Msindisi Newsletter 151

SALVADOR & DIANNE’S MSINDISI MONTHLY

NUMBER: 151       Jan 2018  

 

+27 (0) 728311008

+27 (0) 815836288

 

Email:  msindisi@gmail.com ,

salv.di@gmail.com

 

KwaZulu Mission Website: http://www.kwazulumission.com

KwaZulu Mission Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/kwazulumission

Allegiance Website: http://www.allegiancethemovie.co.za

Allegiance Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/allegiancethemovie

  

We are still waiting on the outcome from NZ migration. However, Praise the Lord that He has made a way for Salvador to come to New Zealand. As a British citizen he can go on a return ticket and receive a 6 month visa waiver. This will enable us both to await the outcome of his NZ residency application in New Zealand. So the ticket is booked. We are both able to leave South Africa together on the same flight on the 11th January to Dubai and then on separate flights to Auckland where Salvador will await for Di to land. But more on that later.

 

Here we are in Gauteng, house sitting at our friends’ place in Boksburg. The beginning of the month saw us leave our cottage by the sea and stay with our friends, Grant and Alicia. We visited Vryheid to say goodbye to our Vryheid family. Having spent 7 years of our lives with the brethren it made it hard to say goodbye. Precious souls hidden away in a rural situation, unknown to the rest of the world (except through our newsletters), serving the Lord quietly. Having departed to live near Ballito for a year made it easier for us, as we had already said goodbyes previously. We praise the Lord that He eased our departure in this way. We began with meeting most of our small home cell group on the friday evening in Vryheid. Our friends, Craig and Magda, had moved into a farm house, near Craig’s work place. We did a small bible study based on the Hebrew text of Psalm 23.

 

The next morning we visited Asimbonge and Ncedo with their adopted family. Those of you who have followed our newsletters for several years will remember that their mother, Babhekile, was murdered at our home while we were visiting Kokstad. (You can read about that news here https://kwazulumission.com/2014/01/02/msindisi-newsletter-112/ ). Soon after Asimbonge and Ncedo went to live with their grandmother and uncles near a town called Newcastle, who became their adopted family. We were so happy to see that they are excelling in their schooling, Asimbonge especially. It was lovely to think that Di had a part to do with teaching him basics that prepared him for school.

 

Later in the day, we went to our Zulu home where Phumlani and Sphiwe were waiting. We had hoped to stay a week but unfortunately we had to leave the following Tuesday evening in order to be ready to fly to Gauteng to house sit. Phumlani and Sphiwe hosted us generously. They prepared all our meals and it was a joy to relax, to speak about the Lord and to fellowship. Phumlani asked Salvador if he would bring a message for Church, so after prayer Salvador felt led to share about the Lord’s humility and the call to be slaves though we are sons, and the voluntary servitude that pleases the Lord. It was amazing to see that Leslie Crickmay’s sermon that Sunday at Coming King Ministries was also on Sonship and Servants. Celani put on a wonderful meal after the meeting and we shared one last meal together.

 

In the afternoon we went to the Creche that Salvador used to do a Bible study at in KwaBhekephi. We were so blessed by Grant and Alicia lending us their 4×4 to get to that area. It worked the difficult terrain like a breeze. We brought toys for the Creche and then did a bible study. The Lord is their teacher but they valued the input that we gave. These are precious souls in the middle of nowhere but they have the word and the Spirit. The next day we visited some people in the community. Salvador visited a friend who made a profession of faith several years ago but suffered a stroke. It was sad to see he had backslidden and says that he doesn’t remember making such a commitment.

 

On Tuesday morning, early, we left to go to Newcastle to Asimbonge’s home where Celani was visiting for one night in order that she could do a Facetime call with our friends Caleb and Sophie who Salvador used to minister with in 2002 – 2004. Unfortunately, Salvador got the time difference wrong but thankfully Sophie got out of bed to take it. The joy on Celani’s face was priceless as she was able to video call her long time friend and sister in the faith. It really struck us that the Lord has so enriched these precious brethrens’ lives by bringing believers from the other side of the world to share their lives with these forgotten and hidden people. Those bonds of fellowship and family will never be broken. When we got back, Celani made a lovely lunch for us, and set it out like a restaurant. It was her way of showing her love and heart with us though we didn’t expect it. That evening our friends, Johnny and Kim came round for a meal which we shared with Phumlani and Celani. We drove back late that night, which gave us a couple of days to sort out laundry, to pack our things and to tidy unfinished business before leaving Ballito to go to Gauteng.

 

In Gauteng we have caught up with precious friends, Allen and Sue Wells with all their kids (even though some are young adults lol). Soon after Allen, with two of the younger kids went to visit the oldest daughter and her family. So the rest of the family visited us on Christmas Day. The previous week we visited a couple called Roald and Lydia who had transported some of our possessions from Ballito when they visited in November. We visited our missionary friends Tony and Maria. They are not well. Maria had a benign Tumor which she has had surgically removed and Tony has an infection on Thyroid. Please pray for them. They are equipping various people from different churches to do cross cultural mission and church plant. On the Sunday, (24th Dec) we visited their home church in Thembisa. A young man named Ashley preached a fantastic message on Jesus as Emmanuel and as Saviour. South Africa needs more preachers like him.

 

We also got to catch up with John and Esther Raath who were visiting their family. They are from Ballito and part of Coming King Ministries. Esther was instrumental in Salvador’s Hebrew classes being established in the Church. The following day we had our friends, Morné and Vicki Rabie with their daughter for breakfast. We have not seen them for years. It was in their home that we got married, they slaved over their garden for the wedding. When Di first came to the country, the mother of the couple we are house sitting for, Val, in had prayed that Di and I would be married and a month before we got married she went to be with the Lord while visiting for one night in Morné and Vicki’s home. It was such a blessing to see them again and we trust it was an encouragement for them in the Lord. Then in the afternoon we went to visit some lovely friends, John and Julie Leo. They distribute the Berean Call and the Discernment Ministries newsletters in South Africa and sell their books and materials. Please pray for them. Hardships and illness have hit but their faith is strong and they handle it with grace.

 

Our other friends also need prayer. Mark and Paula Hibberd’s eldest son was cleaning the drains, and the drain cleaner’s lid popped while he was pouring it and the drain cleaner splashed up violently against his skin, burning his clothes and skin. Miraculously it burned his eyelids but not his eyes and missed his neck. However, his face, chest and arms were burned. His mother had just done a first aid course after being persuaded by a friend and acted quickly. For the first period of time in hospital their son was sedated as the pain was too severe. Many people prayed. The latest news is that he will need some skin grafts on his body but his face is healing nicely. He has not suffered infection and the nurse had remarked that this could have taken his life but his healing is beyond expectation. Praise the Lord. We visited him in hospital and although it must be hard so for him to go through this, he was chatty and gracious during our visit. We visited the rest of the family afterwards. This Sunday we visited Bread of Life Ministries and the message that was preached was a fantastic gospel message which challenged the hearer to recommit to the Lord and acknowledge any blindness or hardheartness to the Lord.

 

Today we had coffee with a young man from Bread of Life called JP. We knew him from Port Elizabeth from an assembly of wonderful brethren that we have been in fellowship with since 2010. It was wonderful to see the Lord in His life, the Lord’s leading and his growth. This was followed by lunch with Clayton and Maggie Lowane whom Salvador had the pleasure of officiating and preaching at their wedding back in 2008. They and their home fellowship have been an enormous source of encouragement and blessing to us over the years. 2 members of the house church were part of the “Allegiance” film and shared their testimonies of how the Lord saved them out of ancestral worship. Their names are Karabo and Mujuru.

 

This is surely a time of reflection for Salvador. The Lord first brought him to South Africa on the 2nd January 2002, 16 years ago tomorrow. When he left the UK, the pastor of the Church shared a message that “You will never pass this way again”. It almost feels the same. We don’t know what lies ahead. We know this is a new chapter of our lives and ministries but don’t know what will be written in that chapter. As Salvador will be in New Zealand as a visitor, he will not be able to work or study. We can stay with Di’s mum up to three months. But it seems that we will visit various believers and churches, possibly in Australia too (which has been spoken about with a certain sister in the Lord in Australia). We plan on being mobile and allowing the Lord to close wrong doors and open right ones. We look back and see how faithful the Lord has been to bring us this far. We know He will not forsake us now. We feel like Abraham going forward to a land he did not know.

 

After ten years of marriage and ministry together we can testify to the faithfulness of the Lord in every area of our lives. It is His mercy and grace that has brought us this far and we look forward to seeing what he has for us next.

  

Prayer needs:

 

Sal has submitted his NZ residency so please keep that in prayer

 

Di has regular contact with her mum on FaceTime, please keep her in prayer

 

For John and Julie Leo.

 

For Mark and Paula Hibberd’s family.

 

For Tony and Maria Verlaan and their health.

 

For Coming King Ministries

 

For Phumlani and the Zulu Church outside Vryheid.

 

For the Lord’s leading for us in New Zealand.

 

If anyone is interested, here is the next teaching in the series on Eschatology:

 

Eschatology 7: The Inclusion of Gentiles in the Jewish Ekklesia