But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I came into Damascus being led by the hand by those who were with me.
Acts 22:11 NASB
Everyone needs someone. When Saul (who later became the Apostle Paul) met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by the light and needed someone to guide him by the hand. He arrived in Damascus and met a man named Ananias. Ananias, a devout believer, prayed for Saul, who received his sight again. The first face he saw was the face of Ananias.
Everyone needs an Ananias, a person who will lead them “by the hand” as they begin their walk with the Lord.
This is exactly how we plant churches. We’re often asked how we target people for the plant. That question confounds us as we target anyone and everyone who crosses our path. Once we have connected with them, we “lead them by the hand” until they are ready to do the same for someone else.
New Territory
We sent a video update two weeks ago (click here if you missed it). In it, we mentioned our upcoming church plant here in South Africa. We have spent time praying for this church plant. Although South Africa is in Africa, it is a new territory for us. The people, languages, culture, and surroundings are very different from those in the regions we are accustomed to.
We’ve taken time to learn as much as we can about the culture to communicate effectively with the people. (You guessed it, we have learned a bit of a local language here and will learn more soon!)
We’re embarking on a journey to start the church in the coming month(s). We have found an area of the city where we will begin. Launching now lies ahead of us—and we are excited. Your prayers are appreciated! We anticipate that you will hear about this launch soon.
Spring Fundraiser
Every spring, the Helping Hands group and volunteers from our home church, TCI, all from Lake Worth, Florida, hold a fundraiser for our schools. Their love and dedication to the schools are remarkable. Currently, we have over 250 students across our four schools (three in Malawi and one in Burundi). We fully sponsor 40 (20 from Malawi and 20 from Burundi) through grade 12. They are all in younger grades (kindergarten through third grade). The teams have lofty goals for this year. They have made some progress but still have a way to meet those goals. If you’d like to participate in the fundraiser, email us at JLPeters@africa-and-beyond.com, and we’ll connect you with the organizers.
In Closing
We are thankful for your prayers, support, and contributions to the work in Africa. Together with God and your partnership, we can guide many to the face of Jesus.
Jamie, Lea, and Andreya