Frontline Newsletter: Muslims Converted in Zambia

Since 1987 Zambia has been an important mission field for Frontline Fellowship. Just last year FF sent 7 mission trips to Zambia and conducted over 400 meetings throughout Zambia. Here is a recent report from Virgil:

In 1997, during my first mission trip with Frontline Fellowship I felt God’s calling to establish a mission station in Zambia. We had met many that loved God and were eager to get involved in God’s work. Yet due to the great lack of Biblical knowledge, some pastors have unintentionally misled their congregations with false teachings. Other pastors are continually being attacked by other religions, especially Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses and witchcraft. The lack of Bibles, Christian literature and good solid teaching inhibits spiritual maturity in much of Zambia.

It was in God’s perfect timing that, after much prayer and over many obstacles, God made a way for us in leading us to an abandoned mission station in the Eastern Province in Zambia. We praise God because He provided us with far more than we had ever expected: 3 houses, 5 other buildings used for storage, a lecture room, borehole, generator and a tractor, all on 300 hectares, of which 100 hectares is arable land, with 30 ha fruit orchards and ±170 ha thick dense bush.

Virgil providing Bible teaching to pastors and deacons at the mission station in Zambia

One problem is the large number of big snakes, especially the deadly Mambas. I recently killed a 2 metre (over 6 foot) long mamba. Our daughter, Hannah is curious about everything and our main concern is that she will walk up to a snake and try to pick it up! We have also found nasty little scorpions in our garden, house and bed! (One was the size of my hand). Our main objective in Zambia is to help rural pastors with leadership training and equipping them with Bibles, books, Gospel literature and agricultural training (to help pastors become more self sufficient). Our work in the rural area has moved slowly because of those cultures and traditions which cling to witchcraft. This continues to be a great barrier, even to some pastors. They often wear charms, fetishes, amulets and skins around their wrists – to protect them from evil spirits, from spells cast by witchdoctors and also for “medical” reasons.

My wife, Louise, has been involved in leading women’s meetings, conferences and other practical classes such as Hygiene in the Home, Cooking and Sewing. These courses have been received with great enthusiasm.

Louise leads women's meetings and conferences and provides courses for the mothers

Both the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Muslims are very active in the Eastern Province of Zambia. We have shown video documentaries and presented many lectures to church leaders exposing the deception of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the results of Islam. From the many debates we have held with Zambian Muslims we have found a common trend: 1. None of them really knew the teaching of Islam or their history. 2. Their knowledge of the Bible was twisted, as it was taught to them by their Muslim teachers. When they were lured or brought into Islam, they were told how Allah is the true God of the Bible, but that the Christians have corrupted the Bible to say that there is a Trinity, and that Jesus is not the only way, the truth and life – for Muhammad is greater. And so I soon realised that instead of me always defending the Bible, I needed to challenge the Quran and Muhammad by contrasting them to the Bible and to Jesus, the Son of God. This strategy has been blessed with much success and many Muslims have been won over to Christ.

I first met Felix (not his real name) when I gave him a ride while he was hitch-hiking. I invited him over to our mission station. He came about two weeks later. He prayed with us that night, but at supper he asked for a blessing on his food in the name of Allah! I was shocked. I really hadn’t expected this after all the Biblical discussion we had. I then asked him if the God of the Bible was the same as the Allah of the Quran. “Yes,” he replied. I was amazed and fetched a Quran and showed in Sura 5:75-76: “They do blaspheme who say there is a Trinity.” He was shocked. He had been a Muslim for about 10 years, and had never been taught this:

“Such things they never taught us.” The fact that we were teaching him straight from the Bible astounded him and he soon came to faith and wanted to know so much more. So he put feet to his faith, opening inroads into an area we had not yet been able to reach. His friends and neighbours were amazed that Felix, who was a Muslim, had now become a Christian.

My other friend, Albert (not his real name), was a Muslim for 10 years. They had paid for his schooling and taught him the
Quran. So in turn he worked full time in a Muslim’s house and yard. He was now 4 years out of school, graduated from grade 12 and very well educated and indoctrinated in the Quran. He was invited by one of our deacons to a video presentation on:
“Sudan, the Hidden Holocaust” showing Muslim persecution of Christianity in North Africa. He was amazed by what he saw, but he still stood by his religion. I invited him over to the mission station and he came. For a couple of hours we spoke and debated many issues such as who is the greatest: Mohammad or Jesus? Was the Bible or the Quran the Word of God?

After a few hours, God in His grace and mercy opened his eyes as he realised that no-one can be compared to Jesus and that the Bible alone is God’s Word. He left humbled – and with much Gospel literature. Please continue to pray for him for he is still employed by Muslims. May Albert have the strength to resist all pressures to abandon the path of Christian discipleship which he has so eagerly begun.

Virgil and Louise

Malaria in the Labour Ward

Virgil and Louise (with their daughter Hannah) returned to Cape Town recently for the birth of their second child. Within days of arriving, Louise was hospitalised, in Intensive Care, with Malaria. Complications necessitated a premature delivery (3 weeks ahead of the due date) by C – section. We praise God for the safe delivery of a healthy baby boy, Jesse Marc, on 4 March. We also rejoice in God’s perfect timing that we were led to insist on their returning from Zambia for the birth. (They had planned to have the baby in the field). By God’s grace, Louise and Jesse have received the best medical care available and are recovering. Please continue to pray for Virgil’s family and for the Frontline team, Tim, Delia and Hansie, who are running the mission station in their absence.

Making Disciples, Teaching Obedience

Please especially pray for our leadership training programmes for pastors, for the Muslim evangelism, film evangelism, literature distribution and child evangelism programmes. We are also trusting the Lord for the right people and resources needed to establish a Bible College, Christian bookshop and Christian radio station at our mission base in Eastern Zambia.

“Enlarge the place of your tent and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; do not spare, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left.” Isaiah 54:2-3