What is the G.O.S.P.E.L

There are really creative teams out there and this guy by the name of Propaganda (not sure how he got that name) but is truly a great example of the power of the Holy Spirit and the true gifting talent! The is place for Gospel based talent and arts and I believe its the church's responsibility to unearth that and provide a platform for the youth to really express themselves rather than being subjects to continual doctrines on how things should be done, said, presented!

I am a sucker for Christ-centered marriages - I do not know whats up with that but I enjoy being surrounded by such couples and families - they make for me a great discipleship ground more especially for young couples who are in courtship. Just read an article published by Mar's Hill Church, Pastor Phil Smidt speaking about how marriages are made by God for Him to be glorified in them. There is nothing argueable about that but he mentions 6 principles/factors that tend to determine who matters in the most in a couple's marriage. I know its way beyond my prescribed reading list hahahaha, but anyway, great way to build for the future, just know that my Mrs Madida is out there reading the same article .... #hopeful 

Read the article by clicking on this link

Bafana

Update

There hasn't been any great news this week - though the Lord has been very faithful with the support that has already come in, its very interesting to see how the next support that would come in would do so. I am in Durban currently with family for a week long vacation - just what the Dr' ordered.

Last blog I mentioned that may you please be praying for how the support from my friends in the State was to come in -  finally there is light and it might not be as much of a predicament as it would of come out as to be initially. Penny, the Director of Ukukhanya said she would help out in getting the money into S.A. more especially with minimal bank charges.

I was watching CampRock - The Movie yesterday and there was just this influx of memories of our own Ukukhanya Camp. I really cant wait for next year - its just gonna be so so so super awesome and amazingly satisfying beyond comprehension. I haven't spoken with my team mates the last couple of few days but I am pretty sure that they just as and just awaiting to see the Lord's work when 2012 comes.

Bafana

Prayer Warriorz

These couple of few days has been a bit too relaxed on my part. I guess the door closing before you more than once when trying to raise support does take its toll - there are two effects that arise from that: 1. You learn to trust in the Lord for the coming resources and not man 2. You await in eager expectation to see the Lord provide as you continue raising support. 

Reading scripture's from Philippians, it was evident that Paul himself faced a number of obstacle when raising support in that there were minor humps and bumps but it strikes me when he says: '... I have learnt the secret of of being content in any and every situation whether fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.' He then throws me out when he says : ' I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.' {Phil 4:12-13}. It's one of those things that Paul didn't acquire when he started ministry work but became something he learnt WHILE doing ministry work. One one thing he never forgot to do was thank those who partnered with him in the Lord and really encouraged them to continue seeking the Lord in their walk.

There is obviously the lingering of uncertainty to when will I reach THAT mark because I cannot start my ministry until I do but the life app that Paul shares with the Philippians is of great importance 

B

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas celebration and as we enter into the New Year may it be a great one in that we are growing into something different!

Missions exists because worship doesn’t

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.

Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions, we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.

John Piper
Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions

Just so you know

This week has been quite a highlight in that:

1. Had a number of meetings with potential supporters who are praying ofr the ministry for next year and some still praying about financially giving towards my internship. What I get is that alot of people, more especially in the black community, find my plans quite disturbing to say the least. The first thing they ask is A) How much do you earn B) What your parents saying about this C) Are you really sure that you want to do this rather than going to study. So ye, I'm getting good in answering those type of questions, hahahaha.

2. Just returned from a kids play at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre and what the play was all about is dealing with life issues mostly such as caring and looking after our environment and living with HIV/AIDS. The great thing about this is that most of proceedings from the shows (4 shows in total) go towards the Lambano Sanctuary which is an NGO housing in 5 shelters children affected and infected by HIV.

3. Spent the week with my discipler, Anele, as he was in JHB raising support - learnt alot from him during the course of the week.

4. Greatest news ever, received a call that I have been accepted to 2 different Honours programs (namely Medical Microbiology at the UKZN Medical School as well as Microbiology at UKZN Westville Campus) that I had applied during the course of the year. There is no question about it, will be deferring those for 2013 after my internship with CRU.

5. Have been spending the week with family - now im ready to head back to get to work.

6. Missing my crazy CRU family in Durban.

 Bafana

Ngiyabonga....Thank you!

Working on my thank you letters for my supporters who contributed to the Botswana Mission Trip - just hoping all of them would consider supporting me for my next year internship. Currently raising a team of supporters and man is it more intense than the Botswana Trip - nothing I ever imagined. Checking my inbox every 3 hours. Will be meeting with a guy tomorrow who might be part of my support team so ye...lets do this!

Botswana Bound

University of Botswana bound

The story behind this cow statue found just outside the newly built library is quite interesting - we learnt that for the building of the institution in 1982, community members, the Batswana, contributed a number of items such as cattle, agricultural products such as grains from farmers as well as cash to reach the R1 million which was required to build the university, making in the oldest higher education institution in  the country of Botswana. 

Here is Trushka playing around with some of the boys from the Naledi Community, a few km's away from the University. Locally known as Old Naledia, this is one of the largest and oldest township found in the country of Botswana - similiar to Soweto for South Africa. The population of this community is mainly constituted of poor residents living on the breadline - these are some of the kids of the community which come to the feeding station after school to their lunch time meal.

Kids enjoying a well prepared meal

One of the creative ways in which the Gospel is shared called the Solarium which is just a collection of random pictures which allows us to engage students in conversation about their lives, where they are going, what they think of God, etc etc. I love this as it allows us to engage  students on a very personal level and furthermore they are more yielding to opening up and speaking on a personal level.

We visited the small and humble Old Naledi Baptist Fellowship 

M.O.G (Men of God lol)

This team has to be on of the best and fantastic guys to fellowship with - there certainly has been a lot of learning and impartation. With high spirited conversation, there is never a dull moment with silence. This team has learnt alot in the couple of 10 days that we have spent together and we would do it again opportunity given!

Pula looks really different to rands - it got some used to before we understood what a Pula is and how to use it.

We were hosted by the Open Baptist Church and this is our rocking mini-van ... apparently I cannot call it a taxi because its not a 16 seater lol none the less, it has air con and for a country like Botswana that is all you need to survive the blazing heat. 

This is the seminary we spent our nights at. With waking up at 6am to start the day which would normally end at 1am, we went through the book of Ephesians.

UniBots main campus looks amazing

The motto of the university is Thuto ke Thebe which is Setswana for Education is a Shield and the Batswana students stand tall in that.

Alyssa learning some Setswana words from the kids from the community

Radio station interview at TrailFm

The girls just finish sharing with some of the students

Anele sharing with a student in the cafferia

Weekend off work we went to see 4 lions and play in water...yay

I saw up to 3 kids who were looking after their siblings - I asked about this and this is the general site - some of the kids are left to look after their younger siblings while the parents are not around and this is normally the entire day

Taffy Chifanuma

I call him 'Fanza'

Playing a Zulu game but kids are oblivious to the language and had to explain the game in my broken Setswana over 5 times but we had fun regardless

Sorry but this kids had to be a victim of our illustration when Enhle and Johan were teaching on 'Heaven'

Enhle teaching the kids with a translate who is the senior project co-ordinator at the feeding station.

The call to Botswana, turning Uni. Botswana and the community of Naledi our mission field at first seemed like a distant plan but when it became reality there was no way, and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way  but to devote our time to praying and  sharing with the students and community members there. Dumela rra...dumela mma (good day sir...good day ma) is the first thing we were taught as we were going cross culture, the last thing we would have wanted to do is come forth as ‘typical South Africans oblivious to other people’. First day on campus was like learning how to ride a bicycle – as the wheels go forth, there is a need to gear up steadily however start on the first gear – get to know and have a picture of what, for the Batswana, God and religion looks like – and indeed within that day after speaking to just about 5 students, it was easily comprehendible and this is not standing from a judgemental angle... salvation was not understood, imputed righteousness was not understood, personal relationship with God and fellowship with the Holy Spirit – what is that???... Christ died...but why??? It became evident that the basic truths that God is love, man is sinful, we cannot reach God by our works, we are short of the glory of God, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for us to re-instate us in position where we are made right by faith, and we are His people – all that was not discipled into these students and students that we had spoken to mostly did not understand this.

The darkness on that campus was met with the light of God with the end of the trip, the team of 11 students had shared their faith with 146 students and community members, of which 52 committed their lives to Christ (we trust the Lord to continue working in their hearts) and with a physical healing manifesting in live view.

We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1: 3

Last night I was reading the ‘Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed’ in Matthew 13. From this trip, one would start praying for the fourth seed which fell in fertile soil and produced a crop hundred times more than that which has been sown but let us not forget the first 3 seeds – what I love is the truth of this passage that ye, though all will hear the same message, the same Gospel, the same Truth – not all will receive it the same – thus it became apparent to my team on how little time we had had but that is the importance of it all – by God’s calling, we are his servants and were we sent we go – the rest we leave to him, the rest we trust that He will rise up a community of labourers, to go forth and carry out the harvest. There were plenty of opportunities granted for us to interact and share our faith with the students of UB on so many different levels – we even received a radio interview on the national campus radio station, TrailFM – having been broadcast all over the University, the country and even Malaysia! How awesome is that!

By the end of our project, we had gained more understanding and wisdom of the Gospel for ourselves, unified in Christ more coming out then going in, witness the supremacy of our Majesty, made more friends than we can count, and grew in our walk! There  is a great sense of praise that has collected in our hearts and will be continually released

@ Gaborone

Its as been a while sicne we last touched based on what as been appening here in Botswana plainly because sorry to say, there  is no internet access at were we sleeping which is a seminary just north of Gaborone. Te past two days have been a glorious act and work of the Lord. We have just fell flat on our face to see how receptive students are – more so how students here see Christianity and God. The main campus at Gaborone is amazingly beautiful – the infrastructure is amazing and so are the students – there academics are on par but there is lack-off … something missing! The Gospel is missing – there is so much that the Lord has revealed on our student leaders on the trip but the is also a great revelation on how this campus really needs the true Christ of the bible. People believe that there is God…we all do – no questions asked about that! However it gets tricky when you ask them who is God – is nature, character, spirit, etc. The thing they do not grasp from the 4 days we have been on campus sharing is the point of salvation!

We just conducted a Solarium in the student meeting halls and met a guy by the name of Koane. Asking him to chose 2 pictures which would describe how his life is now he chose these.

For a second I was taken aback with what to say and how to say it to him. I just lost all words – I was confounded by how to approach this, to approach him, to approach sharing with him. For a second all had been lost of words – thinking now of the great God we serve, there has been such a releave that all works in man are by Him through His Son – all we can do is serve and proclaim what has been passed onto us as good stewards of the Gospel.

We have the last day on campus with the students as they close off for the end of the year and head off to their families – there are so many stories to share and so many experiences to relay. There is no other great power that has allowed me here and granted this opportunity. Great news – we managed to get a radio slot for this afternoon on campus with the UniBots Student Radio Station wowowowo cant wait for that.

Please be praying for our team as we continue learning more and more about who God is and His power seeing His power manifesting on campus for His Glory. For our team and the students on campus as they write their exams and encounter Him.

‘This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent us His Son an atoning  sacrifice for our sins.’

1 John 4:10

Guest Blogger - Mpumelelo Kunene

This is a blog entry just in from my MOTT, Mpumelelo 'Lelo' Kunene. He is a final year student just as I am but majored in Computer Studies. He has been over the past few years appropriately dubbed 'Radical Evangelist'. He plays the guitar, pretty awesome at it, loves ingaging in intellectual conversation and as he puts it "...with the aim of saving some." Here goes - this is the MOT from Lelo's lens:

For His Suffering - My First Missionary Journey (Botswana)

"That The Lamb of God might receive the full reward for His Suffering!" 

 The story is told of two Moravian young men who when they heard that a slave owner on a distant island had banned all missionaries from coming to his island that has three thousand slaves sold themselves to him so they can become undercover missionaries to these slaves. Not just a normal selling, they had sold themselves for life. When the ship came to take them, and as it pulled off the dock with them on board, looking at their families weeping, knowing that they'll never see them again and questioning the wisdom of it, they cried out:

" That the Lamb Of God might receive the full reward for His suffering!!"

 Those were the last words that were ever heard of from those men. This became the Moravian call for missions. God's Glory at the center. As I journey into Botswana for my first ever (well, technically not, we went to Maritzburg Campus a couple o' months ago to plant CRU) missionary escapade, I feel this burning in my heart. We will be going for ten days, first scheduled to preach at the University over there for about 5 days then the community for the remainder. The Lord has been faithful in providing for me and my teammates, we've all gotten the monies needed through Him speaking to His children for us. Honestly I must say, Kevin and Chad approached me with the Gospel in 2009 April, I never thought this is what I'll become.O, how He can change a life! To Him be the Glory for ever and ever!! We leave tonight, 10PM, from Durban to PTA, then from PTA to Botswana at 2PM on Monday (tomorrow). We come back on December fifth. Pray for us brethren, that the Lord uses these feeble bones and mouths of ours to proclaim the truth of His salvation, His mercy, to wrath deserving sinners. That He might save them, that Christ might gain for Himself a Bride that is beautiful and unstained, to the Glory of Him who is everlasting in mercy. Amen. However I have not been honest thus far in this post. You see, friend, I have a fear. A deep fear. I know that He can do whatever He wants on this trip, but it is afterward that I fear what He'll do. I fear that my time to leave my plans, school and work and ambition, might have finally come. I wonder if I am ready to be used of God in a more explicit way. This whole semester I've been feeling like a lamb being prepared for slaughter, with all this doctrinal study and the call to pray, its like I've been going through training. The essence of my fear is also a foundation for excitement: What will He do? What if He says I must stay in Botswana? What if He tells me, more vividly than ever before, to take up my cross, forget my life, and follow Him? He is a mysterious God, and in Proverbs two days ago I leaned that it is His glory to conceal a matter (Prov 25:2). Will I obey? I have no choice, I have been bought. He, only He, has the words of eternal life.

P.S. Botswana Bound RadEvang

Helping You Sing “Hallelujah” with True Exuberance

John Piper beautifully explains what Hallelujah really means. Though I has been really dragged on dirt, there is some sort me reformation when reading this article on really, the proclamations we make to God. Piper blogs: "The English word "hallelujah" is a transliteration of two Hebrew words, "hallelu" and "jah". The first word, "hallelu", is the second person imperative of "praise." The second word, "jah," is
the short form of "Jahweh" (or "Yahweh"). So when we say, "Hallelujah!" we are exhorting others (people and angels) to join us in praising Yahweh. What gives a punch to my singing, "Hallelujah," is that Jah (= Yahweh) is not a generic word for God, but the personal name of the God of Israel. To shout, "Hallelu Jah!" — "Praise Jah" — is like standing in the council of the gods and boldly saying, "Not to
you, Molech!" "Not to you, Baal!" "Not to you, Dagon!" "Not to you, Artemis!" "Not to you, Zeus!" But to Jah, and Jah alone, I give praise. And I call you to join me! Praise Jah! And not only is Jah God's personal name, but it is the one he gave himself to distinguish himself from all the gods. And it is thrilling in meaning. When Moses asked God what name he should use to identify God in Egypt, God said, "I AM who I AM. Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:14). The name Yahweh is built on the words "I AM". So God put his absolute, transcendent, self-sufficient being at the center of his identity. "All the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but Yahweh made the heavens" (Psalm 96:5). So, the next time you sing "Hallelujah" pause for a split second between "hallelu" and "Jah" and say it like a name. We praise you . . . Jah! You are above all gods . . . Jah! Join me, all you heavenly hosts, and praise . . . Jah! He is! He simply, eternally, absolutely, independently, gloriously IS! Hallelu . . . Jah!"

desiringgod.org/blog/posts/helping-you-sing-hallelujah-with-true-exuberance

Mission Outreach Trip Team (MOTT)

Meet my team. These are the warriors which are being sent to Botswana for the (MOTT) (okay I have been blogging about it for quite some time now and if you have no clue what I am talking about, you out to subscribe to get them delivered to your inbox lol)

This is the team in the forefront but there are much much much much more other guys who are driving this boat - people who have really stayed up and planned everything to the tee, our support structure the 2011|Interns (Erica, Kate, Lauren, Anele - sadly enough they won't be going us because the three ladies are setting back to their homeland (States) after a year of service and internship with CRU|UKZN and Anele is gearing and in preparation for staff next year - awesome champion right there!). Driving this team mostly with their prayers is the leadership team from the different campuses - they have been awesome with that. Office work has been done mostly but a part-time staff member of CRU - she has been taking care of our finances and has been doing a great job at it...love it! These 12 people have a trail of supporters who have been praying and giving towards the outreach project, just to humbly acknowledge them.

With exactly 7 days before our departure, we are in awe with the provisions that have been coming in mostly me I have to say - I'm pretty sure all these guys have stories to share on how from trusting the Lord for support to having to crunch their exams so they do not get supplementaries, they have just been given the strength to surface through it all!

{click on the image to enlarge it}

Botswana caught in my peripheral

Gearing up for the Botswana  ... with it being 8 days and counting down before we head over to Gaborone for the first ever CRU|Spring Mission Trip. These past few weeks have been nothing short of a learning experience for raising a financial support team that will partner with me in sharing the Gospel over in the community of Gabs. There has been times where there was absolutely little to no faith in meeting the R3000 I would require, not adamant to asking more people, as biblical as it may be, there was just this overwhelming pride that just seemed to get into the way of things. It just disorientated my outlook on what asking people looked like, what it was about, how to do things. Getting into the mojo of this was exhilarating with support letters going out like paper was going out of fashion. 2 weeks...3 weeks...4 weeks and the Lord had not provided to half His trip. 'Ah but you said...hmmm....you said....ahhhhhh....you said...{thinking}' ye He said what Bafana. 'Well, you said you are the provider of all! Ye that's what you said. Surely, I missed something.' Yes indeed I had. I missed asking you to release your funding. I missed asking you to give my supporters your heart. I missed asking you to steer up a faithful heart that will not look out the window at the rainy hour but will embrace the blooming blossom that's to follow not only for myself, but for my team.

P|R|A|Y

I wish to extend my appreciation to all those who took what they had and really blessed me. On this day I praise the Lord for He raised up my support, both the prayer warriors who couldn't give as well as those who did! The is no measure to extend my gratitude to everyone who is continually praying for the trip both locally and abroad. Prayer is what we need the most, just for us to be filled with the Spirit as we go on the trip embracing and sharing the Gospel with no reservation in the power it has! No glory should go to me but He wish deserves it and has come to bring us to being and has gone before all Mission Trip, making way for us. 

Bafana

Old School + High School = Old High School

Last picture I am gonna take with these guys

Old School + High School = Old High School

These guys were totally awesome ...

Funny thing is I came to the party not having a uniform but looky here

Going into the new year, this will be my team and we gonna rock hard!

Believe it or not, their schools are rivals...NOT

He just turned a year older and his present was 'Best Dressed Male'

Beauty and the........lol

Mom and Cooker of the year

B's desk

Lets review these two weeks

The past two weeks have been quite a joy ride and opportunity granted, would do them over again and again and again and again ...well you get the picture. Apart from tests which have been back to back as the varsity calendar comes to an end in preparation for the exams, let me bring you up to speed on how my past weeks have been:

• Our weekly meetings on campus with CRU and our students have been nothing but greatly awesome, a platform where we have learnt, been encouraged, rebuked, revived, affirmed, disciple with nothing short of spiritual growth – we just finished off a semester long series on 2 Timothy aptly titled: ‘Last Words’ which are basically the last words of Paul to his assistant Timothy.

• With that insight, getting our 2^nd Annual End of The Year Social (sending-off party for all the interns) organised. Ah man, this has been the most gruelling event I helped in organising – there was so much hardship endured by the organising team on this project (I could just base my whole blog entry on this) ...but I won’t – the Lords provision were all sufficient. The social was a great success and big ups to the Social’s team and everyone who is not part of the organising team that help in bringing it together. The food was awesome, the programme was fantastic, I totally enjoyed myself. Though some students couldn’t make it due to other commitments, those who did come made the social what it was. In anticipation for the coming year, there is so much I feel there is to be revealed to students, to interns, and to staff and those who are to join us. On the side, the new teams on most of our campuses are in place and they are what we call ‘Jesus Freaks!’
• Attended the 24^th Annual SASM (South African Society for Microbiology) Conference with my friend Tom– this being a day before the social event! This revived both our love for research in microbiology specifically looking into using this field in impact communities in a more sustainable fashion. There was a lot learnt on our parts with the presentations strikingly intriguing – obviously UKZN Microbiology rocked the presentations taking 1^st, 2^nd, ad 3^rd position amongst competitors including DUT and MUT. We down like that. The slogan stands –

Love-peace-MICROBIOLOGY

• Straight after that was an all-night pulled with Alyssa in getting the social video done. Man, was that a long one but the finished product was top notch. The video is attached at the end of the blog entry. That same morning FYI had to go grocery shopping with Johan for the social (like I said, I could base the whole entry on the social).

Still in preparation for the Mission Outreach Trip to Botswana, Gaborone at the end of our exams – just a heads up, some students and I including some of the interns from CRU will be heading up to Botswana from the 21^st Nov for a 10-day outreach in that community. Last month was reading a small devotion from ‘The Utmost for His Highest’ by Chambers and what caught my sight was the explanation of what the purpose of missions are and basically for me, what service to the Lord is all about:

“Personal attachment and point of view is one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary enterprise the great danger is that God’s call is effaced (removed) by the needs of the people until human sympathy absolutely overwhelms the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, the conditions so perplexing, that every power of mind falters and fails. We forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary enterprise is not first the elevation of the people, nor the education of the people, nor their needs; but first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ – “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.”

This couldn’t have come at a better time where I am learning off the character of a servant, how to serve, what the Lord desire is from me with what He has honoured as well as blessed me with both for my personal ministry (which I’m still coming to understand), my fellowship with Him and others. These coming few weeks are going to be challenging as most prayer will be directed to the following year.

B's desk

... grains of life maliciously taken away!

Some few weeks ago went with Tom and Richaad, two good friends of mine, to the beach just North of Durban for just a break away from the bussle of campus assignments, test's and lectures - call it a mini-retreat. As I sat down on the shore as the boys went rolling in the deep, I came across a very small shell that was washed off by the salty current just a few minutes ago. In its subtle form there was no words which it would evoke for the next few minutes. There really was nothing for me to say it. I was absolutely confounded to why this beautifully designed lifeless shell remained amongst overwhelming grains of sand, left me expressionless! Given it the opportunity to say some few words, surely it would relay the experiences it had encountered prior to it being washed off the crisp shore. Its contours speak for themselves as there remains faint lyrics embracing the songs it sang from life given to life taken. Its arrest in feeding infallibly was of no great joy to its fickle tissues yet it had to succumb to the what would begin yo manifest greatly the more adventurous it decided to go. Its strong calcium construction was not enough to triumphant against the malicious oceanic world, contrary it had its grains of life maliciously taken away!

B's desk

Tragic!

Looking over the desktop, with procrastination written boldly on my forehead, I am slowly moved to idleness basically because to think it through, I could be at home, joining the company of my family relatives and friends for the quarterly Madida Family Re-union (hahaha, its not as dramatic as Madea's). Lined up for this week is test's, test's, test's and did I mention...test's. Its been what 6 months now and I have had to bear with hearing my aging gran-ma's voice over a plastic voice box. Ridiculous - what affections is that. I'm pretty sure they miss me just as I do and there is nothing else to be done but to triumph over the next few months which is to separate the men for the boys - head over into the game - pen first calculator last, expecting the greater reward which is to spend yet another day with my Gogo!