Link to ABWE Commit to Support Restored

A supporter brought to my attention that they couldn't click on the Team 200 image of the number to get to the ABWE page for registering to commit to support us. I have now solved that problem.

Africa is What it is, because of What Africa Worships

Just recently I was speaking with a new friend after the worship service. In the course of getting to know one another better he spoke of having just arrived after a visit back to his former native country in Africa. I was amazed at his openness about the situation there and his candid evaluation of it. He knows firsthand the problems of Africa. He told me that Africa is in a mess. He then said, "Africa is what it is, because of what Africa worships." I questioned him further and he elaborated. He said that most of the people only dabble in Christianity, but they never fully give up their worship and fear of the devil or the worship of pagan gods, which is also worship of the devil in disguise. So, they have generational sins that are never broken. They live in fear of the devil and try to appease him. Many never fully give up their former ways of worship. Situations in these countries from almost every standpoint never really improve enough. In essence, we are what we worship and based on that there are consequences.

I shared with him that we saw it similarly working in Europe, but on a different level. Although the countries of Europe are more stable than in Africa, the same problem of sin and worship are there. To the degree that people forsake their former objects of worship and depend on, worship and cling by faith to the Lord, to that degree they begin to grow and are fruitful in their new life in Christ. My friend said when he visits there his walk of faith is strengthened and his resolve to worship the Lord is greater, but his heart is saddened and breaks over what he sees.

Our short visit to South Africa last August was the same. South Africa is what it is because of what the people of South Africa worship. Sure it may be one of the most stable on the continent in a lot of respects, but what does "stable" really mean. South Africa has been dubbed "The Rainbow Nation" due to the new hope that was birthed when Nelson Mandela began as the leader in 1994. Has it really been able to live up to that nickname? Or, as is so often the case, is it just a fleeting symbol that represents worship of something other than the God of the Bible? The world worships things like diversity, plurality, tolerance, personal pride and self-esteem, etc. In this day and age, those who are most visible and admired are those who promote and exemplify the worst possible character traits. These are the trappings that keep mankind bound up in their worship of something other than Jesus Christ.

South Africa is a unique country. Many different ethnic and hidden people groups are represented in South Africa. Many nationalities have moved south and ended up in this diverse country “down under”. The largest Indian population outside of India is in South Africa as a result of bringing “indentured servants” to work 5 years in the sugar cane fields of South Africa from 1860 to 1920. Many worked for their freedom and then remained in South Africa.

South Africa has well over 55 different false religions, cults and Christian sects that are influencing the people. One can add into that the worship and attention given to materialism and many other “isms”. Many try to pick and choose parts of many religious beliefs and meld them together for something personal. The idea is they want to create their own god to worship as they wish. This is an “ism” too. It is called “syncretism”, which means, “the action, process or result of combining or uniting different religions or objects of worship”. I looked for a synonym for this and there were many big ones, but the synonym that stood out to me most was “blend”. Mankind is always trying to blend the best (worship of our Creator), with the inferior or subordinate (worship of any thing else). The Lord knew this when He gave us the 10 commandments. The first two commandments have to do with worship of Him alone. It’s really an important issue!

What can possibly bring about a change in South Africa and the other African nations? It seems that many are searching in all the wrong places to find truth and life and objects of worship. It reminds me of the book of Amos, when he warned of a famine that was coming in the land of Israel. Amos 8:11-12 says, “11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. 12 Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east,.searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” Many are still searching for truth. Some think they have found it separate from God’s revealed truth in the Bible. It is our intention to work and help to satisfy those who are searching and to challenge those who have not yet begun to search for the Word of the Lord. By equipping and training a new generation of South African nationals to proclaim the truths of God’s Word many will no longer hunger and thirst. The Word of God must be taught and proclaimed in order for men to be satisfied and turn their worship to the only true God.

The picture in this post shows a baton that Kim and I both received upon our commissioning by ABWE to serve in South Africa. It’s being passed to the hand of another. We signed our individual batons. They represent our goal to pass on to “faithful” men and women our vision, heart and life. We will work to help prepare them to teach and preach the Word of truth and life. We are even praying now that the Lord will go before us and eventually bring us into contact with specific South Africans to whom we can give these batons, as a symbol of their faithfulness to go further and deeper in ministry in South Africa than we can. They will sign the baton and then pray and work to pass that baton on to another.

An extremely challenging verse is found in Romans 10: 11-15, 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!".

This concept of beautiful feet seems a little strange. I’ve seen my feet and they are not beautiful. I won’t even give you a description because I don’t want to put that picture in your head. But the idea here is one of purity. Those who bring the good news must do so with pure motives and not for selfish gain. They bring the pure gospel message of the free gift of salvation. Those who hear this pure, good news and take hold of it by faith see the messenger of the truth of salvation as “beautiful”, since their faith in Christ as their substitute on the cross, has given them forgiveness and life in Christ. That is a beautiful thought.

Belief, hearing, preaching can only happen when one is sent. We desire to be sent to do this important work. When we are in South Africa we will work hard to prepare, entrust and send those who prove to be faithful, so that they will impact others to give attention, allegiance and worship to the Lord. We are what we worship. Pray that Africa, and specifically South Africa, will become what it should be by worshiping the Lord Jesus. Please ask the Lord to lead us to those South Africans He wants us to pass our batons of ministry to? Will you ask the Lord to send us? Will you prayerfully consider joining our Team 200 Project of financial support for $25 or more per month to send us there? We are seeking to answer this calling on our lives to entrust faithful men. Are you called to support and send faithful men to do this work? Thank you for praying and giving to send us.

The Mission and Vision of The Phoenix Fellowship

Picture: Pastor Selvan and Diana Govender

A Happy New Year to You!

We pray the Lord's grace and blessings on you, your family and ministry. We wanted to provide for you a link to a video presentation that was recorded by our son Jason while we were in Durban, SA at the end of August. This is Pastor Selvan Govender, senior pastor of the Phoenix Fellowship in Durban. He is standing on the property that the Lord has provided for them in the Durban suburb of Phoenix and he is presenting the mission, vision and prayer requests related to the church. Due to a lack of the right sound equipment you'll hear background noises (lots of birds, at least one motorcycle), which we've tried to overcome with the help of a friend. If you turn up your volume on your computer and any speakers or even use a set of headphones, it may come in better for you. Next time we'll have to pack some sound equipment. Please click on the link to the right of their picture entitled "Pastor Selvan Govender" to view this 5 minute presentation.

We'll be at a supporting church tomorrow sharing about our plans to get to ministry in South Africa. Please pray that new supporters will join our team to send us in 2010. A number of people have indicated their interest and are in process of committing their support. We praise the Lord constantly for our team and those who will help us finalize our plans to return to the field.

Blessings to you in Christ, The Clarks

Merry Christmas! One Year in the Family

** No, our family didn't grow...this is at Thanksgiving weekend and Tiffany's boyfriend, Jason Hanson and his buddy, Tim Chun were visiting.

Dear Family and Friends,

A Merry Christmas to you! We would like to share with you our joy of having Kaitlyn and Broden in our family now for 1 year. December 13, 2009 marks a year since their arrival into our family and into the US. We praise the Lord and His perfect timing and blessing. They are doing well, growing and learning English.

Recently, Kaitlyn had an assignment for school to write a couple of paragraphs about a special day. She ran off to her room and later returned to have Kim look over her effort. She wrote of the day in January 2008 when she and Broden received a phone call from us at the orphanage. She asked us in that phone conversation if we would be coming to get them. We answered yes. She then asked if it would be for good. We again answered yes. She said this was the best special day because it was the answer to her prayer that God would give them a family.

We praise God for His answer to her and our prayers as well. It reminds us of the special adoption for all who will believe in Christ by faith. This began when God sent His Son to earth to be born of a virgin and live as a man. He then willingly gave His life on a cross so that adoption into God's family would be possible. It seemed an impossible situation for Kaitlyn and Broden to be adopted into our family. If I was to tell you all the details of their adoption you would be amazed, as we are, beyond belief. Theirs was a desperate situation they could not get out of on their own. Likewise, man's sinful state was an impossible and desperate situation that only the Lord Himself could solve. While He was dying on that cross, he was hanging next to thieves on his right and left. Eventually, one of them realized his only hope was in the innocent man hanging between them. He must have heard about Jesus. He must have wondered why an innocent man was dying there with them. God gave to this thief the ability to see with eyes of faith that Jesus was the Savior. Realizing his impossible and desperate situation, this thief spoke to Jesus. Their conversation is found in Luke 23:42-44,

⁴²Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." ⁴³Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." ⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.⁴⁷The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."

Even one of those assigned to crucify the Lord was given eyes of faith to see rightly that Jesus is the righteous Son of God! Praise the Lord that He voluntarily gave His life for us that we might have His righteousness to make us acceptable into God's family. What a solution! What an amazing adoption picture and blessing! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." May your Christmas 2009 be very special.

Vivid Memories of a Beautiful Country and People

It was a fantastic trip to Durban and though it was the last week of August, it remains vivid in our minds. Jason and I (Kim in spirit) went there looking to the Lord to show us things about the mission work, culture, and people. We are committed to going to serve in Durban, if the Lord will supply us with that support team that we need. The confirmation came for us in the fact that it is a solid ABWE team and there is a specific role of ministry with the Baptist Bible College as Dean of Students. It is exactly the ministry role we were envisioning and praying about even 6 years ago! Pray for us as financially we need to reach the goal of 85% by the end of February to go to the Field Prep Seminar. Otherwise we'll have to wait till the next FPS in November 2010. A house awaits us in Durban if we can get there by June/July. Darryl has a course for me to take over and teach at the college starting in July. The college has a number of students for us to work with to help in preparing them for practical aspects of ministry.

Please pray fervently that we may reach the field in 2010 and that the Lord will bring onto our support team the equivalent of 170 new supporters at $25/month. Please pray according to Luke 11:9-10 - ⁹"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

Pictures: the city center of Durban; the port of Durban; over the Atlantic on South African Air; sunrise over the Atlantic on our way to JFK; Jason in Johannesberg airport

Darryl, Casey and Emma Meekins

Our survey trip to Durban, South Africa was made extra special by our visit and stay with the Meekins family. Darryl is the principal of Baptist Bible College of Kwazulu-Natal (BBC-KZN) and has been in that role of ministry since 2007. Casey serves alongside Darryl when she can and has been involved in the training of groups who can then go into local schools for the ministry of abstinence education. They are presently ministering with The Phoenix Fellowship (TPF). Darryl and Casey have a daughter, Emma, who is just as cute as can be and turned 2 while we were there. We ask you to pray for this wonderful family who faithfully serve the Lord in Durban. Darryl has a tough job to do with the college ministry. Casey's father recently passed away. Pray for the whole family as they adjust to this.

Pictures top to bottom: Last day at lunch with the Meekins and Govender families; Emma getting shy and ready for bed; Casey and Emma at Phoenix Fellowship service; visiting with other members of The Phoenix Fellowship; Our last shot of Emma as we left for the terminal to return. She was really tired from those California visitors!

Announcing Our Latest Prayer Letter with a Change!

"Clark Pathways" is the name of our new prayer letter and a website related to our Ministry and Family is being prepared as well. This photo was found after a search of shared photos on flickr and it is entitled "Scenic Chapel". It's picturesque view along this path in the foreground is from the Drakensberg Mountains outside of Durban, SA. The focus of our new prayer letter theme is related to passages like these:

• Habakkuk 3:19 - The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.
• Psalm 119: 105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
• Proverbs 3: 5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

As we work hard and wait on the Lord's perfect timing for our being sent out to serve in South Africa, we have been reminded by Him that He is sovereign in all things. Wherever we are and wherever our journeys take us we must always follow the One who is the only Way, Jesus Christ. As we offer up a new prayer letter title that reflects our past and future travels and the missions work we desire to do, we want for it to reflect our trust in the Lord as the one who leads us. If you would like to receive our prayer letter either by email or by mail, please contact us at Robert.Clark@abwe.cc Thank you for your prayers and support.