PRAYER AND PRAISE UPDATE

June 2009

ZIMBABWE, CONGO, USA AND EUROPE

MISSION TEAMS SENT OUT

By God’s grace, since my return from an overseas speaking tour, we have sent out two mission teams to Zimbabwe. Over 20 volunteers gathered at the mission to help assemble Boxes With Love and pack and load the vehicles with tons of Gospel literature, food and Boxes With Love for pensioners, prisoners and pastors in Zimbabwe.

CONGO

Last week we also had a Congolese Bishop visit our mission. In the Congo, he is responsible for 70 pastors, 60 congregations and 6 000 members.

BILL BATHMAN UPDATE

As we continue to pray for the teams in the field, thank you very much for everyone who has been lifting up the Bathmans in prayer. Rev. Bill Bathman had been coughing up traces of blood and was hospitalized where they found traces of pneumonia and TB in his left lung. He has since had an MRI and a PET scan. We are still waiting for the results of those, but we can rejoice that he has been released from hospital and is enjoying being back at home again.

The biopsy found carcinoma of the lung. No decisions as to the appropriate treatments have yet been made, but Bill Bathman writes: “I have peace with God, knowing that I am reconciled to Him through the Blood of the Cross. Jesus has been, is, and always will be my Saviour and King. I am ready to come home to Him. Rejoice with us in that!

“In the mean time, He has given me a blessed opportunity to remain – for how long only He knows – and I will take these moments of opportunity to keep sharing His Grace to others in the time allotted. All of my days have been written in His book before I ever walked in one of them (Psalm 139:16), so I am unafraid and unashamed to speak the truth in love, to speak the truth as it is in Jesus, to speak the truth pure and simple. I have learnt in my years as a missionary that too often men cower in the face of truth while pretending to be fans of it…

“I have got the best nurse of all in my sweet wife Harriett whom God has especially fitted out to put up with a fella like me, and for almost 58 years! How I praise God for my faithful wife!

“I got to spend some precious moments on the phone with my children and am reminded that God has given me a heritage in them and their children. My quiver is full and my cup runneth over… what a blessing it is to have faithful children and grandchildren.”

You can receive updates from Bill Bathman on http://pennireef1west.wordpress.com/

20 YEARS AFTER THE IRON CURTAIN CAME DOWN

Bill Bathman is working on articles for Joy Magazine and Frontline Fellowship News on 20 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall. He is also working on a sequel to his Going Through book. Going Through ended at the Fall of the Berlin Wall. The sequel will cover the work in Africa and Asia and the dramatic developments since 1989.

MINISTRY IN THE USA

By God’s grace my three week speaking tour throughout the USA was packed and productive. It was a special joy to have my 16 year old daughter, Daniela, join me for this tour. Invitations for ministry took us to Arizona, California, Florida, Colorado, Tennessee and Georgia. I had the opportunity to present sermons at eight church meetings, six hours of radio interviews and five TV programmes. There were also many opportunities to present power point slide presentations on missions in Africa, and on Reformation character studies.

CHURCH PROPERTY

In Cape Town our church-planting project, Livingstone Fellowship, is going ahead with forming a Trust and, in faith, acquiring a church property. Of the sixteen prospective buyers, that have made enquiries for this property, we are informed that we are the only Christian group seeking to do so. Other prospective buyers include: Hindus, Bahais and Muslims. A Malaysian Muslim group is particularly interested. This church property has an excellent location and tremendous potential.

MISSION TO EUROPE

July 2009 will mark the 500 th Anniversary of the birth of Reformer John Calvin. Lenora and I have been invited to a number of conferences and services in Europe during this time. Our goal is to see peoples minds renewed, Devotional lives restored, Christians networked and involved in rekindling the fires of spiritual zeal by practical hands-on involvement in evangelism, missions and Reformation. We are dedicated to not only informing, but also inspiring and involving Christians in missions. Our intention is to not only motivate, but also to mobilize. Not merely to educate, but to enlist Bible believers in this world war of worldviews, to change lives, transform nations and make history by bringing people back to the Bible.

It is our prayer that Calvin’s emblem of a heart aflame in the hand of God may become true for us as well, and that his motto “Promptly and sincerely in the service of my God” may become ours as well.

Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission

Dr. Peter Hammond
Director