Steve & Nora
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
August 3, 2010 Update
The past few weeks have been a blast with a team from Glennview Baptist out of North Carolina led by Pastor Brad Wright along with Casey & Cathy were here for a week. We had outreaches to the Ruth Shawl widows & orphans in Area 44; Nsambeta School;Church services at Pastor Joseph Kazembe's church in Area 24; Training Seminar with 15 young men & women ministering in the Public School System along with trips to ABC Medical Clinic & to Lake Malawi. Great job and a great big thank you to this wonderful team. You always have a home here in Lilongwe, so ya'll come back real soon!
We then said hello to Pastor Demitri Nikiforos & Walter Kohrs from CC Cape Town South Africa along with Jason Simpson & the team od ten from Northshore Christian Fellowship from Hawaii. A week long Pastors Conference was held at CC Lilongwe with over two hundred participants attending; ministry to the youth in Mtslizia Village, outreaches to several outlining villages; a trip to Lake Malawi with Children of The Nations School & Orphanage; and a little sight seeing was accomplished also.
The South African team left today and the Hawaii team is coming over tonight following an village outreach for dinner, so we are expecting of night of good food & great fellowship! The team has an additional outreach tomorrow and then pack up to leave for home on Friday. Just a tremendous thank you to all of these wonderful servants of God who have ministered their hearts out to the people of Malawi!
We are expecting Carmella & Micah Cuva to arrive on 8-13-10 and will be with us until 8-24-10, so we will be doing Medical Outreaches in villages as well as ministering the widows & orphans. Carmella is also bringing with her a kit where we are able to give Eye examinations & fit up to 150 sets of reading glasses for those in need. PTL!!!!!!!
Then 8-16-10, we are starting the School of Ministry with 15 Pastors attending for a 12 week semester course, so please be praying for these Pastors that they will be able to attend without worrying about their respective fellowships, that they will be able to apply themselves fully to their studies, and that there will be great comprehension of the material being offered!
Also be praying for the CC African Pastors Conference being held in Cape Town South Africa from October 11-16th, that all the scheduled speakers will be able to come and that all the pastors will be able to have the finances to be able to attend. For Pastor Demitri & his staff as they organize the entire event!
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and all the encouragement being offered in our behalf. We truly appreciate all of you so much!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
We then said hello to Pastor Demitri Nikiforos & Walter Kohrs from CC Cape Town South Africa along with Jason Simpson & the team od ten from Northshore Christian Fellowship from Hawaii. A week long Pastors Conference was held at CC Lilongwe with over two hundred participants attending; ministry to the youth in Mtslizia Village, outreaches to several outlining villages; a trip to Lake Malawi with Children of The Nations School & Orphanage; and a little sight seeing was accomplished also.
The South African team left today and the Hawaii team is coming over tonight following an village outreach for dinner, so we are expecting of night of good food & great fellowship! The team has an additional outreach tomorrow and then pack up to leave for home on Friday. Just a tremendous thank you to all of these wonderful servants of God who have ministered their hearts out to the people of Malawi!
We are expecting Carmella & Micah Cuva to arrive on 8-13-10 and will be with us until 8-24-10, so we will be doing Medical Outreaches in villages as well as ministering the widows & orphans. Carmella is also bringing with her a kit where we are able to give Eye examinations & fit up to 150 sets of reading glasses for those in need. PTL!!!!!!!
Then 8-16-10, we are starting the School of Ministry with 15 Pastors attending for a 12 week semester course, so please be praying for these Pastors that they will be able to attend without worrying about their respective fellowships, that they will be able to apply themselves fully to their studies, and that there will be great comprehension of the material being offered!
Also be praying for the CC African Pastors Conference being held in Cape Town South Africa from October 11-16th, that all the scheduled speakers will be able to come and that all the pastors will be able to have the finances to be able to attend. For Pastor Demitri & his staff as they organize the entire event!
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and all the encouragement being offered in our behalf. We truly appreciate all of you so much!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Malawi Outreach Update July 31, 2010
It has been a couple of months since we last posted here on our blog, as we have been incurring some major spiritual warfare battles! We thought we were all ready to begin the School of Ministry on May 3rd, only to find out on the evening of May 2nd that we were not going to be able to begin as planned. We have been trying to work out all the problems at hand, and we are delighted to be able to now report that these obstacles appear to have been removed.
We have had 30 very disappointed Pastors, who have been waiting anxiously for this training and we had our final briefing on April 14th, distributed all the paperwork needed for them to complete, answered all their questions, and we all left with joyful anticipation of the start of the School of Ministry on May 3rd as outlined. However, our common enemy raised his ugly head and caused some further delays in the start of this most needed training. But the Word of God says in James Chapter 4:7,"Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you." So, that is what we have done, we drew near to God and He drew near to us!
Due to the delays we have experienced, the start of the School of Ministry cannot now to begin until August 16th due to the facts we have had visiting teams coming throughout July and continuing through the first half of August, which we will be hosting, and coordinating the ministry outreaches & ministering with these teams. So,God willing, we will see the beginning of the Malawi School of Ministry start August 16, 2010. Please be praying for all the visiting teams, their ministry opportunities, and of course, the School of Ministry. The teams coming are from Hawaii, North Carolina, and California.
These are exciting times ahead of us and the opportunity to minister in so many different venues is very encouraging, filled with great expectation of what the Lord is going to accomplish the next few months ahead of us! Ministry to children, Jesus Video Outreaches, Leadership Conference to Pastors, Training of young adults to better prepare them as they minister in the Public Schools, and some medical outreaches, just to name a few.
We have felt at times like what Paul the Apostle wrote about in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-9, but we are experiencing the reality of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. So, please join with us in the joy of what God has accomplished and pray that we will continue to be able to minister as He gives us strength and wisdom to do so. Thank you for all your faithful prayers and support for this ministry and for Nora & myself personally. We sincerely appreciate each one of you as you stand in the gap for us . We will keep you updated as we progress ahead during these very busy next few months.
We have had 30 very disappointed Pastors, who have been waiting anxiously for this training and we had our final briefing on April 14th, distributed all the paperwork needed for them to complete, answered all their questions, and we all left with joyful anticipation of the start of the School of Ministry on May 3rd as outlined. However, our common enemy raised his ugly head and caused some further delays in the start of this most needed training. But the Word of God says in James Chapter 4:7,"Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you." So, that is what we have done, we drew near to God and He drew near to us!
Due to the delays we have experienced, the start of the School of Ministry cannot now to begin until August 16th due to the facts we have had visiting teams coming throughout July and continuing through the first half of August, which we will be hosting, and coordinating the ministry outreaches & ministering with these teams. So,God willing, we will see the beginning of the Malawi School of Ministry start August 16, 2010. Please be praying for all the visiting teams, their ministry opportunities, and of course, the School of Ministry. The teams coming are from Hawaii, North Carolina, and California.
These are exciting times ahead of us and the opportunity to minister in so many different venues is very encouraging, filled with great expectation of what the Lord is going to accomplish the next few months ahead of us! Ministry to children, Jesus Video Outreaches, Leadership Conference to Pastors, Training of young adults to better prepare them as they minister in the Public Schools, and some medical outreaches, just to name a few.
We have felt at times like what Paul the Apostle wrote about in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-9, but we are experiencing the reality of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. So, please join with us in the joy of what God has accomplished and pray that we will continue to be able to minister as He gives us strength and wisdom to do so. Thank you for all your faithful prayers and support for this ministry and for Nora & myself personally. We sincerely appreciate each one of you as you stand in the gap for us . We will keep you updated as we progress ahead during these very busy next few months.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Malawi Outreach Update – April 2010
We have been on a rollercoaster since our last update. But, we have good news, in spite of Government regulations that has caused us to reconfigure the School of Ministry location, we are happy to report after much prayer that the school will begin its first session on May 3rd with the initial 15 Pastors in attendance. The second session following will be with the next group of Pastors.
So, here is what we have concluded that the Lord has shown us to do. Since we have already rented a house here in Lilongwe where Nora & I reside, that is on a large lot, we have decided to hold classes here at our home. In addition to the main house, it has guest quarters with three rooms large enough to house up to 10-12 men along with bathroom facilities. The living room in the house is quite large and we have very little furniture, so it is easily converted into a good size classroom. We have hired a cook to do all the cooking, Malawian style. We will also have to provide bedding for them, blankets, etc., as they cannot afford an extra blanket to bring with them from home. This will provide an environment where we are all together during the day for regular classes, and then allow for evening discussions, fellowship and worship. They will also have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personal prayer & attention, which they would not receive otherwise on a regular school campus.
The class schedule for the School of Ministry is Monday through Thursday. The Pastors will return to their homes and churches for Friday through Sunday and return back to Lilongwe on Monday ready to begin the new week of school. The main expense will be transportation and food costs along with some initial front end purchases for bedding and supplies. So, we met with the first set of Pastors this last Thursday, 15 in all, and they are all set to begin classes on May 3rd. Please be praying that they will be able to get everything arranged so they can make this commitment to attend class without financial hardships to their families & the church Body. The level of poverty with these village Pastors forces them to trust God as they leave their families & churches to place the high priority & value on what the Lord is doing for them to provide this School of Ministry to increase their knowledge of the Lord and His Word!
To all of you who have contributed financially to specifically assist these Pastors who can obtain additional training, please know that every dollar is being spent to maximize the benefit of those who will be attending classes. To all of you who are contributing to the Malawi Outreach Ministry, also know we are doing all we can to stretch every dollar, so that these men can receive this teaching & training, that they may be discipled and become mature disciplers themselves in their respective village churches.
And needless to say, all of us need to be praying for the success of this very important outreach, as the depth of teaching in Malawi is so shallow, and we have the opportunity to make a significant impact in this extremely poor country. The people of Malawi need to know so much more about the Lord Jesus and the Holy Word of God! Thank you for partnering with us and holding the rope on your end, so that these men can grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and make a dramatic difference in the depth of knowledge within their churches, their communities, and in their country!
May our Lord bless you for your participation in the Malawi Outreach Ministry, you are making a difference in peoples lives today and for eternity. There are always additional unexpected expense needs that arise daily, so if the Lord puts it on your heart to make additional financial gifting, rest assured it will be put to good use for the kingdom of God.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Matthew 25:40
We have been on a rollercoaster since our last update. But, we have good news, in spite of Government regulations that has caused us to reconfigure the School of Ministry location, we are happy to report after much prayer that the school will begin its first session on May 3rd with the initial 15 Pastors in attendance. The second session following will be with the next group of Pastors.
So, here is what we have concluded that the Lord has shown us to do. Since we have already rented a house here in Lilongwe where Nora & I reside, that is on a large lot, we have decided to hold classes here at our home. In addition to the main house, it has guest quarters with three rooms large enough to house up to 10-12 men along with bathroom facilities. The living room in the house is quite large and we have very little furniture, so it is easily converted into a good size classroom. We have hired a cook to do all the cooking, Malawian style. We will also have to provide bedding for them, blankets, etc., as they cannot afford an extra blanket to bring with them from home. This will provide an environment where we are all together during the day for regular classes, and then allow for evening discussions, fellowship and worship. They will also have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personal prayer & attention, which they would not receive otherwise on a regular school campus.
The class schedule for the School of Ministry is Monday through Thursday. The Pastors will return to their homes and churches for Friday through Sunday and return back to Lilongwe on Monday ready to begin the new week of school. The main expense will be transportation and food costs along with some initial front end purchases for bedding and supplies. So, we met with the first set of Pastors this last Thursday, 15 in all, and they are all set to begin classes on May 3rd. Please be praying that they will be able to get everything arranged so they can make this commitment to attend class without financial hardships to their families & the church Body. The level of poverty with these village Pastors forces them to trust God as they leave their families & churches to place the high priority & value on what the Lord is doing for them to provide this School of Ministry to increase their knowledge of the Lord and His Word!
To all of you who have contributed financially to specifically assist these Pastors who can obtain additional training, please know that every dollar is being spent to maximize the benefit of those who will be attending classes. To all of you who are contributing to the Malawi Outreach Ministry, also know we are doing all we can to stretch every dollar, so that these men can receive this teaching & training, that they may be discipled and become mature disciplers themselves in their respective village churches.
And needless to say, all of us need to be praying for the success of this very important outreach, as the depth of teaching in Malawi is so shallow, and we have the opportunity to make a significant impact in this extremely poor country. The people of Malawi need to know so much more about the Lord Jesus and the Holy Word of God! Thank you for partnering with us and holding the rope on your end, so that these men can grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and make a dramatic difference in the depth of knowledge within their churches, their communities, and in their country!
May our Lord bless you for your participation in the Malawi Outreach Ministry, you are making a difference in peoples lives today and for eternity. There are always additional unexpected expense needs that arise daily, so if the Lord puts it on your heart to make additional financial gifting, rest assured it will be put to good use for the kingdom of God.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Matthew 25:40
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