The ZEMA Home Office would like to thank the volunteers who assisted in the writing, editing, and design of this newsletter. We would also like to thank the many volunteers that help us fold, seal, address, and organize the hundreds of envelopes / mailings each year.
Family Christmas letters are a tradition with many families and our ZEMA missionaries have adopted that tradition. You are an important part of our family and we wanted to share just a few highlights from 2020 that were meaningful to us. There have been so many blessings it would be impossible to list them all. Each missionary family has shared one or two highlights. We praise God for these opportunities to see Him at work in these challenging times and we praise God for your outpouring of love to us! May God bless you abundantly this Christmas!
The lockdown has allowed us so many blessings. Sunbury has had a major renovation to our main camp kitchen thanks to a volunteer couple from the USA (the lockdown allowed uninterrupted time for this to be accomplished). It looks beautiful, and we are excited to begin having groups use it soon! Through a grant from an organization in the USA, we were able to roof parts of two residences and one of our main buildings which is a wonderful blessing to us and to the contractor we were able to hire. We have been able to connect on a more personal level with our employees and in turn those in the local area during this pandemic.
– The Hoffmans
Our “highlight” of 2020 was being stranded in New Zealand for five weeks due to COVID-19 lockdown regulations. We praise God for providing for us while were there and for providing a repatriation flight back to South Africa. We learned many lessons through the generosity of friends and being in situations over which we had absolutely no control.
– The Sullivans
The theme of this year was getting creative with technology! While nothing replaces face-to-face fellowship and discipleship, God did help us to discover many ways we can use technology to love and serve the amaZioni. There were Zoom meetings with young Zionists, where we studied 2 Timothy and Haggai together. Paul Seelhammer edited his radio programs on the book of Romans, so I was able to send out 40 lessons on this great book to students. We were also able to put our Biblical Correspondence Course, “This We Believe” in a digital format to be a tool for the future!
– Kit Tischler
Lockdown blessed us by giving us the opportunity to ask the Lord how He would have us minister to the AmaZioni with all the restrictions. We became aware of the desperate need for food that some of our ZEBS students had. It was so encouraging as we made up the parcels, seeing folks come along side to help with food donations for the parcels. We delivered our first parcels to 15 of our ZEBS students during level 4 of the lockdown. The recipients were most grateful. One lady commented, “God sent you today as I had nothing to eat, I did not even have salt in the cupboard”. Another recipient sent us a message saying, “I have never seen a Bible School like this, that you would even bring food in our time of need.”
– The Adkins
One of the big 2020 highlights for the Langley’s was seeing how powerfully God answered our biggest 2019 prayer request! In 2019, we knew we would be leaving at the end of the year, and that we would not be able to lead the Pietermaritzburg Bible school (ZEBS) long-term. We knew that what the school needed most for growth and vitality was a team of godly Zionist leaders to take it and make it their own, so that it need not depend indefinitely on Western missionaries. We knew also that if God chose not to replace us with the leaders we were praying for, the school would close at the end of 2019. We worked and waited and prayed and trusted, and with just a few months to go, the Lord raised up Sipho and Lungi Mfusi, Buhle Dlamini and Thandokuhle Mahlase to take over the school! Our final weeks before returning to the USA were marked by joyful and invigorated partnership with these dear brothers and sister! We left the school with complete confidence that God would bless and grow it under their leadership. Through all the trials and chaos of 2020, we rejoiced that the Mfusis & Co. were there with our students and believe whole-heartedly that the school would not have lasted through 2020 if not for this amazing team of Zionists. To God be the glory! Great things he hath done and will continue to do!
– The Langleys
The Lord’s timing can often become a test for our faith and patience. But finding out just how good His providence works itself out in our lives is one of our favorite things! This is what happened with the birth of our daughter Luisa on March 16 and the events surrounding it. Ann-Kristin’s parents who live in Germany had planned to visit us in March before we had even told them we were expecting a baby. They arrived here only a few days before the birth of their granddaughter and were a great help to us in the days that followed. It was a peaceful home birth with no complications. Anni’s parents were just in time to catch one of the last flights out of South Africa before the boarders closed for a full 6 months! It was the Lord’s miraculous timing and our personal highlight for 2020.
– The Steiners
We love when God affirms ZEMA’s ministries by connecting us with people who love Him, love Zionists (because they grew up ‘in Zion’), desire that these churches come to know Jesus, and before our meeting knew nothing of ZEMA. These heart connections affirm God’s good work and keep me motivated to share about ZEMA and the open door we must share Christ with amaZioni! Two such men are Sipho Mfusi and T. Vinger. This year, Pastor Mfusi became an administrator of two ZEBS in KZN. I am in communication with Pastor Vinger and praying for ZEBS to possibly begin in the Bloemfontein area. –
– The Seghers
Even through lockdown, we have seen the Lord open a new ZEBS, 2 hours north of Cape Town, near Saldanha Bay.Pastor Mpande led in this development, but all 4 of the ZEBS teachers (of which Mark is one), share in the teaching of this school = which started in Sept 2020.The teachers also kept contact with the Khayelitsha ZEBS students all through lockdown via WhatsApp. – though they are also back meeting face to face:).
The small church, where we serve, took on the responsibility of assisting the 3 ZEBS teachers during lockdown, with a small financial gift each month.We were encouraged to see the church (Christ Church Sybrand Park) give/assisting families in need, very generouslylockdown.Church services resumed in Sept, with social distancing and masks, numbers are growing steadily.
It has been a joy this year to see JJ flourish at his first year in digital art college in Cape Town.He hopes to do another 2 years.Kara too has grown immensely this year… and is now contemplating her next step into studies.We are so thankful for our family.Lockdown, though challenging for many, was a blessing to our family… spending extended time in one place, together:)
– The Hugos
If you would like to volunteer to help with the quarterly newsletters call or text Kathy at 847.872.7363.
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PO Box 727
Zion IL 60099
www.zema.org
847-872-7363
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