HELLO FROM THE HORNES:

February 29, 2008

LEAPING THE ATLANTIC: The great thing about this being a leap year is that it has given us one more day in February to live life to the full for the Lord! And full it is! Sermon preparation for two Sunday services, Bible Studies on Monday and Tuesday evenings in our home, as well as attending a Small Group Bible Study on Wednesday Nights, plus visits to the hospital and Nursing Homes keep us really busy. We meet ourselves coming and going! Which may be why you'll find us in South Africa all of next month before returning on April 1st to our work with the Riverside congregation in Kerrville. Meanwhile, all of March we will be working in South Africa. Al will resume his pulpit work at the Benoni Church while at the same time, he will assist when and where he can with the Bible College. Put it this way -- "We love it when a plan comes together" and so we have been working hard to get ready for our month in Africa. (Even the weather is cooperating. The recent rains there seem to be finished now so that we won't be needing our "Jungle Brellas" while there. Yes, April in Africa means Autumn and most enticing of all is South Africa's brag that its calendar has 13 months of sunshine! We're looking forward to that!)

 

ASLEEP IN JESUS: We had only been asleep two and a half hours when the phone rang. It was the son of one of our Riverside widows, Doris Sprott.  The son was in shock -- he was phoning from his mother's home where he'd found her asleep in Jesus! He told us that he and his brothers became concerned when their mother had not answered her phone that night nor the day before.  So this son had hurried over to her house. When he saw the newspapers still lying on the front steps, he knew instinctively that his mother was dead. Sure enough, when he let himself into the house, he discovered his mother lying in bed, asleep in Jesus. He had given her a new electric blanket for Christmas and it was still on, he said,. Over the phone we assured the heartbroken son that we all wish we could die one day like his mother did --at home, all cozy and warm, and asleep in Jesus. Al preached our dear Doris' funeral two days before we left yesterday for South Africa. It was a busy day because that evening Al spoke about life in South Africa at a Kerrville Book Club. The dinner meeting was held at Schreiner University where we hope we made many friends that evening for the Lord's Church.

WRIGGLING WORMS: Some people prefer not to eat worms. Perhaps you are one of them. But many people in Africa enjoy munching on such boneless delicacies as the mopane worm, the caterpillar of the emperor moth. Because it is a favorite food, many rural communities eagerly anticipate harvesting this wriggling, nutritious tidbit. The fact that they are an incredibly important source of protein makes them an important commodity in Africa. So how are they harvested? Every rainy season, African women in rural areas gather for the first of two annual harvests of mopane worms. For several weeks they collect the worms which are then gutted, boiled, and laid out to dry. After processing, dried caterpillars can be eaten as a crunchy snack However, they are usually rehydrated and boiled in a stew or fried with tomato and onion. Just the thought of eating caterpillars may make you feel uncomfortable and you may want to wriggle out of any opportunity to try these exotic morsels. But remember, not only do they represent an important high-protein food source but they also provide a supplementary income for many families in Africa. Viva la mopane worms!

 

THE REALITY OF LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA: One of our Benoni church teens, Simone Barnard, was in a bank heist a few days ago. Four gun-toting robbers suddenly appeared on the scene. Fortunately, the customers were not made to lie down on the floor - the usual thing - as apparently the men were just interested in "making an unauthorized withdrawal" of money. When it was all over, one of the bank tellers was especially traumatized, as you can imagine, as one of the men had held his gun against her head!  Simone realized how blessed she was when a few days later, another 18-year-old was shot in her own home. She was pumped full of bullets, leaving her paralyzed - probably for the rest of her life. And what a waste! She  all her 12th grade subjects and had been accepted to study medicine at university. Her father, a geophysicist, was shot in the same incident and was lying in the hospital just a few meters away from his daughter. It's just so absolutely senseless. But the saying is that "Things Come in Three's" and that must be true because of what happened one day this month to one of our Pretoria ministers and SABC instructor, Gordon Uys. He experienced the trauma of a break-in right next door to his house. (Someone even took a photo of the thieves loading their loot into a vehicle before they made a quick get-away). As if that wasn't enough, Gordon drove past another bunch of thugs who were busy stealing from his neighbor's house across the street. Gordon stopped to take down the details of the car they were loading when one of them noticed him, walked in his direction, and started shooting at him! Fortunately, he missed and Gordon escaped, but can you imagine the shock and trauma? These stories you hear every day in and from South Africa, but each time it just seems to get closer to home. There seems to be absolutely no respect there for the law and for life. Those who have experiencing crime don't sleep well at night anymore. The slightest noise  wakes them up and then they patrol their house, praying for protection all the while. One woman said she was even beginning to plan escape routes for her family in the event of thugs breaking into her home at night. It's really a sad day when you never feel safe even in your own home.

A DESPERATE NEED FOR THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH AFRICA: We are sometimes asked, "So is South Africa a good place still to invest our money for mission work?" The answer is a resounding "YES!" The only way to "fix" the crime and AIDS problems in Africa is from the inside out! With so many criminals not apprehended at all and others often not convicted by the courts (or if they are, they are soon released), the only way to solve the situation is with the gospel of Christ. That is the only thing that can work on a man's heart and change his attitudes and value system. It is the only thing that will cause a man to choose right over wrong. Please, will you join us in regular and earnest prayer that we may make a difference as we spread the Word. The need is desperate! We are willing! May God use us to His glory so that  peace and personal safety are restored to our beautiful South Africa. If you would like to help, please send your donation check today to SABC, c/o Memorial Church of Church, 900 Echo Lane, Houston, TX 77024.

In deep appreciation of you --  we are your fellow-servants in the Kingdom,

Al and Donna Horne
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P.S. FYI - Please note that www.SABCollege.com now redirects to www.SouthernAfricaBibleCollege.Org