We've had less contact lately from the team.... But, here are some recent posts from South Africa:
Jul 27 2008 12:01:40:830PM
From a paper written by a Zulu student during class:
My happiest day was at my school when there were people from America. It makes me feel happy and proud of Jesus who I trust. And it also makes my school be important to me and think that they are people who use their money for coming to teach the word of God to us like the Americans. The thing that make me see that God want us to believe in Him is that the Americans didn't come to teach us or help us in our subject, but they came and teach the word of God and I am thankful for what they did and I am still want to know more about our savior who is God.
The other day that makes me be happy is when Jesus came in my life, and I believed that He died and forgive out sins.
- Patience
Jul 27 2008 11:54:55:020AM
From a paper written by a Zulu student during class:
Our happiest moment in time was when in our school we had visitors from America and for most of us it was the first time we ever had a white teacher stand in front of us. So it was a wonderful experience for us. We consider it the happiest day of our lives. We wish for more days like these. They taught us a lot of things and the amazing power of the Lord
- Degrecia
Jul 27 2008 11:51:04:360AM
God has been doing amazing things here in South Africa. This week has been our first week of ministry and we've been traveling to different schools teaching subjects such as math, English, history, science, and incorporating the Gospel into it. Today my group taught eighth graders with the help of a translator. The second class we taught Arts and Culture; we asked to kids questions about South Africa, and in turn they asked us questions about America. This was a great opportunity for communicating with the students! We explained what we thought their flag symbolized biblically and Dooba shared his testimony. At the end of class, five boys committed their lives to Jesus! The third class was also Arts and Culture and we did the same discussion. I shared my testimony at the end and told the kids that I came to South Africa to tell them what Jesus did for me and that He can do the same for them; that he loved them and would forgive them for the mistakes they've made. I asked who would like to know Jesus and commit their lives to him and 50 students raised their hands! I got the opportunity to pray with them. In our fourth class we taught English, read two stories, and explained having a relationship with Jesus. I shared my testimony after the first story and at the end of class, 33 kids committed their lives to Christ! Today, 88 souls will be going to heaven when they die. Today, I learned just how much of an impact my words have.
- Joelle
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
More Team Updates from the ZAMBIA part of the Mission
Jun 29 2008 08:32:38:000AM
Teams visited local churches in Zambia and some got to share message this morning. The teams are very excited for tomorrow as we are going on Safari. The teams will have the opportunity to see giraffes, elephants, lions, antelopes, etc as well as sample the local flavor of foods.
They deserve a day to rest as they have been working so hard the last couple of weeks!!
Jun 27 2008 02:22:35:267AM
Teams ran day camps on Wednesday & Thursday with numerous orphans. They were able to disciple many by sharing their testimony and leading discussion groups with the young people. Today teams are spending time at the 5 completed orphanages working with the children & encouraging them.
Please continue to pray for your young people as they are continuing to invest in ministry here in Zambia! They are not growing weary & ask that you not grow weary in praying for them!!
Jun 24 2008 02:29:05:583AM
Teams are continuing their work on the orphanage today! Yesterday they moved over 2,000 bricks and today will be digging ditches for water & sewer lines as well as install block for the homes. They are encouraged knowing that their work is helping to complete 4 homes for the orphans!!!
Teams visited local churches in Zambia and some got to share message this morning. The teams are very excited for tomorrow as we are going on Safari. The teams will have the opportunity to see giraffes, elephants, lions, antelopes, etc as well as sample the local flavor of foods.
They deserve a day to rest as they have been working so hard the last couple of weeks!!
Jun 27 2008 02:22:35:267AM
Teams ran day camps on Wednesday & Thursday with numerous orphans. They were able to disciple many by sharing their testimony and leading discussion groups with the young people. Today teams are spending time at the 5 completed orphanages working with the children & encouraging them.
Please continue to pray for your young people as they are continuing to invest in ministry here in Zambia! They are not growing weary & ask that you not grow weary in praying for them!!
Jun 24 2008 02:29:05:583AM
Teams are continuing their work on the orphanage today! Yesterday they moved over 2,000 bricks and today will be digging ditches for water & sewer lines as well as install block for the homes. They are encouraged knowing that their work is helping to complete 4 homes for the orphans!!!
Greetings from KATIE in AFRICA... Watch!
We recently received a video greeting from Katie.
Here it is:
It's great to see her and know that her heart is submerged in the love for the people she has been serving. Rare to get a video like this from the field. (And thanks to Ron for shooting it!)
Thanks for the prayers for Katie and for the Africa people God is using her to reach. Please keep the prayers going... She still has more than a month of adventure to go!!
Here it is:
It's great to see her and know that her heart is submerged in the love for the people she has been serving. Rare to get a video like this from the field. (And thanks to Ron for shooting it!)
Thanks for the prayers for Katie and for the Africa people God is using her to reach. Please keep the prayers going... She still has more than a month of adventure to go!!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
On to South Africa
We talked to Katie in a short phone call yesterday...
She wanted to thank everyone who is praying for her, and knows how important all of you are to the successful outcome of this journey and mission.
She was extremely excited about the weeks she has been spending in Zambia. Apparently they had just finished running a "camp" for the orphans they went to work with. She said her experience working at the Christian camp, Pine Cove, here in the Tyler area had come in very handy.
The big event for today... she and her time board a plane and head for South Africa! Once in Jo-Berg, she will be working with Rich and Michelle Franzen from Impact Africa http://www.Impactafrica.org
I (Doug) had the opportunity to go to South Africa last year, and first hand got to see many of the places Katie will be going.
South Africa is a country like few others in Africa. It is a mix of extreme poverty
vs. maybe the most westernized society on the continent.
Katie will be visiting several shanty towns that are home to 10's of thousands and sometimes 100's of thousands of people. Disease is rampant. Poverty seemingly inescapable. She will be spending a lot of days serving, reaching, and relating to the people who live in these huge squatter villages.
One other change... much of the original team that went to Zambia will NOT be making the trip to Jo-Berg. But... an entire team of new missionaries will join Katie's group... flying to South Africa next week.
Please pray for Katie as she enters her 2nd month of service in Africa. And, pray that God will continue to use the entire team in a mighty way.
She wanted to thank everyone who is praying for her, and knows how important all of you are to the successful outcome of this journey and mission.
She was extremely excited about the weeks she has been spending in Zambia. Apparently they had just finished running a "camp" for the orphans they went to work with. She said her experience working at the Christian camp, Pine Cove, here in the Tyler area had come in very handy.
The big event for today... she and her time board a plane and head for South Africa! Once in Jo-Berg, she will be working with Rich and Michelle Franzen from Impact Africa http://www.Impactafrica.org
I (Doug) had the opportunity to go to South Africa last year, and first hand got to see many of the places Katie will be going.
South Africa is a country like few others in Africa. It is a mix of extreme poverty
vs. maybe the most westernized society on the continent.
Katie will be visiting several shanty towns that are home to 10's of thousands and sometimes 100's of thousands of people. Disease is rampant. Poverty seemingly inescapable. She will be spending a lot of days serving, reaching, and relating to the people who live in these huge squatter villages.
One other change... much of the original team that went to Zambia will NOT be making the trip to Jo-Berg. But... an entire team of new missionaries will join Katie's group... flying to South Africa next week.
Please pray for Katie as she enters her 2nd month of service in Africa. And, pray that God will continue to use the entire team in a mighty way.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
This JUST in.... Pix of Katie from Zambia
We just got some pictures of Katie ministering to the people in Zambia. The pix were taken by Ron Luce... Teen Mania's President and Founder who was able to visit the Zambia team this past weekend.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Missionary Updates from ZAMBIA
The Missionaries in ZAMBIA don't currently have access to the internet. But their Team Leaders have been able communicate some of the following updates from the field by driving an hour away to an available internet cafe:
Jun 20 2008 04:45PM
Michael from says:
We started doing a VBS for a group of older boys and I thought \"Perfect! How can older boys tire me out?\" But managing a group of 13-14 year olds who speak a different language and are in a different culture was much harder than I expected! Some thought they were too cool, some were too quiet; some just spoke to each other in their language and laughed at us. It was hard to know how they could retain anything that we wanted to teach them.
But on the last day, kids we had given up on talked about how they learned the love of Jesus. They remembered what even I forgot we taught them! I smiled as they compared our love with the love that Jesus has for them. They could not ignore or understand how we would leave our homes and travel so far just to love them and set an example for them. It was such a blessing to be with them.
Jun 20 2008 04:48PM
Stephanie says:
Our ministry group was to discuss the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I told Grant that he should share about becoming a follower of Jesus and lead the prayer. Grant said he was scared to lead so many children to the Lord; he had never done anything like that before! I encouraged him that with God anything is possible and that He can use anyone. So, Grant started the discussion and told them how Jesus wants a relationship with them. He glanced over at me to signal that I should lead the prayer, but I told him it is his turn and time to step out and stretch his faith. God brought him here for such a time as this! Grant smiled and continued to lead every one of those children in a prayer of salvation. Tears streamed down my face as I watched this transformation in the children as well as in Grant. The power of God was great in that moment and I will never forget it.
Jun 20 2008 04:48PM
Hannah says:
Monday we met the young girls from the orphanage that we would be working with. We sang songs with them and played games. At first they were shy and reluctant to interact with us, but as the day went on they became more open and relational. On Wednesday we shared the testimony of Jesus and his love for us; as a result most of the girls gave their life to Him! Beth and I shared our testimonies and answered questions for them.
God is doing a personal work in me through all this! When I was sharing I felt unequipped and that I needed to be more passionate, convincing, and acceptable. My MA prayed for me and opened up doors to how I can be used by Jesus by just being faithful to Him! I am so thankful for the work God is doing here in Zambia and in my life.
Jun 20 2008 05:20 PM
Ministry Update:
Hello from Zambia! Ministry is going wonderful here. On Saturday we had 300 children at a day camp were we were able to feed, play with, and share Jesus with them. This weekend we will be attending a church service with the Zambian people and also doing an afternoon camp in one of the villages. On Monday we will begin building an orphanage and doing another day camp with the children.
All of the students here are doing well! Thank you for your prayers and support; the Lord is being glorified here!
Stacy and Gus (Trip Leaders)
Jun 20 2008 05:07 PM
Shane says:
When we came to the village, there were hundreds of kids, young and old, and I could see they were all starved. Not of food but of love, affection, and truth. At first as we interacted many hung back and stared at us, but as we continued to relate they could tell we were friends to them. The kids were so real and genuine as they began to experience the love of Jesus as they never had before. My heart broke for them as I saw how much they needed true love. There are tens of thousands of people just like the ones I got to interact with! Being here has really opened my eyes to the need in the world around me. So many people do not understand the love of Christ, but I will do what I can to spread His message.
Jun 14 2008 03:07 PM
Today the teams visted some of the homes of the orphans they will be working with. This was an eye opening experiecence for them.
Tonight the teams will have a time to share stories and learn about specific ways to minister to the Ugandans.
Tomorrow they head to Churches of the families of the orphans.
On Monday they begin VBS with hundreds of the orphans in the camps. They will be working with the same orphans all week developing relationships and showing the love of Jesus.
They are in a more remote area of Zambia and internet access is over 1 hour away.
Jun 14 2008 02:58 PM
Although the Zambia teams do not currently have access to the internet, they have contacted the Global Expedition office to let us know that everyone has arrived safely! They are looking forward to starting ministry and are excited that the time they have been waiting and training for has finally arrived!
Jun 20 2008 04:45PM
Michael from says:
We started doing a VBS for a group of older boys and I thought \"Perfect! How can older boys tire me out?\" But managing a group of 13-14 year olds who speak a different language and are in a different culture was much harder than I expected! Some thought they were too cool, some were too quiet; some just spoke to each other in their language and laughed at us. It was hard to know how they could retain anything that we wanted to teach them.
But on the last day, kids we had given up on talked about how they learned the love of Jesus. They remembered what even I forgot we taught them! I smiled as they compared our love with the love that Jesus has for them. They could not ignore or understand how we would leave our homes and travel so far just to love them and set an example for them. It was such a blessing to be with them.
Jun 20 2008 04:48PM
Stephanie says:
Our ministry group was to discuss the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I told Grant that he should share about becoming a follower of Jesus and lead the prayer. Grant said he was scared to lead so many children to the Lord; he had never done anything like that before! I encouraged him that with God anything is possible and that He can use anyone. So, Grant started the discussion and told them how Jesus wants a relationship with them. He glanced over at me to signal that I should lead the prayer, but I told him it is his turn and time to step out and stretch his faith. God brought him here for such a time as this! Grant smiled and continued to lead every one of those children in a prayer of salvation. Tears streamed down my face as I watched this transformation in the children as well as in Grant. The power of God was great in that moment and I will never forget it.
Jun 20 2008 04:48PM
Hannah says:
Monday we met the young girls from the orphanage that we would be working with. We sang songs with them and played games. At first they were shy and reluctant to interact with us, but as the day went on they became more open and relational. On Wednesday we shared the testimony of Jesus and his love for us; as a result most of the girls gave their life to Him! Beth and I shared our testimonies and answered questions for them.
God is doing a personal work in me through all this! When I was sharing I felt unequipped and that I needed to be more passionate, convincing, and acceptable. My MA prayed for me and opened up doors to how I can be used by Jesus by just being faithful to Him! I am so thankful for the work God is doing here in Zambia and in my life.
Jun 20 2008 05:20 PM
Ministry Update:
Hello from Zambia! Ministry is going wonderful here. On Saturday we had 300 children at a day camp were we were able to feed, play with, and share Jesus with them. This weekend we will be attending a church service with the Zambian people and also doing an afternoon camp in one of the villages. On Monday we will begin building an orphanage and doing another day camp with the children.
All of the students here are doing well! Thank you for your prayers and support; the Lord is being glorified here!
Stacy and Gus (Trip Leaders)
Jun 20 2008 05:07 PM
Shane says:
When we came to the village, there were hundreds of kids, young and old, and I could see they were all starved. Not of food but of love, affection, and truth. At first as we interacted many hung back and stared at us, but as we continued to relate they could tell we were friends to them. The kids were so real and genuine as they began to experience the love of Jesus as they never had before. My heart broke for them as I saw how much they needed true love. There are tens of thousands of people just like the ones I got to interact with! Being here has really opened my eyes to the need in the world around me. So many people do not understand the love of Christ, but I will do what I can to spread His message.
Jun 14 2008 03:07 PM
Today the teams visted some of the homes of the orphans they will be working with. This was an eye opening experiecence for them.
Tonight the teams will have a time to share stories and learn about specific ways to minister to the Ugandans.
Tomorrow they head to Churches of the families of the orphans.
On Monday they begin VBS with hundreds of the orphans in the camps. They will be working with the same orphans all week developing relationships and showing the love of Jesus.
They are in a more remote area of Zambia and internet access is over 1 hour away.
Jun 14 2008 02:58 PM
Although the Zambia teams do not currently have access to the internet, they have contacted the Global Expedition office to let us know that everyone has arrived safely! They are looking forward to starting ministry and are excited that the time they have been waiting and training for has finally arrived!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Katie's in ZAMBIA!!!
Talked to Katie this morning!!
She was on the ground in Zambia!! Doing well.
It's 7 hours ahead of CDT time there. (It was about 11am our time // 6pm her time)
Today... she spent here first day in the orphanages.
She said it was a real blessing and can't wait to go out again tomorrow.
Praise God she is there!
May He use the entire team to bless the children in Zambia!!!
She was on the ground in Zambia!! Doing well.
It's 7 hours ahead of CDT time there. (It was about 11am our time // 6pm her time)
Today... she spent here first day in the orphanages.
She said it was a real blessing and can't wait to go out again tomorrow.
Praise God she is there!
May He use the entire team to bless the children in Zambia!!!
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