posted Aug 17, 2011 4:34 AM by Liezl Pienaar
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posted Mar 15, 2011 12:58 AM by Liezl Pienaar
Africa can be a cruel and harsh place. We've been reminded of this fact again when a dear friend of ours had to endure the death of both his stillborn child and his fiance, a few days apart. The lack of medical care in rural Africa is a stark reality, causing the "unnecessary" deaths of many, many people. It is so sad to face this reality, but such a comfort to know that even in this, God's grace is sufficient.
Arthur was asked to take the body back to the village she came from for burial. He had to get a permit from the police to transport a body. The funeral process here is very ritualistic. Arthur had to stop about 400 m ahead of every village he entered to wait for the headman to come and accompany the procession. The headman would then walk in front of the truck through the village and Arthur was to blow the horn continually. This notified the village that a funeral was in process. Immediately all activities ceased, music stopped and people paid their respects.
At the village where the burial took place, four headmen came to accompany the truck. One of them blew on a goats horn to proclaim the death of one of the villagers. Women started wailing to show their respect but were stopped, because they first had to walk in procession behind the truck and let the headman blow his horn.
The next day the women washed and dressed the body and burial took place.
When we are faced with the stark reality of death, we are so thankful that we can introduce a loving God to the people of Africa. He brings hope in the midst of their hopelessness, love in the midst of hatred, healing in the midst of sickness, everlasting life in the midst of death. |
posted Jan 17, 2011 12:21 PM by Liezl Pienaar
A certain girl has been suffering from ulcers that troubled her a lot - affecting her breathing, working and eating. After praying for her she was healed from the disease. This led to the salvation of her grandmother and her aunt.In Dambwa Village, all people including the headman are now appreciating the importance of the ministry. The most amazing is that they have prayer meetings and encourage each other.
On Hermson farm, the owner of the farm had done a very amazing thing to organize all his workers to come to our meetings. All his 29 workers attend our meetings. This is great because the head of the cell group is the farm owner.
We are having invitations from some of the villages we have not been to which shows how we are growing as a ministry. We have gained the right to be listened to. The families or households are being visited and ministered to on a regular basis. The result was positive. Even though these villages are new and we just started doing ministry, the reception is good and people are open to the gospel, which shows that this is a positive start. |
posted Nov 18, 2010 10:46 AM by Liezl Pienaar
By Jeff Martin
We buried a friend today. Betty was 40 years old, had 5 children and was the second wife of an African Headman. He is also my friend and labor foreman on our base. Betty died giving birth to her second dead late term baby. She was a heavy girl, and had diabetes. The taboo's here won't allow the hospital nurses to touch her or to help her through her forced delivery. She is alone in that terrible ordeal. I could blame her death on her weakened condition and the diabetes. However I think Betty died brokenhearted and in a state of total depression. I think she simply gave up. Life is hard here. The enemy hates these people, and the curse is in full operation unless we stop it with the force of the true gospel.
Death here is met with a very different face than in the first world. The grief is openly shown to the point of physical collapse. No family member is absent from the scene. All of them come from near and far to be with there to mourn Betty and be there for the husband and children. Last night starting at midnight they all began to sing. We stood outside my house and just listened. Village life shuts down, and nothing is done outside the service. I have traveled over a great deal of this planet, and cant remember such a display of grief and mourning. It looked like a revival meeting where they hand out grief. Our team ministered to them as we could, and love them all the more for including us in their grief. As Betty and Teddy are employees and family to us here, we were able to help with the natural details of the death. We provided the tent for all the visitors to sleep under. We were able to provide the coffin and the food needed for the crowd that began to form as soon as word got out. We were also able to provide the transportation for the family to go attend the body, and bring it back to the village for burial. Mostly we were able to just be there. Sometimes that's all you can do. Christian speak and niceties are not what is needed. Just lovingly being there.
As they don't do a lot of first world care, the body is not embalmed, and needs to be buried quickly. The family washes the body, and prepares it for the coffin. The coffin is transported to the church in the village. After the service, it is transported to the grave site where it is carried to the plot. They place the body in the coffin and arrange the white sheet around the face to present the most beautiful view possible. A simple coffin is used, and the plot is dug by friends or workers. Literally hundreds of people are there as the the coffin is laid in the earth in the presence of all who attend, and covered up before their eyes. Death is real, and the reality of it is not covered up with fancy supports and grass carpets. Words are spoken, and stories are told. Its 110 degrees, no shade in the field. The church choir sings slow hymns in their sweaty suits while the coffin is covered with the dirt. All of us give a handful of earth to the grave. When they dismiss, they gather again at the husbands house for a meal and singing. The children need to be sorted out, the future is complex and family will need to step in to prevent another African family statistic. Either that or we will step up and do what we can do.
The church there is locked in Moses law, and needs serious adjustments in doctrine. They are still doctrinally stranded in Abraham's bosom, and unable to fully enter in by faith. Salvation to them is a works based thing, with an offering due the church to assure your final salvation and promise of seeing Betty again. I could pick it without end, but can't we all? Its so easy to find fault rather than common ground. That is why we exist tho. Overland Missions is dedicated to long term Kingdom establishment of the gospel. The Rural Pastors Network is dedicated long term to the move of God, rock solid doctrine and biblical ethics. Its our life. I have been invited to spend time with the leadership of this church before I leave next week. Thank God for the liberty and anointing to speak truth with true love.
Regardless of these things, my friend was buried today with all the grief and mourning that could possible be called up from the depths of a human soul. The end of the story however is that Betty was a born again woman and is with Jesus as I write this. She is stunned and overwhelmed with the Joy of His presence. She is no longer bound by a fat and unwieldy body, or trapped in grief. She is with the Lord Himself. I will miss Betty. She was a good friend, co-worker and lover of Jesus. It will be good to see her again when these days are over, and we step into the true reality of life everlasting.
Jesus, I again pledge my heart, soul and strength that while I am in this life, I am a dedicated and radical man bringing light and truth where there is none, and joy and deliverance to the oppressed. I am dedicated to Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus, may your Name be great among these needy and hungry people. You have broken my heart once more! Oh God let the Glory fall on your people! Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Amen |
posted Aug 20, 2010 10:56 AM by Liezl Pienaar
By Rick McDonald
Bob came to Africa with his wife Mickey to support her on another missions trip and also to explore Southern Africa a bit. Mickey has been a believer for 12 years and has been openly praying for her love Bob ever since.
Bob, who is the nicest man you could ever want to meet, was not a Christian and in fact is Jewish. It was about three days into their time here that Bob began to sense what we all knew, God was after him. Bob had for years and years struggled with coming to Christ because of his Jewishness .
But as I found out that Bob was on our base and was not a Christian there came this immediate connection with him. He later told me he felt anonymous in life and here at the base which I laughed because he didn't know that there was a target on his head! The whole base and his wife were praying for him and the Holy Spirit was drawing others to speak to him and pray for him.
Charlie Stevicks was led to lay hands on him during a prayer meeting, which brought the love of the God all over Bob. He was truly overwhelmed inside. Our dear friend Jayden also opened Bob up with some pointed questioning, piercing his heart of course. Mickey on the next day was heading out with a team for a week long expedition in the Bush and Bob was staying back with us, his luggage had not made it with him and we were waiting for it with him.
As the days went on Bob and I began to talk as I would treat him as believer and shared words of encouragement with him and would give him a few scriptures to read as well.( 1 John 4 v 11 -19)
He had no idea I knew that he was still searching for answers, so I just let him stew under the Holy Spirit until one great night when he came back after one of our talks on the Love of God. I had waited for him to come to me so to put no pressure on him. The words of Love in 1 John 4 sprung up in Bob for this was the message to him...God is Love and he loves you!
It was a Saturday night around 10 am and Bob came a calling, we went out on our beautiful teak deck that overlooks the Zambezi River and Gorge. We sat in chairs facing each other and Bob opened up his heart, he just wanted to know how he could as a Jewish man come to Christ.
I looked at him and said Bob first off God just loves you and you were forgiven before you ever asked for it. His head chest fell into his Chest and his hands reached out in front of him clasped together.
I stared him straight in the eyes and said "Bob, your Hebrew Father wants you to come home"
He then just lunged forward gently and put those clasped hands into the soft and accepting hands of his Savior Jesus Christ. Under the Deep Starry African night Sky, my friend Bob a 60 some year old Jewish man became a new creation on Christ. While his wife was out in the bush preaching her husband was hearing the message and getting saved...
Oh but wait there is more, The coolest thing I have seen in a long time was about to happen.We took Bob out in the bush to surpirse his wife with the news, wacthing this man telll his wife after 12 years of her praying he had become a Christian was so amazing. Out in the bush of Africa all sorts of people are getting saved! |
posted Jul 23, 2010 1:44 PM by Liezl Pienaar
 A girl called Alita was lost for almost two weeks! Her mother found her with some people she knew in the village, but found that she had lost all her memory. After the discipleship team prayed for her , her memory was completely restored. She could even speak her name at the time, but now she has recovered her memory and was at the next week’s outreach.
Mrs. Maplanga has been bedridden for 7 months. She complained of backache and was very unhappy. After Dragan prayed for her, she was laughing and smiling. People were surprised because she has not done this for 7 months. We continue to trust God that he will fully restore this lady. There was really joy in the village that day. The mood changed from fear to hope.
In Machinga Dragan ministered to the Deputy Headmaster. She has a son in South-Africa who was suffering from epilepsy, injuring himself in fits quite often. Dragan encouraged her that prayer knows no distance or boundaries and he prayed for her son. When Dragan passed by on 13 July, the deputy headmaster stopped him on the road to introduce him to the son he prayed for, Temba. Temba hugged Dragan and thanked him for his prayer. He says God has healed and restored him. He is able to teach and work and do everything he was never able to do before. After this Dragan also felt convicted to ride out to him to give him a bible and pray with him. As he did Temba was weeping and he is very keen about knowing God personally.
There was a woman in Nkanda who was pregnant for 12 months without giving birth. Pastor Dragan prayed for her. A week later Pastor Dragan visited her again to find that she has delivered the baby.
In Dambwa they found a lady here who was bedridden – she couldn’t walk. Albert and Dragan prayed for her and the following day God just raised her from the bed. Last Tuesday she started attending the cells meeting. Before, she and her husband stubbornly refused to come to these meetings.
In Kamwi, two weeks ago, they found an old lady who told them she wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting because she was sick. She showed them a bottle of “medicine” that the witchdoctor gave her. They encouraged her that only Jesus can heal her and that after they prayed for her, she would be able to come to the meeting – that God would heal her. She said that she was unable to move and that she couldn’t go, but they kept encouraging her and prayed for her. They also threw the “medicine” away ad continued with their door-to-door evangelism. When the meeting was about to start in the afternoon, the woman came, saying God had healed her. At every meeting new people come and salvations are taking place at every meeting. So far there are about 27 people in Kamwi attending our meetings.
There was also a lady who was demon-possessed and deaf. After she was led through deliverance, her hearing was perfectly restored.
We prayed for a man who had something which was moving in his arm. We prayed for him and he was delivered.
About two weeks ago when Obert (one of Arthur's mentees) went to Kandu, a lady asked him to pray for her sick husband. He went with her to her house. As Albert was about to pray for the husband, he felt convicted to introduce this sick man to Jesus, and as he put it "introduce Jesus to the man". The man received Jesus and then Albert prayed for his healing. Four days later, the husband passed away. This testimony has gripped my heart and reminded me that we never know our time or hour, but that God knows, and He had an appointment that day to make sure one more of His children made it Home. |
posted Jun 29, 2010 1:48 PM by Liezl Pienaar
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updated Jun 29, 2010 2:01 PM
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by JD Brown
This week, we spent five days in the Simwatachela Kingdom. It was like walking in what I would imagine Acts chapter 29 would have been like if it
had ever been written. My team and I were in an area that some of the people we met that were in their 80's had never seen a missionary! We were some of the first white people many of them had ever seen. One lady even said, "Who is this Jesus, bring him here, I'll meet him!" hahaha We had a blast! We ministered all week in villages where there had been no missionaries or westerners for generations. It was the frontlines! The favor of the Lord brought forth salvations, restoration, deliverance and healing, literally! We saw the amazing things that books are written about! Praise Jesus! Just some of the numbers from our recent ministry trip: 2881 people were ministered to, 1037 of which recieved salvation and 169 were healed! All in 5 days time, we split into 3-4 groups a day and covered 5 villages... How good is our Jesus!
One day, only a handful of people showed up to one of our meetings so we had a bit of a bible study with them and gave them some teaching that they could chew on. We really felt like there was more to be done so we gathered up, walked into town, gathered all the business owners, customers and all the people from the local bar. As about 80 people gathered under the large shade tree in the middle of the courtyard amongst goats, drunks, dried fish and some chickens, we preached Jesus Christ and the love that only He can give! We shared the life, death and ressurection of Christ! If they won't come to us, we will go to them! About half of the crowd came forward for a salvation call. Two guys ran to us afterwards and begged us to please come to thier village because their families had never heard this and wanted them to know of this Saviour as well!
The night before we left, we spoke with leaders from the community around the campfire, under a full moon, next to a grass hut. These pastors and community leaders are those who often teach not-so-biblical teachings. Most of the time it is because they haven't had any training, teaching or discipleship. They really desire to lead people to God, sadly to say, no one has shared the Gospel with them. In saying that, one pastor shared with us that he was like the guy in Acts 8 who was reading the scripture and could not understand the writings until we came and taught them what the scriptures were saying. Another pastor told us that the Lord sent angels to Sodom and Gommorah to warn them of their wickedness and sin so they would not be destroyed. He felt that we were angels sent by the Lord to warn them that their teachings were not right and could not wait to implement our teachings of faith, hope, servanthood and love.
All in all, I would have to say that the Kingdom of God rejoiced this week and threw the biggest party you have ever seen! I am so honored to be a part of the unfolding of the Kingdom of God on this earth. Praise be only to Him, Christ Jesus our Lord!
In His Grip, JD Brown |
posted Jun 25, 2010 10:54 PM by Liezl Pienaar
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updated Jun 25, 2010 11:22 PM
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Imagine a world where 99% of the population can read, where children as young as 7 or 8 can read the Bible, write and do basic arithmetic. Chances are that if you are reading this, you do not have to imagine this world, you’re living in it. For the people of rural Zambia, this is a far-off concept, an impossible dream. Thanks to the LIFE project, that dream is becoming possible, the concept a reality.
According to UNICEF nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names and two thirds of them are women. The total includes more than 130 million school age children, 73 million of them girls, who are growing up in the developing world without access to basic education. Millions of others languish in substandard schools where little learning takes place. The first impediment to literacy is simple: given the widespread poverty, few parents can afford to send their children to school. The more illiterate people there are in a country, the harder it will be for the country to develop. That is the problem, but the LIFE Project is part of the solution!
When the LIFE Project started, one of the goals was to provide all eligible children with basic literacy and numeracy skills. The first step towards this goal was to set up successful preschools. Two years into the project we are at a place where we are ready to launch our first Bridge Year class – where school-age children that live too far from government schools, or are not accepted into government schools due to overpopulation, have the opportunity to learn and grow basic skills, so that they can continue without a gap in their education.
We are in the process of identifying three villages to initially run Bridge Year Classes. We will choose our most successful preschools where the teachers have a good grasp on English. The first three schools will be our "experiment schools", where we feel it has the best chance to succeed. After these Bridge Year classes have been successfully established, we will expand to other villages.
Our launch date for the Bridge Year School is January 2011. We are confident that this school will be the first of many and that it will be a successful program to eradicate illiteracy in rural villages. |
posted Jun 25, 2010 10:33 PM by Liezl Pienaar
 Praise the Lord for the Pienaars. This Couple is quite a blessing not only to me and Overland Missions but to the Mukuni chiefdom and to the Nation as a whole.
Arthur Pienaar has taken not only the Directorship of OM but also the responsibility of being a Sector Manager for the Mukuni chiefdom running between 260 to 300 villages. With the God given gift of being a teacher, giver, prophet, and also server, the man of God is making it possible to achieve the Vision that the Chiefdom is running with. “Hab 2:13’.
“As the waters fill the oceans so shall the word of God fill the Nations. [ Mukuni Chiefdom.]
HOW DOES HE DO IT
Among other gifts that he has, he is also a teacher as alluded to before, because of this same gift he offers Biblical trainings for the local pastors and village leaders such as headmen. This is seeing the Unity in the Chiefdom as the gospel is being Preached, how blessed it is for brethren to dwell together in Unity.
Arthur operates in the gift of a server as well and this gift has created a platform for the gospel to be preached not only through him but for the entire OM team. He does this by helping using the God given gift to repair broken hand pumps in any village that may need that service. This has gained the team the right to be listened to Romans 12:6-8.
Besides, he deploys evangelistic teams into villages to do a one to one visitation and create relationships with the people. Crusades are not an exception; showing of the Jesus Films in the language of the indigenous is a powerful evangelistic tool,
The man has a passion for the people. You can tell by how he serves and accepts these socially neglected y people when he drives in the nights to reach the most neglected areas. SOULS ARE BEING WON, DISCIPLED AND SEEING THEM GROW OTHERS, this is wonderful work the Man of God is doing. These things that you have heard me teach among many witnesses being able to teach others as well 2Timothy 2:2.
RE -SPCHOOLS
We have 18 Pre-schools in the Mukuni chiefdom. Liezl Pienaar the Wife to Arthur does a wonderful Job of writing the Christian based curriculum which benefits not less than 400 children in our pre-schools. We have 36 teachers who are being trained not only to teach but to know the Lord intimately so they can also teach the children in return. This is working so well. The BIBLE says Train up the child in the way he should go so he does not depart from it when he grows. Liezl Pienaar teaches the Curriculums she prepares, of course being a team, she has others who help at times, people like Janet, Bev and Jessi. The parents are being reached through the pre-school kids, Hygiene in the villages is another item that has been passed from the kids to the parents as the lesson emphasize on the topics much, Thank Liezl for the lessons because the children are finding it easy to learn when they go to the first grade. Teachers in the First grade like it when their Job is made easy.
Through all these evangelistic tools the Chiefdom is being reached. Thank God for this Wonderful Couple and for the wisdom he has bestowed upon them of reaching the chiefdom and producing people perfect in Christ Jesus.Colosians 1:28.
Pastor Dragan. |
posted Jun 11, 2010 1:51 PM by Liezl Pienaar
Jesus’ famous words are still calling out today. He gave us a clear mandate when He took them in His arms and said “Do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. Jesus pointed out the need to come to Him as a little child and statistics bear out His words:
• 88% professions of faith occur before the age of 19
• 68% professions of faith occur between the ages 9-14
• 80% of teens who graduate without Christ, will never accept Him
When the disciples asked Jesus who the most important in the kingdom was, He hugged a child, saying “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome Me…”
It is a startling reality that most of our Evangelism efforts focus on adults – a group that statistically is resistant to the gospel. These statistics should by no means stop our efforts, but it should be a wake-up call to the importance of ministering to children.
How will the children of the world ever have an opportunity to ask Jesus to be their Friend and Savior if they’ve never even heard of Him? How can they believe if they do not know? The biggest goal of the LIFE preschools is to introduce Jesus to the children as their Savior and Friend.
It is a sad reality that many children in Zambia can be labeled as “neglected” when measured against a global perspective of child neglect. As a LIFE Team we aim to turn this around by educating parents and children alike – keeping in mind that in God’s eyes children are the most important in His kingdom.
We would like to see our LIFE children thrive, firstly on a spiritual level, but also on every other level (physical, intellectual, social and emotional). We carefully plan activities to assist in the development of the whole child, with Christ as the foundation.
We believe that in honoring and building into the children of rural Zambia, that we are being the hands and feet of Jesus in the villages of the Mukuni chiefdom. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me…” We will continue to take Him at his Word and do just that. |
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