July 7, 2008

Four weeks ago I wrote to tell you about a "puncture" (nail) on our way to church. That tire ended up costing me two new tires due to the odd size of the one that went flat, but it nearly cost me more, much more than two tires. Read on...
 
This morning on the way out of the drive I heard an odd sound, sort of like another flat tire, but not quite. In 35 years of driving I have never heard a sound quite like it. A personal investigation yielded nothing, and Jon's inspection while I drove down the road resulted in a "thumbs up" response too.
 
"We'd better go back and take the bakkie," I said. Now on a cold and windy day, taking the bakkie to church was not the idea of "fun" for the boys who would have to ride in the back.
 
We backed up the road, turned into our long drive way, parked the van, and looked under it again. Nothing.
 
Then Kevin (he is a recovering ??? having compounded his past problems with a motorcycle accident in '06 going 180 mph) said, "Uncle Jerry, look at these lug nuts, there loose" and were they ever! It is amazing the wheel didn't fall off, especially this past Friday when we were sailing home from a July 4 outing traveling at highway speed (70 mph). I suppose that after four weeks on some pretty rough roads that even one partially loose lug nut could have eventually loosened all six. The only other possibility is sabotage.
 
How grateful I am that the faulty tire was discovered. I don't even want to imagine the possibilities of a front wheel coming off on the driver's side with oncoming busses and trucks.
 
That was about 3:30 A.M. EDT. Perhaps you were pacing the floor unable to sleep and for some reason thought of us and prayed for us. A hearty thanks goes out to a nameless intercessor who probably spared my family from potential tragedy.
 
Odd or God??

Folks, take a seat and put down your cup of coffee so you don't spill it.  I know I've said it before, but this time you're going to think I'm concocting a story. Read it slowly because the following story is either ODD or GOD.
 
Tonight during prayer request time in the village, David asked prayer for a 21 year old man who is staying in the village for the next two months who is from France.  A lady in the village knew David was used to being around white people so she told David about him. David went, met the man, and invited him to church this Sunday. The fellow said he wanted to experience an African church, so promised to come.
 
Did you get that? A 21 year old man from France in Mothiba village, one of 1000 villages in the Limpopo Province.
 
Now, it JUST SO HAPPENS that Rhonda Montgomery from Pittsburg is visiting us and was with us tonight in the village. And it JUST SO HAPPENS that she speaks some French having served the Lord in Canada and having attended a French speaking church there. And it JUST SO HAPPENS that she brought her French Bible with her to Africa and had it with her in church tonight.
 
Did you get that? A 21 year old gal from America in Mothiba village with a French Bible tonight in the service.
 
So, she loaned David her Bible who plans to go see the guy tomorrow and ask him if he can read it!! Can you imagine the look on that guy's face when he sees a Bible in his own French language...here...in Africa...in one of a 1000 villages?????
 
Now, is that ODD? or GOD?
 
Brother Wilhite
South Africa

June 10, 2008

God far exceeded my expectations with the DVD distribution at Savannah Mall this morning. In five hours Juli and Jon helped distribute and untold number of tracts AND 2500 of the What Standard? DVDs. That's 500 per hour, and probably only 1/10 folks took something. There's a pile of folks that go through that mall on a Saturday. Of course, it was the last Saturday of the month, so more folks were there due to having been paid recently.

Jon told of a man who walked past, took the material, then CAME back for another DVD. He JUST SO HAPPENED to be here from Germany, and was on his way to the travel agent down the corridor. When the travel agent saw the material she immediately recognized it as from us. Why? Because it was the very same travel agent who helped Juli get her recent ticket. He then came back to get HER the DVD and gospel tract too.

Furthermore, we saw many folks we have come to know over the years, and we were able to personally give the Good Person Test to some folks individually.

One man called me a month ago to inquire about the service in town, as he had seen our ad in the paper. Today HE was at the mall, and we were able to talk with him, get his phone number and address, and receive an invitation to visit him at his house.

The Spur Restaurant was sponsoring a 5 km and 10 km race, so many more folks were at the mall due to this. An older lady came up to the table with her granddaughter, both of whom had run in the race. Grandma told me, "I was saved back in 1964, but my children..." As a result she gave me the address of one of her four sons whom I would like to go see this next week.

Last evening, Albert's sister, Sarah (37) received Christ as her personal Savior. This morning she said, "Moruti, I am free!" The other saved family members are thrilled as are we. Sometimes it takes awhile for folks to really, truly see their need and be willing to turn from their idols to serve the living and true God.

Albert preached in Ga-Dikgale where 25 Sotho folks gathered. Maria (16) still wants to be baptized, and hopefully Albert's sister will too. Joyce's baptism would make another.

This morning, David preached in Ga-Mothiba where 27 Sotho folks attended, and afterwards Ditiro and Khutso stayed to talk with him. Two hours later David called to say that both 15-year-old boys made professions. Khutso seemed the most stirred. He is the son of Michael Mothiba, the tribal authority secretary. Michael's uncle is the king of the village. Is God doing something here?

Tonight we had a pretty good group in town with another visitor. I think there were 10 plus our family. Michelle asked for 50 "What Standard" DVD's--10 for her family, 40 for her co-workers.

On Tuesday Rhonda Montgomery will be flying in to spend the next six weeks with us. Her father, Mark Montgomery, pastors one of our supporting churches, which church was among the first to begin supporting us as early as October 2000. We really appreciate these folks as they have a good family and have been some of the most sacrificial supporters we have. Rhonda will be a real asset I'm sure.

As do most missionaries, I've thrown out alot of names. Just print this off and spread it out before the Lord as did Hezekiah asking God to do something.

Afrikaans, Sotho, Tswana, Tsonga, Nyanja, Shona, English -- all represented in our service tonight in town. Can you believe it? Praise the Lord for the common ground of English, and that I at least try to speak it.

Four new visitors which included Gershwin and Rose, folks we met back in mid-March. Praise the Lord they came after their promise three months ago. They are in their 50's with grown children in the area who are married. If you think about it, pray for them this week.

The first fliers went to the post today to be distributed throughout some of the post boxes. To begin, we have prepared 5000 for Polokwane/Pietersburg and 1600 for Fauna Park. We hope to do several thousand weekly over the next several weeks.

The flier offers a free correspondence course and an invitation to our Sunday Bible Study in town. Those to the outlying areas will only offer a correspondence course.

Brother Wilhite
South Africa

April 14, 2008

After the third correspondence booklet (Foundations) which we send out, the student is asked to compete a brief personal spiritual survey. Here are some of the unedited responses of Mrs. Idah Zibani (45+) who lives in the neighboring country of Botswana...

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What does "salvation" mean? Means to wholey open once heart for Jesus to take control of your life.

How is a person saved? When he repents and faithfully accepts Jesus. And truely knows that Jesus died for her/his sins.

Are you saved? Yes

If you are saved, please use the back of this page to tell us when and how you were saved. 15-03-08 22:31 (Mar 15, 2008; 10:31 p.m.) I have just been saved the Bible way. I confessed with my mouth to the Lord Jesus and believed in my heart that God hath raised him from the dead, and I know I am saved. I have truely repented and I wish I could life rightfully Gods way and never look back. I pray God to protect me from all evil ways. In Jesus name Amen.

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We have never had a response like this. She pinpointed the very minute she asked Christ to save her. This is also special in that she is many years past the average life span for a woman in Botswana. The Lord kept her alive long enough to save her. Perhaps you are reading this, and God in His mercy has kept you around long enough to turn to humbly turn to His Son, Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. You too can be saved in a minute's time and know it.

Your prayers and gifts put this star in your crown,

Ten months ago the Davies family made a trek this direction to marry off one of their fine sons to one of my fine daughters.

While here Brother Davies and his family utilized our van and went into Kruger Park through the Orpen Gate. Ronald Nkuna was/is a guard at that gate who took notice of the magnetic signs on our van offering a correspondence Bible study.

He called and enrolled, but of course we had no idea how he heard about our school.

Since then, he has done exceptionally well, so we decided it was time to meet him. Earlier this week I called, but had no idea it was his month off from his security position. We scheduled to go tonight and meet him taking with us our film equipment just in case we could get together a crowd. Well, I don't know how many folks showed up, but out of 500 books that we took with us we came home with around 100. I assume several got lost in the darkness and shuffle, but it would be safe to say that we had 200 folks come out, watch the film, hear a brief message, and had 25 register for the Bible course.

This location is approximately 120 miles NE of us; a bit far, but who knows what the Lord might do. I gave Ronald several lessons to complete, and some material to read. Should he desire, we would like to make a plan to further work with this fine fellow. Wisdom is needed.

On a side note, gasoline prices have jumped again here. Diesel is now running $5-6/gallon and petrol isn't far behind with another scheduled increase at the end of this month.

Bro Wilhite South Africa

February 6, 2008

We have kept Bro Luiken busy over the past week, and I wanted to highlight some of the blessings we have had:

Monday: In the morning men were going door to door in three different villages. I think we came home with around 20 valid response cards for Bible studies. Then, after a good African meal we convened back at the church for Brother Luiken to teach a couple of hours. Later that evening we went to another area to help Brother Albert with a Bible study.

Tuesday evening we held a film showing in Turfloop where an estimated 200 folks came. Mantwa (25) came to talk with me after the film, but was not ready to give her heart to Christ (BTW, are you?). We may show another film out there in a couple of weeks.

Wednesday Brother Luiken, Jonathan, and I went to a brand new area about 100 miles away to distribute literature and put up posters offering the correspondence studies. In all I think we had 67 cards filled out and around 750 gospel books distributed. Later in the evening we had another Bible study with three young African men in Mothiba village. Sadly, someone had broken into the church building and stolen two simple steel folding tables but worth a month's offerings. The Lord did enable us to rescue four bags of unused cement because the thieves probably were planning on coming back the next evening.

Rejoicing in God's goodness,

Bro Wilhite

March 18, 2008

It is always good to try and see what the Lord might do on Sunday in one of the services. Well, not much happened visibly in one of OUR services, but something interesting did happen in ANOTHER service...

Yesterday, mid-afternoon, Albert showed up at our place and was he ever fired up. In an effort to visit a nephew, he discovered that the nephew was not home. Since a brother, Johannes, lived a short distance away he decided he would go see him.

Upon arriving at Johannes' house it just so happened that the "apostolics" were having a service there. Albert's sister-in-law professes to be one of these "apostolics," so 30 of these women were meeting at her house. As their custom is, they invite a relative of the house to have some closing words, so they asked Albert's brother to say something. He simply pointed to Albert who had just come in. Albert stood up, went up front, and preached to the whole house full about the many religious people are lost in their sins and need Christ.

What an opportunity! He was just so thrilled about how the Lord directed his steps and gave him a wide open opportunity to preach to a house of lost religious people. It's good to see God light a fire underneath a Sotho preacher boy.

BTW, could I ask you to pray for Albert to get a good wife? He has saved his money for labola, is maturing in the Lord, is taking the leadership in the Mothiba church, has purchased his own stand (piece of ground) and fencing materials for a house and is gainfully employed. We may come back for furlough sometime in 2009, and by then I would like to see him married...if the Lord wills.

Tonight one of my good friends and supporting pastors, Bro Luiken, is flying in to spend a couple of weeks.

Our plans included making a quick trip to Z to deliver much needed correspondence course, Bibles, gospel tracts, encourage the believers, and show a gospel film. Due to the upcoming elections I wanted to get in and out of Z prior to the elections slated for 29 March. One never knows about the aftermath of African elections, so I thought I was fairly safe to plan for a trip beforehand.

However, I received a phone call from a Z "refugee" here early this morning who had just listened to the VOA and thought it not really safe for me to go. Apparently folks like me are suspect to being spies. I should have known that there would be as much trouble before the election as after in Z. Therefore, for safety reasons we will not be going.

In yesterday's post we had an unusual mix of mail.

There were courses returned from three different countries--Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.

The Lord also gave us three new requests for the courses--a card from a booklet we passed out, a handwritten request from a posted sign, AND a card from a special outreach we had SIX YEARS AGO!

As a preacher friend of mine says, "Never a dull moment!"

Bro Wilhite