PORT ST JOHNS MISSION TRIP REPORT – NOVEMBER 2010
Posted on: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010 01:30 AM
On 21 October 2010 (Mally’s birthday) we loaded with approximately 7 500 Gospels of John, mostly in Xhosa and some in English, a box of Xhosa Bibles and a few large bags of very nice clothing; we commenced our journey down to Port St. Johns. It’s at least five hours of nerve-wracking driving. We prayed as we left Pietermaritzburg and as on previous occasions God gave us a safe and very enjoyable trip. Thank you, Lord.
OUR MISSION
Firstly, to visit and encourage the local pastors and their churches. This is a very difficult region in which to minister. Secondly, to “kick start” a one-year widespread evangelistic initiative among the Amapodo, the predominant ethnicity in and around Port St. Johns.
OUR METHOD
A grassroot’s literature drive. We wanted to place a Gospel of John in the hands of as many school children as possible.
En route we visited with Pastor Xoko who was busy putting final arrangements together for the week’s ministry. He was as excited as we were. “The people are waiting for you – it’s been a long time,” he said repeatedly.
The day was spent by the time we had unpacked and settled into our accommodation in a thatched bamboo shack on stilts [floods are common in this area] on the banks of the Umzimvubu [home of the hippo] River.
Next day after breakfast, with a box of 300 Gospels, I went into the town and began to distribute these to passers-by. I wanted to “test the mood of the people”, and of course put the Living Word in the Hands of those who needed to read about Jesus the only Saviour of Mankind. A Muslim Propagation Centre has been operative in the town for a year or two, and our Jehovah Witness friends have been on a huge literature drive in the region for some time. Would this have implications for the distribution of God’s Word?
The answer is “Yes”! Almost all who were offered Gospels received these with warm and grateful appreciation, but some of them only received their Gospel after clarifying that these were in fact THE VERY WORD OF GOD or THE HOLY BIBLE. You can draw your own conclusions.
I returned upbeat and most blessed to have had the privilege of putting the Living Word within reach of about 300 people. One lady in great need of God’s intervention shared her heart and asked me to pray for her. A precious moment that will never be forgotten. “Thank you, Jesus, please be there for her as she reaches out to you.”
Sunday morning, The DAY OF THE LORD. After time in the Word – I’m in Jeremiah [Old Testament] and Luke [New Testament] at present, and a hasty breakfast, we left for our first service. Pastor Solomon Bamm’s [external student, B.T.C.] newly planted international youth church in Port St. Johns.
Mally and I were blown away by evidences of God’s gracious blessing on this young man’s ministry:
· About sixty people had gathered for worship, many more men than women. WOW.
· Instead of a home, they were now meeting in a renovated hall that was built years ago by the Free Masons, to be their lodge.
· The whole service was conducted in English.
· Originally a youth church, adults were now attending.
· Biblical contemporary conservative worship with instruments led us into the presence of God.
There was great liberty in preaching, and oh what a privilege. The congregation soaked up the Word. Many took notes. We left having sensed the presence of God. Thank you, Lord.
Now it was off to one of Pastor Zingiseli Xhoko’s rural churches at Loqukweni, near Lusikisiki. It was pouring with rain. Gravel roads. We nearly didn’t make it. This congregation had their building destroyed by a storm some few years ago. They have not managed to rebuild. We met in the recently completed manse. A group of women and three children – it’s not possible for people in this area to move around in this kind of weather.
The message from 2 Timothy 2:1-5 Characteristics of Christian Leadership, was a blessing. The service concluded with customary Sunday dinner of Xhosa chicken and vegetables, followed by tea and biscuits. A wonderful day of fellowship in the Lord ended at 15:00. Thankfully the storm was over. We had an easy run back to Port St. Johns.
Monday morning at 06:00 – THE DAY HAS DAWNED. “Dear Lord, please prosper our efforts to share your Word with others, today.”
But first some time spent in the Word. Jeremiah 36 Jehoiakim burns Jeremiah’s scroll. And then this solemn warning in verses 30-31. “Therefore, thus says the Lord…. condemnation…. death…. I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their sin.” “Dear Lord, unlike Jehoiakim open the hearts of those we are visiting today, to gladly receive the gift of the Word of God.”
A quick breakfast, then to the fuel station, it was just about 07:00. While the truck was being refuelled, I offered Gospels of John to passengers in taxis. They were so eager to receive these gifts. Driving along the road we saw some municipal workers clearing the bush and road area and we stopped to give them a Gospel each and they too were eager to receive. Just like Saturday. Praise God our prayers are being answered.
25 kilometres to the Intafufu river turn-off. Met Pastor Zindisili. Our plan was to head down this gravel road, successfully visit each of the four schools located en route and end up at Nqgobeni Baptist Church [planted about 50 years ago by Rev. Aubrey Phipson], where we hoped to have an inspirational service and tea with those of the local congregation who were able to meet.
Joy unspeakable followed. The following schools – Ntafufu JSS / Ntafufu SSS / Nobuhla / Zitobile SPS – not only welcomed us with open arms but some rearranged their programs to ensure that the Gospels were given to every learner. Staff also wanted Gospels, choosing English copies as opposed to Xhosa. Before distribution began at Stabile, the principal insisted that the whole school gather in the hall/largest classroom so that we may first preach the Word and then distribute the literature. How wonderful is that? Thank you, Jesus.
We were now at the end of the road – any further and we would end up in the Umzimvubu River. Nqgobeni church is there, and the available congregation was waiting for us. I had not visited here for some time. Oh, what a joy to renew fellowship, and chat about all that God had been doing in our respective ministries. We also enjoyed cold drinks and freshly sliced plain brown bread. God is always so good.
The trip back to Port St. Johns was in haste. We wanted to catch the learners at St. Bebes Christian School before they left for home. Made it in the nick of time and as expected they too were very pleased to receive Gospels in their mother tongue. The staff choosing theirs in English.
It was 15:00 when Mally served us lunch. With our stomachs satisfied and our hearts more than satisfied with the rich blessings of the day, we greeted, Pastor Xoko left for home, and preparation for Tuesday’s ministry commenced.
We were woken at 05:00 in the morning by the plaintiff cries of the forest hornbills. They sound like new-borns announcing that it’s time for the first drink of the day. Not moment to early. This is going to be another busy day, and of course we wanted to those supplying the “sincere milk of the WORD”.
Jeremiah and Luke were food for thought and encouragement for the day. “Dear Lord, once again go ahead of us and grant us success in our feeble attempts to make you known among the nations [ethnicities]”.
Today was planned to be very much like yesterday, only a different road with different schools. We visited Mtambalala , Nodusweni , Njwkasi and Noxegwame schools. We were again overawed by the warm response and enthusiastic desire to receive the Gospels. Joy filled our hearts as we left these schools and noticed numerous groups of learners in the playgrounds reading their Gospels
together. At Mtambalala we had to preach and then distribute, AND then we were taken by the principal to the staff room. “We, the staff are working with poor service delivery [understandable, when you are at the “end of the road’ in Africa], please minister to us from the Word”.
From my morning devotions in Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-2, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovering of site to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
I tried to point the staff along the road of opportunity that exists for them to be raising, NOT only another generation of thinkers, BUT a generation who has also been exposed to a Biblical World View. One from which The Saviour could raise up significant Godly men and women to point our peoples along the “straight and narrow pathway which leads to life everlasting”. There was a hushed silence. In thanking us for our ministry the principal appreciated the message to the staff and emphatically stated that they would “never give up trying”.
We made it back to Port St. Johns in time to visit the town’s only senior school. This was in my opinion going to be the ultimate test of our wish to distribute Gospels among school learners. Once again, the unexpected happened – we were welcomed with open arms and genuine appreciation for our mission. Our visit ended with this plea, “This must not be your only/last visit. We would like you to come for a whole week and teach the whole school as much as possible from the Bible.”
We had received this request from other schools. God was confirming His wish for the Gospel to be proclaimed among the youth in Pondoland.
Wednesday, we are running low on Gospels. After prayer we head for Nstimbini to visit the school and the local Baptist Church. Once the school has taken about 500 Gospels and Pastor Mongezi and Penelope Ngeto have taken a stock for their current evangelistic outreach in the area we only have one box of Gospels left which has been promised to Pastor Xoko for a school at Loquqeni.
With grateful hearts and a sense of fulfilment, we end this first phase of the evangelistic program.
This most amazing grassroots outreach has convinced us of the need to cement our tentative plans for further ministry in 2011. THE HARVEST FIELDS ARE WHITE UNTO HARVEST, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW, JESUS. Nothing has changed. “My constant question before God is, “Why should this nation [ethnos] wait till next year for further ministry? Why can’t front line missionaries RESPOND NOW to this open door of opportunity?”
Thank you:
· To those who covered us in prayer.
· To Wakefield Baptist [North Carolina] for funding this mission.
· To Pastor Xoko for hosting us and his leadership.
· To THE GREAT HEAD OF THE CHURCH, who calls us and sends us out as partners with Himself in the wonderful MISSION of making HIS NAME known among every tribe and tongue and nation [ethnicity]; to the ends of the earth.
Trevor Eayrs
October 2010
