Word reached Phil and Elin Henderson last month that there was strife and disunity building in one of the believers’ groups among the Mwinika. Two of the Bible teachers were not seeing eye-to-eye and others had taken sides. The main Bible teacher of one group had left and was attending another believers’ group in the next village up the road.
They knew that they needed to sort things out. A meeting was called of all the main church leaders and Bible teachers. Phil sent over several passages from 1 Corinthians on church unity (a book the believers have already studied through together). Two weeks ago, the group of leaders got together, studied through what God has to say about unity and resolved their issues. The two men with the conflict both sent messages and they recorded the beautiful prayer of the oldest man there and sent it to us. One of the men said, “We are like new born babies, everything is new and fresh.”
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! Psalms 133:1
Phil and Elin have had a wonderful two months in the San Diego area getting to know their church family.
Phil is currently in West Africa for a church planting consultant visit. This is his first trip in over a year and he was excited to be able to get back to a little bit of “normal” for him. He will be meeting with several of the different church planting teams there, encouraging them and being encouraged by them.
As soon as he returns they will start packing and heading back East again for Elin’s oncology follow-up visits and to get ready to head back to Mozambique later this month, Lord willing.
Their kids are doing really well at their respective schools.
Please pray:
- For safety for Phil while travelling and for a beneficial time for all involved in these consultant visits
- For Phil and Elin as they travel East – for safety and for a good medical check for Elin
- For their visas for Mozambique. They lost their residency visa due to the length of stay in the USA. They are looking for alternative ways for them to return and stay for six months
- For their children as they make future plans – for direction for Callie as she thinks about what she wants to do next and for Elias to decide where to study in the autumn
- For the Mwinika people as they continue to grow in grace, truth and unity
- For Mozambique as it struggles with rising COVID-19 cases
As their time in the USA comes to a close and God opens the door for them to return to Mozambique, they stand in awe, looking back at His ongoing goodness, provision, strength, and healing over this past year and a half. They have had a lot of the unexpected, but He has sustained them.