My heroes are missionaries. They really put it all on the line to live out the Great Commission in ways most of us don't.

For a while I've been corresponding with a missionary friend. I haven't asked permission to use his name, so I'll just post his initials, JW. He and his family are Assemblies of God missionaries to Africa, and have worked in several of the countries on that continent. I ask him periodically for needs I can pray for, and I thought I'd post them here so that those of you who are inclined may join in. From his most recent e-mail:

"We are well and seing the hand of the Lord in Durban, South Africa. We have been here for close to 2 years now and have seen the Lord do some wonderful reversals of negative trends and attitudes.

The church is now set to take a wonderful upward trend of growth and new church planting. For example, when we arrived the Bible school, which had been founded 32 years ago, had never owned property. For all those years they moved from place to place, always renovating, then losing their lease after a few years. Praise the Lord though, only a few weeks ago we were able to purchase a beautiful 15 acre horse ranch with existing buildings where the Lord can begin to form the badly needed pastors for the church planting efforts we see on the horizon.

Other wonderful changes involve some wonderfully Godly men in newly created positions who will highlight and change direction. We are truly living in a moment where the Holy Spirit is gearing the Body for a great lunge forward.

I...will be glad to share a few things that are staring us in the face. The adapting of this new property to a Bible school will require some construction and some simple furnishings, bookshelves, chalk boards, office furnishings, and curtains. We are taking the stables, which are really large and well-built, and transforming them into some dorm space. This will involve a great deal of planning and the right architect for some drawings.

We need the Lord to give us favor for the rezoning. We all believe that a favorable response is likely, but we must keep the devil from raising his ugly head in the affair.

We are needing to see the Lord raise up Godly Zulu young men whom He is calling as pastors and evangelists. How LONG this work has languished!

Desperately, we need to know how to address the continuing AIDS pandemic! It is predicted that 750,000 children will be orphaned by parents who have died of this awful disease. Please pray for creative solutions and leadership to take up this challenge.

Please know that God is with us. We sense His presence.

Yours for redeemed KwaZulu/Natal,

JW"

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2002