JAM Newsletter

July 2012

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...

Each year our team separates for the June/July, school holiday outreaches. We are divided into teams reaching out to many different communities within South Africa, but this year we all still had the same burdens on our heart for each place... humility, love and unity. And we knew that these things would only be accomplished through prayer! We began praying, long before we

...to him be the Glory

ever left for outreach, that the people would have a personal encounter with God, discovering their true identity in him. That their crown of ashes would be traded in for their crown of glory, that a small disabled boy would feel Jesus deep love for him as team members carry him all the way up the mountain to be a part of kids ministry, that mamas would feel the blessings wrap around them as

Ephesians 3:20-21

we placed beautiful, hand made scarves around their necks... Our acts may have seemed small, but the love from within the teams was radiant and prayers were powerful. And above all, we knew that it wasnt from us.... God is bigger than outreach, but he calls us to obedience and through that obedience he is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever imagine!

Jabulani Africa Ministries is now a registered non-profit. Donations Receipt to Validate TAX DEDUCTIBILITY of Donation : Issued in terms of section 18A of the Income Tax Act of 1962, as amended. The donation received will be used exclusively for the objects of Jabulani African Ministries in carrying out public benefit

Mavhusa
In Mavhusa I felt God challenging me to show His love without words. At first I thought that loving without words was on my mind simply because I did not have the words: I did not know how to speak the native language Tsonga. I was removed from my place as a doctoral student and a teacher of the English language and placed in a village where many of the childrens entire English vocabulary consisted of How are you? and the rote response I am fine. Yet even being able to circumvent language barriers through translators or meeting men and women conversant in English did not remove the hold that God had placed on my heart to love the people of Mavhusa without words. In one of our team Bible studies we read 1 John, where John appeals to the people saying Dear children, lets not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions 3:18. Through this outreach God placed on my heart the desire to show His love and His truth to everyone we met through my actions. One particular day, while our team was walking through the village, four small children popped their heads over their fence as we passed. As we walked down the street and into a yard to visit the family who lived there, these children followed us; they stayed a few paces behind our team, and when we went into the hut to visit and pray with the women of the household all four children stayed outside the gate standing in the road. While our team was at the hut I went outside to say hello. All four children were very young: two of them were toddlers and none of them spoke English. I sat with them outside the yard in the red dirt road, talking to them, playing patty cake, and singing worship songs. Although this was the smallest of actions, the women showing us around Mavhusa noticed. When missions answered. A few friends of mine who have been to Mavhuza before took me to visit people they had prayed and met with before. One woman asked them to pray for her son because he was constantly drinking and had broken up with his wife who was pregnant. They were fighting constantly and their future together with their child looked grim. When we greeted her, she was so happy to tell us that her son had not only stopped drinking but also that he had gotten back we left that house they each offered to let me hold their babies. I was able to make the children smile (although they certainly had no idea what I was saying) as well as connect with the women our team was getting to know. I came to South Africa wondering if God would give me the right words to say while I was on outreach, and in response He took away all words. I learned that sometimes sitting in the dirt communicates my willingness to follow God, and making time for the smallest beautiful children in Mavhusa may be a way to convey His love for them. - Amanda Blair

I so enjoyed the outreach for Mavhuza! I have two favorite highlights from the trip. First, I thought it was so cool to see radical prayers from previous

together with his wife! So many times we as ministers do not get to see the seeds we plant grow or produce fruit. It was so encouraging to physically witness and experience the victory of prayer. My second and most favorite part of the outreach was that God restored my two most important friendships. God is so good and He is constantly pushing me with blessings like these to do anything and everything to fall more in love and in awe of Him. - Madi
2

Mavhusa (continued...)
Gods beauty was all around this trip to Mavhusa. We got to see the power of prayer, and how chains can be broken just by calling on the name of Jesus Christ. He moved through Mavhusa by the prayers that were lifted up by the team, and it was so beautiful to see our Lord be glorified! Before I came to Africa this summer, my prayer was that the beautiful faces of the children I met would see Christ not just by words but actions. That they would know, that Christ sees them. He knows every hair on their head and knows them by name. God is so good! In one of our childrens ministries, God laid this message on the hearts of our teammates. While we were visiting a woman named Teresa, I met a young boy. He captured my heart. He had soars all up his legs and on the top of his head; I believe he had HIV/ Aids. He was beautiful inside and out. The next time I saw him was at childrens ministry. I was able to sit and pray over him. I asked God, How can I love this boy with Your love when I cant tell him how much You love him and adore him? In my heart, I just kept hearing Remember his name. I saw him one last time before we left Mavhusa. We went back to visit Teresa, and he was there. My heart was filled with joy that I could see him again. As we left, I turned to saw goodbye to him but he was walking away, I yield out Goodbye, Gritt! When he heard his name he turned and smiled at me. I have and I wanted badly to share a story with Theresa when we saw her. We prayed and decided on the story in Mark 5 of Jesus healing the demon-possessed man. We didnt have time to read it beforehand and werent really sure why we chose this one but when we got to verse 9 it became apparent to us. The verse says this: Then Jesus demanded, What is your name? and he replied, My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man. When we had visited Theresa for a short time a few days earlier, she had told us that her ancestors were living inside her and through this verse we were able to communicate with her that Jesus wants to be never seen something so beautiful. It was a smile of joy. I knew his name, and that was enough. It was a moment I will never forget. I got the privileged of meeting this boy only three times but his name and that smile will stay with me forever. I get to pray for him by name to our Heavenly Father, who knows and loves him, and I get to be apart of Jesuss heart for Gritt. Praise Jesus! -Amanda Joy

I spent a short amount of time in the village of Mavhuza last August and while I was there I met Theresa (an older mama who is a traditional healer in the village). During my short time there I saw God move so much in her life, so when I returned I really wanted to see how she was doing. Sarah (a friend on the outreach who also met Theresa last year)

the only spirit living inside of her. This was just another small example of what God has been doing in Theresas life. Talking to her and hearing about how she is, its so apparent to us how much God loves this precious mama and how badly he wants her to be his only. - Amanda Grace

Transkei
I felt blessed to be in Transkei already on my first day! Sitting down with kids and cooling their porridge in the mornings was such a cool thing for me l couldnt wait to wake up and see their smiling faces. I felt humbled to tell them that they were Gods special little ones. I was even more blessed when l started meeting girls from the age of 13-15 but God did even more wonders when he brought ladies with babies in their 30s. In preparation for children's ministry today,the Lord laid it on Moses' heart that we should spend time with the children asking them how they are doing and what we can pray for them for. So after some games,we sat down and spoke to them. They started opening up sharing about abuse in their families,extreme anxiety,bad dreams at Hallelujah! They opened up and shared their problems and believing that Jesus is the only one that could help them. God gave me scriptures from the book of Jeremiah 1 and Psalms 139. I also gave them an example of how precious gold is that even if you dropped it in the filthy you would still pick it up and wash it. And we are more precious than gold. So it changed the way they were looking at themselves and they told themselves that they night,sickness etc. We took turns praying for the various things. Children sat down in the middle of the circle and prayed for each other. It was a heavenly moment. One young boy had a prayer request that he wanted God to allow him to drive in a car (he had never driven in a car before). So with a little help from my friend Eggy and his red bakkie :) for the whole team. I didnt do much of the normal ministry things, but I thank God for the hidden blessings in that. On one of the first days when we did a walk through the streets Anje and I saw this guy sitting in his wheel chair. We walked by greeted and smiled and the guy had the biggest smile on his face, Anje turn to me and said I think we should pray for him, and I said yes Im in. We walked up to the guy and politely asked if there is anything we could pray for him for, he turned to me and said yes my legs. I looked at him and said so you were in an accident? He looked at me and said no I was born this way. In that moment I were precious. Even treated each special knowing that each one was fearful and wonderfully made . All l could do was thank God when I saw them confessing their sins before God. We all went to Church and I gave a testimony of my personal life. God helped me to plainly say that this life without Christ is not worth it . Because everything thats not for Christ will pass away. -Patience he took all the kids for a ride. A prayer request was answered...a young boy's faith grew... I was so encouraged today realizing again why we are doing what we are doing. God is with us and He is moving in young hearts in Bambisana! Praise His name! -Mignon

Calitzdorp
was so shocked by this mans faith that Anje and I both started to seek God in the matter at hand. I was reminded of the thousands of stories in the bible where the people believed that if they just touched Jesus they would be healed. After praying Anje and I took him out of the wheelchair and we supported him on both sides and he took a few steps then we put him back. God didnt heal the man of whatever disease he had at that moment but I do believe that God, my God, saw that mans faith. And may it be so that by his faith he may be healed completely... not for our glory but all glory to God!!!!!

So this outreach was a little different for me. I got the awesome privilege to serve with one of the most respected and humble men of God I know, the Big Pappa Bear of outreaches Ds Why. We were on the kitchen team, him being the kos Pappa and me being the P.A. I felt so blessed being able to pray over every dish and indirectly praying

Prince Albert
Trading our crowns of ashes for a crown of glory. If I have to pick one thing that God has shown me out of this outreach it would be this. How he is always loving his people and when we are ready to give over our thrones that we hold on to so dearly we will come to see, that we have traded crowns of ashes for one of glory. On our outreach discipleship was a big part of it, we knew that by the time we would leave, the process of discipleship will be starting. My buddies were Louval and Siley- aan. On the Wednesday we planned to have a womens day camp, and its focus was Esther. Tannie Heleen asked a couple of us to share stories out of our lives when we traded our crowns of ashes for his crown of glory. In my heart I felt so heavy and I begged with God not to speak. But we have come to know that Gods ways and thoughts are far above our ways and thoughts. I cant exactly remember what I said, but on that day in the physical I cried in front of strangers but before God I wept. They needed to hear who God is , and I needed to remind myself to trust Him. In my obedience I allowed my girls to not just trust me but most of all to trust Him. God is a God of restoration and redemption. He loves us too much to have us stay the same if we cry out to Him. I saw healing that no medicine or person could give but only healing from the father pure and freely given. On that day I saw two new Esthers rise up. Ill end of by writing my favorite verse You will no longer be called desolate or deserted, but you will be called by a new name, Hephzibah and your land Beulah... May we all know that we are made new in Him. I will continue to pray for my girls, that they will know that they are princesss, daughters of the Most High. He has made them new, He is constantly in the process of making us new in Him. -Tessa

There are many more amazing testimonies from outreach... read more on our team blog www.jamafrica.org.za

-Shaking the Tree outreach

Join us in Prayer...
17 July - 12 August

Pray for all the logistical preparation - that the curriculum, program, outreach would be 100% spirit lead - for health & safety as we will be on the road in 7 different communities in 3 weeks. Also for the 10 week follow up curriculum (and leaders) that will be continuing in each community after the outreach.

-JAM team and staff

Continued prayer for our local team and staff as well as for Lifter who is full time in Mavhusa village and Moses, Mnoza, Bongani (& his wife) who are based in Bambisana village in the Transkei.

-Prayer for our local outreaches

Hout Bay Harbour, Sir Lowrys Pass village, Cape Academy and Imizamo Yethu

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:11