January 2017 Prayer Letter

January 30, 2017 by The J Halls

This month we saw several people place their faith and trust in Christ for salvation. Mama Plaatjies is one of those people. She is the grandmother of a young man I have been working with for over a year. She has been visiting off and on for several months. On New Year’s Day she finally made the decision to surrender her life to Jesus. Since then she has turned into an evangelism machine. She has brought several visitors, one of which trusted in Christ last week, Mama Nobakhe. Today (Jan 29th), I had the privilege of baptizing both of them after our morning service.

Rebekah is staying really busy with basic discipleship classes. She meets faithfully with the ladies of Soweto on Tuesdays, and then with the younger girls on Saturdays. Of late, her classes have shown much fruit. Along with the ladies mentioned above, today I also baptized three other young ladies with whom she has been working. Also, this morning after the service Rebekah dealt with another young lady who has been attending our church, almost since the beginning. Seventeen year old Yolisa trusted in Christ and will be following the Lord in believer’s baptism next weekend.

Furlough August 23 – Jan 3:

In just 7 months, we will be returning to the states for a very short furlough. We will be there from August 23 – January 3. We are going to use this time to try and raise some new support, as well as spend some time with family and friends. When we arrive, it will have been over 1,400 days since we have stepped foot in America. A lot has changed in my own personal life, in the lives of our children, and in our ministry. To God be the glory for all the things good that have happened!

Booking meetings stateside, along with travel arrangements, setting up housing, making sure we have vehicles to drive when we land, these are a few of the things I have been working on in my spare time. Fortunately, the Lord has blessed and already provided several of these things. I have also managed to squeeze in a few calls late night and I have booked several meetings so far. If you would like for us to come by your church and give an update, or if you know of a church that may like for us to come by and present our ministry, please write me at jhsouthafrica@gmail.com.

At this moment, the most overwhelming thing on my plate is our church. Soweto is still far from being ready for our absence. As you can imagine, we are stepping up the pace and spending lots of extra time with the guys (and girls) in preparation. A few have already begun to step up, and several are being prepared to preach and teach in our absence. Some guys you can specifically pray for are Mxolisi, Athule, Aphiwe, Matthew, Thami, Luxolo, Miyanda, and Sethu. These guys are the backbone of our little church and if this thing is going to continue strong in our absence, then God is going to have to do some mighty works in their lives over the next few months.

As always, thank you so much for your faithfulness to pray and give so we can work here in South Africa. May God bless you for all that you do!

Sincerely,

Jeremy and Rebekah Hall

Camp Rhino January Goals Exceeded

January 22, 2017 by The Coffeys

In order to raise $100,000 to buy property to start Camp Rhino Christian Camp & Training Center we will need to raise $8,333 a month for the next 12 months.

Already in January we were informed that $5200 is in the mail, another church set a goal to raise $2500 by October, and $1750 has been given to us in hand during the past week of church services.

Part of the $1750 came from a Preacher’s Conference I was able to attend this past week in Rossville, GA at Anchor of Hope Baptist Church with Pastor Brian Haney. Pastors, missionaries, laymen, and other preachers gave sacrificially toward the camp. I was blown away by their generosity.

As we travel to churches, we are giving a free Camp Rhino T-shirts to everyone who gives a donation to the camp. Soon we will make these shirts available online. If you’re interested in donating and having your own Camp Rhino T-shirt, just let me know.

Coffey Family December 2016 Prayer Letter Part 1

December 27, 2016 by The Coffeys

I hope all had a great Christmas and pray that you have an even better New Year.

We have now been back in the states a few weeks and are getting ready to end the New Year at the Our Generation Summit at Lake Lanier Island in Buford, GA. What a privilege to end the new year challenging people from several churches to reach the world with the Gospel.

It is strange being away from South Africa, but we are fired up about the opportunities to promote missions in Africa and present our burden for Camp Rhino.

Our two oldest boys Tyler and Chase stayed back in South Africa to help with our 2nd annual Teen Camp two extra weeks, but are now back in the states with us.

There was quite an increase in campers this year and four young people made professions of faith. Because of space and time we aren’t able to bring in a lot of outside kids. We are hopeful in the years to come, with the new camp property, we not only will be able to minister to our church kids during camp, but we will be able to bring in an unlimited number of lost kids from all our communities.

We start our big push to raise the funds for Camp Rhino in January. We are looking to raise $100,000 in the next year. This money will be used to purchase approx. 20 acres of land in the Port Elizabeth area that we will begin developing into the Christian Camp and Training Center.

Please pray we will be able to reach our first months goal of $8333.00. That’s the amount it will take to raise each month in order to purchase property when we land back in South Africa.

Announcing Camp Rhino- Christian Camp and Training Center

November 26, 2016 by The Coffeys

November 2016 Coffey Family Prayer Letter

We are now in our last days before we head back to the States. Our first term was fantastic. I want to thank all of you who have supported us these past few years.

Although we are sad about leaving, we are excited about a new ministry we are now ready to announce and begin presenting during our time on furlough that will benefit our church planting efforts. When we return to South Africa we will be starting Camp Rhino – Christian Camp and Training Center.

Have you had your life touched by attending Christian summer camp? Have you sent teenagers to camp and had them come back with their lives changed? Have you had kids get saved at camp?

In America, Christian camps are doing a lot of good. Kids can get away from the world, from the internet, and the pressures of day to day life, have an incredibly fun week, and listen to powerful preaching. It’s a recipe God has been using for well over a hundred years.

Children and Teens in South Africa need a Bible preaching Christian camp! Not only do they live in abject poverty, most of them experience a level of immorality, drunkenness, and demonic activity that few American kids ever experience. Imagine the impact a week of Christian camp could have on their life. If Christian camp helps American churches, imagine how much it could do to help missionaries and South African churches.

I will be giving more details about our plan for the camp and training center in the coming days, but I want to let you know that our camp will also facilitate much training for all of our people and will be used year round for our church planting purposes.

This will also provide an amazing short-term missions trip opportunity for American students. Bible College Students and other ministry minded young people will have the opportunity to travel to Africa for a season, work in South African churches with veteran missionaries, and help in the camp as counselors and camp staff.

We are looking to raise $100,000 in the next year. This money will be used to purchase 20 acres of land in the Port Elizabeth area that we will begin developing into a Christian camp.

We want to ask you to begin praying now that we would be able to raise $8,333 a month during our year back in the states in order to reach our $100,00 goal. I know that’s a big goal, but we believe in this ministry, and know if it’s God’s will, money won’t be an issue.

Imagine being able to invest in Apple Computer, Coco-cola, or IBM when they were just starting out. With eternity in view, we believe investing in Camp Rhino will be an even better investment.

The Coffey Family September 2016 Prayer Letter

September 30, 2016 by The Coffeys

Prayer Request

For more souls to be saved
Visa Renewals for my Children- All visas have been resubmitted and we’re hoping they will be granted without a problem.
Pray especially for my daughter Addi’s visa. We were told by her primary school that if it’s not received, she will be dismissed from the school.
Wisdom in going forward with our idea to start a Camp & Retreat Center
My son Chase’s knee is still not well and it looks like it will require surgery to heal.

6 people were baptized this month and one more is planning on getting baptized this coming Sunday at New Life Baptist Church. Our discipleship meetings have been bearing fruit with souls saved and new believers growing in their faith.

It’s been encouraging to see the growth in the church. Last week during our celebration for Heritage Day we had a full house. Our people took ownership of this special meeting and did a really great job getting the word out.

With only two month left before we return to the states for furlough, there is much to do. Please pray the church continues maturing and pray for Pastor Sipho Bonga as he will be taking on all responsibilities without me.

In the next couple of weeks we are hoping to start a new Bible study in a different part of our area where a new church is needed. For now, we only plan to have two meetings there a week, but we believe we’ll have a church going there very soon. Also an older man who was recently saved is wanting us to use his house to start Bible studies so he can invite his friends and neighbors. Those meetings start this Saturday so please pray we see folks saved.

More Highlights

Our plan is to start furlough in December. If you’re interested in having us report back or present our ministry, please let me know.
2 saved and 6 baptized this past month
Our Generation 2016 Summit is taking place at Lake Lanier Islands in North Georgia December 29th-31st. We look forward to seeing you there if you can make it. Sign up now.

Needs

Meetings in New Churches during our furlough in 2017

September 2016 Prayer Letter

September 20, 2016 by The J Halls

(Click here to view pictures)

Dear Pastor and Friends, September 2016

This month at Soweto Baptist Church we baptized four; Bulelwa, Sindisiwe, Thuli, and Nwabisa. We were also able to give out baptismal certificates to many of those who have been saved and baptized since Soweto started. Over the last 10 months (since the church was started) we have seen a total of 26 people follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.

Another super exciting thing: We will have our very first couple, saved and baptized at Soweto, get married! Mxolisi (pictured above standing on my right side) and Bulelwa (pictured above getting baptized with the purple head covering) will be getting married Sunday, November 6th. Bekah and I will begin pre-marriage counseling lessons with this couple within the next two week.

We started going through Foundations on Friday night with our teens and young people. We are averaging over 20 in attendance. Matthew, Thami and I are teaching them in smaller group settings.

As planned, Bible Institute began on August 16th. This semester Life of Christ, Exodus, and Acts are being taught. We just finished up our fifth week. There are 12 currently enrolled and several others who are auditing the classes. All seem to be enjoying their studies of the Scriptures.

Other prayer requests:

Ladies Conference will be this Saturday, September 17th at Grace Baptist Church
Stephen and Ashlee Underwood are settling in and have officially begun language school.
Praise God, all our visas have come in approved! Now that our kids have study visas, we can enroll them in a school a couple of blocks from our house.
Please continue to pray for our future church plant in Zwide. Everything we are looking at is in the $25,000 range. Pray the Lord will supply the funds necessary to proceed.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers and support!

Sincerely,

Jeremy and Rebekah Hall

August 2016 Prayer Letter

September 20, 2016 by The J Halls

(Click Here to view pictures)

Dear Pastor and Friends, August 2016

Satan does not like what we are doing here. More and more I realize we are in a spiritual battle. Souls are being saved and lives are being changed and the more that happens, the more the leader of darkness is going to get upset. I want to ask that you pray for wisdom and protection for our church family, for my wife and children, and for myself. Our enemy has shown his teeth a couple of times lately, but we serve a good God who is able to keep us in perfect peace.

Bath Baptist Church, from Michigan, is currently here with us. Pastor Nathan Gregory and his group of 14 have been an incredible blessing. They have jumped right in at our churches and worked like they were their own. They did a great job in Soweto, painting murals on the walls of our children’s church, putting a new roof on the apartment, and helping decorate our new missions wall. Please pray for safety for them as they continue to work for the next week, and then travel back home.

New Church Plant: I have found the location for our next church plant. It is in an area called Zwide. It is just a few miles from our current work in Soweto, but since transportation is so expensive, there is no way people will travel that far by foot to attend our church. The area has tens of thousands of people, and that we know of, no Baptist church. The thing I would like for you to pray with me about, is a piece of property and a building. I have found a nice, large lot with a small dwelling on it. The asking price is R279,000 ($21,461.00). If the Lord wills, we would like to purchase this property and start a church there.

The young men and women at Soweto continue to grow and advance. We have one small, but specific answer to prayer from our last update. A young man named Aphiwe has stepped up and taken the reigns of our music. It has been awesome to see him come out of his shell so quickly. The first couple of times he led, he was very reserved, but now you would never know it. Please continue to pray for our guys, that their love for our Lord would increase more and more.

Next week, August 16th, begins our Bible Institute. There are 16 people currently enrolled from the churches here in P.E. There are several others who are interested in auditing these classes. Pray God would use these classes to equip his men and women for the work of the ministry.

Other prayer requests:

We had a new missionary family arrive, the Stephen Underwood family, last week. They are busy setting up their new home and soon will begin the process of learning Xhosa.
Remember my wife as she continues to train the ladies of Soweto. There are several that she meets with weekly for Bible study. Pray that those who attend will mature, and more would join.
This Friday, Aug 12th we will have a combined youth conference with all of our churches
Saturday, Aug 13th we will have a special family day at Soweto. We will have food, games and most importantly be preaching the Gospel to all who come.

Thanks again for your participation in our ministry through prayer and support.

God Bless,

Jeremy and Rebekah Hall