African Diaries

South Africa

December 2, 2007
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield departed from church services at the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA where Pastor Cofield was Pastor Lusk ’s guest preacher for the conclusion of his 25th anniversary. Pastor Cofield preached on Gideon and his subject was ‘Why God takes little and accomplishes much’

December 2, 2007 at 5:20pm
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield departed from JFK on South Africa Airlines to South Africa.

December 3, 2007
They arrived in South Africa at about 5:30pm and spent the rest of the evening discussing Pastor Cofield's commitment level to the vision of Stand for Africa to empower indigenous church leaders in Africa to do holistic and effective ministry.

KINGDON OF SWAZILAND

December 4, 2007
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield left South Africa at 6:50am for Swaziland and arrived at 7:50am.

They had breakfast with Kevin Ward and associates from Light House Ministry.

The Project Managers Kevin and Helen Ward are doing a great job at their Hawane Children's Home where they provide life skills training, and educational support.

"What came to my mind after touring the Hawane home for the Children later that day was compassion, love, hope, peace, and healing" - Rev. Lusk

One of the most impressive things that we witnessed was the work of two very dedicated nurses from the United Kingdom who operate the clinic in the Hawane Home. They have been very successful in caring for the children infected by the HIV virus that the hospice house doesn't have any patients. The hospice once used to house the dying is now hosting guests and children sleep-overs.

Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield visited Hope House where school fees was paid and uniforms were purchased with support from Stand For Africa and was very impressed with the leadership of Pastor Lewis.

He is a strong leader with compassion, and a sharp intellect. The school is built on mountainous terrain and houses boys who were found fending for themselves sleeping in the wooded hills.

Girl with her iMatter HIV/AIDS prevention education textbook

Girl with her iMatter textbook

The pastors also visited the Book of Hope Ministry. The project manager is Magugu Mncina and received a report from Magugu. Book of Hope Ministry provides HIV/AIDS prevention education to schools in Swaziland. They do this using the iMatter Curriculum which was prepared by Hope Education.
They provide materials as well as training to teachers and caregivers on this curriculum.

Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield visited one of the schools that Stand For Africa supports and saw the material at work and were quite pleased but were concerned after noticing that almost all the children (over fifty in number) were without shoes. They were both moved to purchase shoes for all of them and delivered them as a surprise the next day. Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield spent the reminder of the day preparing for the surprise.

December 5, 2007
The pastors met with the schoolmaster and parents to get their permission to serve their children. Pastor Lusk was introduced and addressed the group of parents through a translator. He was received very well. The soccer balls the pastors had taken with them were given to the schoolmaster to be put in the school inventory.

Pastor Lusk washes student's feet

Shortly after, the children gathered. Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield took water and a pan and washed the childrens feet. They then put shoes on their feet. The children were shy but extremely grateful.

Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield then departed by car traveling from the Kingdom of Swaziland to Maputo, Mozambique with a sense of accomplishment but knowing that there is so much more to be done.

MOZAMBIQUE

December 6, 2007
The pastors had an early breakfast with Father Carlos and were on the road again. They traveled for 3 hours to Maciene.

They went to villages and met and prayed for some of the villagers Stand For Africa supports. The seeds that were purchased for planting vegetables were well managed. They saw Stand For Africa fields ready for harvest.

They saw livestock purchased by Stand For Africa multiplying and providing protein needed for a proper diet. "We were very impressed with their work"

Father Carlos, Pastor Cofield and staff

"Father Carlos is a miracle worker. He has done much with very little". Pastor Lusk asked him to send us a proposal for his needs for 2008. He had indicated that they need two motorcycles as an immediate need.

December 7, 2007
The pastors left Mozambique and traveled to Tanzania.

They attended the wedding of Lazaro Nyalandu, the project manager of Touch Tanzania. Touch Tanzania is one of Stand For Africa's grantees. "It was a beautiful wedding" Unfortunately their baggage was lost so they were forced to improvise.

TANZANIA

December 8, 2007
The trip to Tanzania was a spring board for a series of important foundational meetings with: Paul Kyama Management Accountability of Uganda, and Jane Wathome the Director of Beacon of Hope of Kenya.

Beacon of Hope Center

The Beacon of Hope is also a grantee of Stand For Africa. They work with women and children who are infected and affected by HIV / AIDS.

December 11, 2007
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield flew to the island of Zanzibar to review a project.

MALAWI

December 15, 2007
The pastors left Tanzania at 5:20 am and arrived in Malawi at 9:25 am.

When they arrived in Malawi, the pastors were met by Justin Majawa of Save the Orphans Ministries. He drove 3 hours out of Lilongwe to see the Save The Orphans project. Pastor Lusk was pleased with his model of economic sustainability. The pastors saw the children served by the ministry, the clinic for the sick, and fields of crop to harvest. They then drove another 2 hours to their hotel.

“The following day at 7:00am Dennis Mwangwela of World Relief drove over 2 hours to the other side of Malawi to show us his work. We met and talked to the youth leaders, adult volunteers, and a Church Board comprised of both men and women. Afterward we met the pastor of a small church that had no doors or windows just openings with tin roof, ooh boy did we have Church…They sang songs in their tongue but I recognized some of them by the beat…Oh how love Jesus, I surrender all, we will understand it better by and by… To hear these saints singing in their humble and meager dwelling “Oh how I love Jesus” stirred my heart. To hear them singing we will understand it better by and by shook my soul. To hear that African preacher preach and see people coming to Jesus after sermon while they sang All to Jesus I surrender gave me so much inspiration. We drove back on cloud nine!" - Rev. Lusk

What is very impressive about World Relief is their unyielding and unparalleled commitment to working with and through the Church without apology.