February 2023 Volume 8 Issue 1
Dear Pastor and praying friends:
The rainy season is upon us; this is a good and a bad thing. The good thing is that we are moving closer to the cooler season; the bad things are that it is causing humidity, mud, and bugs.
Despite the weather change, God is still doing work here in Chipata. Hope Bible Baptist Church is growing, and we are currently averaging 25 people per Sunday in attendance. When you count our family and the Mataccheria family, we are at about 40 total in attendance.
We have four men who have become ushers, which is a great opportunity that gives them the ability to minister in the church while they grow through discipleship.
The village ministry is starting to slow down as they spend most of their time preparing their fields for planting. This is a setback because they are not showing up for discipleship or Bible Study, which stunts their growth. In addition, the village can be challenging to minister as there is still the influence of traditional beliefs. For example, it is not uncommon to come to the village and find that they are preparing to invite a witch doctor to come and perform.
Pray for the growth of these young believers, the salvation of more souls, and the power of God to have preeminence.
On Friday, the 9th of this month, Damon Matachariea and I made a three- and half-hour trip to the Mozambique border; we met with a Baptist Pastor from Mozambique and Zambia. It was more of a meet and greet as we heard their salvation testimonies, about the churches they minister to, and the style of church. We had conversations about coming back and having two days of training courses to teach them and the local leadership from the Word of God, as they have not had much training from the Bible.
We are in full swing into language acquisition; we have found an instructor in the local language, and we have lessons two days a week with our instructor. Although the rest of our learning is with those we are ministering with, we are slowly but surely starting to get more and more of the language.
Thank you all for your continued support, prayers, and Love. We would not be able to go first without the Lord and secondly without all of you.
In Christ’s Service, The Norris Family.
Needs:
- Air Conditioners. God has provided for this need. Thank you to those who have given.
I Thessalonians 5:25 “Brethren, pray for us.”
Prayer Requests:
- For God to open the door to Mozambique through an invitation into the country.
- For our ability to learn quickly as we have started studying Chichewa.
- For us to be a blessing to those that we will work with in Zambia.
- For the People of Mozambique and Zambia that God would work even now in the hearts and lives of the people to prepare them for the Gospel.
- For God to provide for our every need.
- For our continued good health.
- That our Spiritual lives will remain close to God, for us to grow each day closer to him, and not stray from His will or be caught up in the snares of the Devil.
- For the many Churches that have said they would like to take us on for support, pray God would enable them to have the finances to support us.
- For our raised support that it will continue, and that God will bless our supporting churches.
