God Has Gone Before Us: Botswana Fall 2013

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31:8

     This scripture came alive as we entered Botswana. Every place we turned we could clearly see that the Lord had been working and we were honored to join His work there. Last year we met a young, small body of deaf believers in Southern Botswana; this year we met a thriving, large body of deaf believers who had changed spiritually to a degree that was visible physically. They anticipated time to learn God’s word, they go out and share God’s story and they come back to church with a few new friends in tow. We were able to spend several days encouraging the church and training on communicating the Gospel clearly and effectively.Our time at the church left us encouraged and excited for all that the Lord will do with these faithful believers in the coming year.

     After our time at the church, we traveled up North. We saw the Lord going before us in a different way. Up north we had formative contacts and no deaf church established. The Lord provided contacts for us and we were able to find two new schools for the deaf where we built relationships with the leaders of these schools. We also returned to the primary school in Maun that had become like home last year. We were burdened for the teachers as there were now only 2 teachers for all 7 grade levels. We continued to speak God’s promise over the place “do not be afraid or discouraged…He will neither fail nor abandon you.” By the end of our time there we saw the Lord developing understanding in the lives of the students, the teachers regaining a small glimmer of hope for their weary souls, and the team resting in the knowledge that we serve a God faithful to all his promises.

We pray that the church in Botswana would soon become a sending church. That they would go out to the far corners of their country, the countries around them and beyond. They have a commitment to God’s word, a insatiable hunger to know more and a humble posture as they share the good news. Please join us in praying for how we can be an encouragement and resource as this body begins to live out the great commission so that the Deaf worldwide may understand and receive God’s glorious grace.

(Post written by a School to the Nations Staff Member who led this outreach)

On the Field: Southern Africa Deaf Team

Please be in prayer for our team working with the deaf in Southern Africa for the next several days! We look forward to a great report of lives changed and God's Kingdom advanced among this unreached people group. 

Prayer Points: 
-Safety and Protection of our team 
-Clear vision and wisdom as they share The Story with many people 
-Open doors into schools and communities where they can share 
-Strong relationships between our team and the national brothers and sisters 
-Great rest each night as they are working long days of ministry 

Thank you for joining with us as we watch the Gospel spread among the unreached across the world! 

To join the email updates for this outreach please email: theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com 

Outreach Update: The deaf shall hear...

Our team is doing well and as of today have had three come to Christ through their sharing, storying, and showing the Jesus film! Praise the Lord for seeds that have been planted and for all that He is beginning to do among the deaf in Southern Africa. These are the most unreached of the unreached, and the Lord is beginning a new work among these people so in need of God's love. 

Please continue joining us in prayer for the team and that God will continue to grant them favor among the leaders in the schools they are working in and that many more will come to Christ as they tell students, teachers, and the community about Jesus for the first time. 

The deaf are hearing of God's love and gift of salvation!!

Students hearing the Gospel message for the first time! Pray that these seeds will take root and that mighty oaks of righteousness will begin to grow among the deaf in Southern Africa. 

For daily updates via email please email theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com. 

Training Report: Botswana Team

Last Saturday we spent the day training our team headed to Southern Africa (Botswana) to work with the deaf people in that area later this month! Our Extreme Adventure Challenge Course is a great way to build team unity, learn each other's strengths and weaknesses, and come together as one unit in preparation for the upcoming trip.

Many of our team members are deaf, and we are excited to see how God uses their gifts to cross cultural barriers and minister to the deaf in Botswana, who in many ways are just like them. We saw clearly as they conquered the ropes course on Saturday that communication comes in many different forms, and when a team has a unified goal, anything can be accomplished.

Please join us in prayer for the team as they prepare to leave. Pray for their families they are leaving at home, for their jobs, for their protection, and for their ministry while they are in Africa.

If you would like to join the prayer update list please email theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com or visit here for a specific prayer guide for the trip: Prayer Guide 

October Outreach Prayer Guide

Join us in praying for team partnering with us from Ridgecrest Baptist Church and First Baptist Church in Midland, TX traveling to South Africa in October. 

If you would like to be on the email list for trip updates and prayer request please email: theabicopeland(at)gmail(dot)com

Click Here to View & Download the Prayer Guide 

“Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees that give way, say

to those with fearful hearts, “Be

strong, do not fear; your God will

come … Then will the eyes of the

blind be opened and the ears of

the deaf unstopped.”

~Isaiah 35:3-5