African Diaries
South Africa
December 2, 2007
Pastor Lusk and Cofield departed from Church services at the GEBCH where Cofield was pastor’s guest preacher for the conclusion of his 25th anniversary. Pastor Cofield preached on Gideon and his subject was ‘Why God take little and accomplishes much’
December 2, 2007 at 5:20pm
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield departed from JFK on South Africa Airlines to S 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.
December 4, 2007 - Kingdom of Swaziland
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield leave South Africa at 6:50am for Swaziland and arrive at 7:50am.
At 9:00am they had breakfast with Kevin Ward to be briefed on activities regarding the Light House Ministry.
The Project Managers Kevin and Helen Ward are doing a great job. They provide support to HIV/AIDS orphans by providing, at their Shelter Hawane Children’s Home, 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 experienced was the work of two very dedicated nurses from the UK 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 house 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 leader of Pastor Lewis.
He is a leader who is reflective of strength, compassion, and has a sharp intellect. The school was built in the mountain terrain and houses and trains boys who were found fending for themselves sleeping in the wooded hill sides of the maintains.
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 Cofield visited one of the supported schools saw the material at work and were quite pleased but were concerned after noticing that almost all of children (over fifty in number) were without shoes. They were both moved to purchase shoes for all of them and plan to deliver them as a surprise the next day. Dec 5th Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield spent the reminder of the day preparing for the surprise.
December 5, 2007
The pastors had breakfast early then returned to the school. Upon return they had to meet with the schoolmaster and parents to get their permission to serve their children. Pastor Lusk was introduced and addressed the parent group 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.
Shortly after, the children gathered. Pastor Lusk and Cofield took water and a pan and washed the feed of the children. 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.
They arrived several hours later and rested preparing for the next day.
December 6, 2007
The pastors had an early breakfast with Father Carlos at the Hotel and were on the road again. They traveled for 3 hours to Maciene and were extremely impressed by the work.
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 SFA fields ready for harvest.
They saw livestock purchased by SFA multiplying and providing protein needed for a proper diet.
Father Carlos is a miraclel 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 a wedding of Lazaro, the project manager of Touch Tanzania, which is one of our grantees. Unfortunately their baggage was lost so they were forced to improvise. It was a beautiful wedding.
December 8, 2007
The wedding was also a spring board for a series of important foundational meetings with: Paul Kyama Management Accountability of Uganda, Jane Wathome the Director of Beacon of Hope of Kenya and others who were in attendance.
The pastors did not get the chance to see Bishop Munga who oversees the Irente Children’s Home project SFA supports in Tanzania because of scheduling conflicts, however they did meet Bishop Munga’s Bishop who conducted Lazaro’s wedding
December 11, 2007
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofield flew to the island of Zanzibar to see an orphanage but found out that it was not faith based and as such did not meet SFA criteria for support.
They were in Zanzibar two nights went back to Tanzania to Malawi the next day
December 15, 2007
The pastors left Tanzania at 5:20 am and arrived in Malawi at 9:25 am.
When we got to Malawi we were met by Justin Majawa of Save the Orphans Ministries and he drove 3 hours out of Lilongwe to see his work with the orphans. Pastor Lusk was pleased with his model of economic sustainability. They saw the children he serves, the Clinic for the sick children, and fields of crop to harvest for sell. They then drove another 2 hours to the Sunbird Capital Hotel where they were staying.
“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. That morning we got a lot accomplished. 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 with no doors are 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 Afican preacher peach and see people coming to Jesus after sermon while they sang “All to Jesus I surrender” gave me so much inspiration.
What is very impressive about World Relief is their unyielding and unparalleled commitment to working with and through the Church without apology.
On this trip the pastors purchased some African Art to auction off to raise funding for ministry in Africa.
“We drove back on cloud nine!” Pastor Lusk
December 17, 2007
They began their trip home.
December 18, 2007
Pastor Lusk and Pastor Cofied arrive at JFK airport after a successful trip to Africa.
