Planting a church... in its baby steps!

Our dream is to see a transformed community that will impact Africa!!! And the only way to see that is for Jesus to be restored as the only King in Olievenhoutbosch. Discipleship is the vehicle to get people to Jesus...

 

We are currently about 15-20 people working together to see this happen. If 20 people commit to making 1 disciple a year and teach them to do the same, after 20 years you will see 20 disciples grow to 20,971 520 disciples. That is the impact discipleship can and will have...

 

Olievenhoutbosch is so rich with culture and rich with nations! Through transforming Olievenhout we can truly see nations being impacted for the Kingdom of God.

 

Our vision is to plant Christ-centered, disciple-making, Bible-believing churches in Olievenhoutbosch that will impact the community. How we do it is a slow process, but its very simple. Discipling people and teaching them to do the same. Raising up local leaders who will lead the churches...

 

 

Here is Chand and his brother Urfan, they are from Pakistan. They are being discipled.

This is Kwanele's brother, Bulelani, and Cindy, his girlfriend. They are being reached out to as they do not know Jesus. Kwanele will disciple them.

Below is Lois and his cousin and nephew, they are all from Mozambique. Johan (far right) is investing into Lois life, discipling him and then Lois is discipling his family.

 

 This is Kwanele and his friend Jackson. Kwanele has been bringing Jackson to church and pretty soon he will start discipling him. No one told him to reach out to Jackson, but they work together and he needs Jesus. Simple.

 This is Gunther and Abraham. Abraham is a friend of Chand whom I prayed for in his house many weeks ago. Without knowing that Gunther and Abraham has been working together for 6 years now!! Gunther is also passionate about Jesus and he is now busy discipling Abraham. Abraham was praying for a church and really feels that God is adding him to our family. I shared with him our plans and heart for Oleivenhoutbosch and he is sold out and on-board with what we are busy doing... Will he lead one of the churches? Maybe...

 

 Below is Bethuel, he is very involved in his church. We are intentionally discipling him so that he can invest into his leaders at church. We want to see healthy churches in Olievenhoutbosch! Behind him is Dumesani. He is in Gr 12. He is not sure yet what he is going to do next year, but he has a real love for God. I can see God using him mightely to impact his community. And to the right is Bravo... Yes!!!! Bravo. He made it to one of our discipleship groups, but he is still caught in drugs. Please pray for him!

 

This is how we are busy planting a church. Through local people reaching and discipling local people. How long it will take we dont know, but we believe in the impact discipleship will have in Olievenhoutbosch...

What is happening on our campuses?

It is really such a blessing to have Francois (Kwagga) as part of the full time team in Centurion and he is ankering our campus ministry!

God is really faithful and opening doors, opening hearts and preparing the way for an amazing 2013 on our campuses!

At Open Window God is giving us so much favour. Francois is discipling Eben and Ruhan and its exciting to see what God is doing in their lives. Saskia a laying foundations in Vasti's life - she is also a first year and will next year be part of the SRC at Open Window for 2013 and she is sold out for what God is busy doing. I will get her to share a bit of her story next time =)

At Centurion Academy we are really praying into Riverside Place, trusting God to reach the students who stay there. WJ is really buying into family and it is so encouraging to see what God is doing in his life, healing him from insecurities, past hurt and trust issues. God is so amazing! We have been praying a lot for one of his friends - and the other week we finally got to have coffee with him. He was really open so we are still praying that God will continue to do the work in his heart, that he will receive Jesus and follow Him with his life.

Here is also a short video of a God Test we did with Themba @ Open Window. It was really interesting to hear his views and he was so open to share what he believes and why he believes it.

"He came to set the captives free..."

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.

Luke 4:18

These were Jesus' words and I don't think that have ever been more real to me than this past week.

This again is Bravo. He is 20 years old, lives with his sisters, his parents got divorced a couple of years ago and he has got a daughter that should be about 4 years old now. When we met him the first time he was completely lost in drugs, but we shared the gospel with him and there was a desire to surrender completely to God. For weeks I couldn't get hold of Bravo so that we can start discipling him and after I saw him again I realized how naive I was to think that you change your life just like that...

After continually going to Bravo's house and never finding him, I managed to get to some people in the part who know him. They told me that Bravo was at the clinic after being in a fight. When I got the the clinic and found Bravo there he told me that they were playing in the park. Eventually he told me the truth: He borrowed money from a taxi driver to buy drugs, he couldn't pay it back so the taxi driver beat him with a brick...

Last week I got in touch with Bravo again, got him connected with some of the people we are busy discipling. During our time he told me that he quickly needs to go home, to eat. I told him that we will have lunch together so it's ok. Then he told me the truth - he isnt feeling well and he basically needs a "fix". The dagga that they smoke is mixed with something that hooks them onto it and the withdrawal symptoms are intense. They start shaking and cant function properly.

We prayed together and I left him with Michael while I went to Kwanele's house to do our discipleship group. When I came back Bravo was gone. He told Michael that he needed to quickly go to the bathroom, but then slipped away...

I went to the park and found him there, with his friends, getting his "fix".

Right there I saw the bondage of sin controlling a person. Where they are so imprisoned by their addiction with no hope to escape... 

It was a reality shock to me... But there is encouragement... Jesus did come to set the captives free, no matter how deep or strong the bondage!

Please intentionally pray for Bravo, for the rest of the young men who are enslaved as well. That they will be set free by the only One who can - Jesus.

Our wedding and glimpses of the honeymoon =D

14 September 2012...
The Big Day!!!

Wow!! Words cant really describe the day. To stand next to the woman you love and want to spend the rest of your life with and say "I do".
The day itself went bye so fast, but I can remember almost every bit of detail.

 You think you've got it all under control... until I saw her walking down the aisle. What a beautiful bride she was and to know that "today I will be marrying her".

It was so amazing to be able to spend the day with so many family and friends - and all the friends from church (the extended family). Here are just some of the photos from the day!!









The honeymoon - Zanzibar...

We were privelaged to be able to go to Zanzibar for our honeymoon!!! We were sooooooo excited for this. I think we only slept about 2 hrs the night of the wedding, as we had to be at the airport very early. But it was worth it!

We arrived in a very hot and humid Zanzibar and finally got into our shuttle to take us to the hotel. Sea Cliff Resort... I'm recommending it!!! We had such an amazing time!

The staff were super friendly and upon arrival they already arranged the free room upgrade! Perks of going on honeymoon ;-) It was definately a holiday we wont forget...

Below are just some more of the photos, but they dont to the hotel and the scenery any justive... just go there!

Our lunch during our Blue Safari snorkeling day!!

Our lunch during the spice tour!

Simple discipleship... it was never meant to be complicated

"Come, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men..."
This was Jesus call to discipleship, speaking to fishermen. Uneducated men. Those who were outcasts in society. Jesus called them to be His disciples and then in Matthew 28 He sends them out to be and to make disciples...
 
Discipleship was never meant to be something that is complicated, and that is truly what I am seeing in Olievenhoutbosch. Simple discipleship.
 
Here is Louis and Bethual. Getting into the Word together. Learning and applying the principles of the Word to their lives. I was so humbled this specific morning. The lady who's space we were using to do the Bible study prepared the table for us, cleaning the space, laying a table cloth and she even made us some tea! We didn't even ask. Louis then went to buy us some biscuits to go with the tea!!!

Louis is originally from Mozambique and speaks Portuguese. Here are some of his friends and family also from Mozambique. Louis will now start to disciple them the same way he is being discipled. By getting into the Word and applying what you learn to your life. It's simple. I am really excited to see how God will impact to Mozambique community in Olievenhoutbosch through Louis obedience to "go and make disciples", even though according to the worlds standards he might not know much. I just know that God is working in Louis life and that God is revealing Himself more and more to Louis!!

 

Here is Johan and Bethual getting into the Word. Johan took time off from work to come and join us. Was such a privelage to share the day with Johan. His humilty and hunger for more of Jesus is really something I learn from. He is also super excited to become more involved in Olievenhoutbosch, willing to take even more time off work! I am really excited to see what God is going to do in and through Johan's life!

This is brother Frank. He started working about a month ago after a long time without work. This is where he is staying, a room that he is renting. Frank hasn't received his first paycheck yet, but in the meantime Chand (the shop owner) is looking after Frank. Paying the bills and buying the groceries. They understand something about community and looking after one another that most people dont get. As I spend time with these awesome people, I am being discipled!!!

This is Chand, his nephew and his friend. His friend is still a muslim, but we are praying for him. Chand has got such a passion for Jesus and for those who do not know Jesus to come to salvation. I had the privelage of spending a big part of ons Thursday with him where we would visit his muslim friends in their houses, and I would be welcomed as a brother. Again... I am being discipled! Oh and with Chand and his brother Arfan, everything happens over a meal!

Making Disciples Training Outreach...

The Word says in Ephesians 4 that we mature through doing the work of ministry...

but many times we dont know how. This is what

Making Disciples Training is all about!

Its a weekend where we focus on:

• Why is reaching the lost important
• Who are the lost
• How do we engage the lost
• How do we establish them in their relationship with God

We had an amazing time with really hungry and passionate people. The Friday night we spend teaching the heart and then Saturday we took them out to Olievenhoutbosch to practically go and apply and practise what they have learnt.

We also had lunch there prepared by the awesome woman in the photo below.

Afterwards the feedback we received was amazing.

About 7 people came and asked whether they could become more involved in Olievenhoutbosch and others testified how through being equipped to reach lost people and grow God's Kingdom has realligned them with God's calling on their lives.

We also had the oppertunity to share the gospel with Bravo (below). He committed hi life to Christ!! Please pray with us that we will have the oppertunity to disciple him into walking with God.

  



Mozambique Mission 2012

july 2012...

and yet another amazing trip to maforga, mozamique

This time around it was a student run mission. We were a group of 20, arriving just  a couple of days after the teenagers group left... And we took public transport !!!

Taking public transport all the way up to Maforga was really an awesome experience. Just know - its Africa time. We took a bus from JHB Park station up to Mutari in Zimbabwe. Going up the bus was 5 hrs late, coming back it was 6 hrs late, plus we had to change busses at around 1 AM!

From Mutari to the Mozambique border we took taxis, then again from the border to Maforga we took taxi's (shappa's as they are called there) and they were also our wheels whenever we needed to get around. There is definately no better way to get to know a culture than to travel with them... Scary at time, but fun!

The mission had a couple of focuses.

• Teaching at the Bible school. Only the students got oppertunity to teach and for some of them it was their first time! And they were brilliant!!
• Painting, cleaning and general work at the church building. We were privelaged to have the governer of Maputu come and honour the mission station for the work they are doing with the orphans. This only happens once in your lifetime - so this was a big deal!!!
• An outreach to Nshopi - a local village where they are in the process of planting a church. Nshopi is very strategic as it has a crossroads which head into all the diffirent directions - north, east, south and west.

It was such an amazing time with the team, really building good memories. With us using public transport we only had 6 days do effectively be and work at the mission station. But we really managed to give the students an all-round Mozambique experience. We taught at the Bible school, they went on an outreach, they visited the market at Chimoio and we had an awesome team lunch, we managed to fit 20 people into a shappa, we visited the waterfall, we had lunch with the governer of Maputu and we even had 3 guys taking out two bea hives that have been in a bedroom for years!!!