"This week some of you will go through fiery trials. Don't think God is punishing you. Hold on to Him and He will bring you through".

This was the prophetic message brought to our international congregation the day after the team from Northern Ireland left. As we were on the crest of a wave from a successful visit, the Lord graciously warned us of the vicious backlash that was in store. I will come to the details later, but first to fill in on the other achievements of the team. The children's club mentioned in our last newsletter was certainly the highlight of the visit but it occupied just 5 afternoons of a 10 day visit. So what were they up to the rest of the time?

We spent two mornings doing open air witness in local markets, one in the small market in Moatize and the other at the enormous Kwachena market in Tete city. The Moatize event was wonderful because our church there threw themselves into it enthusiastically and came away with a new vision of ways to reach out with the Gospel. It was also wonderful to see four people pray to receive Jesus at the end of the event. The Kwachena open air was special too. Well over 150 people gathered to watch, some standing on piles of logs and on roofs of nearby market stalls. It was obvious from the behaviour of the crowd that they were on the whole un-churched and the Gospel message was indeed News to them. That same evening we showed 'The Cross and the Switchblade' at the school where we have our church meetings, and many who had been in the market in the morning attended the film. The team brought us a copy of the film in Portuguese. More recently we have found that a Brazilian missionary lady in Tete has a number of Christian films in Portuguese and is more than happy to lend them to us. We hope to start regular monthly film nights at the school. As I write this, Gregory is out showing 'The Prince of Egypt', the story of Moses. The general level of Bible knowledge even among Christians here is very poor indeed, and most people do not (or even can not) read. We hope that the showing of such movies will help make the Scriptures come alive and deepen people's understanding of the Christian message.

Back to the team's visit. For two mornings they split into two groups and visited church members' houses in two different villages and two urban slum areas. The only rule on those visits was that everyone had to preach! As we moved around, the church members accompanied us, and so benefited from all of the various messages of encouragement which the team brought. In this part of Africa, Christians love to do this kind of house to house visitation and take great encouragement from having others preach and pray in their homes. In addition, these are out-of-the-way places where foreign visitors are exceptionally rare. I am sure the families we visited will remember that day and be talking about it for a long time to come!

They spent the Saturday contributing at our monthly leaders' seminar, and on the Sunday of their visit they split into three groups and participated in three different churches. We were surprised and delighted when we had our feedback shortly before they left that the main complaint was that the visit had been too short and they would have liked another weekend so as to visit more churches! We had thought that they must have had enough by then, but apparently they were still wanting more! We truly praise God for such a wonderful bunch of people who participated willingly in all we laid on for them, worked hard, and never once moaned about the heat, mosquitoes, food, transport arrangements or any other potential irritation. May God bless them and take them far in His service!

So what of the fiery trials? They certainly came. T, a very new believer, was falsely accused of wrong-doing at work and suspended pending investigation. H's alcoholic unbelieving brother ran away from his debts, abandoning his wife, child and job. The family have only heard rumours of his whereabouts. Our own son Josiah fell from a wall and broke his wrist. E got a message that his mother was terminally ill in Malawi and made a hurried journey there. We thank God that he found her on treatment and much better than expected. R, another very new believer, was scheduled to make an important journey to Maputo to get a signature which ought to allow her to collect money owed to her from her late husband's pension. She was attacked at the bus stop in Tete and robbed of everything she was carrying. When she tried to resist, one of the thieves pulled a knife from his pocket, so she wisely let him get away. We thank God she was not more seriously harmed and that in her distress she turned to the Lord rather than to the witchdoctors who are the traditional cultural sources of 'help' in such circumstances.

Finally and most seriously, P was arrested on charges of using falsified identity documents. This all came about because her former employer used her name and details to start up a timber company. When he was taken to court for failing to pay his workers, P was called in as a witness. However while investigating this, the authorities queried P's own identity papers and arrested her. P's mother is Mozambican, but married a Zimbabwean and P grew up in Zimbabwe. She has since been legally adopted by her Mozambican aunt, but she previously held Zimbabwean papers. The whole issue is complex but the way it is being handled is highly irregular and the punishment far harsher than is merited. She is being held in the maximum security gaol rather than in the women's prison. Bail was initially refused but now has been set at an extortionate level, so much so that P would need to work for 10 years to earn that kind of money. We are praying and working to try to get her out. H is her close friend and has devoted herself to caring for P and to pursuing the authorities. As a church we have paid for a lawyer. And last Sunday eleven of our church members visited her in the gaol following the morning service - that was a landmark day and since then she has been treated noticeably better by the police. One particularly sympathetic officer has even provided her with a mosquito net!

Please Pray

Pray with us for P's release from gaol and for her well-being for as long as she is held there. Pray for justice in the criminal justice system. Pray that any wrong-doing be exposed. Pray that the police do their job fairly. This week I am scheduled to hold a 3 day seminar on HIV/AIDS open to all the pastors in Moatize. I have organised this in co-operation with some inter-denominational groups. Pray that the seminar is a blessing. Continue to thank God for the successful visit of the team from Northern Ireland and pray that the work continues to develop on the strength of that visit. Josiah is out of plaster. Pray his arm soon returns to full strength. Our supply of home school materials for the coming year has arrived. Pray we get it through customs without difficulty. Gregory is taking two of our executive members to the National Elim convention in Zimbabwe from 24-26 August. Pray for a safe journey and a beneficial time. Pray for God's continued protection, and that we keep faith in him whatever the Enemy may throw at us

Grace to you

Sharon and Gregory Kane

_______________________

Sharon's 'Joke of the Month'

*Where's Mummy?*

One evening after dinner, a five-year-old boy noticed that
his mother had gone out and he asked his father, "Where did
Mummy go?"

In answer to his question, he was told, "Mummy is at a
Tupperware party."

This explanation satisfied him for only a moment. Puzzled,
he asked, "What's a Tupperware party, Daddy?"

The man had always given his son honest answers, so he
figured a simple explanation would be the best approach.
"Well, son," he said, "at a Tupperware party, a bunch of
ladies sit around and sell plastic bowls to each other."

He nodded, indicating that he understood this curious
pastime.

Then he burst out into laughter and said, "Come on, Dad!
What is it really?"