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

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

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

9 minute call

Family blessings have meant more to me than anything I have ever encountered before. With every challenge I have come to faced that has come to be put into implementation, I have seeked my family’s blessings by all means and they have greatly blessed me with every ridiculous outburst, new interest, innovations, exploration. For the recent few months I have been seeking the Lord in dedicating a year of service to the Gospel – it has been a test of faith and by all means a hit of high and low notes where I’d be: “Ye…let’s do this!” and on some other days it was like: “Oh, … hmmm … ye maybe some other times.” But hey recently, I feel like there has been such a great confirmation leading to today and that the Lord has been saying: “Wait til’ you see what I have in store for you”. I have been and I am trusting Him for so much I begin to shiver and think – hey, if it’s your will, lead me to it and I want to fulfill it by all means. 

Roadblock – crrreeeech . . . family blessing! Oh yes, forgot about that. Well today has been quite eventful on that basis. I spoke to my mom explaining to her now my intentions for the coming year and yey, for a second I thought she was like: “ye, go do it son, I’m with you all the way”. 3 minutes into the conversation, I am reminded about the financial burden that she faces and evidently, I really can’t and won’t try to refute that – she had kinda made her plans for me like every parent has: study…graduate…graduation party (if I’m lucky)…work…$$$! She is shocked out of her boots when I tell her that I have included some few plans in her train of thought and that not only am I calling her to ask for her support on this faith adventure but to bless me as well (these are two different things). 8 minutes into the conversation I am in tears (remember this is a guy who has always expected to be blessed by his family). She ends the call, re-assuring that she will call later and I’m then praying for the Lords grace being: “… you didn’t say it would be this difficult, why does it feel like I am dishonoring my mother”. Well the story picks up when I call my aunts (Phindile and Vangile) – to a degree my spiritual mothers (i.o.w. I run to them every time there is fire in the heart). I embrace their understanding and thank God for their impartation and their support and blessing.  I look forward to seeking God to teach me and help me put the puzzle together because I stand on a limb – knowing no direction of the coming months but clinging on to His character. My discipler said to me some few weeks: ‘Its these points in time, where we are trapped in a crevice, having nowhere to go and hide, putting no front that everything is A-okay, just surrendering all - waiting on Him with utter dependence; that He comes and reveals His glory to us’. I am not turning away from anything nor anyone, my heart is still set in the vision than the Lord has cast and I am humbled. That’s all!

F A I T H

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"

Survivor Camp . . . apparently!

 

Last day of the term of the semester. It has been a pretty long term and we not even through with it just as yet. Synonymous with mid-term breaks are camps. Last friday we heading up North to Kwa-Maphumulo for a weekend of great worship, fellowship, discipleship, teaching, building and did I mention worship. Themed ‘The Gospel of Jesus Christ’ this spring camp stands to set an all-time record of being a great success or a great failure says one of the leaders! This camp has been given the ‘Survivor-feel’ and without a question in mind from what we have all heard it surely will be a survivor camp but also it is the first camp which has been organised independent from the interns.

One thing I cannot help mention is how the Lord has been so gracious in planning this camp. I think He, as always, out did Himself once again. One of the issue with organising this camp is that we tried to make it as affordable as possible as that we did however sooner than later, we were faced with costs which really brought affordability into question. But God . . . . He has done exceedingly more than what we expected. A lesson learnt by all of us, is to stand in faith in what we are to receive, wait in perseverance for the Lords gift to come into physical manifestation, depicting the truth that is spoken of in the Bible which truly does set us free

Consider it pure joys, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
James 1:2-4

Having been a few days since the camp I am still amazed at how this was a great success – and this is due to an amazing team of servants who dedicated the entire camp to serving the students. They really have been awesome and they truly epitomised some of the leadership characteristics that Kate (one of the interns leading breakout sessions) which is humility, demonstration of love in what they do, had a great and amazing servants heart, were compassionate, did it for the glory of God, they were not doing things according to their way but how it has been asked to be done. I salute them tremendously. The Pastor as well was so amazingly on point – he really set the bench-mark for a great mentor and discipler, evident in the bond fire we had at night with the guys. There really isn’t a thing we missed at camp – I felt this theme of the camp really didn’t stand – it was more like where you are now in your faith, come and experience God! I loved it – true story, Friday morning when I was speaking to Lelo about the fundings, getting a really despondent answer from him, I was really close to saying, “Ayt, lets call it a day –it was fun organising the camp” but when the time of departure came, I was totally blown away. The food was so greatly amazing it was not even funny!

We are in KZN so this should say everthing

Enhle translate for the seniors of the community

And you though University Christian students don't know how to have fun!

Lelo's grandmother who absolutely blessed us walking up with one of the ladies, Tha (the short one)

This man trully amazes me everytime I talk to him!