piet still has the strength of an ox. And, his stubborn refusal to bow out of any physical challenge again came to the fore,
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Prayer Bulletin August 8, 2008 |
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I have been a student of strategic church planting and church growth for many years. I’ve read most books published on the subject, and have taught around the world on the topic. But I recently realized that there still is much to be learned.
A few weeks ago we wrote about how we were touched by the plight of a poor old granny and her 5 orphaned grandchildren. We decided to build a small house for these destitute children who had all lost their parents due to AIDS. Our motive was humanitarian and driven by compassion. And so we launched into this project, not realizing what a divine opportunity this project would turn into.
From the first day we started digging the foundations, and right through every step of the project our team has been swamped by people from all over that impoverished community. They come to check on the progress, asking questions, giving advice, wondering why we would even consider doing something like this for people that we did not even know; people whom nobody else even cared about.
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Prayer Bulletin - 24 July, 2008 |
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Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,
In the West we take so many things for granted: electricity, and
running water. We even consider a refrigerator non-optional. For
information we fire up the computer and browse the internet. Our
communications are almost instantaneous. Our cell phones e-mail or
Skype is never far from us. It’s so easy; so simple! And so, we take
even reading for granted.
Recently, while delivering food rations to one of our orphan centers in
Soshanguve, Lienkie, the wife of pastor Gert, who recently graduated
from our Bible School, invited our team in. (Lienkie also is about to
graduate from our program). Inside she introduced us to a group of
elderly ladies from the community – most of them in their 60’s and 70’s.
All the women in that small crowded room had one thing in common. They
were learning to read and write for the first time in their lives.
Their excitement was contagious. They were so proud
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Prayer Requests