May 2000

 

 

Dear Saints,

 

The end of the 1999-2000 school year is upon us.  Since our last newsletter in March, the Lord enabled us to open up 6 new campuses, one new Country, and four new Churches.

 

First, I want to relay to you a blessing that I received last March.  Bro, Chris Whiffen, a Pastor in Florida, along with his son Christopher, blessed our hearts with this testimony.  Bro. Chris, the Pastor, had purchased our "Bro. Jim Live" tape.  The Pastor and his son drive to work together.  The son had been backslid for three years.  The Pastor played my tape while he and his son were in the truck driving to work.  The son then listened to it several times by himself.  Christopher states, that, the Holy Ghost used that tape to bring heavy conviction to his heart and mind.  He surrendered his heart to the Lord shortly thereafter on Jan. 3rd, 2000.  As of today, Christopher is still in Church doing great!  Praise The Lord!!!

 

This past March, I traveled to South Africa for a ten-day trip with one of my Attorney friends, Jim Elsman.  South Africa is Africa's only "First World" Country.  South Africa, like America, had been, until six years ago, a British Colony.  Therefore, all of Europe and Americas' influence has contributed greatly to the modernization and technological advancement of South Africa.  In the past 6 years though, South Africa has seen their once stable Rand plummet in value to 6.6 to 1 U.S. dollar.  The new government has instituted 100% Affirmative Action in all work places.  They repealed their Death Penalty, resulting in a sky rocketing crime rate.  Drug and alcohol addictions are rapidly climbing, thus, perpetuating more crime.  One third of Sub-Saharan Africa is infected with A.I.D.S., meaning that, in ten years or less, one third of their population will die.  What a MISSION FIELD!!!

 

We stayed in Cape Town for four nights.  Cape Town reminded me of San Francisco, Ca, and Key West, Fl. To me, it seemed like the Sodomites had taken over.  My Attorney friend did not bring his Judges' robe due to its size, but he did bring his Gavel.  South Africa is still under English Common Law, therefore, they recognize Free Speech.  We preached at the University Of Cape Town.  The University Of Cape Town is a typical University in regards to racial population, that is, it has a complete mixture of all races.  We found the center of Campus, a huge concrete stairway leading up to the Auditorium.  When we arrived, I would estimate, that, approximately 1000 students were within the free speech area.  Mr. Elsman pounded his gavel on a nearby light post and opened Court for that day.  He turned it over to me after his introduction.  I preached for several hours.  The students, to my dismay, behaved exactly like American students.  They were vulgar, obscene, rude, and proud of their sinful lives.

 

Our next campus was Stellenbosch University.  It is referred to as, "The Harvard of South Africa."  Stellenbosch has over a 90% white student population.  It reminded me of our Ivy League Schools in many ways, in its cleanliness, the stately architecture and in the acumen of the student body, or in other words, the students possessed a higher cultural level of sin.  We were invited to speak that night, on a live, one hour, radio broadcast, originating from the Campus radio station.  The station had set up a one-hour debate on the topic, "The Legalization of Marijuana."  How American can you get?

 

On our side, there were two Psychologists, one Lawyer and a preacher.  On their side, they had one dirty hippie, a Law student and some other student.  The Psychologists presented the case that Marijuana causes "Anti Motivational Syndrome."  It was hilarious to watch this lazy bum hippie try to convince us that he was not a lazy bum.  I presented the fact that Marijuana is a "gate way" drug, that is, it leads to the usage of harder drugs. Our opponents insisted that it was not a "gate way" drug.  I waited a half hour and asked them if they had ever tried any harder drugs.  The hippie boasted, "Yeah man."  The Law student took the Fifth, while the other student said, "Yes."  They were so blinded by sin, that, they never even realized that they had just contradicted themselves thus admitting that marijuana was indeed a gate way drug.

 

We thank you for your love and prayers.

 

Brother Jim - Sister Bonnie - Aaron - Gabrielle