Our Intern Team have recently completed their first two week rural outreach exposure. This outreach included living in a local rural community, sleeping in tents, cooking on an open fire, bathing in a bucket or using a camping shower and ministering with a local church/missionary leader. Our team members have been asked to share something of their experience with you:

ELSIE: We were involved in children’s ministry, youth ministry, bible studies, home visitations, prayer walks, sunday school programs and church services. We also ministered to the mothers within the community and on one occasion we asked anyone who was sick to come to the front to be prayed for. There were three women who came to the front so myself and two other team mates went to pray for them. The lady I prayed for was in a wheelchair as she had been paralyzed by a stroke. She asked me to pray for her sore throat, so I began to pray but felt led to pray about other issues as well. By the time I looked up, everyone else was finished praying and waiting for us to end. The lady’s sister came to fetch her and later I heard from one of my team mates that I had prayed for a very long time and repeated the same verse over and over – they were singing while I prayed. I knew that the Lord had used me even though I wasn’t sure how exactly my prayer had affected her. Some time later, I discovered that this lady had died four days later – I was the last person to pray for her!! This made a really big impact on me and is one of the most amazing experiences that I had during the rural outreach!

TARRYN: One morning we were all feeling a little low, it had been raining the three previous nights, and we were staying in tents on a cleared space of ground, where the sand quickly turned into clay mud. We had quickly learned that it was best to walk around barefoot in this mud, after a number of us broke our shoes with the constant pulling up against the mud that they sank into, and were covered with, within a matter of minutes. We had intended to do home visitations, but our interpreter had not come, and the majority of the local people spoke shangan and not much English. We decided, not wanting to just sit around, to walk around, pray, and possibly look for the secondary school that some of the youth who we had been ministering to attended. The schools were officially closed for the holidays, but the grade 12 (matric) were having extra classes to prepare for exams. We walked a short way and found a young lady who happened to speak English and gave us directions to the school. Shortly we found ourselves outside the gate; we stood outside, muddy and barefoot, wondering what to do. Should we go back to the camp, try and clean ourselves up a bit and get shoes? But then we would still have to walk through the mud to get back to the school and probably be just as dirty by the time we got back. We decided to pray. As we finished praying a young man walked out of the gates and invited us in. We walked in trusting God to provide us with favour. The young man took us to see the principal. We walked through the nice offices, with our muddy feet, and came a little nervously to the principal. He greeted us and was happy to see us. Despite our appearance, he was glad we were there. He told us that He believed God had brought him in to the school that morning. With the schools being closed he normally would not be there, but he had just come in for a short while to do a little paper work, at the exact time we ventured down to the school, amazing! He gave us permission to speak with the classes and introduced us to some of the teachers.

Despite the fact that we didn’t know where the school was; despite the fact that we were muddy and barefoot; despite the fact that the principal should not have even been at the school, God made a way. We returned everyday that week to speak to the youth and minister to them.

MOSHIBUDI: God led us into a community where men believed church to be only for woman. The first week was just a foundation in terms of ministry and laying vision for the short time we were there. Our first church meeting found only a few men and we decided to pray as a team for men to rise up in the community to assist the pastor. The second week was filled with a lot of answered prayers. We met a guy named Elijah who had just given his life to Christ and was really eager to help the pastor in her ministry. From one miracle to another, the guys went for their daily door to door ministry where they met a group of guys on the soccer field. God was really using us to begin an incredible ministry which would be led by Elijah. We were then led by God to call a men’s meeting on our last Friday where God brought 12 men in the church to hear the need of men in the church. It was a remarkable experience and so many prayers were answered. God is really faithful and just need us to have that faith. (Matthew 9:22, 29; 15:28 – faith healed all these people)

The Rural Outreach really allowed me to have a greater respect and fear for the God we serve. I just learned the greatness of prayer and the impact that faith can have. We sometimes take God for granted and limit His power. We can never fathom the greatness of God and the Rural Outreach allowed me to be overwhelmed by miracles in everyday life. Each day has really been a gift for me and just allowing my heart and life to serve God with all that I am.

Filed Under: News and Stories
Associated Tags: Bible Studies, Community, Intern Team, Ministry, Youth Ministry