September 5, 2008
Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,
Ten years ago my Dad – Uncle Piet as he is commonly known around here – walked into my office and announced that he was reporting for active duty. Of course, knowing that he was already in his seventies and retired I expressed my puzzlement. But he quickly explained that he was not asking for job, nor expecting any favors in return. Rather, he had come to realize that his time here on earth was running out. So, as a strong man physically, with a lot of practical skills to offer, he desired to give his last years serving God’s purposes with the strength of his hands and through a life-time of experience in construction, maintenance and structural development.
What could I say! The Lord had just given AFnet this huge property at the time, and here was my Dad; a man that I knew could do anything, reporting for duty. But I also knew that he was a man who never took “no!” for an answer. And so, Uncle Piet has not only become a household item here on campus, but also has turned this once abandoned property into a beautiful campus that we all are proud to be associated with.
Today at 83 Uncle Piet still has the strength of an ox. And, his stubborn refusal to bow out of any physical challenge again came to the fore, when a couple of weeks ago he marched into my office. He had heard that one of our team members, John Thomsen, was getting ready for a trip up to Zambia to go and oversee the construction of the Mansa Orphan Day Care Center. In his typical fashion Uncle Piet announced that he was going with and that he was going to build that center. Of course, he would not take no for an answer.
In an e-mail I just received from John Thomsen today he wrote: “Uncle Piet is holding up great, and the work is progressing beyond expectations. We’re aiming at getting the foundation and concrete slab finished by Monday. We should have all the walls up by September 22nd, when we have to return to South Africa.” We’ve also received word that there is great excitement among the Mansa community about this project, and Henry’s church is again the talk of the town.
Praise Reports:
1. We praise the Lord for the receptivity and response from the Mansa community as people see and experience the love of Christ through this outreach project to the desperate and destitute orphans of Zambia.
2. We thank God for feedback and reports of spiritual revival spontaneously breaking out among our ISOM Bible School students in many places. Christo Botha, AFnet team member and registrar of our Bible School program reported that a deep sense of awe and holiness, a spirit of prayer and intersession, and an eagerness to apply themselves more practically in their own communities has developed among his own student group here at the AFnet Campus. Likewise, we have heard reports on how this training is not only changing our students, but more so their churches across southern Africa.
3. The (POPnet) Pastor of Pastor’s mentoring conference was so well received that many leaders unanimously agreed that it featured among the most practical, strategic and helpful conferences that they had attended in years. Thank you for your prayers.
Specific Prayer Requests and Ministry Updates:
1. Please pray for God’s protection over Uncle Piet, John Thomsen, Henry and Esther Mumba and the workers currently working on Orphan center up in Mansa. Malaria is a deadly killer in Africa, and it is rampant up in those parts. Pray that God will protect the men, not only as they work, but also from getting bitten by the wrong kind of mosquito.
2. Please continue to remember Lillian, Jane, and Brenda, all precious friends and partners undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Remember little Emma who recently underwent radiation and chemo therapy for bone cancer. She is currently in remission, but has to go for reconstructive bone surgery in order to straiten her leg out again. Pray for Thomas who just had surgery to remove kidney stones. Do continue to remember Julia and JD as they recover from various addictions, but especially that they will submit their lives to Jesus. Remember to pray also for Caleb and his family, especially for healing from emotional scars and recovery after his motorbike accident and resultant loss of most motor functions in his one arm. Pray also for our daughter Charlotte who also still is struggling with a severe hormonal imbalance and on going health struggles after her last pregnancy.She was just put on a long and difficult hormonal treatment program this past week, but she is concerned about long-term potential complications and repercussions from this kind of treatment.
3. Johan and Christa will be traveling to the USA on Monday, September 8th. Pray for them as they travel, but also for them as Johan prepares for the upcoming AFnet Annual Board meeting in San Jose, California on September 19th. Pray also for Johan and Christa for favor with supporters and supporting agencies as they prepare to share widely on developments and needs within the ministry of AFnet back in Africa. Pray for favor among friends and supporters, especially in these difficult times where everyone is struggling and the impact of overall giving to missions down.
Please bear with us yet again as we remind those who have not yet noted our mailing USA address change. Our new USA mailing address:
AFnet (Africa Network Evangelism Task)
3630 Charter Park Drive
San Jose, CA 95136
For current updates please visit us at our web site: www.afnet.org Also, feel free to send any prayer request to us personally, and/or just drop us a personal note. We love to hear from you, and we commit to respond to all personal mail – even though it may take a bit of time for us to actually get back to everyone. You can contact us personally at: johan@afnet.org
Sincerely in Jesus,
Johan and Christa Combrinck
AFnet
September 5, 2008
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