Would You Pray? - LTLA Update - Sept 2023

 Greetings LTLA Friends,

Thank you for your prayers and comforting words with the loss of my brother. My family has certainly experienced the Lord's sustaining grace. Would you also pray for the Life to Life Africa leadership team? It has been a challenging year and, like Moses (Exodus 33:12-16), we are needing the Lord's presence to be with us as we face the faith opportunities that lie ahead.
 
Arthur, LTLA Director in Zimbabwe, Shelton, LTLA Community Ministry team leader, and I are preparing to facilitate sessions in early November with key members of the LTLA team to examine how we are accomplishing the mission to which the Lord has called us. It is the mission he commanded when saying, "go and make disciples of all nations," (Matthew 28:19) with the vision to see a multiplying movement as described in Psalm 78:3-7 that would lead to "the least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation." (Isaiah 60:22) 
 
We are facing a financial shortfall and will need to make decisions about decreasing expenses. Inflation, a growing ministry, and emergency expenses have increased our operating budget this year. These issues are not a surprise to the Lord and he is drawing us into a deeper trust in him for the needed provision. Thank you for your faithful support through the years and extra gifts earlier this year which have enabled us to continue discipling the old and the young generations in Chinhoyi.
 
One life you have impacted through your support is that of Simba Mangore. Simba came to Chinhoyi at the age of 4 as an orphan to live with his aunt & uncle. He came to faith in Christ during high school through the LTLA youth Bible study and the ministry assisted him in getting a mechanical engineering degree. He felt God's call to join the LTLA ministry and the video below describes his ministry focus with young adults. In the video he shares his plans to expand the work of LTLA to a new city next year. (We thank Hopevale Church and Pete Carlson for producing this video last year, prior to Simba's wedding.) Simba traveled to Mutare two weeks ago to "spy out" the land and reports the following:
 
Strengths- I ascertained that the people are very welcoming and mostly from one tribe which makes them peaceful.
Weaknesses/Threats- Prosperity gospel is prevalent in the churches and the African traditional religious sect which a majority follow promotes polygamy and forces girls to marry as early as 14.
Opportunities- There is a sizable population of young adults in the city with the presence of three colleges and two universities.

LTLA: Simba (Video):

https://vimeo.com/783370326

Excited to be a part of the least becoming a thousand!

Mike Sulc
Life to Life Africa

Home With The Lord - LTLA Update - Sept 2023

 

Dear LTLA Friends, The good Lord called my older brother, Mark, home to heaven this past Saturday after a two year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive terminal brain cancer. He had a big influence in my life, setting the example of walking with Jesus throughout his life. These last two years he delighted in sharing how the Lord was drawing him ever closer to Him preparing him for his eternal home. Mark's final coherent thoughts were expressing his desire for his family to join him at the banquet table in heaven. (Isaiah 25:6-9)  You can read about his journey these last two years at:  https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/marksulc/journal And here is the obituary that details his life: https://www.tiddfuneralservice.com/obituaries/reuben-sulc I will really miss his encouraging support and wise counsel. My prayer is that my life will reflect his enduring faith in and love for Christ that he shared freely with everyone he met. What a blessed reunion it will be at the Lord's banquet table in heaven! Sorrowful yet rejoicing in the hope of glory through Christ,  Mike Sulc Life to Life Africa

Mike (foreground) sailing with Mark in June 2021 prior to his diagnosis. Sailing was a favorite hobby for Mark and his wife Sally.

Ten Years And Counting - LTLA Update - August 2023

 

Dear LTLA Friends, The Lord called "Uncle" Ron Shimkus home ten years ago last month. The ministry that the Lord led he and "Aunt" Mary Ann to start in Chinhoyi twenty years ago continues under the faithful leadership of Arthur Nhau, whom Ron discipled, trained and equipped. Below is a video of Arthur sharing his heart and what God is doing through Life to Life Africa. (We are grateful to Hopevale Church and Pete Carlson for producing this video while visiting last year.) LTLA: Arthur Nhau (Video) Thank you for your prayers for the Zimbabwe election. The ruling party has retained control. This has been the case in every election since the country gained independence in 1980, with the exception of a power-sharing period from 2009-2013. Citizens have remained peaceful so far, despite the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) delegation expressing strong concern over the fairness of the election process. With the rebuke from the SADC observers, the opposition party is demanding a rerun of the election under careful watch by SADC and the African Union. However, a rerun is not likely; it would take significant pressure from the surrounding countries and the international community for this to happen. Needless to say, the LTLA team, and Zimbabweans in general, are pretty discouraged. They see little hope for change in their country. Please continue praying for the political situation in Zimbabwe and for encouragement in the Lord for the LTLA team. Thank you for your faithful support over the past ten years and since the beginnings of LTLA twenty years ago! Mike Sulc Life to Life Africa

Zimbabwe Elections - LTLA Prayer Bulletin - August 2023

 

Dear LTLA Supporters, Today, Zimbabweans go to the polls to vote for a president. The current president, Emerson Mnangagwa, who replaced the 38 year president, Robert Mugabe, is running again despite making things worse as evidenced in Zimbabwe topping the Hanke Annual Misery Index in 2022 as the most miserable place to live. You would think that the opposition party would be very vocal about the condition of the country but it has been an unusually quiet campaign season. The ruling party has been very forceful in keeping them quiet as they use a heavy hand to instill fear upon those who speak out against their party. It has been this way for a very long time and it appears they have now eliminated any earthly hope for change.  (You can listen to a NPR report on the Zimbabwe elections here: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/22/1195170325/zimbabwe-voters-will-go-to-the-polls-on-wednesday-to-elect-a-president ) We know that our hope is not found in this world but in God who has provided salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus did teach us to pray for God's "kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven," (Matthew 6:10) so we ask that you join us in praying for that to happen in Zimbabwe. Jesus did not establish an earthly kingdom but an eternal heavenly kingdom which manifests itself through people whose hearts have been transformed, reflecting the character of Christ. God has been working through LTLA to see that happen in the lives of those to whom we are ministering. Thank you for supporting us to that end! We do ask that you pray for a peaceful election process and that the elected president would seek to serve the people in bringing the country out of their current condition. Also, we ask you to continue to pray for Tsungai, LTLA Critical Care team leader, who has completed radiation treatments and will undergo brachytherapy for her cervical cancer during the next couple of weeks. And we are happy to report that Shelton Nhundu, LTLA Community Team leader whose infant daughter and wife are doing well, was able to lead a neighbor to Christ. Pray for Shelton as he encourages Clemence in his new found faith in Christ.

Diana, LTLA team member, and Tsungai holding the certificate of completion for the radiation treatments.

Shelton (right) with Clemence; his neighbor whom he led to Christ.

God is at work to this very day! (John 15:7) Mike Sulc Life to Life Africa

Impacting Misuku, Malawi For Christ

 

Greetings,   I am writing to share about an opportunity to invest in God's Kingdom work taking place in Misuku, Malawi. This opportunity came to my attention on my most recent trip to Africa when I visited a young entrepreneur who loves the Lord and is seeking to bring lasting transformation to his community through training in Biblical principles and opening new markets into one of the worlds most traded commodities. Thank you for taking the time to consider this Kingdom investment opportunity.

Park Msukwa (far left) with coffee farmers from Misuku, Malawi

Coffee farmers in far north Malawi have failed to be adequately paid for their coffee harvests for several years now. The cooperative that has been serving their region is suffering the effects of mismanagement and corruption. Park Msukwa grew up in Misuku where his father along with all the other coffee farmers grow the best Arabica coffee in Malawi. I met Park five years ago and was impressed by his work ethic, entrepreneurial drive, concern for his community and, most importantly, his faith in Christ Jesus. He desires to impact his home community of Misuku for Christ by training coffee farmers in Biblical principles of farming, business and life. Life to Life Africa (LTLA) supported him four years ago to receive this type of training from The Crown Ministries Stewardship School.   I visited Park last month with Tim Mooney, a coffee loving friend, and Charles Mugarura, a successful coffee farmer from Uganda. Together we assessed the situation for the 30 coffee farmers that Park is seeking to help. We determined that in the long-term they need to establish their own cooperative that they manage collectively for the sustainability of their farming enterprises. It was also determined that for the short-term, Park, through his registered business - Park Coffee Traders, needs a loan to begin buying coffee cherries from the farmers and process them in preparation to sell to buyers. One buyer, Namikango Coffee Roasters, a Christian mission enterprise, desires to buy 12 tons of coffee parchment from Park. He can buy red coffee cherries from the farmers and process 4 tons at a time for $20,000 USD. Once he supplies those four tons to the buyer, he will be paid with a small profit and can then use that payment for buying and processing the next 4 tons. The projections are that he will repay the loan in three years if not sooner. Those funds will return to LTLA where it can be used for other enterprises that advance the work of God’s Kingdom in Africa. To help Park make an impact in his community by buying coffee from farmers at a fair price and helping them encounter Christ through Biblically based training, would you prayerfully consider making an investment in this Kingdom building opportunity? Here are possible investment levels to help us reach the $20,000 goal: ·         $1,250 for ¼ ton of coffee ·         $2,500 for ½ ton of coffee ·         $5,000 for 1 ton of coffee   You can send a check payable to: Life to Life Africa PMB 344 10151 University Blvd Orlando, FL 32817   Or you can direct your bank to make a payment through Bill Pay to: Acct #: 586600386 Routing #:267084131   I will follow up with a phone call this weekend to answer any questions you might have regarding this opportunity. Thank you for considering investing in Park’s work among his community along with other future enterprises that will impact communities in Africa. For Christ & His Kingdom, Mike Sulc Life to Life Africa 515-520-3607  Here are some photos from our trip along with photos and a video of the activities that happened this week with Park and the coffee farmers in Misuku:

The coffee farmers met with us in the hills of Misuku during our visit.

Park, Tim & Charles inspecting coffee plants of one of the coffee farmers.

Park spending time in Bible study with the coffee farmers.

Farmers brought bags of harvested coffee cherries (by motorcycle) to be weighed and processed.

Picking out the ripe red coffee cherries for processing.

Video showing the hand crank sheller that removes the skin from the coffee cherries producing the coffee parchment:  https://youtube.com/shorts/T2mqiYefQrY

The coffee parchment is spread out on drying beds made from locally harvested bamboo. Once dry the coffee parchment will be bagged for sale.

Park with his father, mother and a niece in front of his parent's house where the coffee is processed.

Joy, Grief & Perseverance - LTLA Update - July 2023

 

Dear LTLA Friends, I must admit that my heart has been weary lately with the highs and lows of life. My most recent trip to Africa and events that followed confronted me with the reality of life in this broken world. Through this weariness I am experiencing the truth that David concluded in Psalm 62:1-2 & 5-8. I ask that you pray for me to find rest in God alone who is our salvation, our rock, our fortress, our hope and our refuge. A high was meeting Kunashe, daughter of Shelton & Tinotenda. As LTLA Community Ministry team leader, Shelton experienced pouring out his heart to God to find refuge this past year after they lost their first daughter at 8 months of pregnancy. A year later God has blessed them with the birth of Kunashe, which means, "There is God." It was good to enter into their joy in person.

Shelton, Tinotenda and Kunashe

A low was to hear the tragic news of the death of the older brother of Marvelous, an LTLA team member. He died in a head-on collision when a van carrying a full load of passengers recklessly tried overtaking another vehicle. There were other fatalities in the accident. Her brother leaves his wife and three children ages 11, 7 and 4. Would you pray for Marvelous and her family as they grieve his loss? Thank you for your continued prayers for Tsungai, LTLA team member who has led our ministry to pre-school orphans for more than 10 years. She is persevering through the cancer radiation treatments as there was a week and a half delay due to repairs that were needed on the radiation machine. As expected, she is experiencing localized pain and tiredness from the treatments. We are grateful for the hospitality of ministry friends who are hosting her in their Harare home. The treatments are taking place at a private clinic in Harare. the capital of Zimbabwe. LTLA team member, Diana, has accompanied her during the five weeks of treatment. She is grateful for the opportunity to fulfill the Lord's command, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34). Diana reports, "The Lord has been teaching us that there is nothing better than having Jesus present with us along with people who care for you. Thank you for caring for us through your prayers and support!"

Diana on the left with Tsungai.

On this last trip, I traveled to Malawi where I visited Park Msukwa, a young man I met five years ago. He loves the Lord and the coffee growing community where he grew up, Misuku. Four years ago, LTLA sponsored Park in attending the The Crown Ministries Stewardship School, along with Shelton, LTLA Community Ministry team leader. Like Shelton, he has been persevering in teaching the Biblical principles he learned to the coffee farmers in Misuku. He also desires to practically help the farmers by securing better markets for their coffee.  Tim Mooney, a friend of LTLA and coffee lover, joined me along with his Ugandan farmer friend, Charles Mugarura. Together we determined that Park needs to help the coffee farmers establish a cooperative and he needs an infusion of capital investment to get them started. If you have an interest in helping Park launch this enterprise that will seek to bring Christ's transformation in his community, you can contact me for further details.

Park (far left) with Misuku, Malawi, coffee farmers.

(L to R) Charles Mugarura, Tim Mooney, Mike Sulc & Park Msukwa in the coffee growing hills of Misuku, Malawi.

Finding rest in God alone, Mike Sulc Life to Life Africa 515-520-3607