September 2007 South African Base for PIH/Iris Africa Churches

"The two-week intensive Bible school sessions are now held every month. Although we have a mini graduation at the end of each two-week session, we are greatly anticipating ‘fully' graduating some members of the first Bible school session that was held four years ago! We are planning to do that during the annual Youth Conference, to be held the last weekend of September. Over the last four years, these pastors will have completed forty courses, totalling nearly 500 hours of instruction. You can imagine their anticipation of this event!

"Additionally, we have a good crop of other students well into their studies, and others who are planning to begin later this year. Our Harvest Bible College in South Africa is small and not all of our students are pastors or members of Iris churches. The presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in our college has attracted pastors from other churches and now from neighbouring countries. Our current entrance group range from a 20 year old high-school graduate, to a seasoned grey-haired pastor from a different denomination. From the outset the Lord has also included a small contingency of women in each class. Amazingly, the education level of each group ranges from those with little formal schooling to those who are former high-school graduates. Regardless of education, all learn well from the Spirit!

"The planned Children's Centre has run into land acquisition problems. Things seem to be opening up in this regard and we hope to be able to move ahead very soon. In the meantime we seek to care for the orphans in the area, to the best of our ability.

"We recently welcomed two new missionaries to our team. Both are mature individuals from the USA with experience in short-term overseas missions, and both are graduates from our Iris Holy Given missionary training school in Pemba, Mozambique. We also eagerly anticipate a British pastor and his wife joining us in the next while."