With our toes in the sand and the sound of waves crashing close by, we had a very beautiful experience on Sunday, 30 June. Stefan had the joy of marrying his younger sister, Melissa and her husband Richard, on the beach in Kosi Bay. What made this intimate family wedding so special was the fact that all Stefan’s siblings were together for the first time since December 2011.
Family reunions is just one of the many wonderful things about our visit to South Africa. Another highlight is seeing all our partners and sharing with one another what God is doing.
Speaking about what God is doing – we heard a great story from one of our church planters in India last week. It reminds us of the privilege we have to serve together for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Rejoice with us as you read it.
“Rahina* saw a woman struggling with an incurable physical ailment touching Jesus garment and immediately getting healed. She was watching the JESUS film in her village in India. Rahina’s hope was revived!
Rahina, a mother of two boys was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and had been under treatment for a year. During a religious festival, she was possessed by an evil spirit. As her troubles increased, her family took her to a village sorcerer with the hope of finding some relief. However, their efforts were futile.
Since the family was struggling to make ends meet, they could not afford to go for surgery as advised by her doctor. They were desperate.
At this point, Rahina’s sister in law, a Christian, asked the family to take her to a Prayer, Care, Share group (PCS group), an initiative of our church planting strategy. Sensing the pathetic situation of Rahina, Pardo* a PCS group leader, prayed for the work of the Lord in her life. After the prayer, Pardo arranged the screening of JESUS Film. That day marked the turning point in Rahina’s life! She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour and began to trust Him for a miracle to happen in her life too.
After a week’s prayer, she experienced release from the bondage of the evil spirit. The PCS group continued to pray for her and they began to see her health being restored. After seeing the wonderful work of God in Rahina’s life, her husband and sons received Christ. Now her family is regularly attending the PCS group and sharing their testimony with others. As she began to learn the Word and grow in the Lord, she started a small Bible study group with 12 people.”
*Names changed for security reasons
Prayer Requests:
Pray for Rahina and her family as well as all our church planters to walk closely with the Lord.
Pray also for us to have good connections with our partners as well as potential new partners.
