Welcome to the Minister's Blog.
Hopefully many people are now aware of our developing links with Africa
One of our Ministers (Andrew) visited the Agape Orphanage in South Africa from 14th to 22nd February 2009
While he was there, Andrew provided the updates below to give us a flavour of the trip.
20th Feb 09 2nd Post
"I think this will be the last one as I'm leaving agape today.
Today I visited the diferent agape sites delivering Wheet-bix, onions, potatoes and carrots to feed the 300 children. The Wheet-bix is not wheetabix, its a popular porridge. the photo shows Matthias and his wife Suzanne who escaped from Zimbabwe after their house was burnt down becasue they were Christians, they now work at Agape, I was helping Matthias with his deliveries. The other photo shows a sign at one of the schools, its making the point that for them to obey the rule changes in South Africa of banning religion in school is having a bad effect.
see you when I get back
andrew"
20th Feb 09
"Yesterday evening was different, not that I led a prayer meeting, but that I had to do it in Afrikaans! Most of the people can understand English and some can speak it well, but Afrikaans is the most popular language. The photo shows the prayer meeting, I invited them to be silent for a few minutes and then share if they had pictures, words etc (all of this was translated). the result was an exciting one as a number of them shared a similar picture of going along the right way and then being distracted to go the wrong way. They then prayed into that, at least i think that they did, it was all in Afrikaans! After the meeting I prayed with the man in the picture - he also had an interesting story to tell and an interesting name - 'Frenchy boy'!!
Andrew"
19th Feb 09 3rd Post
"Yesterday was spent with the teachers from the Primary school and the High school. I visited the partner schools to Locking Stumps primary and Birchwood High School (see pictures), its interesting to think how the link with the schools is leading to a link with Agape.
Andrew"
19th Feb 09 2nd Post
"I taught some of the children great big God today (see pic), also I spent some time talking to the men who have come to faith and now help at Agape - all with great stories which I will share when I get back."
19th Feb 09
"Today I've spent some time at the disabled home, for example the picture shows Annabel - the baby that was born without a brain, her large head is filled with fluid. She is now 10 months old due to care of the staff. she loves to have her cheek stroked. The other picture is of the baby that we went to pick up on Monday.
Andrew"
18th Feb 09
"I don't know what is happening today - so here is my blog, a short one! Had an amazing start as 12 men went up a mountain to pray and share communion together - a wonderful experience as we prayed for the town below. Attached are pics
andrew"
"Hi,
just an update on the fire that threatened the prayer centre. Attached is a picture showing the scene now. the prayer centre is just off picture to the right. The fire had spread over the mountain, over the road and was going down the hill towards the prayer centre. But... the prayers worked and you can see that the fire stopped with seemingly nothing in its way.
God bless,
Andrew"
17th Feb 09
"Today has been amazing, in the morning I was an teaching assistant to Victoria who has over fifty 2 - 4 year olds to teach in a pre-school group and ahe does amazingly well - despite my 'help'! (see photo). In the afternoon we wandered around the township and met some amazing people - just little stories like a man who died, was prayed for and came back alive! I sat in his house today! (again see photo). Lots more to tell! Also please pray for those whose house was burnt down in another fire yeasterday. There is another photo of Gerrit praying with a lady who has lost everything. Agape is helping out those families with children. Got to go to bed now off to men's prayer at 5.30am tomorrow!
andrew"
Pre-school Group (with Andrew)
Gerrit and Lady who lost everything
Man who Died
16th Feb 09
"Monday - What an amazing day I've had.
Firstly the fire that threatened stopped as the wind changed direction - thanks for all of the prayers, praise God.
I had a tour of Agape, what an amazing work there is here. Our first stop was at the disabled home, about a dozen children with various disabilities are loved. The baby with no brain deserves a special mention, the doctors gave her a week to live, she is now at least 6 months old. We then saw a pre-school where over 100 are cared for, the food they get is sometimes the only food they will have.
This was on Agape 2 at Agape 1 there are three houses with about 7 children in each, they live there with their carers as a family.
Then in Agape 3 there is another preschool, there are two classes, one is taught by a lady called Victoria and she has 52 children aged 2 - 4 years old.
Later Agape got a call to pick up a baby from the social services. The mother had been drinking during the pregnancy and the baby was permanantly brain damaged - but she will be loved and cared for at Agape.
Thats all for now, I have taken some pictures which I will try and send tomorrow.
God bless, Andrew "
15th Feb 09
"It's Andrew here - hope you get this. I have arrived safely at the orphanage and have been wonderfully received. Immediately I was part of the evening worship which was full of the Holy Spirit. I then enjoyed tea with Gerrit and Ami who run Agape together with some of the children that they look after. Please pray for a fire here like the fires in Australia which are not threatening us as the wind is blowing away from Graboew, but it has already destroyed farms nearby.
God bless Andrew"
Update: The fires are threatening the Headquarters of the "Global Day of Prayer" movement (www.globaldayofprayer.com). Please pray for this organisation and all those affected by the fires.