Greetings from
It is getting HOT here! At 2:45pm, inside the house, it was over 90o F! And this is Spring, not Summer. Lately we have been having the summer weather pattern of thunderstorms in the afternoon, sometimes bringing decent rain and sometimes just teasing all of us. Speaking of patterns, the pattern of my doing a ‘Fresh Bread from the Word of God’ teaching during every service at Rustenburg Presbyterian Church is now well established, and seems to be going over well. I feel a bit like Johnnie Appleseed – I just scatter seeds and hope that someday there is fruit!
Another pattern is teaching in the Healing Group
every Thursday night at the
Another pattern is of counseling with several people, all of whom are actually from different churches. This morning, early, I received a VERY nice call from one of those people. She wanted to thank me for doing whatever it is I have done (she mentioned various things, but really the point is just that she considered herself and her family blessed), and to tell me the story of her son’s surgery last night. He had been injured somehow, and the X-ray (or CAT scan or whatever it was) indicated a badly damaged spleen. He went in for surgery to remove it, but the surgeon found a basically intact spleen surrounded by blood, which they removed rather than the spleen. When the doctor brought the young man out he talked to my friend, saying that they had been sure the spleen was in bad shape. His conclusion was that the diagnostic machine was broken, but of course there is another possibility . . .
This afternoon I counseled with a lady who was brought to me by her sister a couple of months ago. The lady got my name and number from the leader of the Healing Group, and the sister was in dire straits. She had not slept in, they said, six nights and was very distraught. They called me and wanted to come NOW, which was open time – so, they came. Now, the lady is free from all that was keeping her in bondage. I asked her today when the last time was that she remembered an attack of fear or panic, or feelings of depression. She could hardly remember! Hallelujah! Please pray for the Christians in Rustenburg, that they would discover and live in the freedom and joy of the Lord, and shine His light into the darkness.
Since my own surgery was cancelled last week, and NOT due to a miraculous healing, I have been doping my eyes quite heavily with various prescription things, carefully washing my hands regularly with antibacterial soap, and keeping my sink and things I drink from (i.e., my favorite coffee mug, which used to often just get rinsed) VERY clean. I want to get this thing done on the 22nd, so I can’t have any eye infections! (This could be read as though, in the past, I lived like a slob. I don’t think so; how many of you wash your hands perhaps 10 times a day with antibacterial soap? – OK, maybe you do, Lisa! [my physician daughter, for those of you who don’t know])
My first trip to Rustenburg was four years ago just now. I think we arrived here on the 5th, and left for Pretoria perhaps the 12th or 13th. Monday, the 8th, was the fourth anniversary of a significant ministry experience for me. On that day a sangoma (practitioner of witchcraft) was brought for deliverance from evil spirits. She was accompanied by her husband and a pastor. Some of you have heard the story (and one of you on the mailing list was THERE) of that eventful Monday afternoon. The short version is that the Lord was very gracious and did a great work that afternoon, not only in deliverance but in physical healing and healing of the marriage. Well, the good news is that Erton recently was in contact with someone who knows the people involved, and the lady has continued on with the Lord and is still serving Him. Hallelujah! I have been somewhat worried about that lady all this time, wondering if she received the continuing help and support she needed, and I am SO glad she did. I hope someday to see her again, and if I do I’ll surely tell you all the story.
(Sorry, no picture this week.)
Love from
Lary