Sunday, November 27, 2011

Smiles in South Africa

More memorable experiences and reasons to smile in a very memorable country!!

The pace has slowed considerably since most of our team departed for the good old USA last week. Now it's just Leona Matson, Thomas Questad and myself left to continue the work God has called us to do together with the Bishop Mphahlele and other members of the United Lutheran Church here. Later this week Leona and Thomas will leave for a two week mission in Kenya and on November 30 I will be heading back to Finland.


Now let's take a few minutes to look at what has been happening here in the mission field in this most southern part of Africa for the last few weeks:


"Let the little children come unto me!"




With the team we had many memorable visits to pre-school daycare centers or "creches" as they are called here. In this happy shot you can see Bob Maki and some of the rest of us thronged by the children we met that day. Leona led us in an enactment of Jacob and the ladder. The children were enthralled. It is so amazing how when we are ministering to these little children that they truly end up ministering to us, too. In another one of the creches the most unforgettably animated little boy punctuated all of his very loud and shrill "Allelujah's" by waving a full size plastic model of an automatic pistol.  Unfortunately I did not have my camera that day.

Pistol-packin' praise warrior - minus pistol


 When we returned to that creche a week later I did get a picture of him "in action".(Boy in center in green shirt).  His enthusiasm was completely captivating.  Unfortunately on the second occasion he had left his dramatic pistol at home, but his energy had not subsided at all. It is just amazing to see Leona working with the small children in all of these creches... to see how the seeds are being sown in these preciously enthusiastic young lives and then on the flipside of the coin to be ministered to by these little angels of God.

The Good News brought to thousands in SA schools


Almost uncounted are the times we visited outdoor school assemblies in many towns and villages with up to 1200 primary, middle school or high school students in attendance. Sometimes we had access to a microphone, but usually we pushed our vocal chords to the max and the students were attentive. Just imagine being able to freely preach the Gospel in all the public schools like this. That in itself was reason for rejoicing! In this picture we see Jacob Seppanen pronouncing the benediction over a group of some 1000 students.

Personal prayer walks

 

Hardly a day has passed that we have not been involved in very specific and personal prayer encounters with individuals in their homes and villages. Here Pastor Bob Maki prays for a needy soul. What a thrill it is as hearts are opened and the needs spoken to in the cleansing and healing name of Jesus and the power of His blood.

The Thusanang 16



In the village of Thusanang our team split up into three groups in order to reach as many people and pray for them in their homes as possible. We visited a lot of people that day and many were the hearts that reached out to God. Returning to our "base shack" with Calvin and Debra Matson, our translator David and a lady from the local congregation, we were passing one shack when a man poked his head out of the door. He called to us, seemingly in jest, "Dumela (Hello), I have never had a white man lay his hands upon me!" We walked a little further, but his words really spoke to my heart! "Why not?! Let's go back and talk to him!" We went back to his yard and I confronted him in that same doorway. "We are here as representatives of the living God and if it is His will we can in fact lay our hands upon you and give you His blessing!" Other men working in that yard and the neighbouring one were attracted by what they heard. "Come on everyone," I called out to all the men working in the garden, yard and other places. "Jesus Christ is paying you a visit today! Come let us gather together in His name and hear from the Word of God!" They all put down their shovels, hoes and hammers and began to gather in the shade along the wall of the original man's shack. As I began preaching some ladies and children also joined us. Sixteen people in all. I opened the word around God's love for all mankind, for them particularly there along the shack wall in Thusanang, and how He gave His only begotten Son to die that not one of them needed to perish but could have eternal life.


It was truly a divinely appointed meeting. Before we finished the "service" every single one of the adults requested prayer individually and the proclamation of hearing that all of their sins, doubts, fears and guilt were forgiven and washed away in the name of Jesus and the power of His blood - of course with the laying on of hands!!!! Sixteen people who had never before been touched by a white man were now touched and cleansed by the very Spirit of the living God.

Check out the hair...

 

You might not realize it but there are hundreds of ways to do hair in South Africa. After I took this photo of these expectant children waiting for a handout at a day center for orphans and vulnerable children I noticed that even though they are youngsters with little to call their own materially, they still have pride in their cleanliness and personal appearance which is often expressed in meticulously arranged hairstyles which can take hours to execute.

The Word supreme

 

Another school. The focus of everything we do is the Word of God.

The aged remembered

 

We visited homes for the elderly. Here Jacob Seppanen listens to the prayer requests of one elderly gentleman and comforts him with the hope of the Gospel.

 
Boys Town
 

A very cherished place for me to return to was Boys Town. Here underage boys who have been remanded by the court or social services live in a kind of self government community. This is in order to teach them to function as responsible members of society. Spiritual education is encouraged. This picture is unique in that not only were most of the enthusiastic boys present but I think it is one of the only photos we have with all of the nine members of our Team SA 2011 present. On the far left is Calvin and Debra Matson, upper left you see Dan and Joyce Karnes (Joyce partly hidden), center back Leona Matson and Thomas Questad, upper right Jacob Seppanen and Bob Maki.

ULCSA sign

 

The United Lutheran Church in South Africa is not a large organization. All of the eleven small congregations meet for their Sunday services and other occasions in little shacks, mostly put together with corrugated metal sheets. There is certainly nothing ostentatious about this church, even as this sign in the township of Bekkersdal suggests.

Bethlehem

 

The only ULCSA church not made of metal sheets is the "stable" church called Bethlehem - out in the middle of a field where cowherds and shepherds often pass the front door. Here Calvin and Debra wait with some of the congregation members for an evening service to begin.

Spontaneous Sunday School

 

As with so many times for children's Bible stories and Sunday Schools in South Africa the gatherings are spontaneous. Here Joyce Karnes leads a Bible lesson for a group of kids in the front yard of a village home. The group started with four children and ended up with forty! Almost all of whom attended the evening service for people of all ages in a school classroom later that evening. Speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven!!

The incredible balloon!

 

Before we went to the service that evening Leona had time to do a Bible-related balloon demonstration that is close to unbelievable. She first filled several balloons with air and threw them out into the crowd of children. One at a time she asked for them back explaining that as people, if we don't have anything in us (meaning lacking faith in Jesus) we often do just like a balloon does when you put a candle under it (representing the heat and discomfort of personal difficulties). It pops of course! Naturally all of the children were holding their ears and cringing. She repeated this lesson accompanied by the repeated popping of balloons until it was very clear what happens to an empty life facing trials and temptations. Then she produced a balloon that was filled with water and explained that when we are filled by the Spirit and Jesus as the water of Life something very different happens. Then with all of the kids gasping she put the candle directly under the water filled balloon and lo and behold IT DID NOT POP no matter how long the candle was held right under it. Again and again she held it directly to the flame and it never popped!!! All the while she explained the meaning of this. You almost have to be present to see how powerful and convincing this lesson demonstration is, but it is very convincing. And not just for kids!!

Lion king in court camouflage

 

A trip to South Africa could hardly be really complete without going on a safari and meeting some of God's great wonderful creations in their natural habitat. Here we chanced upon the Lion King resting not far from the three lionesses in his pride. Such a close-up encounter in an open safari jeep can't help but get the adrenalin going a little.

Bibles for Bosasa

As many of you know bringing the Gospel to prisons and detention centers has been a highlight of my life for many, many years. South Africa this time was no exception. We visited prisons four times and were privileged to visit the Bosasa Boys' Detention Center in Kruegersdorp on two occasions, in addition to Boys Town.


The visits to Bosasa were especially profound and unforgettable. On our first visit fourteen boys ages 14 to 17, who are awaiting their court trial, gathered in the small auditorium for a service. Their response to the message was almost overwhelming. Every single boy crowded forward afterwards to hear for himself the blessing of the Gospel of Christ in the forgiveness of his sins, doubts, fears and guilt. And then came the questions - deep and thought-provoking - and the pleas for us to come back as soon as possible. Calvin Matson, who sat behind me with Debra and others, was deeply moved. Especially since I had made many references to the Bible and held it up several times. "Do they just think that it is some magic book," he wondered, "out of their grasp?" At that point he committed himself to seeing that each of those young men would get such a Book.


The problem was fitting a new meeting with just those boys into our schedule. There are 150 boys awaiting trial in Bosasa! But God led us wonderfully. Calvin bought Bibles in all of the necessary languages before he and Debra had to return home - before the rest of us. And then came the tricky part of figuring out which 14 boys had attended our first meeting, since we didn't take names, of course. It was decided for our second visit that we would first meet all of the boys in the courtyard on some bleachers and give a short presentation of why we were there. That went great! That rowdy crowd became quiet as church mice while I told them Who we represented and why we were there in the name of the living God and His Son Jesus. Then I invited them all to a full service in the auditorium. This was also to kind of separate out the more serious boys so the "Bible boys" would be sure to be present. I was warned not to mention the gift of Bibles yet then in case we would suddenly be committed to giving out 150 Bibles - which of course we did not have - and many of those who were not true believers would very likely use them for cigarette papers and other less honourable purposes.

 

Almost 50 boys crowded into the auditorium - singing beautifully - and fully attentive during the sermon. With Thomas Questad as Goliath we did a re-enactment of that Bible story and lesson using one enthusiastic young detainee as David. We showed how the "Goliaths" in our lives can be overcome by faith, prayer and the Word of God. The message appeared to answer deeply in their hearts.






Then I simply asked for the fourteen boys who were with us the first time to raise their hands, which they did and to their great joy received their Bibles in Zulu, Tswana, Sotho or English as appropriate. Each boy then put his name and date in the Bible they had received. This Bible will always be theirs now but they were not allowed to take it back to their ward since it would probably meet some ignominious end. They can, however, return to the auditorium to read it under supervision at any time they wish and then can take it with them after they leave for their court sentencing. We also had extra Bibles for several of the other boys.



We left Bosasa that day rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit to lead and to guide and to provide even the Word - as in the Bible itself - for young men who need that leading and guiding more than anything else in their lives. (Faces blurred for identity protection).


And so my two months of service in South Africa this time comes to an end. I mentioned at the beginning of this article that there have been many, many reasons to smile for joy and celebration at the goodness of God and His wonderful love towards people of all ages and life situations in the villages and townships of the Randfontein area and the Northwest Province not far from Johannesburg. As we have brought them the Living Word and the Love of God, so have they beautifully reciprocated by enriching our lives with the same love, peace and joy.


See you in Finland next week!!


Remember that orders for my new book "Listen, The Cry" can be placed through the Foreign Mission Shop or outside the USA/Canada directly to me. The possibility of being a representative for book distribution in your congregation is still open in some areas. Please let me know if you are interested. Also remember that it would be so nice to mover the book as much as possible before Christmas. I deeply appreciate the interest so far!!


In God's love and peace!


Dennis

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

November Monthly Report

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From the field:

Please pray our church in Zapanta Valley which is attack of the rebel people now all people are evacuating, total of 90 families are affected. They stay in Barangay Hall in Bangayan, so their problem is their food, I want to share them but we don't have enough funds. Again please pray because there is a military operation now underway. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us and God Bless you always.
Pastor Bert M. Senonis Sr. (Philippines) 
(pictured above with his wife and daugther)

Special projects:

NOTE: These projects aren't funded by the FM general fund. They are only funded if earmarked funds are sent.
>
Bibles for Myanmar ($950 of $2000 already donated)
>
Van, Motorbikes, church roof (email for info)
 
Regular Support options are plentiful
Email for information or visit www.themissionsite.com
 
Meet 10 yr old Cynthia who has CP and her mother. (Guatemala)
Stories from the Mission Field
Mission trips from South Africa and Guatemala have returned this month to testify of some of the amazing things God is doing. Check out two experiences below. Click on the link at the end of each excerpt to read the whole article in the Foreign Mission News blog. Please continue to pray as we endeavor to follow Jesus wherever He leads!

What about Sophie?
...Seeing her, something extraordinary happened to me. I fell to my knees beside her on the couch. I tried to control my sobbing and could not. I could feel the hands of Calvin and Debra on my shoulders praying that God would give me strength. I kept praying an incomplete prayer, "Dear Lord...dear Lord..." to finish reading this article, click here.

God in the small things!
In preparation for my time in Guatemala I was in prayer that the Lord would open my eyes and ready my heart to be His hands, feet, and mouthpiece in the little seemingly unimportant times... to finish reading this article, click here. 

Monthly News

> There will be a trip to India at the end of January (please sign up soon, deadline is near!)  and a trip to the Philippines and Vietnam in May. Sign up by responding to this email!

> At the free 
dental clinic funded personally by the Guatemalan mission team, 203 dental procedures were completed! Thanks to the Guatemalan dentists and doctors and the American young people who worked so tirelessly. As with all FM trips, the preaching of the Gospel was of primary concern and everyone who had dental work done listened to a sermon first.

> After 11 years of translation work, our people in Myanmar are ready to
print a Bible into a language that has no Bible! Thank you to all who already donated for this project.

> There is a trip going to
Kenya at the end of this month. Please pray for God's protection for the missionaries.

> Most of the missionaries from the
South Africa and all from the Guatemala trip have returned. Updates can be found in the News blog.

> Dennis Hilman, Leona Matson, and Thomas Questad are still in
South Africa. They will be leaving before the end of the month. Dennis will head home and the others will join the team in Kenya.

> Please pray for foreign mission board member,
Chad Koivanen, who had pass on the trip to Kenya due to testing for the possibility of cancer (tests due back shortly). The picture above is Chad in Kenya last year!

Featured country of the month: the Philippines

The Philippines is an island nation located in Southeast Asia. The Philippines is home to over 94 million people and over 90% of these people are considered Christians (80% are Catholics and 10% belong to other denominations). We started working in the Philippines in 2006. To read more about our work in the Philippines, click here; to watch a video about our work, click here. There will be a mission trip going to the Philippines in May 2012; if you are interested, email foreignmission@comcast.net today!!
Calvin and Debra Matson with friends in Sout Africa.
Youth group in the Philippines
Scott N. with Pastor Giovanni, his wife, and Pastor Solomon in Guatemala recently.
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Friday, November 18, 2011

God in the small things! From Guatemala!


God’s Loving hand in the little things.

In preparation for my time in Guatemala I was in prayer that the Lord would open my eyes and ready my heart to be His hands, feet, and mouthpiece in the little seemingly unimportant times.



God has been faithful to answer my prayers in numerous still small ways. One I will treasure occurred in the midst of the dental clinic. It was my job at the clinic to clean and sanitize the tools before and after each patient.   Between each patient I had a little down time. As I washed the tools I prayed the Lord would use my free moments for His honor and glory. 

A few patients later I noticed a young girl a few patients down the line, looking nervously around the room.  I longed to go over to comfort her, but my Spanish was limited. As I walked over to her I noticed a Spanish hymnal sitting on the bench a few feet away from her.  I picked it up and asked her to teach me a Spanish hymn.  She was shy and reluctant, but she agreed to teach me.  She taught me her favorite song and I sang Amazing Grace for her in English.  I was so blessed and encouraged by her praises to the Lord. 

We continued to sing as she waited her turn to see the dentist, her in Spanish and I in English.  It was a beautiful and precious time of praising our Saviour and Lord together. I think the Lord that our time together stilled her heart and kept her mind occupied as she waited to get her teeth worked on.

Thank you Jesus for working in what seem to be the small unimportant times of life. This moment will be forever treasured in my heart and memory.

Valerie Haataja (one of the Guatemala group November 2011)


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Guatemala Morning!

This Lords day moring brings another beautiful day in this wonderful country. The birds are singing praises, the mountains are showing His handiwork!   The prayer of the team is that the Lord would use us each in some little way to share the Love of Jesus with as many as possible here Guatemala.

We are sorry for the slow updates, but the schedule has not allowed anytime to post!

There are so many ways to share God's Love with people wherever one is!   Preaching the Word is of course so very important. This is why the preaching always remains the focal point of the mission! Below are a few examples from the field.   Lord willing there will be more to come!

Juan Ponce ALC

Loving the orphans

A precious 10 year old girl with CP and her loving mother


Taking care of the children during so mother can a tooth pulled
                                                           Team Guatemala 2011 (in part)

Friday, November 11, 2011

What about Sophie?

The day started out like many others for our South African mission team. We travelled a short distance from the church and headed to a neighborhood clinic. Calvin and Debra joined Joyce and I to minister to the sick. A large waiting room was nearly filled with patients and care workers. As usual, Tswana songs of faith started our visit. After prayer and a short message about the compassion of Christ, we layed hands on and prayed for all who asked. As we left the clinic our hearts were filled with joy and love from the South African people and awed by Christ's compassion toward them.

Someone then asked if we could visit a gravely sick person just a few blocks away. Of course we went. Upon entering this shack (tin house) I prepared myself for meeting this person I presumed to be elderly. We were taken through the kitchen into a small living room with a couch. On the couch lay a young child, she looked like a little girl about 5 years old, around 25 lbs.

Her body was tangle up so that the arms and legs were woven together like a handle for a reed basket. Her human shape resembled a ball. Her front teeth all came out at angles. She had large, thoughtful eyes, a slight smile on her face.

Seeing her, something extraordinary happened to me. I fell to my knees beside her on the couch. I tried to control my sobbing and could not. I could feel the hands of Calvin and Debra on my shoulders praying that God would give me strength. I kept praying an incomplete prayer, "Dear Lord...dear Lord..."

I was finally able to ask her name, Sophie, and was told her age was 15 years old. She has been suffering from CP since about 6 months old. For awhile it seemed like there were only two people in that room, Sophie and me... I was holding her bony skinny hand and stroking her head. All I could say was, "Sophie, Sophie, Sophie." Then after a while a few other words came, "Jesus loves you Sophie."

Then Sophie started ministering to me. Her large, expressive brown eyes zeroed right into mine and seemed to tell me, "It's alright, my friend, I'm okay, I feel your love."

There seemed to be a slight movement in her face, a smile. That helped me out. So I prayed for her, as earnestly as I have ever prayed in my life, "Dear Lord. Please take care of Sophie. Hold her in your arms. Give her a special place in heaven."

After a while I was able to get off mt knees and say good-bye to her. Most likely I will never see Sophie again in this life. But that little girl is a memory I will carry in my heart. She stripped humanity down to bare essentials for me. She was a human being, totally dependant on God's mercy just to stay alive. And that seemed enough for her. And you know, it's enough for me too. Sophie will have a new body soon. I will too. God will take care of us. Jesus died for Sophie and for me. I saw Jesus' face in Sophie. And that brought me to my knees.

In God's Love and Peace,

Dan Karnes

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Bibles stories and prayer walks

Things are just beginning to wind down here in South Africa. Bob Maki, Jacob Seppanen, and Dan and Joyce Karnes will fly home tonight from South Africa. We are sitting today without light in the village of Lesung (the outlets work, but not the lights...). It was a beautiful day here with a service and baptism this morning followed by lots of time for fellowship. Our last week here was busy, as usual. It was also very blessed!

Joyce told these preschool kids the story of Jonah and they in return shared a song with her!

Jacob praying with some of the people staying at the hospice near Ikageng. When we left, the director begged us to return whenever we could.

Dan speaking to the students at a local high school. The principal was very happy to have us there and emphasized the importance of having prayer in her school.

Bob praying for people we met while walking through the township of Sufurbylt. Both of these people said they didn't know Jesus. After Bob shared the Gospel story with them, they wanted to hear their sins forgiven.

Please pray for safe travels for the team as they head home today. Please say a special prayer for Dan and Joyce who were both feeling a bit under the weather when they left.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

South Africa by Jacob

On several occasions we have visited permanent temporary villages made of shacks. Poles of whatever sticks and fenceposts that can be found and rusty used corrugated tin are the standard building materials. The floors are often dirt. Sometimes there are steps and porches made out of dried mud. With temperatures approaching 100F, you can imagine what it feels like inside. The heat just radiates off the tin ceiling like an oven. Sometimes there is a woodstove heating water for washing or cooking. It's almost unbearable.  There is no running water or electricity, and the outhouses are often little more than a few sheets of tin around a hole.
The people living here are often refugees from other African countries.  Almost all of them have some sort of malady, which is no surprise given the living conditions. While visiting these places, we saw HIV/AIDS, TB, unexplained tiredness (if you can imagine that in the heat), various aches and pains, etc.

When asked if they were Christians, they usually said yes, but when asked if they knew who Jesus was, the answer was frequently no. In short, their situation seemed deplorable and hopeless. I found myself wondering how they had any hope at all. 

In one village a guy in his 20s or so asked me "How can I believe in God when I have nothing?"  He had recently lost his job, he was living in a shack, and he had no food.  We prayed for him, but feeling mindful of James 2:15-16 we found a nearby store and bought food for him as well. We don't have the resources to do this for everyone, and it's hard to see so many in need and have little to offer. Nonetheless, we  offered what we had, and in reality it is far greater than anything that we could physically give them. We offered them the hope they so desparately need by telling the the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I wonder why God chose to give me a life of abundance and them a life of want with the only significant difference being where each of us was born and over which none of us has control. Even so, we are all alike in that we were all born in desparate need and God has filled that need for everyone who believes in Jesus. God will also provide for the rest even if we can't. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."