This news has leaked out to some of you already, but for those who haven't heard, Thandy is pregnant! She's due on September 11. Please pray for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Thandy will continue with the ministry and has many hands to help her, both with the ministry and the baby. We congratulate Thandy and Emmanuel on the new addition to the family. |
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Third Wave and Electrical Grid Challenges |
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On May 30, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced stricter lockdowns as it appears the virus is “surging again” as winter arrives. Some areas, including Johannesburg and Pretoria, are considered to be in “a third wave." The two previous surges were in mid-2020 and a much worse wave in December and January, when a new variant emerged. The country has more than 1.6 million confirmed cases and more than 56,000 deaths. Only around 1.5% of the country's 60 million people have received a vaccine, with less than 500,000 of the 1.2 million health workers vaccinated. In total, 963,000 South Africans had received a vaccine as of May 30. More than 50 million vaccines have been “secured” but currently only 1.3 million doses are ready to be rolled out. South Africa hopes to vaccinate around 40 million people by the end of the year, but that appears to be a difficult goal to achieve. Schools are still open so R4L groups are continuing for now. Please pray for the virus to subside, and for more available vaccines. Read more. (Picture credit: Themba Hadebe)
The country also continues to struggle with the electrical grid. Older stations (around 40 years old) are failing, and some new stations are breaking down due to engineering problems. Ongoing, frequent power cuts are impacting daily life and the water supply, which depends on electricity to pump water. There have been some protests around the country as people are frustrated with these issues. Read more.
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Event Updates!
The clothing drive is underway now until September 30. We can take gently used clothes, shoes, purses, belts, linens (tablecloths, towels, drapes, etc.), blankets/sleeping bags, and anything fabric-y. Clothes can be dropped at 30020 2nd Ct. S., Federal Way, on the porch or in front of the garage if it's good weather. Donation receipts are in a bag on the porch. We work with Savers (Value Village), who supports nonprofits with a contribution based on the weight for items they bring in. They have asked that we not bring in any stained, torn, or otherwise unusable items. Please also let your family and friends know about the clothing drive. Another option for clothing is estate clear-outs. We can pick up large amounts of clothes if needed. Contact us at 253-946-5953 or 206-423-0306 (cell), or by email. Thanks for your support!
Federal Way Public Schools has still not opened their facilities to outside events. They asked us to check back in a couple of weeks. One possibility is to do it our garage sale during the summer.
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One strategy for expanding the program is to have existing R4L teams participate in and observe trainings for other new locations, so that they can carry out trainings in their own areas. Recently the Port Shepstone team participated in an Illovu (Durban area) training. Of the eight Port Shepstone Peer Educators, four came as representatives. It took six taxis to get them there but what they learned was worth the effort. Coordinator Nomfundo Majola (left, red top), says, “Covid has made us to be creative on how we continue reaching the kids in schools though restrictions have been a serious challenge. We came to watch Sthabile conduct her fox (students teaching students) training as we are planning for our own fox training on June 5 (85 are registered to attend). We learned a lot, from organizing the venue, serving refreshments, and conducting all the sessions in a fun way but yet keeping time. We are expanding to new villages in our area hence the need for the training. This is what I love about the R4L movement - its that we are a big family of local missionaries, we are given resources to travel to see what other teams are doing and that is how we learn and grow. Thank you for the funds and the books all these resources enable us to do what we love, which is to share Christ in our communities.” (See group picture, on right at bottom of newsletter.) |
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New Lesotho Coordinator and Thank You to Tracy! |
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We want to thank Lesotho coordinator, Tracy Hord (third from right), for all of her time and effort in coordinating the work there for the past three years. After the initial R4L training in Maseru, she expanded R4L even into the deep, rural areas. Tracy is a missionary and she and her family are now returning home to the U.S. The work is well established and Malintle Leoaka (second from left) will take over as country coordinator. Malintle has been part of the R4L team under Tracy and knows the program well. She will go to Johannesburg soon to receive more coordinator training. Tracy has said she plans to spread the news about R4L in America, so we are looking forward to hearing from her soon! The picture above was taken at the handoff ceremony on May 15. |
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Elder Care Staff has Reach4Life Group |
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Just to prove the point that R4L is for everyone, Frankfort Coordinator, Pastor Pule Mofokeng (khaki pants), shares about his group. “An old age home recently reached out to me, saying they know I am doing a program in schools for the youth but the manager had seen the book and has requested that I start a R4L group with their staff every week. It has been a great opportunity. Really this program is not limited to the youth, this is a good tool to evangelize and disciple people from every race, gender and age. The 5 years of me leading the R4L team in Frankfort have grown me so much on a personal level as a Pastor. People need Christ but the church is often very relaxed, just enjoying meeting in their comfort zones. R4L has taught me that the Great Commission is so much more!” |
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More Churches are Planted |
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Sibongile Gwamanda (blue skirt, with R4L Peer Educators), says “I was trained as a Peer Educator in Tugela Ferry, then was a coordinator in Pomeroy for 4 years. Recently my family moved again to this village. I started a R4L group with Primary school kids in the community and developed a team, and we are now in 7 schools. Unfortunately there are no born again, salvation teaching churches around. Mama Thandy referred me to Pastor Emmanuel. We have been praying to plant a church, and with the blessing of our local chief we have now done that. Each week we see new faces and more invites to more schools. Thank you for every box of Bibles we receive, God is at work and we are so excited.” A Peer Educator from another area and a recent Bible school graduate, will be moving here to pastor this R4L church. Pastor Emmanuel will mentor him and help set up leadership in the church.
Another church has been planted in the township of Zandspruit (Joburg), a challenging area with high crime, unemployment, HIV, drugs, and child headed homes. It’s not safe for kids to walk long distances to a church service so this second church plant has started with three more coming soon. Parents and siblings are also attending. The Peer Educators are doing R4L groups during the day and home groups in the evening for families, then Sunday church services. Please pray for Nhlanhla (“Lucky”) who is coordinating this area and now has taken on the task of multiple church plants. Thandy says, “As more kids come to Christ through R4L, we are seeing the need for more church plants.”
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Sibongile Gwamanda (blue skirt) is shown here with some of the R4L kids. Pastor Emmanuel (on far right in picture for previous article), says, “ As a church planter I can tell you it is very hard to break through an unbelieving community. But when parents see changes in the lives of their children, they are more willing to hear the gospel. As a result, I have been part of a few R4L church plants. I am happy to have been invited here. People came, we shared the word, many came to know Christ and we will be helping them grow in their new spiritual home.”
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Harrismith Church Building Nears Completion
The construction crew has completed the church building. Here Emmanuel is receiving the completed paperwork for the project. The only thing left to do is to install the windows, which will be done in the next week or two by a separate company. Adding up the costs, we are still looking to collect $5,763 which will include some items we added - burglar bars and a security system, gutters, and flooring. If you would like to help us with the final expenses, please go to our donate page and select "Church Bldg" in the projects dropdown box. Thanks for your help with this project, which is an investment that will be used for many years!
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Author Sharon Dutra of Be Transformed Ministries has donated 35 "New Beginnings" and 35 "Fishers of Men" discipleship books to the ministry. Pastor Emmanuel writes, "Sister Sharon, you have no idea how it feels to pick a big box filled with Kingdom resources like these books you have freely given us. May you and your husband continue serving Christ this way. The Fishers of Men is a great hit in this side of the world. Covid has changed everything we knew about ministry, a lot of pastors are tired and feel drained. Such material revives them, it brings hope to many and challenges them again to do what God has called them to do. We appreciate your hard work posting these all the way from the States to South Africa. The need for these books is huge. We pray that the Lord will refresh you and your family and that He will provide all that you need to fulfill your calling." Emmanuel (right) is shown above with pastors in Free State province. (Check out Sharon's amazing testimony here.)
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Bible Distributions for May |
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We are big believers in accountability, which is one reason we give details on what is happening with the ministry. Here is the record of Bible distributions for the month of May: schools – 7,431; community and church youth groups – 2,397; drug rehabs – 2,196; and prisons – 1,064, for a total of 13,088 Reach4Life Bibles distributed. (We cover the cost of some of the Bibles, and Biblica donates some.) Biblica has said that the Portuguese R4L Bibles are en route (via ocean) and should be arriving soon. The Mozambique team has been eagerly awaiting these Bibles, since Portuguese is their first language. |
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“My name is Zakithi Ntazi, 16 yrs old. I am a fox peer educator; my group has 39 members. We meet 3 times a week. It has been great to lead others to Christ. I love it when they challenge me with ancestral questions or any issue that they think they can trap me with. I have read my Bible so much that I am armed with answers from the Lord’s word. I love teaching my peers and mostly when they make the decision to follow Christ.” |
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Lerato Nokwane, R4L senior facilitor, says, “I have been with Phakama from the start, I am amazed how the work has grown. The 4 countries are flourishing, coordinators are expanding the work and each week there is a great story to celebrate. The peer educators are soldiering on, the new Fox workers are really like foxes - they are fast and busy! I came to support Sthabile at her training. We love watching the area leaders become trainers and mentors of their teams!" (We also appreciate Lerato keeping the accounting records there!) |
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Headmaster Mr. Bhubesi says, "Covid came with a lot of challenges for us in the educational institutions. We are dealing with kids who are struggling academically as school is on and off due to lockdowns. They are also suffering from loss of family members. I appreciate the R4L program, they never stopped caring for our school, they came up with many ways to still reach our students with the word. The peer educators have played an amazing role as spiritual front line workers during the pandemic. I will always honour this program. As a school we have proof that it works, we see it in our drop of teen pregnancy and drug use which was a big problem before. Keep up the good work brothers and sisters, Reach4Life is a tool to heal and restore lives.”
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“I am a very shy and quiet person and that has led in me experiencing some bullying in the years of my schooling. Reach4Life has given me the confidence to know who I am. The lesson that turned my life around was Self Image page 658, we learn about a boy born without limbs Nick Vujicic, he had to look at himself through the eyes of the Lord instead of the eyes of people. That lesson touched me deeply and I decided to read more, and I discovered how specially made I am. Now I am a different girl. I no longer need affirmation from my peers, I am what the word says. Reach4Life is healing us as young people on issues that we never share with anyone sometimes. Thank you for my Bible, I will cherish it forever.” |
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Siphesihle Manzini (above) was referred to Thandy by Biblica after he wrote and asked about the program. A meeting was arranged with Jacky Nhlapo, the Durban coordinator. In just three weeks, Siphesihle has already started groups in 8 schools, 2 colleges and 9 churches. The program draws passionate young people because they have a chance to plug into a well-structured organization, develop their leadership skills, grow spiritually, and see results from their ministry. |
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Jacky Nhlapo (right) offered Siphesihle a cup of coffee but he declined as he was fasting while seeking direction about his potential role in the program. Siphesihle has been introduced to other teams and a training is being organized for him and the new team that he has recruited. New R4L leaders are not left to fend for themselves; Jacky will continue mentoring him and the new team after the training. One of the strengths of R4L is the ongoing training and mentoring that is provided. |
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Reabetsoe Ramasoala, Grade 10, says, "Reach4Life gets us talking as the youth, the truths of this book are really deep. There are topics that even at school we are not taught about, but this small Bible of mine has all the tools of life I need as a young person. Sex is God’s creation therefore one cannot do it outside of his parameters. I have decided to keep myself till marriage. My grades are up and I am more kinder to others than I used to be. I want to spread this message of hope that I have found in my Reach4Life. This book needs to be in the hands of all Africa’s youth. We need it and I thank you for mine.”
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Motheba Motlanyane, Grade 10, says, “I did not know that the Bible can be so wonderful to read. The idea of putting real life issues in the Bible is brilliant! I am enjoying my Reach4Life Bible I have learned a lot from it. I am a new person since the Program launched in my school. During the week we do R4L groups and on the weekend, we have our R4L Sunday service. Life with the Lord is so joyful. The lesson I have loved the most is, using your gift on page 388. I have learned that my gifts are not just for me to shine or to have pride, but they are to serve others. Thank you for this special gift of the bible, I appreciate it.”
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Drug rehabs are a big piece of the R4L ministry and in May we created materials for group leaders whose members are dealing with addiction. The material includes characteristics of addiction, dealing with cravings, codependency, relapse, and other issues. Biblical material was also included as encouragement. |
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Well done to Sthabile (front row, far left, in pink) for hosting a R4L Fox training in her community. Eleven churches were represented. Being trained at a young age, these young people are already on the right track and have a lifetime to carry out the Great Commission! (This is not a misspelling; Illovu really has an "I" and two "l's!") |
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The current Rand exchange rate is now at 13.7 Rand per dollar. |
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Prevention Time thanks you for your interest in our organization. We are a 501(c)3 organization and all donations are tax-deductible. Prevention Time has no paid staff, so our administrative costs are minimal. To help support the ministry in sub-Saharan Africa, please click on the donate button below. |
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Sincerely,
The Prevention Time Board
Lorna Packard
Mindy Sauerlender
Mary Schumacher
Kim Ives
John Packard
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Pastor Ed Kelley IV
Margaret Kiyohara
Janis Schlepp
Sara Dickinson
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