As you pray - 2 November 2007

My dear friends

Helmut Fuerst is thankful for the way it has gone so far with their Abortion Information Stand in Aachen. They marvel at the timely favourable weather which they see as divine intervention. Let us remember the second phase of the action on 16-17 November.

Norbert Ziegler has asked that we pray for Georg Grau and Jan Willem Mout who are taking services in Latvia from yesterday till Sunday.

Our thoughts are also with Mario Rocha as he travels to Mozambique today. Mario requests that we remember a friend Danie du Preez who had a serious operation last Saturday. Danie was to oversee the building of Doctors for Life's clinic in Zavora, Mozambique.

The Eurochor has had blessed fellowship and performances in the Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces. We accompany them as they head for KwaZulu-Natal. The rest of the itinerary is as follows:

4 November        KwaSizabantu         KwaZulu-Natal
6 November        Pietermaritzburg    KwaZulu-Natal
7 November        Durban                   KwaZulu-Natal

From the Pienaars we gather that Pieter and Isabel Becker are thankful for the blessed services last weekend.

News from Herbert and Mientjie Reimer is that they are already holding services in Paraguay. We pray on.

Gideon Jacobs requests prayers for their services in the Burgersdorp Dutch Reformed Church on Sunday. Gwen van Hasselt will also minister in song.

Here is an excerpt from a recent e-mail by TNT's Joseph Greyling:

'TNT outreach to Zastron:

Jan & Gwen van Hasselt have arranged meetings for us in the Southern Free State this coming week. So far we are visiting 8 schools and 3 prisons in Zastron, Wepener and Bethulie. There will also be a special meeting with a local group of people. The plan is to join up with the brethren from Smithfield at the Burgesdorp NG church service on Sunday morning, and thereafter leave for Zastron to begin the work. Archie van der Walt will also be part of the team. Please pray for our spiritual and physical needs.

Secunda:

Albertus Bodenstein visited a group in Secunda on behalf of TNT last week. He said it went well.'

From Cedar College of Education, Dr Ilsa Vermaak requests that we pray for them as they consider applications for the 2008 academic year.

It would seem that the Lord is opening more doors into Africa for CCE. CCE final year students accompanied by staff members use their vacation tours for reaching out with the Good News. Right now they have invitations from Lesotho and Malawi.Their prayer is that God's perfect will will be done.

Reformation Day on Wednesday 31 October was very special for me. Once again I marvelled at how events from almost 500 (490 to be exact) and about 10 000 km away have a direct bearing on my life and history. What a privilege it was for Kjell Olsen and I together with our wives to be part of CFT-Germany's special commemoration of the 480th Anniversary of the Reformation in Wittenberg on 31 October 1997.

On Wednesday Dorothea Killus took me on a 'tour' of the historical sites that have to do with Dr Martin Luther's life. It was a treat.

Andrea Husslig of Radio Khwezi-German had an interview with 'Dr Martin Luther.' We thank the Lord for the precious truths that came from this man of God.

My word!

One of the challenges I am having to face in my illness is revisiting my own words; more specifically, messages of comfort and encouragement to those who were going through tough times. As I recalled my words I had to ask myself if they were genuine or a superficial 'Take my advice; I don't need it.'

In fact, what got me thinking about this was a message from one of my former teachers for whom I have a lot of respect, Rev C S Z Ntuli. He was my first English teacher at Dlangezwa High School in 1972.

Rev Ntuli comes from a family of highly gifted authors and poets; his, his brother's (Emeritus Professor in African Languages), his son's and his nephew's are well-known names in isiZulu literature. Heeding a call into ministry, he took early retirement from a top post in the Department of Education and went on to become the Moderator of the United National Church (Lutheran). In spite of their achievements the Ntulis have endeared themselves to many by their humility and down-to-earth attitude.

Like my many other friends and acquaintances Rev Ntuli was shocked and saddened by the news that I had been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. When he came to see me he recited words that made a deep impression on me:

"God knows,
So, heart, be still.
What need our little life,
Our human life, to know,

When God hath comprehension?"

On Tuesday Rev Ntuli called to inform us that his wife had taken ill and had to be hospitalised. Knowing how close the dear old couple are I felt very sorry for them and said as much in my SMS to him. When I read his response on my cellphone I was deeply moved:

"God knows,
So, heart, be still.
What need our little life,
Our human life, to know,

When God hath comprehension?"

What touched me was to see that in his hour of need Rev Ntuli had found comfort in the same profound and reassuring words that he recited to me years ago.

My word!

"He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Have a blessed weekend.

Pressing on!

In His love

Fano Sibisi

As you pray -2 November 2007