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SA GIDEONwww.gideons.co.za

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL IN SOUTH AFRICA

October 2016

{Acts 1:8}

“BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER...”

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016 | INDIANAPOLIS - FEEDBACK

GOD BRINGS A HARVEST IN UGANDA

380 FRIENDS OF GIDEONS IN ONE MONTH!

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The Editorial

“But you will receive power…” • Corné de Jager

“But you will receive power…” • Cecile Smit

International Convention 2016 - Feedback • Christo van der Schyff

Running alongside others • The Gideons International

God brings a harvest in Uganda • The Gideons International

380 Friends of Gideons in ONE month! • Rickert Marais

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Design & Layout: Black Ink Graphix, 078 348 5761, [email protected]

It is a privilege to present this edition of the SA Gideon to you.

Over the years our organisation has been blessed by men and women with a deep spiritual insight as is evident from the articles they have submitted for publication. Thinking back on the articles published in the SA Gideon during the past six months you will notice a recurring theme – calling, sent, going and witnessing. Upon reading these articles one realises that they all emphasise the fact that the Gideons International is indeed the extended missionary arm of the Church.

In this edition the writers placed the emphasis on witnessing. The two main articles make it very clear that we cannot witness in our own strength, but must at all times rely on the Promise contained in Acts 1:8 to be successful. One of the articles shows that we should always adhere to God’s order when witnessing, otherwise our efforts will not be effective.

An overview of the 2016 International Convention held at Indianapolis from 19 to 25 July may be found on page 7 During this Convention a new Prayer and Witnessing Programme was announced.

This programme will be explained and introduced during the National Convention to be held at Jeffries Bay during October 2016. The recent International Convention was a blessed occurrence and should serve as an encouragement for members to attend the next International Convention to be held at Kansas City during July 2017.

The report on the “Friends of Gideons” initiative on page 16 is very inspiring. Just think about it – 380 new Friends within a month and what could have been achieved if every member had become involved in this initiative.

The 2016 Venda Regional Bible Placement took place under difficult circumstances and is fully reported on in this edition of the SA Gideon. The testimony included in the report is a very moving one and should encourage us to carry on with Bible Placements with renewed energy.

In Closing: Have you recruited any “Friends of Gideons”? This initiative must now be fervently implemented – only YOU can make it happen!

1SA GIDEON

EDITORIAL

October 2016

EDITORIAL

Corné de Jager

“But you will receive power…” Acts 1:8

2 www.gideons.co.za

Can you still remember the day when you got to know the Lord and made Him part of your life? Can you still remember how you wanted to conquer the world, but did not know how or where to start? Can you still remember the excitement when you came into contact with the Gideon Ministry and realized that this was a vehicle given to you by God to obey His command to take His Word to the ends of the earth?

The Lord, however, not only gave us an instruction, He also gave us a promise: “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Jesus promised his Apostles that they would be equipped to witness after they have received the Holy

Spirit. It is important that we will note the sequence of the events:

1. They received the Holy Spirit first2. Then He gave them power3. Then they could witness effectively

It happens so often that we turn this process around and try to witness in our own strength. To witness does not mean that we have to prove what we can do for God. This means that we will say and prove what He has done for us.

The spirit of God is not just an entertaining guest in our lives. He expects that our lives will change, that we will trust Him, that we will be dedicated to Him and that we will glorify Him. However, He not only

But you will receive power • Corné de Jager

CORNÉ DE JAGER

3SA GIDEON

expects that we will change our lives, but He also expects that we will witness and that we will live His testimony with gratitude every day.

We need to witness for the Lord all over the world. It was Jesus’ last command just before He ascended to the heavens: “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” However, this is not an easy assignment. We are often afraid or ashamed to tell others of Jesus. The power that we receive from the Holy Spirit not only has to do with supernatural or extraordinary power. This also means that we would have the courage, fearlessness, insight, skill and ability to be able to execute our Divine instruction. All of these qualities are needed to carry out our task.

We as Gideons and Auxiliary are appointed by Jesus as His official representatives here on Earth. We need to accept responsibility for the truth of the Gospel and we need to share it with everybody. To share the Gospel does not always require that we need to be good speakers or that we need to have a long conversation with someone. Sometimes it is enough to say: “The Lord loves you and everything will be alright.”

We read in 1 Cor 3 about building in God’s Kingdom. Are you building in God’s Kingdom, or are you only building in your own spiritual life? The Spirit provides us with all the building materials needed to build. He provides us with the Fruit of the Spirit to build in our personal life

and He provides us with gifts to build into His Kingdom. He provides us with gems to build with and therefore we have no excuse to neglect to build in His kingdom. Yet it is precisely what often happens. We want to keep the best that was given to us by God for ourselves and we want to give the leftovers to Him. Our leftover time, money and gifts. Where is the Lord and the work of the Lord on your priority list?However, when we separate ourselves for the Lord and love Him with all our heart and soul, we always give our best to Him because He is then number one in our lives.

The Gospel of God has not yet reached its final destination, as long as there are people who have not heard the Word of God. Make sure you also contribute your part by using the opportunities and strength that God provides you with to witness, in order to spread His message in your family, your circle of friends, at your work and wherever you may go.

Trust Him fully for everything you need in order to obey His command and allow the Holy Spirit to do the miracles in your own life, but also in the lives of those that do not know Him yet.

Regional President – Region 2

But you will receive power • Corné de Jager

Cecile Smit

4 www.gideons.co.za

In the book of Acts, we read that Jesus

ordered his disciples to wait for the

promise of the Father – Acts 1:4. We as His

children must likewise wait on His Spirit,

failing which we will attempt to witness in

our own strength and our witnessing will

therefore be ineffective.

The Spirit will give us power and will equip

us to be His witnesses. God’s Spirit has

changed our lives for ever. We can feel and

experience His Godly touch through the

Spirit. His fire will burn in us and His wind

will blow through us! The Spirit will urge

“But you will receive power...” Acts 1:8

In Acts 1:8 there is simultaneously a promise and a command. The promise is that those who believe in the Lord will receive power. The source of the power is God himself. Paul, in his prayer in Eph 1:19-20 explains that God is working in our lives with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Through the outpouring of His Holy Spirit supernatural power is made available to God’s children. We however need to grant Him free access into our lives. Through the powerful work of the Spirit God will do the rest. We need to believe this and to expect the impossible from God.

What is the effect of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

But you will receive power • Cecile Smit

CECilE Smit

5SA GIDEON

We must witness until Jesus returns!

The reason for the promise and command

is that people may be saved. God’s loving

grace is meant for a lost world. We are

His witnesses but cannot do so in our

own strength. For this reason, the Holy

Spirit came to fill us and to lead us in

our witnessing. We know that He can do

exceedingly abundantly above all that we

ask or think, according to the power that

works in us (Eph 3:20).

When His Spirit is working in and through

us, God will be glorified. May our Lord give

every Gideon and Auxiliary member the

strength to witness through the power of

His Spirit – not only in the place where we

work and live, but also unto the uttermost

parts of the world.

us to speak up because the command is

that we should be His witnesses.

The Holy Spirit will equip believers to bear

witness for Him unto the uttermost parts

of the world. His Spirit will help us to move

out of our comfort zones and to be His

witnesses wherever He sends us.

The “you” that Jesus refers to does not only

mean those who were present at the time,

but it is a collective noun for all believers

– that includes the Gideons and Auxiliary.

The promise of Acts 1:8 will equip us to

carry out the great commission of Mathew

28:19. Eph 3:10 states that “the manifold

wisdom of God might be made known by

the church ....” – you and me!

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God as

promised by Jesus in John 16. We

should witness about everything that

Jesus has done for our salvation – Him

becoming man, His suffering, His death

on the cross, His rising from the dead, His

ascension and the promise of His return.

The reference to Jerusalem and further

means that all people are included in this

command. Everybody that crosses your

path and with whom you communicate is

part of those to whom we should witness.

The purpose is to share the gospel with

those people who have not been saved.

They are entitled to hear from us that

Jesus has died for them as well. Hulpgroepstreek-

presidente – Streek 2

But you will receive power • Cecile Smit

6 www.gideons.co.za

ChRiStO vAN DER SChyff

Executive Director

7international Convention 2016 | indianapolis - feedback SA GIDEON

The 2016 International Convention was held over the period 19 July to 25 July in Indianapolis, the capital city of Indiana, widely known for the famous Indy 500 motor races that are held there.

The Convention was a blessed occasion, with thousands of members and their families from 96 countries attending. Inspiring Bible and Programme messages were delivered after which the delegates embarked on a personal witnessing outreach on the streets of the city.

The Convention’s opening event was a community banquet held on Tuesday evening 19 July 2016. The guests were clothed in the national dress of their respective countries and they heard reports from all over the globe of how God is busy changing lives of people.

The main speaker, Don Gleaves, Senior Director in charge of the International Outreach Ministry, emphasized anew that God called us for a specific purpose when we joined the Gideons International.

The Executive Director, Craig Warner, delivered his Annual Operational Report on Wednesday 20 July 2016 and the outgoing International President, Dr Bill Thomas, reminded the attendees to look back over the past year and to thank God for a year of blessing.

The Financial Report showed that the Gideons International once again achieved a record year as far as Bible Placements are concerned. The Bible Message speaker was Rev. Michael Catt and according to many of the Convention attendees his address was the best ever. He took the attendees back to the reason

for their calling as members of the Gideons International.

A magnificent programme was presented for the youth and children who accompanied their parents to the Convention. The programme included visits to many of the local places of interest. The Childcare Directors and Student Directors were chosen by the local youth ministers to oversee the activities and to present the Bible Studies.

During the Business Sessions a Bible Goal of 90.9 million Bibles and a Financial Goal of $123 million was approved for the coming year. Another goal for the coming year is that each camp will visit each minister and every church within the camp’s borders.

A new prayer and personal witnessing programme was introduced. Details about this programme will be presented at the National Convention during October 2016. This new programme will place an on-going emphasis on the importance of personal witnessing and it is envisaged that during the weekly camp prayer meetings testimonies coming out of the communities would be shared.

Start planning now to attend the next International Convention to be held in Kansas City from 19 to 24 July 2017 while we run with endurance the race set before us (Heb 12:1).

FEEDBACKIndianapolis | 19 – 25 July

2016 International ConventionChristo van der Schyff

8 www.gideons.co.za Running Alongside others: the Gideons international

Running Alongside OthersThe Greek word to intercede for or to comfort others is parakletos. The word origin is from the name of those who ran alongside a marathon runner on the last few miles of the race for encouragement. Within The Gideons International, distri-bution opportunities include servicemen and servicewomen, military, and medical staff. Gideons and Auxiliary are able to encourage those who spend most of their time serving others. Here are some of their stories.

Blue Emergency Service Testaments are distributed across the USA to police officers, firemen and women, and emergency medical technicians. Some camps will take the time after a prayer meeting to drop by a fire station and offer a word of encouragement. Others will take the time to thank a police officer.

In many cities worldwide, camps have the opportunity to pass out Scriptures to the graduating classes of officers at police academies. There are several hundred state and local law enforcement academies throughout the Unites States alone. Glen Pillow of the Hermitage Camp, Tennessee, regularly visits the Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy in Nashville. “We have anywhere

from 60 to 90 men and women graduate here every few months. We do this because we want to make sure Scriptures are out on the street with these public servants. It’s a very productive distribution and highly appreciated.” The Hermitage Camp also uses the police academy as one of the first distributions to which they take new members.

There were many stories of New Testaments going into the hands of emergency service workers during the New York City Scripture Blitz last year. Rick Bagley from the Henderson County North Camp, North Carolina, was there going from fire station to fire station. “The firemen were very receptive. The whole experience blew me away,” said Bagley. “One man in particular was sharing how firemen jump into immediate action with the unexpected—from the Harlem gas explosion of 2014 to September 11, 2001. When asked if something unexpected were to happen to him, he answered, ‘I don’t know—I’d hope I go to heaven.’ There in front of the fire hall, Gideons read Scripture together with him. The fireman took immediate action and gave his life to Jesus Christ. They are putting themselves in danger everyday, and we just gave him safety for his soul.”

Arm Them with the Gospel

Throughout the Bible, God is clear about His command for justice and how He feels about those who have been called to carry it out in the world. Romans 13:4 says, “For he is God’s servant for your good…he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath

To Protect and Serve

The Gideons International

provided by The Gideons International. For some, this is a renewing of their reading of Scripture, and for others it is their very first copy of God’s Word.”

Oftentimes the call of duty is passed down from one generation to the next—the familiar process of children going into the military after watching a parent serve, or of a grandchild enlisting after hearing stories from a grandparent. It is a family affair when a loved one puts on a uniform and steps out to defend his or her country. It is a privilege to be part of God’s process to share His Word with multiple generations.

George Butler of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, received his service New Testament from his father, a World War II veteran. As he boarded a plane to Texas for basic training, his father handed him a gift without an explanation and hugged him. Aboard the aircraft, Butler examined the New Testament to discover it had been given to his father in January of 1953, during his tour in the Fiji Islands with the 147th Army Infantry. Over the years, Butler continued to be drawn to that hand-me-down New Testament and to build a relationship with Christ through it. “What comfort those words gave me during such perilous times—and they continue to comfort me today.”

For many who serve, the battle doesn’t end on the field. In particular, post traumatic stress disorder continues to affect many worldwide. In the USA, Gideons make sure there are Bibles in many of the 152 Veterans Administration medical centers. The Gideons of the British Isles place Scriptures in “Help for Heroes” recovery centers for those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Gideons in Australia

9Running Alongside others: the Gideons international SA GIDEON

on the wrongdoer.”

Since 1941, The Gideons International has honored the men and women placed in military service by equipping them with a single weapon for battle—the Word of God. Last year alone, several million Scriptures were distributed to military personnel.

In the USA, Gideons make these Scriptures available through Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). Camps keep the MEPS displays stocked with the camouflage covered Testaments. Across the world, military units line up to receive God’s Word. In Moshi, Tanzania last year, 3,100 officer trainees stood against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro waiting to receive God’s Word. One Gideon remarked, “The experience was humbling and dynamic—to see those recruits lined up military-style with that impressive mountain behind them, their hands held out to receive God’s Holy Word.”

Another way The Gideons International has been able to reach servicemen and servicewomen is by working through military chaplains. Michael Kelly is chaplain for the 120th Adjutant General Battalion Reception Station at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Their mission is to “receive, process, motivate, and begin soldierization prior to Basic Combat Training.” Kelly knows just how great the need is for spiritual guidance. “With every new group of soldiers that come through training, I get to see an entire cross section of America, and really from around the world. They come from all walks of life, with the same problems we all face, most of them looking to fill a void. It is at this moment they reach out and we place a book in their hands—the New Testament

10 www.gideons.co.za

just placed Scriptures at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne for their veterans.

At the Right Moment

The Auxiliary placed or personally shared over 4.5 million Scriptures worldwide last year. Many of those were placed in medical offices in the communities where we live. Auxiliary came alongside others in hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons. Some made sure those living in domestic violence shelters had God’s Word. It only takes one faithful Auxiliary at the right place and at the right time to change lives. Karleen Howe of the Chattanooga Northeast Camp, Tennessee, recently shared her experience:

It was a rainy day, and I was on my shift as a volunteer counselor at a crisis pregnancy center. Frankly, I wondered if anyone would come on such a dreary day. About halfway through the shift, a young lady came in, looking much like the weather outside. She filled out a form and handed it to me. I noticed she had marked “abortion counseling” on the form.

As we talked, she confided she had an abortion the previous Saturday. She had not wanted the procedure, but felt pressured by her parents. She shared more about the process as the staff had taken her in for an ultrasound. Alone in the room, she looked at the images. She was seventeen weeks into her pregnancy, and her heart sank at the realization this was a real baby.

For almost two hours she poured out her heart and her tears with me. Nothing could be changed about what happened, but I was able to share with her that Jesus offers forgiveness.

He died for her and paid the price with His own blood. It seemed she was having a difficult time believing she could be forgiven. I asked her if she was ready to ask for God’s forgiveness and healing. She said she was ready, but didn’t know what to say. We knelt by the couch and she repeated after me the sinner’s prayer with sincere repentance—and there were more tears.

I gave her a Personal Workers Testament and showed her the Helps in the front for when she had problems or questions. Then I showed her the back pages and went over the verses of assurance. I told her she could sign her name in the back confirming her decision.

I left the room to get something for her. When I came back, I noticed she had signed her name in the back of that New Testament. After that experience, the day didn’t seem dreary after all.

In each of these stories, Gideons and Auxilary are able to come alongside people who serve others in desperate or hard times. Just as God reminds us in 2 Corinthians 1:4 it is He “who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” As you pray, share God’s Word, and offer a word of witness, you are strengthening the Kingdom—running alongside those who often walk with the weary.

Running Alongside others: the Gideons international


11SA GIDEONGod Brings a harvest in Uganda: the Gideons international

God Brings a Harvest in UGANDA


Gideons and Auxiliary recently hosted the 2016 Uganda International Scripture Blitz in the cities of Hoima and Masindi. Gideons from the USA and the British Isles also came to Uganda to help carry out the distributions.

“When you talk about the uttermost parts of the world, this is it,” says blitz team leader Gary Richardson of the West Wilson Camp, Tennessee. “It leaves you with a sense of how far-reaching The Gideons International is.”

Gideons in Uganda did an excellent job of planning for the blitz. Transportation, which can be a big challenge in such rural areas, was in place and Scriptures were boxed up and waiting.

Some roads the teams drove on had not seen any automobile traffic in weeks or months.

“We encountered washed out roads that were virtually impassable by any standard in the USA or Europe,” said one Gideon on the blitz. “We could literally feel the prayers from people all over the world for us. There’s no other way we could continue to move forward under these conditions.”

Worshipping with The Uttermost

The first Sunday in Uganda, one team member presented at a local church that partners with The Gideons International. In these churches, it is not uncommon to see people bringing produce such as bananas or mangos as their offering.

A collection was taken for The Gideons International and the total amount was about 40,000 shillings, which equals about $15 USD. Given that the annual wages in Uganda would


likely be less than $500, the collection total was an example of people giving abundantly, even in their lack.

Going in Faith

Dwight Carter, a Gideon from Tennessee, ran into some early problems securing his visa. Someone asked him, “Aren’t you worried?” “Nope,” replied Dwight. “The Lord put this team together. I just follow through with what I’m supposed to do and let the Lord take care of the rest.”

Tim Thuemling is a Gideon from the Waukesha West Camp, Wisconsin/Upper Michigan. As a partner in a manufacturing company, he shifted his focus from his busy schedule to help out in this Scripture blitz.

One of the blessings Tim experienced occurred as the Word of God was placed at a large health clinic. By the end of the placement, 21 souls had received Christ. “What a joy, as these people came in search of physical healing, and

instead left the clinic with the pure spiritual healing that only Jesus Christ can provide,” says Tim.

Early in the blitz, one of the distribution teams drove their truck into a huge mud hole. If the truck got stuck, it could create a serious dilemma in reaching many of the schools scheduled to receive Scriptures. After three attempts to power the truck out of the mud, the Gideon behind the wheel of the vehicle told the other three Gideons in the vehicle their best hope was to pray. The team prayed and the driver made one more attempt. “This time, it felt as if there were people from behind pushing the vehicle out of the mud,” said one of the Gideons. “We just drove right up onto the road.”

Gideons Witness the Harvest

Schools were just starting back for the summer, and for the first few days, student attendance was very light. By the end of the week, attendance was back to normal. As Gideons made their distributions, the students bowed after receiving their Scriptures as a sign of respect.

In Masindi, Gideons arrived at a military base to distribute Scriptures at two schools inside the base. When they approached the officials, the team was turned away because they did not have all of the required authorizations.

God Brings a harvest in Uganda: the Gideons international

13SA GIDEON

That night at the hotel, the team shared their experience with some of the other Gideons. A Gideon employed by Uganda’s Department of Defense accompanied the team the next day as they returned to the base. As the other Gideons prayed for an open door, the Gideon was able to speak with the military officials and secured the opportunity to distribute Scriptures. Those open doors allowed about 1,600 students and faculty to receive Scriptures that day.

At a prison in Masindi, Gideons distributed over 1,300 Scriptures to inmates and were able to deliver a full presentation of the Gospel. When they offered the prisoners an invitation to receive Christ, 44 inmates came forward ready to place their faith in Jesus.

Gideons saw evidence that other Gideons had been to Uganda’s uttermost areas years ago. They met one woman who received a Scripture at a school when she was a child. It led to her receiving Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Today, she is the director of a school. They also met another woman who grew up in a Muslim home in Uganda. As a child, she received a New Testament from Gideons. After reading it, she placed her faith in Jesus, and today she is a school teacher.

Gideons Bring Living Water to Uganda

One person Gideons met during the week was

Flora. She runs a small cafe in a rural area outside of Hoima. Several Gideons stopped there for bottled water after driving on the dusty roads to the next Scripture distribution. They began talking to Flora about what they were doing.

They presented her with a New Testament and showed her the “helps” section and the plan of salvation. The conversation came to the point they asked Flora if she would like to receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior. “Yes, I would,” she replied.

One of the Gideons led Flora in a prayer of forgiveness and to ask Jesus into her heart. They rejoiced they only needed bottled water, but the Lord arranged for them to offer Flora living water, so she may never thirst again. Praise God for dry, dusty roads!

Blitz Leaves Strong Impression on Gideons

Blitz participant John Coldwell has operated a travel agency for the past 20 years in the British Isles. While he has made travel arrangements for many other Gideons on International Scripture Blitzes, the Scripture blitz in Uganda was his first to participate in himself.



“I was greatly impressed by the children,” says Coldwell. “They were polite, courteous, obedient, joyful, and thoroughly charming.” At each distribution, Coldwell told the children how precious they were, how much God loved them, and how much He desired they love Him back.

“The experience has made a deep impression on me. The people and children in Uganda were, almost without exception, some of the kindest and most hospitable I have ever met, making it easy to witness to them.” Coldwell, who attends a church in the village of Dinnington, says it has also reminded him that the people of his homeland are just as precious to God, though they are not as easy to witness to. “I must redouble my efforts to reach them in whatever way I can. In a sense, I have received a gift from Uganda—seeing anew God’s love for mankind through these wonderfully gentle people.”

Blitz participant Tim Thuemling is a member of Highview Evangelical Church in Wisconsin. He says this experience left him with a deeper conviction and love for the lost in his hometown.

“Sometimes we can forget about the people who live close to us, but this trip reinforced to me the truth that the Gospel must be shared with everyone and that my busy schedule should not hamper that.”

While Gideons rejoice that so many in Uganda received Scriptures and made public decisions to receive Christ, they also know many more lives need to be reached with the Gospel. That thought has been weighing heavily on one of the Gideons who shared, “We would be at a school giving out Scriptures to students in fifth grade. We would see some of the younger children watching us from behind trees or through school windows, wishing they were old enough to receive a copy of God’s Word. I just wonder, will someone be able to reach them with a copy of God’s Word in the years to come?”

Blitz Results

By the end of the blitz, 80,717 copies of God’s Word were sown in Hoima and Masindi. We praise God for the open doors and receptivity the Gideons experienced during this blitz. We pray that as men, women, boys, and girls read the Scriptures received, they will place their faith in the Lord and continue to draw closer to Him. We thank the pastors, churches, donors, and others who supported this blitz through their prayers and donations.



15SA GIDEON

OPEN DOORS

WATCH LIST 2016WORLDMALDIVES

76/100

PERSECUTION LEVEL VERY HIGH

Leader: President Abdulla Yameen

Population: 336,000 (several Christians)

Main Religion: Islam

Government: Republic

Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

The Maldives are still a country living in

two worlds. Internationally they have the

image of being a holiday destination of

paradisiac dimensions; on the other hand,

the country follows a strict form of Islam

and is struggling with unrest and many

political challenges. This results in a

dichotomy of cultures in the Maldives: one

that is highly Westernized and pleasure-

seeking/hedonistic, and another that is

increasingly Islamic and fundamentalist.

The latter was shown by several incidents

during this reporting period.

On February 22, 2015, former president

and opposition leader Mohammed

Nasheed was arrested and accused of

terrorism. This shows that the current

conservative Islamist government cares

less about its international image than

sticking true to their perception of Islam.

+ Pray that God would lead secret believers to end fellowship.

+ Pray for Christians to have access to the Bible, which is contraband under Maldivian law.

Open Doors World Watch list 2016 - maldives SA GIDEON

No form of evangelism or missions work is allowed in the Maldives. The Internet has provided an opportunity for witnessing to Maldivians in recent years.

RiCkERt mARAiS

16380 friends of Gideons in one month! • Rickert marais SA GIDEON

Communication Officer

380 FRIENDS OF GIDEONS in ONE month!

The Gideons International in South Africa experienced a highlight in the Friends of Gideons initiative during August 2016 when 380 new Friends singed up!

2100 people “Liked” the Gideons International in South Africa Facebook Profile. Of these, 235 signed on as Friends.130 new Friends signed up by using a “Friends of Gideons” business card and a further 15 persons signed up by making use of the website.

Of the 380 Friends mentioned, 100 signed up as Financial Friends through the

intervention of the Call Centre run on a voluntary basis by Mark Steenkamp and Cornel Botha who telephoned Friends of Gideons in order to recruit new friends with their assistance and also to convert existing Prayer Friends to Financial Friends in order to let the Database of Friends grow.

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