NEWS
FRONTLINE FELLOWSHIP 2018 Edition 1
PO BOX 74 NEWLANDS 7725 CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA
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MISSION to the NUBA MOUNTAINS the day of rest from Sunday to Friday, the Christians of Sudan, particularly in the South, have resisted this persecution. The Arab government in the North of Sudan has slaughtered, pillaged, arrested, crucified, forcefully Islamised and enslaved thousands of black indigenous people of Sudan, especially Christians. In response to this terrorism, the predominantly Christian South fought back. The Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) resisted Islamic persecution. These malnourished SPLA soldiers have fought under the scorching sun with very few resources, often feeling as though the rest of the world had forgotten them. “Let the peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!” Psalm 67:3-4 Sudan in the Bible It was an honour to go to a land that has a rich heritage in the Bible and in missions history. Sudan, known in the Scriptures as Cush, has a lineage of Christianity going back to A.D. 37. In Acts 8, the evangelist Philip was led by God to encounter the treasurer of queen Candace from modern-day Sudan. We read that Philip explained the Scriptures, “preached Jesus to him” and then baptised him. This man from Sudan would go back to his queen with the greatest treasure of all – the message of salvation. There are numerous mentions and prophecies about Sudan, or Cush, in the Bible. 2 Kings 19:1-9, Isaiah 37:1-10, Jeremiah 38:7-13, Nahum 3:9-10, to name a few. Perhaps the most exciting is the promise in Psalm 68:31 “Cush will submit herself to God”.
History of the Sudanese Church From AD 37, the Church in Sudan grew rather rapidly. By AD 580, the whole Nubian kingdom in Sudan adopted Christianity as the official religion. However, within the next century, the Church of Sudan would face opposition from Islamic forces, which they steadily resisted. 600 years later, a more radical Islamic power took control of Egypt and began waves of assaults on the Nubians. In the late nineteenth century, Missionaries from the United Presbyterian Church of America, Sudan Interior Mission and Africa Inland Mission, progressively entered the country. Christianity expanded across the land. Churches, schools, mission stations and hospitals were established. Bibles were translated into local languages. The light of the Gospel shone brightly. Despite the persecution of the Islamic government since 1957, expelling missionaries, seizing Christian schools and changing
23 Years Serving in Sudan Since 1995 Frontline Fellowship has been ministering in war-torn Sudan. Mission teams have delivered hundreds of thousands of Bibles, hymn books, Gospels, Scripture booklets, farming tools and seed to the people of Sudan. Frontline delivered the first complete Bibles in the Moru language, pioneered and trained the first chaplains for the SPLA and set up clinics and mission stations to help the Sudanese. Dr. Peter Hammond also introduced missions such as Samaritans Purse to Sudan, who have done an incredible amount of relief aid and ministry. Since 1996, Frontline Fellowship has been behind enemy lines in the Nuba Mountains - an Island of Christianity in a sea of Islam. Our mission has also advocated for the Christians of Sudan and created awareness which helped lead to the secession of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011. Sadly, due in large part to American foreign policy, South Sudan declared itself a secular state and appointed leaders (Continued on page 2)
Mission to the Nuba Mountains - continued from page 1 approval letter from South Sudan authorities within just 10 minutes of meeting the local authority in charge and I did not even have to pay a bribe!
of questionable allegiance whose agendas lead to factions within the military and division across the country. I saw some of the disasters South Sudan is facing now during my most recent mission to South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains. South Sudan Arriving in Juba was arriving at chaos. The International airport was a disorganised crowd in a tattered tent next to a busy airstrip. I was meant to connect with a local contact, but he was nowhere to be found. Despite the rabble and notoriously corrupt officials at customs, I managed to make it out with relative ease. I exited the airport and walked across the dusty road under the scorching sun, trying to ignore the aggressively grasping crowd attempting to “help” carry my bags. After being collected at the airport, I had to obtain permission to head into the Nuba Mountains, which is a war-torn resistance controlled area of Sudan. The Nuba people are thought of as rebels by the Khartoum (Arab/Muslim) government. They are marginalised because of their race, land and Faith. About 50% of Nubans are believed to be Christians, which makes opposition from the Islamic government of Sudan even more severe. Churches and Christian schools are the most common targets of terror bombings. Many missionaries and relief-aid workers lamented that they have been trying for years to get approval to work in the Nuba Mountains without any success. I was blessed to gain my
As I drove through Juba, I was reminded of the very severe selfinflicted trauma which South Sudan has faced in recent years. The entire country is a high conflict area filled with every kind of humanitarian disaster and sickness one can think of. The Sudanese People’s Liberation Army are constantly fighting rebel groups and elements of it are even participating in criminal activities, such as looting and stealing from civilians, themselves. There is no municipal electricity in the entire country; water accessibility and sanitation remain disastrous problems. Measles, TB, HIV, AIDs, typhoid and malaria are typical infirmities. Driving past the presidential compound, I observed the 500-meter-long wall covered in bullet holes from a recent battle between the national army and a rebel group wanting to gain control of the country. NGOs are the biggest employers in South Sudan. I have never witnessed so many NGOs working in a single area in my whole life. Sadly, the work of NGOs has not helped missionaries with their task of Gospel preaching and discipleship. Many local South Sudanese now expect foreigners to provide jobs and handouts, not something as simple and mundane as sound Biblical teaching. However, this would not be my problem to battle this time around. I would focus my energy further north, in the Nuba Mountains. Nuba Mountains I served with Ben. Our goal was to train and assist the local church with discipleship development and evangelism training, research and document least-reached and unreached people’s groups and develop a strategy for mass Bible distribution. The Nuba Mountains are in great need of evangelism and discipleship. There are many Muslims and Animists throughout the Nuba Mountains. A recent temporary cease-fire between the government of Khartoum and the people of the liberated areas of Nuba made this an ideal time for us FRONTLINE FELLOWSHIP 2018 EDITION 1
to travel and visit areas that would be extremely dangerous otherwise. Ministry in the Nuba Mountains Our ministry began after our team hitched an extremely bumpy and dusty 8 hour ride into our first place of meetings. The church where we would serve had experienced 18 bombings from Antonov aircraft in just 12 months! It was damaged beyond repair and so needed to be completely rebuilt. As we approached the church on Sunday morning, we heard sounds of singing and bells ringing. When I entered the church, I saw that the ringing bells were actually musical instruments made by the congregation. They took artillery shells from high-powered guns and tapped against them with smaller metal bars to make a chiming sound. These artillery remains, meant for war, are now being used to make music to the Lord. Problems of the Persecuted While this church, 250 people strong, is a testimony to the Lord’s grace during times of hardship, they face the same challenges that many churches in unrestricted countries face. Peace and comfort can easily become idols for many Christians and it seems that this is also the case with the persecuted church. Many congregation leaders bemoaned the fact that during the cease-fire church members have become awfully lax in their attitude toward Christian service and dedication to Christ. We witnessed this first-hand with the lean attendance at our Evangelism Workshops.
Our first workshop was with the large congregation of 250 people. Only about 40 people attended on the first day and about 20 people attended on the following days. Admittedly, this is still better than the average Evangelism Workshop attendance in my homeland South Africa. Many of the participants who attended this first day of the workshop did not know how to clearly articulate their Faith and some did not even understand the Gospel. Thankfully, we could clearly teach them about the way of Salvation and how to share it with others.
The best parts about the Evangelism Workshops are the practicals. What good is it to learn about evangelism without actually going out and evangelising the unsaved? We led our group of about 20 evangelists out into the market place to share the way of salvation with the lost. Our team split up and energetically proclaimed the Gospel to as many people as we could reach. Muslim Evangelism When we arrived at the market, I saw two men sitting down drinking tea. They did not understand English and my interpreter had vanished. Things quickly became awkward. Just then, a group of people formed around me to see what this foreigner had to say for himself. Thankfully, one of the curious onlookers could speak English and volunteered to interpret for me. In the end, I was able to share the Gospel with a group of about 15 young men, some of whom were Muslims. I thanked the young man for helping me share the Gospel and he expressed his gratitude for the message I
brought. I asked him if he was a Christian. He responded that he was a Muslim! I encouraged him to ask God to reveal Himself and to call upon the Lord Jesus to save him from his sins. As the mission progressed, we encountered many Muslims in our evangelism efforts. When we spoke with them, it was apparent that they were Muslim by tradition only. Most of the people we spoke to had no idea what the Qur’an even taught. They were wide open to listening to what we had to say, but when we challenged them on the fact that their belief system contradicts the way of salvation as revealed in the Bible, they completely shut down. They simply said that they are not theologians; they are uneducated; and they are not willing to listen. There are a few reasons I believe this to be the case. First, they are taught the superstitious belief that Christians are poor people and when one converts to Christianity, they will become poor. Second, fear of losing one’s identity is a major problem. Their religion is tied in with their work, tribe and family life. To reject Islam is to reject their life and loved ones. Third, there is spiritual resistance. The Bible describes unregenerate people as dead, blind, suppressors of truth. Unless the Holy Spirit works mightily in them, they will not believe. Although some people were shut off to the Gospel, many listened and many believed. At the end of our first outreach, the enthusiastic evangelists were beaming with joy and energetically sharing testimonies about their encounters. We pray that God will use those Gospel seeds to reap a great harvest. Schools of the Nuba Mountains One of our primary tasks was to evangelise and encourage school children. This is a very neglected ministry in the Nuba Mountains, yet it is full of opportunity. The students and teachers alike are receptive to the Gospel.
They are also in critical need of encouragement. Most schools do not have pens, paper, chalk, or even textbooks for the students. The teachers are often located far away from their families and always work without pay. Some of the schools we visited were bombed several times by Khartoum. Some schools are hidden away in the mountains to avoid air-attacks. All of the schools have trenches and holes which serve as bomb-shelters for the students to hide in whenever Antonovs fly overhead. Thankfully, these schools are always happy to receive visitors, especially when they are bringing Words from God. Most of the areas where these schools are located are isolated and many children have seen few, if any, white people before. The result is a fearful fascination with the Khawaja (white man). Sometimes the children would be so excited to see us, they couldn’t keep still. Other times the children were so afraid that they were literally crying from terror. At all the school assemblies, students stand outside in a giant square. We stand in the middle and address them. Once, as I walked over to some of the children during my message, the little boys got so scared that they ran away! Their faces were full of terror as they fled the school premises. Some of the teachers had to go running after them to try get them back. I don’t think they found all the boys and it was difficult to keep everyone’s attention after that. Some of the schools we visited were Islamic schools. The story of Abraham sacrificing his son works very effectively as a bridge to share the Gospel with Muslim children and
teachers, since this story is also in the Qur’an. We pray that God uses the Gospel to bring many to salvation. Modelling Ministry Our ministry also focused on pastors and evangelists. Many of these men work very hard, without pay. We met men who had been arrested and tortured for spreading the Gospel. One man showed us the scars on his wrists and legs from daily beatings he received while he was a prisoner of the Sudan Armed Forces. All the people of the Nuba Mountains have been affected by the terror bombings, land invasions and scorched earth policy from Khartoum. In spite of this, the Christian Faith is spreading. More and more people are coming to Christ daily. Even though there is tremendous suffering, there are countless stories of God’s grace and protection during times of intense strife. Churches and Bible colleges have been bombed numerous times. Some keep the bomb remains and others leave the unexploded bombs where they are as a testimony to God’s grace. In fact, the church we held our pastor’s training had holes in the roof and walls from bomb-blasts. It was a very sobering reminder of what our brothers and sisters in Christ face in their war-torn world. Our mission took us to places where other missionaries are not willing to go. Some foreigners are doing excellent work in the major villages and busy areas of the Nuba Mountains, but almost no one does work on the outskirts, near the battlefront. We proceeded to a village market about 12km away from enemy territory to minister the Gospel. I started open-air preaching. In order to get people’s attention, I started asking different people standing around why they think there is so much suffering in the world. One man shouted out “Omar Al Bashir!”, the name of the current dictator of Sudan. Just then, people started taking out their mobile phones to presumably take pictures and videos of me. Not only was I in an Islamic area preaching the Gospel,
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but I was now in an open discussion about the suffering caused by the chief of the Sudan Armed Forces – who were a 15-minute drive away! I was reminded about the warning issued by the US State Department, cautioning all westerners not to go to Sudan because of terrorism, hijacking, kidnapping, armed robbery and suicide bombings! There was nothing I could really do except continue to preach the Gospel. Plus, I had everyone’s attention, which is exactly what I wanted. I used the opportunity to explain that yes, Omar Al Bashir is one of the problems. In fact, the world is filled with people just like Bashir. The world is full of people who have wicked hearts and love to do wicked things. That’s the problem with the world and that’s the problem with every single person listening to my message. We all need forgiveness for our wicked pasts, we need God to replace our wicked hearts and give us new lives in Christ. At the end, I made an invitation for anyone who wanted to call upon the Lord to save them from their sins. About 15 to 20 people, some of them Muslim, came forward to publically call upon Jesus Christ. Our focus included not only teaching but also modelling evangelism. After teaching the students about evangelism, we took them out to the busy market places to share the Gospel. I started by open-air preaching. There must have been about 300 people within earshot. I proclaimed the Gospel loudly and about 30 people responded at the end. We also went to the cattle market and I spoke to about 10 men under the trees. They all came from different backgrounds. I spent time answering questions they had about Christianity, turning it into opportunities to share the Gospel. Praise and Prayer Our ministry in the Nuba Mountains did not come without challenges. We did not have our own vehicle, so we spent much of our time hitchhiking, catching rides on the back of motorcycles. I also came down with sickness, some kind of stomach bug, a number of times. FRONTLINE FELLOWSHIP 2018 EDITION 1
Heat, cross-cultural communication, challenges and confusion and spiritual warfare meant that we had to draw deeply from the well of prayer and the Word. Pray for the Church in South Sudan, facing conflict and disaster as well as the temptation to rely on secular NGOs instead of being stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to them. Pray for the Church in the Nuba Mountains to stand strong in the face of persecution from without and temptation and apathy from within. Pray for the unreached people groups, that many more evangelists would take the Gospel to these people. Pray for pastors and leaders to remain firm in the Faith, rooted in the Word and confident in the Gospel. In 2018, we will be a part of an initiative to deliver 40 000 Bibles and 50 000 Creation to Christ story books to the Nuba Mountains. This is an incredible logistical challenge. Corruption, high-jacking and theft are major oppositions to our operation. Please keep these plans and difficulties in your prayers. Pray for Ben who is arranging for the Bibles and books to be printed and shipped to the Nuba mountains. Learn More About Sudan If you would like to learn more about Sudan, the Nuba Mountains and Islamic persecution in North Africa, I recommend reading Faith Under Fire in Sudan by Dr. Peter Hammond. If you are interested in viewing first-hand footage and testimonies from our persecuted Sudanese brothers and sisters in Christ, watch the 3 Films on Sudan DVD . These resources can be obtained from Christian Liberty Books. “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them, saying, to Him who sits on the Throne and to the Lamb be ‘blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever’”. Revelation 5:13 Rev. John Clifford
ZIMBABWE CELEBRATES as MUGABE FALLS
Unprecedented Jubilation In Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, parliament was the scene of unprecedented jubilation as the Speaker of the House read Robert Mugabe’s resignation letter. The House erupted in cheers, singing, dancing, clapping and celebrations – with Members of Parliament leaping up, jumping on their chairs and tables, flinging their arms high above their heads, shouting with joy and exuberance. Euphoria Throughout Zimbabwe The atmosphere was electric throughout the country as people by the hundreds-of-thousands poured into the streets to cheer, shout, dance and sing at the news. Dancing in the Streets There were extraordinary scenes of people dancing, car horns blaring and flags waving with jubilation and singing in the streets. Tuesday, 21 November, will be remembered and celebrated for a very long time in Zimbabwe as the day in which Zimbabwean dictator, Robert Mugabe, finally gave in to decades of protests and pressure to force him to give up his despotic misrule. Record Breaking Catastrophe At 93 years old, Robert Mugabe was the oldest and longest-running dictator still in power in the world. For 37 years, the people of Zimbabwe have been brutalised, terrorised and oppressed by his Marxist ZANU-PF reign of terror. Insulting the Matabele Earlier that month at a ZANUPF party rally in Bulawayo, the capital of Matabeleland, Mugabe aggravated the Matabele people by
speaking in Shona. As his wife, Grace Mugabe (often called Gucci Grace because of her exorbitant lavish lifestyle) was heckled with the people chanting at her: “You know nothing!” and singing the Matabele song “Oyenzayo Siyaizonda” which translates to: “We hate what you do!” Grace responded to the crowd: “I don’t care, I am powerful!”; “Even if I become vicepresident, is there anything wrong with that?” The people continued to sing: “We hate what you do!” Arrogance and Threats The visibly incensed Robert Mugabe poured out his wrath on his vicepresident, Emmerson Mnangagwa (nicknamed The Crocodile), publically threatening to fire him. “If I made a mistake by appointing Mnangagwa… tell me. I will drop him as early as tomorrow. We are not afraid of anyone. We can decide even here!” Mugabe roared. Mugabe was openly booed by many in the crowd of Matabele in Bulawayo. When Mugabe followed this up by actually sacking his vicepresident, Emmerson Mnangagwa, this provoked the Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF) to swing into action. Military Action On 14 November, armoured personnel carriers rumbled into Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. The president was taken into what the military described as “protective custody”. The ZDF secured the public broadcaster and other strategic points. The commander of the armed forces declared that they were “targeting criminals around Mugabe who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country, in order to bring them to justice.”
wife, Grace Mugabe. It was the high profile firing of vice-president, Mnangagwa and the purging of party loyalists who did not support Grace Mugabe’s aspirations to become the next president that was the final straw. Assault and Intrigue Grace Mugabe has been involved in a number of assaults, including in August this year, when she lashed a model with a plug in a hotel in South Africa. The South African ANC government allowed her to claim diplomatic immunity and escape prosecution. She has been behind the dismissal of many party favourites of ZANU-PF, including former vice-president, Joice Mujuru. A Trail of Treachery Robert Mugabe will be remembered as the Marxist who was propelled into power by Jimmy Carter’s State Department and the British Foreign Office, in violation of the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979. British Betrayal Lord Arthur Christopher Soames, a son-in-law of Winston Churchill and the British-appointed Governor of Rhodesia during the transition period, was responsible to ensure free and fair elections in accordance with the Lancaster House Agreement. However, while Soames acknowledged that Mugabe’s ZANUPF was engaged in widespread, systematic violations and terrorism, intimidating the voters, he refused to dismiss the obviously fraudulent votes in favour of Mugabe. In blatant violation of the Lancaster House Agreement, Soames handed over the government of Rhodesia to Mugabe and his disqualified terrorist movement, with disastrous consequences to all.
Power Struggle It was clear that the crisis was caused by the power struggle over who would succeed the 93-year-old dictator. It marked the end of the political ambitions of Mugabe’s 52-year-old
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Massacres in Matabeleland Mugabe mobilised his North Korean Fifth Brigade to conduct wholesale massacres in Matabeleland from 1983 to 1984. Termed Gukurahundi (loosely translated from the Shona it refers to “the early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains”). Mugabe is from the majority Shona tribe and the Matabele are the minority tribe. The Matabele are descendants of the Zulu. Tens-of-thousands of Matabele civilians were brutally massacred by Mugabe’s ZANU 5th Brigade. The Long Fields Disused mineshafts such as Antelope and Attica Mine were used for dumping many of the bodies of murdered Matabele. Researchers such as Dr. Stuart Doran documented that Robert Mugabe ordered the Gukurahundi killings to remove and suppress political opposition within Matabeleland. This was in order to make possible Mugabe’s plans to impose a oneparty state in 1985. The 5th Brigade Terror The members for the 5th Brigade were all ZANU-PF party members drawn from 3,500 ZANLA troops at the Tongogara Assembly point, named after Josiah Tongogara, the ZANLA Commander. Under the command of Colonel Perence Shiri, the North Korean trained 5th Brigade were distinguished by their red berets. All young men in Matabeleland were considered potential dissidents and were summarily detained or executed. Wholesale Slaughter Most were shot in front of family and fellow villagers in public executions, after being forced to dig their own graves. Sometimes groups of all ages, including women and children, were shot, such as at Lupane, on the banks of the Cewale River, when 62 were massacred. We know of this massacre because seven victims survived despite severe gun-shot wounds. Targeting the Matabele On numerous occasions, large numbers of people were herded into huts and burned alive. This was done in Tsholotsho. The 5th Brigade would routinely round up hundreds of civilians, march them to a central place, such as a school, where they
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would be forced to sing Shona songs praising ZANU, while they were beaten with sticks and whips. These gatherings usually ended up with public executions. This could be the local chief, or anyone chosen at random. Breaking the Silence The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe produced a document Breaking the Silence with 2,000 names of known Matabele victims of the Gukurahundi. In February 1983, the International Red Cross produced documentation of 1,200 Matabele murdered in just that month alone. In 2005, the International Association of Genocide Scholars estimated the death toll in Matabeleland as at least 20,000.
Official Admissions Moven Mahachi, Defence Minister in 1992, became the first ZANU official who acknowledged the execution and torture of civilians by the 5th Brigade. In 1997, former Defence Minister, Enos Enkala, described his involvement with Gukurahundi as “eternal hell” and blamed president Mugabe for orchestrating it. Even Robert Mugabe speaking at Joshua Nkomo’s Memorial service, 2 July 2000, admitted that thousands had been killed during the Gukurahundi campaign. “Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate…” Amos 5:15 Economic Suicide Mugabe will mostly be remembered for having implemented the disastrous Socialist policies and land invasions, as well as Zimbabwe’s military adventurism in the Congo, which led to the worst hyper-inflation ever seen in history. A Hundred Trillion Dollar note could not even buy a quarter of a loaf of bread in 2008 and that was after having dropped sixteen zeroes from the currency! It became difficult to measure FRONTLINE FELLOWSHIP 2018 EDITION 1
Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation because the government of Zimbabwe stopped filing official inflation statistics. However, by November 2008, inflation was estimated at 79.6 billion %! By 2009, Zimbabwe abandoned its own currency and began using the United States Dollar, South African Rand and Botswana Pula. Looting the Whole Country The destruction of savings, earnings and pensions was absolutely catastrophic, destroying lifetimes of savings and earnings. Yet, while it destroyed the livelihood of most Zimbabweans, it made many of the ZANU-PF elite spectacularly wealthy. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery…” Isaiah 61:8 Bread Basket to Basket Case Mugabe also managed to take a country which had been a bread basket of Africa to the basket case of Africa. He turned the paradise of Rhodesia into the hell of Zimbabwe. He took a country which had flourished even under international sanctions and in the midst of a vicious war against Soviet and Red Chinese backed terrorists, into a failed state and that even with massive international foreign aid! Under Mugabe, Zimbabwe collapsed into economic chaos with over 85% unemployment. More than half of the total population voted with their feet by fleeing the country. Obscene Opulence and Extravagant Excesses Despite Zimbabwe becoming one of the poorest countries in the world, Robert Mugabe became one of the wealthiest people in the world with a personal net worth of well over US $1 Billion. Mugabe owns the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company which has allowed Red China to strip the country of its natural assets. In 2001, Wikileaks estimated Robert Mugabe’s net worth as US $1.75 Billion invested as far afield as Switzerland, the Channel Islands and the Bahamas to castles in Scotland. At his 90th birthday celebrations, Mugabe boasted of dining on elephant and
lion meat! The obscene extravagance of Mugabe, his wives and sons, is in stark contrast with the destitution of most of the people suffering under his maladministration. Converted to Communism Mugabe has described his political ideology as Marxist Leninism. He was educated at Kutama College and University of Fort Hare. Then he worked as a school teacher in Rhodesia and Ghana. Mugabe testified that it was the scholarship he received in 1949 to study at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa that led to his involvement in politics. He joined the African National Congress and was introduced to Marxist ideas by Jewish South African communists. He described his time at Fort Hare as the “turning point” in his life. Mugabe was convicted of sedition and imprisoned between 1964 and 1974 during which time he studied further. Released in the 1974
Amnesty, he moved to Mozambique to oversee ZANU’s revolutionary terrorism campaign. Liberators to Oppressors Elections in Zimbabwe have been dominated by state violence and blatant electoral fraud. Even when defeated, such as in the 2002, 2008 and 2013 presidential elections, Mugabe stayed in power and continued to brutalise and terrorise the population that he claimed to serve. “How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished...” Jeremiah 12:4 How to Destroy Any Economy As Robert Guest, the African Editor of The Economist, observed in his book, The Shackled Continent: “For half a century now, the continent has
been deluged with foreign aid, but this aid has failed to make Africa any less poor… it has bankrolled tyrants… or idealists with hopeless economic policies… both types of aid have been wasted… doing business in Africa can be tricky. Bad roads, punctuated by road blocks, manned by bribe-hungry policemen, make it slow and costly to move goods, even short distances… local firms, meanwhile, have been held back by arbitrary government regulations, dysfunctional legal systems and the difficulty, without political connections, of raising capital… if Africa was better governed it would be richer… Africans are poor, largely because they are not yet free. They live under predatory, incompetent governments which… impoverish them in many ways: through corruption, through bad economic policies and sometimes, as in Zimbabwe, by creating an atmosphere of terror…” “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity…” 2 Peter 2:19 The Fall of Mugabe is Not Necessarily the End of the Oppression in Zimbabwe We cannot anticipate too much change in policy as Mnangagwa was a loyal Mugabe henchman until very recently. He has been complicit in all the crimes of the Mugabe ZANU-PF gangsters over the last 37 years. Those that think only Mugabe has been the problem, do not understand the insidious role of communism. After Vladimir Lenin, there was Stalin, then Khrushchev, then Brezhnev and so on. Mugabe is just one of many Marxist massmurdering thugs available to ZANUPF. “Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.” Psalm 71:4 Freedom from Corruption Although the regime governing Zimbabwe will try to make it appear that freedom has come, to entice investment, which they can overtax and later confiscate, things are bound to continue to deteriorate until the people of Zimbabwe rise up to overthrow the whole communist structure and uproot its destructive ideology which has permeated and poisoned the country. “Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.” Psalm 55:11
Desperate for Hope and Real Change However, the masses of people who have turned out in the hundreds-ofthousands to celebrate the downfall of Robert Mugabe, are desperate for hope and real change. We need to continue to pray and to work for Biblical Reformation and Spiritual Revival. “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” Proverbs 21:15 Serving the Suffering Frontline Fellowship has been dedicated to missionary work in Zimbabwe since 1982. For over 35 years, we have been distributing Bibles and Bible teaching material, conducting Leadership Training Seminars, Evangelism Workshops, ministering in schools, prisons, hospitals, in the streets and market places, seeking to lay solid Biblical foundations for long-term Biblical Reformation. “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:15-19 Dr. Peter Hammond
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The Biblical Worldview Summit
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"...Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ..." MATTHEW 28:18-20
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The EXTRAORDINARY TESTIMONY of MICHIAH LANCASTER
of other Capetonians, they went for a swim in Newlands Dam. This dam is primarily for the South African National Parks Forestry Department Wild Fire Services, for their helicopters to refill their large canvas fire buckets slung under the helicopters for containing forest fires. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 Tragedy at Newlands Dam At 3:16pm on Sunday, 14 January 2018, American Missionary volunteer, Michiah Lancaster, drowned in Newlands Dam, Cape Town, South Africa. Missionary Vision 21-year-old Michiah was in the country with his younger brother Isaac (19-years-old), for the threeweek Great Commission Course, after which they planned to travel through to Mozambique, to serve at a Mission there. Sweltering Heat It was a sweltering hot day and after ministering at a church in Bellville South in the morning, Michiah, his brother Isaac and some other participants of the intensive Great Commission Course took advantage of the only free time of the packed programme of the week to head off to Newlands Dam for a swim. Severe Water Restrictions The level 6 water restrictions imposed by the City of Cape Town municipal authorities has effectively closed swimming pools, as it is illegal to top-up one’s pool water levels. Therefore the swimming pool that would on other occasions have been available at the Mission, was depleted and the local municipal swimming pool at Newlands was closed. Along with many hundreds
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Michiah Struggles in the Deep The dam is 8 meters (28 feet) deep. Shortly after arrival at the dam, Michiah swam out into the middle of the dam and was then observed to be struggling by Kyle, one of the GCC participants. Kyle immediately swam over and sought to help him, pulling him up as he had gone under the water. Michiah was not saying anything and it appeared that he had swallowed water. Kyle called for help and immediately, Christopher, Calvin and other GCC participants swam over to assist, but by the time they reached the middle of the dam, Michiah had disappeared beneath the surface. Desperate Attempts to Rescue Michiah For the next hour, Calvin frantically dived trying to find Michiah in the murky and deep waters. Other participants of the GCC on the bank phoned for help from local police, Fire and Rescue emergency services and to the Mission. Congestion and Confusion As soon as I heard of the crisis, I raced over with my daughter Daniela and was astounded by the vast amount of traffic and large crowds of people who were at Newlands Dam. They were being evacuated as we were trying to arrive. The police had ordered everyone out of the water and away from the dam, so as to not impede their search and rescue efforts. Rescue Efforts Mobilised The station commander of Rondebosch police station was on site and she informed me that since the closure of the Newlands swimming pool, many hundreds were coming to this dam, especially on very hot days, yet SAN Parks, FRONTLINE FELLOWSHIP 2018 EDITION 1
whose jurisdiction the dam was, did not have any lifeguards on duty. Frustrating Delays My son, Calvin and Brandon, another GCC participant, were still in the water, frustratingly urging police and EMS people on the banks to help. They were informed that procedure prevented them from entering the water. They had to wait for the divers’ arrival. South African Police Service divers and Fire and Rescue divers were enroute battling traffic to get to the dam. Deep and Dark As one Fire and Rescue EMS person said to me, if this was a clear swimming pool, such as at Newlands, they would plunge in, but this is an extremely deep and dark dam and their procedures required them to wait for the divers. Double Loss When I found Isaac, Michiah’s younger brother, he had just completed a phone call back to his parents in Missouri. Incredibly, Isaac told me that 9 years earlier, when he was 9 years old, his elder brother, Timothy, had drowned in America. Intensive Prayer Several of the young women on our GCC were gathered on the banks praying intensely. Calvin was physically exhausted from his desperate attempts to continuously dive and find Michiah.
Shock and Frustration By now Michiah had been beneath the surface for over an hour! Some of our girls expressed shock at callous and thoughtless comments made by bystanders. Kyle expressed great frustration that while he was struggling to keep Michiah afloat, strangers swimming nearby had just looked and done nothing. All of our GCC men had plunged in and swam with great urgency, but they could not reach him in time. Systematic Underwater Search At approximately 5:20pm the South African Police Service Diving Unit and Fire and Rescue services had arrived on the scene and began a systematic search across the floor of the dam. By 6:40pm Michiah’s body was recovered and brought to the surface.
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Prayer and Gratitude We all prayed with Isaac and then both Isaac and I went and shook hands with each of the divers and rescue personnel involved in the operation to personally thank them for their efforts. We then prayed with some of these rescue people by the vehicles and by the body of Michiah and returned after 7pm to report the sad news to all those back at the Mission base. Extraordinary Testimony At this point several testified of what Michiah had said at the Bellville South Church that very Sunday morning: Michiah had testified that when he was 12-years-old, his elder brother, 17-year-old Timothy, had drowned. This brought Michiah to surrender his life to Christ and he read Romans 8:28-30. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Faithful Witness Everyone on the Course testified of Michiah’s extraordinary faith, joy, humility, servant-heart and what a blessing he had been to us all. I recalled the testimony of Faithful, in Pilgrims Progress, who after dying in the Lord was seen taken up by chariots of fire, direct to the Celestial City, while Christian continued on the narrow way, rejoicing in Faithful’s life, witness and steadfastness, being faithful unto death. Much Fruit When later on that evening, I spoke with Michiah’s parents, Paul and Tressa Lancaster and some of their other children, they shared John 12:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” Our Lord in His Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, reminded us that the Lord sows His sons into the world to bear good fruit.
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Parables of the Sower Most people know the first Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:18-23, where we are the sower, the Word of God is the seed and the field is the hearts of people. However, there is a second Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:24-43). In the second parable of the Sower, God is the sower, the sons and daughters of the Kingdom are the seed and the field is the World. We must put down roots where God plants us and we must bear fruit. “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the Kingdom…” Matthew 13:37-38 Life Purpose On Michiah’s Application Form under his Life Purpose, he wrote: “Using every life’s breath for the glory of God. Our life is short. So we must do all that we can for His glory and nothing else.” “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15 To Glorify God and Worship Him Forever In answer to the question: What is God's ultimate call in your life? Michiah answered: “Giving Him glory! The fear of the Lord has called me to be a Missionary. I am daily waiting on Him and seeking to do all that I can for His glory.” Previously, Michiah has been involved in missions to Mexico and Mozambique. Mission to Africa Must Continue Michiah’s parents, Paul and Tressa Lancaster, made clear to me that they want their son’s body to be buried in Africa and they do not want their younger son, Isaac, to cut short his mission to Africa. They want him to complete the Great Commission Course, which he is eager to do and has continued on
to complete the planned mission to Mozambique. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 We Do Not Mourn as Those who Have No Hope Of course, this has been a traumatic experience for all of us in the Mission and for all the participants of the Great Commission Course. However, the calm and confident faith of Isaac and his family has set the tone and no one has sought to cut short their time of missions training and outreaches with the Great Commission Course. Isaac remained determined to complete the Course and his mission to Mozambique and our team bonded together with even greater intensity Monday, 15 January, we climbed to the top of Lions Head and held a time of prayer and hymn singing, praising God for the life of Michiah and praying for many to be brought to Salvation in Christ as a result of his testimony. Thanks Be to God On Sunday 14 January, we read 1 Corinthians 15:12-58. The concluding verses gave us our marching orders: “…Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:54-58. Yours for the fulfilment of the Great Commission Dr. Peter Hammond www.FrontlineMissionSA.org
MICHIAH LANCASTER 1996 - 2018
FRONTLINE FELLOWSHIP 2018 EDITION 1
FRONTLINE FELLOWSHIP 2018 EDITION 1