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Prayer requests and praises
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The Nazarene World Week of Prayer will be observed Sunday, February 24 - Saturday, March 2. Prayer requests will be posted by February 19 on the NMI Web site included in the weekly Prayer Mobilization Line, and daily on the PML Facebook page For those concerning the Africa Region, click here... For Africa, submit prayer requests
to Linda Braaten at
lbraaten@africa-region.org.za  Please pray for:
- our new missionaries,
- women in the church planting movements,
- children's ministries,
- radio ministries,and
- selfless leadership
to flourish on the Africa Region and the floods to recede.
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Explore the Africa Region
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Come to the website: www.africanazarene.org for updated prayer requests and information about each field and ministry. Check out our Facebook pages!   
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Great weekend at Kuoyo Ndege
- by Rose Ng'ang'a and Sarah Reed
| Children and leaders from across the Rapogi
 | | Building dedication |
Zone (Kenya Lake Victoria District) gathered together with the Redwood Family Church of the Nazarene (Seattle, WA) W&W team to finish the construction of the Kuoyo Ndege Church of the Nazarene. Later, the Africa East Field Strategy Coordinator, Don Gardner, dedicated the building to the glory of God.
Leaders also came together for a very special day of SDMI training. Janet Okinyo, Rose Ng'ang'a, Dennis Okoth, and Sarah Reed worked with Tina Vincent to help nearly 100 children become 'fishers of men.' The children represent a great vision for growth in this
 | | My teachers |
zone. Pastor Maurice Miayi was honored for his years as the Lake Victoria District Children's Ministry Coordinator, while Evelyn Barasa was installed as his successor.
District Superintendent Peter Okinyo said, "When in one accord, the achievement is great."
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Worth the wait - by Jill and Gavin Fothergill
| The Lord placed a love for Africa in both of our hearts while we were in college serving with Youth In Mission (YIM video). Gavin spent a summer serving in South Africa, while Jill was in Madagascar at the same time. We witnessed the Holy Spirit working in people's lives and saw God working through the Church of the Nazarene. At this time, we also saw the many unmet needs of those who live and minister in this part of the world.
 | Train conductor Connor feeling at home
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After getting married and completing seminary, we were appointed as missionaries with the Nazarene Border Initiative. We served in church growth and development in both the US and Mexico while also continuing to lead YIM, which Jill had been working with for several years. Throughout the five years that we served in this location, God never let us forget the special call that he gave us for Africa. As college students returned each summer from YIM and told of what God was doing on the Africa Region, our calls were affirmed as well.
In May 2012, the Africa Region asked us to consider a position on the Africa Middle Field. God was speaking to us for some time that a change was at hand, and we gladly accepted this reassignment in just a few days. Three months later we were in Quebec, Canada studying French. After another short three months of language study, we spent the holidays with our families and arrived in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo on January 3rd.
 | | Triplets! |
After only a month, the DRC already feels like home. An amazing welcoming party of eight pastors greeted us at the airport and helped us get settled into our new home. The hospitality here has been wonderful and we are so pleased to be a part of the Congolese family of God. One way we have already been welcomed was when triplets were born to a local pastor. Two of the baby girls were named Jillian and Macy (after our daughter). In this place, it is customary to name children after visitors or newcomers and is considered a great honor.
We know that the Lord has much more in store for us and for the Church of the Nazarene on the Africa Middle Field. And it was worth the wait.
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Living the talk on the RSA Northeast District - by Collin Elliott
| On January 12, RSA Northeast District Assembly delegates elected Rev. Ezekiel Mnisi to become the district superintendent. The former district superintendent, Rev. M.Calvin Maenetja, had served for seven years.
Rev. Maenetja said, "The church raised us and gave us the opportunity to serve the Lord within her structures; as a result we will be part of God's servants for as long as we are alive. Our desire is to see this district being a place of God-fearing people who will work selflessly and tirelessly to make Christ-like people." He lives his talk.
 | | Revs. Mnisi |
He thought that the district would benefit from new younger leadership with a vision that could take it to a new level, so he selflessly did not stand for re-election. He promised to render any support necessary to the new superintendent when called upon to do so.
Rev. Mnisi, who serves as the NMI representative for the Africa Region, pastors the Nkowankowa Church of the Nazarene. It is the fastest growing church on the district. He was elected on the fifth ballot.
I, as the Africa South Field Strategy Coordinator, was pleased with his election. Undoubtedly, under his leadership, the district will experience much growth.
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| An investment that pays dividends - by John Watton | The investment of radio instruction on the Africa West Field by Peet Voges and World Mission Broadcast- Africa continues to pay dividends. In the recent intensive Communications course taught in Sierra Leone, we were able to incorporate a 'radio project'. Each student had to prepare and record a 5-minute devotional message. All 15 students accomplished this. With the addition of signature music, we played each student's submission back to the class as part of our regular morning devotional times over  the duration of the week.
The process of putting together a scripted, coherent and clear devotion for playback fits wonderfully with the goals of the communications course - namely to improve the oral and written communication skills of the students. The radio project was received and undertaken so well by the students that we added a second radio devotion project to the course requirements -- the students were graded with regard to clarity of speech / variety of tone / passion for topic / absence of distracting noises or vocal habits / improvement over the first submitted project.
We were able to get surprisingly good recordings. By blanking out a window with a mattress to deaden the noise of a busy neighboring household, the little library at the Sierra Leone district center proved a very good venue for the makeshift studio.
One evening during the communications course, the assistant DS Vidal Cole was asked to go and speak on a live radio broadcast at a station in Waterloo, Sierra Leone. He was to introduce the Church of the Nazarene. He took along two of our communications students who had completed their first radio project assignment. It went well and both students expressed gratitude for having spent some practice time in our makeshift studio before tackling the live broadcast.
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Women's challenge to get involved -- by HOA News Team
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The women's ministry for South Sudan South East District came together in January 2013, for a one-week revival and prayer meeting. The theme of their meeting was two-fold: 1. revival and 2. fasting and prayer
 From studying the book of Matthew the women realized that "women were the backbone of the New Testament church." They also realized this could be true for a church planting movement today. From New Testament time women, not just men, have been very active in ministry.
The women on the South Sudan South East District started discussing among themselves how they can be actively involved in church planting. These women decided that they had better opportunities than men to meet people and start churches. It is the women who go to market daily. It is the women who fetch water and go collect firewood. All of these activities provide opportunities for them to meet other people and introduce them to Christ.
Nazarene Missions International District President, Mrs. Rebecca Nyadeng, organized this meeting with 104 women in attendance. The purpose was for the women to have the heart and character to plant churches wherever they go. Pastors and zone leaders were also invited so they can help equip the women and encourage them in this ministry.
The women of South Sudan South East District want to send an urgent message for women to get involved in the holiness church planting movement. The Church of the Nazarene in Area 1 of the Horn of Africa Field is praying that 2013 is a year of action from all believers to have personal revival and to win the lost. |
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Floods in Mozambique - by David Restrick
| On Monday morning, January 15, torrential rains beat down upon the southern Mozambique province of Maputo causing flash floods that wreaked havoc on parts of the city of Maputo. Especially hard hit were the communities of Bairro Ferroviário and Laulane where Seminário Nazareno is located. During the morning hours, more than 120 homes collapsed and were  washed away by the torrents with another estimated 400 damaged or flooded by the rushing waters. Four deaths were reported following the storm, all children under 14 years who were killed when their homes collapsed on top of them. Two Nazarene families lost their homes in these floods, one a pastor, Rev. Veronica Chambule, and the other a member of the Laulane Church of the Nazarene.
The storm system causing the flash floods in Maputo on the 15th also dumped rain in the interior of South Africa in the catchment areas of the rivers that flow through Mozambique. Red alert flood warnings were issued by the Mozambique authorities and by January 22nd, the Inkomati and Limpopo Rivers had passed flood stage. Early on the 23rd, Limpopo District Superintendent, Rev. Daniel Munguambe, along with his family and many church members, were evacuated to higher ground and took shelter in temporary camps established for flood victims. As of February 15, residents still have not been able to return to take up residence in their homes, although clean-up operations are under way.
Waters continued to rise along the Limpopo and reached the town of Xai Xai by week's end causing the evacuation of the lower parts of the city. Water entered the city of Xai Xai but did not reach the Church of the Nazarene located in that part of the city. Xai Xai district superintendent, Rev. Simião Chiponde, reports that approximately ten Nazarene families had their homes flooded and were evacuated to higher areas of the city. As of February 12th, their homes are still under water and they have not been able to return to their homes.
Further north in the country, rains have continued to fall causing flooding along the major rivers. So far, most of the areas flooded are crop lands where people build temporary housing to take advantage of the rich soils of the rivers' flood plains.
According to Mozambican national disaster management sources, there have been 91 deaths country wide, most of them caused by the collapse of houses built of mud bricks and other local materials. Approximately 211,000 persons have been dislocated from their homes, 150,000 of these being in Gaza Province along the course of the Limpopo River.
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries has responded with the purchase of basic materials for sterilizing water and clean up operations. Some local churches in the Maputo area have taken up offerings and collected used clothing in order to assist the flood victims.
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Were you inspired or challenged by something in this issue? Please, let me know. I will pass on comments to the article writers and thereby encourage them.
Amy Crofford,Out of Africa editor
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