Tough Times

I am going through tough times in life. Few weeks back my granmom called me and she wanted me to take her to the hospital. I couldn't that time because didnt have enough cash with me. So i got a job for 9 days to make cash. Last week I went down to take her to the Hospital, but she didnt want to, she wanted to see a Docter not in the Hospital, Didnt fight with her i did as she wishes. But it cost me a lot of money, and also she didn't have food. I had to hire a car on top of that. at this point I am so broke. Also there was my nephew who was taking care of them. She ran away to her boyfriends house and left a 4years baby with them. So i stayed for few days and looked after them. I just found out that I need to go back again on Wednesday beacuse no one will be there for them. My brother will be at work. But through all this God is still faithful I see his promise every day that I will never go hungry. I saw people share their meal with me, give me a ride to town. Please be praying for me, not sure if I will enjoy this holiday that much. Leaving soon to stay with them not sure when i will come back.

Thank you for consedering praying for me lots of love from Stanley Mbowane

Temptations leads to growth

few weeks back on Sunday I and two of the youth that I worked with in the communities Lorraine and Witnes we where invited to a children’s Christmas party at Manna church. Early in the morning we load up at the back of a truck headed to the church. We arrived on time and safely, kids where not there yet, we then began making food for the kids. Few minutes latter kids showed up from Masoyi community where I come from. Some of then I knew them.

Me and kids we connect very well and so quick, I was at the back of the kids preparing food. And suddenly a lady approached me and said I need you on the stage to say something to the kids. And I am like there is people on stage who know how to speak Siswati. She kept saying I need you, I don’t know this lady and she doesn’t know me either. Then I said ok, I went upfront took the macro phone began doing my things kids went crazy. While I was doing that another lady came to me and said I need you. I was like I am busy here amusing the kids here, she kept saying I need you. I left the stage and followed this lady and went help a gogo that someone builds her a house. It was an interview on come TV channel. I had to interpret for her. After doing that I was stopped by a lady telling I am good at what I am doing. Asking me how long been doing it. The youth then took over the program we where running it now. They just told us what they want and we did it, faithful and successfully. While I was busy playing with the kids someone was translating on the stage and they say no we want Stanley upfront to bad the woman was kicked out of the stage.

The coolest thing was just to see the youth that many people have invested in them and also using their talents and gifting in serving the kids with no expectation of getting paid. There is so much growth in the youth then beginning of this year. Many people asked where we come from and why are we so good with kids.

Another things that was cool was that many kids wanted to go home with us, and we said no. The program went very well kids where so happy and the volunteers where amazed of the work we did for their kids.

At the end one bussines man took us for some drinks and he asked me lot of question I shared my heart and he said “ I want you on my staff, I can see that you can offer more into my staff and I will pay you” ha me getting paid? I thought; I don’t work for money I don’t chase money. I love what I am doing and with no money or money I am still enjoying my work. With no financial support or financial support I will continues serving the kids and empowering young people in helping one another in the communities. It was a big temptation though, looking at now going to Christmas I want to see my family and with no money in the bank. I am so proud of myself how I want to live my life and following God. God will provide at when He wants.

One of the passions that I have is organizing events, meeting etc. For four months at church I have been working on a prayer book for the ladies that we worked with. At the feeding, bible study, youth service and community outreach. I got some books and I went out to talk to friends and family to be part of it. They wrote God’s promises inside and words of encouragement for the girls. The purpose was to show ladies how much they are love and to be reminded that they are special to many. On the other hand I was teaching the boys on how to value woman and serving them. On Sunday we had an event for the ladies; it was a surprise they all came dressed nicely. Without knowing what would be happening. All along I have given the boys some homework to do, one to go home and pray for one of the ladies for one word from God, two to stand in a gap of all the boys who treat woman badly to say “I am sorry” even though we didn’t do it. Saying it out loud. 

Also I invited all the parents of the ladies to witness the growth from their own children. We also invited the leadership of the church to see the beauty and fruits of the youth.

Soccer ministry

Worshiping God through soccer is fun, and tiring also, on the weekend I invited a local church to play soccer with the youth from our church. They came and we brought along the young boys that came to the feeding program. They played very well, and we then saw is the time for us to invest in the young boy’s life. That what we will be doing in the next coming year.  We played 5-5 score it was a tough game, but us we where not playing to win but to share the love of Christ with them. After that we had a meal together we eat a pigs head it was delicious.

I will be taking the month of December to rest no ministry work, I do need some time to rest visit family and friends also getting some time to be refreshed by God. Be praying little scared going home because there is too much temptation and won’t have all my Godly community with me.

Please be praying for me as i am about to go home to be strong

Growth comes through....

God loves when we take good care of what He gave us. I have been doing lot of gardening at the campus. Through that garden, I seen God in it, and I love doing gardening. God showed me many things in that garden. One is that He is the one who makes all the plants grow. In addition, birds don’t complain like I do, they enjoy life and bring glory to God the way they do thing. Just to see birds flying around the garden and singing the only one of its kind songs. Makes me to smile and enjoy listen to their music. Furthermore, God has been doing something huge with my heart in the past two months, and some of the things He revealed it through the garden. 

 Growing up I was independent my dad was around sometimes but he wasn’t providing anything for me. Therefore, I was the boy who always found a way to get food and clothes. I didn’t like to ask people to help me or to give me things because I always loved to earn things work for it. In the past two months, my bank account was drain with nothing in it. I was asking myself “What is happening” Then God showed me that I had pride in my life that I didn’t need anyone to help me. I was the Stanley that I was 18 years ago. Through the past two months with no money, God was still faithful; I always had a meal in the night get ride to do ministry in the communities, and get airtime to call my family. I do need financial support but sometimes I don’t like asking people to support me. Because some they will make a promise saying, I will do this or that and never do it. So that kills my spirit, that’s why I try all my best not to depend on people. The pride I had two sides positive and negative. The bible talks about one body, you can’t say to the hand I don’t need you. 

At the campus, I am part of Campus maintenance and I have been working with two guys, Nhlanhla and Johannes. I gain lot of trust from them and our relationship had grown. It is always good to trade skills that we have, making the campus look more beautiful. We defer everywhere we worked at but is hard for me to give the guys work to do and not helping them to do the work. Also it open many doors for to share what I know about Jesus. 

The Bible study

I am attending two bible studies one at the campus with Lennon and John. Is been amazing how much I have grown in knowing the Lord and share life together with friends. The other one is at Mbonisweni community, we are seven at the study sometimes we will have people who come sometimes they don’t but the seven are ones who are there often. God has changed the boy’s life in many ways and we grown so much in loving one another are there for each other, helping one another and supporting one another. We had many people came and spoke into our life. One day we went to the community where TTH is building a house. Tree of the boys from the bible study where there, they were singing songs worshiping God with no shame of what people might say,  people from the community came out of their house to watch what was happening we continued singing and few kids came and join us, it was powerful. Before the boys they where not doing things like this.

Another story was that they was a guy who sometimes comes to the bible studies and he once said “Guys do not stop what you are doing this bible study does make a difference. What I learned here it helped me to help a friend of mine at school who was about to lay down everything and go home I then shared what I learn at the bible study. Suddenly my friend decided to stay through what I learn at the bible study” Us we praise God for that, Please be praying for this bible study.

Youth Service

Our youth services had been amazing; one thing that had been the biggest growth is the love for one another. In a month, we do four things the first week. Is teaching where either we invite someone to speak or we do it for ourselves. A second week is a game where we learn and teach the youth trough activities and games. Third week is a discussion week, where we have a topic that we discus about and the last week is a movie day, where we just set up a projector and watch a movie that has a teaching in it because people don’t learn the same ways. We all doing this in trying to bring transformation in the community and helping others to know more about God and my role in all this organise things and making sure things are happening which I love doing. 

Many people in the Mbonisweni hear about the stories on what we are doing at church. One church called Alliance the youth leaders there came and asked if they can collaborate with us. We saw this as an opening to disciples and make new friends. For two weeks we went to their church and see how they do things because, they also began a youth service. The youth service starts at 3:00pm but when we went there, the youth from the Alliance wasn’t there. Amazingly, the youth from our church ERC felt the freedom we went inside the church and began singing songs we were having fun.  After few minutes people heard, the worship and came to join in. Then we sang more songs and had a time to listen someone teaching and I led games just to get to know each other.

One thing our youth where so discourage about the youth from Alliance not being punctual and other things. I was telling our youth that we are there to represent Christ if they will have the mind-set that we will change Alliance they won’t. We just need to do what we are good at and speak what we have learned from the bible.

The past Sunday they came to our church and we had Lindsey as our guest speaker to talk about peer pressure and sex. Many youth responded very well the feedback we got it was a positive feedback. Some it helped them to see God in a different view some it help them to make wise choices and some to say no more to sex. This coming week we are going to show the movie Remember the Titans. 

FUN TIME

For the first time I went to see a concert in my life, my friend Monique took me to a Cold Play concert. Through this entire trip to the concert, it was part of God plan breaking down the pride I had in my life. I didn’t have money but I was feed and had accommodation. The show was amazing 

Along the way had to stop and help guys pushing a car. 

Working with the youth at the feeding has been great, they have grown these days they stay to wash the dishes and committed themselves serving the kids. 

I am doing well I have grown more into prayer which I learn from our bible study and I still love what I do and still using the gifs that I have to help others. And keep smiling 

Prayer points:

Ø      To have the courage of asking people to support me financial

Ø      To have the strength to keep doing what I love doing

testing

testing

Creativity

Many peoples said everything happens for a reason but something you don’t get the reason whay they are happening in our lives. I was sad that I haven’t seen my grandmother for four months. Because of lack of finance, nevertheless I receive a blessed to go and visit my grandmother. I was so excited to see her. Without knowing that my visit it will be a drama.  When I go there my grandfather was so happy to see me. On the other hand my grandmother she’s mad that I didn’t bring any food for her. She went on saying I should stop working with Ten Thousands Homes and go find a paying job. “You don’t even have a house” I said I don’t need a house now. What hurts the most was that she said “It would be better is Louise was her than you” Louise is my first brother. She loves my brother so much because he does manage to buy food for her. I do want to provide for her to. Tell me how I may going to do that when I get R800 per month R450 for rent and the rest is for food, transportation and internet. I know she raised me and I haven’t forget what she has done for me. But with R350 what can I do? I know also what the word of God is saying 1Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not take care of his relatives, especially the members of his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” so I will keep visiting my grandmother even though I don’t have food for her. I don’t want her to love because I will buy food for her.

God created the word creatively so I do believe that He did pass on His creativity in us, I used a dead flower plant to create an, emerge of and elephant.

In addition, I saw a bush at the property and I thought something beautiful could come out of the bush.  The workers and I worked so hard tiring down the bush. It was a hard work, our bodies where in pains. However, we did manage to finish what we started. Now it will be a place of relaxing and enjoying the song of the birds surrounded with many different flowers.
It use to look like this before

now it looks like this

In the bible study things has change I see growth in the youth’s lives many came up with many ideas on how can we grow more. Now is not called a bible study anymore is called bring and share. And youth wanted to preach I gave the them the opportunity to preach, but I know that I am not a preacher I am teacher so my role is to model the program.

When, I use to work at home at Masoyi Home Base Care. One thing that uses to excite is to organise events.  June is a youth month in South Africa, the church they asked me to be the organiser of the youth so I organise a soccer event. Whereby I invited many churches to come and be part of the changed that, we want to see in the church and the community. Two churches came and the purpose of the event was to build relationship with other churches and with other youth. In addition, other was to do fundraising for the youth.  The boys from the church responded and many came to play soccer. Nevertheless, we wanted to be an example to other youth that you can find fun in the church.

After the soccer event, I went home and my heart trilled with lots of JOY. Then I thought many boys in the community don’t love soccer. So why I don’t start a soccer ministry to rich out to the boys because it seems like the like one thing the most. They don’t come to church, bible study and in the youth service. So I want to preach the Gospel through sports, I am excited about this I spoke to the pastor and he gave a blessing to go ahead on starting this. I just want to be simple and be an example to many in the country. I am planning to do, youth soccer camps, soccer outreaches, and many soccer events. I don’t know where this might end but I am so excited about this. But I will need help, we need soccer balls, soccer jerseys, socks, and soccer boats. If you are reading this and you want to help, it doesn’t have to be money, I open for suggestions and encouragement about this soccer ministry.

I am going to a youth church conference for the week.

Prayer request: Guidance in my new crazy soccer ministry

                           : Financial support

Simdeni

Life has many signs, growing up didn’t ever thought that I will be a leader amongst leaders in the community. A friend of mine, once said, “Grow towards the Light and you will see” I have seen so many things since I have been growing towards the Light of Christ. I am whom I am because of Jesus and all the good people who played a good role, empowering and taught me how to Love like Christ and to care for others.  I have been running the race for so long and I will keep on running because I have not rich my destiny yet.

It has been a great month so far, working at campus, doing ministry in the community and furthermore I went to Swaziland.

What I have been doing in the campus is help the guys with the campus maintenance  and it is a good start to know each other more and talk more about God. I think it is easy as a missionary to think that I to share Christ with the people out there. Therefore, whenever you are is so important to make the effort to tell those you work with about the lovely father Jesus.

At the feeding, I do help cutting vegies and is not about chopping the veggies...it’s about preparing something for someone to provide nutrition and sharing life with the volunteers. Sometimes I get the opportunity to share what God is doing in my life and how He can change theirs too.  Feeding a hungry kid is a changed to say, “You matter” and your voice matter and you are valuable to me and to God. Play, teaching and encouraging the children and the youth during the feeding is a life changing moments.  

I went to Swaziland for a week with Keri and the photogenic. The youth from the community help on knitting blankets and the team helped with making a video. We went to help a couple who are taking care of 11 kids. One day I walk the kids to school, which it took an hour in the mountain it was like hiking.  I also helped with gardening; It was always in my heart to have people outside South Africa that I can partner with. Now the family asked me if I could help with a youth program. Hope one day, I will send the youth from the church on an outreach there. There is more to do there.

I am still helping with campus maintenance and what I have been doing with the workers is spending time with them. Working together, helping one another. I see that as an opportunity to share the Gospel. Is easy in life to think people who need to hear about Jesus are the one who are out there and forget about the people that God brought into your work place. Have you; ever tell your workmate or your employee about the love of Jesus? As the TTH family is pouring to me, I have to pour into somebody to.

I believe that there is no limit in building HOPE and disciple. Because lives are, transformed when you are willing to give what you have and learned. In order do this very well in still need lots of encouragement and support.

One day I had the opportunity to lead the youth service in the church. I decided to do things in a different way. I asked the youth to be creative and make cards for the children who come to the feeding. During the creativity, we were praying for every kid.  The youth loved it and they engaged on it and asked me to do it again or come up with something different. h

Prayer request: is that you pray and ask God to give you a word for me

Thank you for all your support

More life

“I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them fell” by Maya Angelou

At the bible study things have changed from better to greater, at the beginning it was a bible study but now it has become a family bible study. It is easy in life to be involved in something but sometimes it is hard to be part of something. The youth in the bible study feel they are part of the youth family. God has been moving mountains in the youth’s lives. Everyone gets a chance to lead. It has been great to see God speak through me to change the youth lives.  There was a time where I was accused of dating a girl at the church, it was sad to see all the youth in the bible study angry about what I was accused of. At the same time knowing that, I am not alone in the battlefield.

One of the boys Witness came to me one day and asked me if I can meet with his friends to tell them more about Jesus because I talk too much sometimes.  I just told him I can’t do, not because I don’t have the strengths to do, but if you read my mission statement it says encouraging, connecting, and supporting. I challenged him to speak to his friends because he can also do it. Once you receive Jesus, you have a testimony. 

 We cannot understand the poor until we stand under the poor and live among them. I grew up living a hard life and learned a good lesson not to depend on people because you might be disappointed.

In the community, kids run to me when they see me, so when people support me. They do not merely support me to have food in my stomach but to have the energy to hug, pick, speak, teach, encourage and share the Love of God with them

Part of my job is ground maintenance, in that I committed myself to work with the workers three days a week.  My friends asked me, why you are working so hard knowing that you are not going to be paid. For me I do not work for money, what I saw in the workers is an opportunity to share the Gospel.  We pray before we work, and during working, we talk about Jesus most of the time.

We need each other...

                                                                                                       ...Without Nutrients and proper clothing

                                                            ...Without Family and Education

      ...Without Toys and a play ground

..Without Comfort and Hope

...With no support there wont be any smiles

This month we completed another house for five boys and one girl in the Mbonisweni community, we had a celebration of presenting the house to the boys with a new name of the house “Sivikelekile” which mean sanctuary.

However, for fun, we had a soccer game TTH against the boys from the church. It was a good way to connect with the boys outside of church.  We let anyone to play boys and girls.

Last Sunday I finally went to the doctor to see how much it will cost me to be check of my health because the pain under my heart has been killing me this days is getting worse every time. I was told is serious but they could tell me what it was because I didn’t have the money. However, they will do the following, check my kidneys, heart lungs, blood test, and they mentioned something, which I don’t know the name of it. Overall, I need $300

On this coming Monday I will be going to Swaziland Keri and I we will be leading a team for a week.

Prayer request: 1 for God's provision in finace to see the Docter
                             2 For wisdom and guidence on how to lead the bible study for the youth
                            

Going deeper with the Lord

At the beginning of this month I felt the calling to go deeper with the Lord, I didn’t know how thing will look like. Nevertheless, I said yes Lord the picture I got was of a big Lake and God invited me to swim into the deepest of the Lake to meet Him there.

This month I was bless in many ways spiritually, there was a team from New Hope in Taxes that came and visit in South Africa at our campus. The first week they went to Mbonisweni one of the community that I am helping the youth. The first week they taught the youth and me about Leadership while one of the teammate was teaching some went out and prayed for us and asking the Lord to give them a word for us.

 This what I got on that day Mathew 8 vs 13 Jesus said what you believe will happen. And “Psalm 118 vs 7 The Lord is on my side, He will helped me, let those who hate me beware. Is better to trust the Lord, than put confidence in man.”

In life is easy to trust man for things I find myself trusting my friends to support me and forget, that it is the Lord who called me not my friends. Also  I got this too “You pour out of you entire being joy. It is contagious and wonderful.

One day  I went with the team to do home visit in Dwaleni and at the second house we visited, we found a single lady in her twenties alone, lonely, no one to talk to, no one to laugh with, no one to share life with, I was heartbroken for her. It took me back where I came from lonely even though my dad was alive but I felt not loved I never experience the love of a father in my life, that was something missing in my life growing up. It was painful to see her in that situation it made to realise how much we need each other in life. While I was reflating to what God showed me, the New Hope team came and prayed over me and I got a scripture in

 ISAIAH 61 vs 1-9 “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead if a spirit if despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your field and vineyards. And you will be called priest of the Lord, you will be named minister of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches, you will boast. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. For I, the Lord, love justice; i hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring’s among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” They also prayed for the woman and she was healed and gave her life to Christ.

On that same week, the New Hope team-taught me and the youth more about the Holy Spirit, lots of the youth got healed from their past and they received the Holy Spirit. One guy one day pulled me aside and said “ I had dream about you, we were seating somewhere and underneath there was two big giant snakes, but you Stanley remain and fought with the snakes and killed it, that mean there is power in you” it was a dream it can be true or not.

Kristal and Petty from the New Hope team asked me lots of question  about my gifts and many more. She asked me if I do have a prayer language and I said, “no”. She said, “do you want it now” I said, “sure” they began praying for me in the tongues and they told to give my tongue to God and. I did what I was asked to do, without noticing in few minutes later I was speaking in a language that I don’t know. I felt the Holy Spirit in a way that I never felt it before. It was like electricity in my body but it was the Holy Spirit. I lay down for few minutes I don’t even know how long I was on the ground. While I was on the flow being drunk with the Holy Spirit. I got some words, which I believe they were from the Lord this is what I got “You are full of fire, you are a fire blazer, there is more to come, you will go far, healing will come from your hands”.  When I woke up I barely walk there was some point where I was walking with my eyes closed. I went to bed to cool off, when I woke up, after few hours I read my bible in 1 Corinthians 14 vs 1-4 what I got was that I need to pray and ask God what does my praying language mean.

Also in one of the letter that my friends wrote for me, I found this word that I felt that the Lord said to me “There is more to come to you”

Every Thursday morning I have a small group and one day John one of my friends suggested us to read all the scripture that our friends wrote for us because we all got a letter.  I don’t know the Lord works but for sure God is up for something big for my life, in the letter this is what I got.

The first scripture is in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gift of healing by that one Spirit. To another miraculous power, to another prophesy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”

The second scripture is in James 1:2-18 but I will share verse 17 and 18 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.”

The third one is in 2 Corinthians 13:4-6 “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Like wise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test? And i trust that you will discover that we have not fail the test.” The last one in in Acts 2:17-18 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” After reading this scriptures I felt it was a conformation from the Lord.

 After getting all this from the Lord and the people that God spoke to me, I felt scares and excited at the same time.  One thing that I learned from Nancy was to be silent if I want to hear God’s voice and to see things in a different way.

One weekend I was with my relatives and two young girls came to buy airtime at the house, I saw an opportunity to share the Gospel.  I ask the girls questions one by one, in one of the girls I saw God’s heart for the Nation she has the heart for medicine. All the country in the world needs medicine. After sometime I spend time with the them, I gave them the invitation to know the Lord as their life saviour. Both of them accepted Christ that day, glory and praise goes to the Lord.  When I got home I read a letter that a friend of mine left me Nicole from the New Hope team there was a scripture that she wrote for it is in Matthew 28:19-20 and that what I did on the same day she wrote the scripture to me.

The last story In the youth service as we been taught how to rely on the Holy Spirit, I gave each youth a name of a person and they had to go home and pray for that person and ask God to give them something. One of the girls that I got her name and she didn’t know that I was praying for her. She asked me if she can talk to me and she gave me her journal to ready something in it. She is a teenage and she is struggling with lots of heavy things in her life, she doesn’t trust anyone in the community even in her family. She felt to speak to me, because she trust me. I was being careful as I read her journal God reminded about my mission statement you can see it on top on my blog. I then connected her with one of our TTH staff Kacy. I didn’t want to do thing a lone especial she is a girl. She met with Kacy and She let things out of her heart. We have been called for discipleship this is part of it. My role now is to do a follow up and support where I can.

This month I feel like God is cooking me for something big

Prayer request

Ø  For guidance to the things He want me to do

Ø  For a car to go around and do what I have been called for and to see my family

Ø  Wisdom in discipleship