October 2007

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.

"SUDDENLY, IT'S SPRING"

One can scarcely believe it, but 75% of the year has evaporated into the mists of time. The fact of life in the Southern hemisphere is that, almost rudely, suddenly it's spring! The seasons change, the swallows arrive back home, flowers bloom and fade, but God's love for us remains as constant, steady and visible as the Southern Cross in the clear night sky. It remains timeless, unchanging, unaltered, unaffected by the seasons. The question echoes down the passageways of each of our lives: what are we doing here? What is our response to this Love?

• Spring is accompanied by what one can almost describe as a breath of fresh air. It brings along feelings of newness. The trees and the grass turn green; there are blossoms all around bringing added beauty and a chance to begin all over again.

In our dry seasons of life we often feel lifeless and everything seems dull and demands effort. God grants us a new opportunity in which we are able to grow, contribute constructively, encourage others and behave with such ease. That is the Spring season one we all enjoy and appreciate.
- Nancy Herron, AURM Administrative manager

• And suddenly it is summer! And with it comes the feeling to come out of "hibernation" into the fullness of God's presence to praise him for his goodness and majesty. With it also come the feeling to make new decisions and choices. We have come through some disappointments in the last few weeks. However, God has great things in store for us as long as we trust him for all that is to come. I heard such a profound truth the other day: "You are living as close to God as you want to." We will continue to strive for making Anathoth, and all that it stands for, a shining beacon of hope and encouragement so that all who benefit by our services will be able to live closer and closer to the Living God every day.
- Renny Stoltz, AURM accountant

• Living up the Cape West Coast where the spring flowers attract people from all over the world, I cannot but be aware that it's spring. The breathtaking beauty brings home the fact that our Creator God is awesome! For months however there has been no sign of any growth, through the dark, grey and cold winter months and then the new shoots burst through the soil and suddenly we see the spectacular carpets of spring flowers of many colours. Our lives are much like that. So often we do all that we can to grow spiritually and become despondent because nothing seems to be happening. We wait and wait and wait. But suddenly the new buds shoot forth in our lives, not because of us, but because of His Holy Spirit that has all the time been quietly at work within us. Our Creator God has His perfect time and a season for everything. Suddenly it too is spring in our lives and His abundant beauty shines out and as the spring flowers lift their faces to the Sun our faces too are lifted to the Son.
- Elaine Richardson, AURM Western Cape Marketing

• In the Southern Hemisphere it is springtime again. Spring is a time for new things, a time of renewal and development. As we look around we witness so many signs of new beginnings. There are new leaves and buds on the trees and so we can carry on. Spring in the Christian context is a time to reflect on all the new things that God is doing in our lives and all around us; of all the new things that he has in store of each one of us. It's a good time to stop and take stock of our relationship with the Lord. It's a time to marvel and appreciate the wonder of God's creation, and thank God for the opportunity to witness all these new things happening in and around us. May we all make use of this time of new things to reflect what new things God wants to do in our lives.
- John Mitchley, AURM books

•We have evidence of Spring all around us. Flowers, rain, new life everywhere and the South Easter are blowing in Cape Town. While we celebrate and give thanks I was challenged by this prayer written on a cell wall by a Jewish prisoner.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when I cannot feel it.
I believe in God even when he is silent.

The signs of spring are always there if only we would look and see.
- Gavin Leverton,

• Every day on my way to work I see a row of young trees growing at the edge of a car park. Significantly it's the tree in the middle that catches the eye. The leaves on this one are richly green, while those on either side of it are sprouting more slowly, many of the branches still bare. It's as if the tree in the centre is saying: I'm going to stand up and make a difference. Is there a lesson for us here perhaps?
- Beatrice Smith, African-English editor of The Upper Room

• Anathoth? It was first explained to me as being a piece of land bought in faith. So in faith I visited Anathoth. Wide spaces, bright sunshine, birds, and dogs sniffing my credentials were the greetings I received. I loved the place and saw that it was definitely not a place for devils, so I left mine at the gate.

Anathoth has become for me a sanctuary where mind and soul can be expanded. Friendly folks, always happy to welcome visitors, smile when you arrive. My favorite spot is the book room. There are titles to indulge my spirituality, my creativity and many of my other passions. I often cannot resist buying more than one copy of certain books. These I use as presents to awaken in the recipients a love for reading good Christian literature. I leave happy and fulfilled and find at the gate fewer devils than I arrived with.
- Winifred Montgomery,

Suddenly it's Spring and the first serious thunderstorms struck the Eikenhof area on Saturday night. Power lines are down, telephone services totally disrupted, trees uprooted. A scene of mass destruction greeted us Monday morning. The damage caused at Anathoth, I hear you ask? Zero, nothing, nil, bar a tree in one extreme corner of the property that was uprooted. God's timely reminder that his protection is all-embracing, and beyond our wildest imagination.

We go forward,
The Staff at Africa Upper Room Ministries