20 February 2012
THE WEEKLY SLATE OF BIBLE STUDIES
Our ministerial week is divided between efforts for the college and the church, neither of which really overlap unfortunately. At Elim Baptist Church we meet Sunday morning from 9-12 and Friday as youth from 4-6. But there are also a string of Bible studies throughout the week that will hopefully strengthen believers and evangelize the lost. Please pray for the success of the Gospel as it is preached regularly at each of these venues.
- Sunday evening at our house we host a men’s Bible study over the Baptist Confession of Faith (our church’s doctrinal statement). The study is in Tsonga, but the Confession is in English. Usually only three young men come.
- Wednesday evening at 5 pm Amy takes the bakkie (truck) to the top of the mountain near our house for a women’s Bible study. For an hour they practice a few catechism questions, memorize a verse, and pray together for grace to persevere and conversion of the lost.
- Thursday mornings at 10 am for the last year I’ve been meeting with Lawrence Shihlomule, our 40-year old neighbor, who is still counting the cost of conversion.
- Thursday afternoon at 3 pm there is an “orphan” care centre in a village a few kilometers from our house. This is the second year that I have taught there each week. From that outreach, one 15-year old boy has been coming fairly consistently to our church, and recently a spate of other children have joined him.
- Thursday afternoon at 4 pm Amy is carrying on Justice’s initiative for a kid’s club. She teaches a story, verses, and catechisms. In our village this evangelistic outreach is about 7 months old, and has produced 4 under 12 who have made professions of faith. I’ve got a great wife.
FRUSTRATIONS FOR OUR FRIENDS
Our closest friends, as most of you will know, are Paul and Melinda Schlehlein who live on the other side of a mountain that separates our villages. It is hard to imagine teammates with whom we would agree more. But recently, they have been enduring a volley of frustrations that are in some respects characteristic of churchplanting, and in some respects unique to them.
Their church, Mbhokota Baptist Church, recently purchased a stand of land for a future church site. However, after having followed all the proper channels, paying the money, and even organizing several work days for the land, the tribal authority is now demanding an extra, exorbitant “fee” from this group of believers.
On top of that, two weeks ago, they received a letter from the pre-school they had been meeting in on Sundays telling them to find a new place. So their congregation has been forced to find a new meeting place.
Though not a crisis in itself, recently, some believers from other churches in the area have been dishonest and refused to pay Paul for some books they purchased from him. Efforts at resolving this tension have only multiplied the tension.
Then their home was burglarized.
One of the attractive virtues about this couple is their desire not to talk about themselves, but I thought it would help some of you to pray for them in specific and missionaries in general if you read a brief account of some of their recent frustrations.
Please pray for MBC’s church regarding their meeting place, pray for people to be converted through their ministries, and pray for the fruit of the Spirit among all the believers.
FIVE INTERESTED BAPTISMAL CANDIDATES
One adult and four children are presently interested in baptism at EBC. As we are uncertain about the children’s conversions, we are teaching them the catechism and looking for evidence of faith before they are immersed.
- Rinette is a mother who was converted some time ago, but has been unable to be baptized due to health and work. The women’s Bible study on Wednesday is presently held at her home, and she has been very interested in evangelism.
- Takalani is an 11-year old girl who has been attending Amy’s Sunday school class for more than a year. Last Sunday she approached Amy for help with becoming a Christian.
- Ripfumelo and Nomsa are 12 and 13 year olds respectively who were instructed by Justice and have been faithful for the last four months in church attendance.
- Ntsako is a 9-year old boy with whom we’ve been working for nearly two years now. He’s a sharp and respectful young man.
Please pray for this group that their calling and election might be made sure.
Sowing and reaping,
Seth & Amy
22 March 2012
GOD’S CAUSE
Following the example of a godly missionary in Cambodia, I’m copying an edited prayer below from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers and helpful aid for worship and devotion. Please pray for the work of God among the Tsongas as you read it.
Sovereign God,
Thy cause, not mine own, engages my heart,
And I appeal to Thee with greatest freedom
To set up Thy kingdom in every place in southern Africa where Satan reigns;
Glorify Thyself and I shall rejoice,
For to bring honor to Thy name is my soul’s desire.
I adore Thee that Thou art God,
And long that Tsongas should know it, feel it, and rejoice in it.
O that all men might love and praise Thee,
That Thou mightest have all glory from the intelligent world!
Let sinners be brought to Thee for Thy dear name!
To the eye of reason everything respecting the conversion of Tsongas is as dark as midnight,
But Thou canst accomplish great things;
The cause is Thine, and it is to Thy glory that men should be saved.
Lord, use me as Thou wilt, do with me what Thou wilt;
But, O, promote Thy cause,
Let Thy kingdom come,
Let Thy blessed interest be advanced in this world!
O do Thou bring in great numbers to Jesus!
Let me see that glorious day, and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;
Let me be willing to die to that end;
And while I live let me labor for Thee to the utmost of my strength,
Spending time profitably in this work,
Both in health and in weakness.
It is Thy cause and kingdom I long for, not my own.
O, answer Thou my request!
Please pray for our church that a recent church discipline situation will ultimately cause the believers to be more firmly established in the faith. Some unconverted people have also been a witness to this situation including a young man named Musunguri. Rather than drive him away, it appears as if the way our church has handled this sin has drawn him closer to conversion. He and a friend have been faithful to our church for the last few months.
Pray also for the success of the Gospel in Zimbabwe. Three of our students at LBI this year are from Zim, and we are hopeful that God will “bring in great numbers to Jesus” from this nation still reeling from an economic collapse.
Recommitting ourselves to prayer,
Seth & Amy
7 April 2012~Carson’s Birth
On Good Friday, we had intended to worship with congregations from three different villages as they gathered in Elim. However, Amy woke up around 2:30 am to let me know that we would have two boys born on April 6th. Joining birthdays with his three-year old brother Colin, Carson Taylor Meyers came into this world at 9:38 am—a whole 6 minutes after we had arrived at the hospital. We praise God for His providential protection of both baby and mother who are both doing very well.
Carson received his middle name in remembrance of Hudson Taylor for his zeal to evangelize the least reached areas of China as well as his passion for total surrender to Christ—a positive result of Keswick theology, I might add.
If you would like to join us in prayer for our children, please ask God to give them new hearts. And for Carson particularly, we are praying that he would have Petrine boldness.
Recipients of Great Grace,
Seth & Amy
6 May 2012
FRESH FISH
“I began to be afraid because of my sin.” That was one of the lines of Musunguri’s testimony this morning as he stood to declare his faith in Christ before our congregation. His name means “one who begins or starts” and we have hope that this 18-year old has begun new life in Christ. He lives on the mountain near a few of our families who have been aggressive in bringing new people to the services. I requested prayer for him in March; and now for several months, this young man has come to the Bible study on Wednesday where we memorize verses and study our church’s catechism. He has also walked to our Friday youth and Sunday morning services. About a month ago, he and a friend started meeting with me each Monday after school. Last Monday, as they were getting ready to go, I asked if they had any questions to which he replied, “Can I give my testimony at church this Sunday?”
“Not unless you’ve trusted in Christ,” I said.
“Then I think I’m ready,” came the reply.
About three weeks ago, a 16-year old girl also gave her testimony in the morning service that she was prepared to follow Christ. These two, Tinyiko and Musunguri, have a few things in common. They were both invited to church and encouraged to continue learning by fellow church members. On top of that, our church’s catechism was influential in the catching of both fish. Over weeks, they had time to learn the doctrine and memorize the verses that drew them to Christ.
Please continue to pray for our church as we are presently studying how to evangelize in our Sunday morning Bible studies. Lord-willing, we will soon begin an official evangelism program at EBC.
STILL IN THE LAKE, BUT NEAR THE BOAT
Those two aren’t the only fish we are trying to reel in. Two other young men have been actively striving to enter in at the narrow gate. Matimba is 18 years old and has been coming for about 5 months. Recently, he too purchased a catechism, and has been studying with Musunguri and me on Mondays.
Last year Calvin attended our church for several months before losing interest, but we now have another historical personage attending our services. Hitler and I just finished our second Bible study this afternoon. He is the chief’s brother and a senior in high school. (Our ministry has also introduced us to other less common names: a neighbor named her son Saddam Hussein, and our church has a man named “Kill Me.”)
Please pray for these young men to look at Christ with new eyes. This year we lost three of our strongest young men as they left for college. So, we would be especially encouraged if they were replaced with three others.
THE BIG FISH GOT AWAY
I praise God for those who have been genuinely saved in the past few years at our church, but it is still very discouraging as we continue to labor for men. We presently have only four men on our membership roster, but none of them are able to attend because they live in other places due to work. If you would join us in prayer for God to prosper His church by adding adults we would be grateful.
We often get discouraged at the meager response of adults, but just today, a close friend sent me this wonderful statement from David Brainerd.
“It is remarkable that God began this work among the Indians at a time when I had the least hope, and, to my apprehension, the least rational prospect of, seeing a work of grace propagated amongst them… I began to entertain serious thoughts of giving up my mission; and almost resolved I would do so at the conclusion of the present year, if I had then no better prospect of special success in my work than I had hitherto had… I entertained these thoughts… purely through dejection of spirit, pressing discouragement, and an apprehension of its being unjust to spend money consecrated to religious use, only to civilize the Indians, and bring them to an external profession of Christianity. This was all that I could then see any prospect of having effected… And yet this was the very season that God saw fittest to begin this glorious work in! And thus He ‘ordained strength out of weakness,’ by making bare his almighty arm at a time when all hopes and human probabilities most evidently appeared to fail. – Whence I learn, that it is good to follow the path of duty, though in the midst of darkness and discouragement.” (David Brainerd)
Fishing for Men,
Seth & Amy
30 June 2012
From time to time over the past few years, I have tried to paint a picture of different aspects of our life and ministry. On the first day of the week, here’s a brief account of our church life.
AN AVERAGE LORD’S DAY
Children from our community start to arrive about 7:30-8:00 am and rest on our stoop. In the summer, the group can be 10-15, but these days the coldness shrinks the numbers a little. We leave about 8:30 in our bakkie with the guitar, songbooks, nursery toys, and Sunday school supplies.
About one kilometer away from our home is a government-sponsored daycare building (crèche) with two large rooms and one smaller one. The large yard outside the building has ancient playground equipment and a garden for corn as well as two children’s sized toilets.
The crèche has about 40 chairs that we borrow for use in the large room. Children’s chairs are lined up in the large closet in the back where Amy teaches the kids. The room is sometimes so jammed, that the door cannot open easily.
At 9:00 Amy begins her class with an average of 15 kids, ages 4-13. At the same time in the big room, I am organizing a prayer meeting for the members of our church before we have a morning Bible study for teens and adults. My class usually starts with 5 people and ends with 20.
After Sunday school, we take a brief break until 10:00. The best part about the first hour is that it makes sure everyone will be there by the time we start the main worship service. An average attendance for our Sunday morning service is around 15 children and 20 teens / adults.
Our worship is led by a guitar, which had been played by one of our church members before he went to university this year. Now, another sharp young man is practicing and will hopefully be able in the next few months. Our songs are usually a mix of English and Tsonga sung with books printed on our printer and laminated to enhance their lifespan. There is a Tsonga hymnal left to us by the Swiss missionaries who translated the Bible, but we don’t use all of them. Amy and Melinda have done a great job translating contemporary hymns like “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.”
The service is conducted by one of the teenage boys in our church as he announces the next item in the order of service. The sermon is usually 45-50 minutes of preaching in Tsonga followed by a few moments of silent prayer. Then we all help pack up and sweep the crèche.
SUNDAY EVENING
Each Sunday we have a men’s meeting at our house, but usually only the teens come. We presently have a handful of young men coming who are not yet converted. We’ve been studying our catechism or the Baptist confession, but recently lessons on character and masculinity have found a welcome spot on the agenda as well. As much as any other in the whole week, I anticipate this hour as the fruit sometimes evidently ripens right before your eyes.
BEYOND SUNDAY
It is commonly held that pastors work on Sunday and relax the rest of the week. While that stereotype may have some unfortunate examples supporting it, we long to redeem the time since the time is short. My teammate recently made this short video to give a better picture of his evangelistic labors in Mbhokota about 10 minutes away from us. Since it represents so well our work as well as his, I encourage you to take 3 minutes and watch it.
OTHER RANDOM UPDATES
I know (and it bothers me) that this final paragraph does not fit with the theme for this letter, but there are some other items happening in our ministry that you may want to know and pray about.
- The Limpopo Bible Institute opens again 16 July. There are about 4 men who are planning to reenroll for full time studies and a handful of others who are considering part time.
- Our church is preparing to sell books and Bibles at the shops near our house in an attempt to find other contacts for evangelism as well as make money for a church building in the future.
- The attached flier was printed out and delivered to about 2,000 post office boxes in a village near our house where the standard of living is a little bit higher (hence the English).
We would be grateful if you would join us in prayer for God’s Spirit to prosper each of these efforts.
Grateful for the fellowship of God’s people,
Seth & Amy
20 July 2012~Ethical Dilemmas
Last year about this time, I sent a list of ethical dilemmas that missionaries might face. Here’s a new slate of challenges. Of course, some of you will think the answers are obvious: last year two different people responded saying that one of the ethical tensions was obvious—unfortunately, they both gave the opposite answer. So, I’d like to ask again that you pray for us to be filled with the skill of thinking correctly in each situation.
- Should Christians tithe regardless of their financial circumstances?
If one of your church members lived in a one-room, corrugated iron shack away from his wife and child, and then one day got a $12 piece job, should he tithe on that amount? Give offerings? If he asked you what he should do, (remember he has a little girl and a wife to take care of as well), what Scripture would you counsel him with? Do you tell him to take care of his family because otherwise he has “denied the faith” according to 1 Timothy, or do you tell him to put money in the offering?
- Should you teach new converts how to vote?
There are more than a dozen political parties in this country, and very few of them (I know of only two) are pro-life. The most popular ones are socialistic or communistic. Should you spend valuable teaching and instructing time on politics, or stick with the Gospel and issues around sanctification?
- Should you pray for unconverted people in their presence?
We’re sitting at the Baloyi home for our weekly Bible study, and it is especially nice to have the father of the home there with us since he was back from work. What prayer requests do the believers have? The 16-year old daughter asks for public prayer for her father’s conversion. Is that unduly embarrassing or is that a good demonstration of evangelistic love?
- Should you church discipline or otherwise dismiss church members who are nearly permanently absent because of work?
We haven’t seen the four men on our membership role in months. One of them hasn’t been to a service in two years. They are all away because of work, but they tell me on the phone that there are no churches near them that teach the Gospel. How can I watch for their souls and keep them accountable; and if we can’t do that, in what sense are they members of this body?
- Should you give Bibles to people who can’t afford them?
Can’t afford them? What does that mean? It seems like everyone has money for satellite TV and cold drink (Coke). Should I just charge the list price, discount it, or give it free? And if you say, “Discount it. That’s the best of all options.” Then, how much?
- Should you use slang in formal settings if that is what communicates?
We’re trying to add enduring traditions to the worldview of those to whom we minister. Sunday afternoons, I am teaching about character, and the women’s Bible study is doing something similar. So, shouldn’t we use the strongest, purest Tsonga rather than the blend of English, Zulu slang that all the young kids are using from TV. But if they don’t know the old, classic Tsonga words should we just use the slang since they understand it? Knowat I’m sayin?
- Should you sing nominally Christian songs at a funeral?
Though a majority of people in my village claim to be Christian, I have learned that forms of syncretism are equally prevalent. So when at a funeral I hear the familiar song about Jesus which has as its complete lyrics “There is no one like you; we support ourselves by you,” should I join in to show solidarity or should I remain quiet because even Muslims could sing that song?
- Should I take parental oversight of believers who do not have parents or at least do not have Christian parents?
Most of the young people in our church do not have dads at home or have never known their fathers. Should I take the initiative to insert myself into their lives to guide them in ways that a father would? Or, should I teach father-like counsel from the pulpit? Does a dad’s counsel always have to a Scripture verse, or can I sometimes just give good advice about life? For example, “You should work really hard to learn English now, so that you will be able to get a job in the future.”
- Should you give new Christians jobs in church right away or wait until they prove faithful?
They’ve given their testimony and are prepared to be baptized. Now, should I find a place for them to serve, or is that being foolishly hasty?
- Should missionaries restrain the size of their family so that missions dollars can be used to send more families with less children?
This is probably the most controversial issue, and most people would probably leave it to the missionary. Maybe they’re right. But maybe not. Furlough, saving for college, insurance, and the rest can be very expensive. Should the churches just offer a fixed amount, or may the missionary raise more support if he can’t keep the same standard of living with 4 (or 6 or 8) that he had with 2? And what about all the missionaries running on the treadmill of deputation?
Having worked through these issues, I have a position on most of them. But it’s profitable for God’s people to think clearly in applying Scripture to life, so I hope this letter will serve to that end. Your comments and advice are always welcome. Please continue to pray for us and our church.
With mind and heart,
Seth & Amy
20 September 2012
LAND
As our church nears its five-year old birthday in January, we’ve procured a plot for a future church building. It took several months of meeting and re-meeting with the tribal authority in order to finally confirm the “sale.” We had expected the price to be about $150, but they shocked us with the steep price tag of $1,500. For three months the church has been paying off the “permission to occupy” fee, and we’re hoping to have the final payment by the end of October.
And where did all that money come from? First, our regular offerings bring in about $35 per month. Second, the church members have committed to give per member as they are able for the building project. This increased giving brings in about $25. Third, Amy has baked hundreds of No Bake oatmeal cookies over the past few weeks, which the ladies have sold for another $60. And finally, we’ve been selling Bibles and books at the busiest corner in Elim.
BOOK SALES
Through a discounted shop in Johannesburg, we’ve snatched up a few hundred good books that weren’t popular enough to sell in the cities’ bookstores. Then a pastor gave us about 2,000 hardback Venda New Testaments. And finally, our table is stocked with Tsonga and Venda Bibles from the SA Bible Society. Our cash cow is the Venda NT, which we sell at $2.50.
Starting back in July, Amy helped me paint the sign, and every Saturday we set up a few church members with the books near all the traffic. The two Tsonga words on the sign mean “Buy Truth” conveying our intertwined goals of fundraising for our church building as well as propagating the Biblical gospel through good books. We also offer free home Bible studies to any who come to the table.
PASTORS’ CONFERENCE
The ministry of the African Pastors’ Conference will be returning to our province this year on October 22 and 23. A super-discounted book table for pastors in rural areas along with excellent preaching from black pastors makes this conference a real blessing. This year’s theme “True Prosperity in Christ” will focus positively on what Scripture says about money while subtly supplanting the prosperity gospel. We would appreciate your prayers that a number of African pastors would attend and that the speakers would be unusually anointed by the Holy Spirit.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
For a year or so Colin has been participating in our evening family worship. He now prays each night that God would give him and his siblings new hearts. Caleb professed his faith in May this year, and we are watching his life for fruit of the Spirit. In light of the sinfulness of the age, our own peculiar weaknesses, and the other children of believing parents who have left the faith, we are deeply grateful for your prayers for our children.
Amy’s doing a great job homeschooling Caleb who can now read slowly. Miraculous? Superhuman? What word should we use for mothers who homeschool an older child while still watching several younger infants?
Last but not least, since our last prayer letter, we had an infestation of termites (again). Paul noticed them as we were bowing our heads to pray together. They were coming through the back of my bookshelf in my study! Their cruel intent was noticeable on many books, but they did the worst damage to three books in particular—my favorite John’s: Holy War by John Bunyan, Charity and Its Fruits by Jon Edwards, and ironically Taste and See by John Piper.
Better late than never,
Seth & Amy
29 October 2012
A Lot of Work in a Few Words
The storm has passed this week as the pastors’ conference ended last week. My phone rang at all hours of the day and night including 3:40 and 5:15 am. The latest attendees arrived 3 hours before the two-day conference ended. The numbers fluctuated throughout the conference, so it is hard to say “how many” there were. We opened with about 10 at lunchtime on Monday, but Monday’s last session had about 28.
Planning a conference for rural African pastors has a few tricky aspects. The uncertainty of whether the topic will be appealing; the general administrative practice of not registering; and the general lack of character to actually fulfill your word if you said you would come, along with some other factors add up. But I was pleased by a few developments from the conference last week.
Fresh fruit
Ernest Tundu is a 41-year old pastor from Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. According to his testimony, he was greatly encouraged by the conference, and is seriously considering LBI in 2013. He said he was already involved with a personal evangelism ministry at his father’s church in Zimbabwe but his emphasis on personal evangelism has been hampered because he does not have enough training and knowledge to give to those whom he is able to reach. Time will tell, but he seemed to be a fervent, honest man. Per his request, the Lord may open a door for trips to that region for a 3-4 day course on Biblical evangelism, hermeneutics, or contemporary Christianity.
Thabiso and Pete are two 19-year old young men. Though they have not yet graduated high school, they came to the conference because of their increasing dissatisfaction with the prosperity churches they had been attending. I asked Pete at the conference if he was, 1. Not yet saved, but almost ready to commit to Christ; 2. Saved, but immature; or 3. Born again and established in the faith. He said he was not sure where he was exactly, but with all his heart he wanted to get out of the prosperity religion. “I have made up my mind to be Reformed,” he said. By which I think he meant emphasizing the Five Solas and expositional preaching rather than miracles and money. Thabiso is in a very similar situation and has been at our church for the past two weeks.
Another man was even more remarkable. Faustino Musviba lives about 3 kilometers from our house in the village of Mpheni (Venda for “Give to me”). He and I met through our church’s book table a few weeks ago, and I invited him to the conference. Last Monday, as he arrived in town to attend the conference, he couldn’t find the street where the church was even though he asked more than half a dozen people. In desperation, he recounted to me, he and his friend Alex paused to pray: “God, if you want us to go to this conference, then show us where the street is like you showed Abraham’s servant who should marry Isaac.” The very next person they asked knew the street and even took them directly to the church.
The day after the conference, Faustino showed up at my house with some consternation on his face. He proceeded to tell me that he hadn’t slept much the night before because he was so bothered over the preaching that he had just heard. Some churches had been paying him to come and preach for them, but he had been preaching a prosperity message. Even that day, he was wanted by a pastor in Chavani who would help him financially. “But if I take the money, then I know I must say what the boss wants me say. … Please help me with more knowledge. I am like Apollos who only knows the baptism of John.” (I’m not making up any of these lines of dialogue.)
I had a second meeting with him today for about two hours. In his opening statement he said, ““I don’t want to be preach the Gospel that is cursed.” But he wasn’t sure how to differentiate between true and false gospels. We began unpacking the Five Solas, and we will meet again twice per week for the next few months for theological instruction. Please pray for this man.
Rotten fruit
There was one other noteworthy conference delegate. I garnered Rickson Muofhe’s number from a crusade poster where he was offering miracles. Surprisingly, he came to the conference with a well-dressed friend. They made it in time for the food, but fell asleep in the first message—heads back, appendages sprawled, and snoring. When I gently woke them up, they abruptly stood and left. Rickson returned alone in time for dinner. The next day he came back for breakfast, but slipped seamlessly in and out of the sessions. The vast majority of the time he was not at the church. Except for the meals.
At dinner time, I learned that he had not yet paid the R50 for the conference fee, so I approached him about it. Certainly, he could pay since he was driving a new Toyota bakkie. He told me that his friend in town promised to give him money for the conference, but the friend was a liar—“You know black people; they always lie,” Rickson told me. He then proceeded to beg money for petrol from me since he could not even return home without it. After procuring a promise to pay it and the conference registration back within a week, I gave him some cash. This was Tuesday evening.
Two days later, I received a call from the man who had housed Rickson overnight for the conference. He thanked me profusely for sending this man to him. Why? “He was the worst pastor I have ever seen. I have so much more respect now for true pastors who are serving God even though they are poor.” Apparently, Rickson asked this man whom he had never met to pay his monthly installments on his vehicle. The man should cough up the bucks because Rickson knew that “God will be speaking to your heart about this matter.” And before Rickson left the man’s house on Tuesday morning to return to the conference, what was his final request? Money for petrol, which he was generously given—a few hours before he’d hit me up for the same “urgent need.”
It should not surprise you to read that this “man of God” has stopped answering his phone when I call. Not all that glitters is gold.
For the success of the Gospel in the hearts of men like these, we again request that you boldly pray.
Laboring among wheat and tares,
Seth & Amy
