The Van Rooyens

from our new blog...

2011-01-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

we have moved our blog to all Nations family website. Please follow us there :)
http://anfcare.org/justanormalfamily/

September 09

2009-08-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

Church planting - It’s amazing how the Lord can touch people in a simple gathering, be it in a shack, hut or an affluent home. Gathered around the Bible and sometimes a simple meal, both believers and those who don’t know Jesus, discover God. To read more about how it is happening in different locations of Southern Africa please go to www.all-nations.co.za

Holliday - At this time of the year the All Nations’ team is usually tired after a hard but very fulfilling 6 months of training, hosting outreaches and church planting. Our annual leave is coming up in September and we are looking forward to rest before the preparation for next year’s CPx course begins. We are trusting the Lord for an opportunity to go away. Please pray with us.

Support - Almost everyone has been affected by the economical crisis one way or another. If you have been affected by it, we pray that the Lord will provide in all of your needs.
We have also experienced it through our financial support dropping by as much as 40%. We are trusting God for a break through in this area and would like to ask you to pray with us regarding this. In the meantime, Nelis is looking for a part time job to help carry us through this period.

With love,

Nelis & Inesa

Newsletter August 09

2009-08-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

The wind is howling and it’s pouring with rain outside at the moment – this can only be Cape Town in the winter!

Great news! We’ve gone live with All Nations Southern Africa’s website. Here you can read more about what we do, wonderful inspirational stories and much more! Just go to www.all-nations.co.za to be encouraged!

The latest riots & violence the last 2 weeks in Masiphumelele have caught most of us by surprise. The main cause of this has been unhappy residents that have nowhere to go as the government starts to provide people with the first of many proper houses. While I attended a meeting of church leaders, city council members & Masi representatives I was struck how complex & difficult the situation is - there is no quick and easy solution. Please pray with us for God’s wisdom, justice and understanding to triumph in this situation.

With Gratitude

Nelis & Inesa

www.all-nations.co.za
www.nelisandinesa.blogspot.com

Newsletter July 09

2009-08-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

It’s sunny & dry (for the moment!) in Kommetjie and we trust that you’ve been able to enjoy some cosy weather where you are.

A very busy time came to a close with the church planting school that started in February, finishing last week. We are tired, but so encouraged by the fact that more than 75% of the 40 students will continue on in some form of full time ministry! Praise the Lord as He is providing labourers for the harvest! We’ll share more with you on this exciting news in our next letter to you.

A big part of our hearts’ desire is to serve the body of Christ by providing support & care for church planters & missionaries in the field. We’re so grateful to the Lord that we can live out our passion in All Nations family.

The kids have started school again and it’s so cute to observe Tanya as she is turning into a real little entrepreneur, baking various kinds of cookies and selling it to all kinds of people with her charming smile. 

With Love

Nelis & Inesa

Newsletter June 09

2009-08-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

We trust you're all doing well with the winter well and truly with us

A short report back from Inesa - She's been in the Ukraine for 3 weeks now with another week left before she flies back on the 9th June. She has managed to have some special moments with her grandparents, who suffered a stroke, although it has been mostly an intense and challenging time. Inesa mentioned that she really feels priviledged to be with her family at this time.

Meanwhile back at home base the kids & I had an interesting time... I (Nelis) managed to catch mumps of all things! Not fun at all... Fortunately everything is back to as normal as you can get without the wife & mother not at home... :-) We're looking forward to have Inesa back and we're already planning how we will put on a royal reception for her...

Our CPx outreach teams are doing well at the various locations they're at. They have another month of church planting before they'll return for debriefing. We believe God for longterm relationships that will be key to establish church planting movements in these communities & countries. We're focusing on a building rather than blessing mentality which we believe is what Jesus did as well.

Grace & Peace

Nelis & Inesa

April news

2009-04-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all the messages of consolation & advice for being a Cheetah fan this season... 

We have very special news! Stefan (7) committed his life to the Lord after watching the movie Ben Hur – it was such a special moment! Don't we all live for moments like these?

Last time we mentioned that All Nations moved into our new building called Africa House here in Noordhoek. Africa House will serve as our base, a training centre & provide accommodation for teams & volunteers reaching Africa for Jesus. You'll find attached a few photos of it...

Lecture phase of CPx is almost finished and the students are busy getting ready for the outreach phase of 2 months to 7 different locations throughout Southern Africa. Would you pray with us that this time will be blessed by God and produce disciples that will disciple others!

May you be encouraged as I am by the following words from Oswald Chambers: 'The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the Potter to put you on His wheel and whirl you around as He desires.'

Because of Him

Nelis, Inesa, Tanya & Stefan

News Frebruary 2009

2009-02-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Kommetjie most probably will get 1st prize for having the windiest last 2 weeks in South Africa... We have no problems getting our washing dry... 

A BIG praise report! We (All Nations) have moved into our new building called Africa House!! Africa House will serve as our base, a training center & provide accommodation for teams & volunteers reaching Africa for Jesus. God has done wonders in granting All Nations this facility to help extend His kingdom! You can read more of this journey on our blog @ www.nelisandinesa@blogspot.com

I (Nelis) have just finished reading a brilliant book by John Piper titled ' Don't waste your life' – I recommend this book to anyone, let me quote something out of the book for you: 'All of life for the Christian is meant to magnify Christ. This can happen through pleasure, and it can happen through pain. When everything in life is stripped away except God, and we trust Him more because of it, this is gain, and He is glorified.'

The 2nd CPx (church planting school) kicked off with 47 students in Africa House a few days ago. Would you pray that every student have an encounter with God? Being in His presence and beholding Him is what change us, isn't it?

As a family we're trusting God for specific things for 2009. You're welcome to read more about that on our blog under 'pray for our work'-link.

Last but not least... May the Cheetahs rugby team be the team of 2009...! 

With Gratitude

Nelis, Inesa, Tanya & Stefan

For more family news visit www.nelisandinesa.blogspot.com
For more All Nations news visit www.floydandsally.org &
www.all-nations-resources.co.za

T4T DVD - new property

2009-02-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

www.all-nations-resources.co.za/alln_resources/T4T%20kickoff%20small.mpg

New Property and T4T

2009-02-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

In the early weeks of this new-year we are rejoicing for new beginnings.

For over a year we have been praying and dreaming about a piece of land whose builders seemed to have us in mind as they built the facility. Since arriving in Cape Town the dream of making disciples who make disciples has been on all of our hearts, and the vision of seeing the lost find their Savior has continued to be at the heart of everything we do.

Last Sunday saw a culmination of all of those things, and we were overwhelmed with joy.

One hundred and twenty of us sat in the living room space of the Africa House (our new property), 70% of us were black leaders from the townships and surrounding communities. We all had one thing on our hearts. To share the good news of Jesus with others, who in turn go and tell others also.

He sat straight up in his chair, listening intently, realizing that he was not the only one whose life had been radically transformed in the past few months. It slowly began to dawn on him that all the people around him had also discovered the incredible life in Jesus, and also wanted to share it with their friends. He listened intently as a tall fatherly man, beaming with anticipation, explained how he could not only tell others about Jesus, but how he could raise them up to bring others to Jesus as well. Arlie is a new man, it shows in his face, and it shows as he leads others to Jesus.
Beside him, sprinkled through the crowd, were brand new believers who had asked to be baptized, ones we had prayed for and visited and shared with. They listened to others like themselves as we prayed with all our hearts for God to raise up more workers for Africa.

The building we sat in was pronounced ours only the day before, and it held us beautifully. The walls were still covered with the previous owners things, as we sang with delight at the miracle God had done in allowing us to be there. After many creative demonstrations of what this Jesus movement is and how it can spread, we all gathered in the garden for lunch. The grounds are so peaceful and secure, it was such a treat to be there together.

The end of the day found us all at the beach to witness baptisms of 12 of our new friends.
We celebrated with the waves and the sky and the angels for the new life springing up
around us.

What a blessing to be a part of bringing His kingdom to Africa, and to see the stirrings of it breaking out to places farther than we can even imagine!

A new building, new leaders, and new believers. What a blessing!

Thank you for all your prayers and support, and for being a part of what God is doing here.

Much love,
from the All Nations family in Cape Town

newsletter Jan 18, 2009

2009-01-18T00:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

This is our first newsletter of 2009 to you. We trust you had a wonderful time of rest and celebration during the festive season. May 2009 be a very significant and blessed year as you walk with Jesus.

Our 2nd CPx (church planting school) kicks off in February with 47 students. We're so glad that almost half of the students are black Africans God has send to be equipped to make Jesus and the church of Jesus relevant to Africa! There IS hope for Africa!

Family - As a family we're standing in faith that our financial support base will grow – We're trusting the Lord for additional people to partner with us financially on a monthly basis in the calling God has on our lives.

Nelis plans to fulfil a lifelong dream this year by running the Comrades ultra-marathon (89km) in May and also to finish his studies by July.

Inesa will continue with her amazing calling to home school Tanya (Grade 4) & Stefan (Grade 1). The kids really excelled in all areas last year and we're very encouraged by it.

We feel priviledged in walking with you on the journey in making disciples that simply live Jesus. May Jesus fill you heart with fresh wonder about Himself and may you grow to know Him more and more this year.

Love
Nelis, Inesa, Tanya & Stefan

2008-12-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

2008-12-16T11:09:00.001-08:00

Newsletter Nov 5

2008-11-05T04:57:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

We trust that this letter finds you well...  Some news from us...

Family – The kids (and Inesa) are almost finished with the current school year. Inesa is planning next year's school curriculum for the kids. Nelis is trying to find time to finish 3 subjects of his studies (BA theology) before December!

Baby Safe - Our team has successfully installed a Baby Safe – An anonymous drop off point for unwanted babies. There are only 3 of these points in SA and this one has the newest technology capable of reading a baby's vitals.

Farming God's Way – Some of our team are busy introducing FGW principles to the communities we're working in. We believe this to be a key in empowering rural Africans!

2nd & 3rd Generation Believers – We started to focus on leadership training within the simple churches. We trust God to see 2nd & 3rd generation believers birthed in the next couple of months.

Thank you for your friendship and support – we are grateful for you in our lives.

Love
Nelis, Inesa, Tanya & Stefan

October 2008

2008-10-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

Yes, it’s still raining in the Cape. I guess we will look back in February and think back with fondness of the cooler and wetter time we’re having now!

Answer to prayer – When we face a mountain in our lives and we know that only God can move that mountain, then it is all the more amazing when God move that mountain! Such was the case when someone gave us a beautiful well cared for car! Our old car was costing us huge amounts of money to keep going and we asked the Lord for His help. Our hearts were so overwhelmed and thankful when He answered our prayers. Nothing touches our hearts more and draw us more towards Jesus than when we experience His grace in our lives.

Our trip – We travelled almost 5000km’s in total – visiting friends, & supporters. We enjoyed renewing friendships and sharing our hearts and vision with people concerning what God has called us to in All Nations. Isn’t it wonderful how God designed it that we need to be part of His body to see & experience Jesus?

Thank you for your friendship and support – we are grateful for you in our lives.

Love
Nelis, Inesa, Tanya & Stefan

Tanya's birthday - new cuddly friend

2008-08-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

All Nations video

2008-08-18T04:45:00.001-07:00

if the video does not open hit refresh to reload the page

August 2008

2008-08-18T04:41:00.000-07:00

It’s still winter in the Cape with rain and wind belting down here in Kommetjie as we type this letter! We hope you are warm and dry!

All Nations - The CPx (church planting school) from February till July was very focused and blessed – around 50 students successfully graduated. At the moment we are hosting the last of 4 overseas outreach teams ministering here. The past year All Nations has grown from 5 to 36 fulltime workers that are based in Cape Town. At the moment All Nations is in negotiations to buy a property that will serve as a base for training & equipping people to impact Africa & the Middle East. Please pray for this process and God’s wisdom in this.

Family – We as a family are planning to visit friends in Namaqualand, Free State, Gauteng and the South Cape to share stories & photos, encourage and reconnect with one another. We are very open to visit you if we can and there is some coffee! :) This will happen in September and we plan to take some needed rest during this time. We will appreciate your prayers for wisdom, safety & provision for this trip.

Thank you for your friendship and support – we are grateful for you in our lives.

Love
Nelis, Inesa, Tanya & Stefan

Inesa's Heart

2008-07-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

How does one combine being a home schooling mom with being a part of a vibrant multicultural ministry?

In our almost 2 years with All Nations we have experienced 3 different “seasons” – a season of “pioneering out of nothing”, a season of very intense involvement (in running outreach programs, catering, setting up logistics for CPx etc) , and a season in which we are now – consolidating. It is still very busy for Nelis although the All Nation’s team has grown to 36 full time workers in Cape Town.

I guess the question I was asking myself was – “what is a sustainable pace for me & can I be involved in ministry and give 100% to my children?” Having gone to the Lord for answers, I have felt that though home educating our children is a priority, my purpose and my heart were also in the ministry and in what we do.

The Lord calls us all to obedience, but through it all He also provides us with help. I now have the help & support of 2 intern couples who are assisting me with projects as well as a wonderful lady who helps with All Nations catering. The Lord has made it possible for me to do both and I am grateful for that.

The other tool the Lord has given us is the house we are renting now. We love to extend hospitality, but although opportunities were plentiful we struggled for space. And then came our miracle. It has a guest room and a school room and the layout is ideal for group gatherings.

I’m very grateful for our new home – it is a great tool for touching people’s hearts, offering encouragement & comfort. My heart is overflowing with thanks and gratitude for God’s goodness!

Love
Inesa

June Newsletter

2008-07-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

We trust you are all doing well and are enjoying cosy fireplaces on this side of the world and lovely sunshine on the other side. =O)

Below we describe little fractions of what the Lord is doing, if you would like to read more, please go to our blog www.nelisandinesa.blogspot.com (there are some nice family photos there also)

We’ve had a few eventful weeks in the van Rooyen household – the move to our lovely new home, Nelis’ birthday that was closely followed by Stefan’s birthday. They both had lots of fun & enjoyed their special days, sharing them with friends and family.

We want to thank all of you who were praying for Nelis’ brother, he is doing better and it looks like he might be able to regain vision in his eye. (He was violently assaulted a few weeks ago) Please keep him in your prayers.

Masi - xenophobia impacted this community recently. All Nations offered to house & feed those refugees we have relationship with. This was a wonderful opportunity to show practical love & care. We had great times of sharing, worship & laughter! We believe something wonderful was birthed by God as we shared life with our brothers & sisters in need.

Two weeks ago I (Nelis) visited the Bo-Kaap (central Cape Town) where one of our teams is working. As we were serving soup to the refugees on the street the words of John, a Zimbabwean, touched my heart deeply. He said to me: “I’m so tired, my own country does not want me, people in South Africa do not want me here – where can I go where I’ll belong? I just want to look after my family.”

There are no easy answers – what we DO know is that Jesus is worthy of our lives and we can trust Him to bring life, hope and change as we all follow and obey Him. He is our motivation!

With all our love,
Nelis, Inesa, Tanya & Stefan.

All Nations video

2008-06-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

if the video does not open hit refresh to reload the page

Ministry photos

2008-06-09T03:49:00.001-07:00

Ministering to refugees impacted by xenophobia

Prize giving - Cpx's soccer tournament

The Champions! - The Red Hill Attackers

Time of worship - CPx

All Nations' first "Explore Africa!" vehicle to raise up & train African leaders!

Family photos May- June 2008

2008-06-09T03:30:00.000-07:00

Stefan's Birthday

Family fun during our 10 day break

Van Rooyens are enjoying CROCODILE meat - we love unusual foods (well, most of us, anyway)

xenophobia - masi & soet water ( by Floyd McClung)

2008-06-09T03:09:00.000-07:00

It is a sober time in South Africa. Violence has swept through the nation like a wild fire.
I have to tell you about the terrible events unfolding in South Africa, and what God is doing in the midst of tragedy.
You’ve seen the news: Unbelievable racial violence has broken out all over the country. There are xenophobic riots taking place in every major city of the nation. Much of the violence has actually been under-stated for a change. It is worse than any one TV network can cover.
It is a case of the poor attacking the poor in the townships and shantytowns and squatter camps. No one knows how it actually started, but it has spread from one part of the country to the other, until tens of thousands of people are homeless and hundreds of people have been killed.
It is mainly jobless, homeless poor people turning against political and economic refugees from Zimbabwe, Malawia, Mozambique, Angola, Somalia and the Congo. There are 3,000,000 refugees from Zimbabwe alone in South Africa! South Africa is looked upon as the breadbasket of Africa, a safe haven for the destitute and oppressed. There are ruthless dictators in Zimbabwe and the Congo and other countries close to us that squash any sign of criticism or freedom of speech. So people come from those countries to South Africa looking for jobs so they can survive and send money back home.

Massiphumelele, or “Masi” as we call it, was spared from the violence. Many people worked tirelessly to stop the violence from breaking out. We held prayer meetings, worked with the local pastors and community leaders and police, and did what we could to help.
Community meetings were held in Masi, foreigners from neighboring countries were invited back to the community (many had fled in fear for their lives), and people went door-to-door recovering the stolen property of the refugees who had left in haste, fearful for their lives.
I spoke with some of our Malawian friends in Masi, and they were frightened for their lives. About 25 Malawians, Somalians, and Zimbabweans fled Mai and spent the weekend sheltered in our team house. Vuyo, who is part of one of the little churches we have started in Masi, got assaulted - he is a local but was in the wrong place at the wrong time - he got hit twice on the jaw and head.
Last Saturday night there was a joint community and police effort to recover all stolen property by going door to door, and Sunday morning people were still spontaneously bringing stolen stuff back. A national Television news station reported on how local Masi community pastors and leaders acted to stop the violence. In effect they were saying the violence was not acceptable in their community. They condemned the violence, acted proactively to stop it, and set an example for the rest of the country!!
Sun afternoon the premier of Western Cape Province arrived in Masi to congratulate the pastors and community leaders. A deputation took a memo to the refugees to invite them back to Masi. More than 70 foreigners were welcomed back to Masi with a KFC supper late last Sunday evening!

But things were much different in the refugee camp just a few minutes walk from where Sally and I live. This is the camp for the foreign refugees driven from other communities by the violence.
I would like to quote from a report I read about what the conditions were like in the camp:
“There was Alvin from Angola, whose brother was killed on Friday, and who was so traumatized by the guilt of leaving the body to save himself, he could barely speak. There was Maria (not her real name) from the Congo, who was raped on Thursday, didn’t know where her teenaged son was and just wanted to be given a pair of panties and a place to sleep. There was Noor-Ali from Somalia, a very smart young man in a stylish leather jacket, who had spent years working his way up from cleaning cars for change to owning his own business, only to have absolutely everything he owned snatched away from him in minutes. They, and most of the estimated 1500 people there, were in an extreme state of shock…
“…, two more buses arrived, offloading yet more shell-shocked people. Tensions amongst those who had been waiting 24 hours already without a single word from the authorities on what was going to happen to them began to mount. Sharp words were exchanged between Somalians and Congolese, each feeling more vulnerable than the other… many of the refugees have survived genocide once already in Rwanda and the Congo…
“…Unlike the foreign residents of Masiphumelele, who were evacuated by the police on Friday as a precaution, these people - from Phillipi, from Du Noon, and from Khayelitsha - had been violently chased from their homes…”
The camp where the refugees are staying is a few-minute walk from where Sally and I live. These people are homeless and without hope.
Please pray for us, and more importantly, for the refugees as we try to serve them.

Being here in Africa reinforces to me how great the need is for leadership training. There is a desperate need for honest, servant hearted leaders, for leaders who seek to find significance in God’s eyes, not success in man’s eyes. Leaders who want to make a difference like the leaders in Masi did this last weekend.

All Nations Leadership Institute is involved. The students from the All Nations CPx leadership school are involved in Masi and in the refugee camp. They have been serving the Zimbabwean refugees for months, feeding them, bringing them blankets, and sharing the good news of Jesus. I am proud of them for serving without recognition.
These are the men and women who are the hope of Africa.
Yours,
Floyd and Sally McClungAll NationsCape Town, South Africa

-->

feedback from Zanzibar team - COCONUT COMMUNION

2008-06-09T03:05:00.000-07:00

Coconut Communion

"Just keep your eyes on the horizon," was the advice I followed on the 3 hour ferry trip to Zanzibar. The boat kept on launching itself over big waves, tilting dangerously from side to side. Inside me my stomach was doing the same tilting and sloshing against the sides. It wasn't very pleasant to say the least. Today, after 11 days on the Island, I'm back in Dar Es Salaam after surviving another grueling ride. This time I kept my eyes on the TV in front of me and Jason Bourne whacking a few bad guys around. But what happened in Zanzibar the last 11 days? No one could have guessed. For one the main electricity line to the Island is damaged and has left the island without power for the last 2 and a half weeks. The president promised it would be back on before September. Meanwhile its crippling the whole island's economy and making life fairy difficult.

On our first day on the island I felt led to go back to the place where we stayed last year, called Bububu. We were there for approximately 15 minutes when we found our men of peace (not man of peace). David, a Christian, immediately invited us to his brother Clay (an unbeliever's) house were we slept for the next two nights. Since then we've become good friends with Clay. He's a local dive instructor and has been organising everything we need. But the real man of peace is Sadat who we met on the same night just in front of Clay's house. Since then Sadat has become known as the guy who sounds Christian but is Muslim. It's unbelievable. He is a self-professed Muslim but speaks a lot of truth and is virtually on the edge of giving his life to Christ. We are all praying for him. He speaks very good English and interprets all our Bible studies for us. When we disciple the young believers he translates as well and even motivates them. Sadat is a teacher in a private school in Bububu.

Three people have given their hearts to the Lord. One of them is a Muslim Background Believer called Abdul and the other his friend Simon. They were both baptized in the sea. I baptized Abdul, the first person I've ever baptized, and I thank God for the opportunity. We've been meeting with them and some other believers in a Bible study every night and we're seeing the fruits. People are blown away by the simple idea that you can study the bible. Even believers! We're amazed at the low bible knowledge among the Christians. The group has grown to a place where we can split into two and we are excited about the prospect.

We are, however, weary of just attracting more Christians and trying hard to open more doors into the Muslim community. In our last Bible Study on Thursday evening we teached about the Communion or the Lord's Supper. Since bread is very scarce, especially with the electricity failure, and juice is very expensive we've been using a Coconut during communion. Breaking open the hard shell is very symbolic of the punishment Christ suffered and pouring out the coconut water symbolic of his spilt blood. It's very effective and on Thursday night the Holy Spirit touched every single body in the meeting. Believer and unbeliever. Sadat was the first to say something was different, even though he didn't participate in the communion. I remember how he sat with the bowl of coconut in his hand, thinking long and hard if he should take some before he refrained in the end and passed it on. It was interesting that a lot of people witnessed that they felt very cold. It's always very hot and humid here and so we think it was the Holy Spirit's way of touching them in such a way that they knew it was different.

Yesterday we broke into two teams . One going to the north of the island and one going south. It was in the south that our team came to a village that was remarkably very friendly and open, unlike any of the other villages or towns. Here we met Muha, a christian, which was also strange, and was interested to hear that he has to travel to Stone town every Sunday to go to church. Imagine the look on his face when we told him he could have church in his house. So we are thinking of sending two or three team members there for a week or so. So why am I back in Dar? We're getting two more team members, Ester and Rone McFarlane, who are flying in from SA tonight. Can't wait to go get them. Please pray for Abdul and Simon, Sadat as well Mohamed and Ali- two other Muslims that has been coming to our Bible Studies and are very interested.

God Is Building A New Kind of Leader in Africa

2008-03-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Spirit-filled and Spirit-led young African leaders know only too well the giants of poverty, sickness, foreign domination and failed leadership at work to destroy their great continent. They also have a vision of what God can do through them as servant leaders to turn things around in Africa.

Floyd McClung, leader of All Nations in Cape Town, South Africa, invited some of the young African leaders attending CPx to share with the other students some of Africa's beauty and pain.

In his introduction to the special session, Floyd set the tone for what followed, "I believe God planned the nations, tribes and peoples of Africa. God planned each individual and God planned each "nation" of individuals. God made Africa and Africans. How will we serve Africa, and how will we respond to the challenges of Africa?" he asked.

Floyd believes that Africa, once enslaved, now needs to be served. "The beauty in Africa will be set free by people with serving hearts," he says. The All Nations CPx has brought young leaders from several continents together to learn what it means to be servant leaders, especially in Africa. The majority of these sixty-six men and women are from African countries where the words 'servant' and 'leader' are often polar opposites.

Africans Speaking About African

Three of the African leaders in CPx, Bruce Chitambala and Sydney Musonda from Zambia, and Vakele Dlamini from Swaziland, opened their hearts and shared what they see are the bright spots but also the shameful realities in Africa.

Bruce described the good news about Africa and the bad. Africa is the most "Christianized" continent. It is a continent of amazing natural beauty. "Her unique and colorful peoples are hospitable and gracious to strangers. Her vast natural resources can feed the world."

However, Africa is a continent ravaged by HIV and AIDS, wars, crime and poverty. Bruce talked about his crushing loss when his favorite aunt died from complications from HIV and AIDS. Most of the African CPx'ers raised their hands to show they had lost a friend or relative to HIV/AIDS.

Bruce wept as he described how his mother would cut up her dresses to make shirts for her children and how he had to sell colored iced sugar water to help buy food for the family. "And we would be described as one of the privileged few," he said.

How Does Africa Break the Cycle of Poverty?

How does Africa break out of the cycles of poverty and disease? Bruce, Sydney and Vakele agreed: "Africa's most compelling need is servant leadership. Our leaders must learn the difference between significance in God's eyes and success in man's eyes. Sadly, many of our leaders are more interested in how much they can acquire than how much they can give. Africa has enough to meet the need, but not the greed, of all her peoples," one said.

Sydney explained that most African men want an education and with it, the perks of a good life, cars, money and clothes. "Naturally, a person wants to take care of oneself first," he said. "But we must raise up young men and women with a bigger vision, who will make a difference, to go back to their countries to impact the young generation with new role models. Everything rises and falls on leadership." Bruce and Sydney and Vakele have given up good paying jobs and careers to invest their lives to train and equip other African young leaders.

Child Headed Households in Africa"Africa is sick, and we need a healing message," Bruce declared. "Everyone knows about HIV and AIDS but one result of this pandemic is the massive number of child-headed households. The family, though highly esteemed, is endangered. It is plagued by poverty, ignorance and unfaithfulness among partners. We have to speak about purity and abstinence to men, since this is not the norm," Sydney says.

Bruce shared his conviction that many churches in Africa are weak and dependent. "Those planted by international aid agencies are often enslaved in dependency. This is why I am excited about the simple church model in which everyone learns to love one another, studies the Word of God together, and take responsibility for each other," Bruce says.

Sydney spoke about the need to disciple believers. "If Africa is so highly Christianized why it is also so highly infected with HIV/AIDS? What is wrong? he asked. "People need to be discipled," he said. Bruce, Sydney and Vekela voiced their conviction that Sub-Saharan Africa has been evangelized but not discipled.

All of the African leaders in CPx see themselves as part of the new thing God wants to do in Africa. "It is time to rebuild Africa," Sydney says.

Floyd McClung also believes this. "This is the main reason we moved to Africa. God wants something new to be birthed in Africa," he says. "We sense God birthing something new through the CPx in the hearts of these young leaders. God is longing for His people in Africa to break free from hierarchical models of leadership. God is longing for African leaders to break free of the old ways of dominance and control, and to unleash the potential of Africa to bless the rest of the world. God will not be satisfied until Africa is ready to come to the party!' he says.

"What is God's response to these huge challenges? Do we continue to do church the way we have in the past? Will old ways of thinking solve the old problems we face?" he asked. "Perhaps the old problems have been caused by the old ways of thinking about church and the kingdom of God. "My heart is exploding with longing to empower the bright young leaders of Africa who see the problems of Africa and are open to change," he says.

What about Women in Africa?

It takes a special bravery for an African woman to speak up, but Vakele Dlamini is willing to be that kind of woman. "We have experienced love and acceptance on all fronts here," she told her fellow CPx'ers. "We are free to share our brokenness, our same struggles."

As a woman in Africa, there are many struggles. "Women are almost non-exsistant," Vakele says. "We are raised to listen to men, respect our culture and traditions, and be silent." Men are customarily allowed several wives and mistresses, and a woman, out of fear, must submit to this," Vekela says. She said this practice contributes to the rapid spread of HIV and AIDS.

Even for women in churches, this is a "huge difficulty," Vakele says. "Like many women, I do not know where to find my place." Vakele believes the African men and women at CPx hold the key. "Guys like ours need to embrace change, and target other men to help them change," she says.

CPx/All Nations is committed to Equip Servant Leaders

If you would like to partner with us to equip the change agents in CPx, please contact us. We welcome you to partner to change a continent for Christ – one life, one family and one village at a time.