Melvins on the move Octoberr 2008

To our Prayer Partners,

The Melvin family is fine ka mahau oa Molimo. (by the grace of God) Tom and Cindi continue to face the challenges of church planting along with promoting Christ like unity among the established Baptist churches in the lowlands. Zachary and Eli stay busy with school and their favorite activities which include keeping up with their Facebook emails and playing in two praise and worship bands. They enjoy attending a youth group that meets in Ladybrand, South Africa, just across the Lesotho border, and will join the group for a weekend camping trip at the end of this month. The group is about half Afrikaans and half Basotho so they continue to expand their cultural awareness.

After a year of working in an area of several adjoining small villages, we are seeing people becoming more interested in Bible study and visiting the new church.

Pray that more Basotho will develop a hunger to know Christ and seek His truths.

One of the challenges we face in church planting is the transiency of village people. It’s a here today, gone tomorrow lifestyle. Here today to stay with family or friends, gone tomorrow to look for work; here today to take care of children whose parents find work, gone tomorrow to take care of dying family members in another village; here today during the school break, gone tomorrow while school is in session.

Pray that as Basotho come and go, the message of Christ is being scattered throughout Lesotho. As for the new church plant, we have begun leadership training, teaching the ways and customs of Baptist, and are helping to start a children’s Sunday school class.

Pray that leaders will stay committed to the training and that they will depend on the Holy Spirit to help them lead the church.

Pray that the pastors and leaders of the established Baptist churches will work with one another and with us to reach more Basotho with the gospel.

Most schools in Lesotho are beginning to prepare for end of year exams. Plans are already being made with the small secondary school where the True Love Waits Club meets to introduce the program to other schools in the coming year which begins in January.

Pray that several new schools will commit to start and support clubs in 2009.

We thank you for praying for the Basotho and the health and safety of our family.

We are praying with you as our great country faces elections in November and the concerns related to the struggling economy.

Also, as the Lottie Moon season approaches in the Baptist churches, please remember that much of our service and work with the Basotho is a direct result of sacrificial giving to this special Christmas offering.

Thank you in advance for your part in reaching the nations for Christ.

Teboho was afraid of us when we first visited his village.

The ladies (Bo-‘Me) bring their babies to the Bible study.

While waiting for church to start, girls (Banana) play a game with rocks.

.You know you’re in Africa when umbrellas are really sunbrellas

Zachary , Eli, and friends from Sri Lanka, Holland, Lesotho, and America led a special praise and worship service

Spring has arrived in Lesotho.

A TRUE LOVE WAITS Club in full swing.