“Friends, let us not parade our love in words or talk only; but let us show it in deeds and make it real.” – The Apostle John


Monday, March 4, 2024

28 New Believers - LTLA Update - February 2024

 

Greetings LTLA Friends,

"I have some wonderful news to share," Marvelous said to me when I greeted her on my arrival to Chinhoyi on my recent visit. "Twenty eight of thirty eight children at our last Children of Hope Bible study prayed to receive Christ!" Marvelous went on to clarify that twenty three prayed to receive Christ for the first time with nine being children who live at the landfill. It was a re-commitment to Christ for five and one child had assurance of their salvation. It certainly was a joy to hear this news on my arrival and at the beginning of a new ministry year!
Children of Hope Bible Study Group.
Thank you for your prayers for my recent trip with my father in law, Duane Bundt. Once again, it was a treat for myself and for our team to learn from "Sekuru" (grandfather) Bundt's wisdom. The two LTLA teams (Training & Community teams) and the young adult group (Chosen Generation) provided questions in advance for him to address. The questions gave us some insight into how we are doing in our discipleship and training of these young people and team members. Pray with us as we continue to invest in the spiritual development of young and old in Chinhoyi.
Uncle Duane with Chosen Generation Group.
Uncle Duane with Training Team.
As a retired farmer, Duane Bundt was able to encourage two team members who have ventured into farming endeavors to help supplement their income. Community Team leader, Shelton, has planted four acres of "rapoko" (finger millet) and two acres of peanuts while team member, Brian, has planted three acres of corn. Rain was plentiful last year but this year they are facing a drought. In the midst of a drought, we are asking the Lord to bless their efforts along with all the families who have planted corn for their food supply.
Shelton instructing field workers where to apply the fertilizer they delivered by ox drawn cart.
Brian in his corn field.
On our last day, we prayed for Simba, a Training Team member, who is expanding our ministry in Mutare, the third largest city in Zimbabwe. Simba, who is fruit of our ministry to orphans, is fulfilling Isaiah 60:22, where the Lord promises to multiply the "least" and "smallest." He will be joined by his wife, Pamela as soon as she finishes her electrical engineering degree at the end of March. Pray with us for Simba and Pamela and their ministry efforts among students at the four colleges in Mutare.
 
Praying for Simba.
Praising the Lord for what he is doing!

Mike Sulc
Life to Life Africa

Monday, February 5, 2024

Back in Zim - LTLA Prayer Bulletin - Feb 2023

Dear LTLA Friends, 

I ask for your prayers as I am back in Zimbabwe with the Life to Life Africa team accompanied by my father in law, Duane Bundt. We are asking the Lord to minister through us to the team after facing a challenging year. God used Duane last year in ministry to the team and those we serve so he has returned to encourage and build them up in the Lord. 

We will also join the team in listening to the Lord as we seek his guidance in the ministry activities that will help us reach, disciple and equip laborers to advance his kingdom. On my last trip we examined Biblical principles that should be applied to help people without hurting their development as followers of Christ. This year we want to begin applying those principles, so pray with us as we ask for the Lord's wisdom, creativity, faith and power to implement his plans for us. 

I look forward to sharing what the Lord is doing and how he is working. 

Coveting your prayers, 

Mike Sulc,
Life to Life Africa

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Gratitude & New Year Greetings from LTLA

 Dear LTLA Friends,



I am writing to express deep gratitude for the financial support Life to Life Africa has received to launch us into a new year of ministry. Thank you for your generosity which will enable us to continue sharing the love of Christ with lost, hurting, and vulnerable people in a troubled country that is not caring well for their own. Our team in Zimbabwe is continually amazed that people halfway around the world would stand with them in prayer and finances as they take the hope of Christ to the hopeless.

We covet your prayers as we begin this new year. The anxiety is high due to the difficult circumstances in the country and it is hard to know how best to help. Pray with us as we seek the Lord to guide us in how to encourage so many who are discouraged. Recently in my time with Jesus, he encouraged me from his words to Martha, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed." (Luke 10:41-42) That one thing that is needed for every person is to spend time with Jesus, as Martha's sister Mary was doing. And as one encounters Jesus more they will see that, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36). Pray that the LTLA team will lead many who are worried, upset, harassed, and helpless to discover the one thing they need. That one thing that is needed is to enter into a relationship with Jesus where by faith they acknowledge their sin, receive his forgiveness, follow him in their life, and experience his compassion as well as power to transform their lives.

We are praying that the Lord will continue to shower you with his blessings in this new year as you follow him by faith. Thanking and praising the Lord for your partnership with us!

Mike Sulc
Life to Life Africa

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Merry Christmas From LTLA

Dear LTLA Friends,

On behalf of the Life to Life Africa team, I am writing to extend our Christmas greetings. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are rejoicing with you in the light and hope that he brings to a very dark world. This year our ministry has certainly experienced the effects that rebellion to God has brought upon this world, so we take great comfort in the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy where he declares:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned...
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness
from that time and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer and finances as we share the great news of Jesus to a world in "distress and darkness and fearful gloom." (Isaiah 8:22)

For the Life to Life Africa team,
Mike Sulc



Tuesday, December 5, 2023

What Do You Have? - LTLA Update - November 2023

 Greetings LTLA Friends,


The standard question that is used when helping the poor is, "What do you need?" As a team this past month, we were encouraged to consider asking the poor to whom we minister the following question, "What do you have?" The first question focuses on the challenges of life while the alternate question focuses on the opportunities that exist.

There are a couple of passages that speak about God's perspective on what we need in life. The first is 2 Peter 1:3 which states, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." The second is Matthew 6:31-33, "So do not worry saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." 

As we can see, God knows our needs and has provided everything we need for our life on this earth, both physically and spiritually. That needs to be our focus as we minister to the materially poor, helping them seek God and his ways first so that they can see how he will provide for their needs. Asking, "What do you have?," helps them focus on what God has already provided for them. It then launches us into helping them trust God with using what he has given them to provide for what they need.

This was the principle lesson we learned along with many other principles as we spent 7 days working through the Helping Without Hurting in Africa material. This resource was developed by one of the authors of the book, "When Helping Hurts," along with two poverty alleviation practitioners in Africa, a Ugandan and long-term American missionary. Arthur Nhau, LTLA Director in Zimbabwe, and Shelton Nhundu, LTLA Community Ministry team leader, helped me facilitate the sessions. It covers a broad spectrum of topics because poverty is a complex problem. We anticipate we will review the material on an ongoing basis along with asking the Lord to continue showing us how to advance his kingdom among orphans, widows and the poor to whom we minister.

As I have been sharing in recent updates, our ministry is facing a financial shortfall as we end this year. Worldwide inflation, a growing ministry, and some emergency expenses have contributed to this shortfall. We are preparing to make significant adjustments in our operating budget for next year to work with what we have, applying the key principle we have learned to our own ministry. We ask that you pray for us as we continue to trust the Lord and steward his provision for his work through LIfe to Life Africa.

Thank you for your partnership in prayer and financial support that sustain this ministry!

Mike Sulc
Life to Life Africa

Arthur, LTLA Director in Zimbabwe, (standing by the door) facilitating a Helping Without Hurting in Africa session.


The LTLA Team praying for our ministry in the two photos above.

Shelton, LTLA Community Ministry team leader, (standing) facilitating a Helping Without Hurting in Africa session.

LTLA Team taking a break from the Helping Without Hurting in Africa sessions to sing praises to the Lord.


        LTLA College Ministry group singing praises to the Lord before their meeting on November 10.

Mike Sulc helping Critical Care Center orphans build with Legos donated by Team Neutrino, a high school robotics team from Ames, IA.


Impacting Three Generations - LTLA Newsletter - Nov 2023

 Dear LTLA Friends,


On this "Giving Tuesday," I am sending our year-end newsletter highlighting the impact that Life to Life Africa is having. We are grateful for your interest and support that makes this ministry possible. Thank you for considering helping us continue the impact we are having among orphans, widows and the poor in Zimbabwe. See the bottom of the email for how you can make a donation.

Psalm 78:3-7 is a passage of scripture that caught my attention thirty years ago as a vision passage for ministry. In this passage, we see God’s heart for generations of people as he commanded the Israelite forefathers to teach their children his commands and to speak of his glorious deeds, his power and the wonders he has done. It describes three generations of impact, with fathers teaching their children “so the next generation would know… and they in turn would tell their children.”(Ps 78:6) Life to Life Africa is seeking to have this level of impact in our ministry as we labor to see one generation speaking of the Lord to other generations with the result that, “they will set their hope (trust) in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” (Ps 78:7, ESV & NIV)


As an example of reaching multiple generations, we are ministering to a family that we met when our attention was drawn to the local landfill two years ago. Eva Nyamangara, the grandmother, is attending the LTLA Women of Hope meetings while her son, Last Gomo, participates in the Men of Hope meetings and his children, James & Patience, enjoy the weekly LTLA Youth Bible Study. At that time, the family had nowhere else to live after being forced off the farm where Eva worked up until the early 2000’s. She worked for a white Zimbabwean farmer who lost his farm when the government instituted land reform and allowed black Zimbabweans to take land by force. Because she worked for a white Zimbabwean, she was also forced off the land. Eva settled at the landfill where she put up a shelter for her and her son so they could be close by to collect recyclables for resale to make a living.


                                        Last Gomo, James Gomo, Eva Nyamangara & Patience Gomo

Shelton, LTLA Community Ministry team leader, shared the Gospel with Last and he responded in faith. They meet together most every week so that Shelton can read the Bible to him since Last cannot read. They memorize verses together so he can reflect on the truths and apply them into his life. Shelton encouraged Eva and Last to move away from the landfill for a better environment for his kids. They have taken that step but it is not easy as they survive on $50 per month. Through sponsors, our ministry is covering the cost of school for James and Patience. Going to school was something their father and grandmother never experienced. They are, however, hearing about God through their father and grandmother along with what they are learning at the LTLA Youth Bible Study.


                                                            Shelton (left) meeting with Last.

To continue impacting three generations for Christ in Zimbabwe, we are in need of financial support. We are ending this year on slim financial margins after averaging $17,000 monthly in expenses, so we are asking for special gifts and increased monthly support to carry us through next year. We are also sending Simba & Pamela, a young couple that we have trained, to Mutare, the third largest city, where they will speak of God and his Son, Jesus Christ, to young and old as they trust God to have a multi-generational impact there. Thank you for prayerfully considering partnering with us.


To give you can send a check payable to:

Life to Life Africa
PMB 344
10151 University Blvd
Orlando, FL 32817

For an online option, you can use "Bill Pay" from your online bank account. Here are the details that you may need for sending money to the Life to Life Ministry bank account:

Account #: 586600386
Routing #: 267084131
Account Name: Life to Life Ministry
Account Address: PMB 344, 10151 University Blvd, Orlando, FL 32817
Account Phone #: 407-657-8129
Account Email: ltlcunneen@gmail.com
Memo/Note: You can write "LTLA" if given an option to designate the gift.

Please contact me if you have any questions related to making a donation.

Grateful for your prayer and financial support!

Mike Sulc
Life to Life Africa
515-520-3607

Happy Thanksgiving From LTLA

 Thanksgiving Greetings, LTLA Supporters!



The Life to Life Africa team counts it a huge blessing to partner in ministry with each of you!  As we gather here in the US to celebrate Thanksgiving, the LTLA team in Zimbabwe are gathering to pray for God's blessing on our ministry efforts and for his blessings on those who partner with us in prayer and financial support. Your support makes it possible for this ministry to take the great news of Jesus to the poor, the brokenhearted and those in bondage. (Isaiah 61:1)

It is our prayer that you experience the deep love of God through Christ during this Thanksgiving and Christmas season. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

For the LTLA team,
Mike Sulc

P.S. I am grateful to Thomas Gilbert, President of Life to Life Ministries, who travels to Zimbabwe to minister with and to the LTLA team. (Thomas pictured below with the LTLA team in March 2023)

P.S.S. I am also grateful to Jim Cunneen along with the Life to Life Ministries Board of Directors who support and provide counsel to the work of LTLA. (The LTLM Board of Directors pictured below at our meeting last Saturday where we celebrated the ministry's 25th anniversary.)