A Lil update from your Halfrican friends

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We love you and miss you.  We thank you for your prayers and thoughts!  All our best,

 

Mitch & Char

 

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

 

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

 

 

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November update - chickens, kids, parties, farming, family and more

Just a quick note. WOW what a great season.  We have really been able to go deep with a number of young adults and were honored to host the breakout session at a local conference for 55 of the communities youth.  Lots of visitors and teams have recently left, and we now are coming into Christmas and all the joy planning that goes with it.  1200 kids going home with a chicken(many frozen, but some live) for their families Christmas dinner!  HOW EXCITING(see below)!!!!.  Parties with the preschoolers with ice cream, jump castle, games and lesson about our friend Jesus! And a special Braai(BBQ) with all of our partners’ staff.  Great days ahead, and it all happens while Mitch’s Mom and Dad are here.  We finished the construction of a small flat(one room house) for them to have privacy and comfort.  Concrete walls and a tin roof!  We are thrilled that they are on their way in 2 weeks.  Next week we hope to go to Johannesburg and collect the donated Solar system from Genrpo power in South Dakota.  It is clearing customs now and should be released to us soon.  As exciting as that is, it is more exciting that our friends Dwight and Tim will come to install it and take in AHHHHfrica!

We continue negotiations on the Youth house- and have a lead on another house if this one falls out.  Unfortunately people see the color of our skin sometimes and they see money, and we don’t play those games.  This will be a house we will have a tutor at to help high school kids afterschool and for Mitch and Char to pour into them spiritually and as parents would do.  Right now we are seeing 12 kids frequently on one on one settings and seeing great growth in us and them!

The farm is clean and nearly ready to receive Januaries interns and start building a youth and kids camp area. Right now we are toying with the idea of army tents for dormitories for these camps instead of solid buildings(just to add more flavor for the kids).  Will be great times in 2016 pouring into kids for 3-4 days straight.  PRAISE GOD!! (can you see our excitement here?)

As you approach the Christmas season, please take time to focus on the ONE that it is all about.  His name is Jesus and HE CHANGED THE WORLD!  And He hasn’t stopped. 

Please don’t forget to take the chicken challenge!  Just 15 days to go!!!

Your purchase of a t-shirt or donation of $10 sends a chicken home with a child for them and their family this Christmas and equips us to feed them a few months throughout the upcoming year.  We are nearly at 50% of this years goal which will give parties to kids, give chickens to 1200 children for their family and feed those same children several times a week throughout the year ahead!  HUGE WIN!!  And SOON, the farm will be able to take on the expenditure of all that!  We are pushing for sustainability in 5 years time!

Get your t-shirt here: www.booster.com/chickenchallenge

Or make straight donation at www.worldoutreach.org/donate select “Hildebrant” and make note “Chicken”

Can’t buy or give right now?  No problem… please share in your social circles to help us get the word out!

 

We love you and miss you.  We thank you for your prayers and thoughts!  All our best,

 

Mitch & Char

 

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

 

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

 

 

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Chicken Challenge!

TAKE THE CHALLENGE and be a Chicken Champion for Kids!

#ChickenChallenge

Your purchase of a t-shirt or donation of $10 sends a chicken home with a child for Christmas and equips us to feed them throughout the upcoming year.

Get your t-shirt here: www.booster.com/chickenchallenge

Or make straight donation at www.worldoutreach.org/donate select “Hildebrant” and make note “Chicken”

Can’t buy or give right now?  No problem… please share to help us get the word out!

 

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Update from Mitch n Char

It has been a great month here in Africa; 

 

Prayer services, Pastors training, Youth mentoring, Children’s clubs, guests from the USA(Suzie and Alan), Construction on intern housing, Mac nut groves blooming in full, Grounds prepped, Gardens planted,  Mission team planning , Government paperwork submitted for the ministry.

 

Next month- We are hosting a 2 day retreat for the 10 youth we have been mentoring, a donated solar system from GenPro is due to arrive via ship from USA, Prepping for mom and dads visit, Kids Christmas party planning,  Prayerfully receiving our long term visa(3 years more), first batch of Macadamia saplings arrive, Securing of youth safe house in the community.

 

There is always more going on, but we don’t want to flood your inbox(be free to see pictures and keep up on a daily basis online(links below)). 

 

We are so grateful for you!  Thank you!  Be watching soon for a fun and exciting way to help us bring Christmas to 1000 families!

 

God Bless you!

 

Mitch & Char

 

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

 

 

 

 

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August Update from M n C

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Grace and peace to you!  So many wonderful things going on, it’s hard to put it all in 1 page, but we tried(don’t want to send you a book to read).  C’mon. take 2 minutes, check it out!

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragement! 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

Gramma. Labor. Teaching. -Update from Mitch and Char

Hello!!!

It has been a great month here in Southern Africa.  Light frost in the mornings, warm days and lots of amazing ministry elements happening.

Last Month:

There was a 3 week break in the local schools for winter term.  We took our partners on an outreach journey to Swaziland and the projects YOU support there.  They served and loved so well.  Some of our South Africa staff left amazed at the hard conditions they saw and the joy the people had.

(pictures- Mitch and char with some of the kids from Khanyasile(Section 19), 95 year old GOGO(gramma) from Section 19 who was living in a 2 walled thatch house-our team took compassion on her and built her a new one room home.  Construction has begun at Khumbaso for a preschool there, and Construction continues on the Farm in eManzana-great opportunity to serve with and minister to local men, and Mitch was preaching about having no Fear this past weekend at the local church.

Next Month and months to come:

Friends from usa come for 5 weeks to serve and work with us

Preschools and feeding programs continue

School of ministry gaining consistency and we are seeing lives changed dramatically

New missionaries arriving to oversee the internship program

Construction and renovation on farm continue, new macadamia sapplings arrive

Mom and Dad arrive just in time for the children’s Christmas parties

Prayer requests:

We remain with no long term visa-it has added a fair amount of stress however, we remain trusting the Lord will see it through

Several deaths this past month-and many hurting friends and people from church

South Africa’s economy continues to worsen

We are praying for the USA-there have been many news reports we have seen that would point to things not being great there right now

We love you, we miss you, we SO appreciate you!

M & C

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

A small rant. Where is the justice?

Ok so I see and hear all about a lion being killed in africa by a rich American hunter. I know nothing about that. I don't know what the issues on either side are or really ...anything about it other than it has incited hundreds of thousands of people...

This week we buried a 7 year old. 2 days later a 10 year old girl was walking across the street and bam...dead. 2 teens killed by gangs In a town 20km from us.

Where is the outrage? Where is the concern? How is it that the minority has gained such voice? Why an outcry for a lion(I'm sad by that too-they are beautiful) but not a global concern to death and disease?

Ok rant over. Love you!!

Great Grace, 2 bibles and 90 days

I wish I could say as a "Christ follower" that I never have stress or anxiety. The truth is I know what the Bible says about not worrying and being anxious for nothing. But the rubber still meets the road.
We have been and remain concerned that South Africa will not issue us our needed visa(permit to remain 3 more years). We trust and believe that the Lord can do this. Unfortunately between Him and us is a lot of man made policies and red tape...and people.
We found a Zambian friend that believes he can help us, but it will take some time do so from here.
Our current visa expires tuesday so today we went to the Swaziland border to plead our case and ask for a brief extension to allow the South Africa home affairs department more time to process the request that was filed in October 2014.
We were met at a very rural border post by Mr Nkosi. We chatted a bit and went through the border. About 3 hours later we came back to cross back into South Africa. Mr Nkosi was still there and we greeted him once again. We then explained our situation and asked if there was anyway we could beg for 90 days of extended stay. He paused and looked back and forth at our paperwork. He then scanned our passports and reached into his desk drawer with a special stamp. As the stamp hit the passports we didn't know what he would write on it or type into the system...He showed us Great Grace and wrote down "October 17". Once again saving us the headache and expense of trying to refile from the USA.
We thanked him in Siswati and handed him a bible. Border posts like this are very quiet and generally nothing to do to pass the time. The guards at the gate also received a bible. We had them open it and agree to read a verse and speak with each other about what the Word of God says. We started them off at John 3:16 (seemed like a good verse to lead with)

So we remain. Waiting on the Lord and believing strength will rise while we do so.
Faith not tested can often not be trusted.
Thanks for your prayers. Your support. Your friendship. We love you.

July update from M n C

Hello dear friend, WOW what an amazing month here in Southern Africa.

-The Farm is progressing and 1 of 2 houses is nearly complete and ready for interns to arrive from USA and England (Dave has done a great job directing and working with the crew- even implemented a morning prayer and weekly bible sharing time with the workers)

-Infrastructure (water and electric) are nearly complete for the entire compound

-Fruit trees (mango, lemon and avocado) have arrived and in March/April the 1200 Macadamia saplings will start to come in (Randy is a gifted farm manager)

-We move to the farm(from a farm house we are currently renting about 3km down the road) this month

-We just returned from an outreach into Swaziland (section 19 area)with our partners and staff here in South Africa.  16 Africans and missionaries helping other Africans. (Preschool, painting, building a house for a 95 year old woman) It was BEAUTIFUL!

-We remain hopeful and waiting for our visas.  We feel the Lord is leading us to trust Him more and to keep going to the border for short extensions until the government figures out what they are going to officially do.

-We had a team from North Carolina serve at the farm, the local schools and our kids (camp at Prayer mountain for 3 days)

-New missionary Claire has jumped in both feet

-New missionary Bruce arrives next week

-School of ministry with young adults is going great.  Seeing quite a buzz around the age groups 14-25 with a couple coming from usa to minister with us for 6 weeks and YFC director from another community coming to host a youth ministry conference.  Great things ahead in this aspect of ministry

-We had over 40 different workers on the farm in the past 2 months, last night we took the opportunity with 15 of them (who have been sleeping there doing some work) to host a BBQ with them.  Culturally, it may have been the first time for many of them to eat supper with white people, and more importantly, for them to be served by us.  Was a great time of sharing and eating, and eating… oh, and eating!  (South Africans call a BBQ a “Braai” (bry).  And it is very social with several courses of meats.  A North Dakota Farm boys dream!

-Finalizing plans for the October Spark Foundation team and another in March 2016(wanna come to Africa for 10 days?)

So much to see, please visit us on facebook or instagram to literally see the pictures, for now, we remain in your debt for allowing us to be here to serve others. 

Thanks so much!

Blessings,

Mitch & Char

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

"I'll Kick your A$$"

They were the first words he said to me.

He got off the bus for kids camp.  He has style and a walk that showed he was in charge and the leader of the pack.  He made some ninja motions and as I went to give him a hug, he shoved me back and said (in an accent that could have only come from an American movie/tv show)- "I'll Kick you're A$$".

I hesitated.  Not many 10 year olds have English competency to speak English that well, and the reality is that he probably did not understand exactly what that meant.  He went on with his "swagger" and "strut" throughout Friday evening.  By the end of the night, I got a "fist bump" from him.  (progress).

Saturday was an event packed day.  After breakfast He stood beside me, didn't say a word, but just stood there…close against my leg.  It wasn't until later in the day…He came up to me, put an arm around me and started to speak with me.  He loves soccer and was really looking forward to the tourney for the older kids tomorrow(Sunday), he was enjoying the games and worship and dancing during the camp.  He had his pseudo gold bling on at this point (you remember those cheap, thick chains we as kids wore?  The ones that turned our necks green?  Yah that's what he had).

One thing we have learned clearly- Kids are kids and want to be kids, but the world influences them and it has dramatic effect on their lives.  A little time showing them love, remembering their name, and that they are valuable can rock them out of their impressional view of others and themselves.

Phila knows he has a father in heaven.  

Phila (pee-lah) ran up to me on Sunday at the tournament and said (a little like a gangsta "What's up").  And now I have a new buddy that we can continue to groom and include in youth events and training's as he grows up Strong in the Lord.

We thank God for you!  You have sent us, and we get to be part of something bigger right here in the front row.  We are so blessed and realize that there is SO much more to be done here.  

We are asking for two prayer requests today.  1)- that Phila would grow in his faith and experience of the Father's love and 2)-We believe we are to continue that work, and ask for your prayers this week.  We MUST get an answer this week from South Africa Home Affairs on our visa, or we will be forced to fly to USA and re-apply(a very costly adventure) from Chicago's offices.  

Stand with us, believe that by THIS TIME next week, we will have a favorable response and won't have to waste time and money to go to/from USA for something as simple as a visa to remain.  Thank you!

June update from Mitch & Char`

How to pray and what’s up with the farm and ministry…

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Exciting Days - It is OFFICIAL, We have gone NUTS!

Yes indeed we have officially GONE NUTS!

Have you ever wondered where macadamia nuts come from? 

We have begun our first Macadamia Nut harvest on the farm.  See 15 second video here: https://www.facebook.com/mitchchar/videos/10206323087176090/

Harvest, husk, sort, crack and eat!

400 trees in harvest now-preliminary estimates for the first crop will yield enough funds for farm operating 1 year, purchase of 1200 tree expansion, and buy foods for local feeding programs. PRAISE JESUS! It is working!!! Self sustainable, job creating, kingdom impacting!

This is step one into creating a local program for the local people to assist us with accomplishing the below ministry efforts with our strategic partners:

Preschools (and Primary School coming in 2016):  Education is vitally important in the impoverished world.  Preschool sets the foundation and plans are in place to expand into Primary(elementary) education by 2016.  Currently 4 preschools running full time – 2 in Swaziland and 2 in South Africa.

Feeding Sites and Bible clubs (annual kids camps):  Food is key to survival and learning.  Proper nutrition brings life and increased function and focus.    Food provides a way to bring some of the poorest of the poor children into a safe place where we can have clubs and programs geared towards who Christ is, how He loves them, and His plan for their lives.  Approximately 1750 kids currently involved at 12 locations, each with a church, local pastoral partner, and volunteer cooks.

Pastors and Leaders training:  Equipping and training local Pastors to break free from tradition and cultural beliefs/teaching.  Multiplying impact for Kingdom minded growth.  82 local pastors are now connected in some fashion with +-40 in consistent ongoing training.

School of Ministry:  Working with young adults and even a few grannys in a consistent weekly training and learning time- discovery of who they are in Christ.  We also teach practical skills like writing a resume, balancing income and expenses, and customer service.  19 students in the group meeting 3 hours weekly. 

The Farm: 50 Acres with 400 macadamia trees(1200 more on order) and a variety of fruit trees.  Much room for expanding crops and turning income which will decrease foods purchased for community feeding programs and offset additional feeding program needs.  Will also serve as a home base for teams, skills training, job creation, interns, missionaries and one day; an orphaned children’s home.   Goal is to create sustainable ministries for years to come.

Teams: Hosting multiple short term mission teams each year that serve for 1-2 weeks.  Connecting them to our normal daily ministry activities reaching the community in a deeper way. (construction, teaching, training, feeding, bible studies, medical, skills training, etc.)

Local:  Devotionals and motivational talks with students at schools, staff at schools and staff at local clinic.  Outreaches into the local farm communities for discovery bible series.  Weekly prayer for sick and home visitations.  Women's bibles studies for cooks at locations of children's feeding sites. 

Internship (Coming 2016):  Young Christian adults from USA and Europe joining with us for 10 months-1 year as we present a cross cultural dynamic training program to them and local students.  Giving them opportunity to apply their learning into practical ways to pour into the community.  They discover who they are and help others in the process.  Duplicating, returning home and reaching the world from South Africa.

PRAISE JESUS!!!

Thanks for sending us, we are THRILLED to see His vision coming to fruition here.  There is still so much to do, but we have great encouragement in seeing all He has done and you have equipped!

Mitch & Char

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

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Have PEACE!

Hello beautiful friend!  As you are sitting in the USA(or wherever you may be today), we wanted to send a brief note out about Peace.  Here in South Africa this week there have been many riots, uprisings and killings.  Have Peace.  Foreigners are the targets.  Have Peace.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

It is called "xenophobia"(fear of things foreign or strange-and manifests in people groups) and has been making into the news channels across the globe.  We are so grateful for caring friends that have messaged us, or sought additional information, those that were concerned with our welfare.  Have Peace.

We are completely fine and feel totally safe.  What has happened is that in some of the larger cities, many local South African black people(this is not an offensive term here, it is politically correct to say black/white) are upset that other black people from other African countries have come in, started businesses and are "taking jobs away from the locals".  (sadly many of the locals have not thought to start these businesses or do not want to invest the time and energy into them, but are lashing out at the foreigners).  Have Peace.

The issues are calming down already now, and we are confident that the Lord will use this to bring nations together.  His promises are true.

On a lighter and much more agreeable subject; things are rapidly progressing here in the region.  Pastoral training has been going great- last week, 32 persons age 17-72 were in attendance.  This week we jump in with a group of 20+ young adults in school of ministry with partner churches.  Devotionals with small farm villages have been highly valued and next week we are delivering foods to the Spark Foundation kids.  The preschool is completed in Swaziland Khanyasile(section 19), and harvest is upon us on the macadamia farm.  Initial projections show that the harvest of our very first crop will be enough to cover operating costs for the year, and order 1200 more trees for planting and expansion (from the 400 current) next year.  By this time next year, we hope to be generating local money to buy local foods to feed local people.  IT IS WORKING!!! Praise GOD!

We love you, and are so grateful for your friendship, your prayers and your support.  Thanks for sending US!  We are blessed!

Mitch & Char

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

Fwd: No Foolin, just an update!

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They are SUPER STARS

We returned to eManzana (Badplaas) on Friday evening.  Saturday morning we awoke early and ran around the community to see some wonderful people we had been missing.  Fekile (feh-gee-lay) and her sister Ncobile (n(click)oh-bee-lay) have just moved to help us with cooking and working at a local church.  They contacted us while we were in america and said "We feel the Lord is asking us to work with you in ministry.  We realize that you don't have resources to hire us, but you need to know that THE LORD is our source."  They had had such challenging pasts that would prevent most from ever pursuing a life in Christ...  Oh THANK YOU JESUS!!!

These two girls are very near to our heart, Last year they were active participants of a discipleship school we led nearly 2.5 hours from here.  They have arrived and are fitting into the community beautifully.  For their volunteering of cooking for kids, we are able to secure them food for their family each month, and with your generous support, we are able to pay the $63 rent for them and the 3 kids that Fekile has.  We are so blessed to have these high caliber, Jesus loving, Servants here with us.  We have seen them 4 of 4 days being back home-and on thursday, Mitch and Babe(mr) Ngwenya((en-gwen-yah) it means Crocodile) will go do some repair work on their little house.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

That is their approach to life, and they challenge us.  They are our daughters and we remain thrilled to get to go even deeper in relationship with them now.  Thank you LORD!

Then we connected with Nomsa.  MAN is she BRILLIANT!!!  Widow with 3 precious kiddos at home.  She is taken on the task of tending to a whole lot of details and numbers of kids feeding at multiple locations, what days, how many, etc etc and entering the data into a computer for the organization that receives the donated food and passes on to our partner ministry.  Such grace and finess as she approached each line item.  While in the USA, You provided a gently used laptop for her, and i could have sworn that you bought her the moon.  THANK YOU!

May the Lord bless you and Keep you, make His face shine upon you and give you PEACE!!

--

Mitch Hildebrant

FAQ's

Some of the more frequent questions we have gotten from those seeking trips or a life overseas. Perhaps this will be step one to helping answer those questions. The main thing to remember- If HE is calling you.. HE will equip you in all ways- physically, spiritually and financially. One thing to remember- How you are now is likely to be how you are in Africa. If you are not discipling someone now-you most likely will struggle discipling someone in a new culture.

Spark Foundation

FAQs:

How much does it take to live there? Well, depending on your flexibillity, our missionary couples live on less than $850 per month. and are trying to scale that back.

How much does it take to take a team trip there? We generally see a ground cost for 10 days with transport, food, lodging, projects and game animal experience around $900 per person plus airfare and insurances. Trips for 10 days on the ground average $2600-2900

How much of your money goes to ministry? We are fortunate as our personal expenses are funded by investments. Donor funds-92.5% goes into effective ministry(not personal usage). We utilize an agency that specializes in doing the paperwork and accounting for missionaries-that does cost 10% of the total gifts made, however our investments offest 2.5% of that...

How do you get a visa?- GREAT QUESTION- we are still trying. Never give up- if you KNOW God called you, He will take care of the issues. It's a process, but one worth going through. (and now you have someone that can help you in that process)

How do i become a missionary? - contact us, we would love to talk to you about your involvement. Short or long term. We approach things similar to the book of Acts. Our leaders all sit down and talk and when we all feel the Holy Spirit(our Spiritual covering) confirm, we make a move- this is for projects as well as approving missionaries.

Where do you live? do you have stores and food? running water and electricity?... Yes we have a nice concrete home, there are several small stores to get all the necessities and nice gardens to grow the rest, the butcher is our friend. We have water that comes 24x7 out of an artesian well from the ground (very blessed) and electricity is usually on.

Any other questions? if you have them, others may too!

Would love to hear from you!

Mr Malaza - and a stern rebuke

It was late November and we were getting work done at eDwaleni(the pastors and leaders training center).  The neighbor came over.  He apparently had dreadlocks at one point-and shaved his head, except for 1 "lock".  This thick Sharpie pen sized thing bouncing about the right side of his head-just above his ear.

The Chiefs office had marked the land we just occupied, and Mr. M had a concern saying they were pushing him out and that part of that land was his.  He was...Very High (He had just walked from the back of the property from smoking something under the tree).

He came up and his eyes were darting and he was a bit twitchy. I explained that he can no longer do those things near our property, or i will have to call the police(i was quite stern-culturally it's not the best thing to be direct).  He said "Call them, they know i do this, they don't care.  He then said "you know i believe in God, you pray for me".  So we did.  We prayed that the devils influence in his life would cease, that the void would be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that he would be cured from needing substances to escape.

(i am confident that the devil was controlling him in his actions and speaking)

I felt bad about the harsh tone i had used with him-even though it was most likely not even him, and I took advise from Luke 6:28 "Bless those that curse you".  He was definitely cursing us.  I brought back some corn meal and soups for him the following day.  It took him 3 hours to receive the gift-he thought i put poison in it to get rid of him.  

He has wandered around the neighborhood ever since.  Today, as i was painting there, he walked in and said "I saw you come in and wanted to see you".  I said "MALAZA, i am so happy to see you, how are you?" He pointed to his head-"do you see a difference?".  I said "where is your dread lock?".  He explained that he cut it off...

This is where I was so encouraged;  I don't know if he told me the truth, but i am believing for it!  His response "Since that day you were firm with me and prayed, I have quit smoking and am healthier, I was sick for 3 weeks, but am better now.  I have changed and left that behind"  My spirit jumped within me!

Will you join us in prayer: that this will be a permanent change for him, that the enemy will be bound from attacking him, and that the Lord will continue to lead him into a deep relationship.  We will see him every week or more now, so we are expectant!