July 2007 Report

Anathoth is the headquarters of Africa Upper Room Ministries. On five acres of land near Johannesburg, South Africa, it takes its name from the Jeremiah passage in which land at Anathoth is purchased as a sign of hope for the future. Anathoth is, for Upper Room Ministries, a sign of hope for the future of Africa. This newsletter from staff-person Roland Rink brings news from this important ministry.

"The Road Ahead"

As we have just reached the middle of the year, we felt it appropriate to take a peek at the immediate future of AURM. Below are personal thoughts from the staff on the topic of "The Road Ahead." (View pictures of a recent snow at Anathoth. The last snow was 26 years ago.)

As we find ourselves at the beginning of the second half of the year, we are noticing that we are making a bigger and bigger mark on the community around us. The astounding response we have had from people reading more and more of our books has been heartwarming! I have heard comments such as "Your books have so much more substance and depth than those available locally," especially from the clergy. The circle of Upper Room daily devotional subscribers is growing steadily. The fact that we have increased sales is not as important to us as the joy we experience knowing that more and more people are spending more and more spiritual growth time with our Lord God. The road ahead demands that we make more effort in making Christ known through the ministry to which he has called the staff at Africa Upper Room Ministries.
- Renny Stoltz (AURM accountant, Pretoria, South Africa)

Change is never easy. It's always accompanied by doubt, fear and anxiety. These emotions are natural yet can have a very negative effect. Doubt brings the aspect of whether to go ahead, fear the uncertainty of what to expect and anxiety asks "will it work out or not." Irrespective of all this, change sometimes is inevitable and necessary and is in most cases a good thing. Reflecting on Africa Upper Room Ministries the last three years one can certainly say there have been times when change was necessary especially in the operations area. We grappled with some of the decisions that were required. All three aspects of change kicked in and when we finally accepted that it had to happen we realized that our struggle was partly unnecessary. Maybe because we were relying on our own energies and failed to realize that any development without God's guidance is a futile exercise. As we look back we now realize that through it all God was present and our dreams became a reality because it is part of God's plan. The daily devotional guide is growing and has reached the point where more change is necessary. I trust that as we move forward we will learn to TRUST God more and make FAITH the essential part of our planning.
- Nancy Herron (AURM administration, Gauteng, South Africa)

Winter months are very difficult ones for me, as it is hard to see new life when all around is either dead or dying. I have to remind myself that summer is just around the corner and, with it, the promise of new life. It seems to me as if we are coming out of winter into summer at Anathoth. We are constantly being reminded that things are growing and changing as the organization develops. More and more people are becoming aware of AURM's existence. We notice with excitement the change we are making in people's lives through the resources offered by us. As they grow spiritually, so do we. I have witnessed the change of seasons within the organization and am excited by the developments. I am aware that none of these would have been possible without the presence of the One who guides and sustains our efforts. There is much more that AURM can offer both to South Africa and to Africa. As we go forward let us not be distracted by fear and doubt but focus positively on ensuring that all we do is in accordance with our dream of "offering every African the opportunity to spend time with God each day" and that people's lives are healed and transformed.
- John Mitchley (AURM books, Gauteng, South Africa)

In thinking of the way forward for AURM, everyone in the team charged with the task of making this dream a reality ought to ask some basic questions; where AURM has come from, where AURM is currently, how has AURM come this far, and what needs to be done to keep the dream well, alive, and on course! I'm persuaded that the challenges involved have been extremely big and it must have cost a lot of self-sacrifice, commitment and dedication; with some degree of unshakable faith/belief in the vision and mission of AURM. This reminds me of Nehemiah, chapter 2. While he had everything he might have needed and therefore some good reason to relax and calm himself, he could not rest until the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt and up again! This is a challenging lesson that, in my opinion, we need to learn from.
- Philip Polo (AURM distributor, Kenya)

So that we may truly be called Africa Upper Room Ministries, I would dearly love to see more locals writing meditations for the devotional guide. Also, I am sure our retired clergy we met at the editors' conference last October must have a treasury of stories to share after many years in the ministry. I'm sure our lives would be enriched by their allowing us to read these. How about it, abefundisi?
- Bea Smith (African English editor, Cape Town, South Africa)

Towards the end of last year Roland made the comment that we are in the seed sowing business. This Sunday just passed, there was an editorial in a leading newspaper bewailing the fact that South Africans are reading less and less as the years go by. Given the fact that we do our sowing through the written word it would appear that there is a serious problem. So where do we go from here? We can throw up our arms in surrender or we can look for God's guidance in finding the way forward. In choosing the latter, may I suggest the following: that we try to discover what it really means to be AFRICA URM.

The Upper Room for me is about relationships. To afford every African an opportunity to spend time with God each day is to work on relationships. For a good relationship to take shape there is need for people, there is need for happiness. For any person to manage to complete a project, the atmosphere that they operate from must be of happiness and joy. Seek God's happiness.
- Ike Moloabi (AURM marketing, Gauteng, South Africa)

Choose for us our whole Condition
In our pilgrimage below,
All that stands in competition
With thy blessed will orethrow;
Tear away the rival creature
Till we fully taste and see
Good the Gift, but Thou are better,
Happiness is all in Thee.
- Charles Wesley

We go forward!
The staff of Africa Upper Room Ministries