Saturday, October 11, 2008




African Trip from August-September, 2008

We returned in mid-September from almost seven weeks in East and South Africa.  It was a profitable trip, though not without a glitch or two.  We have come to expect that with each trip on the continent!   Our time started in Kenya, where the Simonsen, Rains and Halstead families all serve.  The stay in Kenya included a side “survey” trip to Kigoma, Tanzania where we (Rick, Brent, and I) had the privilege of teaching for three days on Baptist Distinctives to a conference of about 100, including some 30 Pastors.  I was able to stand on the spot in Ujiji where Stanley uttered his famous line, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.”  God is greatly using our three families in Kenya for His glory.  Martha and I then went to Johannesburg, South Africa.  Though we both fell ill, our time there was a great blessing to us.  The work of Calvary Baptist Church in Sunnyridge took a significant turn during recent months with an outreach into two massive refugee camps in their area (mostly Zimbabweans and Mozambiqueans).  The regular Sunday attendance has essentially doubled, and the Bible Institute is also swelling with refugee students who have made professions of faith and are growing much spiritually.  God is good!  The work at CBC is the primary ministry of the Kevin Brosnans, and Miss Saundra Smith (our hostess for the entire time in Jo’Burg).  The Brosnans are also working toward the establishment of a full-time Bible College.  The Stewart Overmillers have been overseeing the exciting work at Elandsfontein.  A garage belonging to a nursery school would seat probably 25 kids comfortably.  However, on a typical Sunday morning, it is “filled” with over 100 kids and 30+ adults meet in a small adjoining room!  They need another facility desperately.  This ministry is literally bursting at the seams.  Folks are being saved weekly and the congregation is growing spiritually as well.

 

The next leg of our journey was to be to Lubumbashi, DR Congo.  However, the airline had oversold the flight departing Nairobi by about 50 seats and we were not allowed to board the aircraft for the first of our planned four flights.  The bottom line was that we were forced to cancel our trip to Congo!  We have not visited the Curtis family since before they left Kinshasa in 2005 and we look forward to making that a part of our next trip.  We made the next flight down to Cape Town where the Eric Grahams serve along with Miss Amy Blackburn.  The work there in North Pine is small but growing.  What precious believers they are.  Martha stayed in Cape Town while I returned to Nairobi and Thika, Kenya to teach a grad course on Apologetics during the second week in September.  There were 16 Pastors who took the course, and it was a delight to both teach them and learn from them.  The training program in Nairobi continues to expand at all levels, including T.E.E. (Theological Education by Extension).

 

We have enjoyed giving update reports to a number of our 25 supporting churches this year.  It is always a delight to do this, and our sincere prayer is that God will raise up additional laborers for the fields of the world.  There is so much to do . . . and potentially so little time.  “Even so come, Lord Jesus!”  May we all ‘be about the Father’s business.’   We praise the Lord for each of you, and for your faithful intercession on our behalf!

 

Steve and Martha Anderson