(Moses – John Rowse’s Disciple – writes to John)

Dear John,

Greetings.

Thank the Lord, finally, you have been issued with the 90 days Visa to come and do more work in Africa and you are already in Tanzania working. We will continue to pray for you, your work and your family.

Accidents Happen

Almost a month ago, I and Gertrude went to check on our maize field. She then accidentally fell against a dry sharp stump that badly developed a big cut on her left leg. I then quickly helped her walk to the road where we had to wait for transport to take us to the hospital, about 30km away. We arrived at the hospital late in the evening. They put eight stitches in the wound. Thankfully, it never developed any infection and it is healing well.

Kay arrived home from school two days ago for a month’s holiday. She is expected to report back to school on 9th July 2023. She had just had a progression exam to enter into the second year of her training after she successfully completed two months of her attachment at the General Hospital and later at an urban clinic within Kasama. Kay says, “It was such a joy to interact with patients at the two health centres. I learned a lot from them during my practicals. During the continuous assessment, I was challenged by my tutor. He brought me a patient from the theatre and told me to clean the big wound on her belly that was full of pus. The patient was looking scared. She was not comfortable having me, a student, attend to her serious painful wound. God gave me the grace to convince her so she agreed to let me clean her wound. It was such a joy to discover that the lady whose wound I worked on walked out of the hospital bed healed with a smile as she uttered words of gratitude”.

Fruitful Radio Ministry

The radio ministry has continued bearing fruit. I have continued receiving more calls from listeners from all over the country on a daily basis. All the of them tell me that they have continued following the program every week. I have understood that most of the listeners had difficulties in understanding the meaning of salvation by grace and why a genuine believer cannot lose their salvation, but now more people are getting it and are very appreciative. One wrote a text message and said, “Pastor, indeed you are called to disclose the hidden gospel and the working strategies of the Devil. I never knew what it means to be saved by faith apart from works until I heard it from you on the radio. Now that I am saved because I believe, please help me continue to grow in my faith. L.S., from Chipata”. Another one says, “Pastor I have introduced more friends of mine to listening to your program. We sit together as a group to listen to your messages. We have accepted the truth about salvation by grace and we are growing in our faith as you teach us on a weekly basis. We also discuss this at our church on Sundays with our fellow church members. You are a gifted teacher of the Word of God. We also pray for you. I am P. M., Samfya”.

I have also continued receiving negative calls and messages from listeners who I suspect to be SDAs. They condemn my messages, but unfortunately, they fail to justify their argument with the Bible. One who calls himself a Church Elder from Mbala has continued sending me scriptures that talk about observing the Sabbath and the rest of the commandments for salvation. Last week when I called him to tell me if he has followed the law faithfully, he told me that he is trying because that’s what God has said and we have to follow it to be saved. I asked if he is sure whether or not he will be able to stand and justify himself before the judge on the day of judgment. He told me that God will look at my good works. After asking him many other questions, B. S. failed to explain why God should let him into his house. This time he started opening up to hear more about salvation by faith alone. My prayer is that God will change him and that he will later be used by God to change others. We have agreed to continue talking and doing Bible study with him on the phone.

Come, Plant some Churches!

Most of the callers, especially those who heard me at Lukwanga Radio in Kawambwa and have continued following me on ZNBC, have been requesting me to go and open churches in their own areas so that through that they can continue to receive more teaching. They say that they have not found a church that teaches the Bible the way they hear it from me on the radio. I have encouraged them to continue following me on the radio because it is not practically possible to do that at the moment.

My church has continued to benefit from the radio programs in Isoka. We receive more new people in the church every Sunday. We have increased the number of cell groups from four to six. I have sent my leaders who understand the gospel and are teaching it well, to lead these groups. This is giving an opportunity to various people to hear more about the gospel. Neighbours are being invited to the cell groups. Pray for these leaders of mine to remain faithful to the preaching of the gospel of Christ.

Snakes at Work

Please remember to pray for E.M., the leader at Mwansabombwe church. He is the one who invited us to go and preach the gospel and plant the two churches in his area. A week ago his wife was bitten by a puff adder as they were harvesting their maize. Her husband rushed her to the hospital. The following day, E. received a call from home that his fourth-born child had fallen sick with suspected malaria. By the time he was arriving home, the child had already died. The mother was not even able to attend the burial of her son as she was still admitted in the hospital. Two days ago E. called me to inform me that the leg had continued swelling badly and the pain had become unbearable. She has now been referred to Mansa General Hospital for further treatment. E. is going through a tough time. Pray that his faith will still remain strong.

Thank you for your continued prayers for me and the ministry. A special thank you to the brothers and sisters who are tirelessly praying and supporting this noble ministry to the people in this part of the world. I still continue to feel indebted to God as I want to do more of this for Him to his glory. My phone is busy most of the time – sharing the gospel. I also enjoy sitting with various people in Isoka talking to them about the cross.

My regards,

Yours in Christ,

Moses Makanta.