Bickers Bulletin March-April 2007

What an incredible week! This was the first Easter Weekend for the Open Bible Baptist Church in Bohlokong! The pastor, Solomon, and Thabo arranged everything, down to the most finite detail.

FRIDAY

We started on Friday at the church. We showed “The Passion of Christ” film. This was actually Solomon’s idea; and maybe not the best one he’s ever had. Mel Gibson’s film about the passion has solicited many responses, but I don’t know if it was ever intended for a Basotho audience. Some were crying, some were fussing at the screen. It was a mess. Effective; but messy.

After this, Thabo preached on “The Seven Statements on the Cross”. This was a powerful sermon, and he had been working on it for a long, long time. Pure, straight scripture, mixed with nothing else.

Church started promptly at 11:00. We had the film, we ate lunch, and then Thabo preached. Carla and I got home just after 7 p.m.

Thabo and his wife Ntabaseng in front of the church.

SATURDAY

On Saturday, the 3 month-old church held its first baptismal service. Eight new believers were baptised.. Your summer is our winter. April is getting cold, and let me tell you, that water was COLD.

Thabo helping Manyaka out of the cold water after baptism.

That’s me in the background, where a missionary should be.

Baptising people is Africa is not for the timid or physically weak. Most of the Basotho have never had their head under water. Even when they wash, they stand in a small wash bucket and pour the water over their head. Getting a 180 pound women under water is a genuine struggle. Normally it takes a couple of tries, but the pastor eventually gets there.

Michael also was baptised on this day.

After the baptism service, we all went to the house to dry off, change clothes, and get back to the church in the township.

Saturday, I got to preach. I normally only preach about 2-3 times a year. It’s better to stay in the shadows. But today I preached on the grave of Christ, and bubba, it was good. We got done around 2 p.m., which, all things considered, is a rather short service.

SUNDAY

Sunday was a great day. Solomon preached on the Resurrection. The word, resurrection, is hard for the Basotho to say, so it comes out, “Reso-rising”…makes sense to me

The pastor, Solomon, and his wife Elizabeth in front of the church.

When Solomon preached on the Reso-rising, he went through the four narratives from the Gospels. For most of the members of the church, it was the first time they had ever heard the details of the resurrection. Oh, sure, they knew Christ was raised, but it was fun to watch them absorb all the details. The Basotho are master story-tellers.

Mme Carla fooling around with some of the ladies inside the church.

Sunday was also the anniversary of Solomon and Elizabeth, and the church threw them a shindig. We had cakes, four of them to be exact. So after the service, everyone got all jacked up on sugar and chocolate and things went on until about three in the afternoon. I know this, because Thabo and I are the only ones in the church who have a watch. Unfortunately they are not set on the same time, so no one is really sure what time it is. Besides, who cares?

A group of folks outside the Open Bible Baptist Church, waiting for lunch, and cakes.

So where is all of this leading?

First of all, we are told to make disciples. Just about every person you see in the picture above has been born again in the past couple of months. And this is only a few of them. Do you see the lady on the far right in the blue holding the baby? Before she was saved, she never smiled. Now all she does is smile. Look at the faces in the photos. They are not the typical stoic poses we are accustomed to. There is real joy. The lady sitting down with the black beret, her name is Mme Manyaka. She is the head honcho at her house. Many of the people there wanted to come to church, but when she was saved, it opened the door to everyone in her neighborhood. Now they all come. See the lady in the tan skirt? The church comes to her house and helps her keep her yard, fix her electricity, and fix some minor things around the house. She now brings her three daughters and their kids to church as well.

Secondly, we are told to baptize them into a local church. The baptism took place in the cold lake; the local, visible church is the Open Bible Baptist Church.

Third, we are instructed to teach them all things, whatsoever the Lord has commanded us. Did you notice the topics of the sermons? Every week it is the same. On Sundays, Solomon is preaching through the book of Ephesians. On Wednesday night we do Chronological Bible Storying. Every week, some one tells a different story as we are working our way through the Old Testament stories right now.

These people have been born again. They have started a church. They observe the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They don’t meet in a place like ours. Baptism is survival of the fittest, and they teaching each other the Scriptures.

This church started with no fan-fare, no sound system, no buildings, no budget, no sponsors, no crusade…nothing. Just a few people who started meeting together. We taught them a few basics and then got out of the way.

The church has grown every week, and there is no sign of stopping.

If you should come here on a volunteer trip, I suggest you know your bible before you get here. I guarantee you, they will.

Take care Y’all,

David & Carla

The kids & the dogs