We arrived back at Chandame on the 1st of November 2015.  We were gone for a long time so the entire camp site was covered in dust and leaves.  We started cleaning the campsite and Jannie also started helping the local farmers by transporting potatoes and corn. The clinic was re-opened after a long hiatus and we had many cases of malaria, and infants (between 1 and 5 months old), having respiratory problems.  These usual tasks were really tiring since prior to our arrival, we were on the road for 8 days with the newly acquired tow truck.  For those who don’t know, driving long distances in a tow truck can hardly be called humane!  Thus, we worked half days and rested in the afternoon to regain our strength.   On the 25th of November I woke up early and started doing the washing.  By 9:30, I started feeling really sick.  Some of my symptoms included a fever and cold fever.  Since we live in a high risk malaria zone, my first self diagnosis was malaria.  The next day, Jannie and I crossed the border to Malawi to visit a hospital in Nkhoma.  I ended up staying in hospital for 6 days.  The doctor diagnosed me with a kidney infection and malaria.  However, thanks to everyone’s prayers and the friendly staff at Nkhoma hospital, I recovered.   We would not have gone back to South Africa in December since we did not have enough funds.  To make matters even worse, […]

Hi Everyone! We had to spend 4 months in South Africa to fix the 1972 International Recovery Truck. On the 22nd of October we started to drive back to Chandame.  Our first stop was Meyerton! We spent the weekend with our family.  On Monday the 26th of October we hit the road again to continue on our way back to Mozambique. Our first stop for the day was Baberton and we decided to spend the night. The next day it was off to the border at Komatiepoort.  At Komatiepoort we had trouble with the truck’s wheels and Jacques a very friendly mechanic helped us to fix the problem! We spent 4 hours at the Komatipoort border. On the South African side we had no problem with the truck and bakkie on the A-frame, but on the Mozambique side it was another story. We had to take the bakkie off the A-frame and drive the bakkie through the border and then we had to load the bakkie back on the a-frame. Done and dusted we drove onwards to Maputo!!! In Maputo one of the A-frame mounts came loose!! Thank the Lord that nothing serious happened! Jannie had to fix the prop shaft and take the bakkie off the A-frame again. I then had to drive the Ford at night in the streets of Maputo. Finally, we found the yard where we could leave the recovery truck and we then had to find a place to sleep. That night, at 12:30am the […]

We arrived back at Chandame on the 14th of October 2014 – a day before the elections. It was good to be back, but we were worried for our own safety as the elections did not go very peacefully. At one stage, even our Pastor let us know to evacuate and leave for the border, fearing for our safety. We were afraid and unsure of what to do, so we started praying.  Jannie received the vision of a burning candle in the dark. Where it stood, there was light. When you took the candle away, there was darkness.  So we decided to stay and all went well. Looking back, we are thankful to the Lord for keeping us safe in difficult times, and praise Him for showing us the way where we were uncertain. Life in our caravan became challenging, so we started to build a bedroom with a bathroom next to our current outdoor kitchen. We also modified the kitchen by putting in a concrete floor and replacing the wooden walls with brick walls and a proper door.  We are very excited about the new development, and can’t wait to move into our room. We have been sleeping in a caravan for 3 and half years! We also visited some prayer houses. On 2nd November 2014 we visited a prayer house called Chiputi 2.  Our scripture was John 5 v 1-15 and 1 Pete 1 v 5 (“…..who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation […]

MAY TO MID JUNE 2014 The weekend of 17 May, we attended church in Chandame. The message was that the things of this world are not forever. We can also go to Jesus Christ with any problem. God must be the leader of your heart. God is our place of safety – Ps 62:8. For 3 days we had a soft mist rain – everything was wet and it was very cold. Looks like winter finally started in Chandame! We were in Tete from the 20th – 24th of May 2014 – Jannie did mechanic work and also drilled for water. All the income we receive from this, goes directly for the Kingdom of God. On the 24th of May, Calla and Hetta Botha arrived for a 2 week visit at Chandame (they are from our hometown Rawsonville). It was a very blessed 2 weeks, and we really enjoyed seeing them again! They joined us in our daily chores, and every morning we had devotion, which was so special for Jannie en me.  At the end of their visit they took us for 4 days to Cahorra Bassa – a wonderful ending to a wonderful visit! On 31st May – 1 June, we had an evangelism weekend in Madibi, one of our prayer houses. We took the people with the tractor and trailer to Madibi, and helped them install their props. We left them until the Sunday morning. Usually they praise and worship right through the night. All the locals […]

APRIL / MAY 2014 Be careful what you say. You can say something hurtful in ten seconds, but ten years later the wounds are still there – Joel Osteen.  This is the day which the Lord had made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ps 118:24. In April, we were busy attending patients, teaching preschool, and making the road to the farm more accessible and driveable. The rain now falls every second day as winter is slowly coming. The days are sunny but not too hot and the evenings are colder. On the 24th of April, Jannie took the tractor and trailor to Malawi to fetch some wood for the roof of the clinic we are busy building. He left Chandame at 5 o’clock in the morning, driving on the off roads, going through a one horse border. He was on the tractor for 11 hours and arrived at Chandame only after 5 o’clock in the afternoon. All the roads were also heavy 4×4 roads. Just before reaching Chandame, Jannie drove into heavy rains, arriving home drenched but very satisfied. We drove to Tsangano on 28 April 2014 to fetch the beacons of the farm. The beacons were planted, so now the farm has borders, and we can start to make soil ready for planting our first potatoes! On the 4th of May we visited the Nkondedze prayer house. Pastor Isaiah from Chandame delivered a message from Mathew 15:21-28, explaining that Jesus can help you no matter what […]

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2013 On the 6th of October 2013, our newest grandchild was born – a baby girl named Gabriella, meaning “God is my strength”. I (Susan) flew in earlier to help with the newborn, and it was very special to be a part of my second daughter Amanda’s family for at least 6 weeks! Jannie however only arrived in South Africa on 9 December 2013, accompanied by his friend Willem de Villiers. Jannie had to finish last minute duties here at Chandame before driving down to South Africa. We had a wonderful holiday with our children, grandchildren, family and friends. Thank you Lord!! JANUARY – MARCH 2014 We were in SA for the whole of January up until the 10th of February 2014, preparing for our trip back to Chandame. We left on the 4th of February, but could only drive as far as Laingsburg before our bakkie’s gearbox broke down and we had to return to Rawsonville. With the help of fellow Christians, we arrived in Rawsonville at 14h00 in the afternoon. Jannie decided to attend to the gearbox himself, and the work began. Before nightfall, we had enough money to buy the parts of the gearbox! Thank you again to the Lord and to our friends who contributed to the cause! On 10 February 2014, we left Rawsonville for Chandame. The trip was trouble free. At the Mozambique boarder, we had to open the load, but after an hour the officials decided to accept Jannie’s itinerary […]

AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST WE TRAVELLED TO THE SITE WERE JANNIE HAD TO DRILL BOREHOLES FOR A COMPANY. WE DO THIS EXTRA WORK FOR EXTRA FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN MANAGE TO FINISH THE CLINIC WE ARE BUSY BULDING AT CHANDAME. THE CLINIC IS 274 SQUARE METRE AND THERE ARE 10 ROOMS. VASCO OUR BUILDER AND 2 HELPERS FINISHED PLASTERING THE CLINIC AND ARE NOW BUSY PLASTERING AROUND THE WINDOWS AND DOORS. EVERY DAY WORKING AT THE CLINIC IS A STEP NEARER TO FINISHING THIS PROJECT!! WE ALSO HAD AN EVANGELISM WEEKEND IN CHANDAME FROM THE 3rd AUGUST – SONDAY 4TH AUGUST 2013. WE DROVE TO A NEW AREA WHERE WE WANTED TO START A NEW PRAYERHOUSE. JANNIE DROVE WITH THE TRACTOR AND TRAILOR AND I FOLLOWED WITH THE BAKKIE. IT WAS A HEAVY 4X4 ROAD AND I WAS NERVOUS WHEN WE STARTED TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD, BUT WITH THE PEOPLE SINGING AND PRAISING THE LORD I STARTED TO FEEL CALM AND MY FEAR VANISHED! THE DRIVING WAS AMAZING. FOR SURE THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS WITH ME WHILE I WAS DRIVING! WE LEFT THE TRACTOR AND TRAILOR AT THE SITE. THE NEXT DAY WE ARRIVED AT THE NEW PRAYERHOUSE, EVERYONE WAS EXCITED AND YOU COULD FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!! THEY PRAISED AND WORSHIPPED THROUGHOUT SATURDAY NIGHT AND THE LOCALS OF THAT AREA WAS SUPPORTING THEM! SUNDAY MORNING THE CHURCH STARTED AT 09:00. SIX DIFFERENT PEOPLE GOT A CHANCE TO PREACH. ALL OF THE MESSAGES CAME […]

ON 18 AND 19 MAY WE CAMPED AT MALAWI LAKE WITH OUR FRIENDS FROM SA – JOEL AND HANNELIE, AND MADE NEW FRIENDS WITH DIRK AND SOPHIA. THEY ARE ALL FROM WOLSELEY AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM SINCERELY FOR THEIR VISIT! WE ALWAYS ENJOY FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN CHRISTIANS AND WENT BACK TO CHANDAME WITH NEW COURAGE AND STRONGER FAITH!  AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE WE ATTENDED SERVICE AND READ LUKE 5 VERSE 1-10 AND GENESIS 3 VERSE 8-10. WE READ ABOUT JESUS WHO WENT TO FIND THE LOST SHEEP AND, WHEN HE FOUND IT, HE LIFTED IT UP ON HIS SHOULDERS (JOHN 3:16). WE ARE REMINDED THAT CHURCH LEADERS MUST GO AND ENCOURAGE THE LOST SHEEP (PEOPLE) IN CONGREGATIONS, AND, SOMETIMES, WE NEED TO CARRY ONE ANOTHER. ANOTHER MIRACLE HAPPENED THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE! WHILE DRIVING, JANNIE’S BAKKIE’S WHEELBEARINGS SUDDENLY BROKE. WE WERE DRIVING FROM CATANDICA WHEN SUDDENLY THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF AT A SPEED OF 120KM PER HOUR! JANNIE KEPT THE BAKKIE IN CONTROL AND STOPPED NEXT TO THE ROAD. A BIG THANK YOU TO THE LORD FOR HIS PRESENCE WHEN IT HAPPENED AND FOR KEEPING US SAFE! THE NEXT MORNING NEW PARTS CAME FROM VILLA ULONGUE. THANK YOU DIRK EN PASTOR DZONZI FOR YOUR HELP! EVERY SECOND WEEK THERE IS A WOMENS MEETING HERE. THIS YEAR WE VISITED THE DIFFERENT PRAYERHOUSES SO THAT ALL THE WOMEN COULD TAKE PART IN THE MEETINGS (SOME OF THE PRAYERHOUSES ARE 40KM AWAY – […]