News from Africa
| NEWS FROM KENYA |  |
BARATON | Bro Martin Chemiati
The Bible Basics Reading Class is doing well and we are finding “Wrested Scriptures” by Brother Abel a great help in further understanding the doctrines and the comments in Duncan’s NEV Bible. We are in urgent need of more of these books please. The books you send me are changing the minds of many as they learn that the other Churches do not teach the truth.
Since the recent death of my wife I am finding it increasingly difficult to look after the family and also visiting the local Ecclesias, plus alas not being so well myself lately. Jesus’ return will bring these problems to an end and my happiness is that we are going to be given permanent eternal perfect life with Jesus in His Kingdom when sorrow and crying will flee away.
Sisters Leaving the meetings after their two day Bible School
Sister Everyone presenting the Sunday School awards
BUNGOMA | Bro Nasongo Harron
We are all doing well. Recently we received new friends in our ecclesia, two men and one lady.
Brothers, all the gospel literature that you have been sending to me was of great value and has imparted knowledge of the gospel in a positive way thus building our strength in the true gospel.
It takes a courageous soul and good heart to spread the gospel. We know that God is on our side and may you put on the armour of God relentlessly. Even if the environment is tough we know that He will open ways to get people to spread the gospel to the entire world.
We know very well that when we go to the Church we go there to get the Word of God and to have refreshment of the soul so as to know more about the Truth. But other people are trying their level best to gain what is not? They believe in the crosses, that they make with their own hands, they do not have the true gospel. We believe in the Almighty God and in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, so that we can be saved and enter into His Kingdom when he comes to reign as King forever and ever. May he soon come.
Bro Harron with four friends who are regular readers of Gospel News
CHWELE | Alice Watwati
I am a Christian and have been following the Evangelical World Christian Church, however your members David and Jacklyne gave me some very interesting Bible based booklets which are enabling me to gain more real Bible knowledge and so am joining their meeting.
KAKUMA | DROUGHT CRISIS
The drought in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya, especially in Turkana West- county where Kakuma Refugee Camp is located, is causing hunger due to the shortage of water.
At Kakuma there are 4 water bore holes amongst the 10 serving refugee camps which have dried up because of the lack of rains from the Ugandan mountains that always flow to Kakuma. Animals (goats, cows etc...) are dying because of the lack of water and grass.
The drought has also made the price rise of charcoal and firewood for cooking food.
KALOBEYEI | Bro John Lwamba Katembo
Yes, the preaching work we hold every Saturday in Kalobeyei Refugee settlement is progressing. We pray and hope that it will bear fruits in the near future. Three Brothers from our ecclesia hold Bible discussion there with our friends - we thank our heavenly Father one friend has now been convinced and has requested to be baptized.
We are now planning for Bro Isidore to start teaching him the 40 lessons step by step twice a week and at the end the baptism would be arranged. Also Bible discussion with other contacts is ongoing. But the challenge we face in the preaching work activity is the transport as always, to go to Kalobeyei by foot is 15kms. We have received the parcel containing 20 Bible Basics books from Christadelphian Advancement Trust to be used for the preaching work in Kalobeyei and Kakuma.
Prayer Request | Pray for rain
Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Kakuma Refugee Camp during this time of terrible hardship and that the rains may soon come to bring the drought to an end.
KITALE | Sis Caroline Nanjala
Many greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is at hand if we take account of the signs of the times. As we’re nearing our Lord’s return, things are changing speedily, and we’re happy of it because our salvation is close by.
My brother, the work is too much, and needs very deep reading and comprehending. Recently we have overturned a full Church of about 31 people who are now in the class.
MWKHUPO | Bro Robert Wafula
Not all of us have Bibles, hence my requesting some for baptised members and there are others wishing to be baptised who do not have Bibles.
SINDO | Bro John Owalo Onani
The salvation journey towards the Kingdom helps me learn from the book of Joshua how the God of Israel gave support and magnified his servant to settle his people in the land of Canaan, facing challenges and human weakness and demonstrates God’s amazing love, mercy and grace towards us.
From my childhood my earthly parents taught me two important words – obedience and humility. They died out of the Truth but what they taught me has made me to be what I am today. In the book of Philippians 2:5-11 you get an example of what made Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be our Saviour, advocate, mediator, author of our salvation and a faithful witness to the Truth. Phil 2:8. “And being a normal man he humbled himself becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and realise the prisoner was YOU.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:14,15
TARBO
The Ecclesia has expanded and have been doing a lot of preaching at Webuye 60 km away, so a new Ecclesia has been formed there. In the photo above is the Webuye group with Bro Emmanuel Milimo of Tarbo.
TONGAREN | Bro Isaac Kapa
I was very glad when I received the two parcels of Bibles and the booklet ‘When will Jesus Return’, it has good topics on the return of Jesus.
In Rift Valley area we are blessed with a big ecclesia hall constructed at Kamukuywa. We are told that it’s the biggest ecclesia in Africa and in April we are expecting to open it officially. There we shall have a three days area Bible School.
I have a topic to speak about the return of Jesus on earth, so this booklet will help much in that coming Bible School.
WEBUYE | Sis Judith Kasala
Thank you for Gospel News Godly messages and the Bible Studies which have turned my life up for good.
We have been called to be creative, effective, loving, Christians living and acting as far as we can how Christ lived, and to live and act as Christians with those around us, so that they will see by our lives that we are Christians. This contact may begin with a friendship, or at work or wherever you may find yourself. We need to spend time with God everyday by meditating upon His word in the Bible and prayer. Also asking Him to show us how to reach those with whom we come into contact, watch for divinely arranged encounter where we have the opportunity of preaching the word
The photo, shows brethren and sisters from Webuye and we expect more baptisms this year. The work is hindered because we lack the Kiswahili New Testaments you produced, indeed we need the full Bible to be produced in Kiswahili together with the Christadelphian Commentary as local Bibles have much wrong doctrine and so many are led astray. We do appreciate this is expensive, but we fear that without such many of our native people will not have the opportunity of salvation.
WEBUYE | Flora Naswa Wafula
I am pleased to tell that after a Sister has spoken to me and discussed many things about your beliefs which I have seen agree with what the Bible teaches. Please send me some books so that I may increase my knowledge of God’s Word.
| NEWS FROM MALAWI | |
Bro Thomas Muleso
Some time back you sent me a box full of Bible Basics in Chichewa, but now they are all distributed. If you have some copies in Chichewa, could you please send them to me – if possible, a good number, as you did last time.
As you know, in Malawi, well over 70% of the population cannot read English, so the Chichewa books are in great demand. I have a number of English copies, but it is difficult to distribute these as most people cannot read English.
| NEWS FROM NIGERIA | |
ABA | Bro James Ogbah
Suffering is a problem in life that comes to every human being under the sun. God, in creation, gave human beings the opportunity to choose between right and wrong, good and evil. Man in his pride and lust for power, love of money which is the root of all kinds of evil, brought punishment of death to himself. God is not to blame.
God promised the human race life if he will obey and abide by his laws (Gen. 2:16,17). Unfortunately man did not obey nor keep the law, thereby bringing suffering and death to himself and his offspring.
Wars, hunger, illegal ‘hard’ drugs production, pain, torture are man-made sufferings on man. God is not to blame.
God is the Master and Maker of the universe and not man. He created and caused some happenings beyond man’s knowledge and understanding. The power in nature is awesome. We cannot experience an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, a raging sea or hurricane, etc., without feeling helpless, for these are God-made. God’s power is great and we are weak. He does not give us a guarantee of security in this life. That should encourage us to listen to His message of salvation given in the Bible.
Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why are children born blind or deformed? Jesus made it clear in John 9:1-3 that it was not always as a result of personal sin but that the works of God might be revealed in him. The Bible teaches that suffering, in itself, is not evil. It is the outworking of a much deeper problem, it is the result of breaking of God’s laws in Eden.
ENUGU | Bro Goddy Nwusu
Although not a youth, I am hoping to attend the Asaba Youth Conference as a helper and always find it stimulating.
You mentioned an experiment at comparing the cost of sending me 500 leaflets and getting a price to see if it would be cheaper to get them duplicated in Nigeria. There does not seem a lot in it price wise as your postage is so expensive. If they are individually photo copied they work out more expensive.
I am very pleased that Bro Emma Ndukwe has transferred from the Aba Ecclesia to join us at Enugu.
MBAISE | Bro Blessing Nwigwe
It is with great sadness that we people of Nigeria report the death of our overseer/elder Brother Elijah M.K. Eze who died after suffering from sickness years past and he was buried in August 2016. He will be greatly missed in Nigeria and all over the world. He now sleeps in the hope of the resurrection when Jesus comes and awakes him from sleep, at his second coming.
We are praying for you and your family, pray for us also. May the Lord be with you to work harder. God bless you all.
| NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA | |
Kempton Park and surrounds
During the month of November we brought our Sunday School to a close with an outing to Heehaw Party farm. The youngsters enjoyed a fun-filled day of play and each returned sporting airbrush tattoos, sand-art kits and a photograph to commemorate the day.
Our members put together a very varied talent show in lieu of the traditional Sunday School Concert – we had everything from biblical skits, magic acts and animal encounters to object lessons, solo singers and musicians displaying their talents. This event was a wonderful way for us to get to know each other better, as many of us tend to keep our interests and talents to ourselves during the normal course of a Sunday.
Sisters Class Summer School 2017
| NEWS FROM TANZANIA | |
ILOMBA | Bro James Mwavgmo
Greetings in the saving name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you very much for the books you have sent me and the pamphlets. They are a great help to me and Ilomba Ecclesia at large. This Bible Basics Self Study Manual is very helpful and help me to understand the Word of God plainly.
I have found another place for our meetings now and we have started making mud bricks for it.
Please pass my greetings to C.A.T. members and all of them who are in the Truth waiting for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus to establish God’s Kingdom here on earth.
SINZA
We are please to report the baptism of Sister Nancy Ayubu Sazi on 25th December.
| NEWS FROM UGANDA | |
BUGIRI | Kyolimpa Shadia
God be praised for your kind regards. I am really fascinated with your open heart in extending moral generation. I have invited friends to share with me the word of God and the Bible you sent to me is the only one in the region.
Comment: I requested the postmaster to help with a P.O.Box and, in appreciation, sent him a Bible. MH
KISINGA
Bro Kule Remegio has had a severe attack of Malaria and was admitted to Hospital and is now recovering. However, in Africa there is no free Hospitals and so he has a nasty hospital bill to pay.
Bro Remegio
| NEWS FROM ZAMBIA | |
DAPHAN
There has been a lot of activity in Daphan. Apart from preaching activities, the CBM and donors have provided for a substantial pump, pictured below, so that they can obtain good clean drinking water for themselves and others. This is really appreciated by everyone as good drinking water is so important to health and alas, the lack of it is the cause of a lot of illnesses and this type of practical help is really needed in many areas. Many thanks to all who have helped with this project.
Bro Costa Kanembe (pictured overleaf) has been giving many talks on the devil and satan, quite a shock for some Catholics to realise that Jesus called Peter “satan”, but were greatly relieved to find that the word satan is just another word for adversary and Jesus called Peter satan because at that moment he was adverse to Christ’s teaching, because Peter did not have in mind the things of God but the things of men (Matt 16:22-23).
DAPHAN | Bro Costa Kanembe (left) explaining to student Pennwell Kajolo the parable of the sower and illustrating its meaning in a field
KAFUE | Bro Emerson Ntebeka
I thank you very much for Gospel News magazine, I am very glad indeed for it to continue as it is the only Christadelphian magazine we receive regularly.
I am quite well at this time, but my wife has a lot to think and talk about concerning the death of her son, Brother Clever Ntebeka. I tell her, “Clever has fallen asleep in Christ. If you have faith in God and Jesus Christ, you will see your son at the resurrection day.” She becomes happier this way, but with tears coming out of her eyes, of course.
Bro Dan Mwabiua who loves reading his Bible
Bro Andrew Mbewe and his Sister Molin who are anxious to prepare themselves for Jesus return
KANYOKO | Sis Theresa Daka
In God there are no poor but there are great riches. In God, real treasure lies not in what can be seen but what cannot be seen. Jesus told us to put our treasure in heaven not on earth, where there are rust and robbers, so let us put our treasure where it cannot be seen.
I pray that God can help all brothers and sisters to know the way to pass through, so that when Christ rules with His might, we shout, “Oh! I see the son of God.”
I am the mother of a son aged one year and six months who has sickle cell disease, so I go to the hospital in and out for the treatment. The health workers help us, and they tell us words to give him a lot of food, but I and the father are not in employment. Our child needs lots of food to grow well.
KAPIRI MPOSHI | Bro Chisosa Ostine
The people who want to know the truth are many, but there are no Bibles that they can use for studies. I would like to inform you that my wife’s sister Agnes has been sick for a long time. She is suffering from cervical cancer and needs proper treatment so that she may be cured. But this needs money to go to Lusaka where the machines are.
NDOLA | Bro Green Mumbelunga
I have a very big problem. We are passing through hardships with my children. The fact is that I was sick, so I sent my wife to go and buy some goods at Nakonde. While she was coming back she was involved in an accident which claimed 12 people dead, including my wife. She died on the spot.
All the goods she bought got lost- everything. So we are stranded very much, me and my children. Sometimes we sleep without eating any food.
Prayer Request
Please pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering from sickness in terrible poverty and grieving for their loved ones.
| NEWS FROM ZIMBABWE | |
Chipinge Ecclesia in particular is progressing well, with Bro Moses Dhlakama, who is always giving us excellent Bible teachings and exhortations.
