Delight Mpofu

Thank you very much for praying for us and for passing the message about Delight Mpofu`s death to the Church. I am quiet sure she must be on one of the pictures that you took. She was 7years old ,turning 8 this coming August.

We really appreciate you very much for praying for us ,for it was very difficult for all the members of Church to really accept it ,most of them are still remembering her testimony. We all realized today that when she gave the testimony she sang a song which is all about going to heaven to be with the Lord and the thing that pains the Church most is how we failed to discern that her going was so imminent. It was so difficult for Church today when we buried her as some of them like Kepalotse Nare failed to give a speech as she vividly remembered how she ministered to her on Sunday only to be told on Monday that she has died. We had to stop the procession for some time to allow some of our people to release their emotions before burying the body.

We also involved some children because we wanted them to really believe that their friend has gone to be with the Lord. Thank you very much for allowing us to share with you both sad and good news. We appreciate you for all the prayers. You guys are a family to us and that’s why we share all that we go through with you. We have inserted here-in the pictures of the children singing during the burial procession as well as the grave of Delight. The girl on the far left(children singing picture) with a blue trousers is Delight`s sister who tried to pull her out of the water but failed. Today as the Church we spoke with the community leaders and they all have agreed to close the well ,for the community not to have more accidents.

Thank you again, pass our regards to the whole Church.

Blessings,

Gideon & Jennifer

Praying for the Mpofu Family & Hope Fountain

Dear family

Greetings to you. We are sad to let you know that one of our children from the community( Delight Mpofu) drowned this afternoon into an open well and died inside the well. She had gone to the well to fetch water together with her sister and in the process of getting the water she slipped into the well and the sister failed to pull her out. She then called other people for help but they came when she had already died. She had been one of our best children who recently also testified about what she learnt and quoted the scriptures that she was taught during the March conference. No one knew that this was going to happen and if we knew  we could have recorded her testimony that she gave in the church. We are planning to involve the children and their teachers on the burial of Delight. Please just pray for us that we will be bale to make all our children understand this as they are all shocked and have got questions all over their faces. They were with Delight yesterday and Justice taught them and everyone was so happy and only to be told this afternoon that one of them has passed on.

Some ladies from Church are also struggling to accept this and please pray for us that God will give us both Jennifer and myself the right word of comfort to the Church. We are letting you know about this because you a family to us and we really need your prayers and encouragement .

Blessings

Gideon & Jennifer (below)

The children at Bible Club back in March.  Delight was there and was where she learned the scriptures Gideon was referring to in the letter above.

Prayers for Tina Motsi

The Motsi Family: 2011

Tina, Hannah, Ray, Angela, Rudo, Shaun

 TINA

Tina, March 2012 

 Standing with Tina to fight leukemia

Being run by Bulawayo Baptist Church 

and ‘Mind the Gap-Africa’                                                                                                                    

April/May 2012 

Dear Friends,

Tinashe Motsi has leukemia and the estimates are 63,000US dollars for life saving treatment – will you help?

It started in July 2011 when Tinashe was first admitted to hospital in Bulawayo with severe pain and high fevers.  The doctors ran many tests but nothing was forthcoming.  Finally after a trip to Durban, in South Africa, Tinashe was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.  The treatments she received masked the real disease of cancer. 

Tinashe was hospitalised again with severe pain and despite being given morphine she remained in terrible pain and couldn’t move.  She was given a bone marrow test and on 6^th April we finally heard it was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  This is the easiest type of leukemia to treat with around an 80% success rate.

Tinashe and her parents went to Johannesburg on Sunday 15^th April to begin an aggressive course of chemotherapy.

Tinashe’s family

Tinashe is the (12 year old) daughter of Ray and Angela Motsi.  Ray is currently the principle at the Theological Collage of Zimbabwe but previously was the Pastor of Bulawayo Baptist Church for 23 years.  Angela has been the Manager at ‘Mind the Gap-Africa’ for the past five years, an organisation that looks after orphaned and abandoned children.  Both Ray and Angela have given themselves to the 

                                  community here in Zimbabwe over many years and now need our help. 

Tinashe has an older brother Shaun, and two older sisters Hannah and Rudo.  Please pray for this family at this time that they would know ‘the peace that passes all understanding’.

Along with the prayer support this family needs financial support.  There is no free health care in this country.  So far there have been donations of 11,000US dollars.  The family would like to thank everyone who has given and have been touched by the support of so many.  However, this money has almost been exhausted hence this urgent appeal.  

Costs so far

Platelets – 2,500US dollars; Blood – 1,500US dollars; Lumber puncture – 625US dollars; Drugs – 400US dollars   

Hospital stay – 325US dollars per day; Doctor’s fees – 40US dollars per visit (can be up to 3 times a day)

How you can give

Giving in Zimbabwe

If you live in Zimbabwe please direct your gifts to Charles Wawn, The Church Office, Bulawayo Baptist Church, George Silundika/2^nd Avenue, Bulawayo.  Please contact us if you require the church’s bank details.

Giving in the UK

If you are able to donate in the UK or are able to pay into a UK bank account, here are the bank details:

Account name: Mind the Gap-Africa; Account Sort Code: 40 02 16; Account Number: 11507508
BIC: MIDL GB 21 15C; IBAN: GB56MIDL40021611507508 

Branch Address: HSBC BANK PLC, 240 Lavender Hill, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 1LH 

Or send a cheque payable to ‘Mind the Gap – Africa’ to Mrs. Sheila Stunell, Administrator - ‘Mind the Gap-Africa’, Peckham Park Road Baptist Church, 121 Peckham Park Road, London, SE15 6SX

Giving in USA

If you would like to donate within the USA please send a cheque to:

Debbie Ryan, 370 La Perle Lane, Costa Mesa, CA 92627.  Please mark on the envelope Tinashe

(Please mark all gifts for the support of Tinashe Motsi.)

Thank you for your prayers and support for a special girl.  Any gift, however small will be appreciated to help Tinashe in her fight against cancer.  If you would like more information or be kept up to date with Tinashe’s progress please contact Jenny Hensman on jennyhensman@gmail.com or Pastor Jeff Scorziell at jscorziell@gmail.com.  

Best wishes, 

Rev Jenny Hensman                                                                                   Rev Jeff Scorziell

Director – ‘Mind the Gap – Africa’                                                            Senior Pastor – Bulawayo Baptist Church

Children's Camp Update

Dear Robin

Happy Easter season to you!  We had a very wonderful camp with about 43 children attending and all from Mthombothemba community. Our camp was only targeting orphans and vulnerable children for we wanted to let them know God and help them to deal with the fears , difficulties and the worries they have in life. It was a time of pointing them to Jesus and help them to grow in the knowledge of God. We would like to thank you very much for training our people and igniting the fire in them to see children coming to the kingdom. If you had not trained them I don’t think we were going to achieve what we have achieved so far.

Justice, Khumbu and Nobesuthu who all were trained by you did extremely well in ministering to children, please be assured that the seed of the word of God you  brought to us did not fall on rocky ground but right on the fertile  soil ,as we are all seeing the fruits of this. Its not just us but even the community is already experiencing the fruit of what you planted and they are already asking us to keep on running these camps on every school holiday. My prayer is that these children will be able to hold unto Christ forever and that they shine His glory at school so that every child in the community be able to  come to the  knowledge of God. We have decided to keep on running these camps every school holiday and if there is anything in terms advice that you would want to give to us please be free to do so, for heart`s desire is to see Christ formed in the lives of these children.

Justice got very much tired as he is the one who did most of the running and we have encouraged to just take his time off and rest and please pray for him that he will be able to rest fully. Please find here-in some of the pictures of the children who attended the camp .

Do have a blessed Easter.

Blessings,

Gideon & Jennifer Chishamba