Welcome
to Lifeline Ministries Southern Africa
Introduction
Lifeline
Ministries Southern Africa began as an evangelistic and basic discipleship
ministry as part of Emmanuel Press, which began in South Africa under
David Newington in 1945. In 1976, during UDI, because the border
closures prevented literature getting through, Pastor Ron Davies received a call
from God to relocate to Salisbury (now Harare). See the menu for a
more full history of Lifeline's formation and development over the years.
Holroyd New
Life Church has supported the ministry of Lifeline Ministries Southern
Africa since 1982. This site is dedicated to providing up-to-date information on
what is going on in LMSA's ministries. It is done primarily from an
Australian perspective, aiming at increasing awareness particularly in Australia /
New Zealand of the work LifeLine does in Southern Africa.
We aren't website development experts. You won't find any bells and
whistles here.... but we hope the information, reports, and photos
inspire more folks to get involved in what we know firsthand is a
"good work in the Gospel"!
Stress
has been on a balance of Christian activity that emphasises development of local ministry potential, while also developing self-help
programs of food and work provision, relief ministry, literature publications for evangelism and basic Bible and Leadership training.
In Australia, the emphasis has shifted more recently to supplying resources to
resource centres being established for all the ministers and leaders
in a local area.
In
addition to financial contributions, a certain amount of material aid has
also gone - clothing, shoes, medical and pharmacy donations, educational materials
(the amount often determined by the
kindness of airline staff and stretched weight allowances!).
Donations collected and distributed go a
long way towards practical assistance and helping equip nationals for ministry in their own countries!
Donations
made by concerned people are added to
our own church's regular remittances, and everything goes on 100%
for use in
Southern Africa. We take care to direct funds specifically to where
a donor requests (e.g. Sparrows Nest orphanage in Mozambique has received
wonderful help from this kind of giving). We pray
continually that God will bless and enlarge our
storehouse so we can give again and again! Over the months and years
ahead!
Our own church has
been involved in the outworking of this vision for some years, not only in
financing and praying for the program, but sending teachers to be an
active part of the Lifeline Ministry Development courses. See the stop
press below for further news on this.
We hope you are inspired to become a Friend
of Lifeline too by your visit here!
We
ensure every cent given gets forwarded to Africa. Absolutely NO admin.
costs are taken out. If you are interested in helping, or contributing, or
would like regular updates sent to you, contact us. And we keep
a close firsthand eye on where the aid is distributed (something that is
more difficult to do in some larger relief organisations where 30%+
normally goes to cover admin costs, and close relational ties are not so
easily formed with those receiving assistance). Other
collection agencies exist for Lifeline around the world - go
to contact details...
Please
direct
any enquiries to newlife@hnlc.org.au.
You can deposit direct by telegraphic transfer into
the bank account of Holroyd New Life Church (BSB
062-428, a/c 2803 1618),
but please email us advising what you want done with the donation).
If
you're interested in supporting Lifeline in any way, or receiving regular
news, contact us at this email address, or call (61) 02-98962514. Lifeline
Southern Africa's Field Administrator is Loxley Ford. Loxley works with his
wife, Mavis, out of Harare, Zimbabwe. His e-contact is lifeline@africaonline.co.zw.
What
can we do?
Here's the practical situation right now...
-
We
can give - donations of finance are easiest to transport and
allocate; plus reasonable quality clothes, shoes, and educational material. Financing the ongoing work of Lifeline will help
ensure the development of the next generation of leaders and workers in
the churches of Sthn Africa. Our giving will also help alleviate the
pressure on many people there right now - their needs include food,
medical, transport costs, educational helps, etc. Details
on how to give are included above....
-
And
some of us can go. For this aspect, you need to touch base
with Brian Rensford regarding the current status of visits and what's
required. Fuel, accommodation, and economic factors are making it
very difficult for team visits at present.
CONTACT
DETAILS
Reports of
various African Lifeline activities follow.
These respect the
cultural sensitivities of the regions personnel are active in.... updates
over two years old are filed under Older
Updates).
Lifeline
Online
is now available in on the Internet.
It is an attempt to provide basic resource materials from God's word for
ministry development - to people unable to travel to places of group
lectures and discussions. Go there and have a look!
Stop
Press Summary Updates
(under 2 years old)
January 2010 - Loxley
Ford has again visited Sparrows' Nest in Mozambique. The very
encouraging developments are detailed
in his (PDF) report here - with photos. When this
report was brought before Holroyd New Life Church on their January
missions' morning (first Sunday of every month, the morning offering goes
100% into Lifeline activity), $US1400 was given towards improving the
infrastructure for the 60+ children being cared for at Sparrows'
Nest. Mozambique (unlike Zimbabwe until recently) has a safe and
efficient electronic banking system that enables forex to be sent without
"interference" by authorities.
Go
here for an
update re the Training Seminar hosted by the Matabeleland
branch of the EFZ (Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe) - forwarded by John Stambolie
(Administrator of TCZ - Theological College of Zimbabwe), whose kind
assistance enabled the seminar to be put on (and in such a conducive environment!).
December 2009 - Some
significant
developments have continued to emerge from last October 2008's Indaba (=
time of deep discussion). Including new opportunities to establish
regular training seminars and ongoing Ministry Training Programs (MTP's).
Some of these are detailed in the most recent
HNLC Trip Report which covers the 5000km 6-week ministry trip
throughout Zimbabwe and central Mozambique.
Lifeline
Field Director, Loxley Ford, has also reported on the rapid completion of
the Sparrows' Nest Orphanage girls' dormitory highlighted in the same
current report. Go to
Orphans' and
Widows' Reports
for his
report (in PDF).
The
move away from the hyper-inflation Zim$ to $US and Rand has greatly helped
the movement of donations into Zimbabwe. It has also meant locals
can conduct business without worrying how much their cash will devalue
overnight while they sleep! This is good news for all Christian and
Relief organisations.
Mavis
Ford has produced an update of life in Harare - an interesting cameo of
life in an ever-changing unstable society. Also Go
there to read about Loxley and Ishumairi's amazing God-provision
experience in their recent trip to Mozambique when their 4x4 broke all
four fanbelts!!
April 2009 - some
donors have made available funds for micro-investment - empowering local
people to commence a small business which makes them
self-supporting. Our Harare Field Administrator, Loxley Ford,
recently forwarded this report from the bush in the Midlands of Zimbabwe.
Last
week I met with Pastor Cathias Mapiyawo from Takavarasha which is 15 kms,
to the south, down a dust road from the Masvingo/Zvishavane road about
half way between them. I may have told you about him – the man who
took up bee-keeping by reading a book about it with no outside help. He is
a school master and a quite amazing guy. He is also the pastor of a
thriving church of about 150 in his village which is very well organized.
On my advice he undertook the replacement of the front two of the massive
brick columns which effectively divided his church building in two front
to back. We walked around the village and looked at all the scrap iron and
I pointed out bits that could be used for the replacement columns with
bases and a means of picking up the load from the roof trusses that were
carried on the columns. This of course meant propping the roof while the
brick column was removed and the new one set at the right level on the
base. I would have been a bit nervous but he not only got the new columns
made as per my sketch but also did the job.
We
were discussing help for widows and orphans and he mentioned a project he
wanted to start for making peanut butter. His wife, Sally, has grown 1
hectare of peanuts and others in the church are also growing them. The
harvesting and preparation for making peanut butter is quite labour
intensive and he wants to buy a small machine that crushes the peanuts. He
has recently been given a 6-room house at the school which has electricity
and so the project is now viable. I am going with him on Tuesday to try to
find a peanut butter machine in Harare before he goes back on Wednesday.
The
project will involve widows in the church in all the stages of the process
from planting to selling the finished product. I felt that this was a
worthwhile project in which to invest the final USD200 which you left with
me. I have asked Cathias to prepare a statement for you about the project
(this came hand-written and is available on request)
November 2008 - we
have highlighted some of the emerging emphases Lifeline is
engaging in as the situation in Zimbabwe and Mozambique deteriorates
regarding the care of orphans and widows (especially as the AIDS crisis
continues to grow.
Here
are some firsthand examples... go
to separate webpage
And
now for some of the worst news to follow on such an emphasis on widows and
orphans...
Only
today we found out that the only son of Good and Mydei Ndlovu died two
days ago in Chinhoyi hospital. Good was a Lifeline student in 2000,
and worked as the head groundsman at the Harare Base for some 6
years. His son was named Brian (as a first musukuru -
grandson-in-the-faith) for his friend and mentor, Brian Rensford, in
Sydney. The Sydney Lifeline people are deeply distressed by this
tragic death (which probably would never have happened in a functioning
society with an operative health system). Brian was only 9 months
old and as this photo (taken only five weeks ago) shows, he was a healthy
boy. Please pray for Brian's mother and father as they regather
their shattered lives and look to "the God of all comfort" at
this time.
October 2008 - An
important Gathering of the Lifeline Network Leaders took place
mid-October in the Midlands. Attendance at the Indaba (= deep
discussion) was by invitation only and the
response was almost 100% form Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A copy of the
invitation to "the Way Forward" for the
ministry is posted in PDF
here for public viewing. A significant time of prayer,
discussion of emerging structure, and fields of opportunity for service
was contributed to by virtually every one of the 30 delegates
present. More details on the who and what will be posted here in the
next month.
May 2008 -
communications
are proving quite irregular at present, and newsletters have been sporadic
(as well as being carefully written). The latest update (to April
2008) is accessible on the left menu bar. It's extensive, and makes
for very interesting reading.
Meanwhile,
despite the uncertainty gripping the region at present, Brian and Peter
Brown are booked to go again in June; they value your prayers, as Brian responds
to several invitations to conduct Lifeline minsters and leaders' training
seminars in several districts.
Domingos
Caetano, long-time Lifeline brother and pastor in Nhamatanda, Mozambique
has run Sparrows Nest orphanage since 2002. His wife and partner in
ministry, Sister Dorcas, died in March 2008 after several years of long, difficult,
and failing health. Home with Jesus. Domingos continues
looking after (at last report) 56 orphans. Pray for him... And
the children.
Older
Stop Press Updates are filed under Older
Updates...
