August 2014 Prayer Letter

Thank you to all who have been praying for Preetika during these last few months. God has been good to us. After counseling with our sending pastor as well as several doctors, we have decided our next step is to return to the States to seek further treatment and a diagnosis. The response of the people here in Zambia has been encouraging, and we believe the ministry will continue forward for the cause of Christ in our absence. 

 Pastor Chris Teis, our sending pastor, set up a fundraising campaign to help us meet the expense of traveling to America as well as some additional needs (both medical and ministry). We have been blessed by the outpouring of love and help in response to our need.

 I also want to update you on our recent trip to into Zimbabwe. We were blessed to have Pastor Darrell Hurst and Bro. Donnie Foley from New Zion Baptist Church, as well as Bro. Jeremy Snipes, Taigen Gonzalez, and Charles Newton from Hyles-Anderson College.

 

They were used of the LORD to greatly encourage the believers in Zambia before heading across the border to Zimbabwe. Bro Snipes and Pastor Hurst had a great impact through their preaching from God's Word. Scores of Zimbabweans made decisions to trust Christ, to win others to him, to plant churches, to cling truly to God's Word, and to disciple others to follow Christ. The three younger men of our team were also a personal blessing to me. Additionally, they were an inspiration to African Youth in both countries during their stay. Our young people were motivated by seeing men near their same age serving the LORD!

 

 Thanks to all who had been praying for our trip to Zimbabwe. The LORD gave us a better reception than we could have hoped for. God was very evidently involved in bringing this meeting together. One man in particular was instrumental in the conference taking place.  Leonard Mlotshwa had left Zimbabwe for the UK 10 years ago. The LORD had laid it on his heart to find someone who would go to Zimbabwe and help train some believers in his home country. After approaching several people over the years, God finally lead him to cross paths with Pastor Hurst about a year and a half ago.

That meeting lead to this conference in June. As Bro. Leonard planned to make the international trip for the conference, he became sick and it seemed that he may have to miss the conference he had been so looking forward to. Though he grew weaker, he was able to travel to Zimbabwe. When he greeted people at the conference,

he said that he was so glad to be home in Africa - especially to see his 10-year dream come to pass. Little did we know that 2 weeks after the end of the conference, he would leave his home on earth to go Home with the LORD in Heaven. Bro. Leonard had finished his course and possibly his "for such a time as this" moment. I am thankful to have met this man and grateful for his part in directing my eyes and heart

toward the needy and open field of Zimbabwe!

May 2014 Prayer and Praise Update

In the past few weeks, we have seen our church reach new heights – literally. Due to the sacrificial love gift of the Broadway Baptist Church, we were able to put part of the roof on the church! It was an exciting step for our church people.

They are encouraged, not only by the roof itself, but by what it represents – that they are loved and remembered by Christian brothers and sisters halfway across the world! Thanks again, Broadway Baptist for being a blessing!

A few weeks ago, while celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, we were able to baptize several new believers. See the picture for some of the young men that followed Christ in believer’s baptism on that day.

 

 

In addition, on Easter Sunday, we were honored to remember our Lord in the participation of the Lord’s Supper, for the first time as a church.

 

After some teaching and explanation concerning the significance of Christ’s sacrifice for us, each believer was eager to take of the elements in remembrance and thanks of their Savior. We look forward to this becoming an important and special time in the life of the Fallsview Bible Baptist Church.

 

 

 

Please keep praying for our work here in Zambia. Also please keep our fast-approaching conference in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe before the Lord. From June 24-26, I will travel to Zimbabwe with several American visitors. We are trusting the Lord to use His Word and His power to make an impact in our neighboring country of Zimbabwe during that meeting!

 

 

 

April 2014 Prayer Letter with additional pictures

 

Pastor Chris and Bro. Decision preaching in a village school.

 

2 Guys from NJ

 

Pastor Chris preaching at Fallsview Bible Baptist Church

Dear Praying Friends,

                Thank you so much for your prayers and support for us and our work here in Zambia. The LORD has greatly blessed His work in Africa! One of the greatest blessings to us over the last couple of months was a visit from my friend and sending church pastor, Chris Teis. We were greatly blessed by his time and work here. Accompanying him on the trip was Bro. Andrew Garcia, a Christian filmmaker, who is planning to make a short documentary on how God brought Elijah into our lives. The film will appropriately be called Elijah and should be released toward the end of the summer. During their time in Zambia, they shot video and conducted interviews for this film project. We are excited for this film and believe it will be greatly used to bring glory to the LORD! Here is a link to some of the scenic footage Andrew captured during the trip.

                We were also able to do some preaching in a new village area during their trip to Zambia. We spent the night in the bush and preached to several gathered in the village of Nsalali. There were between 30 and 40 who made a profession of faith in Christ and showed interest in seeing a church started in their area. Please pray for us (and specifically for Bro. Decision Siampondo) as we continue to work in this area for the cause of Christ. In addition, this village area has 5 schools that have welcomed us to teach and preach the Bible weekly in the schools. Bro. Decision makes the 40-mile circuit each week on his bicycle. I am praising the LORD for Bro. Decision’s dedication to the work of Christ! 

                During Pastor Chris’ visit, he encouraged us in the starting of a one-on-one discipleship program at the Fallsview Bible Baptist Church. I have already started with one man in our church and am training 5 or 6 of our church leaders to be able to do the same with others. Please keep this exciting and needful ministry in your prayers.

                Finally, we would like to give sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Broadway Baptist Church in Muskegon, Michigan, for their generous love offering, which they gave toward our building project. We are set to begin this week with making some progress on our building. We will do the roofing on the “classroom section” of our church building. Thank you, Broadway Baptist, for helping to push the work of Christ forward in Livingstone!

                Let me also take time to let you know how much we appreciate your kind thoughts, cards, and expressions of love during Preetika’s birthday and our 11^th anniversary. You encourage us more than you know!

 

AND DON'T FORGET TO CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME OF ANDREW'S FOOTAGE FROM AFRICA!



 

December 2013

Dear Praying Friends,

                Merry Christmas from Zambia! Regardless of the hot, humid, and rainy weather, we are enjoying the Christmas season. Preetika and Elijah have worked on baking Christmas cookies and Elijah is learning about giving. He is currently figuring out which of his toys he can give as gifts to his friends. Preetika and I are thrilled to have had Elijah as part of our family these past 3 years. We are amazed, as surely all parents are, at the things he learns and picks up.  I was recently telling Elijah about the wise men who came to worship Jesus, when he confirmed that those wise men had built their house upon a rock. He had been hearing about the wise man and the foolish man (who built his house on the sand) much lately as it was the theme of our recent youth conference.

                Speaking of our youth conference, it was a great success in spite of the wet weather! Being the first ever conference hosted by our church, we were very pleased with how it all went. We had at least 100 youth with dozens of pastors and chaperones who camped with us. As you can see from the pictures, it was truly a Youth “Camp” – Zambian-style. Over the week, we had 5 young people trust Christ with many making decisions to serve the LORD with their lives. I cannot forget how a similar decision at a youth camp set my heart toward serving the LORD as well! My wife worked hard organizing the cooks and menu for the nearly 130 people we had to feed each meal. Have you ever tried cooking over an open fire in the rain? All in all everything worked together to make it a memorable week for the youth. Everybody went home encouraged, full of good food, wet, and blessed. A pretty great youth camp if you ask me!

                Please keep us and all of your missionaries in prayer during the holidays. These are often the most difficult days to be far from home. Also would you continue to pray for two areas of need in our ministry?

·         Our large church vehicle is broken down again- please pray that we can fix it or upgrade It with a more reliable one soon.

·          We are trusting the LORD to make it possible to continue on (and complete) our church building. The next stage is to put on the roofing sheets!

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, and support throughout 2013. You may never know this side of heaven how much it means to us. Once again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our home to yours.