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Gregory's Turn
to write
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
(James 1:2-3 NIV)
Missionaries have bad days just like anyone else. Sometimes
we have really rotten weeks! The challenge is ever to
remember why we are here and to keep on pressing forward,
not to allow ourselves to lose heart and give up.
This past fortnight has been a case in point. First I came
down with a painful skin infection that spread across much
of my torso. Tete is a hot and filthy place at the best of
times and the level of sanitation and provision of medical
care are terribly inadequate. I thank God for a capable wife
who was able to diagnose the problem. Indeed Sharon has been
applying for several years to be recognised as a doctor
within Mozambique, so that she can start treating people in
the vulnerable rural communities where most of our churches
are found. Just a couple of days ago she received word from
someone in the capital, Maputo, that her application has
been lost yet again. She has therefore resubmitted all of
her papers for the third time! And as if she wasn't already
feeling frustrated enough, while she was in one of the
government offices someone picked her pocket and made off
with her purse. So she's had to cancel all her bank cards
and apply for a new driving licence, none of which is a
trivial matter when you live 6000 miles from home.
Sadly I wasn't even around when all this was happening as I
had gone up to Blantyre in Malawi to sort out a few matters.
A day or two before I set out, I left our car at a local
garage to have a minor water leak attended to. While it was
there, one of the mechanics decided to help himself to the
brand new drive belts I had had fitted only the month
before. He swapped the belts for old, cracked rubber belts
and hoped that I wouldn't notice - I didn't. At least not
until one of them snapped when I was three hours from home.
It's on days that these that you start wondering why you
bother. Wouldn't it be a great deal easier staying in the
UK, serving in a church there and working in the NHS?
It all comes down to the call of God. The Lord Jesus has
appointed us to serve in this place, to love the people and
to seek to make a difference locally. And that is exactly
what we are managing to do. Just last week I travelled out
to one of our village churches to see the new building they
have erected. Ten months ago the congregation met in a
simple shack constructed of poles and grass. Since then the
church members have put up a fine new brick building. They
have done this entirely out of their own resources, baking
bricks, cutting timber poles and raising funds to pay for a
competent builder. I have said that I will try and help them
with a tin roof later on this year, but I am simply bowled
over the growth in maturity of the congregation. Only two
years ago they would have pleaded poverty and begged us to
do everything for them. Yet, as we have taught and inspired
them, as we have mentored their leaders and urged them to
look to God rather than man, we have seen a fundamental
change. And, praise be to God, this church is by no means
alone in modelling a stronger sense of discipleship.
Samuel Mitivo is one of our younger, dynamic pastors. About
a year ago he was appointed youth director and he has proved
to be energetic in developing the youth work among our
churches. Just before we returned to the UK on furlough, I
urged Samuel to continue this ministry in our absence, but I
was careful not to be prescriptive. Upon our return I was
delighted to learn that of his own initiative he has held
monthly youth rallies and seminars in the rural areas. And
moreover he has done exactly the same for our churches in
the city. On each occasion he charged an entrance fee to
cover the cost of food and such has been the enthusiasm of
the young people that hardly anyone protested at the lack of
a 'free lunch.' Furthermore, even though Samuel is a simple
maize farmer, he covered the cost of all this training and
his bus fares out of his own fund raising. So impressed have
I been by his dedication to the work of God, I have invited
Samuel and his wife to move to Tete city and to work
alongside us at our international church, so that I can
mentor him more effectively.
Last Saturday we held a training seminar for our church
leaders and some 73 people attended. Sharon took an hour to
talk about health issues and to review some of the practical
advice we have dispensed over the past couple of years. At
one point she asked how many people were sleeping under
mosquito nets and it was fantastic to see that the
overwhelming majority of our leaders are now protecting
themselves effectively against malaria. Sharon also
discussed cholera as there has been yet another outbreak in
Tete province. Eleven of our churches now have ventilated
pit latrines which are of great use in combating this
scourge and we look forward to constructing several more
over the coming year.
The Bible says that trials develop perseverance. We press
on, looking to bring physical and spiritual transformation
in this needy part of Mozambique. But it isn't easy. Please
pray for us as we work with our leaders to build a strong
and effective pentecostal church.
Grace to you
Gregory and Sharon Kane
Elim International Missions
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Prayer Requests |
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- Keep on praying for our health,
protection and safety as a family.
- Pray that Sharon would finally be
granted permission to work as a doctor.
- Praise God for the growth in our
international church. Pray that we will have wisdom as
we fit back into the church without getting in the way
of what the Holy Spirit wants to do there.
- Pray for Samuel Mitivo and his
wife as they move to the city and get to know people in
our international church.
- Charlie Comerford, from St
Albans, is with us for the next month and a half. His
brief is to strengthen the youth work in the city and do
street evangelism and thus far he has made excellent
progress. Pray that he has a useful and uplifting time
here.
- Josiah will be sitting two GCSE
exams in May/June. Please pray that he will be diligent
in his studies.
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Sharon's Joke of
the Month |
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A traveller
became lost in the Sahara desert. Realizing his only chance
for survival was to find civilization, he began walking.
Time passed, and he became thirsty. More time passed, and he
began feeling faint. He was on the verge of passing out when
he spied a tent about 500 meters in front of him. Barely
conscious, he reached the tent and called out, "Water...".
A Bedouin appeared in the tent
door and replied sympathetically, "I am sorry, sir, but I
have no water. However, would you like to buy a tie?" With
this, he brandished a collection of exquisite silken neck
wear.
"You fool," gasped the man. "I'm
dying! I need water!"
"Well, sir," replied the
Bedouin, "If you really need water, there is a tent about
two kilometres south of here where you can get some."
Without knowing how, the man
summoned sufficient strength to drag his parched body the
distance to the second tent. With his last ounce of strength
he tugged at the door of the tent and collapsed.
Another Bedouin, dressed in a
costly tuxedo, appeared at the door and enquired, "May I
help you sir?"
"Water..." was the feeble reply.
"Oh, sir," replied the Bedouin,
"I'm sorry, but you can't come in here without a tie!" |
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Gregory's Quote of
the Month |
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"It's extraordinary to me that the
United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the
entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to saved 25,000 children
who die every day from preventable diseases."
- Bono, rock star and anti-poverty activist. |
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