Williams Update

October 2012
Update from partners Mark and Sara Williams

What a blessing it is to be involved with the community of Emmaus! We have so enjoyed our time here so far.  We have been spending time getting to know the community both in Emmaus and surrounding areas and learning both the strengths and resources of the community as well as the needs.

Ministry: Mark has been working hard on all the discipleship training materials and is currently holding trainingfor people in Winterton, Emmaus and iNgoba. Trainings are scheduled for Loskop and Escourt areas as well. Mark has also been preaching most Sundays in and around the Emmaus area. The pastors in the rural areas have expressed the need for help and support.  On Thursday we teach the woman’s bible study (which occasionally is visited by the men). We are currently working through a study on spiritual gifts that is moving into a “strengths and needs assessment” for the participants as individuals, as a church, and as the community of Emmaus. Sara has been asked to be on the board of a new place of safety for children that is opening up in Winterton.  In addition she is beginning to go visiting with a local minister into homes of patients that are terminally ill with AIDS to help minister and better understand the need in this area.  Ongoing projects include: Poultry Institute of KZN – Chicken Project; investigations being done on a new well and toilets for Emmaus.

Teams: We had a team of ladies from Virginia, USA come out in August to work with the preschool. They were able to provide some wonderful resources for the teachers as well as the learners, lead the women’s Bible Study, and participated in worship both in Emmaus and iNgoba churches.  In October we had a medical team from Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church of Houston, TX, USA come out and do trainings in the Emmaus Hospital as well as the church. The trainings consisted of First AID, HIV and Nutrition, and Psychological Trauma and HIV. This team helped us get our foot in the door of the hospital and understand the needs and procedures of the health department. We look forward to further medical teams.

Family: Our family will be traveling home to the states for Christmas to see family and to continue raising support to fund our ministry here. Please pray for safe travels and for Eli as this will be his first trip to America! 

Prayer Requests: The strengths and Needs Assessment in Emmaus. Please pray that this community led study will show the great wealthof resources that they have among them and how it can be used to build up their families, church, and community. Pray for safety of the new believers and church leaders as they go against their family and culture in an area that is heavy with satanic worship.