The Harvest is Ripe in Southeast Asia
Aran*, one of our leaders in Southeast Asia, seeks God’s face in everything that he does. The discipline of prayer is not only taught by Harvesters Ministries’ Hub-leaders, like Aran, but it is also very much a part of their daily lives.
They often pray for those who are unsaved asking God to give them opportunities to share the Gospel not knowing what God will bring along their way as they travel long distances to reach villages where there are little or no believers.
This was Aran’s prayer. He prayed that God will give him the opportunity to lead lost souls to Christ, little did he realize just how many souls he would lead to Christ by one simple meeting.
One day Aran and his team of disciples were travelling to seek an opportunity to share the Gospel. Just before reaching a village, after travelling 6 hours with their motorbikes on dangerous winding and narrow roads, Aran and his team came across Chesa*. She was sitting on the side of the road, badly injured after falling from her motorbike on her way back to her village.
Chesa was so touched by their concern for her that she immediately invited them to her village. Little did Aran know how God would use this woman of peace to be the key to opening the door for God’s work in her village. It didn’t take long for Chesa’s family and loved ones to discover the love of Jesus and the way to Salvation!
Aran encouraged Chesa to start sharing her new found faith in Christ with others. Overwhelmed by their eagerness to hear more, she invited Aran back to the village to share the Gospel with others by using the Heart of Man evangelism tool.
Now, once a week a group of new believers are gathering and enjoying fellowship. They are the Body of Christ and they are being equipped for ministry. They are making disciples and evangelising the lost in their community.
Praise the Lord for opening the way in countries where Christianity is in the minority. God is faithful! Always! He is our good, good Father. We are excited to see God’s Kingdom expand in this hostile part of the world.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of individuals.
Message of Hope – Sermon by Steven Loots
Current Reality
2 Dangerous viruses
- Global Pandemic Coronavirus or COVID-19:
- Reality,
- Deadly,
- Spreading exponentially,
- Particularly harmful to older people and those with certain pre-existing conditions.
- The numbers are incredible:
- Over half a million globally.
- Over 20 000 dead.
- In SA there are over 1 000 cases.
- It has a Death Rate of over 2%
- Global shutdown of travel;
- Local lockdowns,
- Social distancing,
- Churches severely impacted,
- There is as of today NO know cure – a vaccine is still months away,
- Christians are NOT immune!
- BUT, we have faith and we do not fear – not even death.
- We need to take this seriously and follow the guidelines:
- We need to think of others.
- We need to protect the vulnerable.
- We need to use common sense.
Second Virus has a 100% infection rate, it has a 100% death rate. It has an eternal impact!
- I’m speaking of course about sin.
- Everyone is born with a sinful nature.
- Each of us practices sin.
- Sin causes a zombie apocalypse in that it makes us do harmful things to others.
- The world is full of violence.
- People murder and steal and rape.
- Children and women are abused.
- We lie and deceive one another and we infect one another causing others to sin.
- The GOOD NEWS however is that there is a cure:
- Paul received this GOOD NEWS and went asap to the Corinthians ans shared it with them.
- Jesus DIED for our SINS.
- He was Buried.
- He Rose again and overcame death!
- He appeared to many as proof of His resurrection.
- ILL ISRAEL in the Desert – Copper snake.
- HOPE for the world.
What do we do now?
As far as Corona is concerned:
- Accept the reality.
- Follow the rules.
- Minister to those you need help while taking every precaution.
- Reach out to the vulnerable – help, give, pray.
- Connect to the lonely, restore relationships.
- Be safe.
- Continue to support the church financially.
- Support Missions.
As far as the Gospel is Concerned:
- This is an incredible opportunity. People who never would talk or listen will now.
- Share the true Gospel.
- Provide true hope – not false hope.
- Make people aware of the greatest virus and the cure for it.
- Don’t argue – be loving and humble – don’t force people.
- There is an urgency.
- Start with a prayer list and then seek opportunities to share your faith.
Closing the doors is not a form of persecution. It is just good old common sense. The church has never been about building and meetings but about living as disciples of Christ. Let’s act like people of faith, let’s be strong and faithful. Our hope is in the Lord.
Covid-19 – An Unprecedented Opportunity
This crisis is going to become very challenging to almost everyone you know. The Covid-19 pandemic however is also a time of unprecedented opportunity for Christians like you to be a beacon of hope to those who will be affected, isolated or traumatized by this pandemic. Even small acts of kindness and love will make an enormous impact.
I want to remind you that believers throughout the centuries have endured, but also survived hardship, persecution and pandemics. Not only did they survive, but have always grown and even thrived. This situation should be no different.
Both the denial of the pandemic as well as unrealistic fear will do much more harm than good. Denial leads to irresponsible behaviour aiding the spread of the virus and fear leads to panic buying and hoarding, leaving the most vulnerable without basic necessities.
This is an opportunity to be the Church, to be the hands and feet of Christ, to share the Gospel and be generous. Many people will be open to listen to the message of hope and salvation. Let us encourage, share and serve.
Travel bans and meeting restrictions have been implemented by most countries. Many churches were forced to suspend traditional fellowship. Harvesters Ministries also has to comply with these preventative measures.
In these times however, the harvest is even riper than before. Please pray for the thousands of Hub-leaders, Pastors and Student Pastors whose desire to love and serve is not diminished by this pandemic. Pray for boldness as they continue to proclaim Christ, and for courage as they will most certainly have to deal with many sick and dying in their communities.
Please also pray for Harvesters Ministries. Precautionary restrictions have all but halted almost all opportunities for fundraising. Many people are using their money to stock up on groceries during this uncertain time.
Kingdom expansion cannot be halted by this pandemic. If anything it has to be accelerated. That is why we need your help today.
Your gift will make a crucial impact in the Kingdom and enable Harvesters to show even the most vulnerable that the body of Christ still cares. Ask the Lord what your best gift could be in these trying times. Give with love today, give with generosity and give in faith.
God opened the doors to Mombasa!
Dylan Agoye, a pastor in Kenya, has been praying for an opportunity to share the Gospel and reach the unreached in Mombasa for many years now. Dylan has always served the Lord faithfully, but it was never his intention to go into the ministry full time. While completing his Master’s degree tragedy struck his family!
His father, Michael Agoye, a full time pastor was on his way to share the Gospel with unreached communities in Kenya. He was brutally attacked and left for dead by religious extremists. After several weeks in a coma Michael finally awoke only to realise that he will never be able to walk again.
The enemy thought that he stopped the work of God, but this is simply not true.
God has called Dylan to complete the work of his father. Dylan has partnered up with Harvesters Ministries and is now training pastors all across the country, but his heart has always been to convert unbelievers to Christianity; to get the lost saved!
He knows that one person cannot change another person’s heart and that it is also impossible for a person to change a community. He knows that there is only one way to change people’s hearts and make an impact in communities – and that is the power of God!
Harvesters Ministries is truly grateful that God continues to make it possible for the ministry to plant churches in communities all across the globe. The Church is a beacon of hope. The Church shares the Gospel with people and only by hearing the true Gospel can someone be saved and changed.
Mombasa, Kenya, is one such community that desperately needs the Gospel; that desperately needs change. Although Kenya is known as a Christian country, Islam is the main religion in the Mombasa region and Christians face terrible persecution at the hands of religious extremists.
It took many years of praying and waiting patiently for prayers to be answered and for the opportunity for Harvesters Ministries to work in Mombasa. Finally, in 2019 our prayers were answered and our country leader, Dylan Agoye, was led to a phenomenal group of pastors in Mombasa. These pastors jumped at the opportunity to receive training in evangelism, discipleship and church planting. They too have been praying for a way to make an impact in the villages in their region.
Missionaries and missions organisations cannot reach the lost with the Gospel without the support of believers like you. Your prayers make it possible for missionaries to travel across the globe, share the Gospel with the lost and ensure that the Word of God truly reaches the ends of the earth. Continue to keep Dylan and his family in your prayers as they serve the Lord and build God’s Kingdom.
Please pray that the Gospel will make an impact in Mombasa. Trust the Lord that the number of believers in Mombasa will grow immensely. Ask the Lord to strengthen believers in this region. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith. Pray that they will continue to lead others to Christ, despite the terrible persecution that they face.
I am reminded of Matthew 5:16 that says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
The Time is Now
Every four seconds somebody in India dies without knowing Christ. Somebody enters eternity without ever having the opportunity of knowing the Name that is above every other name.
In the time that we live it is an urgent call to all of us out there, wherever you are, that someone needs a word of hope, needs Christ. It is an urgent call to everybody. It is never too late and the time is now.
Over 150 000 people die without Jesus every day. For them it is too late. For those who are still alive, there is still time. The Gospel has the power to save. Harvesters is doing everything that they possibly can to take the Gospel to those who have not heard it. But we cannot do it alone…
One such testimony where the Gospel reached the unreached, is from Rahul* in India. He lives in a small village on the eastern coast of India. There is not a single Christian in Rahul’s village, let alone a church!
Rahul has lots of built up anger after the death of his 14-year-old son, a few years ago. Rahul was a Hindu and an idol worshipper. He had never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ who died for his sins.
One of our volunteers travelled to Rahul’s village and shared the Gospel to Rahul during an outreach. He showed Rahul that he needed to accept Jesus Christ to have peace in his life. After a few outreaches where our volunteer shared the Gospel with Rahul, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Rahul is the very first believer in his village!
His neighbours mocked him, his family resented him and the entire village became hostile towards him. Rahul’s response left me speechless, “Jesus showed me the condition of my heart and He restored my peace. I lost my son, God has sent His son to save me. What more do I need!”
Rahul started a church in his village. The congregation is growing by the grace of God. Two Hindu ladies from his village accepted Christ and is helping Rahul to share the Gospel with other non-believers.
*Names changed.
Newsletter – February 2020
As Harvesters turns 20 in 2020, this newsletter takes a look back where it all began, celebrates 20 achievements, and explains how you can get involved too!
Download the South Africa & International Newsletter – Feb 20
Download the Afrikaans Newsletter – Feb 20
Download the UK Newsletter – Feb 20
Download the USA Newsletter – Mar 20
Lesotho Rejoices over Bibles!
Vivid green hills, majestic mountains and remote villages – this is what I experienced as I travelled through the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho.
As I look at these mountains and travel to these remote villages I am reminded of one of my favourite Bible verses, Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
I am so humbled by this experience. This whole Bible placement has only been made possible by God’s amazing grace, He truly is a way maker. I am also eternally grateful to every donor who sponsored Bibles for this wonderful trip.
520 Bibles were carried up mountains to remote villages. Not just any Bibles – Sotho Bibles for our Sotho speaking brothers and sisters. Thanks to your donations there are 500 believers who now have access to God’s Word. These Bibles will be used to change communities.
You might wonder why it is so important to take Bibles to believers. The answer is simple: these believers do not have the means to purchase a Bible of their own, they are simply too poor and live too remotely.
One such believer who received her very first Bible is Ntsepeng Marinakhoe. She completed her Phase A training through Harvesters and had to borrow a Bible constantly before she received her own Bible.
Without your generous donations, believers like Ntsepeng will still have no access to God’s Word. You have changed this, Ntsepeng can now study the Bible on a daily basis and share the Gospel with members of her community.
Rwandan Pastors Receive the Word of God
Imagine receiving the perfect gift just in time for Christmas. For Rwanda pastors this was a reality. They did not receive riches and gold, they received something far more precious: The Word of God.
All of the pastors were in a very festive mood. To see all of them in their graduation gowns was an incredible and humbling experience. Seeing how they overcome their challenges and never complain about their circumstances is a true inspiration.
God has done uncountable miracles for the ministry. It is extremely humbling to see what God does through the ministry. Pray with us that God will continue to build His Kingdom through the pastors that complete their Harvesters training.
Thanks to loyal donors it was possible to hand out more than 250 Bibles to pastors who graduated from the Harvesters program. By God’s grace each of these pastors planted three brand new churches. Now there are churches where there once were none.
The Rwanda government forbids the planting of new churches and as a result thousands of churches were closed last year. These pastors are still persevering and are taking the risk of planting new churches.
Please pray for these pastors and their congregations as they face uncertainty. It is only through God that one can get true serenity. Pray that these pastors will always seek God and find their peace in Him.
I am reminded of Jesus’ words in John 16:33 that says “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Please pray with us that every Rwanda pastor will take heart as they face their challenges. For Jesus has already overcome every problem that they might face.
A Church Planting Explosion in Guatemala
Thank God with us for the church planting explosion that is currently taking place in Guatemala – both in the urban and rural areas. Three active church streams are currently experiencing great growth – despite being between the volcanoes. Pray especially for good training and strong leaders in this region.
Most Guatemalan pastors will agree that after being introduced to the Harvesters model through evangelism and discipleship … everything changed!
Why is it so important to plant churches? The church is an agent for change in communities. The church is a shining light of hope in a community.
Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”
One of the leading church planters in Guatemala, Pastor Hugo, has led more than 743 souls to Christ in the last 18 months. Praise the Lord for his commitment! He sets an amazing example to so many others.
Pastor Hugo quit his job as a structural engineer and is truly obeying the Great Commission. He felt God’s calling from a young age already and when he got the opportunity he planted his first church.
A new church stream with 300 pastors is currently starting in Guatemala. This will not be possible without your help. Harvesters will visit Guatemala every six months for the next three years to train this group of pastors.
Pray that God will continue to use Harvesters Ministries to build His Kingdom in Guatemala.
Cameroonian Pastors are Obeying the Great Commission
Praise the Lord for what is happening in Cameroon! None of this would be possible without your continuous prayers.
I am reminded of Jeremiah 32:27 that says “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”
You recently helped to complete a two-day training session in evangelism and church planting with 80 participants in Douala, Cameroon.
Together we trained the pastors in a new evangelism method. 27 Groups went out for two hours after the training to practically evangelise people in the community. They reached 187 people with the Gospel and 54 made a commitment to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
After the church planting training, 61 pastors committed to sharing the Gospel and planting churches. They now have a clear direction, vision and goal to go and make disciples and plant churches through evangelism.
All the glory and praise to God! We also thank every prayer partner who carries our teams with their fervent prayers.
The team was also able to travel by public transport from Douala to Kumba – a four-hour trip on the dusty roads of Cameroon. Here they continued the evangelism and church planting training with 30 participants in Kumba.
This group of pastors also learned the Harvesters evangelism method. Nine groups went out to practically evangelise the people of the village. They reached 58 people with the Gospel and 28 accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
19 Pastors in Kumba committed themselves to build God’s Kingdom.
Both these groups of pastors will train student pastors and plant churches in their communities and remote villages.
We are extremely humbled and grateful to the Lord for opening the way to train pastors in Cameroon. We are God’s instrument and want to honour Him in everything that we do.
The Prayer Became a Vision
The Malawian terrain moves by below us in patches of green and brown as if in slow motion. I am barely aware of the familiar hum of the Cessna Cardinal 177 engine as I look at the shadow the airplane casts on the earth below. Every now and again the shadow would cut across a small rural settlement and every time the same prayer echoes in my heart: Lord, give us that settlement…
The prayer that was birthed in the tiny airplane over Malawi gave birth to a vision of such magnitude that at first I thought that it was an impossible dream. But slowly, as I prayed this over and over, asking the Lord for these small African villages, He confirmed what I was to do for the next few decades.
“Plant one million churches, train one million pastors and evangelize and disciple one hundred million people”, became the vision for our ministry as we planted the first churches in Malawi in 2000.
Twenty years later, Harvesters Ministries has grown from a small family ministry to a global movement that expands the Kingdom of God in 43 languages and in 63 countries. With offices and staff spread over 5 continents, more than 65 000 churches planted globally, 35 000 student pastors in training and over five million new disciples spread over the face of the earth, I cannot help but pause for a moment…
A moment of thanksgiving. A moment of gratitude. I look upwards to the Giver of the vision and I know it was all Him. From Him flows the grace to still be here in 2020.
From Him came the small but dedicated staff that works daily towards the vision and loves the ministry as much as I do.
From Him came the hundreds of volunteers that serve as Harvesters Licensed Trainers in some of the most remote parts of the world.
From Him was sent the many donors that has made it possible to drive, fly, print, deliver, train, help and expand.
From Him is the energy, the health, the endurance, the faith and the love that makes ministry possible on this scale.
In this, our 20th year, we celebrate Him, who gives in abundance, we celebrate us, who have the privilege to work in this ministry and we celebrate you, who support and give with a joyful heart. But mostly we celebrate with the angels of God for every sinner that has come to know the Saviour.
Now we look forward in faith, toward planting another 25 000 churches where there were none before. New pastors will be trained, new converts will be won and new disciples will be made.
We are humbly grateful for the grace and favour of the past twenty years. We celebrate that. But now we look up toward the horizon and we invite you to continue to journey with us, pray for us and support us, for the work is not done.
Harvesters is 20 in 2020!
We are celebrating 20 years of church planting in 2020. We were able to plant our very first churches in 2000 in Zambia and in Malawi. Since then the ministry has expanded into more than 60 countries. God is good!
Thank you for travelling around the world with us during these past 20 years. It is amazing to see how God has provided for us.
One of the countries that recently opened their doors for us to work in is Brazil and more specifically the Amazon region. There are thousands of villages next to the Amazon river without access to a church and the Gospel.
While we were in the Amazon we could experience the incredible sounds of the jungle, the humidity and the overwhelming density of the flora. We realised that indeed a great service was given by those who have come before us. We walk in their footsteps…
“It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.” – Elisabeth Elliot, Missionary and Author
Some days in the jungle were tough! We battled perceptions of evangelism and how to reach people. There are many willing people, but their methods need improving.
Thanks to loyal donors it was possible for one of our teams to train these pastors in evangelism, discipleship and church planting.
Please pray with us that this ministry will continue to grow exponentially in 2020.
Pastors in Ivory Coast are Leading the Lost to Christ
Dodging potholes, waving and smiling at the staring faces, seeing and smelling the poverty and the dust – the dust settles everywhere! This is what travelling in Ivory Coast is like.
Our first stop – Bouaké. The second largest city in Ivory Coast. Our loyal country leader greets us with open arms. We meet each other half way with my broken English and his deep French accent.
A group of 50 enthusiastic pastors were waiting on our arrival. They jumped at the opportunity to receive training in evangelism, discipleship and church planting. After training them in evangelism, we sent out the pastors to share the Gospel with people in the city.
After only two hours 104 people were reached with the Gospel and 44 people made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord for these souls! We cannot take our earthly things with us to heaven, but we can collect eternal treasures and share Jesus’ love with those who do not know Him.
We will return for more training in six months’ time and look forward to hear the testimonies of how these pastors have impacted their communities with the Gospel.
After this amazing experience it was time to head further into the country to share the Harvesters vision with more pastors in another beautiful city.
We traveled further with our trusty guide to place called Daloa, the third most densely populated city in Ivory Coast. We were overwhelmed to see 160 pastors already waiting for us! When we walked into the venue the presence of the Holy Spirit was tangible.
We shared the Harvesters vision with this group of pastors and the response was phenomenal! These pastors shared the Gospel with 272 people and in only two hours, 104 of these people believed the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as their Redeemer and Savior.
I am excited to see how these pastors’ ministries will expand in the next six months. We are expecting them to saturate their communities with churches in the next few years.
All the glory goes to our Lord Jesus Christ for saving these souls and leading our new pastors on their journeys.
Sharing the Love of Jesus in Brazil
Brazil is the largest country in South America. It’s the 5th largest in the world – both in size and population with more than 215 million people. Cities are enormous with São Paulo leading the chart with more than 17 million people.
So how does Harvesters Ministries plant churches in these gigantic cities? Urbanization is a scary fact as young people flock to the cities from rural areas.
Harvesters Brazil currently find themselves in six huge areas in Brazil, namely São Paulo, Brasília, Goiânia, Manaus, Belo Horizonte and the Amazon.
Although the strategy stays the same – church planting through evangelism and discipleship – the model is finely tweaked to provide maximum growth in some churches who are dying. One of these critical areas is Goânia where we have spent a week training, helping and expanding.
Reaching out to those in Need
Current training saw us expanding to forgotten villages three hours out of Goiânia to a place called Jossura. The heat was unbearable and I couldn’t help but constantly peak at our super eco-friendly Chevy’s temperature gauge. It got stuck at 44°C. And according to all – this was winter season! 60 Pastors showed up for our training. Their churches were all dying.
As one pastor explained, “I have been dreaming of this day my whole adult and ministry life! Our churches got stuck at 70 members for the last two decades. Help!” Their sincerity and tears broke my heart. Harvesters is going train pastors in Jossura and help them to grow their congregations with evangelism and discipleship.
Back to Goiânia – a City of Great Need…
As I write this I just survived a 145km/h Uber ride to the airport in Brazil at 03:30 in the morning. I wondered about the meaning of life – as I often do at high speeds. We have been in several dying churches – sad to see but through Harvesters it was great to resuscitate those dying churches through discipleship.
At the seminary where we were invited to train pastors they watched us with teary eyes as they sat and realized they were still only trained to preach to an audience.
Share in the Success
There has been significant growth and success stories in many of the areas where we work in Brazil. Brazil currently sends out more missionaries than any other country in the world. To keep on doing this Brazil needs more churches full of disciples. Please pray for Brazil and the Amazon with their 10,000 lost villages. We will soon plant a church in every single one of them!
Newsletter – November 2019
So many new things are happening right now and we are excited to share some of our highlights from the mission field with you in this month’s newsletter! Inside this edition you’ll:
- See how Harvesters continues to help forgotten villages after Cyclone Idai
- Read about why Mission organisations are still relevant today
- Discover new ways to get involved.
Thank you for your continued interest and support – we are truly grateful for your partnership in ministry.
Download the November 2019 Newsletter – UK
Download the November 2019 Newsletter – South Africa English
Download the November 2019 Newsletter – Afrikaans
Rebuilding Mozambique after the Disaster
Cyclone Idai Caused Destruction
As you might recall a terrible cyclone hit Mozambique in March earlier this year. Hundreds of people lost their lives and thousands of homes and crops were completely destroyed. The worst part for us at Harvesters was not only the thousands of training materials and Bibles that were destroyed, but the 18 pastors and 35 church members that we tragically lost.
Pastoral Training Continues
Harvesters had the opportunity to train 130 pastors in Nampula, Mozambique earlier this month. This training was made possible by the generous and open hearts of donors. We were able to replace many of the damaged Bibles and training materials and training in Mozambique could continue.
Why is Nampula such an important and strategic area to train pastors in? Nampula is a predominantly Muslim area where we desperately need to make disciples, evangelise the lost and plant viable churches.
The Need is Great
My eyes were opened once again for the great need for the Gospel. Two young men travelled for two whole days – not by train, bus or car, but by foot. Can you imagine wanting something so desperately that you will walk there? Even if it means that you might travel for several days without any fancy hotels to sleep in.
These two young men are from Niassa – an area north of Nampula. There is a desperate need for pastoral training in their community.
These two young men were on their knees and begging me to present the training in Niassa. My heart bled for these two young men.
A Victory is a Victory, Big or Small
Our pastors in Nampula have planted 91 new churches in the past 12 months. We are so excited about what God is doing in Nampula!
Each and every pastor who completed the training received a Bible – for many their very first Bible. These Bibles will be used to change their communities. These pastors can now reach the lost with the Truth.