SA GIDEONwww.gideons.co.za

OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL IN SOUTH AFRICA

August 2016

{Matt. 28:19 }

“GO THEREFORE...”

GOAL PROGRESS REPORT - JULY 2016

AREA RALLIES FEEDBACK

LOGOS HOPE FEEDBACK

Editorial

Go therefore • Pierre le Grange

Go therefore • Susan Morkel

Achievement of Goals

Area Rallies Feedback

Why I’m a Friend

The 2016 Venezuela International Scripture Blitz

Logos Hope

Libya - Country still closed

National Convention 2016

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After nearly two thousand years, the Great Commission still remains as urgent as when Jesus gave it: “Therefore go and make disciples...” (Mat 28 19). It is also the main reason for each Gideon and Auxiliary member to be part of this association. In this edition, the leadership of Region 1 emphasizes this assignment and calls on everyone to reconsider the intensity at which they execute this command.

We give feedback on this year’s visit of the Logos Hope ship to South Africa and the impact of the opportunity to be present on the ship. Camps near the harbours visited were able to promote the Friends of Gideons initiative. The testimony of the founder of Operation Mobilization, George Verwer, who was converted after reading a Gideons Testament at age eleven, made it even more special. Hundreds of Friends of Gideons were recruited on the

ship and beautiful testimonies were received from people who had the first opportunity to thank the Gideons for a Bible that led to their conversion.

Feedback is given regarding the 23 area rallies that were held in June 2016 and the recent international Bybelblitz in Venezuela.

The 2016 National Convention at Mentors Country Estate in Jeffreys Bay will take place soon: make sure you do not miss it!

Finally, how are you doing regarding your personal achievement regarding the international goal to hand out one PWT per week per member? It is the easiest way to carry out the Great Commission - let’s do it!

1SA GIDEON

August 2016

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

“Go therefore…”Matt 28:19

2 www.gideons.co.za Therefore go • Pierre lG

We often doubt this instruction. Did God give me this instruction and how do I accomplish it?

Gal. 1:1 - “… an apostle –sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ…” Just like Paul, we are appointed (and called) by Jesus Christ to win people for His kingdom.

Have you ever wondered how you and I can accomplish this instruction? Firstly, our whole life must bear witness to the fact that we are followers of Jesus. Do you

share His word with others that are not yet His followers? Someone that has not experienced His love and joy? What is your reaction when God’s name is used in vain? We must not become doubtful and worldly. What is better than testifying about how Jesus changes people’s lives when they accept Him as their Saviour?

Pray every day and ask God to send people across your path to whom you can witness. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you in the conversation with such people.

Pierre le Grange

3Therefore go • Pierre lG SA GIDEON

You and I need to get out of our comfort zones so that we are always ready to witness. If it is our choice as to when we will witness, it may never happen. Trust the Lord!! Pray and pray unceasingly that the Holy Spirit will lead you to testify about the great love of King Jesus for us. We don’t have to do it in our own strength. Never start doubting – but trust Him who gave us the Great Commission. Allow your passion for Him to inspire you to use every opportunity to win souls for Him!

We as humans do not have a choice as to where we will witness. God will use us where He needs us. Sometimes it is amongst rough, unpolished diamonds – those who need Jesus. Remember that God will never place you in a situation that you cannot handle – just trust Him!

Very often one hears the words spoken: “I still wanted to do so much for the Lord.” The question is: “What did you want to do and what do you plan to do for the rest of your days?” Time is running out,

the hour glass is nearly empty. You still have time to accomplish the commission, to hand out that PWT lying in your car or in your handbag. I recently had to pluck up the courage to have this conversation with one of my managers. He needed to hear that God loves him and that His grace is available to him. I wondered if my life had been a testimony to him. Did he see Jesus in me?

Or will you and I one day sing the words: “Must I go, and empty-handed? Must I meet my Saviour so? Not one soul with which to greet Him - Must I empty-handed go?” (Song 418 in Great Songs of Faith).

Pierre le GranGe

Regional Presi-dent – Region 1

4 www.gideons.co.za Go and make disciples • Susan Morkel

Susan Morkel

This is the Great Commission! A Kingdom command!

What must I do?

God commands us to share His Gospel, to make all people aware of His teachings. To be obedient. Obedience is better than sacrifice (I Sam 15:22).

The Good News spreads the love of God, that He came to earth to die for us and rose again to save us.

All believers are called to go to all the

nations to make disciples for God so that they can learn about God, accept Christ as Saviour and commit to following Him.

We read in James 2:26 “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead”.

Who must make disciples and who must become disciples?

The ministry to all nations is of the utmost importance and one must witness to anyone we encounter. It begins with our loved ones but also includes strangers because we must love our neighbours as ourselves. So, too, just like Jesus, we must live out

“Go therefore…”Matt 28:19

5Go and make disciples • Susan Morkel SA GIDEON

When we are God’s disciples we live differently, under a new King and in a new Kingdom. We are in the service of the Lord and also others as He showed us in John 13 when He washed the disciples feet.

In some situations people cannot read the four Gospels and we are called to live the only “gospel” that they can “read”. God summons each one of us with a unique calling and wants to use us where He needs us just as He sent Moses to lead His people out of Egypt.

Let us then be obedient and share God’s love with everyone He sends our way so that each one can experience the love of God, become His disciple and follow Him.

In this way we are obedient to this Great Commission, this Kingdom command to “go forth and make disciples.”

SuSan Morkel

Auxiliary Regional President – Region 1

our love for others. We must ensure that all know what God has done for us and who He is.

No one is exempt from this Command and there is also no excuse that we do not know what to say or do or that we are not able to do it, because the Holy Spirit equips us. Also, we cannot choose with whom we will share the Gospel as the Lord sends people across our path for example just like the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37.

It also shows us how important it is to convince people with our deeds as well as words because they form a unit. Just as we as Christ’s community must work together to make disciples.

Why must we go and make disciples?

We have freely chosen to win souls for Christ and with the return of Christ there will be judgement. When someone does not know Christ he is lost forever. In James 4:17 we read “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”.

God is love. He loves us and we must share that love with everyone we come into contact with. That is our greatest commandment – our love for God and our neighbours.

6 www.gideons.co.za

7Why i’m a Friend: The Gideons int. SA GIDEONarea rallies Feedback SA GIDEON

AREA RALLIES

FEEDBACKMore than 25% of all Gideons and Auxiliary members have attended this year’s rallies in the 23 areas countrywide - 927 members in total!

The theme of Romans 12:11 “…be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” spoke to everyone’s heart. Feedback confirms that the messages from biblically based speakers inspired members to take this message back to their camps. The simultaneous occurrence of the rallies together with the International Day of Prayer on the 11th June 2016 also created glorious prayer events nationwide.

Topics compiled for training by the national training and program committees also drew a positive response. Remember to diarise 2017’s date to attend your area rally!

ChriSTo van der SChyFF

Executive Director

Christo van der Schyff

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8 www.gideons.co.za Why i’m a Friend: The Gideons int.

WHY I’M A FRIEND

The Gideons International

Friends of Gideons was introduced in 2014, and since then over 4,000 people have joined us as either prayer or financial partners. Becoming a Friend provides a unique opportunity for those who desire a closer relationship with The Gideons, but do not choose to be members, or simply do not qualify.

Friends are family members, neighbors, pastors, and co-workers. They are people from all walks of life who share a heart for Jesus and a common goal of spreading God’s Word. Sometimes, they are people who have a Gideon testimony of their own and want to impact others in the same way The Gideons impacted them. For Daniel Silguero, the mission

of our Association resonates in a profound way.

Daniel lives in Weslaco, Texas, with his wife, Maricela, and his two children, Danielle and Andrew. He works as an IT technician for the county of Hildago. While earning his degree at South Texas College, Daniel received a New Testament from a Gideon participating in a distribution on campus. Already a believer, he thanked the Gideon, slipped the New Testament into a pocket of his backpack, and promptly forgot about it.

On July 24, 2015, Daniel was diagnosed with leukemia. The news came as a terrible shock to him and to his family, who were all praying for a clean bill of health. “You are never prepared to hear something like that,” said Daniel, “it was devastating. I did not know how to comprehend the news.” He began to consider what the road ahead would look like, and how the cancer would affect the remainder of his life, as well as the lives of his wife and two young children. Just as he was beginning to lose hope, he came across the New Testament that had been handed to him years earlier.

Daniel read the New Testament cover to cover, and he was surprised by how much encouragement it brought him. “I cannot express how helpful that

Daniel plans to take New Testaments to the cancer center he visits so that he can provide them to the patients undergoing treatment. He explained, “When you get news like the news that was given to me, it is devastating. The people undergoing treatment are in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally. I know that receiving a New Testament will be a real blessing, just like it was to me.”

Friends of Gideons is making an incredible impact across the United States. Friends are instrumental to the success of The Gideons International, because they provide the much needed prayer support to open doors and the financial support to keep those doors open. Most importantly, it allows others a chance to experience the joy of associating together and bringing the lost to Christ. “I feel connected to The Gideons by being a Friend,” said Daniel. “I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of this association, because I know that we are making a difference in the world.”The more Friends a camp has, the greater the chance of Christ being revealed. Share the Friends of Gideons opportunity with people you know in your church, your work, or your neighborhood. Tell them about how they can make a global impact on a local basis. Encourage your friends to become our Friends.

- The Gideons International

9Why i’m a Friend: The Gideons int. SA GIDEON

New Testament was,” he said. “It was small enough that I was able to carry it with me everywhere, and the more I studied it, the more it continued to bring me closer to God. It was a frightening time, but the Word gave me hope. I knew that no matter what, I needed to have faith that God would see me through it.”

Sixteen days after his diagnosis, Daniel went into remission. It was a miraculous turn of events that left his oncologist stunned. For the Silguero family, it was a humbling demonstration of the incredible power of prayer. “God is mighty,” said Daniel, “Matthew 17:20 tells us that faith as small as a mustard seed can make great things happen. I am living testimony that this is true.”

Daniel’s experience convinced him that he needed to be more intentional about witnessing to others. He decided one way to do that was to partner with The Gideons as a Friend. “After everything I have been through and all the battles I fought, I have realized that there is a tremendous amount of need.” Daniel continued, “So many people either do not know God or are too involved in their daily routine that they forget about how He can deliver them from their pain and hardships. The Gideon New Testament was given to me so that I would have it in my most desperate time of need, and it gave me peace when I needed it most. In return, I would like to continue spreading His Word by providing people with New Testaments.”

Venezuela is a country of diverse natural beauty. Among the most defining geographical characteristics are the towering tabletop mountains of the Guyana Highlands and the lofty Andean peaks in the northwest territory. Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news…” For members of The Gideons International in Venezuela, these words could not hold more true.

This South American nation has recently

10 www.gideons.co.za The 2016 venezuela international Scripture Blitz

experienced a series of economic setbacks and natural disasters, including forests fires and severe drought. There is currently a food, water, and medicine shortage of critical proportions. Countless men and women now have no choice but to wait in long lines to gain access to basic products such as milk, flour, and sugar.

Amidst these challenges, the hope of Christ is glowing bright through evangelical churches and The Gideons International. In April of this year, Gideons in Venezuela welcomed an international team of Gideons to conduct a Scripture blitz across the neighboring cities of Puerto la Cruz and Barcelona. Approximately 40 local Gideons and Auxiliary from 20 camps united in preparation for the event, some traveling over 18 hours by bus to participate. Blitz team leaders organized transportation, translators, housing, and itineraries for the Gideon and Auxiliary teams.

On the first day, Gideons delivered presentations in over 20 churches. It quickly became evident the pastors and church members had been eagerly anticipating their arrival. “They told us they had been praying

11The 2016 venezuela international Scripture Blitz SA GIDEON

about this blitz for a long time,” said Wendell Terry, a Gideon from Virginia. “They were extremely passionate about the distribution of Scriptures in their community, because they believed it would be instrumental in bringing about a deep spiritual revival.” Together, they prayed with Gideons for open doors and open hearts.

The Lord was faithful to provide Gideons admittance into schools across the city of Puerto la Cruz, and they were encouraged by the receptiveness of the students and administrators. Team member David Long of Indiana recalled, “At one middle school, a group of young people formed around me. They wanted to hear more about the Bible, and they asked me to teach them how to lead Christian lives. They listened intently as the translator communicated my words to them, and at the end, they thanked me repeatedly for spending time with them.”

This testimony was typical for the majority of schools visited by the blitz teams. “Almost every time we asked school administrators to assemble the students, they would, despite the fact they only had a limited amount of electricity to use for their school lessons,” said Wayne Kirkley, a Gideon from Georgia. “We had the opportunity to encourage the students

to read the New Testament every day, and explained that when they got to the back, they could read how to have eternal life in Heaven with Jesus.” By the end of the blitz, thousands of students, teachers, and faculty members had heard the presentation of the Gospel in this manner.

At the Puerto la Cruz Police Station, the chief of police also had his detectives and administrators assemble for the blitz team. “It was a group of about 45 men and women. We told them we appreciated their service and understood the dangers they encountered on a daily basis. Then, we walked them through the Plan of Salvation,” said Kirkley. Many of the officers prayed to receive Christ and thanked the Gideons for the work they were doing in their community.

As the teams continued to move throughout the city, the Lord continued to open doors, sometimes in unconventional ways. One day, a gentleman approached a team of Gideons outside of their hotel. He explained he heard about the “big work” they were doing from a close friend and, as a chaplain in the military, he desired for Gideons to distribute New Testaments to soldiers stationed in Puerto Le Cruz. Just like that, God had provided a way for Gideons to take his Word to the

Venezuelan National Guard.

Over 400 New Testaments were distributed to military personnel that afternoon. The soldier assigned to lead the Gideons around the facility heard the Gospel message many times, and before they left, a team member asked him if he believed God’s Word to be real or fiction. After a moment of silence, the soldier replied, “I believe it is real. In fact, my wife is a Christian.” He then prayed to accept the Lord as his Savior and signed his name in the back of the New Testament. Imagine the joy as he returned home and reunited with his wife as a new believer in Christ.

Gideons also gained admission to a juvenile detention center. International team leader Trevor Johns (Tennessee) remembered, “We were unsure how we would be received, but when we walked through the door, we were greeted with smiling faces.” Inside, there was a group of inmates gathered in a small circle. As they moved closer, the team realized the teenagers were taking advantage of their brief time outside of their darkened cells to have a Bible study. They were using two tattered Gideon New Testaments. “Many of them had visible scars on their faces and cigarette burns on their skin, giving us a small glimpse of what

12 www.gideons.co.za The 2016 venezuela international Scripture Blitz

they had endured in life,” Trevor continued. “I was privileged to spend time with that young group of believers, praying with them and encouraging them.”

At the end of the distribution, the team had handed out 119 Scriptures, and two men had prayed to receive Christ. Moreover, local Gideons explained that they now had access to all prisons in Venezuela, which, in turn, gives them the ability to take the Gospel to over 53,000 inmates.

The hard work and organizational planning of Gideons and Auxiliary members in Venezuela, as well as the prayer support of faithful men and women around the world, resulted in the distribution of over 189,000 Scriptures in Puerto la Cruz and Barcelona over the course of this one-week blitz. The teams witnessed God move in mighty ways, leaving each participant confident their efforts would ignite a spiritual revival. “There was a tremendous bond that developed between the local and international team members,” said Wendell Terry, a Gideon from Virginia. “Overall, it was an incredible blessing and a truly humbling experience for God to use us in Venezuela.”

13logos hope SA GIDEON

Rickert Marais

George Verwer, born in 1939, was raised in a protected family background and went to a school in Wyckoff, New Jersey, until he was 11 years old. One day he received a Gideon Bible in the school auditorium. He read it and signed the last page. That was his first step towards his faith in Jesus Christ.

Often, we hear about such pleasant stories but the special thing about this story is: the boy who read that Bible became the founder of one of the biggest ministries worldwide – OM (Operation Mobilisation).

One of their outreach ministries known as the Logos Hope is the largest gospel bookshop on water! The Logos Hope’s mission is to spread the Word of God around the world. This year The Gideons International in South Africa had the opportunity to be on board the Logos

Hope ship in East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town harbours to do Personal Work as well as signing up Friends of Gideons with visitors on board.

Here are three testimonies from our experience on the Logos Hope.

TESTIMONY 1

A grade 8 learner, who recently received a youth Testament from The Gideons International, visited the Logos Hope. That day her mother joined as a Friend of Gideons, in order to help us to keep on placing Bibles in schools.

THE GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL ON BOARD THE LOGOS HOPE!

14 www.gideons.co.za logos hope

Harbours Visited

Cape Town

East London

Port Elizabeth

Total Friends Signed up

224

17

76

Total Personal Workers Testaments Handed Out

304

325

620

TESTIMONY 2

A teacher from the Rhenish High School came to meet us on the ship in order to receive a Bible for one of her learners. The learner mentioned to her that she hadn’t received a Bible when we visited her school. She will receive it at their next Bible study!

TESTIMONY 3

Heinrich Weidmann, a pastor at the German Stadtmission Church, signed up to be a Friend of Gideons. We have been invited to do church presentations at their three congregations.

riCkerT MaraiS

Communications Officer

COUNTRY STILL

TO THE MINISTRYCLOSEDLIBYA

PRAY

No form of evangelism or missions work is allowed in Libya. The Internet has provided an opportunity for witnessing to Libyans

in recent years.

79/100

PERSECUTION LEVEL VERY HIGH

Leader: Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani

Population: 6.68 million (35,000 Christians)

Main Religion: Islam

Government: Transitional

Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

Libya is still trying to recover from the popular revolution and fierce civil war, which lasted from February to October 2011, against Colonel Muammar Gadhafi who had ruled for over 40 years.

Now the influence of Islamic State is growing in the country. In addition to

Libya’s ongoing security challenges related to the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of local militias throughout the country, it also faces increasingly complex difficulties related to the smuggling of people and weapons into and out of its territory.

+ Pray that God would disrupt the plans of the Islamic State to show them His sovereignty over all.

+ Pray for the growing MBB church in Libya, especially those who are isolated from other believers.

+ Pray that many would hear the gospel through Arabic satellite and web broadcasts in the country.

15Country still closed to the ministry• libya SA GIDEON