This year has been both exciting and trying for the group of believers at Elim Baptist Church, from entering our new building prematurely in the early part of the year to the changes in leadership. We were just getting used to the idea of having multiple elders when Seth Meyers was called to pastor a church in Louis Trichardt and also start a new church in a nearby village called Valdezia. However, this challenge, which at the time seemed difficult, proved to be the Lord baptising us with fire while at the same time providing us with the armour to survive. The remaining teaching elder, Alpheus Nyalungu, who is not a fulltime pastor but works as nurse in Mesina, has been really instrumental in keeping the church together. Through his leadership the church has maintained expository preaching as well as its various evangelistic initiatives.
Mambedi Sunday afternoon (Valdezia): Phaswana’s place, where church is held.
From the nearby Shikuhele Village we have a couple of new people attending the new members’ class and are fruits of evangelistic efforts by various church members. In the coming months, we are looking to baptise at least four people who not only professed Christ but have over time shown the fruits of the Spirit. We thank the Lord that a bulk of the work on the new building is finished and we can now work on building the church spiritually. We also thank the Lord that the work that used to be carried out by Amy Meyers, which was to teach the children, is now shared by at least four people: Tinyiko, Gloria, Fulufhelo, and Shonisani. Through this they have grown spiritually by preparing for these children’s classes and have continued the legacy of the church to reach out to children in the community.
Alpheus Nyalungu and his wife Shonisani as well as their children Nyiko, Junior and Khanyisa.
Currently the church is going through the books of Genesis and Romans on Sunday mornings. For our youth class we are doing biographies as well as the book of Jonah. We pray that through preaching unbelievers especially those who have attended the church for a long time will be saved and believers will love Christ more. Currently the preaching work is mainly shared by Alpheus Nyalungu and Tiyani Shihlomule, who is training as an elder at the church. Another outreach endeavour was recently started by Steven Malete at Vleifontein where he stays and he is doing a Bible study of 1 John. We are encouraged by Steve and hope that soon he will be an elder at the church. We are also continuing to support the ministry in Valdezia (Mambedi), where we mainly provide lifts for people going to church and also help the Meyers with the preaching. The church was heavily involved as Seth had problems with his visa but now the problems have been sorted, and we praise the Lord for that. This means that the more evangelism will be done because, during the week, ministry suffered a bit that side because the elders of Elim are working and could not attend fully to the needs of the people.
Believers at EBC.
Prayer Requests
Please pray for our pastor who works far away in Mesina and is looking for a transfer to Elim or surrounding areas so that he can attend more to the needs of the members, especially midweek. We are passionate about evangelism and we hope the Lord can bring a revival to Elim where we are surrounded by shrines of false teaching. Pray that the Lord saves many in our community but especially in the homes of our members. Finally pray for the work in Vleifontein and Mambedi—that the Lord opens new doors for evangelism there. Last, but not least, some of the members are backsliding and struggling with sin. Please pray for these brothers and sister to repent and trust the Lord.
Finally, brothers and sisters, we thank the Lord every time we think of you. We will try to give you more updates about ministry this side of Limpopo. And if you visit this side of the country we would love to see and hear from you. Be strong in the Lord and keep up the good fight, for indeed we do not fight against flesh and blood but principalities of this world mainly in the form of false teaching. We hope you will spread this word with passion, for this is the main weapon we have against the evil one and the main thing which will give Christ glory.