Southern Africa Arise!

"I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of salvation for everyone who believes!" The Apostle Paul

We've been in South Africa since a week ago Saturday (along with our dear friend and colleague, Percy Muleba, from Zambia) and have had a great time.

Last Sunday, Isaac and Rachel Modise invited me (Doug) to preach at the Ark of God Church which Isaac founded some seventeen years ago when he was twenty-two years old! Today, Rachel and he provide strong leadership with a mission vision to Ark.

I preached on Psalm 22 which Jesus quoted twice from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (22:1) and "It is finished!" (22:31). This Psalm has been on my heart since last summer's trip and I had spent some time studying it and reflecting on it since then. It is, at heart, a Messianic Psalm with mission at its heart. From the cross, Jesus was announcing his sacrifice on the cross and resurrection for the sake of the nations (us+).

My outline was: 1. The Price Jesus Paid for Us; 2. The Faith Jesus Kept for Us; 3. The Life Jesus Lives for Us; 4. The Life Jesus Lives With Us.

An African Elephant Browses in the Early Morning Mist at Kruger National Park

On Monday, Isaac kindly drove the three of us 6 hours east to Kruger National Park where we enjoyed a day of great wildlife viewing (Tuesday) and 3 days of friendship building. Isaac's heart for international missions is obvious and we discussed many things in this regard. We're grateful we had the time to spend with him and to hear his heart and get some insight into the Southern African church's perspective on missions.

We returned Wednesday afternoon to our host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Kekana, who provided beautiful quarters for Percy and us. We enjoyed several serious talks about local missions, the desperate need for education and the problem of gangs among young men. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kekana have a deep heart for worship and community ministry so it was a pleasure to get to know them and their lovely children. Lillian, newly employed by the family, served us so kindly.

An Evening Session at The Rise Missions Conference

Friday began The Rise Missions Conference with the theme, "The Harvest Is Here!" We enjoyed an awesome evening of worship and inspiration. Pastor Willie Crew, founder of World Mission Centre (WMC), was the keynote speaker. WMC developed Live School, the video curriculum we use with our students. In addition, an amazing dance ministry from the Ark of God led us in worship, followed by a dance team from Columbia, South Carolina (!) who are here to train about 120 teens from area churches in dance ministry. It was amazing!

Saturday featured a warm devotional which was followed by four keynote addresses. I was privileged to speak on the subject "What We Are Harvesting: The Nature of Discipleship." I based my talk on John 1:35-42 and my outline was: 1. Discipleship Is Relational; 2. Discipleship Is Transformational; 3. Discipleship Is Not Exceptional; and 4. Discipleship Is Procreational.

Pastor Isaac Modise Praying for the Mission Team Soon Heading to Mozambique.

Saturday night was another service of inspiration featuring talks on Farming Gods Way (www.farming-gods-way.org) and the prayer ministry of WMC for world mission. In addition to the sermon by Bishop Zakes from Swaziland, which was a vivid call to authentic discipleship and servant mission, we enjoyed three more dances by the South Carolina team and commissioned a mission team from Soweto who leave for Mozambique this Friday.

Sunday, Isaac gifted us with a morning of rest. We had hoped for the opportunity to travel into the bush to worship and preach, but suitable arrangements could not be made. Frankly, we welcomed the chance to rest and were refreshed.

Sunday night and Monday brought more amazing worship and inspirational speakers from different parts of Africa. Among them was Bishop Albert from Kenya, a dynamic speaker on Leadership, encouraging those in ministry to be accountable to mentors, open to learning from others and attentive to their own families. His lovely wife Nancy gave a stirring devotional Tuesday morning, Let's Go Back Home!, challenging those in missions and ministry to keep family a priority, pleasing the Lord and being authentic in our witness of Jesus' love.

Tuesday, Abby gave a keynote address in the morning entitled "Harvested by Love." Abby did an amazing job sharing her own testimony, the passionate love of Jesus for us, the need for genuine daily love in action as we join Jesus in bringing in the Harvest, and facing our need to rest and be with Jesus to fuel our outreach to others with his love. She ended with the significance of being used by the Wounded Savior as wounded healers as we join him in reaching wounded people. It was awesome!

Prior to Abby's talk, three pastors prayed for our nation on Tuesday, the 4th of July! That night, a cake with the American flag on it was presented to us and we all sang The Star Spangled Banner. It was all deeply moving, to say the least.

I unexpectedly had the opportunity to give a short keynote following Abby and I focused, at Percy's suggestion, on servanthood in mission using John 13:1-17.

The South Carolina Dance Team and Local Dancers Rejoice in the Lord!

Tuesday night, we were able to share dinner with Bishop Albert and Nancy from Kenya, solidifying our new friendship. Then we met for the final time with all those at RISE, worshiped through the dancing of more than 100 local children and youth from Mabopane Township, led by the 10 dancers from SC Dance Theatre in Columbia, SC and enjoyed a commissioning service led by Dr. John Schotz from South Africa.  He has worked as a mission doctor and pastor for many years and now oversees twenty churches in the Church of the Nations family. We are definitely inspired and ready to return to the mission field in our beloved Zambia!

Please pray for Isaac and Rachel as they rest from leading this awesome conference with representatives from Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Kenya and the USA. Pray for Percy, our student John who enjoyed his first time at the RISE so much and for us as we process and learn from the stories of amazing people from these countries who are doing local and international mission. And pray that we keep a healthy balance of work and rest as we get settled in Zambia today, meet with Pastor Imasiku and his wife this evening and begin training tomorrow. Please also pray for Percy, Muyunda and their three girls as they move to the house they built in Livingstone today and tomorrow!

God is so good!

South Africa & Zambia Here We Come

"Why do we get to do this?" It's a question Abby & I often ask ourselves. Tomorrow we fly to South Africa and then on July 5th we'll head from there to Zambia. We'll have the privilege of preaching and teaching men and women who are hungry to learn. Most importantly, we'll have the privilege of renewing old friendships and making new ones!

Our schedule for the coming few weeks looks like this (subject to change):

June 22-23: Travel to South Africa

June 24-July 4: Pretoria, South Africa - The Rise Missions Conference...Church planters, evangelists and missionaries from five Southern Africa nations (South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Malwai and Zambia) will gather under the headline: "No longer a mission field, but now a mission force!" Abby and I will each give a keynote address and we'll preach twice in local churches, as well.

July 5-13: Livingstone, Zambia - We'll be training a church planting team led by our friend, Pastor Imasiku of Victory Assemblies of God Church.

July 14-26: Mwandi, Zambia - We'll be training leaders from Sesheke and Mwandi, as well as training key youth leaders at The Rise Youth Missions Conference.

July 27-31: Mongu, Zambia - We'll be training leaders as the guest of Pastor Yuyi Collins Blessing.

August 1-9: Livingstone, Zambia - Pastor Imasiku has asked us to train leaders of a bush church outside Livingstone.

August 10-11: Travel home

As always, we appreciate your prayers and encouragment. We'll have access to email on and off throughout the trip, so please write. We get lonely for home sometimes!

And we'll be posting blog entries as often as we can, so check back regularly!

The Joy of Ministry Partnerships and Banana Pudding

Westminster Presbyterian Church Mission Presentation

One of the best things about being missionaries is the amazing ministry partnerships we're privileged to experience.

One of our ministry partners, Westminster Presbyterian in Burlington, NC, recently invited me (Doug) to preach and then, two weeks later, invited us to make a mission presentation at an awesome church supper. This congregation is led by our friend, the Rev. Powell Sykes, and is so loving, so supportive and so faithful to us that we always look forward to spending time with them. Thanks Westminster!

During the sermon, I mentioned my love for banana pudding and boy did that pay off at the church supper! There's just something about great banana pudding that makes any church supper special. The other desserts were awesome, too! And the entrees, as well! What a great night!

Following dinner, Abby & I shared stories about some of the students we've been privileged to teach, like John in Livingstone, Zambia, Olivia in Katima Mulilo, Nambia or John in Musokotwane, Zambia. Their hunger for biblically sound training and their desire to mature in Christ and share Jesus with others make it exhilirating to teach them. Abby and I often ask ourselves, "Why do we get to do this?"

The truth is, when we do it our ministry partners do it, too. Where we go our partners go. We're a team and we couldn't do it without the prayers, financial support, friendship, accountability and encouragment we receive. We are blessed!

As we prepare to leave for South Africa and Zambia on June 22, it's so encouraging to know that ministry partners like Westminster Presbyterian stand with us. Would you join them in praying for us as we travel and train?

Giving Birth to A New Grandson and A New Knee + Ministry Update!

April was supposed to be Rwanda/Ethiopia month as we explored new teaching opportunities in those countries. But, when Abby received a second opinion that she needed a total knee replacement (TKR), Rwanda/Ethiopia had to be postponed.

Prior to Abby's surgery on March 29th, we joyfully welcomed into the world our new grandson, Luke Stephen Slagle, born on March 10th to our daughter, Jen, and son-in-law, James, and new big brother, Isaac, not to mention Aunt Emily and Uncle Andrew!. What a beautiful boy Luke is, and what a great big brother is Isaac! We are so blessed with such wonderful children and grandchildren!

Isaac, Jen and Luke!

Less than three weeks later, Abby was having the TKR on her right knee. The surgery went very well and, in fact, her knee was healing beautifully. However, Abby had a setback ten days following surgery. The stress of surgery and the combination of anesthesia, steroids and painkillers turned her sleep patterns topsy-turvy, as sometimes happens we were told. A one week stay in the hospital later, Abby returned home and is slowly returning to full strength. Physical therapy is going great and at her six week check-up yesterday the surgeon released her to drive and to travel to Africa in June!

As Abby says, "The labor and delivery of my new knee went great, but the nightime feedings of the ice machines and pain meds almost did us both in!" All kidding aside, it made for a very tough month for Abby and me, and we are very grateful for the prayers, meals, texts, emails and phone calls we have received. We couldn't have gotten through the last six weeks without the help of such a great team and the mercy and strength of our Lord Jesus.

Recently on May 7th, our dear friend and colleague in Zambia, Percy Muleba, was ordained in the capitol city of Lusaka along with many of his Live School associates. We are rejoicing with the now Rev. Percy Muleba and his wife, Muyunda!

We are scheduled to fly to South Africa and Zambia on June 22nd. Please pray for us as we move toward that date. We want to be prepared with our curriculum and conference presentations as well as wise with Abby's full recovery while her physical therapy continues full force.