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Only 4 weeks till Wed Feb 1st when i fly to Lusaka then on Sat 4th move on to Kabwe for our conference.

Please pray for the Holy Spirit to increasingly inspire us and overcome our weaknesses.

Whether 10 or 20 people can gather – may it be the correct group for this PREPARATORY MEETING before our FULL MEETING later in 2012 – probably also in Zambia – ‘the Heart of Africa’.

Please pray for the health of Bishop Evariste who has battled with diabetes for many years – and for his family.

Please pray too that Rev Elie – one of our leaders – will be able to visit Kabwe and not just Ndola. If that does not happen, some of us will spend Mon 6th with him in Ndola.

Also next Wed 11th Jan i visit my friend in Stoke, UK – who will soon travel to encourage our Burmese team doing easyChin.

2012 is keeping me busy! An English friend is soon travelling to Myanmar (Burma) where he will meet Pastor Hmung, who is already doing veryeasyChin and will soon move onto Luke’s gospel in easyChin level A. They will meet while i’m in Zambia. Please pray for many possibilities.

We rejoice in a Wonderful 2011 - God is Faithful, when we are not. It has been a year of much travelling and many promises.

A few of these promises are already being fulfilled as people deepen their relationship with God by helping the poor and encouraging those who are disabled or marginalised.

As we scroll down this blog, we see Lucy with Downs Syndrome – dancing to worship God and to encourage US ALL.

This morning i was phoning another Lucy – a nurse from Lesotho – who is helping to arrange for a young friend from her country to get to Kabwe, Zambia in February. A long distance to travel!!

Which brings me to the Kabwe Conference itself (Feb 4 – 12) :

Every day, i thank God for Bishop Evariste and Pastor Elie from DRC, Steven Kombe from Mozambique, Mark Kayenda and Bishop Jamali from Malawi, Felix and Reuben from Zambia, Abraham Getachew from Ethiopia (an email partner for Kabwe), Cleto from Zimbabwe (and his website), Frank, Sauli and Samuel Mpanilehi from Tanzania, Lucy from Lesotho…..

WE’RE ALL PRAYING THAT THIS CONFERENCE AND A FULL CONFERENCE IN ZAMBIA IN NOVEMBER WILL RESULT IN ‘EASYBIBLES’ COMING OF AGE AS THE TEAM FORMS STRONG RELATIONSHIPS TO ENSURE THAT ‘FOR AFRICA ‘EASYBIBLES’ IS RUN BY AFRICANS.’

Please watch the U-tube of Lucy’s dancing. She has Downs Syndrome is 26 years old and is self-taught :

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/OQxFs_LYN8A” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

Praise God for people like Lucy!

Soon we shall have the 4 gospels and Acts in easyChichewa produced and checked by 3 Protestant teams and a Catholic Comboni father. We shall all meet in Feb in Zambia.

On Mon 6th Feb, i hope to meet with Pastor Elie Kakudji, possibly with Bishop Evariste Numbi, both of DRC, Steven Kaombe (Mozambique), Mark Kayenda (Malawi) and other African leaders – representing at least 10 nations (Kenya is the latest to add to our list) – in Kabwe or Ndola – for a day of prayer and fasting - to begin the process of transferring ownership for Africa of ‘easyBibles’ – to Africa. Several nations too far away to attend (like Ethiopia) will be signed up as ‘email partners’ to our discussions that will last for at least 5 days in Kabwe and will continue by email until our FULL AFRICAN ‘EASYBIBLES’ CONFERENCE  in late 2012 – probably again in Zambia. May God’s will be done!

‘So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’  Matthew 20 v 16; 19 v 30; Mark 10 v 31; Luke 13 v 30.

Please see this update on quality.easyBibles.com or click on http://quality.easybibles.com/faithful-teams/ .

Sorry that i’ve been too busy to attend to this before – BUT FROM NOW ON I PROMISE TO UPDATE ‘TOP TEAMS’ AT LEAST MONTHLY.

WE’RE GETTING THERE – PRAISE GOD!

Yes the February conference is already stimulating progress in African languages – even in such countries like Ethiopia, Lesotho and Namibia, which are unlikely to send representatives this time. Because Ndola is so expensive we’ve decided on Kabwe – between Ndola and Lusaka, Zambia. The dates for Zambia are still Feb 1 to 19. But there is still some flexibility as i’m told that i don’t need to but my plane tickets till after Christmas – and God is still surprising us with new information and encouragement.

Today it was wonderful to observe Steven Kaombe from Mozambique (who knows several languages and has translated for the World Mission Centre – US working by email with Mark Kayenda from Blantyre, Malawi – a Bible College Lecturer to polish Luke in easyChichewa. They hope to meet in Kabwe. This is also the language of my missionary Comboni friend Fr Gian Battista Moroni who has offered me accommodation in Lusaka. But my 2008 hosts Evaristo and Annette are able to provide hospitality – for a small group.

Meanwhile Dr Felix Chibesa, a Zambian friend from 2008 is preaching this w/e in Kabwe and will seek out friendly pastors.

Currently accompanied by Steven Kaombe, i hope to visit Lusaka, Kabwe (and possibly Ndola, if Pastor Elie is unable to get to Kabwe – for passport reasons) and Livingstone to meet Angolans (who speak Portuguese – like Steven), Namibians and Botswanians. Many emails and phone calls mean that strong friendships are forming – particularly with Bishop Evariste, Pastor Elie (DRC), Steven (Mozambique), Mark (Malawi), Cleto (Zimbabwe), Abraham (Ethiopia) and Reuben, Felix, Evaristo & Annette (Zambia).

It will be great too, to see a Comboni missionary father in action on the mission field. Father Mario Casella will rejoice!

I’m very sorry to hear of the death of my friend Comboni Fr Mario Casella in Verona last week. I had only known him for one and a half years but he was a very spiritual man and a great inspiration. I used to phone him every two weeks. His last words to me were to, ” PERSEVERE, AGAINST ALL DIFFICULTIES – LIKE DANIEL COMBONI”.

The Earth is a sadder place but Heaven continues to grow more attractive where we shall meet such wonderful people.

Here too, we are inspired to move forward in Christ’s love.

There’s an old (4th century adapted) Hymn :

Of the Father’s love begotten,

Ere (before) the worlds began to be,

He is Alpha and Omega,

He the source, the ending He,

Of the things that are, that have been,

And that future years shall see,

Evermore and evermore!

This morning, in my quiet time i read 2 Peter ch 1 v 17 :

‘For He (Jesus) received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

SO, OUR WHOLE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE IS BUILT UPON THIS DIVINE RELATIONSHIP OF ‘LOVE’ – FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT

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In 2011 God has been pleased to introduce me to many new friends, AND although many have not yet done what they agreed to; several have.

So for 2012 i am going to follow the thoughts of Jean Vanier (www.larche.org ) that ‘RELATIONSHIPS are more important than chasing SUCCESS – whatever that means’. I hope this rough translation of his message to me, when we met 2 months ago, is accurate. If not, perhaps one of his staff will tell me.

So in 2012, i shall concentrate on deepening relationships with key people producing quality.easyBibles .

We have some wonderful friends in Christ!