Nations
Sue Smith, Zimbabwe
Sue Smith became a Christian at the age of 16 during a Sunday service at Brickhill in May 1996. Her formative years as a Christian were spent being shaped at Brickhill. During this time she felt God speak to her about going to the nations and specifically Southern Africa. In 2003 Sue moved to serve Jubilee Community Church, Cape Town, South Africa, part of the Newfrontiers family of churches. During this time she visited Zimbabwe on a mission team. She immediately sensed a love for the people of this beautiful nation and good friendships formed within the church in Bulawayo (River of Life).
In March 2007 Sue began to feel God speak to her about moving on from Cape Town to serve Him in another context and after seeking God on where and discussing with leadership she briefly visited Bulawayo to test the waters that July. It seemed like a perfect fit, and so in July 2008 Sue relocated to Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe.
Sue is serving the local church in Bulawayo in a number of areas, working three days a week in the city targeting student work, pastoral care and administrative support. The remainder of her time is spent out in Kezi, one of the surrounding rural areas where River of Life is planting a church. In this area the church has set up Ebenezer Agriculture College: a two year empowerment programme training local men and women (aged 18 – 25) to set up a business based on farming Gods way principles. The course includes Chronological Bible Teaching. She is primarily focussed on developing the spiritual side of the apprentice’s lives.
To read Sue's latest update visit her blog.
Booker & Lesita Banda, Malawi
Since 2001, we have been partnering with a Malawian pastor and his wife, Booker and Lesita Banda. Booker is a prolific church planter and has established well over a hundred churches across Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. As well as being a highly respected leader in Malawi, Booker conducts a weekly broadcast on Trans World Radio that is heard by millions across Africa.
Several teams led by Richard Green, who established Brickhill’s link with Booker, have been out to Malawi to work with Booker and his wife, and Booker and Lesita have also visited us here in the UK. Alongside the church planting, Brickhill helps support Lesita’s work with widows and orphans, has provi
ded a vehicle to enable Booker to further his ministry across the region, and has also helped establish other projects associated with Booker’s ministry.
May 2008 saw the first ever Newfrontiers conference in Malawi, hosted by Scott Marques (Zimbabwe) and Booker in Lilongwe. Called “Explore the Promise” it gathered many leaders from Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and the UK. It was a great encouragement to all and further developed the growing partnership between Booker, Scott, and Jonathan Kyando (Tanzania).
Jonathan Kyando, Tanzania
In June 2007, Paul and Jean Woodward visited Pastor Jonathan Kyando and his church in Mbeya, Tanzania, having felt led by God to develop a friendship with him. Whilst there they met with many church leaders, widows, orphans and AIDS patients and firm friendships were made.
We support Jonathan and his church in practical ways, and by helping build relationships with the leaders of Newfrontiers churches in the region. Jonathan has also developed an excellent relationship with Booker Banda in Malawi and brought a number of his team to the Newfrontiers conference in Malawi.
Amongst his many responsibilities, Jonathan is looking to develop ‘Foundations for farming’ (previously known as 'Farming God's Way') in Tanzania.
