by Rev. Donald Ross
Dear Friends,
The praise is the Lord’s that the church in Bulawayo is now built, but this is only a small part of our building activities on the Mission Field. These last few months we had three fair sized building projects going on at the same time. There was the Church at Bulawayo, the Isolation Unit at Mbuma and the girls’ Dormitory at Ingwenya. One can imagine the hive of activity throughout the whole Mission. In the month of August there were two lots of contractors at Bulawayo. The painters and the roofing experts, as well as some of our men were doing landscape work. At Mbuma we have our own squad building the Isolation Unit, with some of our men doing plaster work etc. at Ingwenya. Then for the girls’s dormitory at Ingwenya we had the contractor who built the Bulawayo Church. In all there were 70-80 men engaged in these projects: and where do the necessary finances come from? From various places; such as grants from organisations interested in African development, donations etc., but the greater percentage from Holland. The last two donations from Holland amounted to $47,000. It is now our duty to acknowledge the kindness of our Dutch Friends, and there is no better way to do that than by referring the matter to the Word of God. Here we find God commends such liberality while on the other hand He severely condemns where this spirit is lacking.
Paul directed by the Holy Spirit to write to the Philippians said “Ye sent once and again into my necessity, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” This fruit is very evident with those who contribute in Holland, a fruit that God delights in. All believers who grow in grace must naturally bring forth this fruit, and the result will be that the cause of Christ will progress. This progress was very evident to us here in Bulawayo when last Sabbath we had our first service in the Bulawayo Church. For this building, costing approximately $27,000, the funds have been largely contributed by Dutch Friends, though contributions have come from friends from all over the world of which $4,000 accumulated over the past few years. Added to this $1,250 came from our people in Scotland a few months ago, $300 from the Inverness Ladies etc.; names too numerous to mention. The praise is due to God alone.
Now that we have this outward prosperity, a church building with all the necessary facilities, with one voice we can say to all friends who so graciously contributed towards it: “Ye sent once and again to my necessity.” We feel most grateful to all; whether they gave little or much it matters not, our hearts are gladdened by your kind thoughts towards us.
You have given us of your substance. Now we crave your prayers for an out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. On our last Sabbath at Nkulumane Government school, 95 souls were present. On the following Sabbath about 200 souls were present, many of these were little children from the streets: but so dreadfully ignorant of the truth. The large majority of our congregation are dead in trespass and sins, lost sinners, and so few are brought to Christ the Saviour. We need therefore your prayers that God would out of His great mercy visit us with His salvation. “Without Me,” says Christ, “ye can do nothing.” And all who are taught of God know that to save one soul is not the work of man. Yes, preach to all creatures, “Go ye into the whole world — preach the gospel to every creature”; this we must do as directed from the Word of God, but God alone brings a harvest. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.” Ask God then for us here in Bulawayo, yes for the whole Mission Field that He would visit us with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This we need to the ends of the earth; it is the only answer; failing this, God will “smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:6).
“The whole earth let His glory fill.
Amen, so let it be.” Psalm 72:19