Melvins on the move July 2008

Dear Prayer Partners,

We have been especially blessed this past month by the visit and work of a volunteer team led by our home church, Ironbridge Baptist in Chester, VA. The team worked hard in four villages, sowing gospel seeds door to door, leading VBS, showing the JESUS Film, and indirectly training “baby Christians” of a new church plant. The team endured very cold nights and mornings without complaint and were a huge encouragement to the Melvin family. It was a joy to work alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ again.

We hated to see them go and the mission house now void of the 5 interpreters, the two IBC Jacobs, the team cook, and bus driver, seems far too quiet. We want to thank everyone who prayed for the mission team and the work they helped accomplished for the glory of God.

Now we ask you to pray for us and the training of the few church members to help us follow up on the new decisions made for Christ. Our prayer is that many Basotho will commit to one of the Bible studies being offered in three of the four villages so that they can learn how to live out their new found faith. Our vision is that God will raise up leaders in each village to lead the small groups that could eventually become churches. Many of you are aware that we have extended our first term in Lesotho to three years.

In light of that, we will leave South Africa on July 26 for a very quick trip to the U.S. to see our parents and family and help Zachary make final college decisions for next year. We will attend Ironbridge on August 3 for the mission team’s report on how God worked while they were in Lesotho. We are sorry we will not be able to see many of you due to the shortness of our stay. We appreciate your prayers as we travel and that our time with family will be blessed.

We depend on your prayers to help us with the overwhelming task of reaching the Basotho for Christ. You are a vital part of our ministry and we are humbled by your commitment. Rea Leboha. (We thank you)

Praises:

Many Basotho opened their homes and hearts to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord;

Nationals participating in door to door evangelism for their first time alongside the volunteer team;

Volunteers used mightily by God in four villages sowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ;

Traveling mercies and health of team and Melvins during mission;

Sunny days during the mission.

Prayer requests:

Village follow-ups;

Language learning;

Committed interpreters and church leaders;

Discovering most effective ways to bridge cultural barriers;

Mmeeting with school headmaster to organize True Love Waits opportunity in August.

Our days with the team started with a small circle but always ended with a big one.

“The IBC Team”

“TheInterpreters: Sefiri, Neo, Tsepo, Tanki, and Mphosi

The VBS children in Ha Tsilonyane.

Ntate Tom gets the equipment ready for the Jesus Film.

Sharing the good news of Jesus door to door.