October 2006 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.

It has been an exceptionally busy month at Anathoth! Amongst the highlights were:

The non-swimmers amongst the children who attend bible study on Saturday afternoons finally began their swimming lessons. Our thanks to Karen our new-found swimming instructor. Soon the children will have gained a new life skill.

We have been intimately involved in the creation of a new resource for those suffering from life-threatening diseases. Entitled Prayers for Encouragement this "pocket prayers" resource booklet will soon be available in a number of languages. The English edition should be available by the 1st December as our contribution towards World HIV & AIDS Day activities, and will be followed by French, Portuguese, Kiswahili, IsiZulu, and other languages in the early part of 2007. Please let us know as soon as possible how many of these prayer booklets you would like for your own church and the wider ecumenical community in which you live. Whilst the prayer booklet will be made available worldwide at no charge to the end-user, you are welcome to send donations to offset the cost of printing and distribution. Send your enquiries about financial contributions to Frances Saus at fsaus@GBOD.org.

The third bi-annual African Editor Conference. People traveled long distances from countries such as Cameroon, Egypt, Kenia, Angola, Mozambique and the United States to be with us. This was our third conference, and it was exciting to hear how The Upper Room daily devotional guide has spread into many parts of the African continent.

Some of the participant reflections:

• "The Upper Room editor conference was such a gain to us participants and those we serve at home. Friendship and fellowship blossomed among the members." - Amos Fadane (Supernumery marketing)
• "During the 3rd Editor Conference it has been an encouragement for me and an eye opener. I have received more revelation and insight. This is very good. Reformation is only possible we receive a revelation." - Sammy Gumbe (Mozambique distributor)
• "The inputs during the sessions have been both interesting and stimulating. Couple this with lots of fun, fellowship and God and all I can say is that it has been a wonderful and blessed three days" - Gavin Leverton (Cape Town marketing)
• "A truly blessed time of learning, fellowship and God's presence. Thank you one and all for your contribution." - Elaine Richardson (Western Cape Coast marketing)
• "The most informative part was the revelation of the extent of the work and operation of Upper Room. I appreciated the 'holiday' from translation and was enriched by meeting new representatives. The bubble grows bigger." - Winifred Montgomery (French Editor)
• "I celebrate the growth that has happened over the past few years -- the devotional guide, book publications and many other valuable resources. I also celebrate the company of the editors and other staff who make work pleasant and enjoyable." - Roy Govender (Author Group reflections, Kwa Zulu Natal)
• "The 2006 Africa Upper Room Conference was refreshing, empowering and renewing. New ideas have been gained." - Andreas Ntlhokoa (Supernumery marketing)
• "The conference has been great. It was a rare honour and opportunity to meet the supernumeries, people wearing the whole face of Africa and much more, the face of Upper Room. It was an eye opener in much more ways and we look forward to a more joint effort in affording all Africans the opportunity to spend time with God daily." Philip Polo (Kenya/East Africa distributor) (Note: Philip elected to attend the conference whilst his wife was giving birth to their first child. A son. Philip is looking for a name for his son that will embody his time with us. Any ideas will be gratefully received.)
• "It was such a joy and privilege for me to meet those editors and distribution agents who came to the conference and to put a face to those who are our hands and feet in far away countries of Egypt, Kenya, Angola and Mozambique.
• "Two years ago, when I was very new on the staff and didn't know much of who was who; I met Dr. Albert Isteero for the first time. He made such an impression on me as being such a dignified, wonderful man. To meet with him again and to listen to his experiences of being an editor of the Arabic issue, again confirmed his dedication and commitment to his calling. Thank you, sir." - Renny Stoltz (AURM accountant)

Having equipped folk to run local writer workshops in their own countries, thanks to the training provided by our world editor Stephen Bryant, we look forward to receiving many devotions from all parts of Africa in the future. Fact is, the variety of heart-felt faith stories from people all over the world continues to make The Upper Room daily devotional guide a compelling resource for those seeking to get into the discipline of spending time with God each day.

"Spirituality is about seeing. It's not about earning or achieving. It's about relationship rather than results or requirements. Once you see, the rest follows." (From the book Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr.)

We go forward,
Roland Rink