Naledi News
Issue 3

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” ~2 Timothy 2:15

July 26, 2007

Prayer Requests

*Several acts of vandalism occurred at the church hall and Tlamelo this week. Please pray against hatred in these young hearts and pray for discipline in their families.

*Rizo asks for prayer for his niece who has been causing trouble in his family

*Please pray for the ministries of the church this week. All of the church programs are happening as normal, and we will be adding a Jr. Youth meeting on Saturday at 3 o’clock.

*Pray also for the leaders of the church, that they would not be discouraged and draw their strength from the Lord.

*Pray for Mma Moruti, who has been attending a workshop, and Champ, who has been attending a conference this week. Members of the church have been faithfully helping with the Tlamelo project and all of their responsibilities in their absence.

*Please pray for the youth food fundraiser this Saturday at the National Stadium. The youth will be braiing and raising money for the National Youth Conference in 3 weeks.

Notes from Gakuto

Moruti Mothusi has updated us on the great things that the Lord is doing at Gakuto Baptist Church. He is very encouraged that many youth have been responding to God’s call in their lives and have been interested in joining the church activities. He asks for prayer against the strongholds in Gakuto that may be blinding the youth from the grace of God.

This Week in the Fellowship…

As a congregation, we are experiencing God as our strength during times of weakness and trials. Despite vandalism and difficult circumstances, His love an kindnesses indeed never cease as He renews us from discouragement. Moruti Julian blessed us with the sermon Sunday and Tuesday’s prayer meeting was a refreshing time in the presence of the Lord. Brother Lame returned from Johannesburg and shared Isaiah 53 in a testimony about God motivating him to study the word. The outreach team of Bushie, Lame, Becky, Rizo, Thumo, and Champ (pictured bellow) have been prayer walking through Old Naledi, asking God to tear down strongholds. The youth are studying 1 Timothy 4 with Linkie this week. They are preparing for a fundraiser this weekend, selling food at the National Stadium to raise money for the youth rally in three weeks. Please pray that the remaining money will be provided as the church is unable to help with finances this year. We trust the Lord to provide!

Naledi News #2

“ Be joyful always. Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~I Theselonians 5:16

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July 20, 2007

Prayer Requests

*Praise the Lord for the generocity of the National Rugby team, as this week, the children of the Tlamelo project and many of the youth in the church are attending the tournament and being blessed with Lunch.

*Praise God for the safe return of our “Face the Nation” youth. They have already encouraged the congregation with what the Lord has taught them.

*Please pray for Moruti’s family as they grieve the loss of his brother. The funeral service will be held on Saturday.

*Pray for the comfort of God’s presence in Moruti’s family as they grieve the death of Moruti’s brother. Funeral services will be held on Saturday.

*Pray for the ministries of the church this week: AWANA on Wednesday, Basha on Thursday, and the new junior youth program on Saturday. Pray also that God’s power would fuel the Sunday School class during the church service.

*Pray also for the interim pastor at the church in Mogoditsane. Please pray that God would raise up more leaders to further His kingdom!

The Tlamelo Rugby Fan Club

This week, instead of regularly scheduled church programs, many of us participated joined spectators at the UB stadium to watch the rugby tournament on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The Botswana National team provided lunch, and the Tlamelo project resumed during the evenings.

Remember your Creator in the Days of your Youth…

Joshua, David, Timothy, Mary; God uses youth to further His kingdom. What a privilege we have as the Naledi Baptist Bashsa to be a part of that plan of salvation! The new senior youth program will be led by a prayer team, worship team, and activities team which started working together this week as Rapula led discussion about being “light” in this world. God willing, the youth will begin serving the community through “service Saturdays” next month and begin fundraising for the December camp, with a food stand at the Zebras game on the 28^th of July.

The youth women’s fellowship has been meeting on Friday nights for fellowship and a bible study about unity as sisters in the body of Christ. Dikabelo and Lilian are also leading Sunday school for the children, and are excited to expand their team to include Malebogo and Karotse. This team of four is helping to develop a new junior youth program next Saturday! Please pray for both of these teams as they obediently follow God’s leading in their lives and give of themselves in ministry.

Lillian was the first of the youth to successfully memorize Philippians 2!

This Week in the Fellowship…

We were reminded during the prayer meeting on Tuesday that God is continually at work among His people, comforting, sustaining, and providing all the more when we are at our last strength, working all things together for His glory. Many in the congregation are exhausted from the challenges presented this week, yet are filled with joy at the encouragement that Linkie offered on Sunday: “He will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear (Job 11:15).”

Moruti Julian taught about predestination of belief in the bible study Sunday; exploring the theology of free will in accepting life or death, and God’s omniscience in knowing the intentions of our hearts in terms of repentance.

Ephesians 2:1-6 was the theme of the service. Moruti taught about the work of Jesus Christ in bringing us as His children from death into Life. It was exciting to worship with members of the congregation that have been ministering through “Face the Nation” and are now back among us.

“”Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. ~Psalm 96:3

Naledi News #1 (the blog lives...)

The church in Old Naledi is going to start sending us some updates every weekish so that we can join with them in prayer. Here's the first one.

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Naledi News

“fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind”.
Philippians 2:22
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July 12, 2007

Prayer Requests

* Praise the Lord for 93 new potential members of the Gakuto Baptist Church. This past Sunday, Pastor Mothusi welcomed students from the primary school where students heard the word of God from partners at the Keystone Church in Philadelphia.

*This week, the principle from Wycliff Bible College in Johannesburg, where Lame is a student, will be preaching and encouraging members that God leads to enroll in seminary classes. Praise the Lord for answering our prayer of providing biblical training for church leaders!

*Pray for the ministries of the church this week: AWANA on Wednesday, Basha on Thursday, and that God’s power would fuel the Sunday School class during the church service.

*Pray for those in the congregation who will be writing exams soon. Mma Grace will rewrite exams in August and Mma Rebekah’s children will be writing Form 3 and Form 5 Exams. MG gives thanks for passing all of his exams at university.

*Pray also for the interim pastor at the church in Mogoditsane. Please pray that God would raise up more leaders to further His kingdom!

Thank you all for your prayers and support of the Old Naledi Baptist Fellowship. We would like to remain in close communication with our friends, working alongside this church in the work of the gospel for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that this newsletter might encourage you as you hear about the wonderful works of God among His people in Old Naledi and the world.

This Month in the Fellowship…

“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf” (Psalm 66:5)

Moruti James Mpopang shared this verse at the prayer meeting on Tuesday night, a call to praise God for the wonderful things that He has been doing in the lives of those that have shared testimonies in the fellowship. We have been blessed by the presence of members of the Keystone Fellowship at Gakuto Baptist Church on Sunday through Wednesday, where they encouraged us through workshops, preaching, and gifts of bibles and resources for Moruti Mothusi.

Sunday services at the Naledi Churh have been focused on God’s call to love one another. The bible study is discussing the meaning of Christian Fellowship and how the early church in the book of Acts experienced fellowship through the breaking of bread and prayer.

The women’s ministry studied Psalm 119. They have been praying and meditating on the word of God together every Thursday afternoon.

The youth are being challenged to memorize Philippians 2 and have set finishing the chapter as a goal for the end of July. We are putting faith in the Lord that He will bless our efforts by writing His word on our hearts, so that we can constantly bring to mind Christ’s example of humility and our call to praise Him along with the rest of His creation. This week, Moagi shared a message about prosperity, based on Malachi Chapter 3. We are very thankful to have the encouragement of those that have been studying the word of God and are back on holiday to share what they have been learning with us.

As a congregation, we have been praying for several of our members, Mpho, Malebogo, Linki, Agnes, and Rapula, who have been sent as missionaries throughout Botswana teaching AIDS education and God’s call to abstinence in the schools through “Face the Nation”. We are praying for God’s power to move mightily in Botswana through this ministry and several conferences, which we look forward to in August.

Gakuto Remarks from Moruti Mothusi…

This past weekend we had our second Sunday school. We had about 15 kids. It was a great time to have some kids who remembered the past memory verse, but had never learned verses before. It was a blessing to have a preacher from South Africa. Many were really touched. God is doing great in Gakuto. The church did not have a lot of youth, but God is still faithful to us.

~Mothusi

“Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me.” ~Psalm 66:20