Church of the Nazarene Africa Region Newsletter | May 2017
Table of contents:
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Bringing Love After Ebola
Just over three years ago, a massive Ebola outbreak began. This was the biggest and longest Ebola outbreak in history, taking over a year to get it completely under control and eradicated. Eventually, it encompassed and devastated three countries in West Africa: Guinea (Conakray), Sierra Leone and Liberia. There were even a few related cases that manifest in far-flung countries like Nigeria and even the United States. By the time the outbreak ended, or slowed, nearly 27,000 people had been infected with Ebola and over 11,000 of those infected eventually died from the disease.
As the church of the Nazarene, we were not un-touched by this crisis. We have a large and thriving church in the countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia, particularly, with clergy who are involved in the lives of their community members.By clicking here, a video showing the aftermath and stigma of the Ebola crisis can be seen.
Although there is no longer Ebola running rampant in those countries, there are still many who live with the scars of the disease--both physically and emotionally. Not dissimilar to the AIDS crisis that has engulfed Sub-Saharan Africa, Ebola left a stigma. Even those who fought Ebola and survived can become outcasts in their community. Some people are afraid to come close to them or be around them because they worry that Ebola could still be alive in their systems.
Rev. Vidal Cole, the District Superintendent in Sierra Leone, says, "We have continued to provide support to 22 children who lost their parents and families to the Ebola crisis. We've worked with advocacy, food and educational support for them." During Christmas last year, the church worked to provide funds for a Christmas party for the Ebola orphans. The orphans, in turn, invited other children in the community to celebrate with them, and they had a great time of fellowship together.The Africa West Field has also helped by providing funding for the purchase of school stationary needs for 50 children who were desperately in need. The school materials included bags, pens, pencils, rulers, sharpeners and erasers were provided. The children needed these items in order to be able to return to school in the new year.
Through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, boreholes and sanitation facilities have been provided for 6 communities. This has made life much easier for the inhabitants of these communities as they no longer have to walk miles in search of water. The quality of the lives of the people has greatly increased, but more importantly, the presence of a water well in a community means a greater chance of survival, should Ebola resurface again. Click here to give towards digging wells in the West African nations of Sierra Leone and Libera, that were devastated by Ebola.God is good and continues to meet the needs of the widowed and orphaned, and He has enabled to the Church of the Nazarene to be strategically placed in communities where they can show God's love to those in need. Remember to click here to see the video related to the story above. [Rev. Vidal Cole, DS Sierre Leone]
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Church Moves In to a Kingdom Hall
For 43 years, the Toekomsrus Church of the Nazarene, Randfontein, South Africa, has met in temporary locations. For many years, they met in a classroom at a local school. For the last 28 years, they have met in a 2-car garage behind the pastor's house, that they have converted to expand with the congregation as needed. In fact, 28 years ago, the pastor at the time, Rev. Saul Sedith, built the garage first to accommodate the church before he even built a house to accommodate his young family! Eventually, the church took-over the pastor's home and yard, as it was literally bursting at the seams.
Rev. Eunice Sedith (L), the current pastor, preparing to cut the ribbonSince 1980, the church has been asking the local municipality for land that could be zoned for a church. The municipality has never made any land available for any church to be built in that community--and many other churches and religious organizations have been looking for a place to call home.
In February 2017, former pastor Rev. Saul Sedith, drove past the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses not far from where the church had met for decades, and saw a "for sale" sign on the fence. He and the church leadership knew that many churches and religious organizations were looking for a home, and they had to act fast. They began speaking to the owners and began negotiations.
Packed to the rafters--the dedication serviceThe church leadership began the negotiation of the price and legally purchasing the property for the church. Rev. Eunice Sedith, the current pastor who has led the church for 12 years, along with the help of another pastor, contacted the Africa South Field of the Church of the Nazarene to find out about securing Alabaster funds to aid in the purchase. The church was able to secure some Alabaster funds, but this came to only about 1/6 of the total price of the church. The rest of the funds, the church raised themselves, received a miraculous, interest-free loan and a generous donation from another church on the district. The local congregation is still working very hard to raise the rest of the money to pay-off the remaining amount as soon as possible.
Toekomsrus is pastored by Rev. Eunice Sedith, a young, vibrant pastor who has a passion to reach her community for Christ--a community damaged by poverty, unemployment, crime, drugs, alcohol, teenaged pregnancies and high school dropouts. As a young pastor herself, she has a great passion for children, youth and young adults--those who are most vulnerable in her community. Rev. Eunice stated that, just in the month that they have been in their new church building, they have experienced unexplained growth, without even going out and doing any work. She said that every time their doors are open--be it for youth, or worship practice, or church cleaning--people will walk in off the streets in tears asking for prayer. She said, "I just sit in the back of the church and wait to see what God will do." With a laugh, she says, "I just wait to deal with the walk-ins."
After 43 years of temporary locations--and 28 of those years in a 2 car garage--the Toekomsrus Church of the Nazarene is rejoicing in their new home, strategically placed to impact their community for Christ. Please continue to pray with this church that they will quickly raise the remaining money needed to fully pay off this building and continue to be a lighthouse in the community.[Information provided by Rev. Eunice Sedith, RSA Gauteng District]
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Goats Galore--Breeding Hope
Moïse Toumoudagou of Pendjari, Benin, in West Africa, was only 7 when his father died. As part of a cultural tradition, his aunt gave him a hen to raise with the help of his mother. In a year, he had about 40 chickens. Many years later, this simple but life-changing gift gave Moïse an idea that he shared with his local church: What if we gave goats to children in need?
"We saw that there were a lot challenges in the community," Moïse recalls. "In many families children didn't go to school. Education was not sufficient. There were always requests for financial help."
The church had a list of 200 children they wanted to help and asked for donations. In the end, church members gave enough money for 240 goats. They named the program Hands of Solidarity and chose five children from each village to receive a female goat. In three months, the number of goats had doubled. The new goats went to children in other villages, and the program continues to expand.
In villages where shepherding is part of the culture, children receive a sheep instead of a goat. Female animals provide milk, which offers nutrition and can also be sold for income. The program buys back male animals, providing income for educational needs.
The church seeks out the most vulnerable children in each village: those who have been orphaned by the loss of both parents or those who have lost one parent; children of polygamous marriage; and children whose parents have left the village in search of work in the city. They also try to help daughters whose mothers have divorced because those girls face cultural discrimination.
Norbert Touboudagou, who helps supervise the program, shares, "Many children come to know God because they see compassion--those who have come with a kind hand to help them, who demonstrate God's message of love."
The success of Hands of Solidarity is astounding. Norbert recalls recently visiting a boy who had 11 female goats after starting with one three years earlier. He had also returned two males back to the program.
According to Moise, the program, "Gives the children value, teaches responsibility, and helps them stay in school...They tend to be some of the best students in the school."
To date 4,000 children have benefited from the program, experiencing a change in educational opportunity and in confidence. What's more, Moise says the program has created unity among the children who participate and their families. When the dry season started in Benin a couple of years ago, the community came together to create wells to provide water for the animals and families.
This experience embodied the concept of "hands of solidarity" literally, as they worked side by side to dig the wells by hand.
As one African proverb reminds us: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."[Mrs. Monica Carr, Missionary to West Africa]
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PRAYER REQUESTS:
ABOUT THE REGION
The Nazarene Church is in 42 countries in Africa, with more than 600,000 members in six fields.
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What would you like to see in Out of Africa?
Email us at news@africanazarene.org.
English / Français/ Português 
@NazAfrica
Mrs. Shelly Miller, editor
Africa Region Church of the Nazarene
For 43 years, the Toekomsrus Church of the Nazarene, Randfontein, South Africa, has met in temporary locations. For many years, they met in a classroom at a local school. For the last 28 years, they have met in a 2-car garage behind the pastor's house, that they have converted to expand with the congregation as needed. In fact, 28 years ago, the pastor at the time, Rev. Saul Sedith, built the garage first to accommodate the church before he even built a house to accommodate his young family! Eventually, the church took-over the pastor's home and yard, as it was literally bursting at the seams.
Rev. Eunice Sedith (L), the current pastor, preparing to cut the ribbonSince 1980, the church has been asking the local municipality for land that could be zoned for a church. The municipality has never made any land available for any church to be built in that community--and many other churches and religious organizations have been looking for a place to call home. In February 2017, former pastor Rev. Saul Sedith, drove past the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses not far from where the church had met for decades, and saw a "for sale" sign on the fence. He and the church leadership knew that many churches and religious organizations were looking for a home, and they had to act fast. They began speaking to the owners and began negotiations.
Packed to the rafters--the dedication serviceThe church leadership began the negotiation of the price and legally purchasing the property for the church. Rev. Eunice Sedith, the current pastor who has led the church for 12 years, along with the help of another pastor, contacted the Africa South Field of the Church of the Nazarene to find out about securing Alabaster funds to aid in the purchase. The church was able to secure some Alabaster funds, but this came to only about 1/6 of the total price of the church. The rest of the funds, the church raised themselves, received a miraculous, interest-free loan and a generous donation from another church on the district. The local congregation is still working very hard to raise the rest of the money to pay-off the remaining amount as soon as possible. Toekomsrus is pastored by Rev. Eunice Sedith, a young, vibrant pastor who has a passion to reach her community for Christ--a community damaged by poverty, unemployment, crime, drugs, alcohol, teenaged pregnancies and high school dropouts. As a young pastor herself, she has a great passion for children, youth and young adults--those who are most vulnerable in her community. Rev. Eunice stated that, just in the month that they have been in their new church building, they have experienced unexplained growth, without even going out and doing any work. She said that every time their doors are open--be it for youth, or worship practice, or church cleaning--people will walk in off the streets in tears asking for prayer. She said, "I just sit in the back of the church and wait to see what God will do." With a laugh, she says, "I just wait to deal with the walk-ins."
After 43 years of temporary locations--and 28 of those years in a 2 car garage--the Toekomsrus Church of the Nazarene is rejoicing in their new home, strategically placed to impact their community for Christ. Please continue to pray with this church that they will quickly raise the remaining money needed to fully pay off this building and continue to be a lighthouse in the community.[Information provided by Rev. Eunice Sedith, RSA Gauteng District]
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Goats Galore--Breeding Hope
Moïse Toumoudagou of Pendjari, Benin, in West Africa, was only 7 when his father died. As part of a cultural tradition, his aunt gave him a hen to raise with the help of his mother. In a year, he had about 40 chickens. Many years later, this simple but life-changing gift gave Moïse an idea that he shared with his local church: What if we gave goats to children in need?
"We saw that there were a lot challenges in the community," Moïse recalls. "In many families children didn't go to school. Education was not sufficient. There were always requests for financial help."The church had a list of 200 children they wanted to help and asked for donations. In the end, church members gave enough money for 240 goats. They named the program Hands of Solidarity and chose five children from each village to receive a female goat. In three months, the number of goats had doubled. The new goats went to children in other villages, and the program continues to expand.
In villages where shepherding is part of the culture, children receive a sheep instead of a goat. Female animals provide milk, which offers nutrition and can also be sold for income. The program buys back male animals, providing income for educational needs.
The church seeks out the most vulnerable children in each village: those who have been orphaned by the loss of both parents or those who have lost one parent; children of polygamous marriage; and children whose parents have left the village in search of work in the city. They also try to help daughters whose mothers have divorced because those girls face cultural discrimination.
Norbert Touboudagou, who helps supervise the program, shares, "Many children come to know God because they see compassion--those who have come with a kind hand to help them, who demonstrate God's message of love."
The success of Hands of Solidarity is astounding. Norbert recalls recently visiting a boy who had 11 female goats after starting with one three years earlier. He had also returned two males back to the program.
According to Moise, the program, "Gives the children value, teaches responsibility, and helps them stay in school...They tend to be some of the best students in the school."
To date 4,000 children have benefited from the program, experiencing a change in educational opportunity and in confidence. What's more, Moise says the program has created unity among the children who participate and their families. When the dry season started in Benin a couple of years ago, the community came together to create wells to provide water for the animals and families.This experience embodied the concept of "hands of solidarity" literally, as they worked side by side to dig the wells by hand.
As one African proverb reminds us: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."[Mrs. Monica Carr, Missionary to West Africa]
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PRAYER REQUESTS
:- Please pray for the family of Rev. Gideon Tredoux, who passed away last week after a short battle with pneumonia. Rev. Tredoux was a long-time Nazarene pastor and missionary serving in South Africa.
- Please remember to pray for the millions of people in the Horn of Africa and East Africa who have been effected by the recent drought and extreme famine. If you would like to give toward famine relief, please click here.
- Pray for the millions of people worldwide who are currently finding themselves in the position of being a refugee--more than 3 million in Africa alone. (To give toward the Syrian refugee crisis, go here.)
- Remember the believers who are serving in Creative Access Areas whose lives and families are in danger on a daily basis.
ABOUT THE REGION
The Nazarene Church is in 42 countries in Africa, with more than 600,000 members in six fields. -------
What would you like to see in Out of Africa?
Email us at news@africanazarene.org.
English / Français/ Português @NazAfrica Mrs. Shelly Miller, editor
Africa Region Church of the Nazarene
17 Botes Street
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
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