The youth camp was an amazing experience. We learned a lot about the Swazi culture and what it looks like to be a Christian in Swaziland. Grant preached through the book of Jonah each night while Brett, Jenna, Courtney, and Daphne taught two sessions on the depravity of man and Christ’s redemption of us. We also helped with recreation each day, playing both American and Swazi games. One of our favorite times here has been serving as a panel during a question and answer time about doctrine and heresy. Their questions were deep, but just pointing them to Scripture was more than sufficient.

During the worship services each night, our team would lead a few American songs of worship. Our instruments included any variety of the following: guitar, keyboard, cajon, harmonica, shakers, foot stomping, hand clapping, and our voices. They really liked I Am Free by the Newsboys!

Swaziland has the second highest rate of HIV in the world, second only to Botswana. Thirty-five percent of the population has HIV. Kym, the True Love Waits representative for Swaziland, has been part of our team. We assisted her in leading a session and discussion time. It was so much fun to spend time with her and work alongside her. Please pray for Kym.

Today, we were able to go to a Game Reserve. We saw rhinos, elephants, hippos, impalas, warthogs, antelopes, guinea pheasant, buffalo, crocodile, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, and several different types of birds. The Game Reserve is home to two leopards, but we didn’t run into them on our Land Rover ride around a small portion of the huge reserve. These creatures are some of the biggest land animals in the world, and it was amazing to see that portion of God’s creation!

Each one of us learned a lot during the last few days. The people of Swaziland welcomed us with open arms, and we have experienced a part of the body of Christ here in Africa that none of us had before. In the morning we begin the trek home. Thank you for your prayers. God has been faithful to us and to Swazi believers as well. We come home praising him for opening our eyes to His work here. We love you all.

Sanibonani from Swaziland,

Grant, Brett, Jenna, Daphne, and Courtney

EAST ASIA

Voice of the Martyrs released this video last week of police forces destroying a small church building in the country. As you view the piece below, pray for the strengthening of believers  who have lost their place of worship. Ask God to remind them that they themselves are temples for Him, and pray that they might be joyful in trial. Also, thank God for the building we have to gather in and ask him to strengthen the family here at First Baptist Belton to be as visible a bodily witness for him as our building is to those who pass by.

Be sure to watch the video to the very end.

EAST ASIA

For centuries the Khampa have terrorized other Tibetans. During the 1950s they formed guerrilla groups and took over considerable territory throughout the region. Living in some of the harshest conditions in the world, the traditional long-sleeved coats of the Khampa are tied up with a belt, which conceals a large knife or sword. Many wear lucky charms, magical strings, or amulet boxes around their neck. Khampa men, who often get around on horseback, are never without a weapon. Sexual immorality among the Khampa is considered normal behavior, and polyandry (the practice of brothers sharing the same wife) still occurs in some places. Life expectancy for Khampa living on the bitter plateau averages only about 45 years. The Khampa rely on demons, ghosts, and the spirits of disembodied deities to guide their decisions. They worship Yama, the god of Death, believing he is the king of the underworld and that he controls all the events of their lives.

Two thousand years since the birth of Christ, the Northern Khampa remain completely untouched by the gospel. They are separated by geographic, linguistic, cultural, and religious barriers. There has never been any kind of church or Christian witness in the extremely isolated and practically impenetrable area. Pray with us today:

• that the God of the harvest will raise up missionaries with a heart for these people
• that the Khampa might know the one, true God who is actually Lord of all
• that God brings peace to the troubled region so that it might be opened to gospel influence

In addition, Swaziland has one of the worst HIV/AIDS rates in the world. Reaching the level of epidemic, the prevalence among women 25-29 stands at 56%. Life expectancy has dropped from 61 to 32 years over the last decade, and an astonishing 61% of all deaths last year were HIV related. Currently, 2% of the country’s population is dying from AIDS each year.

The team consists of Jenna Hickman, Courtney Pett, and Daphne Davies (pictured to the left) who arrived in country last week as well as Grant Hickman and Brett Land who are in route today. Their primary projects include leading a summer camp for Swazi nationals and being an encouragement to Al and Belinda Jordan, faithful First Baptist Belton members, serving in a six month project in the country.

In their first days on the ground, the ladies have led rural-area Bible studies, witnessed the construction of a new church, and spent time teaching children. Their main work with the summer camp will begin after the men land in Swaziland tomorrow.

Please be in prayer for the safe arrival of Grant and Brett, for the Jordans to be encouraged by the work done this week, and for God to move among the Swazi people for His glory.

SOUTHEAST AFRICA

Last week, al-Shabaab banned three Christian aid groups, including World Vision,  following accusations of proselytization and “spreading their corrupted ideologies in order to taint the pure creed of the Muslims in Somalia.” Each aid group denies the charges by claiming that they were adhering to strict Red Cross stipulations that prevent assistance based on religious affiliation or as an means to religious conversion. Voice of the Martyrs declares that this is not the first time the terrorist organization has gone after Christians and their agencies in severe ways. Officials say, “al-Shabaab has specifically hunted Christians. They have gone into areas where Christians are known to be, where foreign Christians have had a presence previously, and they have sought to find all of the Christians and either kill them or force them out of the area.” World Vision has temporarily halted its operations and had its offices occupied by al-Shabaab fighters.

The situation in Somalia is changing daily. Will you commit this week to pray for the believers and aid workers in the African nation? Ask God to encourage and strengthen them in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, will you go one step further and pray for the enemies of our brothers and sisters? Pray that God will use dreams and visions of Christ alongside the testimony of Somali believers to turn their radical hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

To read more about the situation, click here. To find out more about Somalia, click here.

The process begins by visiting fbcb.net/give. You’ll first be asked to login with your fbcbelton.me creditials. After that, simply select the account which you wish to give to, enter the amount, and click “give.” A pop-up window will ask for the method by which you wish to give (electronic check, debit card, or credit card). We strongly urge you to give by electronic check as the transaction fees paid by the church are significantly less than those required for card transactions. For example, when giving a $100 gift, the church pays between $2.86-$4.36 in fees when you give by Visa or MasterCard versus only 55 cents when giving by electronic check. Also, giving by electronic check ensures that you do not give from the bondage of debt but from the abundance God has provided to you.

After confirming your method of gift, you’ll receive a confirmation page as well as a confirmation email to assure the correct amounts were given to the correct fund.  If you encounter a problem or have questions during your transaction, please contact Merlene Dials.  If you have trouble logging in or creating an account, contact Matthew Irvine.

We have worked to ensure this new feature is a simple and safe as possible so that you might joyfully participate in worshipping God and sharing the gospel as you give. Enjoy!

Help us welcome them back and join them in praying for the people they met in Damongo as well as the missionaries they worked with.

If you would like  a quick look at their reports from the field, check them out here.

As a church family, would you covenant to pray this week for those in Pakistan who are suffering? But most importantly, let us pray this week for the already-persecuted believers in Pakistan who will surely suffer double in this disaster. Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton explains the true catastrophe for the vulnerable poor – in this case, the Christians. “The Christians in this part of Pakistan face the extra challenge of being Christians in an area that is dominated by a very devout form of Islam, that at times, has been welcoming to al Qaeda and not welcoming to Christians.” Additionally, the majority of assistance at this moment is coming from Muslim nations and relief agencies who have been known to discriminate against suspected Christians in the past.

Pray this week that God would provide physical protection for our Pakistani brothers and sisters, preserve their agrarian way of life, and provide an avenue of gospel-hope for Muslims as they try to cope what is happening to their country. For more reading on this story, check out Mission Network News.

Helping Hands is a faith-based non-profit organization focused on meeting the needs of people in the local community in order to share the love of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to help in this vital local ministry, sign up in your small group or contact Kandy Kirkley at (254) 939-0705.

The commitment is 2-4 hours on one day, or as many days as you would like to work.

Sunday evening we went to another village and showed The Hope Project. This village was quite different than the first and more difficult. As we approached this village, everyone living there was skeptical and standoffish.  We walked through the village and tried engaging with the locals. As we began the video many of them came over to see what was going on. Immediately following the video a local pastor shared about Christ. Doing ministry at this village was eye-opening for our team as we experienced the weight of ancestor worship and paganism.

Monday we had the privilege to go to a school and perform puppets shows. This was really fun as our team told the life of Christ through puppets. In this school there are over 600 children, and they loved the puppets. Almost every time a puppet came out they would start chanting, “I want this one”, “I want this one.” They laughed and enjoyed the story time.

Last night we went into the village of Damongo, where we’re living, and we showed a video about Moses. During the film a few from our team began talking with locals and telling them about Christ. Each person talked to was a Muslim. It was great to get to share the Good News with these people. One eye-opening thing was that once the video began, a Pastor began talking about Christ and immediately everyone left. The only ones standing there were our team, the pastor, and maybe 12 locals, mostly children. As they walked away from hearing the Gospel our hearts broke. However, we were also encouraged because this village has a great need.

Today, Tuesday, is our final day in Damongo. This morning and afternoon we will be going around Damongo talking about the video from last night and sharing the Gospel. We will conclude our time here tonight at our home with kids from the children’s home.

Please pray for:

• The individuals we shared the Gospel with last night during the video.  Pray that their eyes would be opened and that the Spirit would soften their hearts.
• Pray that our team finishes strong. Everyone is getting tired and homesick.
• Pray that as we go through the village of Damongo today that we can continue to be a light in this dark community.
• Pray for safety as we begin our 3 days of travel back home.
• Pray, finally, that as we leave we will see magnification, glorification, and new creations.