Lesotho Rejoices over Bibles!
Vivid green hills, majestic mountains and remote villages – this is what I experienced as I travelled through the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho.
As I look at these mountains and travel to these remote villages I am reminded of one of my favourite Bible verses, Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
I am so humbled by this experience. This whole Bible placement has only been made possible by God’s amazing grace, He truly is a way maker. I am also eternally grateful to every donor who sponsored Bibles for this wonderful trip.
520 Bibles were carried up mountains to remote villages. Not just any Bibles – Sotho Bibles for our Sotho speaking brothers and sisters. Thanks to your donations there are 500 believers who now have access to God’s Word. These Bibles will be used to change communities.
You might wonder why it is so important to take Bibles to believers. The answer is simple: these believers do not have the means to purchase a Bible of their own, they are simply too poor and live too remotely.
One such believer who received her very first Bible is Ntsepeng Marinakhoe. She completed her Phase A training through Harvesters and had to borrow a Bible constantly before she received her own Bible.
Without your generous donations, believers like Ntsepeng will still have no access to God’s Word. You have changed this, Ntsepeng can now study the Bible on a daily basis and share the Gospel with members of her community.
Rwandan Pastors Receive the Word of God
Imagine receiving the perfect gift just in time for Christmas. For Rwanda pastors this was a reality. They did not receive riches and gold, they received something far more precious: The Word of God.
All of the pastors were in a very festive mood. To see all of them in their graduation gowns was an incredible and humbling experience. Seeing how they overcome their challenges and never complain about their circumstances is a true inspiration.
God has done uncountable miracles for the ministry. It is extremely humbling to see what God does through the ministry. Pray with us that God will continue to build His Kingdom through the pastors that complete their Harvesters training.
Thanks to loyal donors it was possible to hand out more than 250 Bibles to pastors who graduated from the Harvesters program. By God’s grace each of these pastors planted three brand new churches. Now there are churches where there once were none.
The Rwanda government forbids the planting of new churches and as a result thousands of churches were closed last year. These pastors are still persevering and are taking the risk of planting new churches.
Please pray for these pastors and their congregations as they face uncertainty. It is only through God that one can get true serenity. Pray that these pastors will always seek God and find their peace in Him.
I am reminded of Jesus’ words in John 16:33 that says “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Please pray with us that every Rwanda pastor will take heart as they face their challenges. For Jesus has already overcome every problem that they might face.
A Church Planting Explosion in Guatemala
Thank God with us for the church planting explosion that is currently taking place in Guatemala – both in the urban and rural areas. Three active church streams are currently experiencing great growth – despite being between the volcanoes. Pray especially for good training and strong leaders in this region.
Most Guatemalan pastors will agree that after being introduced to the Harvesters model through evangelism and discipleship … everything changed!
Why is it so important to plant churches? The church is an agent for change in communities. The church is a shining light of hope in a community.
Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”
One of the leading church planters in Guatemala, Pastor Hugo, has led more than 743 souls to Christ in the last 18 months. Praise the Lord for his commitment! He sets an amazing example to so many others.
Pastor Hugo quit his job as a structural engineer and is truly obeying the Great Commission. He felt God’s calling from a young age already and when he got the opportunity he planted his first church.
A new church stream with 300 pastors is currently starting in Guatemala. This will not be possible without your help. Harvesters will visit Guatemala every six months for the next three years to train this group of pastors.
Pray that God will continue to use Harvesters Ministries to build His Kingdom in Guatemala.
Cameroonian Pastors are Obeying the Great Commission
Praise the Lord for what is happening in Cameroon! None of this would be possible without your continuous prayers.
I am reminded of Jeremiah 32:27 that says “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”
You recently helped to complete a two-day training session in evangelism and church planting with 80 participants in Douala, Cameroon.
Together we trained the pastors in a new evangelism method. 27 Groups went out for two hours after the training to practically evangelise people in the community. They reached 187 people with the Gospel and 54 made a commitment to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
After the church planting training, 61 pastors committed to sharing the Gospel and planting churches. They now have a clear direction, vision and goal to go and make disciples and plant churches through evangelism.
All the glory and praise to God! We also thank every prayer partner who carries our teams with their fervent prayers.
The team was also able to travel by public transport from Douala to Kumba – a four-hour trip on the dusty roads of Cameroon. Here they continued the evangelism and church planting training with 30 participants in Kumba.
This group of pastors also learned the Harvesters evangelism method. Nine groups went out to practically evangelise the people of the village. They reached 58 people with the Gospel and 28 accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
19 Pastors in Kumba committed themselves to build God’s Kingdom.
Both these groups of pastors will train student pastors and plant churches in their communities and remote villages.
We are extremely humbled and grateful to the Lord for opening the way to train pastors in Cameroon. We are God’s instrument and want to honour Him in everything that we do.
The Prayer Became a Vision
The Malawian terrain moves by below us in patches of green and brown as if in slow motion. I am barely aware of the familiar hum of the Cessna Cardinal 177 engine as I look at the shadow the airplane casts on the earth below. Every now and again the shadow would cut across a small rural settlement and every time the same prayer echoes in my heart: Lord, give us that settlement…
The prayer that was birthed in the tiny airplane over Malawi gave birth to a vision of such magnitude that at first I thought that it was an impossible dream. But slowly, as I prayed this over and over, asking the Lord for these small African villages, He confirmed what I was to do for the next few decades.
“Plant one million churches, train one million pastors and evangelize and disciple one hundred million people”, became the vision for our ministry as we planted the first churches in Malawi in 2000.
Twenty years later, Harvesters Ministries has grown from a small family ministry to a global movement that expands the Kingdom of God in 43 languages and in 63 countries. With offices and staff spread over 5 continents, more than 65 000 churches planted globally, 35 000 student pastors in training and over five million new disciples spread over the face of the earth, I cannot help but pause for a moment…
A moment of thanksgiving. A moment of gratitude. I look upwards to the Giver of the vision and I know it was all Him. From Him flows the grace to still be here in 2020.
From Him came the small but dedicated staff that works daily towards the vision and loves the ministry as much as I do.
From Him came the hundreds of volunteers that serve as Harvesters Licensed Trainers in some of the most remote parts of the world.
From Him was sent the many donors that has made it possible to drive, fly, print, deliver, train, help and expand.
From Him is the energy, the health, the endurance, the faith and the love that makes ministry possible on this scale.
In this, our 20th year, we celebrate Him, who gives in abundance, we celebrate us, who have the privilege to work in this ministry and we celebrate you, who support and give with a joyful heart. But mostly we celebrate with the angels of God for every sinner that has come to know the Saviour.
Now we look forward in faith, toward planting another 25 000 churches where there were none before. New pastors will be trained, new converts will be won and new disciples will be made.
We are humbly grateful for the grace and favour of the past twenty years. We celebrate that. But now we look up toward the horizon and we invite you to continue to journey with us, pray for us and support us, for the work is not done.
Harvesters is 20 in 2020!
We are celebrating 20 years of church planting in 2020. We were able to plant our very first churches in 2000 in Zambia and in Malawi. Since then the ministry has expanded into more than 60 countries. God is good!
Thank you for travelling around the world with us during these past 20 years. It is amazing to see how God has provided for us.
One of the countries that recently opened their doors for us to work in is Brazil and more specifically the Amazon region. There are thousands of villages next to the Amazon river without access to a church and the Gospel.
While we were in the Amazon we could experience the incredible sounds of the jungle, the humidity and the overwhelming density of the flora. We realised that indeed a great service was given by those who have come before us. We walk in their footsteps…
“It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.” – Elisabeth Elliot, Missionary and Author
Some days in the jungle were tough! We battled perceptions of evangelism and how to reach people. There are many willing people, but their methods need improving.
Thanks to loyal donors it was possible for one of our teams to train these pastors in evangelism, discipleship and church planting.
Please pray with us that this ministry will continue to grow exponentially in 2020.
Pastors in Ivory Coast are Leading the Lost to Christ
Dodging potholes, waving and smiling at the staring faces, seeing and smelling the poverty and the dust – the dust settles everywhere! This is what travelling in Ivory Coast is like.
Our first stop – Bouaké. The second largest city in Ivory Coast. Our loyal country leader greets us with open arms. We meet each other half way with my broken English and his deep French accent.
A group of 50 enthusiastic pastors were waiting on our arrival. They jumped at the opportunity to receive training in evangelism, discipleship and church planting. After training them in evangelism, we sent out the pastors to share the Gospel with people in the city.
After only two hours 104 people were reached with the Gospel and 44 people made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord for these souls! We cannot take our earthly things with us to heaven, but we can collect eternal treasures and share Jesus’ love with those who do not know Him.
We will return for more training in six months’ time and look forward to hear the testimonies of how these pastors have impacted their communities with the Gospel.
After this amazing experience it was time to head further into the country to share the Harvesters vision with more pastors in another beautiful city.
We traveled further with our trusty guide to place called Daloa, the third most densely populated city in Ivory Coast. We were overwhelmed to see 160 pastors already waiting for us! When we walked into the venue the presence of the Holy Spirit was tangible.
We shared the Harvesters vision with this group of pastors and the response was phenomenal! These pastors shared the Gospel with 272 people and in only two hours, 104 of these people believed the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as their Redeemer and Savior.
I am excited to see how these pastors’ ministries will expand in the next six months. We are expecting them to saturate their communities with churches in the next few years.
All the glory goes to our Lord Jesus Christ for saving these souls and leading our new pastors on their journeys.
Sharing the Love of Jesus in Brazil
Brazil is the largest country in South America. It’s the 5th largest in the world – both in size and population with more than 215 million people. Cities are enormous with São Paulo leading the chart with more than 17 million people.
So how does Harvesters Ministries plant churches in these gigantic cities? Urbanization is a scary fact as young people flock to the cities from rural areas.
Harvesters Brazil currently find themselves in six huge areas in Brazil, namely São Paulo, Brasília, Goiânia, Manaus, Belo Horizonte and the Amazon.
Although the strategy stays the same – church planting through evangelism and discipleship – the model is finely tweaked to provide maximum growth in some churches who are dying. One of these critical areas is Goânia where we have spent a week training, helping and expanding.
Reaching out to those in Need
Current training saw us expanding to forgotten villages three hours out of Goiânia to a place called Jossura. The heat was unbearable and I couldn’t help but constantly peak at our super eco-friendly Chevy’s temperature gauge. It got stuck at 44°C. And according to all – this was winter season! 60 Pastors showed up for our training. Their churches were all dying.
As one pastor explained, “I have been dreaming of this day my whole adult and ministry life! Our churches got stuck at 70 members for the last two decades. Help!” Their sincerity and tears broke my heart. Harvesters is going train pastors in Jossura and help them to grow their congregations with evangelism and discipleship.
Back to Goiânia – a City of Great Need…
As I write this I just survived a 145km/h Uber ride to the airport in Brazil at 03:30 in the morning. I wondered about the meaning of life – as I often do at high speeds. We have been in several dying churches – sad to see but through Harvesters it was great to resuscitate those dying churches through discipleship.
At the seminary where we were invited to train pastors they watched us with teary eyes as they sat and realized they were still only trained to preach to an audience.
Share in the Success
There has been significant growth and success stories in many of the areas where we work in Brazil. Brazil currently sends out more missionaries than any other country in the world. To keep on doing this Brazil needs more churches full of disciples. Please pray for Brazil and the Amazon with their 10,000 lost villages. We will soon plant a church in every single one of them!
Newsletter – November 2019
So many new things are happening right now and we are excited to share some of our highlights from the mission field with you in this month’s newsletter! Inside this edition you’ll:
- See how Harvesters continues to help forgotten villages after Cyclone Idai
- Read about why Mission organisations are still relevant today
- Discover new ways to get involved.
Thank you for your continued interest and support – we are truly grateful for your partnership in ministry.
Download the November 2019 Newsletter – UK
Download the November 2019 Newsletter – South Africa English
Download the November 2019 Newsletter – Afrikaans
Rebuilding Mozambique after the Disaster
Cyclone Idai Caused Destruction
As you might recall a terrible cyclone hit Mozambique in March earlier this year. Hundreds of people lost their lives and thousands of homes and crops were completely destroyed. The worst part for us at Harvesters was not only the thousands of training materials and Bibles that were destroyed, but the 18 pastors and 35 church members that we tragically lost.
Pastoral Training Continues
Harvesters had the opportunity to train 130 pastors in Nampula, Mozambique earlier this month. This training was made possible by the generous and open hearts of donors. We were able to replace many of the damaged Bibles and training materials and training in Mozambique could continue.
Why is Nampula such an important and strategic area to train pastors in? Nampula is a predominantly Muslim area where we desperately need to make disciples, evangelise the lost and plant viable churches.
The Need is Great
My eyes were opened once again for the great need for the Gospel. Two young men travelled for two whole days – not by train, bus or car, but by foot. Can you imagine wanting something so desperately that you will walk there? Even if it means that you might travel for several days without any fancy hotels to sleep in.
These two young men are from Niassa – an area north of Nampula. There is a desperate need for pastoral training in their community.
These two young men were on their knees and begging me to present the training in Niassa. My heart bled for these two young men.
A Victory is a Victory, Big or Small
Our pastors in Nampula have planted 91 new churches in the past 12 months. We are so excited about what God is doing in Nampula!
Each and every pastor who completed the training received a Bible – for many their very first Bible. These Bibles will be used to change their communities. These pastors can now reach the lost with the Truth.
The Minorities in Mongolia Need Our Support
Imagine living in a country where the majority of Christians are first generation believers. The number of believers has grown from a mere four in 1990 to nearly 40,000 which makes it the eighth fastest growing church in the world today according to Operation World.
Many of these churches are run by foreign mission agencies. There is a real fear among many church leaders that as time passes and Mongolia’s economy develops, believers will have less need for these missionaries and most people will turn back to Buddhism.
Harvesters’ First Footprint in Mongolia
After months of prayer and trusting the Lord the door in Mongolia finally opened for Harvesters. Thank you to every donor who is making it possible for Harvesters to work in this precious country.
I met up with a group of first generation Christians who feel that the time is ripe to implement multiplication church planting in their country.
There is a strong missional focus among many of them with a desire to see church growth despite the many challenges they face. These challenges include long, cold winters, extremely short summers, the vast, rugged expanses and the nomadic culture of their country.
Among these Christians is a special couple. They stared at their map with tears in their eyes. You see, they are praying over this map and trusting God to show them a way to relocate to Inner Mongolia (China). There are more than 7 million unreached people living there and they feel that the Lord has laid it on their hearts to minister to these people.
Blessed with Willing Leaders
The mapping session was led by our Harvesters Ministries’ country leaders. He shared Proverbs 27:23 “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;” and this encouraged the other Hub-leaders to really do an in-depth study of the area that they are mapping out. If a pastor knows his area really well he will be able to evangelise the lost more effectively and plant more viable churches.
“Dare to share the Gospel, then they will dare to believe,” one of the pastors said to the group.
All these pastors have is the Gospel. They can only hold onto the Word of God and their faith in Jesus Christ when times get hard. They do not have a government who supports them, they do not live a life of luxury, they are poverty stricken and give their all to win the lost in their nation.
How far are you and I willing to go for the Gospel? How do you live out and obey the Great Commission?
Powerful Women’s Ministry in Ghana
The women’s ministry that Ester started in 1981 is based on Acts 4:32, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own,but they shared everything they had.”
An Angel Appeared to Me
During my recent trip to Ghana I met a truly remarkable woman, Ester. She is confident and humble. She had peace, hope and compassion in her eyes. I met a true angel today.
She wanted to know if I would take the time to speak to her women’s group. They are a group of women who are taking care of those who are suffering: the old, the sick, the poor, widows and single parents with small children. They support these people financially, physically and emotionally.
Ester and her group of women do not live a life of luxury and abundance. They use the little that they do have to help others.
I struggle to erase the moment when I met Ester from my thoughts.
One Bible Only
Ester and her women’s group currently travel from home to home in their community every Sunday. They share the Gospel and build God’s Kingdom in the rural areas of Ghana. Their heart’s desire is to not only share the Gospel from home to home but to share the Gospel from town to town. Ester is the only member of their group who owns a Bible.
Ester and her group of women cannot expand their ministry without your help. What do these women need to reach poverty-stricken people in Ghana? The answer is simple: Bibles.
Acts 8: 30 – 31 “Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?”Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.”
“Dark” Villages are Hostile Towards the Gospel
When you travel through India you will travel through thousands of “dark” villages – more than 400,000 to be precise. A “dark” village has no Christian witness and no access to a church.
One such “dark” village is in the east of India, that our country leader, Brian*, recently visited, and now has three Christian witnesses, but had no church. Brian visited this village in search of a person of peace to start a church in this village.
He started a church under a veranda in the village. There are three women who started coming to the church. These women were Christians who were forced to move to this “dark” village by marriage. The church gathers on Thursday evenings. This small congregation was equipped to be vibrant and powerful in reaching out to the non-believers in their village.
Small Victories make a huge Impact in God’s Kingdom
There is a Hindu electrician in their town, Sabal*. He has a good reputation and he is always friendly towards all people. Sabal was working one day when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital. He was diagnosed with severe anemia – his blood count was 4,2 and should be 14. He was totally unconscious.
When Brian heard the news he rushed to the hospital to pray for Sabal. The doctors informed him that Sabal needs blood urgently. The only problem being that Sabal is B+ and in such a remote village it was very difficult to get the necessary blood for him. The only available blood was A+.
The Christians in town were disappointed, but their faith was certainly not shattered. The small church gathered and started praying for Sabal and weeping before the Lord. They asked the Lord to heal him. Brian also encouraged Sabal to seek Jesus.
God has a Wonderful Way of Doing Things
When a church prays together there is great deliverance. The prayer of the church is the arteries and through them life-sustaining power is derived.
The Lord spoke to us and to the doctors to take Sabal for one more test. Sabal was tested one last time. They found that his blood type is now A+. The doctors were shocked and could not believe that this is even be possible. The hospital found A+ blood available in the blood bank. Sabal was treated and he was healed completely.
Praise the Lord for this incredible miracle! Sabal accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and joined the church in his village. The miracle of Sabal’s healing spread through the village and people became more friendly towards the Christians in their village.
*Names are changed to protect the identity of individuals.
Reaching the Philippines With the True Gospel
Amidst the darkness, the Gospel is a shining light – a promise of a future in Christ.
As we travelled to the first church where Harvesters is training pastors in evangelism and discipleship, I was filled with excitement. Little did I know what was lying ahead.
A basketball court served as the church building. I was astonished – this congregation needed a place to worship and this is exactly what they are doing on this basketball court. When true followers of Christ come together, it is not about the building, but rather a focus on Him who is Lord of the Church.
So many little ones running around everywhere. Joyous smiles, lighting up the church. “Children are the future of the Filipino Church,” I hear someone say as I stand and observe the people around me.
The heavens are rejoicing
At the end of the church service there was an opportunity for people to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Redeemer. What followed, touched the hearts of everyone present.
“Today I fell in love with your religion,” was one lady’s response after the service. When asked if she would like to accept Jesus, she said, “I’m illiterate, so I cannot read your Book. Will Jesus still accept me?” The pastor replied, “Jesus has loved you even before you were born. He accepts you just as you are.” She was so grateful to hear this wonderful news and rejoiced with her whole heart.
What a privilege to be a part of this beautiful testimony. The joy on her face lit up the entire space where we were standing. The heavens rejoiced over this beautiful soul that is now part of the Kingdom.
Pastors understanding the Harvesters vision
When people get the Harvesters vision, they get the job done. We left the church service and drove to the training venue. The pastors were already waiting – pen in the one hand and notepad in the other, ready to learn. They had this same attitude for the duration of the training, always eager to learn.
After we concluded the final day of training with the key Filipino leaders, they were bursting with excitement. We showed them how they can reach their entire nation through strategic and systematic church planting.
This might sound impossible to you and me, but we serve the Almighty God to whom nothing is impossible!
There are 107 million people in the Philippines with only 3,600 evangelical churches. The need for church growth in this nation is extremely big!
1 Chronicles 16:11 “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.”
Thank You For Your Prayers!
God’s Church is growing across the globe. More and more people are gaining access to His Word – and to the life-changing reality of a relationship with Jesus. Your prayers play a vital role in opening the way. Thank you for your prayers!
This month, please pray for…
- Anjali (name changed), who is HIV-positive. She was lost until a Harvesters pastor shared the Gospel with her. Sadly, in Anjali’s village she will always be seen as the girl with HIV, but she knows that she is a loved daughter of God. God can use anyone to do His work and to enlarge His Kingdom. Anjali has completed her evangelism training with Harvesters and is now sharing the Gospel with other individuals who are seeking the Truth. Pray for her to overcome rejection and isolation as she shares the love of Jesus. Pray that hearts will be opened to her witness. Pray for so many others like her who have seen the Holy Spirit change their lives – and want to share with their friends and neighbours.
- The move of the Holy Spirit, who is moving in a way that has seldom been seen in the Middle East, including in Egypt. A huge number of people have turned to Christ in recent years, many of them through dreams and visions. Television and radio are also making a huge impact, and many are questioning their traditions and religion and are willing to talk about Jesus. With change comes greater opportunity for the Gospel, but there are still many who strongly oppose Christianity. Pray that God will continue to open doors for His Church to grow in Egypt and beyond. Pray for boldness and protection as local churches share Jesus’ love in their communities; pray that God’s hand of provision will meet all their needs, including their desperate need for Bibles.
- Pastor Thomas Amone of the Victory Outreach Church in Uganda, who was thrilled to receive his own copy of the Bible and said, “I’m going to use the Bible to impact the lives of people, preaching the Gospel of Christ to other people. We appreciate the Bibles!” Pray for Pastor Thomas and thousands of church leaders like him to be encouraged in their faith; pray that God will continue to grow their understanding of Him. Pray that they will be faithful and dynamic leaders who will teach the Gospel well, and lead thousands more to know Jesus.
- The unreached people groups of the Amazon, where more than 24 million people live, including 900,000 indigenous people from 240 tribes in Brazil and other nations, wait to hear the Good News of Jesus. Pray that God will bless the pastors with the wisdom that they need to evangelize the indigenous people of the Amazon that live in remote and far-off villages. Pray for their safety as they enter these tribes. Pray that God will raise up more brothers and sisters in Christ that will go out and evangelize the lost.
Thank you for your faithful prayers to see the global Church equipped,hearts touched by the Spirit, and lives changed by His power. As God’s Church grows even in the midst of hardship and persecution, your prayers are so important.
And thank you for any gift you’re led to give today to open the way for the whole world to know Jesus!
Let’s celebrate these milestones – and achieve this goal for 2030!
Let's celebrate these milestones - and achieve this goal for 2030!
1998: Harvesters Ministries founded by Steven Loots
2000: 27 new churches had been planted in Malawi and Zambia
2004: 500 new churches had been planted in East Africa
2006: Bibles for Believers project launched
2012: 100,000 Bibles in local languages had been distributed
2018: 54,700 new churches had been planted
2019: 65,000 new churches had been planted
Goal for 2030: Reach 1 million churches planted!
