DESPERATE FOR GOD
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020 FREE COPY
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CONTENTS PAGE 11
COVER STORY DRAWING STRENGTH IN PRAYER 6-I WAS IN DESPERATE NEED OF JESUS FOR ME TO ACCEPT HIM (A TESTIMONY OF THABANG MOAGI ON HOW HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO CHRIST) 8- DEPRESSION, AFFECTING THE FAMILY IN MANY WAYS (WE LOOK HOW HAVING A PATIENT WITH CLINICAL DEPRESSION AFFECTS THE SETUP OF THE FAMILY AND OTHERS LIVING WITH THEM) 13- MINISTRY VISION 15- SEX WORK AND PHENOMELILY 18- FEAR MY WORST ENEMY (A POEM BY COLLEEN MAPATWANA) 19- GABORONE BICYLE MAYOR MAKING A CHANGE 3 | A f r i c RECIPE an bond magazine 21-LASAGNE
From the Editor Welcome to another issue by the African Bond. African Bond magazine was established in 2019 to address all areas of a life. Its main purpose is to guide you, show you the beauty of God in everything that exists. This time we have themed our magazine “DESPERATE FOR GOD”. Who are we that we can live without God, who are we that we can trust our own knowledge and understanding. A person who is always desperate for the presence of God is like a person who is desperate for water in the middle of the dessert. Like we can’t do without oxygen, we will never make it without God. An inspiring story of a young man, Thabang Moagi, who tells us how desperate he was for Jesus and he accepted him is the first story that is featured in today’s issue. There comes a time in our life when we realize that God is the pillar and giver of life. As our mission is to celebrate God in our lives and encourage others, Nobathembu Mabeka, a former Joyous Celebration Worshiper shares her journey in the music industry and how God has been good to her career wise and life in general. She tells us how she managed to release some of her songs during this pandemic.
CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS EDITION COLLEEN MAPATWANA T. W. MOAGI CONNIE MODISE
THE AFRICAN BOND African Christian Magazine P. O. BOX 501865, GABORONE BOTSWANA EMAIL: amogelang@europe.com CELL: +27 83 268 4204 : +267 748 710 34
Do not forget to like our Facebook page The African Bond for updates. Happy readings. God is Love. God is good.
The Editor in Chief
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Thabang
I Was In Desperate Need OF Jesus for me To Accept Him In the early days of January 2012, I kept getting this feeling that I was being called and that voice and urge was pulling me to the church of God. For almost 3 months I kept constantly feeling this urge growing stronger and stronger, but naturally, I ignored and continued with my fast life. But there came a time when it all crumbled; everything around me just went upside down and I had no control over anything. When I accepted Jesus in my life, I had run out of solutions; I lay on my couch alone in the dark with a rope nicely tied beside me. The only person who kept calling me was my mother, Thabang moagi declaring that my life belongs to Jesus; little did I know back then what the woman of faith was doing in the spirit. 6|African bond magazine
And in the midst of all that, the tears and the pain, I managed to call out the words...."I need Jesus". I did not know how I knew there was a solution called Jesus and neither did I have anyone to convince me who Jesus is, but somehow inside me, I knew that there was a solution and His name is Jesus. He saved me, on the 18th March 2012, I was born again. He took away all my pain and there came into me a breath of fresh new life, a feeling that I will never forget. A weight had just come off my shoulders and I knew that moment what it felt to be born again and I tell you, no experience can ever match that feeling.
TESTIMONIES
Inside me I believed that had I taken that rope; I would have been a memory only for a few months and then be forgotten. So I purposed in my heart that I died and was born again. But in my new life, I declared that I will serve the Lord, knowing that I am still a baby in the spirit and Satan will not like to hear those words. I was tormented, I was put through the fire, but I purposed in my heart that what the devil can do to a dead man. Because the little baby spirit has already overcome the world, He is born from heaven and comes already overcome. I pursued and went after God, knowing that I had a purpose, that Jesus saved me from the rope for a purpose. I endured and did not stop asking God, He spoke about my businesses and the wealth I was ordained to have; but I said thank you, but that is not important, what is important is what I am called to do in your house. That was my focus in this new life, that I would rather die in the hands of Jesus, because death called and He saved me, so I owe Him my soul and my life. Finally; in December 2014, my Father in the Lord Prophet Julius revealed the answer to my prayer of almost 3 years; the answer to my calling. Nobody had ever told me, either because they avoided it or because they were not sure but I always knew, God does not save for the sake of it or amusement, He has a Purpose.
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But now that I knew, fear came upon me, not fear of the calling, or fear of failure, because I knew I did not call myself and failure is not His portion, nor is anything going to be done by my own strength. But my biggest fear was finding myself using God's gift for the wrong things, getting on God's wrong side because of disobedience. This was and still my biggest fear, to infuriate God, to misrepresent God, to speak my own and preach for my own gain. I have known Him and I have learnt that He is a loving Father, a humble Master and very slow to anger. But I do not want to get on His wrong side ever. Therefore in order to avoid that I humbled myself even more, I denied myself even more, I emptied myself even more, I decreased so that He may increase and that I will do until He comes.
AFRICAN BOND
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FAMILY DEPRESSION, AFFECTING THE WHOLE FAMILY IN MANY WAYS CLINICAL DEPRESSION
Abuse
Most of us do not take depression seriously until it affects our overall lives. Clinical depression, defined as a mood disorder that negatively affects how a person thinks, changing their behavioral patterns and feeling.
Excessive stress due to loss of job or loved one
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
CLINICAL
People with clinical depression; Have a depressed mood and are fatigued They have the thought of killing themselves do not have interest on the things they used to love their desire for sex ; sleeping patterns and appetite changes they have difficulty in concentration CAUSES OF DEPRESSION A person can have depression because someone in the family have it. Other mood disorders like bipolar disorder can cause depression
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Environmental factors Psychological and social factors
TYPES OF DEPRESSION MAJOR DEPRESSION; A person has constant sadness and depressed mood, losing interest in life PERSISTANT DEPRESSIVE DISORDER; A PERSON IS EXPERIENCING MAJOR AND MINOR SYMPTOMS PSYCHOTIC DEPRESSION; accompanied by psychosis episodes, a person can also experience hallucinations or detachment from reality POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION; commonly occurs in new mothers, due to hormonal adjustments taking place after child birth. SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER; mood depressive order due to the limited amount of daylight.
AFRICAN BOND
FAMILY
It is very important to get some help when you are suffering with depression or any mood disorders. Depression limits your decision making capabilities, it oppresses others who are around you, ruins your health, social and career life and also ruins relationships.
How is Depression affecting the Family? 1. Creates barrier Because having someone who is depression makes relationships to be difficult due to poor communication and the patient always attacking the loved ones or feels attacked or down all the time. This will draw people staying with them away. And creates a relationship barrier. 2. Causes other sicknesses You can imagine how it is to be around someone with a low mood all the time. The strain of the mind, the constant worries causes others to be depressed also 3. Affect the kids A parent with depression might not be able to bond well with their children because they get very irritated easily. They fail to give children affection and maintain a routine for them which will disturb them on their studies and social life. 4. Affects the development
child’
brain
Since the child is shaped by what is around them, they can be affected because of the mood of the parent and fail to control their own mood and take their own decisions. 9|African bond magazine
Nobathembu Mabeka.Mhlongo
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COVER STORY
NOBATHEMBU MABEKA
DRAWING STRENGTH IN PRAYER I am Nobathembu Mabeka- Mhlongo and I was born and bred in South Africa, in the dusty streets of Mdantsane township in East London at Eastern Cape province. I am a last born at home, I grew up in a Christian home, raised in a loving, stable and healthy home, that instilled so much values and now happily married to my Husband Pst Sifiso W.Mhlongo She discovered her singing talents from her tender age with a rare composing gift, during her adult years she joined Joyous Celebration in 2005, a platform she would never forget, she already had a Solo Album that was popular in her own province. Joyous Celebrations was a huge break and a dream come true for her, it was a huge platform that gave her a great exposure, she travelled the world and found herself gaining momentum worldwide, she has arranged and composed hit songs in Joyous celebrations like Kumnandi, Siphethu Ngqo, Thulawazi and Popular Baleka
From a tender age of 13 years I accepted Jesus Christ, I chose to use my voice for the Kingdom of God. To me music is a ministry, I am just an instrument used by God to convey his message to His people through my music In my experience with God I have learnt that he is a living God, an Omni present God, you can communicate with him and develop a good and a personal relationship, he is not deaf he communicates back, in a language that would make sense to you, he answers prayers To me God is a father, a friend, an advisor, a reprimander, a healer and a restorer, he becomes what you need him at the time, he is an all in one. I have allowed myself in the negative environment to live my life to the fullest, I’ve allowed myself to make honest mistakes, to learn from them, in my experience negative people are my fuel to do better, to grow and rise. I have also learnt to guard my surroundings and the company I keep, as I continue to rise triumphantly irrespective of the negative circumstances surrounding me
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My trying season is when I lost my Mom and brother within the same year, while my Dad was diagnosed with Cancer, that season did hit home, I was hurting and very miserable. I drew strength in prayer and my trust in God sustained me, I had to trust his word that he will never put more on me than I can bear, I had to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel, I had a very strong support structure, my husband, close friends and relatives I have an amazing album titled I am a living testimony with 10 songs it’s available on hard copy/disc it has 4 songs available online, so I decided during the pandemic to add 2 songs online from that album they became 2 singles available during the pandemic I felt "There’s nothing" will uplift so many people, that nothing will ever separate
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Us from the love of God, hunger, tribulation, death can’t separate us from the love of God Second single Akadingi voti carries a strong message that says God doesn't need your vote or approval to prove he is God, he is God regardless of our situations My message to the world during this Pandemic season, is that before the foundations of the earth God knew about this season and he has allowed it, let us pray for one another as the Countries, let us be united in fighting this pandemic, this is a season of solidarity, unity and a positive attitude, With faith and prayer we shall beat this. Let us carry each other till the end of this war
BOND MISSION
T. W. MOAGI
MINISTRY VISION A vision is meant to prosper all those who follow it, because the mind of a man is prone to wondering aimlessly without direction. Man cannot be united by each man pursuing his own desire, nor can any man stand-alone without his brother in battle. The vision to overcome combines the will of two men to be one, to achieve the vision. If there is no vision, though two men are bound together by a situation, they cannot walk in sync, because each man would want the other to sacrifice for his own ambitions. This is what causes contentions among men, every man wanting his desires to be met and to be fulfilled. Why is there a vision in the Body of Christ, when we have the Bible already to guide us? This is because each man receives his own revelation, each man would believe he is right, and the desire to be heard.
more than the other will always want to manifest itself. The devil divides a kingdom by telling each man his desires are more valuable than the next man. Humility teaches us to submit to God's word, God’s will and His plan for our lives. God expresses His will in the Body of Christ through a Vision. There is a vision that has been given for our sakes, so that together as a collective we may have one mind, we may have one direction and we may walk in sync with each other, be at peace with each other because we are all focused on the upward call of Christ, which is the Vision that has been given to us. Without vision we would wonder each man pursuing his own desire and missing his heavenly assignment. Where there is no vision there is idleness, there is confusion, there is double mindedness and as a result contentions. What is the vision that has been put before your Ministry?
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A PHENOMENAL WOMAN
COLLEEN MAPATWANA
SEX WORK AND PHENOMENALITY Greetings to all the Queens and the Princesses of the Almighty God, My African Women of Phenomenon; be greeted in the most wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this Issue I would like us to take a look at sex work and Gender Based Violence. I would like to engage you in this article my beautiful African Queens, Tell me what you think about sex work! Would you call a woman who is a sex worker a Phenomenal Woman? Do these women deserve to be illtreated by society? What is the feeling of God about them? Do they have a place in the Kingdom of God?
GBV has become so common in many households in S.A.; many women suffer from anxiety and depression because they leave in silence and fear. They fear to be judged and undermined by their fellow women and the entire society. Some of these women even take the blame for their abuse believing that they deserved it. My precious phenomenal woman refuse to die in silence, arise above the circumstances because you are more than that!
COLLEEN MAPATWANA c Rahab the Prostitute Let us take a look on the life of Rahab the prostitute as the bible calls her in Joshua 2:1 Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite Camp to Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. {New Living Translation} In the above scripture the Children of Israel were about to cross the river Jordan to possess the land that the Lord had promised to them. Joshua who was leading Israel after the death of Moses sent two spies to scout the land; these men spent the night at Rahab’s house.
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I don’t know whether the men spent the night at Rahab’s house so that she might entertain them or because it was closer to the gates of the city. The King of Jericho heard that there were men from Israel that were there to spy on the land and were lodging at Rahab’s house. • The King sent orders to Rahab to bring out the men from Israel but Rahab had hidden them on the roof. Rahab recognized that the name who spent the night at her house were not ordinary men; they were different from the clients that she used to have, they were sent by the God of Israel. • Rahab made the men to make an oath by the Lord the God of Israel that when Jericho is destroyed, they will save her and her family; then she let them out of the city by a rope and told them to hide on the hill country for three days until the search was over.
Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house. So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her I the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. Joshua 6:24-25 NLT In the above scripture we learn that Rahab saved her whole family by hiding those spies; everything including people was burnt down in Jericho except for Rahab’s family. Would you say Rahab was a phenomenal woman because she hid the spies and did not entertain them during the night as that was what she did for a living? Would you say the prostitution in Rahab was the plan of God?
Please share your views with us on our Facebook page The African Bond or email amogelang@europe.com If you would like to know more about Sex workers and gender based violence in S.A visit The Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) www.sweat.org.za and Sisonke, the National Movement of Sex Workers www.sisonke.org.za
We will be sharing your views on sex work and gender based violence on our next issue!
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POEM COLLEEN MAPATWANA
Fear, My Worst Enemy
Whispers of darkness in the stillness of the night Whispers of darkness echoing in my ears Sitting alone under a palm tree Shadows of darkness folding in my thoughts Tears streaming down my face, Squeezing my legs in despair, pulling my body against the trunk of a tree. Fear was crawling down my spine, Darkness became my robe for the night I feared the sound of his voice that was filled with anger I feared his strong arms that used to embrace me, But now have become sjambok. Remembering the psalm of David that said, “Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil� I found comfort in the stillness of the night. I was broken inside, fear controlled me I could not move, I feared to fear him His fear in me became my worst enemy How did I get here? How did I become so fearful? 18 | A f r i c a n b o n d m a g a z i n e
Before meeting this monster It was fear that feared me, It is fear that made me to be clumsy at work, It is fear that changed my cat walk strides into running Wearing long dresses just to impress the fear of him inside me Fear! Your time to fear in me is over I decide to free myself from all fear I will never fear again For fear fears no one.
LIFESTYLE He says cycling does also benefit on the health side of life because of the exercise that takes place during a ride. Cycling embassy Botswana is determined to fight the attitude and the mindset associated with riding a bicycle since many look down upon it and label it as for the poor regardless of the benefits. Their main challenge is lack of support from all key stakeholders such as public sector or government, private sector, the civil society and general public. There is a Global Call to Action from the Bicycle Mayor Leadership Forum as well as the UN resolution declaring 3rd June as World Bicycle Day. Mr Mpaphi Ndubo, a selfacclaimed cycling ambassador, has formed an NGO called Cycling Embassy Botswana, to help give voice to the humble bicycle. Although bicycle is the oldest mode of transport, is set to also be the vehicle of the future, beating all innovations such as electric cars and selfdriving cars on numerous fronts. He is encouraging all of us to contribute to making the planet greener and habitable by using a mode of transport that does not too much impact on the climate change as well as global
Warming. Cycling is the healthiest. It's the cheapest to make, to buy, to maintain and to provide infrastructure for. It's the most eco-friendly mode of transport with the least after life waste produced as scrap. It's fuel efficient and has no greenhouse emissions, contributing to the fight against climate change. Its economic potential is great as a gateway to many human face business opportunities, creating the much needed employment for the masses and helping in the fight against poverty and hunger especially for youth and women.
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Even though they have put together an integrated public educational outreach programme to raise awareness about the untapped potential of cycling, they have failed to deliver this over the last 4 years due to lack of support and limited funding.
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LASAGNE RECIPE Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
250g beef mince
250g pork mince
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g tin chopped tomatoes
200ml beef stock
200ml red wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Source: Tesco Real Food
Method 1. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over a low heat. Fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for 5 mins, or until softened. Add the mince and fry on a medium heat until golden. Turn up the heat, pour in the wine and bubble until reduced. Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and stock. Add in the Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 15 mins, or until the liquid has reduced. Season. 2. Meanwhile, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat and add the flour. Whisk until combined and cook on low for 1-2 mins. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until you have a loose sauce. Season. Return to a gentle heat and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens.
3. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Layer up the lasagne in a baking dish, starting with a third each of the ragu, then the 9-12 lasagne sheets (depending pasta, then the white sauce. Repeat twice. Top with the Parmesan on the size of your baking dish) and mozzarella then bake in the oven for 40-45 mins, until piping hot and crisp and bubbling on top. Serve immediately. 50g Parmesan, grated Freezing and defrosting guidelines 150g pack mozzarella, shredded Once the dish has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight, For the white sauce freezer-safe container, seal and freeze for up to 1-3 months. To 50g butter serve, defrost thoroughly in the fridge overnight before reheating. Loosely cover with foil and bake until dish is thoroughly heated 50g plain flour 21 | A f r i c a n b o n d m a g a z i n e through. Reheat until piping hot. 550ml semi-skimmed milk S
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