We are in our second month teaching through the Bible in our village. This is their first time to hear the Word of God, since their main religion’s holy book is in a foreign language. In Francois’s words: What can be more exciting and a greater privilege than to be part of God sharing Himself with our friends? This is a dream job! 🙂 
Photo1 Francois recently teaching about Abraham and Isaac Photo2 Scripture in a foreign language… no one can read or understands it! Photo3 Now, the Mwinika people have portions of God’s Word in their own language As you know by now, 5 men are being coached and discipled by Francois to share the Bible with their fellow Mwinika. Two of the men have been “walking” with Francois, as the Mwinika say, for the last 7 years! Three of the guys are from our partners’ village and we clearly see our partner, Phil’s mentoring in the lives of these guys as they are able to incorporate what they have learned during the translation work into the lessons. (Our partners are on an extended home assignment at the moment.) These three continue to have a meal with us each Tuesday after their work on the lessons in the mornings, since their village is too far to return home before the afternoon’s teaching. Here are each one of them while teaching: 
Photo group4: Jati, Shar, Salim, Vrydag and Dries teaching It has been such an exhilarating journey to see these men grow in their faith and confidence as they deepen their relationship with God. 
Photo5 I love watching Francois while these guys are teaching – he positively beams! We see the evidence in how, despite different religious beliefs and clans their relationship with each other deepen… 
Photo6: Salim and Dries, two leaders from different religious backgrounds taking turns during the teaching They are learning how to share the Word more effectively… In the beginning they were shy and read most of the lessons aloud, but soon with some coaching, they learned to speak from their hearts with great conviction, while still following the lesson content closely. 
Photo7: Teaching about Jacob’s dream: a real team effort! As their lives change, we see their love for God as they learn to trust Him and at the same time, learn to love their fellow man like they have never done before. They are truly excited to see their neighbours coming to the teaching and concerned when someone falls away. 
Photo7&8: Vrydag welcoming people coming to the teaching. Swarthand just before the teaching. These guys encourage their wives to come – something that is unheard of in this culture. A man like Amer, our closest neighbour and patron in this community, had the knowledge, but we have not seen much life changes… until recently: He is doing things like brining his wife on his motorbike to the teaching and there is a new spring in his step and light in his eyes… During this week he prayed for Francois dad, who’s health is failing: “Dear Father, heal Francois’s dad completely, but if it is not you’re your will at this time, take him home to you like you took Enoch, so that he will experience no suffering on his way to you.” 
Photo9&10 Amer bringing his wife to the teaching. Amer is also responsible for the solar players. Amer is also responsible copying the recorded lessons once a week onto players. These players are then handed out, not only for revision at home, but also to share what they are learning at home to those who can’t make it to the lessons. We are encouraging them to use the players at night around their evening fires. Sharing God’s Word and truths are such an important part of being Church! The literacy classes are continuing, but we ask your prayers for perseverance. Pray too for Abar who has still so much to learn, but doing a good job none the less. We hope to see many from this class able read aloud during the teaching in their village where there already are some believers. 
Photo11&12 Last year’s literacy students are this year’s readers at the teaching. These men are doing exceptionally well and it helps to not only draw them and their families to the teaching, but also keeps these guys busy with God’s Word! 🙂 Monday afternoons Believer’s group : Francois continues to teach the believer’s group in the village where our partners live. Francois loves working with this group and teaching them again from Genesis through to Revelations, but this time with the emphasis on their identity in Christ. They desperately need to understand who they are in Christ, as there is no president for believers to model in this people group. Pray for this group, their struggles to make sense of how their lives should change with their new belief. Pray for their protection and perseverance. 
Praise: * The Bible teaching in our village and changing lives! * Improved teaching, people responding and tracking well; * The believers’ group; * The literacy classes and Abar for his faithful teaching; * The privilege to be part of what God is doing under the Mwinika people; * Visit from our colleagues (SA and Tanzania) near the end of July. * Faithful supporters who make it possible for us to here. * We thoroughly enjoyed a visit from a couple from Germany with their two small children last week. They were accompanied by a team mate, Stefan who is fluent in German and a great help in many ways. It was encouraging to have a visit from “outside” and to be able to share what the Lord is doing here. Challenges: * More people from our village to come to the teaching. Nadia’s good friend, Alsira is not coming… as many others we have learned to know and love over the years. Pray for a thirst to know God! * The 5 guys co-teaching with Francois: pray for their and their families’ protection, growth in their relationship with Christ, dedication, health and protection from temptations; * The believer’s group: that they will grow in faith, learn to truly trust God and allow His Spirit to change their lives. Pray for good attendance to the Monday pm teaching. * At the moment we are totally focussing on the teaching… many things are falling to the wayside however as Francois is not able to do the maintenance as he used to. Living out in the sticks like we do, calls for a constant heavy hand in maintenance to keep things going. We do try to keep an eternal perspective even as our comfort level lowers: in the light of what will last forever, shouldn’t these things be WAY down the list in order of value? Still, we thank God for a supporter who has responded to this prayer request recently. He wants to visit us from South Africa sometime during August to help with the maintenance. Pray for the logistics and finance he needs to be able to come. 
