June 2008 - Covenant College Column

Dear supporting churches and friends,

We are glad to send you a new Covenant College Column. We appreciate the growing number of people who are interested in what happens here at the mission.

This Column updates you on the College ministry and on the lecturers’ families, and on the Christian Schools ministry (CEF) that operates side by side with the College at the mission post. A next time hope to include an update on the Farm as well.

College

The College activities are in full swing. The Lord enabled us to lead the College into its seventh year of training pastors from rural churches in Zambia. This year we changed our program from two 12-week terms into three 8-week terms. This allows the students to be home at harvest time, and shortens the periods away from home. The year starts late February and ends early October. To date, we just passed the middle of the year.

All 19 students from last year continued their course; two brothers joined us in April. We are thankful for good health and open hearts to receive further teaching in the Word of God and in the practice of leading the church. The new dormitory is well appreciated and offers, together with electrical power (though unreliable) better study conditions.

The first term we received help with the teaching from Dr. Brian DeVries (Mukhanyo Theological College, South Africa) taking the students on a grand tour through African Church History, and Pastor Joseph Pettitt (Hayes Town Chapel, London), making Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians to bear on their life and ministry.

Rev. Zwemstra taught Hermeneutics and Ethics; Rev. Molenaar Christology. Students also participate in Practice Preaching, where the discussion of homiletical, practical, exegetical, and doctrinal issues always make for an interesting class.

The students were glad to find the College staff enriched by an additional lecturer!

Zwemstra Family – Heinrich and Jacomien

After lots of prayer, planning and decision making it was finally time for us to greet everybody in South Africa and leave for our new home – Covenant College. As everyone knows, it is never easy to say goodbye to loved ones, neither is moving.

It was difficult for us to pack everything we need (and could fit!) into our vehicle and trailer and leave the rest behind. Then we had to travel 4 days to get here! But the Lord blessed us all the way! We travelled safely and got through the boarders without any incidents.

We are very happy to be here! It will take us a little time to adjust to the new environment, but we look forward to our work here.

Now we are already in the second term at the College! It is wonderful to say that the Lord gave us a lot of blessings during this time. Everything did not go smoothly, but we are still healthy and able to do our work! We had a lot of trouble with the importation of our vehicle. After Heinrich travelled to South Africa and went from office to office in Lusaka, we finally succeeded.

We were also able to find cement in town and now the building of our house has started. We know it will still take a long time to finish it, but we are much excited to have our own home in Zambia. We are also thankful for everyone who contributes for this house. The foundation and septic tank are completed now.

Our children are a real encouragement for us: they made some good friends with the children who live at the mission and it is wonderful to see how they adjust.

Trust meeting

The trust met on 12-13 April. All trustees were present or had sent representatives. The Trust was blessed by the presence of the College’s founder, Rev. David Fraser, on behalf of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). Following are some of the matters discussed:

1. Lovemore Banda, College graduate and local pastor, was appointed as new trustee.
2. The Trust encouraged the College to strengthen the relationship with the students’ churches, to foster a sense of ownership and interest, and to better adjust the training to the needs of the churches.
3. The trustees reaffirmed their churches’ involvement and welcomed concrete requests for support (see table).
4. The auditor’s report of the ministries’ bookkeeping was accepted and the budgets approved.
5. The Trust officially welcomed Miss Hendriksen and the Zwemstra family to their respective service.
6. Rev. Zwemstra informed the Trust on his support structure via TESSA (Trust for Educational Support in Sub-Saharan Africa).
7. The Trust approved to replace the College vehicle (Venture) by a 4x4 pick-up. The vehicle will be shared between the various ministries.
8. A new Management Team structure was affirmed by the Trust, to coordinate the work of each ministry: College, Farm, and CEF.

Christian Education Fund – Marjanne

The Christian Education Fund (CEF) supports at this moment twenty local community schools with basic help. We hand out some necessary materials, but concentrate on teachers’ training. Teachers at these schools have received almost no training apart from what we offer them at conferences.

In the end of April we again held a full day teachers’ training conference. It was an encouragement to be together with 25 teachers and see that they become more and more involved in the program; answering questions, thinking along, making suggestions etc, and that they remember things from earlier conferences...

We did a revision of preparing Bible lessons (which was taught some time ago). Two by two they had to prepare a Bible lesson and one of the teachers gave an example how to tell the prepared story. The other topics were lesson planning, Farming God's Way (Bilison) and teaching Bible songs.

Please pray for the teachers that they will be an instrument in God’s hands to reach a lot of Zambian children with the gospel!

Molenaar Family – Mirjam

We praise our Lord for giving us good health as we find this one of the prerequisites to work here. Since our return from Holland, February 1, we have all resumed our daily calling.

Cees has a divers calling being principal of this rural College: preparing and teaching lectures, mentoring students, communicating with the trust and supporting churches. Or as last Sunday, he joins with Rev. Zwemstra and others fighting huge bush fires invading the College’s land. Sharing the teaching-burden between two full-time lecturers is a blessing; we thank God for His provision.

Mirjam and the kids are working hard each morning. Home schooling is a demanding task but also rewarding. It is a delight to have Bilison jr. for the second year in the home schooling program as he is much ahead of his peers who often don’t go to school before they are nine! Joas and Rhoda keep themselves busy every afternoon with the kids of our small community. What a blessing for the mission kids that some local families have moved to ‘Covenant College Village’.

Mirjam’s pregnancy is progressing; we are expecting a baby in the middle of August. We hope and pray the Lord will make all things well. We have decided to stay here for the delivery despite limited medical facilities. It is quite different to expect a baby in this setting as many fun and formal things as regular checkups and preparations impossible. Mirjam is still involved in the women and children’s ministry and brings personal/ pastoral visits now and then to women to build important relationships. These visits are very rewarding!

Praise and Prayer

• We ask your prayers for perseverance, health, and blessings for the team that works here. Life can be isolated and lonely, and the work demanding.
• Thank the Lord for the arrival and settling of the Zwemstra family.
•  Pray for Mirjam and the delivery in August.
•  Give thanks for the training of Pastors and pray for them and their families.
• We pray for sufficient funds to continue the work and thank God for the provisions made.
•  Pray for the CEF and the Farm that the Lord will bless these ministries richly for the Zambian people.
• We pray this fresh information touches your heart and kindles your prayers for the mission.

Cees Molenaar, Principal

Covenant College Zambia 2008 - opportunities for support
Selection of Trust approved expenses
Designation	ratio	ZKW	GBP	USD	EUR	SAR
Women Meetings	term (x3)	1,250,000	200	400	265	3,125
Bibles sold with discount	year	2,000,000	300	600	425	5,000
Internet - operational fees	month (x12)	700,000	115	230	150	1,750
Pastors' Conference	conference (x2)	2,500,000	400	800	530	6,250
Cost per Student (x20)	year	2,565,000	425	850	550	6,400