New Blog Address

I have a new blog address. Please go to www.annauinafrica.blogspot.com or CLICK HERE

Name Change - Introducing Musa

A new name for a new place.

In the Bible, God renaned many people & places. I love the way that all names and places all have their meaning. In Mozambique, I was known as Mana Ana, Ana-Felito, Anita & Aniya....

My new friend Machipchip (Abigal) who is just 17yrs old and just LOVES the Lord and is also our chours leader (with an angel voice on a loud speaker) decided that I should have an African name. I am now known as MUSA - it means lots of grace. First of all, I was relived that I could pronouce it. Then it struck me that even though she has named me and I receive it with great honour, that too my english name Anna means full of grace. God is just so good.

Check these out

The Beautiful People of AFRICA ON FIRE CHURCH

(Upbove) Felito & I & Eric's Parents & some of the children who received new handknitted scarfs & hats - THANK YOU ERICS Family

(Upbove) Our trusty guards Gito (standing) & Vallente (sitting with guitar) sharing a song during testimony time. Both of these guys are from Mozambique and have left their families and Vallente a job to come and help serve.

(Upbove) Felito & I and my nice Mimi (infront of me with blue scarf & pink n red hat) and some of Sthole's children who also received a new hat & scarf.

Update on Tent

Hi Prayer Partners

Thank you all so much for your prayers! The tent is still in Benoi being mended.
Felito took the tent back to guy we brought it off and he has very kindly given us another tent to borrow while our one is being mended.

• please continue to pray that the winds will die down
• please pray that our tent will be mended soon

Palm Ridge is Expericing CHANGE

Hello everyone!

Can’t believe that Church has been going just over 6 weeks!! It’s awesome!! God has been so faithful and loving!! It has been going well. We are seeing growing in numbers and, we are seeing lives being transformed, it’s amazing! We are just so thankful!

As a reminder, Palm Ridge was known for the Indian community during apartade, which means its known as Moslem community. Even today when you drive in to the township you don’t need any one to show you or tell you, its very obvious that it has been a Moslem place for long time, as in the entrance there is a big Mosque. And at certain times you can the music coming from the huge speakers pointing into the community.

Chair Testimony
We started the church in the tent, with 100 chairs, and it is in the middle of winter here and it’s freezing!! The pastor who borrowed us the land to use, came for a visit and was amazed that even though it’s so very cold people are coming! He was even more shocked to see that after worship had finished that all 100 chairs were full and are in need of more!! He never thought it would be possible to even start during winter due to the cold!! But with God – ALL things are possible!! God is so good!!

A Testimony from Felito
One of the guys in Church is Sthole. He is in his 40s and I have known him for long time, and he didn’t want anything to do with Jesus. I remember once I was visiting my brother here in South Africa when I used to live in Mozambique and Sthole was in my brother’s house and we had small group to pray together and Sthole would go out side and wait till we finished praying, but if the Lord can change Paul of Tarsus, he can change Sthole’s heart. The Lord sent him to help us find the land (in Palm Ridge). From when we had our first service, Sthole has never missed one service. One of the amazing things that are just so awesome is when Sthole phone me and asked, “Why do we have to wait till Thursday to have a service? That’s a long time”. He says. He is so hungry! God has done a change in his heart!! This is TRANSFORMATION!! His wife still can’t believe that the Lord has given her a new husband!! Our God is just so awesome!!

We are seeing people being changed everyday, Palm Ridge is also known for witchcraft. But when they come to Jesus, they give up everything, and they just want the real thing!! The people of Palm Ridge are HUNGRY! Check out Matthew 5:6

What has been happening?
Last week we had Stephanie from Vineyard Laguna Niguel return and she taught about prayer. Everyone was taking everything in. Even the children were sitting still. We have noticed a huge change especially on Thursday evenings at the prayer nights and they do not pray the same!! Its as if something has been released upon them. We are just in awe of what God is doing!! Keep coming Jesus!!

This week Cathi (a dear friend) who has just graduated from the Iris International School of Missions is here to teach us about worship! We are very excited and are looking forward to worshipping God together!!

A Huge THANK YOU
Just want to thank personally the church in San Francisco of California that sent us funds to buy Bibles for our people. You don’t know how blessed people are by this. Thank you. You have made things worse for us in a good way, because they have thousands of questions to ask about the scripture, they just can’t get enough!! Thank you!!

Another THANK YOU
We also want to thank the Vineyard Laguna Niguel Church for sending a team here. You were all such a huge blessing. We want to testify that everyone person that was reached on the one-day outreach are still with us and are growing every day!! You guys were awesome!! Be blessed!!

Things to pray for:

(1) Pray for my car to be fixed, its almost 2 months without a car, its hard

(2) There was a strong wind last weekend that ripped our tent into shreds, please pray that we can get the right person to fix it, that’s our building

(3) Pray so we will be known as community of love,

(4) Pray for the growth not only in numbers but spiritually also.

WILL BE PUTTING UP PHOTOS ON THE BLOG SOON

WWW.AFRICAONFIRE.BLOGSPOT.COM & WWW.YAYSMILESALOT.BLOGSPOT.COM

TENT RIPPED

Hi Prayer Warriors

We desprite need of prayer! On Friday we experienced huge winds and sand flying every where! Our two guards (Gito & Vallente - faithful friends from Maputo) tried their best to rescue our tent, but it just wasn't meant to be. One side of the tent was totally ripped to shreds. Because it was so badly ripped we were unable to hold the Saturday service, but are going to hold the Sunday church service, even if we have no tent.

• please pray for us to find a way to get it mended
• please pray for us to get it mended in time for our next service
• please pray that these winds (which are forcasted for rest of the month of August) do not destroy what God has instore
  

Let it snow, Let it snow!!!

Just had to let you know, that even though we are in Africa it SNOWED!!!

Last night when we went to bed it suddendly got very cold and then a lightening and thunder storm, then the heavens opened up and the hail hit hard. We had to wake early to go flat hunting again and I looked out the lounge window and much to my huge suprise everything was covered in a white blanket of snow....I could hardly believe my eyes!
I called Felito and he just stood (with mouth open) in amazment. So after putting as much layers as we could without looking funny we ventured outside to go flat hunting.

Memories of being in Canada came to mind as we walked.

The guys guarding the tent in Palm Ridge phoned us with much excitement. They are both from Mozambique and had many questions, but yet were so excited. The tent has fallen due to the weight of the snow, but praise the Lord no damage.

Gods Open Doors

Dear Friends

Sawubona (hello). Can’t believe that it has been four weeks since we have arrived back in the Rainbow nation. And though times have been rocky, God is so amazing.

AFRICA ON FIRE CHURCH – The Beginning
Great news! After six months of planning and preparation, we are finally underway. Yes, we have started the church plant in Palm Ridge. A township one hours drive from the Johannesburg International Airport and our little flat.

The road to this point has not been easy or quick, but God has this vision in His hands and all timing is according to His purpose. Until the middle of May, we had been unable to find land on which to start the church. After many attempts with city governments, we were led to a plot of land by a man who is not a Christian, but wanted to help us. Through him, we were able to secure a large, central location, which we are currently borrowing from another Pastor who has advised us to apply for the land permanently.

Once we received the paper to say we had officially borrowed the land, the work began. There were many things that we needed to accomplish before we could start church services, one of which was getting a fence to surround the tent. After price shopping at several places, we found a man selling fences on our way to the land. This man helped us organize people to clear the land. We believe that as they burned the brush and rubbish, God was spiritually clearing the land and preparing it for encounter.


We also had to build a small house on the property for a couple people to stay and keep watch (our friendly guards).

The day before we began church, we bought an 18 by 7 metre tent and 100 chairs.

The man who sold us the chairs gave us a very good price and offered to supply us with 50 to 80 free loaves of bread to give out at the end of every month. Ironically, this man has a brother who is a leader at the biggest mosque in Palm Ridge (Palm Ridge is known for its Muslim inhabitants – during apartied Palm Ridge was where the Indian community lived).

God is just so good! The favour of God is being shown already from people who are not even believers. There are many more stories that must go unwritten for the time being.

And so, after two weeks of hard work and taxing anticipation, we had everything ready for church.

THE FIRST SERVICE
Sunday, June 9, we had our first service. We had a surprisingly good turnout and community members have been very welcoming (even wanting to advertise us with a blow horn on the back of a pickup). The first service was the dedication of the land and the tent, patterned after 1 Chronicles 7 when Solomon dedicated the Temple to God. After a brief message, an altar call had three young men and a bunch of children come forward to receive Jesus. Since then, the young men are hungry for God and have formed a choir with our resident missionary, Eric Brumbaugh (from the USA).

NIGHT MEETINGS
We have also been having evangelistic meetings every night and have seen God beginning to move. It has been a blessing to see the people’s hunger as even the small children sit and listen attentively to every word of the message.
Throughout the whole process, we have clearly seen God’s hand in directing the right people to help us at the right time. There are so many names I could mention, without whom this church would not have happened. God is truly sovereign and the King of this church. It is just another testimony that when God calls someone to do something, He is abundant in His provision. In accordance with Jeremiah 1:12, we have seen God act upon His Word.
We hope that this newsletter encourages you to follow what God is speaking to you.

PRAYER REQUESTS
· Please pray for provision to fix at least one car (my two cars are currently broken)
· Please pray for provision for rent and a new place (closer to the church land)
· Please pray For God’s presence to increase every day in the tent

Thank you for your prayers and support.
God Bless you richly & love
Felito & Anna Utuie

CONTACT DETAILS
Address: Africa on Fire Ministries
PostNet Suite #117
Private Bag X1
East Rand
1462, South Africa

Website: www.africaonfire.com & www.yaysmilesalot.blogspot.com

Felito Cell: +27792852946 & Anna Cell: +27735261753

We are HOME

We are home in AFRICA!! Last Monday we arrived back in South Africa. Though this time we flew through Sydney (is a shorter flight compared to going thru Asia) we were hit hard with jetlag. Been getting up at odd times & falling asleep during the day. It was so great to be able to fly with my dear husband, at least he didn't snore on the plane. The flight from Sydney was very bumpy, so we had to wear our seatbelts all the way. We must have looked terrible going thru customs & immigration cause we got some funny stares, but I realized when we reached our little flat that our faces were so pale & our eyes looked like we had just had eye surgery, there were so bloodshot. But with bout 15 hours sleep & 3L of water we were on our way back to normal looking eyes....

Please keep us in your prayers. We are having a spot of attack, we must be annoying the devil so. As we have been granted temporary land for the church and our approvel to have the church comes through in 3 weeks which has been a long time coming - but we are both so very excited....but on Tuesday the washing machine broke, on Wednesday the CD player broke & then on Friday our new car that we brought and which has only been used for a month since it was done up broke complety down and died. Because of the car dying we were unable to go to Maputo for Felito's older brothers wedding and also has totally stopped us for preparing the land for the tent and starting to advertise. Please pray that we can get the washing machine fixed & also that we can get the car started & running.....

The weather is VERY COLD (ok its only 15, but still!) So today we went & brought hotwater bottles....

It was very wonderful to see everyone while we were back in NZ & thank you all so very much for your prayers & support! Thank you!!! We love you & God Bless you all
Felito & Anna