Village: Dinga, South Africa (right outside of Malamulele)
Date: July 27th - August 9th
Team: Euto Baptist Church
Church: Dinga Baptist Church
Pastor: Nehemiah Chauke (student at Christ Seminary & serves as a translator with Samaria Mission)
Our last team this season was from Euto Baptist Church in North Carolina . They are Darren's sending church and his sister-in-law, was able to come on outreach as well. We also had a young lady join us from Germany as well. This was a small team and we really enjoyed getting to know each of them.
This team was involved in:
- house to house visitations,
- men's, women's and children's ministry
- evening services
- men's, women's and children's ministry
- evening services
They were also involved in a few practical ministries as well:
-repainting the church sign
-replacing the old, broken fence
Mark and Darren took the PaulAnn team to the airport and picked up the Euto team the next day. The kids and I helped move and set up camp in Dinga for the team to arrive on Sunday afternoon.
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| Luke busy clearing out a burn hole - he had an audience. |
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| morning devos |
The team praying before going out on house to house visitation.
The different Bible studies took place each afternoon. The first day the children stayed in the church but then it was decided for the rest of the time they would go to the soccer field down the road. There were so MANY children in this village.
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| children's ministry |
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| Luke helping with children's ministry |
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| youth ministry |
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| youth ministry |
We were very happy to see how many men, young and old, that faithfully attended Bible study each afternoon.
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| men's ministry |
I was asked to teach the women's study the first day and do a review. Since this was the first time to do ministry in this village I focused on the introduction to the Bible. What it is, who wrote it, how many testaments and books, and WHY and HOW we should study the Bible. Then the ladies on the team focused on the the first 10 lessons in the New Tribes Building Firm Foundations curriculum.
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| women's ministry |
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| Renee giving her testimony during the evening service. |
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| Mark preaching during one of the evening services. |
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| evening service |
This team was also given the opportunity to go to the school each morning to present a five to 8 minute devotion with the students and staff. This became a highlight for the team members. They focused on the Ten Commandments for the first few days and then ended with the Roman Road.
The guys worked hard all week driving new fence posts and running wire. They were able to complete the fence before we left.
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| Kenneth and Mark working together |
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| Pastor Aaron and Seth |
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| Brad and Mark |
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| running the wire |
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| Luke and Noah even helped! |
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| Brit and Derrick |
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| Seth and Julie working on the church sign |
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| hanging the sign a few hours before we left |
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| fellowship after lunch on Saturday |
On Sunday the team we were able to send someone to preach at four different churches. Member went to the Refugee camp, Brad went to Xigalo, Darren stayed at Dinga and Mark went to Mchipsi. I loved being able to go to Mchipsi that morning. Renee, Darren's sister in law went with us too. Mark preached a message from Philippians.
After the service we were able to visit with Emma, Mama Rose and Gladys. It was great to spend time with them.
Sunday evening was a highlight for me for sure! We invited Derrick and Kenneth's families to join us for the braai as well as Mama Rose and Gladys. They all arrived a few hours before dinner and just enjoyed fellowship. It was just a special evening to have everyone together.
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| Mark and Brad setting up the Jesus film Sunday evening |
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| Luke and Noah playing with the kids |
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| dinner was almost ready |
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| Loved spending time with Gladys |
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| Brit and Lauren practicing for morning devotions |
The kitchen tent was set up at the back of the church property next to the fence. Their was a house on the other side of the fence and the first weekend we were there setting up for the team we go to listen to the drunk neighbor for hours into the night. Well, as the week went on I noticed an older lady lived there. I would watch her walk to the bathroom - which by the way took her a good ten minutes to slowly walk and limp to the outhouse. I kept thinking she really has to plan carefully to get there in time! I began to duck under the fence each day and take her some leftovers. Each time I went I could only communicate with her using the little bit of Shangan I know and pointing. Her name is Annah and she is 83 year old. I would see her in the afternoons sitting outside in the afternoon sun and wonder what is she thinking, does she know the Lord, is she sad, happy .... on and on. I also watched each day as the teams went out that none of them went to her house. I begin to feel that I was supposed to go and talk to her - with a translator and share the Gospel. So on the last full day in camp I told Mark to pray for me and I asked Derrick to go with me. We went over and she greeted me with her smile like she did everyday I took food to her. We talked, thanks to Derrick we got passed hello, how are you and what is your name! She shared a little about her life and I shared about mine. I found out that she is Annah's (who translates for us) sister in law. I told her that I didn't want to leave tomorrow without taking the time to do what we are called to do. I asked her if she went to kereke (church) and she quickly dug in her layers of shirts and pulled out her ZCC badge. I began to go through the Gospel and share with her who Jesus is and what He did for her! Later I asked her what she is thinking about in the afternoon when she sits and enjoys the sun. She didn't say anything specific. She did tell us that before we arrived to set up camp she was sitting there and watching the church yard. She said that she was not sleeping but she saw people walking all around and talking and she didn't understand them. She said they were foreigners. She didn't know why she was seeing that. Then she said and now you are here. I don't know if Annah had a true understanding that day but I know that the Lord asked me to go share with her and I did. I just pray that the Lord will continue to speak to her and draw her to Himself. I did ask Annah to please go to her house and read the Bible to her. It was a sweet visit and one I will remember for a long time!
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| Alicia and Annah |
Monday was raining off and on most of the morning and the team was not able to go on visitation. So we loaded up on the bus and headed into Malamulele (about 15 minutes away). This gave the team a chance to experience town for about an hour!
I want to share a few testimonies from some of the team members ...
"I have had an awesome time in Dinga SA. Many home visits and the challenge of spreading the
Gospel has given me insight into what
our missionaries are faced with on a daily basis. How refreshing it was to go
to a home and hear the testimony of a woman who has known the Lord since
childhood, married someone who knew the Lord and has raised her children in a
Christian home. She has explained salvation to her children and made them aware
that they are not saved because they go to church but each one will have to
make their own decision. The women’s ministry
was a blessing and we were able to share creation and why God is the one
who has the right to direct our lives. He has a plan for each one of his
children no matter where they live in the world."-Gloria
"Dinga Baptist Church will continue to grow! What an amazing week to minister to so many
women in this community. On one
particular afternoon I was asked to visit with an elderly woman who had
recently lost her youngest daughter. Now
this woman was faced with raising the grandchildren and also dealing with
severe depression. I too have lost a child so we were able to relate. We were able to share God’s Word of
Salvation and Hope. She later came to
church one night and seemed to being doing a bit better. Amazing how all the way across the world –
women are the same. We all need Christ. We all need hope. We all have emotions." -Renee
"This was my first outreach mission trip; it was also my
first time sharing my testimony. I
signed up to give mine late in the week so I could see how everyone else was
giving theirs. After the first of my
team shared theirs, I was still left with the feeling that I didn’t have much
of a testimony and very nervous that I wouldn’t be able to talk once I was
called to the front. One night while
helping Alicia cut salad, I said….so, I’ve never shared my testimony and I’m
unsure what to say. Mark pulled up his
chair and he and Alicia asked me “so how did you come to know Jesus?” They made me feel so comfortable that the
words came without much coaxing and Alicia said “Just tell them exactly what
you just told us.” Standing there in the church waiting to go up
front, I felt a little tap; Alicia wanting to pray with me. I know it was God talking through her….it
gave me the last push of courage I needed."-
Julie
"I am
just so thankful for everything that I have experienced here in Dinga. I’ve
been on only one other outreach before, so I was very blessed to be able to
return to Africa. No matter how much I have wanted to return home to my family,
it’s bittersweet. As much as I want to be home, I never want to leave. I am
grateful that I was able to see God work directly in peoples’ lives as I have
here. This is just another example of God showing us that it is better to give
than receive. I was blessed in that I was able to learn that through personal
experience." -Lauren
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| one of my favorite pictures of Luke and Noah |
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