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NYLSTROOM   NEWS - June 2005

Les Maydell     c/o Jared Murrell, 7917 George Washington Lane, Tampa FL 33637

Tel. 813 984 8137        Email stays the same: lmaydell@worldonline.co.za

 

     VISITORS: It was a great three months that our daughter Gloria and her husband Samuel White spent with us. Most of this they spent on various trips to Zimbabwe and working with other SA preachers. All who met them loved them and would like to see them come back to SA. On the Zimbabwe trips, Sam and Gloria mostly worked in separate areas to us. One particularly interesting thing that took place on the first trip was that Sam met a young man who had moved to another town (Colleen Bawn) where there was no congregation and so he had fallen away. Sam urged him to repent. This he did. He began worshiping with his family in his own home, Three other Christians in Colleen Bawn who had also fallen away began to worship with them. On our second trip they arranged a one-night meeting with Sam and I to interest outsiders. Several Christians from other towns made a big sacrifice to come and support them, some even holding studies with neighbours during the day. Several from the community also attended. We are due to go back there next week again to encourage this group. Years ago there used to be a strong congregation here, responsible for starting many other congregations in the surrounding area. However it fell apart when many were laid off. We hope that one day the congregation will again be a strong light in the area.

       On this last trip to Zimbabwe we were joined by our son Joseph and Bryce Nerland, a young man from FL. They were a big help with preaching and teaching the young people. Twelve obeyed the gospel at the places where Sam and Gloria went. It was sad to say good-bye to our children, but Bryce is still with us for a few more weeks. The day after Sam and Gloria stopped using our second car, Darlington came and picked it up to take to Namibia. He has gone for 3 weeks on a 3000-mile trip to strengthen and encourage the brethren that we visited last February. We wish to thank the brethren in Casey IL who made this much-needed trip possible.

     THANKS: I have given out nine “baptism tents” in Zimbabwe, and they seem to be well used and appreciated by the brethren. One week after giving the church at West Nicholson a baptistery, we received this note: “We really thank you and appreciate the donation that was presented to us by brother Maydell and family. Already two people have been baptised using our baptism tent. May God richly bless you. Yours sincerely, Geshon Mhlangu (on behalf of the church)”

     NEEDS IN ZIMBABWE: Many of you have expressed concern about the Christians in Zimbabwe and their needs. The congregation from the town at West Nicholson (in existence about 2 years and has about 30 members) told me that there are needy brethren there, but they are managing to take care of their own needs, although it is difficult. However, they are concerned about the future because many of their members get their income from selling vegetables on the side of the road and Mugabe has recently made this illegal. Most rural congregations, where the members are dependent on farming, are already getting aid from other churches. Some rural congregations are in areas with irrigation schemes and are managing. Some rural congregations who are newly established and are not receiving aid have asked me what they should do because there has been a total crop failure in their area. They have managed so far by selling goats, baskets, clay pots, etc., but are concerned about the future because Mugabe is still not allowing international aid organizations to operate. Zimbabweans are an extremely resourceful people, and we do not want to stifle this excellent character trait by jumping in too quickly. So I taught them that families should first try to see to their own needy members, (1 Tim.5:8,16), and then the congregation should try to see to the needs of its own poor as in Acts 2:44-45. However, should the need become too much for them, they can communicate their need to other churches as in Acts 11:27-30. I also stressed how congregations in poverty can even help other needy saints, 2 Cor.8:2. Most of all I stressed that they need to work hard to provide as much proof as possible of their honesty, 2 Cor.8:21. If things do not change in Zimbabwe soon, I suspect I shall be receiving a few letters to pass on to congregations who would be willing to help. Some men at a congregation in South Africa have already expressed a willingness to send help to a congregation in Zimbabwe should the need arise.

     Conditions in Zimbabwe grow steadily worse. In Mugabe’s latest “crackdown on crime,” he sent police to burn down entire squatter camps. Some Christians lost their shacks and all their possessions and are now staying with other brethren. All street vendors, even those with permits, are no longer allowed to sell on the streets. Many innocent people, including many Christians, trying with all their might to make an honest living, now have no means of an income. Some staple commodities are scarce. Inflation is in the 100's percent. Petrol is almost non-existent due to the government’s lack of foreign currency. Yet 2 weeks ago Mugabe hosted a US$50 000 anniversary party for his wife at his new mansion (almost the size of the White House). Please pray that things will soon normalize so that people will be able to provide for themselves.

     We were in Zimbabwe for just over two weeks and visited 10 churches. We want to thank those who sent used clothing and eye glasses for us to distribute as well as money for songbooks, grape juice and Bibles. As always, these things were greatly appreciated and the brethren wish for us to convey their thanks to you. Our normal pattern was to spend 2 days at each place, teaching from 9-1, 2-5, and one sermon at night. It sounds daunting, but once you get started, time really flies. Also, a good deal of time is lost due to having everything translated. What is really amazing is that after my evening sermon, local brethren preach, teach and sing – sometimes singing throughout the entire night! Two women were baptized at Silalatshane, a new congregation.

        USA VISIT: Because our purpose in coming to the USA at this time was mainly to attend our daughter’s wedding and be at birth of our first grandchild, we paid for the plane tickets from our savings. However, since we are also at this time travelling around the US to report on the Lord’s work, we would like to ask for help for travelling expenses, especially since gasoline has become so expensive. If anyone would like to help with the trip you can send an ordinary check to us via the address at the top of this letter. We are really looking forward to the upcoming time with our family and brethren. We plan to leave Monday June 20th for another week in Zimbabwe and then about a week after that leave for the USA. We are due to arrive in the USA on July 7th.

     We thank God for your sacrifices to have fellowship in His work. Again we earnestly request prayers on behalf of those struggling just to live from day to day due to drought and bad government.                  Your servant in Christ, Les Maydell

 

LES AND LINDA MAYDELL  –  SCHEDULE, IF THE LORD WILLS  –   JULY-OCTOBER 2005

 

Brethren, these are the times when I am planning to be with you. We would really appreciate it if you could let us know if these times are suitable for you. Thank you so much for your fellowship in the Lord’s work in South Africa. I will be happy to present a report on that work or to preach when we are with you.

 

If you wish to contact me during our US visit, please phone our daughter Joy Murrell’s house at 813 984 8137 or email me at my same email address as now: lmaydell@worldonline.co.za

 

Dear friends

                All the years that we have been going to Zimbabwe (we first went there on a vacation about 15 years ago), we have been watching the country physically and politically deteriorate. However, life always seemed to go on and the people found ingenious ways to survive. Not only that, but they were a happy people. From our Ndebele brethren we almost never heard a bad word spoken against their Shona president, even though he was systematically destroying the country to make himself one of the richest men in the world. The rural subsistence farmer took it for granted that buses would run and the local clinic would have medicine and the government was there somewhere running things. All he worried about was lack of rain. And if it didn’t rain, somewhere somehow there was some organization that would get food to him. Now it is hard to be optimistic.

                We used to hear, “This drought...” Now we hear, “This government...”

                “We have just enough petrol to get to the morning service.” (And the husband rode a bicycle several miles in the dark to the evening service. This was in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo. Lines for “petrol” are literally over a mile long and people “queue” for days in advance.)

                “We don’t know how we are going to manage – prices have doubled since the elections.” (Elections were March 31. Some think Mugabe’s latest actions are retaliation because even his own tribe voted for the opposition party. Allegedly the elections were rigged so that Mugabe’s party could have a landslide victory.)

                “One point four million (Zimbabwe dollars) for the proper government stand!” (to be a street vendor) “How can I afford that? How are we going to survive?” (This woman had a permit to sell her goods next to the street but one day police (army) arrived in towns all over the country to destroy many of the display stands and even some of the merchandise. She is now not even allowed to sell the clothing she makes from her own home. All street vendors must wait until the government “makes a place” for them to sell. In the meantime, with no means of an income, they must buy “proper” vending stalls which the government will provide – at a higher price of course! A loaf of bread costs Z$6000, and the metal frame for the “proper” stall is 1.4 million. It was also several hundred thousand for the “proper” tarpaulin to go on top. We suspect that street vendors will find less obvious places to sell their goods – without the “proper” stalls -- and that local police will turn a blind eye.)

                “We were selling things outside the school to raise money for the school, and the police came and destroyed our stand. This government....”

                “Well, I guess my shack was illegal.” (The police had just burned his entire neighborhood and he had lost everything but the clothes on his back. He is now living with other Christians. Squatter camps develop partly because people have no means of survival in rural areas when crops fail.)

                “If the police find this food in my house, they will take it. They will accuse me of selling it on the black market.” (This was said by a Proverbs 31 woman who pools her money with other women to be able to buy non-perishable food items, eg. sugar, in bulk at wholesale prices. It is a way of saving since the currency devalues so quickly – and they also are able to have commodities that at times disappear from the stores. The police did come to search her house, but fortunately the family was at services and the house was locked so the police went away. She then took her food to a neighbor to store in case they came back.)

                “The government delivered some mielie meal to our local primary school, but when the children ate it, they were getting sick. Then the teachers saw that the mielie meal had expired.” (The government does not have foreign currency to import food. We were hoping that after the election Mugabe would un-ban international food organizations, but instead it seems he is in the process of making even stricter laws for all non-government organizations, even churches.)

                “My baby has had diarrhea and vomiting for three days.” “Did you take him to the clinic?” “Yes, but they had no medicine.” (I gave her some apples to chop finely and let turn brown and some electrolyte solution I happened to have.)

                “How is your wife?” “She is not well.” “I am sorry to hear that, what’s the matter?” “Our child died last week....he just got the flu, then he was shivering too much and he died.” (May God bless this woman – one week later she walked several hours to a place where she knew we would be teaching and volunteered to translate for me.)

                I have given you these actual conversations so you can get a bit of an idea of the struggles your brethren and sisters are facing. Yet, by the grace of God, so far they have found ways around the stumbling blocks the drought and the government puts in their path and are finding ways to survive. For this we praise them and praise God. We have personally observed many times that a person who does not work to provide for his own soon becomes spiritually weak. Right now these brethren are hard-working and spiritually strong. Please pray fervently that somehow they will be able to keep providing for themselves with a minimum of outside help. And please do not forget to also pray for South Africa. We thank God for the rains that did fall here – SA had a bumper maize crop. However, Daniel Mpane at Maboloka and Peace Rangoshe at Hammanskraal both had cars (not insured) stolen this month. Although they have enough for daily food, this is a severe financial blow.                                               

                Right now I have 15 boxes of used clothes sitting in Joseph’s bedroom, waiting to go up to Zimbabwe on our next trip tomorrow. I hear that 31 more boxes are en route. May your gifts cause God to be praised! Many have enquired about sending boxes. I will put that information separately below so that you can print it out and file it away somewhere in order to be able to refer to the information when you need it.

                I am really so excited about the upcoming wedding and grandchild, and thrilled to be able to visit the USA. However, it is very hard for me to leave Africa at this time. The time we visit the brethren seems to be something they can look forward to. For awhile they forget their hardships. They joyously greet brethren from other villages they have not seen for awhile. Their eyes sparkle as their hunger for spiritual knowledge is satisfied. Their emotions are vented as they sing to each other and the Lord. They cook together, eat together, talk together, and receive encouragement . They bring us little handmade gifts of themselves: a clay teapot, a grass place mat, a wooden spoon. They share good news as well – “The Lord has blessed this congregation with twins AND triplets!” (The mothers nurse one baby at a time while other eager “mothers” see to the others.) I must apologize for not sending pictures – I simply do not have time to sort them out. Hopefully we can share pictures in person soon!

                We are grateful and excited about the invitations we have received to visit many of you. However, we have discovered by trial and error that Les has to be very very strict with his diet. The last time we were in the USA we tried to explain his diet in a simple way that our hostesses could cope with and that we felt would not be too much of a “cheat.” However, when we got back to SA, his CEA count was worse than it had ever been. (It has come back down since we have been home.) Therefore, much as we hate to say it, we will happily go and visit anyone – as long as we are allowed to bring and cook our own meals. That is going to be a pain for everyone, but it is the only way we know to keep Les’s cancer under control. We are just grateful that for now the diet seems to be working! Although we need to prepare our own food, we can still sit around the table and eat and visit together – and that will be very precious to us.

                Thank you so much for your prayers, your encouraging emails, and your gifts. Although you do not have physical poverty in the USA, there are some with spiritual poverty and emotional stress. I pray that the Lord will bless you to lighten the load of those near to you as well as those far away. With love, Linda (and Les) Maydell

 

HOW TO SEND USED CLOTHING

 

1. What to send: Any used clothing item, any size, although children’s clothes are particularly needed. However, please remember that African women do not wear pants at all and of course we could not give out immodest clothing. Old “silk-type” scarves and tams are used for head coverings. Sweaters and light jackets are also useful, but heavy coats and wool articles are not really needed. Walking shoes, sandals and tennis shoes are very useful, but do cost a lot to send, and many do without shoes. Ladies also appreciate old purses.

 

2. How to pack the boxes: Pack the things tightly into any ordinary cardboard box. If the box is too big, you can cut it down to size. Packing tightly helps the box to remain sturdy in the mail. It is more economical, postage-wise, to send one large box instead of two small boxes. It is also more economical for us because we have to pay US$5 customs on every box we receive. You do not need to cover the boxes. If there is a lot of printing on the boxes, I suggest writing our address on a piece of paper and taping the paper onto the box, totally covering the address paper in clear tape; or else use paper glue to firmly glue the entire address paper to the box. If there is not a lot of printing on the boxes, you can simply write our address straight on the box with permanent black marker. It is a good idea to put our address on both the top and bottom of the box in case one address gets damaged. We always used that white stringy tape or wide packing tape to tape the boxes closed – two times cross-wise around the middle and one and a half times length-wise around the middle.

 

3. Send boxes to: Church of Christ, P O Box 2744, Nylstroom 0510, Rep. of South Africa

 

4. A customs form will have to be filled out and stuck to the box. (The forms have glue on the back.) On the form under “Contents” write “Used clothing – not for resale,” and in the place marked “Value” write “No commercial value.”

 

5. Make sure you do NOT send the boxes airmail. Postage should work out to about $2 per pound (I think).

 

6. Boxes take about 2-3 months to arrive – sometimes longer. If you put your email address inside the box, I will send you an email when I receive them. IMPORTANT REQUEST: Since we are not going to be home until mid-November, it would be helpful if you do not send boxes until September. We will give one of the sisters here money so she can pay customs on boxes that arrive in our absence, but it is hard to know how much money to leave her and we don’t want to put a financial burden on her. However, if you do not have a place to store the clothes in the meantime and need to get them out of the way, it is OK to go ahead and send them.

 

The brethren truly are grateful for the clothing. We appreciate you all so much for your compassionate hearts and for the hard work and financial sacrifice involved in sending them over.

 

May God bless you, Les and Linda Maydell