Letter From Francois
It is an honour to write a short letter to you, the privileged few who are receiving our Newsletter.
The past few months has been quiet as we were riding out the Covid-19 restrictions. As I reported to you in our previous newsletter, we were forced to stop all classes while lockdown was enforced all over the world. Our Staff had to keep a low profile and group visits were out of the question. Individual visits were only done when both the teacher and student felt comfortable to interact. Cell phones were the primary means of staying in contact and we had set up a WhatsApp group for the Rivoni Ministries leaders which are being used very effectively. The district supervisors share messages and take turns preaching a message which the recipient can then share with their friends and students.
By God’s Grace, none of our staff or students reported testing positive for the virus.
Locally in SA, our schools and churches are still not fully functional and in Mozambique we are now for the first time allowed to meet in small groups, given that the strict measures for sanitizing are followed.
Financially we were blessed that every supporter of Rivoni Missions continued giving their regular monthly contribution right through the often financially difficult lockdown period. As a mission we were able to pay our staff and part time teachers a monthly allowance even though we had to make some cut-backs in allowances.
We are now in the process of putting together kits required by law to proceed with class meetings.
God Bless You
Francois
Covid-19 Impact
Churches are only now since mid-August allowed to start meeting together in small groups, given that the necessary restrictions are adhered to and sanitising regulations followed.
Our Rivoni Mozambique leaders met at Chinhacanine on 25 August 2020 and following government advice, as a group hope that we can resume all classes.
We are in the process of preparing plans to fund the putting together of kits consisting of a face vizor for the teacher, pump and hand sanitizer for the class and a thermometer. With more than 80 classes being run by 23 teachers, the cost of this exercise is already in excess of R10,000.
Please continue to pray with us that the situation will soon be normal so that classes may resume without interruption.
Report from Brother Nelson
… , if you go to the battle without training and instruction, you will fail and many will be hurt
We had a privilege to be with Rivoni Ministries Director, on the Staff meeting of February, as he was among us for visit and assistance. With God’s help we had an opportunity to re-schedule our agenda for the current year, and draw strategies to accomplish it. It was a success!
Following the Staff meeting and the return of the director to RSA, we had a series of graduations. At Chicualacuala, on the 8th March, we graduated 7 students of the Gospel and Acts course and 6 of the Letters and Revelation were certified to pass to the next level of their course.
At Chicualacuala, one of the Rivoni former students, pastor Muchuane spoke on behalf of the local pastors committee, where he thanked the staff of Rivoni Ministries for being such a useful tool in hands of the Lord equipping his church. He said: “Before Rivoni came to minister in our district we were soldiers without training. As a soldier, if you go to the battle without training and instruction, you will fail and many will be hurt on the battle field. Rivoni training opened a door to us as ministers to reach more people. I want to emphasize that it is a privilege for us to have you with us. We are honored. Stand Firm”!
From Chicualacuala, we went to Mapai and we stopped at Madulo in the Mapai district where on the 9th March we certified 5 students doing the LR Course.
They expressed their gratitude by saying that they were like the blind Bartimaeus before joining Rivoni’s course, but now they can see things clearly and as the time goes on, with each session of their course, they gain more insight into the Word of God. Long live Rivoni Ministries.
From Madulo we came to Mapai main town where on the 10th March we graduated 7 students from the three courses that Rivoni is presenting. A few students could not attend due to other appointments.
“I could hear none of what he was preaching. It felt like I was lost in a strange country“
One of the OT’s student by the name of Esther, is a nurse. She testified the following:
“I use to be a church goer who participated in all meetings in the church but was there in vain. Even when the preacher was preaching, I could hear none of what he was preaching. It felt like I was lost in a strange country. It went on until the day I heard my church leaders ask people if they who would like to attend a bible course that was to be presented by Rivoni Ministries. At first, I wasn’t sure what it would be like but I was curious so I signed up to attend it. Today, allow me to testify that it was God’s calling to me! Since I joined the Rivoni course, I keep desiring to learn more and more about the God of the Bible. He is amazing and He does wonderful things to everyone who seeks Him. I am an example of what I am sharing with you. I invite you my brothers and sisters, who like me, are here in the church but understands none of what are preached or taught, come join Rivoni course, they will help you! They helped me! Amen”
From Mapai main town we went down to Ngala, a small village beside the Limpopo river, on the way to Pafuri Park on the RSA border. Here we held our last graduation ceremony for the areas north of our Gaza classes.
From Mapai we travelled all the way back to our headquarters to prepare for another graduation the coming weekend. This time in the Massingir district at Bangha and Chinhangane. On the 14th March we graduated a group of 27 students from OT and GA courses at Chinhangane.
We finalized our graduations activities on Sunday 15th March at Bangha, where we had 12 GA students graduate with a few others doing the LR course. This last group was not graduating as they have not finished their course yet, but were handed a certificate for the modules of books that they have completed as a way to encourage them.
We were scheduled for another graduation the 30th March at a place called 25th September, but this had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 lockdown implemented in our country, as in many others.
Finally, allow me to say that the Lord has been kind to us, these past months although the circumstances that the world is facing presently is tough. We are not presenting classes at the moment, as religious meetings are forbidden here at the moment. However, we hope the Lord will soon open doors and let us do His work again as we used to before this pandemic problem.
As Paul said in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Again, we ask your prayers for the coming events so that the Lord will continue using us for the Glory of His name.
To all the supporters of the Mission goes our gratitude. May the Lord bless you abundantly.
Report (2) from Brother Nelson
As we are still in a state of emergency since 21st March 2020 in Mozambique, due to the COVID-19 pandemic problem, religious meetings are banned. We do have prayer meetings with some local believers at our headquarters but with the necessary precautions, as there are people who are taking advantages of this situation to put pressure on the church. These will call police officers to inform them that people are meeting at such or such a place. In turn, the police will arrest and imprison those people, until they can pay a fine, an amount that varies from M3000 and more, per person to be freed.
So, to avoid this problem we do this secretly.
In others districts, our brothers are constantly busy doing house visitations at the students’ homes, in order to encourage them not to lose hope or fall away, while lecture meetings are postponed. During the visits our brothers will pray with them and encourage them with scripture passages.
Though we are facing these problems, we praise the Lord as He constantly cares for us and none of us have been in trouble with the authorities yet. We pray that His protection will continue until the Lord shows a green light over this problem and we can resume our classes.
We ask your constant prayer for us, that the Lord will give us wisdom and directions of how to handle this situation according to His will.
To our Director and all Rivoni’s supporters goes our prayer and wishes, that the Lord will continue blessing and keeping you alive and healthy for the glory of His name.
Upcoming Trips
Our planned trips to Mozambique came to a halt, as no one can tell us when cross border travelling will be allowed again. We will update you on planned future trips when international travel resumes.
May God Bless You For Your Support!
Thank you for what you give to this mission. To the 2 or 3 anonymous contributors, may God who sees in the secret reward you in public. Myself and our staff are indebted to all of you who are giving so faithfully every month to continue this work.
God Bless You!
In the love of Christ,
FRANCOIS AND DORATHEA DU PLESSIS