Back in Africa

We had a great time visiting our friends and family in the US. March 13th was our oldest son's birthday which was celebrated with a family dinner at Anthony and Nattasha's house. One of the highlights of the trip was the arrival of our newest gran daughter "Alexis Taylor Tidwell". She is healthy and happy. Her big sister Riley calls her "my baby".

 We had a chance to be with churches and friends in our home town of Granbury, East Texas and California. The Lord is so faithful and His presence was evident in every meeting. It was great to see how the believers in every place are growing in His grace and walking in the destiny He has for each of them.

The ash cloud over Europe gave us an extra week to rest up before we returned to South Africa. Thank you so much to all of you for your hospitality and love. We are so blessed to have you all praying for us as we continue in the work the Lord has called us to.

March 5, 2010

It has been a busy start to this year with our ministry work in Durban and the greater Natal provence in South Africa. We have spent most traditional service times with different fellowships in the Indian areas surrounding Durban. Our work with these fellowships ranges from conducting services to giving varying degrees of counsel and direction to leaders for their ministries. The work is similar with the Zulu Christians although we've found there is a great need for bibles in their native language. We are partnering with a local ministry, JAB (Jesus and Business), to distribute these in the rural areas of the Northern Drakensburg Mountains of Kwazulu-Natal.

Because making disciples is part of our mission, we have been particularly encouraged by the way some of the men have progressed since coming to know Christ in our bible study in the Tete area. Brother Battie has started his own prayer meeting to pray for our area and the work that we are doing in the Indian area of Phoenix. Please pray for our trip home to the USA on March 10. We need the Lord to come through in many areas during the five weeks we are away on this trip.

A call to action!

February 25, 2009

Pictured to the right is a typical advertisement for a witch doctor/spiritualist in the greater Durban area of South Africa. While a large part of the population in Durban is traditionally drawn to this type of occultic evil, most Christians would think of it as a novelty or something that would never directly impact their lives. The noteworthy part about this flyer is that it was being circulated in one of the most conspicuously "Christian" communities in the greater Durban area. The men mentioned here are in business and have apparently found it worth their while to advertise their product in Salt Rock/Ballito.

God help us if we sit idly and let such brazen boasts of the enemy of Christ go unchallenged.

I'm currently challenged by 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NASB) which
says,
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to
the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

There are two conditions to effectively fighting the "war" every Christian is born into. To begin with we need to ask the Lord to search our own hearts and be sure that our own "obedience is complete." Then we need to take such boasts to the Lord in prayer and not stop until they are silenced by Him.

Blessings in Christ ----------------------Rodney,Trina,Bridget

Drakensberg Zulu Conference

We have just returned home from three days of teaching in a rural Zulu community. This village is at the base of the Drakensberg Mountains and is a very poor community. We had a great time and were very blessed to see the hunger for the Lord. In the first meeting we saw many people give their lives to the Lord and the second meeting most of those who were already believers received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We delivered 250 Zulu New Testaments and were asked to bring twice as many complete Bibles on the next trip up.

Pastor's Paul and Kumari Murugen of the Church of Philadelphia

We've just finished doing a four night revival session in the Indian area of Durban called Phoenix. We were

initially supposed to be involved for only one night, but as the Lord moved we were asked to continue for the

entire venue!

Speaking to Pastor Paul reminds me of the wisdom I used to hear from my own spiritual fathers. He has already given great insight into many important aspects of the spiritual history of Phoenix. It is my hope that we will work together significantly in the future to further God's Kingdom in this area.

John 8:12 (NASB)says,

12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

One of the most exciting and sobering experiences of this past week came when I was asked by another Phoenix pastor to come with him and pray for a boy in a Hindu family. As soon as we reached the home, the "darkness" of Hinduism was on clear display through the shrine of idols that made up a corner of the main living area. We were told that the boy was so lacking in peace he couldn't sleep. As we spoke to him and shared that Christ was the only true way to experience relief, he and the family agreed that it was time to give Jesus a chance. There was an instant difference in his countenance as he prayed the sinner's prayer. I left the home encouraged, but also aware that there are multitudes in the same condition, desperately needing the "Light of life" that only Christ provides. Please continue to pray for boldness and power to exhort the Body of Christ to proclaim Christ to the lost in Phoenix and elsewhere. We are "the light to the world (see Matthew 5:14)" and it is vital that we shine Christ into the darkness that covers so many.

 We will minister in the Indian and Zulu churches and communities most days this month. It will be a very busy month but the rewards are great!

Thank you so much for your love and support as we endeavour to spread  the Word of God in the areas He has called us to.