4 Countries in a week!
Since I wrote you all last, we have been doing some extensive travel for ministry. Dan joined a team of 30 people from all over South Africa and was on an outreach trip in Zambia again for two weeks. He drove 30+ hours one way up to Lusaka, Zambia and helped the Lilema family with some projects on their home for a couple days. We sent up some adult diapers, sheet protector, and helped buy a new mattress for the severely disabled nephew they care for, a special Bible, and bought some batteries to help with their electricity issues. On our previous visit, we delivered some donated solar batteries and Dan helped set them up, but it wasn’t fully functioning yet. This visit, he was able to get things going properly and we received the kindest thank you message from the family saying how grateful they are. The current electricity issues in Zambia are extremely challenging and even in the capital city, they only have power for 4-6 hours per day. It makes food storage impossible, cooking food is mostly over a fire outside, and they are spending loads of money on gas for running the generator. Solar will be a game changer for this family!
Not only do they serve their family and extended family, Daniel Lilema leads the network of Word of Life Churches in Zambia and provides oversight and leadership to over 330 pastors. He is often on the road and even his wife Nelly often joins him in the bush outreaches for connecting with pastors, doing outreach and evangelism, leading Western teams, and encouraging. Investing in their family will have a ripple impact in ministry to the whole network of churches in Zambia. Honestly, we have loved their family for a long time. Miesha learned how to crawl in their home when we were on a Zambian outreach 17 years ago! We celebrate all that God is doing in and through their family and ministries. It is a joy to do life together and we are already planning an outreach program in Bethlehem for when they will come to visit us in October. Can’t wait!
“I am writing to express my sincere gratitude and heartfelt thanks for the incredible support you have rendered to us. The solar installation, batteries, and supplies for Brian will make a significant impact on our operations. For the past two years we have been using 40 litres of fuel every 3 days for the generator. This generous support will enable us to save funds and allocate them to other essential areas. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. May God bless you and your family abundantly. Regards, Daniel Lilema”
Since it was such a large team, the group split into three teams and went to serve in three different villages. Dan spent the most time with the team in Mulenje village because the leader Mark Gilson is a dear friend and because it was amazing to reconnect with so many familiar faces from our ministry trip to the same village a couple months ago. We lived with the Gilson family for 6 weeks about a decade ago when we ran a Conquer Series in their church community and love reconnecting.
The church in Mulenje had another brilliant ministry week and there was a significant ministry to the children and lots of wonderful teachings for the adults. There were many baptisms also – glory to God! It was a joy to see how much spiritual growth and fruit is in this congregation. They sent a lovely video telling us that it was such a joy to see Dan and they are so sad that the kids and I and Louise didn’t come with this trip. I sent care packages to several pastors which included Bibles, devotional books, balloons and tea! Dan also visited the other two villages and God was moving mightily in all three locations. There were daily conference-style messages, some walking the trails to do door to door evangelism, school ministry, and they showed The Jesus Film after dark. There were also many baptisms – some in a river!
On the long drive home, Dan gave rides to several Zambians and spent some quality time with a leader we love who has been having some significant challenges/consequences this year and needed to hear a message of grace and Father God’s heart to restore and redeem all the brokenness. Dan also spent a couple days in Livingstone visiting friends and helping another missionary team. As you know, Dan is gifted with serving with his hands as well as with his heart. Everywhere he went, we heard reports of blessing, encouragement, and essential help.
The kids and I also had some adventures (or misadventures?!) while Dan was gone – look on Facebook for the story and pictures of the suicidal eagle which blew up our transformer box!!
The drive home through Botswana provided some great elephant sightings and he arrived home in South Africa midday on a Monday. He got to look at his emails and take a couple naps and then early Friday morning, we were on the road again to a ministry weekend in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). Dan was in 4 African countries in one week!
I am going to share more about our Eswatini adventures in our next newsletter – but if you want a sneak peek, there are pictures from our visit already posted on social media. After our long weekend in Motshane, Eswatini with the Chomba family, we kept driving east and had some quality and quantity family time at the warm Indian Ocean. We all needed a break from the chilly temperatures in Bethlehem and had some amazing wildlife encounters and brilliant snorkeling.
This month we are doing some ministry at New Horizon College – Dan is on campus on Saturday and also will be sharing in their Sunday service for the students in the hostels this coming weekend. A couple weeks ago the hostel father Joseph texted me to say that the devotional books I gave to the students are being “seriously read” and two more students accepted Jesus as Savior. We are thrilled!! Thank you Lord!
This weekend, we are hosting some Joburg friends who want to come and rest with us, I’m doing some preparations and planning for the two teams that are coming in October, finishing up my online courses and planning homeschool for this coming year. Dan is catching up on all our farm projects since he was gone for almost a month and having a bunch of appointments to reconnect with people. The kids are plugging away at homeschooling and we are all preparing to be in USA for the month of September. We’ve also been invited back to minister on another school campus in town and we are excited for this opportunity as well! The lovely people in Align are still moving forward into healing, we are ministering at Bambalela as we can, and we try to listen and love and point people to God’s heart in our conversations and meetings.
We’re moving at a fast clip, but we are thankful for the opportunities to love and minister to so many.
Titus will have his 16thbirthday and Dan and I are celebrating 25 years married this August. We give God all the glory – His healing fingerprints are all over our story and we are so thankful to Him for our love and legacy.
This September visit to the States will be a short one and we are unable to do the usual road trips to see everyone. If you are in or passing through Seattle, please let us know – we’d love to try to connect. We only have a couple days in Portland this time, but I will let everyone know dates where they can find us in our next note.
With joy,
Dan and Janell
Thank you for your prayers and support!
