Things are going well here. We've had lots of good time to interact with the church here and get caught up. I preached at church yesterday. Also, Beth Schanholtzer arrived late last week and spent a good bit of the weekend with us. We took her to church with us at Old Naledi yesterday. She really enjoyed the service and meeting the folks there. She heads off to the town of Lobatse today and will be in various locations around Botswana through November.
Please continue to pray for the young men leaders in the church, Mothusi, Moagi (MG), Lame (pronounced lom-aye), Joe, Champ and the others. Particularly pray for Champ. He is working extremely hard and is burdened by all the duties of directing the Tlamelo Project, serving as church treasurer, deacon, helping with the youth ministries, mens' study, and trying to keep up with his university studies. Quite a heavy set of responsibilities for a 22 year-old guy. He is a gem!
Barb has been having a great time talking with the ladies working at the Tlamelo Project and discussing the bible with them (while the food is cooking). I have been getting materials and the necessary tools lined up for our various projects. One of the other missionaries in Gaborone has all the power tools and other tools that we will need for the carpentry projects at Tlamelo.
The weather has been superb here. Sunny every day with daytime highs around 80 and nighttime lows around 50. We look forward to your arrival in a couple weeks.
Modimo o siame,
sala sentle,
Dave
Monday, June 26, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Hartnett Update - 1
Dumelang,
This is our first full week back in Botswana and Naledi and we are well settled in and getting caught up with the various people and ministries of the church. We met with Champ and learned of the many physical needs of the Tlamelo Project and the church that they would like us to undertake. These include repairs in the kitchen (fixing broken cabinets etc.), re-building about 8 picnic tables for the kids to eat at, several repairs and closet construction in the church building, and re-building the little kids soccer goal (a free-standing PVC pipe frame with netting tied on). I have started to scout around to the various building supply places to look for materials so Kevin, Dave, and Dave can do the construction work, and then the ladies can organize and complete all the painting the following week when they are here. I will be sending Kevin a list of a few tools that he can bring from my basement if you guys have room in your luggage.
I have been going to various places in Gaborone with Champ to collect the donated food for Tlamelo each day, and he has asked us to take over that task for him for a week while you are here, as he needs to return to Pretoria to take his exams that week. Barb is helping with the cooking every day.
Tonight Barb and I will be going to the evening prayer meeting at the church. Afterwards, we are going to the hospital to visit Lesedi, one of Barb's good friends from the church. We just learned this weekend that she is in the hospital. This coming Sunday (June 25), Moruti James has asked me to preach (are these guys scraping the bottom of the barrel or what?).
Moruti talked to the congregation about your visit this past Sunday. They are really looking forward to your visit and consider it a tremendous blessing and answer to prayer. Moruti posted the large picture of the team on the church bulletin board (the one taken in our front yard) and he prayed for our churches and for the 5 of you. They are very eager to get to know you, for you to get to know them, and to talk and pray together about how our churches might partner with one another.
That’s about all for now. My 5 pula of internet time is about over.
Kagiso. Modimo o siame,
Dave
This is our first full week back in Botswana and Naledi and we are well settled in and getting caught up with the various people and ministries of the church. We met with Champ and learned of the many physical needs of the Tlamelo Project and the church that they would like us to undertake. These include repairs in the kitchen (fixing broken cabinets etc.), re-building about 8 picnic tables for the kids to eat at, several repairs and closet construction in the church building, and re-building the little kids soccer goal (a free-standing PVC pipe frame with netting tied on). I have started to scout around to the various building supply places to look for materials so Kevin, Dave, and Dave can do the construction work, and then the ladies can organize and complete all the painting the following week when they are here. I will be sending Kevin a list of a few tools that he can bring from my basement if you guys have room in your luggage.
I have been going to various places in Gaborone with Champ to collect the donated food for Tlamelo each day, and he has asked us to take over that task for him for a week while you are here, as he needs to return to Pretoria to take his exams that week. Barb is helping with the cooking every day.
Tonight Barb and I will be going to the evening prayer meeting at the church. Afterwards, we are going to the hospital to visit Lesedi, one of Barb's good friends from the church. We just learned this weekend that she is in the hospital. This coming Sunday (June 25), Moruti James has asked me to preach (are these guys scraping the bottom of the barrel or what?).
Moruti talked to the congregation about your visit this past Sunday. They are really looking forward to your visit and consider it a tremendous blessing and answer to prayer. Moruti posted the large picture of the team on the church bulletin board (the one taken in our front yard) and he prayed for our churches and for the 5 of you. They are very eager to get to know you, for you to get to know them, and to talk and pray together about how our churches might partner with one another.
That’s about all for now. My 5 pula of internet time is about over.
Kagiso. Modimo o siame,
Dave
Sunday, May 14, 2006
2006 Letter to Friends
Dear Friends,
Over the past several years, God has turned the hearts of many in the E-Free churches of Manhattan toward Africa, opening opportunities to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Botswana, to build partnerships with a local church and with the people living and serving in the city of Gaborone and surrounding villages. The Old Naledi church is in a very poor village of about 40,000 people on the outskirts of Gaborone. In a country with the world’s highest levels of HIV-AIDS, the burdens of sickness, poverty, death, and thousands of orphaned children are all too prominent. God has developed this grassroots ministry in Botswana with a strong focus on building long-term relationships. He has provided numerous opportunities to minister to both the physical and spiritual needs of that country, joining with the local church in Old Naledi in prayer, visiting the sick, ministering to the orphaned children, teaching, and serving the poor, and continuing to pray throughout the year for the church and for others serving there.
We have had recent discussions with Moruti (Pastor) James about the tremendous suffering, the many physical needs, and the great challenges facing the Christian community in Old Naledi. When asked how our church can best help and what resources we might provide, he said “Bring more people from your church to visit us. We find the greatest encouragement in your time spent with us and working with us.” This year again, God has opened an opportunity for a team of six from Harvest Fellowship and Faith E-Free Church to again serve along side the church in Old Naledi village. David Robinson, Kevin Porter Julie and Becky Coonrod, David and Barbara Hartnett, and Evie Krenzin will be traveling to Botswana in July to continue the work and partnership God has established for us.
This summer we will continue building relationships with the youth and young adults, continuing in prayer, study and discipleship with the youth as they face many physical and spiritual challenges walking with God and growing in their faith. Our team will also be involved in teaching, prayer, and encouraging fellowship with Moruti (Pastor) James and the other church leaders and missionaries serving in Old Naledi. A prayer retreat is planned with our team and the village church leadership, and David Robinson will preach at the Old Naledi church. Mothusi, the seminary student raised up from within the Old Naledi fellowship will be back in the village, providing opportunities to continue to encourage him and build our relationship with this future pastor. Our group will again be working with the The Tlamelo Project, a feeding program for AIDS orphans in Old Naledi village, and helping with various other ministries helping the many children at risk in the village. We will also be taking teaching resources and other needed items to Botswana. In addition, we will be traveling to Kumakwane to encourage and work with Heidi Epple as she ministers in that village.
Please pray for the church in Botswana. Also, please pray for our team that we may serve well as we minister alongside our African brothers and sisters this summer. Financial support is also urgently needed to help meet the many physical needs of this very poor village (food, health care, education sponsorship for orphaned children, teaching materials, seminary tuition, etc.) and to support our travel expenses this summer. If you feel led to help in this ministry, please send your contribution to Harvest Fellowship, PO Box 337, Manhattan, KS 66505-0337. If you have any questions, please contact us at bostwana@harvestfellowshipks.org
Serving Him,
David and Barbara Hartnett, David Robinson, Julie Coonrod, Kevin Porter, Becky Coonrod, Evie Krenzin
Over the past several years, God has turned the hearts of many in the E-Free churches of Manhattan toward Africa, opening opportunities to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Botswana, to build partnerships with a local church and with the people living and serving in the city of Gaborone and surrounding villages. The Old Naledi church is in a very poor village of about 40,000 people on the outskirts of Gaborone. In a country with the world’s highest levels of HIV-AIDS, the burdens of sickness, poverty, death, and thousands of orphaned children are all too prominent. God has developed this grassroots ministry in Botswana with a strong focus on building long-term relationships. He has provided numerous opportunities to minister to both the physical and spiritual needs of that country, joining with the local church in Old Naledi in prayer, visiting the sick, ministering to the orphaned children, teaching, and serving the poor, and continuing to pray throughout the year for the church and for others serving there.
We have had recent discussions with Moruti (Pastor) James about the tremendous suffering, the many physical needs, and the great challenges facing the Christian community in Old Naledi. When asked how our church can best help and what resources we might provide, he said “Bring more people from your church to visit us. We find the greatest encouragement in your time spent with us and working with us.” This year again, God has opened an opportunity for a team of six from Harvest Fellowship and Faith E-Free Church to again serve along side the church in Old Naledi village. David Robinson, Kevin Porter Julie and Becky Coonrod, David and Barbara Hartnett, and Evie Krenzin will be traveling to Botswana in July to continue the work and partnership God has established for us.
This summer we will continue building relationships with the youth and young adults, continuing in prayer, study and discipleship with the youth as they face many physical and spiritual challenges walking with God and growing in their faith. Our team will also be involved in teaching, prayer, and encouraging fellowship with Moruti (Pastor) James and the other church leaders and missionaries serving in Old Naledi. A prayer retreat is planned with our team and the village church leadership, and David Robinson will preach at the Old Naledi church. Mothusi, the seminary student raised up from within the Old Naledi fellowship will be back in the village, providing opportunities to continue to encourage him and build our relationship with this future pastor. Our group will again be working with the The Tlamelo Project, a feeding program for AIDS orphans in Old Naledi village, and helping with various other ministries helping the many children at risk in the village. We will also be taking teaching resources and other needed items to Botswana. In addition, we will be traveling to Kumakwane to encourage and work with Heidi Epple as she ministers in that village.
Please pray for the church in Botswana. Also, please pray for our team that we may serve well as we minister alongside our African brothers and sisters this summer. Financial support is also urgently needed to help meet the many physical needs of this very poor village (food, health care, education sponsorship for orphaned children, teaching materials, seminary tuition, etc.) and to support our travel expenses this summer. If you feel led to help in this ministry, please send your contribution to Harvest Fellowship, PO Box 337, Manhattan, KS 66505-0337. If you have any questions, please contact us at bostwana@harvestfellowshipks.org
Serving Him,
David and Barbara Hartnett, David Robinson, Julie Coonrod, Kevin Porter, Becky Coonrod, Evie Krenzin
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