Gospel Chariot Missions, Southern Africa, Third Quarter Update – 2019
Hi Everyone, hope this finds you doing well. On our side things are going extremely well and I am over the moon due to us not only baptizing and planting churches, but we are on this journey, and have been for some time now, where we have been working very, very hard on making disciples and not just churchgoers and it is starting to bear fruit where we are in the process of moving from addition to multiplication.
Let me explain. There are 5 levels of disciple leadership. Level 1 is the Seed Sower. Level 2 is the Church Planter. Level 3 is the Church Multiplier. Level 4 is the Multiplication Trainer and Level 5 is the Movement Catalyst. I personally never knew this and was just one evangelistic missionary who builds chariots for a continent and through study and research have been shown that we as a ministry are a Level 2 and almost a level 3, which is a church multiplier, but now I have been taught that there are two other levels that we as a ministry can get to. Wow, Wow Thank You, Lord, for showing me. It has taken me 8 years of praying, seeking and challenging myself to find more truth when it comes to saving souls and getting those souls to reach other souls, who reach other souls, and I now believe God will show us how to move from baptizing 3,000 souls a year to 30,000 souls a year within 10 years. It is simple, biblical and reproducible and it is Jesus through and through.
It is all based on the 4 fields and how to enter an empty field, sow the seed, grow the seed and gather the harvest. But here is the problem, we are so good at entering the empty field and so good at sowing the seed and so good at doing church, but you see that third box where it says discipleship, we are horrible disciple makers and thats where we will grow and focus on and we have 20 tools and teachings to help us in this process where we make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, 2 Tim 2:2 Paul, Timothy, Reliable men and Others. PLEASE PRAY FOR US AS A MINISTRY AS WE SEEK JESUS AND SHARE HIM.
Botswana
Our Pretoria office and team of Dimpo Motimele and Tebogo Ramatsui headed to Botswana on a discipleship teaching campaign where they taught on making disciples
South African Gospel Chariots
Northwest Province In South Africa
Bongani Mabena has reported the following on the 30/07/2019:
We can’t stop praising God for His favor in this area of Khunotswane.
This is our Sunday service about 116 people attended. We pray that God will continue to use us and to help with growing the church that was planted with the help of the mother church in Mafikeng 54 km away.
We thank God that the chariot was the tool that helped plant the new church, but it was God who made it happen. 64 people gave their lives to Jesus and were baptized. We will return in the coming year and do some 4 fields discipleship training.
Venda
From one area to another.
De Villiers has reported. It’s such a blessing to have congregations that still see discipleship making as a priority. What a blessing to be with men and women who still have the zeal of serving the Lord.
For long weeks without classes and out on the field with students. I thank God for these souls that are so keen to serve him.
At Tshibvumo, the mountain area, spreading the message of Love and the Lord was and had one soul waiting to come back to him.
We went to Matangari where 5 were added to the Lord and on weekend the four of us De villiers, Owen, Mathose and Elder Wilson had to cross to Beitbridge for workshop where brother Funk taught on disciple making. We also had brothers from the US.
The following week students assisted with cleaning the tent and the mini Chariot tent was taken to Mianzwi were there was a group of gathered Brethren of Venda.
Sunday with Laz we went to Makhado; worshiped with the church there and visited the prison of Kutama to get information about our world Bible School students, though we had to call and now we need to write the letter.
I had an appointment with WBS student, so did Laz. We went to Laz appointment first and how God works is amazing. For the two guys we were visiting are friends and worship together.
Our last week; we were at Bunzhe; we once visited here about 10 years ago and the Lord still did wonders as 6 souls were added. And had two young men who are so interested in learning more about God.
We visited Makhado to see another student again and we had a great time studying with her and we pray that the Lord keep us and help us spread his message.
Now is back to school with our students to complete their last remaining 2 months.
VENDA BIBLE SCHOOL GRADUATION
It’s this time of the year when our short term schools start finishing up. Brother De Villiers and the leadership in Venda graduating the bible students. Thanks to the Parks Church in Tulsa and brother Malindi for overseeing this effort.
Kwazulu Natal
On the 9th of September, Bongani Mabena reported exciting things happening in KwaZulu Natal where the Churches of Christ are working together to reach new areas. Below shows them working together in Ulundi where a new congregation was planted and further plans made for reaching the Natal region. This is exciting as brethren put their heads together and reach their province.
Bongani Mabena has reported the following on the 30th of September:
We like to thank God for the guys that I left back on the truck at Vryheid as I attended the Crucible weekend. They have done well in my absence. (Karabo and Ludrick).
They have preached day and night and 6 were baptized. It is a newly planted church that needed some help with evangelism and disciple making.
They even practiced discipleship using the three thirds chart where we explain the Gather, Grow and Go.
Pretoria Campus and Chariot
CHARIOT KIDS OPENING SOON, AS PER THE 08/08/2019.
Please pray for this as we reach our community through working with children. Kagisho Motimele will be directing and embarking on this journey that has the potential to grow beyond a daycare.
On the 30/07/2019, Lazarus Munetsi has reported that things are going well with the short term school, students, church planting and disciple making as well the church that meets there.
Lazarus said:
We thank God for strength, knowledge and wisdom as we learn everyday. The Hammanskraal study group and prayer continues and campus work is shining. The students are getting acquainted with discipleship, they are also becoming more and more comfortable with holding small groups and the multiplication there of.
We were also blessed by the presence of brother Tebogo Ramatsui on Friday as he teaches the students about working with money and the ministry. He will be coming every Friday, praise God.
Lazarus also said:
Every Monday and Friday afternoon we divide the students into three groups. 1. Vegetable garden 2. welding, 3. The cleaning of the yard and also teaching them a little handwork. The vegetable garden is doing well, rabbits are feeding on our vegetables, ha ha.
The welding guys have made the washing line and installed the gate.
Praise God.
SEEKING WISDOM IN DURBAN
Dimpo, Kagisho, Tandani and Lenkwe traveled to Durban to learn more from Brian Lister about our Daycare and look at also ultimately getting a school going in Pretoria just like Brian and them have at the Queen Mary Church of Christ.
Dimpo reported:
Brian showed us around and also took us to the head-office of Accelerated Education Enterprise, our minds were stretched even further, we had an opportunity to be oriented and even met the CEO. I then got to preach on Sunday morning. Great congregation and thanks to Brian for his time.
You can also see our Pretoria short term school being taught by Zonge Xoshe who is now one of the ministers at the Downtown Church of Christ but still helps at the short term school and we need to thank the leaders at Downtown for this.
PRAYING WITH THE COMMUNITIES IN THEIR SPACE
Bongani Mabena has reported the following:
Breaking new ground, positive response in the area. One old man we prayed for last time is now praising God because he feels so much better after our last prayer. He walks with a walker. It is wonderful seeing people being excited and receiving us.
We had a family of 4 people who said they have not been to church for 5 year now. They are willing to pray with us and want to know where we worship. Pray for us as we love and listen to them and connect with them through prayer and the Word of God.
Amen Bongani. They are your people of peace that house of peace that is spoken of in Luke 10:1-11.
LAZARUS ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Our Lazarus Munetsi from our Pretoria Campus has shared a trip he done miles away from the campus to encourage and find those seeking God and wanting to grow communities for Jesus. Lazarus has reported the following on the 28 of August:
God carried us to Komatipoort on Friday and back for the Nations University and World Bible School Discipleship Seminar. On arrival we found preachers from different denominations under one roof ready to hear about the ministry (Gospel Chariot Missions) and discipleship. The trip was a blessing, it connected us with people who are ready to learn the Lord’s way. One of the preachers said; for a long time he has been in the ministry teaching people throughout but time has come for him to go back to the basics of salvation and discipleship but he didn’t know where to start but through our visitation in the area, he has regained confidence. God is with us.
To advance the work in the area, we will have one young man from the area to visit with us for few days, we will teach him to disciple others, to see the Campus, learn more about Nations University and all the work we do so in return he will encourage others to come to our short term school next year.
Those who attended the campaign will also do WBS courses and Nationsu studies.
Keep us in your prayers so that the work started may continue reflecting the greater commission of our Lord Jesus.
Namibia
ENCOURAGING HOME GROUPS IN NAMIBIA
TSUMEB NAMIBIA
Let me tell you about Namibia. We have really, really struggled in Namibia doing pioneering mission work, but God is up to something. Tsumeb is now on fire for Jesus. Amen! Two months ago when I was there, I taught on disciple making and we decided to close the church building for worship due to lack of outreach and leadership and encouraged all to break bread and worship God in their homes and share the gospel there. Two months later we had our first combined fellowship at the building and look what God is doing. Over 110 came together in that same Tsumeb building where only a handful use to meet and fight over things for 20 years.There is a lesson for us all as leaders. We need to RELEASE our members and stop fighting over church buildings and the pulpit. God Bless Namibia and all those home groups that came together. May we multiply and multiply as God uses us all and not some one man show. Dimpo Motimele went up for the combined fellowship and France Molefi leaves on the 10th of October to continue teaching on discipleship and the multiplication there of. I personally am working with them every week via zoom conference calls. Mike and Diane Knappier will also be heading that way for some months in the new year. Our goal in Namibia is 100 house churches with 20 members each totaling 2,000 members within 5 to 10 years and that is Lord Willing. We have 7 groups meeting already in the Tsumeb area alone and its multiplying. Our short term school starts up in April again and where will the students come from? You are correct: those very home groups.
Zimbabwe
Lazarus Munetsi from Pretoria went to the Triangle in Zimbabwe on the 21st of August to deliver a repaired tent to our brothers there but also got to see his mother and siblings.
Malawi
Well, what can we say about this Southern African chariot that baptises 5oo souls every year and travels into 6 countries from South Africa into Namibia or Botswana and then into Zambia, Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, back into Malawi and into Mozambique and home to its base in Pretoria. Below are some of the reports that came in from Lyman and Robert.
God is good all the time, the Gospel Chariot Truck has worked in three district Chitipa, Karonga and Rumphi in northern Region of Malawi. In Karonga we worked at Karonga boma, Hara rice scheme, Uliwa and Chitimba. Rumphi at Nkhomboli were we had ten meetings for three days and 518 brethren come together from different churches of Christ and it was wonderful.
64 souls were added to the church through baptism, 5 were restored and 106 Wold bibles school were registered. This is wonderful as we have just started our meetings.
MALAWI GOSPEL CHARIOT….Another 44 souls baptized into Christ, but some bad news about the truck breakdown.
Lyman and Robert report problems on the 28th August with our big chariot but so amazing how they make things happen regardless. Just got word that it’s the clutch and turbo. They will now use the mini chariot.
Wow, with the big gospel chariot waiting for a new turbo and clutch the mini chariot has taken over the program and work of the Lord has not slowed down. God Bless Malawi.
Robert and Lyman have reported on the 3rd of September that 66 souls have been baptized since the big chariot broke down and since entering into Malawi 158 souls baptized.
Robert reported that they worked in Mzimba, Kasungu Lilongwe and Ntchisi District and many souls were baptized into Christ.
Below are some photos of how the mini Chariot has worked in Ntchisi District at Champhoyo in Chief Nthondo.
The big chariot has been repaired and will start working tomorrow.
Robert and Lyman report the following:
Since the breakdown we have been preaching in Mzuzu and Salima where it had an open Air meeting. While at Salima two souls were baptized and one of them Mercy Jimmy is a deaf person. We thank Br Aubrey Malire for letting the Church at Kapezi help with the sign language that has made easy to preach even to the deaf. We thank Almighty God for the work that the Kapezi Church of Christ is doing.
From Kapezi, this Gospel Chariot Mission Truck went to Cape Maclear in Monkey Bay where it had sixth Tent meetings where Ten Souls were baptized into Christ.
Now in Malawi, since the Chariot 2 entered the border from Tanzania 171 souls have come to the Lord and been baptized and 358 WBS Registered Students.
This Chariot is now in Eastern Region Of Malawi where it is hosted by Brother Gama from Liwonde District and has been handed over by Brother Moster Kanyinji at Cape Maclear from Brother Aubrey Malire. We will be here in Eastern Region for one week then will be finishing with one week in Southern Region with Br Lungton Chigwenembe.
Robert and Lyman have reported the following from Malawi on the 24th of September:
This chariot worked one week as scheduled in the Eastern Region. Due to bad roads and bridges we failed to go on a Tent meeting instead we only had four open Air meetings at Makawa Trading Centre in Mangochi District, Mwima Trading Centre Balaka District, Mposa Church of Christ in Machinga District and at Chendausiku Trading Centre in Balaka District. We failed one Tent Meeting which was at Chikwewu in Ntaja – Machinga District.
In all these places 20 souls were baptized and added to the Lord’s church, one was restored back to the church, 18 WBS Students were Registered. Since crossing into Malawi 191 Souls have been baptized, 376 WBS Students were registered. Now the chariot is in the Southern Region Of Malawi where it will work for one week with Brother Langton Chigwenembe. Then we will be leaving for Mozambique next month.
Lyman and Robert have now finished their gospel meetings off in Malawi and all I can say is Praise God for He is Great. They have reported the following on the 30th of September:
The chariot last week worked in the Southern Region with Br Langton Chigwenembe in four different places. We had three Open Air meetings at Likhubula and Kambenje in Mulanje District and at Kumihela (Chitekesa) in Phalombe District where 46 Souls were baptized.
From there we drove over 200km to Mwanza where we had a Tent meeting at Amos Church of Christ and 69 souls were baptized and added to the Lord’s Church.
Now in Malawi 306 Souls have been baptized, 402 WBS registered Students and 21 Restorations.
Here are some of the amazing leaders who assisted. See pic below.
1- Jacob Phiri from Mozambique
2- Aubrey Malire- Salima
WBS helper- Central Region
3 -Lyman Mpharo (Driver and
Preacher at GCM)
4- DB Gama – Liwonde Eastern
Region.
5- Moster Kanyinji National
Director of WBS and GCM
6- Japhet Nyirongo WBS helper (Northern Region).
7- Robert Hara (Driver and Preacher at GCM).
Swaziland
Bongani and the team have reported the following from Swaziland on the 19th of August:
We arrived safely in Swaziland. The plan is to plant a church in the area 50ks away from Manzini town. In the area is one elderly man who has given a big piece of land with idea of church building, clinic, school and day care center. He sold the idea to the local churches and they like the idea, but will start by planting a church and others will follow.
6 of local people obeyed the gospel and put on Christ in baptism.
Australia
Wow, as you know I live in Australia and direct Gospel Chariot Missions from here, but nothing is stopping me from reaching out to Australians and I believe God is up to something. Below you can see a warehouse I have for collecting clothes, bibles and shipping that into different African countries. We have shipped into Uganda, Zimbabwe and Malawi and what you see below is for Namibia that will leave before year end. I also have a huge 40ft container of brand new school uniforms ready to be shipped from the supplier but still trying to find the shipping funds. That huge 40ft container will go into Kenya for the orphans and widows ministry there. Below you can see my sons Quinton and Wayne with some youth helping me load a container for Malawi, but also my son in the Lord, Mike Prosser.
THANK YOU ST STEPHEN’S SCHOOL
Had my work cut out today (1st August) as I collect new school uniforms from both St Stephens campuses in Duncraig and Carramar. They changed their uniforms and we got all the old stock. Amazing what gets thrown away.
WHAT A WEEKEND OF DISCIPLE MAKING TRAINING AND FELLOWSHIP FOR OUR HOUSE CHURCHES
Just like Namibia, here in Australia we are not into church buildings but disciple making and getting people to worship God in their space and place and helping them make disciples and not just church goers and its been a long and frustrating journey after moving over here, but as you can see we are doing just fine by the grace of God. Things are starting to happen and we are starting more home groups out there in the community and it is building momentum as we make our warehouse available for quarterly get togethers and most important the training on disciple makers. We have 7 house churches and its growing by one a month as we give support and help start new home prayer groups that ultimately become a new testament church that is healthy according to Acts 2:36-47. Very exciting and only God can make this kind of thing happen in Australia where people are not very receptive or should I say that was my perception. Our next combined house church fellowship is this month of October. I believe by this time next year Lord Willing, we can be a fellowship of over 20 house churches and if this can happen in Australia that is not that receptive how much more with our God and our leverage and mission in Africa. THANK YOU LORD for it is Simple, Biblical and Reproducible.
