Malawi July 2012
Our story in pictures!
After 2 years of prayer, labor and favor the tent finally makes it to the church site!
What a day!!! Praise God!
We transported the tent pegs and wall poles with us in Simon's camper truck, about 600kgs in all.
Time to unpack the canvas
It's so much bigger once you spread it out.
Right about this time we started wondering if the plot of land was actually big enough to hold this tent.
It was God's doing and the tent fit the piece of land like they were made for each other!
Raising
the poles turned out to be much more dangerous than we thought as our
steel cables weren't crimped properly causing the cable to snap loose
and of course the poles came crashing down. By a miracle the Lord
protected me as by nightfall we were still working on the last 2 poles
and another cable snapped loose bringing the two 10 meter poles down
simultaneously, since it was dark I had no idea where the pole behind me
would fall so I darted to one side only to look behind me and see that
the pole had fallen directly on top of where I was standing moments
earlier. Needless to say we took the remaining poles down and fastened
the cables with U-bolts instead.
Finally, the main poles are up! It was a hands-on crash course in tent-raising.
The finished product!
You
can actually see the peaks of the tent from quite far out and it drew a
lot of attention from the residents of the surrounding township in
Lilongwe.
We held a healing seminar inside the tent for all the Pastors from the rural churches.
We gave them gospels of John to take with them on their outreach time after the class.
These ladies worked hard to prepare dinner for all the attendees on an open fire.
Showing the Jesus movie during our first crusade in the tent.
Unfortunately there was so much dust because of so many people coming in that the pictures didn't come out right
After
the following Sunday service we had a chance to pass out some solar
lights that were donated by James Hacker for the pastors in some of the
most remote areas. With me here is pastor Joseph, who you might remember
from our trip in May/June 2011 where we trekked on foot over hills and
through rivers to meet his parish.
Pastor "big Mike" from the Nsaru region
who pastors the church we planted with our first crusade in June 2010.
This bridge didn't look to good but after seeing the agricultural transport trucks
crossing with their heavy load we mustered our courage.
The rural roads are always an adventure, even if they are little more than bicycle trails.
On our way to the first crusade of the trip outside the fishing village of Nkhotakota
Showing the Jesus film off the side of the truck.
These people walked in pitch darkness from their huts to sit on the floor that chilly winter evening
and join us for the greatest story ever told.
For those of you who don't live in the southern hemisphere, June to August is our winter.
On
this particular weekend there was a funeral taking place simultaneously
somewhere in the village and so many people could not attend our
service as funerals are a week long ordeal of grieving, mourning and
eating in most of africa and if you don't attend you risk having no one
come to your funeral when it's your turn.
After the service we invited the sick to receive prayer for healing.
Mutton and Nsima on a straw mat. Rural village hospitality.
On our way back to Lilongwe
we took an hour off at the lake to enjoy its stunning beauty and serenity
Next stop: Blantyre.
We did a 3 day healing seminar in Ndirande* for around a hundred pastors and elders
(*the largest township in Malawi, just outside of Blantyre)
They had us come to the front and dance with the praise and worship team.
A big honor apparently. I think we were just laughing with embarrassment.
This is my favorite part- testimony time!
These were the people that got healed during our healing service.
We just gave them the training and got them to pray for each other!
We received some wonderful reactions to this seminar
of pastors being transformed by learning to demonstrate the power of God's Love!
Simon and I with the truck on the ferry back across the Zambezi.
A tiring but successful and miracle-filled trip taking the Name of JESUS to the nations.
We would like to thank you for all your prayers and support that made this trip possible.
We would also like to invite any of you who feel God's call to join us on one of our trips,
we
have plenty of space to offer on board the truck and would love to have
you along to assist us in spreading the gospel to the needy and
spiritually receptive regions of southern africa.
Contact us:
Email: ikemissionary@gmail.com
Tel: +27 741486176
Zambia Mission trip May, 2012
At the end of May, 2012 a team of 5 of our full time missionaries took a trip to the northern part of Zambia, near Ndola, their mission was to bring Christian leadership training in the form of the 12 Foundation Stones Bible course to a group of local pastors, their churches and congregation in the bush about 30 kms outside of Nodola. The Isenge community.
Arch bishop Mwape had been communicating via email for over 2 years with our team asking us to come and teach his village and the surrounding villages and we were finally able to do so this May 2012, Praise the Lord!
Every step of both the planning and the trip itself was a miracle. We needed a reliable vehicle, finances, tracts, and Bibles, God supplied in amazing and unexpected ways. Our team hit the businesses in our area promoting the mission trip and looking for sponsorship, many hearts were touched and people prayed for, but times had been tough and finances tight and there was no vehicle in sight for our trip. Then God touched the heart of someone in Australia to help with a large donation which was enough to get us on our way! Isaac contacted a friend who donated over one thousand gospels of John booklets and Kubie a South African friend, offered us the use of his Mazda car for the trip (this trustee little car had already been to Congo and back, he assured us). So at 4 am on Tuesday the 22nd, loaded to the max we were off and, with God as our navigator, we were in for an exciting ride.
Once in Botswana, we approached the first petrol station in sight and the manager offered to fill up our tank, our lunch that first day was donated by Wimpy and the Nata lodge in gave us beautiful accommodation. All along the way the Lord provided, touching the hearts of so many!
Our team prayed for people and saw God perform miracles of healing. On our second day of the trip 2 members of our team prayed for an old lady who had severe heart pains and the pain was totally gone after the prayer. Another man we prayed for was suffering from pain in his shoulder and wasn’t able to move it and he received complete healing. While we were praying onlookers formed a circle around us and asked for prayers and blessings on their lives…. It was an unforgettable experience.
On arrival at the village in Ndola, Zambia we were greeted by the Archbishop, his entourage and family. We were humbled by their love and simplicity, Paztor Mwape, a humble and God fearing man, made provision for not only our team but close to 50 other people under his roof for the duration of the seminar. People slept in the Kitchen, hallway, and doorways. His family moved out of the house to make room for us muzungus (white people) to sleep. Staying in Ndola was a little bit of an adventure in itself, we had no running water, electricity, and toilets. The only source of water was the well. One evening while we were stumbling around in the dark trying to find the well a kind woman offered to draw us water so that we could wash our feet, (she also tried to wash our feet for us).
The response we had to the teachings was Jabuseku (amazing in Bemba, the local language). People were hungry for the word, unwilling to take breaks during the classes, and attentive to every word. One thing that stood out to us was their desperation to know more about Jesus, at one point we mentioned that many Christians don’t read their Bibles and this shocked them as so few owned a Bible and it was such a great privileged to have a Bible that if they had their own they would be reading it all the time. We taught classes on healing, prophecy, End time, Holy Spirit, and God’s love, followed by prayer for deliverance and a question and answer evening that carried on late into the night.
On Sunday we walked to their church and preached again. The songs and hymns were simple yet sung with such a depth and belief. Towards the end of the seminar, one group of people invited us to the north of Mozambique, telling us that this was a life changing seminar and they would like us to share it with their people too. We presented each attendee with an individual graduation certificate documenting the completion of the course.
On our way back to Johannesburg, a friend invited us to stay at his place in Livingstone. His house overlooked the beautiful Zambezi River. We stayed there for two days which gave us an opportunity to venture into Victoria Falls, which was an experience that we could not afford to miss. The next day we reluctantly departed Zambia to return home.
We were greatly humbled during this trip by the love and desire to know God in the people that we met their simple faith in God and the truth of His word. We are so privileged to know God’s word and to be able to share it!
I would like to stay a special thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible both through your prayers and contributions. God Bless you!
Malawi visit June, 2011
The mandate God had given us with this visit was to prepare the way for the tent which was being shipped up from South Africa by preparing the church grounds and to encourage and prepare the church spiritually for the arrival of the tent and the subsequent growth and expansion of the church.
We visited 11 churches in total all of which were rural except for Lilongwe and Kasungu. God did an amazing miracle to provide us with a 7 seater vehicle to use for the duration of our visit free of charge (Though we had only spoken on the phone, Mr. Edwin Banda generously offered the use of his vehicle and even to collect me from the airport!), this was in fact a direct answer to prayer as I had been praying for a vehicle to use allowing us to fly into Malawi thus saving time and money for shorter trips. God likewise provided the money (anonymously) for my plane ticket on the day I needed to buy it, confirming to me that where God guides He provides! Gory to God! We took Bibles and Gospels along for distribution, and as always the demand was greater than the supply, I suppose it is in part this hunger for more of God’s word that compells us to return. Hope you enjoy the pics!
Praying for the sick at the church in Dedza. Even the young and healthy came forward for prayer taking the opportunity to receive an impartation.
After the service this 12 year old boy, also named Isaac, gave me his chicken as an offering. I was touched and amazed at his sacrifice. He has grasped such a profound lesson at such a young age.
A work crew we hired demolishing a small building and levelling the ground for the 30mx30m tent.
A Spirit-filled praise and worship at Pastor Isaac Banda’s church
Simon and I trying to blend in with Pastor Banda’s congregation
A New Bible for the pastor and gospels of John in Chichewa for the members.
Pastor Banda and his family of 6 kids,in front of their house, where we prayed with his mother to receive Jesus and prayed for his father to receive healing.
The pastors travelling with us had to assist us in scouting the road ahead to be sure it was passable with our low-riding car and to clear the obstructions. None of them drive cars so there tends to be a big difference between what they consider passable and what we can actually drive through. It made for a great adventure though!
After driving as far as we could go beyond Nkhoma we parked the car and hiked through the hills for an hour and a half to get to a remote hill church.
Not only were the views breathtaking but the experience of being away from phone lines and towers, cars and roads made this trip even more amazing!
The Church band. Pastor Joseph on the home made drums and other home made instruments bringing glory to God!
Simon giving a bible and Gospels in Chichewa, to be used for evangelising the surrounding hill communities.
We had to cross the Lilongwe River on foot to reach this church; thankfully the young men of the church gave us a hand as the rocks in the river were very slippery!
We rolled up our pants but it didn't do much good! HA! Never a dull moment following Jesus!
This mountain church was had an attendance of one third children, and the presence of God was strong among them. Luk 18:16 Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Psa 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
The church elders with the library we left for the church in Lilongwe
The Lilongwe church after Sunday service in front of the class room they rent for services.
The tent is finally on it's way! May, 2011
This Tent was donated by a local church in South Africa to be used in Lilongwe, Malawi as a Bible training center and Church. We are praying that the set up will be complete in time for our up coming mission trip to Malawi in June. Please pray with us!
After 6 months of locating the missing parts and undergoing repairs we finally unloaded the tent at the truck yard of a friend who will transport it to Lilongwe for us without charge.Mission Trip to Zimbabwe February, 2011
In February 2011 Ike, Natasha and Hanna took 30 sponsored STEPS program(Christian Character and Faith Building Curriculum for children) to Primary Schools in Zimbabwe. All the public schools are very poor and are lacking access to quality teaching materials. The country has been through a period of great upheaval over the past 10 years, and at times the educational system as a whole was virtually shut down due to lack of funds and other reasons. The teachers were very inspired when they received the curriculum's and said that this was just what they needed. We encouraged those who had access to e-mail, (3 of them) to send us little reports about the use of the books and the reactions of the children as they use them over the next few months.
The Sunday School teachers we met were excited about the STEPS sets and said that the material will be well used in all their programs. A few mentioned that the stories are also very good for the adults.
The children in Harare speak English quite well and in the rural areas the stories will be read in English and then translated into the local language.
Ike explaining the Steps curriculum to the director of the Harare Children's Home 
Ike and Hanna visiting a rural school 40kms out of Harare
Natasha and Ike with Irene and Brooks (who put us up in Harare) receiving Steps curriculums for their Sunday schools
Hanna with the Head teacher at Groombridge Primary flanked by her class. This woman had prayed for these exact Steps curriculums after she had seen them in Cape town on a visit but could not afford them on her meagre salary. God led us not just to her school but to her specific classroom in answer to her prayer. On seeing them she exclaimed: "Praise God, these are just the books I have been praying for!" We could not have been happier to be a part of God's wonderful plan.
Visiting some members of Brooks parish with Gospels of John in Shona in the rural outskirts of Harare. (Thank you Aubrey for providing the Gospels!)
Hanna and Ike with the principal of Vainona Primary who was thrilled to receive this gift for his school that filled a need for moral and faith development.
Two pastors at Lalapanzi receive a package of 1 Steps set and 100 gospels of John each for their mission church in this chrome mining area of Zimbabwe.
The orange hue is from the container being used as a office at Crowhill Primary school, one of the poorest schools we visited.Malawi- re-visited! June, 2010
We had an amazing 3 week trip to Malawi in which we distributed 20,000 gospel tracts in Chichewa (the local language), over 100 new testaments, 25 Chichewa Bibles, winning over 900 souls for Christ between 2 crusades in the rural regions of Malawi. In addition to that we were able to assist the indigenous pastors plant 2 churches and donate 2 bicycles to the pastors caring for those new churches to aid them in covering the long distances on their preaching route. We hope you enjoy these pictures!
Driving down one of the dirt “highways” as they call them for our first crusade in the rural area of Nsaru. (thankfully this road had just been graded!) 
We had an incredible reception in this village and hundreds of people came from far to watch the Jesus movie in Chichewa. (the predominant local language of Malawi) 
The following day we held a service and the Gospel was received with gladness 
“Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them!” Matthew 18:20 
Traveling the busy back streets of Lilongwe to reach our Bible Seminar location. (We may have taken a wrong turn! Oops!) 
Laying the foundation of God's Word in the hearts of the attendees. 
After a class on Prophecy we prayed for the gift and took a little time to let the students hear what Jesus had to say to them, initially they were shy but as the Spirit moved and they began to share what they received they got quite turned on to it! 
Graduation day!!! The change in the attendees was very visible, and by the end of the seminar not only had they grown so much spiritually but we felt like one family! 
Our faithful translator Hardwell. 
16 graduates in all! In the days that followed as we visited some of the rural churches where the attendees came from, we found out just how much this seminar had changed their lives! 
A view across the valley from the mountainous area of Ntcheu, where we were to hold our 2nd crusade. 
This town was closer to the main road and quite different at first glance compared to the rural village of our 1 crusade but by the second day and after lots of prayer the atmosphere began to change and we saw some amazing results and many souls coming to Christ. Praise God! 
It never ceases to amaze me how the children are always the first ones to come and hear the Gospel. No wonder Jesus loves them so much! 
Praise distributing Chichewa tracts. 
When people here receive a Gospel tract they treasure them. 
Pastor Patterson (centre) and Bishop Maston (far right) with some happy new members of the church which was planted as a result of this crusade. All glory to Jesus! 
Pastor Solomon ( left of me) receiving a new bicycle and a box of Bibles and Gospel tracts to help him visit the newly planted church in Nsaru region and to bring the Gospel far and wide! Many thanks to those of you who contributed towards this, this is an enormous gift for these struggling pastors and only God truly knows how you have multiplied their efforts! 
Pastor Mark explaining the area to us and some 20 kms in the distance behind us is another 2 churches he pastors as well! “The harvest truly is plenteous & the labourers few!” Matthew 9:37 
This is the humble church of Pastor Mark and his wife Charity (she attended our Bible Seminar) It doesn't look like much from the outside but when the fellowship of humble believers comes together to worship Jesus, it's beauty rivals that of the grandest of western Europe's cathedrals in God's eyes! 
What a joy to preach the Word of God to these humble and hungry hearts! I feel so privileged to be called before the humblest of Christ's followers! I now know why David Livingstone loved this land so much! 
After the service we were offered gifts we could not refuse from people who had nothing but fruits of their fields to give: Peanuts, sugar cane, and pumpkins. For those who have so very little this is true giving with all their hearts and we were moved to tears and humbled in a way I can hardly explain. 
At the close of our meeting we prayed over pastor Mark and his wife Charity. Notice the bicycle in the corner? 
They got one too!! Praise God! These dear people couldn't be more deserving! 
After the service we were served! A local meal prepared with all the love you could ask for! 
Wherever you go in Africa, happy children will greet you! Isn't it wonderful? It's amazing to me how little you really need to be happy! What a wonderful end to to a wonderful journey! We hope to be back for more real soon, Praise GodMission Trip to Malawi November, 2009
Just a few weeks ago our team returned from a 2 & 1/2 week mission trip to Lilongwe, Malawi where we held a Bible training seminar for 23 pastors from Gospel Harvest Ministries, a group dedicated to missions and planting rural churches around Malawi. Our trip also included visiting and preaching in some of the rural churches around Lilongwe, distributing 200 Bibles, 15,000 Gospel tracts, 4 Sets of children character building curriculums, 50 Bible study DVDs, and 60 Devotional Books. I'll let the photos tell you the exciting story! God Bless you!
Border crossing into Zambia it seems like a simple task but it cost us 3 hours and R3000 just to get through!
Want to try some of the yummy local fruit?
Today was a special day for these Malawian border post guards, as they receive a Bible of their very own.
Yes this really is a toilet!
Simon giving out colorful gospel tracts and praying the simple salvation prayer with a group of eager children in a practical exercise with a pastor trainee after a class on witnessing.
Isaac teaching the Daniel chapter 2 End time Bible class.
Bring the classes to life with a few funny skits.
Our graduating class!
Sharing personal prophecies received for the graduates.
All the graduating pastors proudly holding their certificates and ready to be mighty witnesses for the Lord!
The owner of this local DVD store not only received Jesus but also 2 End time Bible DVDs to add to his small collection of rental DVDs.
Isaac with Pastor Baxony in front of his village. (This is as rural as it gets!)
Isaac preaching in one of the rural churches, most of the 160 members of this church walk over 5kms to attend the Sunday service.
Having a try at the simple but ingeniously creative hand made guitar used for praise and worship at this rural church.
Bishop Maston receiving Bibles to further Distribute to the needy members of his 26 mainly rural churches.
Isaac giving a motivational speech at the graduation ceremony in Lusaka for the students that enrolled in our Bible training course during our previous mission trip to Zambia.
Jonathan Chuuka, one of the graduating students, with fellow missionaries, Tommy and Lidia who carried on teaching the Bible training course after we returned to South Africa. Outreach trip to Zambia May, 2009
We set out from Pretoria on May 4th, 2009 and traveled to Francis Town in Botswana, then on through Nata to Kazangula across the Zambezi River to Livingstone, and finally arriving in Lusaka. on May 10th. We stayed in Lusaka for a period of three weeks doing a series of lectures, seminars , and Bible study courses at the university along with daily outreach in the local markets, streets and townships of Lusaka. We gave away 60 bibles, 93 devotional books (From Jesus with love), 200 inspirational calenders, 14,000 Gospel tracts, as well as some bible story DVDs and christian books for children at a couple of orphanages we passed along the way! Here are some pictures for you to enjoy, we love you!
TRAVELING TO ZAMBIA
Crossing the border from Botswana into Zambia.
Not sure if it's the elephants crossing this road or the seasonal heavy rainfall coupled with a lack of routine maintenance but this road is beginning to resemble the crater filled surface of the moon!
Stopping for lunch along the way, often there was quite a long distance between town to town so we made sure we were stocked up on food and fuel!
A disease control check point. Everyone in the car has to step on this cloth that you see above which is covered in chemicals, while the car is driven through a large basin that is filled with the same chemicals.
It took our united effort to fold, sort, and stamp the 14,000 tracts that were donated to us for this trip. WITNESSING IN THE TOWNSHIPS
Our first visits to the townships in Living Stone, was an unforgettable experience as we were welcomed with sweet little smiles from the children.
These boys were very interested in the Gospel tracts they received so Isaac took the opportunity to explain the gift of salvation to them and they all eagerly prayed and asked Jesus into their hearts.
We went from hut to hut passing out tracts and sharing the message of salvation to the families that we met. (Notice the mother in front is chiseling stone into gravel which will later be sold to bring in a little extra income for her family. )
A happy young mother showing her little boy the colorful Gospel tract she just received.(The locals in this township pay 50 Kwacha (or 10 cents) for 20 liters of water which they carry to their huts to be used for drinking, bathing, and washing for the whole family.)
We visited the Victoria Falls and were in awe at God's amazing creation. 
Isaac crossing the bridge at the Victoria Falls. We were told by the locals that the water in the river hasn't been this high in 50 years. 
The David Livingstone monument.
God Bless all those pioneering missionaries that have gone before us!
OUTREACH IN LUSAKA
At University of Zambia we held on going 12 Foundation Stones Bible studies. Teaching and training these potential young people to become witnesses and carry on with the outreach till we return. 
Many of the students we met express a desire to be witnesses in their community and tell other students on campus about the Lord, so these classes were a wonderful opportunity for them to receive the input and training they needed!
It was so inspiring to teach and train these university students as they have a real burning desire to do more for Jesus. 
This woman was so thankful for her new Bible which she received at one of our seminars and promised to read it every single day! (Bibles are prized possessions in Zambia as many simply can't afford to buy one.)
People from all walks of life we able to attended our seminars which were held over a few days on the campus of the university of Zambia. Each attendee received a devotional book along with a Bible as a gift to take home.
At end of the "End Time" seminar there was a short quiz and David won a Count Down to Armageddon Video which is a condensed version of all the End time events. 
Street outreach in Lusaka city.During their short lunch break these humble plumbers prayed to received Jesus into their heart.
As we spread the message of salvation on the university campus, along with a tract the students also received a beautiful inspirational calender.
Alisa explaining the End Time events to an interested Student.
These 4 young university students had questions about the End Time which led to an impromptu class on Bible Prophecy and ended with all 4 of these students accepting Jesus Christ as their savior. ORPHANS OF ZAMBIA
During the time we were in Zambia we had the privilege of working closely with an orphanage in Lusaka city, hosting weekly Sunday school classes and a birthday party for around 30 orphans.
Many of these orphans often don't have enough to eat at the orphanage the live in so receiving a full course meal, cake and cookies on their Birthday was a super big treat.
Isaac and A few of the older orphans cheering their peers on in a fun football match held in our back yard.
OUR TRIP BACK TO SOUTH AFRICA
During our travels and time in Zambia we lived in this tent for over a month, it certainly was a rather cold and interesting experience, but the Lord kept all of us safe and healthy.
As we traveled back to South Africa we gave out tracts to all those we met along the way. Here is a group of mothers reading their tract as they wait on the ferry to cross the border into Botswana. 
To make our trip complete we had to take a bite of the local delicacy, the Mopane worm. Yummy!
Isaac cooking some rice for dinner on our small gas stove. 
We discover we had a rather special neighbor at a campsite we stay in on the Zambezi river.
Here is our friendly neighbor waking up and greeting us with a long stare.