From our street to yours ...
Glyn, Susan, Maeyken, Adriaena
Aug 2007 #4.6
If you believe and I believe
If you believe and I believe and we together pray
the Holy Spirit must come down and set God’s people free,
and set God’s people free, and set God’s people free,
the Holy Spirit must come down and set God’s people free.
Zimbabwe traditional
I was introduced to these words one Sunday during a worship service at Breslau Mennonite Church. I remember pondering the words and wondering can we really say “must”. I found myself preferring the word will as must seemed much too demanding. The other day I came across this song again. As I was singing I started to think of the Christians we have met here and some of our experiences. No longer did the word “must” seem wrong or out of place.
The other day Glyn visited the Pastor of the Gaborone Branch of the Head Mountain Church of God. In March the Mennonite Church Canada Learning Tour group attended their worship service. As they were leaving one of the prophets approached one of the group members. He felt the side of this man and prophesied that at some point in time he would have problems with his kidney. Later we learned that years ago he had been in an accident in which he had damaged his kidney’s. He has been told by Doctors in Canada that he will likely have problems with his kidney’s at some point in time!! Glyn and the Pastor were talking about this incident. The Bishops response was that we (the church) will pray for him and he must pray. He will be healed and he will not have kidney problems! The Pastor himself is waiting for healing. He suffered a stroke a number of years ago that left him with out eye sight and he has difficulty walking. But with conviction he told Glyn, “Someday God will heal me and I will see again.”
God’s healing ability through the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit is a sure thing in the eyes of our Christian brothers and sisters here in Africa. They gather together on a Sunday morning and at all night vigils because they believe in the power of the community praying together. And people are healed!!!
Susan
Photos by Monica Shank
Upcoming Events
Sept 1 & 2 Palapye to participate in the ordination of a Bishop
Sept 3-7 Kings Camp Sport’s Camp - Both Girl’s are signed up, Maeyken as a leader in training.
Sept 18 School starts for term 3
Early Sept. Visit to Lesotho to worship with and visit in the new church building of the St Paul Faith Morning Star Church.
Nov 16 - Jan 16 North American assignment.
Blog
We aim for weekly updates of our Blog. This seems to rarely happen on schedule! There is a link to the blog from our website. Or follow:
http://thegatheringsite.ca/botswana/
The power of children...
Children in North America have been busy collecting offerings during their annual Vacation Bible Schools. We have been blessed to have some of these groups donating their offerings for our ministry here in Botswana. This money will provide resources for the children who attend Sunday school at the Brethren in Christ (BIC) churches here in Botswana.
Hats off to the children of Wadsworth Mennonite Church in Ohio, the joint venture of the children of Crosshill and Wellesley Mennonite Churches in Ontario as well as the children of the Baden Community Vacation Bible School in Ontario. Their money is going to buy tables and stationary supplies as well as Bibles. In addition we hope to have Sunday school curriculum sent from Canada. We are excited about being able to assist the BIC church as the endeavour to present the good news of Jesus Christ to these children.
On Sunday Aug. 5th I went to the church to make plans with the Sunday school co-ordinator. He wasn’t there that Sunday so I talked to the Sunday school teacher. She had just begun teaching and wondered how she was going to teach without tables and supplies Imagine her surprise when I said that children from North America had raised money to buy tables and stationary supplies. She was also very excited at the thought of getting some Anabaptist curriculum. Her face lit up praising God’s goodness as she realized the impact of this amazing gift for her ministry with the children.
The children are hungry to know about God’s love. At the church we attend as a family (G-West Open Baptist Church) I counted thirteen children sitting in the front two rows during the worship time. The same thing was true at the BIC church the Sunday we attended there. These children sit attentively at the front of the church without adult supervision!! Many are coming on their own. These children are open to the message of the gospel. We continue to fight the battle of HIV Aids. I believe that the victory lies in reaching these children for Christ. It is difficult to change the hearts of those who have become hardened. But these hearts are young and impressionable. Pray for the leaders of all of the churches that they will continue to find ways to reach out to the children and youth of their communities.
North American Assignment
We will be in North America from Nov 16 to Jan 16. During that time we will be visiting our supporting congregations and connecting with friends and family.
If you have an event you would like us to be part of or you want us to connect with your church you can contact us directly or you can contact either:
Hinke Loewen-Rudgers hloewen-rudgers@mennonitechurch.ca
Rebecca Yoder Neufeld
ryoderneufeld@mennonitechurch.ca
Confirmed dates:
Nov 23 - Missions Event, Baden
Nov 25 a.m. - Living Water
Nov 25 p.m. - Soulspace, Stratford
Dec 2 - Wilmot
Dec 4 - Chapel at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, KW
Dec 9 - Wadsworth, Ohio
Dec 16 - Wellesley
Dec 23 - Shantz
Jan 6 - The Gathering, Kitchener
Family
Maeyken and Adriaena have completed the second term of school and are enjoying the beginning of a month of holidays. We are all looking forward to getting some things done in preparation for our North American assignment and just having more time to relax together as a family.
Maeyken has committed herself to sing in the worship band at the Gaborone West Open Baptist Church. While we attend there when not at other churches we have not been very involved in the day to day life and ministry of the church. So it feels good that our family is making a contribution. She is enjoying singing with the group and is even learning to master some of the Setswana songs.
Gaborone West is a small but growing fellowship located in a fairly new subdivision of Gaborone. It is a mixture of many people from a variety of countries but focuses on reaching out to the community around it. Jonathan Larson, former Mennonite Mission worker in Botswana in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, has been providing leadership for the past three years. His ability to speak Setswana fluently as well as his leadership gifts have helped the church to define their focus for ministry. In addition to reaching out to the community through community events they have started a drop in centre on Friday evenings. Up to 60 young people can be found “hanging out” on the church grounds on any given Friday night. With bars one of the few options for social life this provides an amazing safe place for young people to be.
Please Pray for...
... Mission Worker for Francistown. Money to support a Mennonite Mission Network (USA) worker for Francistown has not come in as all had hoped. However, the possible worker remains upbeat and hopeful that somehow someway God will make a way for her to come. Please keep praying!!!
... Existing and Emerging classes. Please continue to pray for these Bible classes that help people to grow in their faith and their understanding of God in their lives.
...Our North American assignment. We will be in North America from mid-November to mid-January. Pray for those who are putting the church visitation schedule together in the next couple of months.
...The Brethren In Christ Churches here. They are actively reaching out into the Setswana community here in Gaborone and in a number of other places in Botswana. Ask God to help them be creative and relevant here.
... New forms of outreach. A number of people we relate to have recently attended a workshop led by Kings Trust (A UK Christian organization running sports camps and training initiatives in the UK and here) to help them use sports in reaching out. Pray that as they take these new ideas home they will find ways to implement some of them.
Give Thanks for...
... Maeyken’s knees. The physiotherapist is really happy about the progress of her healing and she no longer needs to visit her weekly. While there are activities that she will need to proceed with caution and the Breaststroke (her favourite swimming stroke) is off limits she has been given the green light to start participating in athletics again.
...Monica Shank and her positive experience here in Botswana. Continue to pray for her as she makes the transition from Botswana to London and University there. She is a residence assistant this year. Pray that some of what she learned and experienced here may help her in this new endeavour.
Contact us
Mail us at:
Susan Allison-Jones & Glyn Jones
Box 33, Gaborone, Botswana
Phone us at: 267-390-5554 (Just remember that we are 6 hours earlier than Ontario!)
Skype at: susanglyn
Email us at:
which includes pictures and previous newsletters:
http://www.thegatheringsite.ca/susanglyn/
We welcome your financial contributions for our support and invite you to send these to:
Mennonite Church Canada WITNESS
600 Shaftesbury Blvd
Winnipeg MB
Canada R3P 0M4