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A letter from Bob and Bobbi Snyder
in Zimbabwe |
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16-21 October 2002
CCAP Malawi - Livingstonia Synod
The Reverend Wilfred Chunga, evangelism secretary for the Church
of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), Livingstonia Synod, was
our host for this six-day visit to Malawi. Funds raised through
our budget help to support the work of the Evangelism Department,
especially their ministry to unreached peoples. We stayed in the
guest house at Ekwendeni mission, in northern Malawi, which was
begun in the late 1800s by the Free Church of Scotland. Today
Ekwendeni is the home of a 4,000 member congregation that serves
12 prayer houses, a 180-bed hospital, a guest house, schools for
the deaf, blind, and handicapped, a large girls secondary school,
a lay training center, and Synod offices for development, evangelism,
an AIDS control programme, lay training, and women's empowerment.
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Mgoza, an unreached area, was the
highlight of the trip. The day began at 3:30 a.m., with a 4:00 a.m.
departure. We rode in the Evangelism Department's well-used double-cab
pickup, two hours on the tarmac and three and a half hours on dirt
roads. Actually, during the last half hour, there was no road at
all, only a footpath to drive over. These dirt roads are called
"dust" roads for good reasons, as you can imagine. Along
the way we picked up several pastors and the presbytery evangelist.
They looked quite proper in their suits and clerical collars, but
by the time we got to Mgoza, all of us were covered with red dust
from head to foot. |
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Chief Sesele Nkhoma thought we must have something important if
we'd traveled so far to see him
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We were welcomed by the village chief,
Sesele Nkhoma. He is a very colorful old man, as you can see by
his outfit. He reasoned that anyone traveling so far must have a
very important message, so when we spoke of Jesus and His love for
us, he listened intently. He also thanked us profusely for the school
we are helping the community to build. It's the only school in the
area. |
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The evangelist from the immediate area is known as Nkhonjera.
Even though he has not been paid in several months, he serves
with an energy and commitment we have rarely seen.
We carried two bags of maize that had been purchased with funds
from PC(USA)'s disaster assistance program for Mr. Nkhonjera and
his family. We also gave him money to have it ground into maize
flour, the main staple in their diet. The grinding mill is a 12-mile
walk from the village. This gives new meaning to buying flour,
doesn't it?
We praise God for the dedication of Mr. Nkhonjera and his family.
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The Chief and community elders welcome guests.
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Please pray for Mr. Nkhonjera and the fledgling congregation
at Mgoza. Let us claim Ephesians 4:11-13 for this community of
faith:
God gave some to be… evangelists …to prepare God's
people for works of service, so that the Body of Christ may
be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Yours in Christ,
Bob and Bobbi Snyder
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 53
P.S. In the event that you feel called to give to our ministry...
There are three main categories of funding to be raised among
churches and individuals.
- Contact the Mission Funding and Development Office at (888)
728-7228 x5650 (Jacqui Lovett) or x5654 (Judy Pearson) and ask
about giving to the Snyders through Directed Mission Support.
Please fill out a pledge form and submit it according to the
directions. This form of giving is only for Presbyterian churches,
not individuals or churches of other denominations.
- To help meet our ministry goals with our church partners here
in Southern Africa, there is an ECO ("Extra Commitment
Opportunity," often called "second mile" giving)
for Evangelism and Church Growth. The budget for 2003 is $600,000
and will help our African brothers and sisters train for the
ministry, train lay people, evangelize, and build churches and
schools.
- To help support children at risk through the ministries of
Lovemore Home, Home of Hope, New Creations Africa in Zimbabwe,
Namumu Orphanage, Crisis Nursery, and House of Moses in Zambia,
and two children's ministries in Madagascar, there is a ECO
for Children at Risk. The budget for this area is $350,000.
Support for Evangelism and Church Growth and Children At Risk
can be given in two ways:
- Send your gift(s) to: Central Receiving Service, Section 300,
Louisville, KY 40289. Make check payable to PC(USA). Write ECO
number and the name of the project on the subject line of the
check and also put it in your cover letter. Evangelism and Church
Growth is ECO #404902; Children at Risk is ECO #047937. Send
a copy of the cover letter to the Office of International Evangelism
at 100 Witherspoon St. Louisville, KY 40202-1396.
- You may also send a check to The Outreach Foundation of the
Presbyterian Church, 318 Seaboard Lane, Suite 205, Franklin,
TN, 37067 payable to The Outreach Foundation, marked "Bob
& Bobbi Snyder Work Funds" or designate a specific
project on the subject line.
Please write or e-mail us when you make a contribution so we
can make sure your gift is used the way you intend.
Thank you for your continued love and support.
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