Christian Outreach to Southern Africa
Newsletter—April 2010
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Dear Friends,
Ours must be the world’s most neglected website. I don’t know how people keep up with Facebook every day, when I feel good if I get the website updated twice a year. I guess it is because we get very involved with the mission work and only think about the website when we are too tired to do anything about it.
We arrived back in Zimbabwe on 4th March after four months in the USA visiting churches and supporters. It didn’t take long to get settled back into the work in the Masvingo area. Almost immediately Karen was back to teaching a Bible study group, counselling, working with the widows and getting ready for a “young singles” Bible study.
I have been working with the rural churches. That means visiting the churches to preach and to help them with problems that they bring up. I have also been involved in working with a congregation that has split and is having a difficult time resolving problems that flow from that.
We arrived back in time to participate in the Easter revivals in the rural churches. This year I spent most of the Easter weekend with the Musingarabwi church, which is about 30 miles south of Masvingo. There were three revival centres, Gutu, Buhera and Masvingo South. The results of the revivals have been very encouraging. There were 15 baptisms at Musingarabwi, 15 baptised at Buhera and one at Gutu. However, in the weeks before Easter, there were 37 baptisms in Gutu and three at Beit Bridge. So, in the last month there were 71 baptisms reported in the churches we are working with.
Also, while we were in the USA, two new churches were started by the evangelists. One is at Sipambi south of Masvingo and the other is at Hunduza near Gutu. The churches are doing well and we are encouraged at how well the local leadership is functioning.
Between now and the middle of August, we have the following goals:
We intend to be back in the USA from September through the end of the year. One reason is so we can welcome our first grandchild, due the first week of September. The remainder of the time will be spent visiting churches and individuals to report back on the mission ministry here in Zimbabwe.
I always say I will do better at keeping the website up-to-date. That is definitely one task that I really need to work on.
We appreciate your prayers and encouragement.
In Christ,
Ben and Karen
Dear Friends,
Ours must be the world’s most neglected website. I don’t know how people keep up with Facebook every day, when I feel good if I get the website updated twice a year. I guess it is because we get very involved with the mission work and only think about the website when we are too tired to do anything about it.
We arrived back in Zimbabwe on 4th March after four months in the USA visiting churches and supporters. It didn’t take long to get settled back into the work in the Masvingo area. Almost immediately Karen was back to teaching a Bible study group, counselling, working with the widows and getting ready for a “young singles” Bible study.
I have been working with the rural churches. That means visiting the churches to preach and to help them with problems that they bring up. I have also been involved in working with a congregation that has split and is having a difficult time resolving problems that flow from that.
We arrived back in time to participate in the Easter revivals in the rural churches. This year I spent most of the Easter weekend with the Musingarabwi church, which is about 30 miles south of Masvingo. There were three revival centres, Gutu, Buhera and Masvingo South. The results of the revivals have been very encouraging. There were 15 baptisms at Musingarabwi, 15 baptised at Buhera and one at Gutu. However, in the weeks before Easter, there were 37 baptisms in Gutu and three at Beit Bridge. So, in the last month there were 71 baptisms reported in the churches we are working with.
Also, while we were in the USA, two new churches were started by the evangelists. One is at Sipambi south of Masvingo and the other is at Hunduza near Gutu. The churches are doing well and we are encouraged at how well the local leadership is functioning.
Between now and the middle of August, we have the following goals:
- Get a roof put on the church at Matsveru in Chibi.
- Do at least three leadership training programs: Masvingo, Masvingo South and Gutu.
- Begin laying ground work for the three construction projects we would like to finish over the next five years (three church buildings and one minister’s house in the rural churches).
We intend to be back in the USA from September through the end of the year. One reason is so we can welcome our first grandchild, due the first week of September. The remainder of the time will be spent visiting churches and individuals to report back on the mission ministry here in Zimbabwe.
I always say I will do better at keeping the website up-to-date. That is definitely one task that I really need to work on.
We appreciate your prayers and encouragement.
In Christ,
Ben and Karen
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