Joy & Encouragement

 "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother(s), have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people." (Philemon 1:7) This verse appropriately describes what transpired on my recent trip to Zimbabwe with Thomas Gilbert and Shane Thomas. These dear brothers and co-laborers in the Lord richly loved the LTLA team and those to whom they minister. 

It was fun to serve with Thomas & Shane, as they bring laughter and joy in their love for people. I was personally challenged by their perseverance while both battled a stomach bug half way through the trip. As usual all three of us were also encouraged in the Lord by our brothers & sisters in Chinhoyi. Thank you for your prayer support that empowered us as well as the LTLA team to encourage and refresh one another's hearts. 

As I reported several months ago, earlier this year the LTLA team was divided into two teams, the Community Ministry team and the Training Ministry team. This was done to bring focused effort to training laborers for God's kingdom work in the Training Ministry, as well as renewed and focused leadership to our Community Ministry. I believe lasting fruit will result from taking this step but there is also a danger of drifting apart and not operating in the unity God desires. At the end of our visit we brought the two teams together to be reminded that we are one ministry operating in two teams. 

Jesus spoke about laying down his life for one flock (John 10:14-16) and he prayed to the Father that his disciples and the fruit of their ministry would be one, as he and the Father are one (John 17:11 & 20-21). Unity is the reality of God's character, in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul understood this reality as he constantly spoke of our union with God through Christ. In Romans 12:4, he points out that our physical body is made of many parts with different functions but all the parts belong to one another. "In Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:5) He appeals to us to "agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1 Corinthians 1:10) I believe to accomplish this, we need to heed what Paul urges in Ephesians 4:2, "Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love." Would you pray for oneness, agreement, humility, gentleness, patience and bearing with one another in love so there would be no division and that we be perfectly united in mind and thought? Pray this for Arthur Nhau (LTL Director in Zimbabwe, Training Ministry Director) and his wife Mildred Nhau, as well as Shelton Nhundu & "Gogo" Mildred Musapuri (Community Ministry Team Leaders), along with the Training Ministry team members, Community Ministry team members, Thomas Gilbert (LTL US Director) and Mike Sulc (LTLA Director). 

 

Thank you for praying for Ottilia, Community Ministry team member, who safely gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Clarence & Ottilia have named her Nguvayashe, which in Shona means "God's time."

 

Ottilia with Clarence holding Nguvayashe.

Nguvayashe

 

Please continue to pray for Tatenda, Training Ministry team member, who is still not able to walk after collapsing last month. Tests have been done and we are waiting for results to be returned from South Africa. It is concerning that he cannot walk and, unsurprisingly, he is very discouraged. 

 

Tatenda, sitting on his walker, is using it to get around. 

He has upper body strength to hop along with the walker. 

At this point he cannot take steps with his legs.

 

 

Joyfully encouraged & refreshed in the Lord, 

Mike Sulc 

Life to Life Africa 

 

Below are photos of Thomas, Shane & me during our recent trip:

 

Thomas Gilbert (back row far left) & Shane Thomas (back row far right) with the Community Ministry Team in their donated overalls. Shane's parents donated overalls as did members of Pleasant Ridge Church in Glidden, IA. 

 

 

Thomas & Shane helping Shelton with composting.

Thomas (on the left) with Community Ministry team members preparing onions to be fertilized.

Shane in his overalls with budza (hoe) in hand.

Mike grinding cooked soy beans to make soy milk 

during the Life Skills Training session 

with the Community Ministry Team.

Shane (far left) reading and discussing the Bible with Richard, Brian, More Blessing, Vinny and Shelton.

Thomas (back right) taught these children at the Kids Bible Study at Arthur & Mildred's home.

Group photo after the 1-Day Conference for University & Polytechnic students. 

Thomas & Shane presented the benefits of life in Christ and how to live in Christ.

Mike sharing the 3 Circles Gospel Illustration with the Men of Hope.

Shane (left) spent a lot of time with Simba, 

who completed a Fabrication Engineering Degree 

from Harare Polytechnic last month. Simba is joining 

the Training Ministry Team for the next two years.

The full LTLA team (Training & Community Ministry teams) with Thomas & Shane.

 

LOVE being spelled out by Simba, Shane, Zviko & Thomas 

as they stand on the container at the LTLA Community Center 

with a beautiful Zimbabwe sunset for a background.

 

 

Full Healing, Safe Delivery & Fruitful Trip

Dear LTLA Friends, 

Your prayer support is requested for Tatenda, an LTLA Training Ministry team member, who fell ill a couple of weeks ago. After a week in the hospital it is still not yet clear what ails him. He has been discharged and awaits a final diagnosis from a private doctor. Join us in praying for clarity in what is wrong.

Tatenda, who organizes the LTLA soccer ministry, 

wearing an Ames High Soccer sweatshirt.

Arthur Nhau, LTLA Training Ministry Director, 

giving Tatenda a piggyback ride after he was discharged from the hospital. 

He was too weak to walk.

 

Please also pray for full healing for Jim Cuinneen, founder of Life to Life Ministry, as he recovers from Covid-19.

Otillia, LTLA Community Ministry team member, is expecting her first child this month. Join us in praying for a safe and healthy delivery for baby and mother.

Recent photo of Otillia.

Thomas Gilbert & Shane Thomas, Life to Life Ministry staff at Univ. of Central Florida in Orlando, traveled with me to Zimbabwe on Saturday. Join us in praying for a fruitful visit to Chinhoyi with the LTLA Training & Community Ministry teams.

Mike, Thomas & Shane met in Chicago yesterday on their way to Zimbabwe. 

They enjoyed a Superdawg hotdog on their stopover in Ron Shimkus' hometown.

 

Thank you for lifting up these prayer needs to our good heavenly Father! 

Mike Sulc 

Life to Life Africa

 

Food & Seeds

 

Greetings LTLA Friends! 

"Kudakwashe came to the Community Center asking for food. We sent him home with some food for his family as well as seeds to start a vegetable garden," Shelton, LTLA Community Ministry Director, shared with me this month. "We also shared with him the Gospel of Jesus Christ to which he said he has given his life to Christ. Pray for us as we follow up with Kudakwashe to help him grow in Christ and be faithful in growing food for his family." 

As a ministry it is our desire to introduce and disciple people in a relationship with Christ that impacts their everyday life. We will establish them in spiritual disciplines to help them grow in their life in Christ and we will also equip and hold them accountable in practical life skills. (See photos below of LTLA Community Ministry life skill activities.) One ministry activity that we have been able to resume after a year of pandemic restrictions is group discipleship gatherings with adults. As you can see in the photos below, the Men of Hope group is small, so please pray as the group encourages other men to participate.

Recent Men of Hope gathering.

Recent Women of Hope gathering.

 

After a year of forced isolation, it is important for people to re-engage in fellowship and mutual encouragement. Our young adult group has been gathering during the past year and it is now safe to gather the older adults. However, we will need to be vigilant since the vaccination rate is low in Zimbabwe and the flu season is upon them. Colder months are ahead in the southern hemisphere. We are not gathering the pre-school children nor the primary and high school students at this time since it is harder to maintain social distancing and mask wearing with kids. We don't want the virus to spread from them to their older caregivers. Instead, LTLA team members are ministering individually or in small gatherings to the pre-school children caregivers as well as the primary and secondary school students. 

Thank you for your prayer support for the LTLA Community and the Training Ministry team members as they press on under challenging circumstances to love young and old in Chinhoyi. 

Gratefully in Him, 

Mike Sulc 

Life to Life Africa

 

New LTLA truck will help in our transportation needs and farming activities. 

This 2 ton truck replaces the 1 ton truck that served us well for 9 years.

Maize (corn) harvest from the LTLA Community Center plots. 

It will be used for feeding pre-school children when they return 

to the Critical Care Center as well as for team lunches. We praise 

God for the abundant rains that provided a good harvest!

LTLA team members gathering organic matter for composting.

LTLA team members starting a new compost pile.

Shelton taking a team selfie by one of the finished compost piles. 

This rich organic matter will be used in vegetable bed plots.

Gogo Mildred preparing guavas for juicing.

(L-R) Tsungai, Shelton, & Jane crushing guavas for juice.

Extra Lessons

Spring Greetings LTLA Friends! 

Spring in the United States is always a refreshing season, especially after a cold winter, and even more so this year as we emerge from the long year battling a pandemic. Spring in the US also corresponds with the celebration of Easter, our Lord's death, burial and resurrection. As we celebrate the hope of life eternal through our Lord Jesus Christ, we say with the Apostle Paul, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15) 

Zimbabwe emerged in March from a two month lockdown, imposed after they experienced a significant spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths from late December through mid-February. With the easing of lockdown restrictions, schools have reopened for all students with the following safety measures: only students in Grade 7, Form 4 (4th year high school) and Form 6 (6th year high school) will attend school everyday as they prepare for placement exams. Grade 7 students take exams for placement in high school, while Form 4 students seek placement in advanced high school / college prep programs, and Form 6 students study for placement in university. All other grade levels will alternate days at schools to enable social distancing in the classrooms. 

Last year students only attended school from January through March before they were sent home for the remainder of the year due to the pandemic. They were supposed to receive some remote learning instruction, but that essentially did not happen. Exam-year students were given exams at the end of last year in spite the lack of preparation. Families who could afford it paid for private instruction (referred to as "extra lessons") for their students. As a ministry, we were able to assist exam-year students involved in our ministry with extra lessons last year. The education department decided to advance all students to the next grade level for this academic year despite the lost time last year. We are concerned that many students won't be adequately prepared. 

Recognizing that students will need "extra lessons" in order to be able to catch up and progress in their learning, we are planning to provide extra lessons for students involved in our ministry. Marvelous Makumbirofa, an LTLA Training Ministry team member, will provide extra lessons for five primary school students to help them get established in their grade level in order to progress academically. These students will also receive spiritual input from Marvelous (see photo) and the other LTLA Training Ministry team members, as they have not yet been able to resume youth Bible study gatherings but are taking three days a week to visit children and youth in order to remain engaged with them. It is our hope to see these students investing in the next generation just as Marvelous is doing, because Marvelous is fruit of our youth ministry. She was discipled in her high school years and was the first in her family to go to college, where she was trained to be a teacher. She is now teaching students the ways of the Lord and helping them progress academically.

Marvelous teaching the LTLA high school Bible study in 2019 before the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown stopped such gatherings.

 

Below are the students to whom Marvelous will provide extra lessons: 

Grade 1 Students: Blessing Kadangure, Kuvanashe Bhoisi, Bright Mumba.

Makanatsa Kapfurutsa (Grade 3) & Millicent Soda (Grade 4)

 

 

Below are the exam-year students we will assist with private preparation lessons:

Ratidzai Kaswa (Grade 7), Beauty Mesani (Form 4), Leslie Mapfumo (Form 4)

Mitchel Makumbirofa (Form 4), Fungisai Charariza (Form 4).

 

Last September we asked you to pray for the students below who were preparing for the Grade 7 high school placement exam. Thank you for praying, as they have advanced and are now attending their first year of high school (Form 1).

Donnell Nhau & Godswill Banda (Chinhoyi High School)

Ngoni Gotora & Tito Zuze (Chinhoyi High School #2)

 

We are grateful to be able to invest in the spiritual and academic development of the next generation in Zimbabwe! Thank you for your prayerful and financial partnership so that this is a reality! 

 

Rejoicing with you in our risen Lord! 

Mike Sulc

 

 

"I was a church-goer"

Dear LTLA Friends,

First, a prayer bulletin - We ask for your prayers for Jonathan Govero, Navigator staff in Zimbabwe and good friend of Life to Life Africa, who lost his mother to Covid-19 on February 15. Please also pray for Arthur Nhau, LTLA Training Ministry Director, whose 26 year old niece died this month from the effects of Covid-19. Please lift up these brothers in the Lord as they grieve the loss of their loved ones. 

As a way for you to get to know Shelton Nhundu, LTLA Chinhoyi Community Ministry Co-Director, you will find below his answers to a series of questions. Shelton and "Gogo" (Grandmother) Mildred Musapuri will lead the LTLA efforts in the Chinhoyi community while Arthur & Mildred Nhau provide leadership for the LTLA Training Ministry. You will also find photos below that provide a visual update of LTLA Chinhoyi Community Ministry activities. 

Grateful for your support in prayer & finances! 

Mike Sulc 

Life to Life Africa

 

Shelton Nhundu leading by example as he demonstrates a 

sustainable maize (corn) planting method 

(called the Pfumvudza farming method).

 

Getting to know Shelton Nhundu, LTLA Chinhoyi Community Ministry Co-Director:

How did you come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior? 

I was a church goer growing up and never really pursued a personal relationship with Christ. I didn't even own a Bible. In my first semester at Chinhoyi University of Technology I met Arthur Nhau (LTLA Training Ministry Director). He taught me about having a personal relationship with Christ and gave me a Bible. 

 

What drew you to get involved and remain involved with Life to Life Arica (LTLA)? 

 After receiving Christ, I really wished everyone would have the wonderful opportunity to be discipled in a relationship with Christ. I made a commitment to myself to serve the Lord for a year after college and I chose to serve with Life to Life Africa. I considered becoming a pastor but I felt like there are many people doing that and there are only a few focusing on intentional discipleship like LTLA is doing.

 

How has the discipling and training you have received from Arthur Nhau benefited you personally and prepared you for service in God's kingdom work? 

During my years in college I was discipled by Arthur even during the two years he was in Nigeria for training. He would contact me via email, WhatsApp messages and calls. His love for me really touched me, so after college I got involved in an in-depth ministry training with Arthur. That training helped me understand the vision to spiritually multiply my life. I grew closer to God in that time and it really equipped me to serve Him. 

 

What excites you about co-leading the LTLA Chinhoyi Community Ministry? What makes you nervous about assuming this role? 

I am excited to continue the LTLA spiritual ministry into the community while also implementing development training with our team and the people we serve. [In 2019 Shelton received agricultural and financial stewardship training at the Crown Ministry Stewardship School in Malawi.] I look forward to seeing people enter into a relationship with Christ and see Him transform all the dimensions of their lives. I am humbled and excited to assume this leadership position but I really ask for prayer to serve everyone in a way that pleases and honors the Lord. 

I am nervous about leading as it is a great responsibility to serve people and the Lord. I serve people older than I which makes me nervous, but I take courage because the Lord gave strength to young leaders like Timothy. 

 

What do you see as the strengths of the ministry? 

Our team is eager to serve and they serve so joyfully. For that I am proud. They also really respect our leadership. They are excited to see what the Lord will do through us. 

 

What do you see as the weaknesses of the ministry? 

We do have some team members who are weak in their faith and struggle with faithfulness. There are also older team members who struggle to read so we are always finding ways to help them understand the scriptures but it is an exciting thing to do. 

 

What do you see as opportunities where the ministry can advance its mission to seek, love, lead to Christ, disciple and train people? 

We are utilizing land at our Community Center to train our team in growing food and we see the opportunity that they can pass along the heart and skill with people in the community. We have been able to grow the food we distribute to the vulnerable families we serve which exemplifies and encourages generosity. There are endless opportunities to share the Gospel and we encourage our team to do so with their neighbors. We continue to develop tools to help our team members who can't read to share the Gospel effectively. 

By God's grace the Community Ministry will be a model for the community by sharing our faith, living the Christian way and also working with our hands as the Apostle Paul exemplified in 1 Thessalonians 2:8-9, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." 

 

What do you see as threats to the ministry advancing its mission? 

I am concerned that a dependency syndrome can take root among the people and they will resist a model that holds them accountable to do their part in leading productive lives. 

Note from Mike: Below are links to news reports that speak of the "Pfumvudza" (means "New Season" in Shona) training that the LTLA team received initially in 2012 from Foundations for Farming. This Christian organization is not directly mentioned in these articles but it is encouraging to see that Zimbabwe is promoting this effective farming method. We know however that if it is not combined with the spiritual foundation from which it was created it will not have eternal impact. Below are links to the Foundations for Farming website and brochure that outlines the Pfumvudza farming method, which includes the emphasis on accountability that Shelton mentioned: 

https://allafrica.com/stories/202102260677.html 

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2020/12/can-pfumvudza-save-zimbabwes-agriculture/ 

https://foundationsforfarming.org/new/?page_id=8820 

https://foundationsforfarming.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/FfF-A-Brief-Summary-English.pdf 

 

How can people be praising God for what he has been doing on behalf of the LTLA Community Ministry? 

We give praise to God for the good rains we have received this growing season as it looks like we will see a good harvest with our maize [corn] and soybeans. We also rejoice that Otillia (LTLA team member) was able to lead her neighbor, Mrs. Mandishona, to receive Christ. We are delighted for the prayer and financial support that we have received that continues to sustain us through this pandemic and the economic challenges we face as a nation. We are always praising God for the opportunity to serve Him and be used to transform the lives of people in our community. 

 

How can people pray specifically for the LTLA Community Ministry and for you? 

Please pray that we all catch the vision of multiplying our lives spiritually and that God would bless our efforts in discipling people in every dimension of their life. Pray for empowering of God's Spirit for team to be unified in the mission God has called us to fulfill. Pray wisdom and courage for "Gogo" Mildred and I as we seek to lead the Community Ministry in a way that pleases the Lord. We believe that God wants us to have a greater impact not only in Chinhoyi but into Zimbabwe and to the rest of the world. 

I ask that you also pray for my wife, Tinotenda, and I as we establish our marriage with Christ at the center of our family. 

 

Shelton & Tinotenda were married on December 5, 2020.

LTLA Corn plot at the beginning of February (2 months after planting). 

Good rains this season will lead to a good harvest for which we thank the Lord.

LTLA Soybeans plot at the beginning of February (2 months after planting). 

This is our first soybean crop as the LTLA team experiments with planting different vegetables.

LTLA Community Ministry Team participating in Life Skills Training. 

This session was making jam from baobab juice. 

Baobab fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals and has high fiber, 

antioxidant, and polyphenol content.

"My Son... Entrust to Reliable Men"

New Year Greetings! 

We are extremely grateful for the generous financial support that we have received to launch us into 2021. Thank you!! 

 We ask for your prayers for Zimbabwe as they are in a Covid-19 lockdown due to a spike in virus cases and deaths. The number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 in 2021 (after only 26 days) is twice as many as in all of 2020. They prevented a large surge last year, but as the year ended the government and people relaxed their vigilance which has resulted in another strict lockdown. 

Pray for the LTLA team as they are restricted to their homes. The young men on the team have so far been allowed to collect food to distribute to the families we serve. The 100 families have been divided into groups of 20 and each group has been assigned a particular day to collect food every other week. This prevents a large gathering of people, since the police are dispersing people even at markets where they are trying to buy food. Pray that our team gets clearance to move around the city freely in order to serve people. As you can imagine, they are discouraged to be in another lockdown. 

As I mentioned last month, Arthur Nhau, LTLA Director in Chinhoyi, requested to step away from overall ministry oversight so that he can focus on training laborers for God's kingdom. I asked him to share his heart with you. Below, you will find his encouraging words and prayer requests for the LTLA Training Ministry.

With His love, 

Mike Sulc 

Life to Life Africa 

 

From Arthur: 

The words of my mentor [Ron Shimkus] still echo in my ears. Every time when he would visit Zimbabwe, upon leaving the country he would recite: 

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV) 

It is with that same vision from my mentor, which he gained from the Lord Jesus Christ, that we strongly sense has been impressed on our hearts. Driven by our promise verse (Psalm 2:8), we have been asking the Lord to use us as his vessels in raising laborers who will change the world for Christ. 

There are so many visions out there, but we have chosen to pursue making disciples who will become laborers for God's kingdom. We would appreciate prayers that: 

• In recruiting those for training, we pursue the seed and not chaff.
• Those involved in training would be men and women who see God’s vision and feel his passion for the world. 
• After training, they will be Christ’s witnesses, not only in Chinhoyi or Zimbabwe, but to the world. 

 

Together in his vineyard, 

Arthur & Mildred 

 

Mildred, Arthur, Daisy, and Donnell Nhau

Merry Christmas!

We worship with you our good and faithful Heavenly Father who fulfilled the following promise over two thousand years ago: 

 

    For to us a child is born, 

    to us a son is given; 

    and the government shall be upon his shoulder, 

    and his name shall be called 

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 

    Everlasting Father, 

    Prince of Peace. 

 

    Of the increase of his government and of peace 

    there will be no end, 

    on the throne of David and over his kingdom, 

    to establish it and to uphold it 

    with justice and with righteousness 

    from this time forth and forevermore. 

    The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 

                                                                 Isaiah 9:6-7 

 

The Life to Life Africa team wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Christ-filled New Year!

Back row (L to R) Faith, Patricia, Itai, Mildred, Shelton, Mr. Chigwida, Otillia, Letwin, Stella, Arthur & Zviko. Middle row (L to R) Gogo Mildred, Kate, Lunga, Prestege & Marvelous. Front row (L to R) Tatenda, Tsungai & Brian. (Jane & Diana were not present as they were recovering from Covid-19 symptoms. We give thanks to God for mild symptoms and for their full recovery!)

Mike joining the team for a selfie photo.