An extraordinary true story

I was at Rosebank Anglican Church in Johannesburg when I met a South African lady who had recently returned from a short-term mission to the USSR, just as it was opening up. The iron curtain had lifted. 

'Did you take in Bibles?' I asked.

'It was prohibited.' I wasn't surprised. 'But once in the country,' she said, 'we were taken to a great barn full of old Bibles. They were released for distribution.'

She found the Bibles had been confiscated from local people before being stored for decades. There was so many that the missionaries needed to hire labour to shift them. One local lad wondered why these books were considered so important and stole one, hiding behind a stack of logs to read it. He opened the cover to find an inscription written in beautiful, clear script. The Bible in his hands had belonged to his grand-mother.

How do you live and maintain a relationship with Jesus?

I wish I could say that I start each day with Bible reading and prayer but I am not hugely disciplined. I’m a task orientated person and tend to fling everything into the washing machine of life and slam the door, just to get the job done. However I do pray pretty constantly.

I’ve just asked my husband the question: ‘How do I live with Jesus?’

‘You work very hard at it,’ he said handing me a gin and tonic, ‘and love him to bits.’ I was amazed when he compared the relationship to our marriage. All I see are piles of laundry. I often look around and feel overwhelmed by how much there is to get done. My sister-in-law, who is used to this, is a great example. ‘Tell yourself you’ll do an hour,’ she says. So I start a task and soon find myself on a roll as the Americans say. I try to tackle the worse jobs first thing. The only problem is becoming ruled by the merely urgent rather than concentrating on the important. I need help identifying what is a block and when I must wait patiently for the Lord’s timing. 

If the rain falls just as I finish hanging out the washing I still have to resist swearing, which must show that I'm not that mature in my faith yet. Does it make sense if I say that I try to be kind and gracious, to be generous and show gratitude, even if I don’t feel like it? That I ask the Holy Spirit not only to guide me but put the right words into my mouth? I fail of course but I do try to listen to God. The fact that pertinent Bible verses seem to find me at the right time bashes things home. I cling to the promises of God. ‘The obedient will be given a helper,’ is a great one. I claim that repeatedly and somehow the ironing gets done.

I love it when new doors open and pray for my strength to hold up when they do. Sometimes I am a little hesitant, asking ‘Is this really you, Lord?’ but it’s advisable to ask for confirmation. Please provide me with the scripture for this, as it's evaporated from my memory, but when confirmation comes from the Word there's nothing like it. I love living in the Lord’s will, walking in his ways. I should be braver. There have been times when I have taken risks so radical that I’ve needed daily miracles to survive but there are different seasons in our lives and the art of living well is to take time to appreciate the beauty in them all. 

Author Sophie Neville

A letter from Veritas College in Uganda

Daniel Munanura Hama, National College Director of Veritas College, which trains Pastors and church leaders, writes from Uganda:

'I am in a season of my life where God is challenging me about my heart’s motives; why I do what I do.
Why is a very important question; I am increasingly persuaded that we need to stop and ask ourselves why we do the things we do – as often as we can. This is especially the case when it relates to spiritual things.

'What is/are our truest motivation(s)?

'I would like to share why I am doing the ministry work that I do; why I am involved in Veritas College Uganda.

'About six years ago, I made a decision that would influence my life greatly; I was already a Christian but I felt like there was a certain amount of discontentment with my life as it was then; I actually felt that there were many things that God wanted me to do with my life that were yet undone and would remain undone unless I allowed Him to more prominently influence the course of my life. I wanted Him to reveal my calling, and more so, to show me practically how to live it.

'When you really know why you are doing what you are doing, and if that reason is true and noble, it is like a clearer and brighter light to your path. It helps you through the confusing times when the going gets tough or when it gets too easy – because both of those times have the potential to create confusion; they heighten or dull our emotions, blur our minds and challenge us spiritually. It is in those times that we need to check ourselves in the Lord, and it helps if He is our reason why.

'We need to stop and put our focus on Him and remind ourselves of His love for us and remind ourselves to love Him. I have seen this turn situations around.'


Training Coordinator Godfrey Ntale writes:

'I am married to Sarah and we have two boys and one girl Calvin, Nathaniel and Abigail. They all support my involvement with Veritas in Uganda. I work as the Training Coordinator and for me it has been a great experience to serve pastors and other church leaders in Uganda. Statistics show that the population of Uganda is 80% Christian, but this seems very inconsistent with what we experience when you consider what is represented through many media houses, in government, and in other social sectors. One thing that comes across clearly is that there is a lack of proper Bible understanding and application.

'During our training we occasionally receive testimonies from pastors confessing to us the wrong teachings they gave, and some even went ahead repenting to their congregations their wrong doctrines. This happens, not necessarily because of wrong motives on their part, but more often because of lack of proper training. The few Bible Schools in the country are “a drop in a desert" - they cannot reach the great number of churches whose leaders and congregants are in need of training. Worse still, the approach that most theological schools use requires that their students become residential at their institution, which means that the student – often already a leader of a church - needs to be away from his family and ministry, and this also means that the leaders have to be away from their work, be it ministry or tent making.

Veritas’ approach brings the training to where the leaders are. We train them and their congregants within their church setting, and encourage the church to own the training programs through a process known as Integrated Leadership Development, whereby leaders we train are empowered to integrate the same training into his/her own church/ministry by training their own people within their own context.

Pray with us:
 Thank you for the past year and the Lord’s provision in so many ways.
 Thank you for the new leadership and for them taking up their new roles and responsibilities.
 That the current “training season” will go well and that facilitators will be committed to train new leaders and empower them to also facilitate.
 That financial support will continue and grow.

May you and your family have a blessed Christmas time and may 2014 be a year where you will experience God’s grace in abundance!'


Equipping to serve … a new chapter in Uganda

It is an exciting time for the work in Uganda and as Veritas College International (VCI) we believe the new leadership will build on the solid foundation which was laid during the years by Richard van de Ruit and his team. Many leaders and the people they serve have been equipped to serve their churches and communities and we pray that many more will be impacted.

On all levels – administration, finances, training and follow-up – the new team has been working hard to keep the same level of service and even to improve on certain areas. As Daniel (National Director) and Godfrey (Training Coordinator) are not new hands in Veritas the training strategy for example was already improved by them a few years ago and we can see the impact of that now.

December 2013

Veritas College Uganda: PO Box 6016, Kampala, Uganda / danielhama@veritascollege.org

Veritas College International (UK): PO Box 100, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 5EU, UK

Veritas College International (SA): PO Box 3434, Matieland, 7602, South Africa / ivan@veritascollege.org

For donations please contact annelee@veritascollege.org

New Wine in Somerset

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On 4th August we are off to spend a week at the New Wine Conference near Shepton Mallet in Somerset.

I have volunteered to help at the Film Cafe run by Bible Society where we will be serving coffee, cakes and 'chocolate mountains' whilst showing much-loved feature films. The Festival starts on 27th July but we are going for the second week.

New Wine say ~
The Arena is our brand new venue where everyone can join together for worship, teaching and ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit. Coming together as a united family allows for powerful encounters with God.

Those looking for ‘something different’ there will be our morning Alternative Acoustic sessions in the Hungry venue. In an atmosphere of presence-led worship, Charlie and Anita Cleverly will teach into a biblical charismatic contemplative encounter with Christ.

Celebrations and Bible reading ~
Our evening celebrations have become a firm favourite with New Wine visitors and this year we are expanding on this with the introduction of a morning celebration. Both will have plenty of opportunity for worship, ministry and teaching.

After the morning celebration, at 11.15 Simon Ponsonby will bring us daily Bible teaching exploring the book of Romans. This will run in parallel with our normal morning seminar programme.

Live worship ~
Back by popular demand is our live worship album. To guarantee your copy you need to pre-order the album on site. This is a great way to rekindle all those New Wine memories and bring back the sound of summer!

Diary Room ~
Also new this year is our Diary Room. This is your opportunity to share with us how God is working in your life. Share your story with us, and you never know, you might see yourself up on the big screens in one of the main venues!

Are you free?  Can you come too?

For information about volunteering at the Bible Society Cafe click here

To find out more about the New Wine Festival please click here

Send a Bible, a Bible a Month ~

I learnt about Bible a Month in about 1984, as my flatmate had joined the scheme. I thought, 'That's a nice thing to do.' I wish I'd found out more. I didn't realise how inexpensive it was and went on my own merry way without joining.

In about 1996 I spotted some new Bibles, in the Tswana language, on a shelf in a junk shop where I lived in South Africa, selling for £1 each. I bought the lot to take with me to Botswana. They proved ideal gifts and I was asked to return with more. This was difficult as there were no longer any for sale in my town. I had to persuade a farmer, I knew was a Gideon, to let me have a box of New Testaments. Some were in Tswana. Some were in English –at the front - and Afrikaans at the back. One had a gold cover. 

As I was travelling into the Okavango Delta, on the back of a lorry, an American tourist asked me what was in the heavy box. 

'They are Bibles,' I explained. 

She was horrified, disgusted. But as soon as we arrived all the Botswanans rushed up, asking me, 

'Did you remember the Bibles?' 

The scathing expression on the American woman's face dissolved as she realised how much they had been longed for. Everyone wanted the one with a gold cover. I apologised as I gave the English/Afrikaans versions to those who spoke English. 

'No problem,' one Tswana lady told me. 'I shall use it to learn Afrikaans' and she did. 

Many of those Tswana people have now died of AIDS. I am very glad I took the Bibles to them. I fear the next box I took up was not received by those who really wanted them, and I couldn't keep going.  

Instead I started sending £10 a month to Bible Society, discovering that it was a much easier way to distribute Bibles than going into the Okavango on a lorry. It was only when I reached China that I understood that supporting Bible Society is probably one of the best investments you can make. When I was going around the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing I realised that my meagre gift had been able to subsidize a substantial amount of printing. I stood in front of a great stack of about 300 Bibles thinking, 

'Those are my Bibles!' 

Each one will be read by about five adults. That is a total of 1,500 people, all thirsting for the Word. They estimate that 10,000 a week are converting to Christianity in China, many in the poor rural areas where people only earn about £1.60 a day. It's imperative that they have access to Bibles in their own language. And these Bibles are so treasured, so appreciated, used by many who are learning to read. When we went up-country to help distribute the new Bibles were we heralded with trumpets and fire-crackers, welcomed by crowds of people. I walked up to the village with tears in my eyes, saying to myself, 'All I've done is to give £10 a month.' 

Is a Bible a life changing gift? Yes.

Is giving Bibles a matter of life and death? It can be. Providing Bibles for Prisoners in South Africa will save lives. Giving Bibles to the Military in Zimbabwe will save lives. Subsidising Bibles for the people of China could be more important than we can ever imagine. I believe lives will be saved.  

How do you impact a nation? Give a Bible a Month. It's not just 'a nice thing to do'.

To find out more about Bible Society please click here

Be strong and courageous...

April 1991 ~ the time when I was taken out of Egypt.

Like the some of Israelites, I wasn't sure I wanted to go, but I went down with the plague and had little choice in the matter. No choice. I lost my job in London after falling ill with CFS or ME (or CFIDS as it's know in the states.)

Despite a few trials, I managed to cross the Read Sea and rather enjoyed wandering around in the wilderness. For me, this entailed spending twelve years in southern Africa, ever travelling and often camping in the desert. I was tempted to cast idols and make a fool of myself but got to actually study the Ten Commandments and rather enjoyed sleeping out under the stars.

On 1st January 2004 I was given the verse from Joshua 1 v 9, Be strong and courageous,  not knowing that this would lead me into the Promised Land. In June that year I met a widower, a man I thought the Lord might want me to marry. I was praying for confirmation when I noticed a ring on his little finger and asked what was inscribed on it.

'Fortiter et Fideliter,' he declared.

'Strength and Courage'. I crossed the River Jordan.

You can read more 

about how I came out of Egypt here 

One Verse - from this season's 'Word in Action'

Sophie Neville

An extract from Funnily Enough ~

24^th April ~ When I was breaking down in the office, I kept muttering, ‘Oh Jesus. Help; give me strength.’ A prayer of desperation. I was trying hard not to cry but had fallen down under my desk and was grasping the edge of the filing cabinet, determinedly saying to myself, ‘I can cope, this is just a dizzy spell.’ Only a huge pile of scripts slid on top of me. Then the Manager’s Assistant came in, discovered me groaning under this mound of pink paper, heaved me up and off to see the doctor. ‘Well, Lord, I’m still ill. If you’re in control, please tell me what’s happening.’

I lie looking at the ceiling. Nothing’s happening. I’m not getting any better. One thing’s for sure: this illness just proves how terribly weak and vulnerable I am. It’s made me realise the astonishingly obvious fact that I only have one body and it’s not disposable. It is certainly not meant to be demolished by slogging away on some wretched series. As my Department Manager, said, ‘In the end, it’s just another television programme. If you were run over by a white van I would have to replace you.’

Had I let working in telly become my idol, my raison d’être? Alastair says if we let our jobs totally define us, it is of course gutting if they dissolve overnight. I have a horrid feeling that I’d let pride slip in too. I didn’t mean to boast, it’s so ugly, but when people at a drinks party ask you what you do, they never fail to be impressed when you say that you work in TV or the media. Pathetic isn’t it? The self-justification I think I held in place, was that it took so much hard work and determination to become a television director I felt I deserved to be able to say something for myself. None-the-less, like grotty old T-shirts, these vanities have to be flung out. I want God to be able to accept me, use me. Otherwise what’s this life all about?