Travel

I have finally arrived in Durban. Flights went well and it is now 10pm so i think i am going to crash soon.
Durban is beautiful. more to come soon.

Thaddaeus

The Road to Durban

Greetings everyone! We are gearing up to leave for South Africa very soon. We want to use this as a tool to keep you involved in the work God is doing in South Africa as well as provide you an opportunity to encourage us on our journey and hopefully be encouraged by the things the Lord is doing in Durban.

Brian and I have been praying for an Emmaus Road experience as we begin this journey.

Luke 24:13-50

¹³Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} from Jerusalem. ¹⁴They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;¹⁶but they were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

¹⁹"What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²²In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning²³but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

²⁵He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Did not the Christ^{b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]} have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³²They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

³³They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." ³⁵Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

³⁶While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

³⁷They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate it in their presence.

⁴⁴He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

⁴⁵Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Just as these two men left on a journey, we are praying that Christ will come to Durban and change lives. We are praying that this journey will create in us a burning desire to share the Good News with the people we come in contact with.

Then, just as these two men did, return to you and exclaim what the Lord has done. That he lives and that he reigns in the hearts and lives of the people of Durban and prayerfully every nation very soon.

We realize that God alone can change hearts and lives. We realize that we are mere clay in the hands of the potter. We just want to be willing to respond when he calls to us. We want God to be glorified and for people to know of His Son Jesus Christ. It is by this name and this name alone that one can be saved.

Please pray that as the entire world looks on from June 11th- July 11th that they would see and hear of Jesus Christ the Messiah. He is the way the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father except through him. 32 Nations will specifically be pulling for their nation and for many of these people, soccer is their idol. We love the beautiful game, but there is so much more to life than futbol. We want to use futbol as our avenue to build relationships so that the Gospel can be shared.

We have also been praying Isaiah 64:1 over Durban that God would rend the heavens and come down, that the "mountains" (aka the valley of a thousand hills which is where we are living) might quake at His presence.

Lastly we are joining 300 men from England and they arrive on June 13th. God was able to use Gideon and an army of 300 men to defeat the men of Midian. We believe that he can use 300 men to build and teach the Zulu tribe about Jesus Christ and his saving grace.

We will do our best to keep you updated as we begin this journey..thank you so much for your prayers and support.

One World Watching,

B-ri and Thaddaeus