Mpumalanga Visitors from Memphis

Danny, Missionary Ronas Marule, Lamar Walker and John Adams

We just returned to our apartment along with John Adams and Lemar Walker. We spent the day in Hazy View, South Africa with a group of Pastors. It was very interesting to hear them articulate their needs in the rural areas of Northern Mpumalanga Province. Their greatest need they highlighted was water. There is very little running water in many of the villages of the area. They talked about their need to move as a collective of churches to help the most desperate communities.

The discussion naturally led to the need for them to know each other better. They have recently been praying every Tuesday morning and learning the struggles of one another. It has now led to some friendships that prompted this gathering again. Last March Ronus and I met with six Pastors to discuss their needs Biblically and spiritually. My eyes were opened to another world of issues that these leaders face collectively and individually. Now the gathering had grown to nearly twenty. What an encouragement!

Tomorrow Lemar is preaching at Hosanna Community Church while John is going to a second church to speak. We weren’t even given the name of the church. Danny is preaching at Bushbokridge Bible Church another hour north of Hazy View. He will follow that service by speaking at the Word of Life church in a very poor village outside of Bushbokridge. Tomorrow will be a full day and we would covet your prayers. Cathy will be attending Calvary AOG church with Busie Marule, the wife of Ronas.

Friday night I spoke at the Nelspruit Youth for Christ banquet. There were around seventy people there to hear about the local ministry. It was a beautiful evening and Cathy looked great! Lemar and John wished their wives were along for the evening. It capped off a full week of activity in and around Nelpruit. Ronas introduced me to staff, fellow missionaries and board members as we made the rounds.

Next week we (John, Lemar and myself) speak in several schools around White River. We will also speak at a missionary school nearby. On Tuesday the four of us take Ronas into Kruger National Park for some time of refreshment and refocus. Wow it seems to be going fast.

On Friday Ronas will take Lemar and John to Kinross community over four hours away near the boarder of Gautang and Mpumalanga. It is a very poor township. Lemar will speak at an evangelistic outreach Friday and they will each teach leadership on Saturday. Sunday they will speak at the services of the young church.

At the same time Danny and Cathy will be going to Graskop for youth evangelistic outreaches on Friday and Saturday night. On Sunday he will be speaking at Pastor Ken Skinner’s church. We will also visit the new church of Leroro. Last March Ken had me speak at two evangelistic outreaches in the village of Leroro. We will now get to see the church that has been birthed from that initial effort. What a joy to see the fruit from a year ago.

Praise God that He has allowed us to be a small part of building His Kingdom. Thank you for your prayers. We will be distributing Bibles provided from various sources to these rural churches including our Sunday school class in Memphis.

Cathy & Danny Sartin

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John Adams with Mpumalanga YFC Staff member Thandi Mbatha.

Mpumalanga YFC Staff member Dumisani Thwala and Lemar Walker