AFRICA

VISION
May 1983

Ron Elerick Family

Vol. 9 - No. 1

VICTORY AT NOLETSHENI
In mid-February, Dave & Colleen Brown came to spend the weekend with us in Eshowe. Dave went
with me to

preach at Ndletsheni, which is an area near Hluhlue.

Just a mile or-two from the

kraal where the meeting was being held, the timing chain gear broke. We had been following Bro..
Johnstone Gumede who had a van load of people. Knowing he would return to help us, we just
prayed and committed the problem to God.

Johnstone returned and towed us into Hluhlue where we

could safely leave the truck, and then we went to the service.

On entering the stick and mud

shelter, we sang one song then Bro, Johan Mkwanazi stood up and told us not to worry about what

had just happened. He said that we could have his new Datsun pickup to use to get home. His
truck had only 5,000Km on the clock. We were very moved by this expression of brotherly love.
The Lord continued to bless the service and both Dave and I were able to minister. As the invi

tation was given, several people came and knelt down in front of the congregation. Three people
accepted Christ and the others wanted special prayer. One of the women who came to accept
Christ had "nyanga" (colored strings tied to both arms which she had purchased from the witch

doctor). I taught her that to receive Jesus meant giving up her faith in these things. So she
took them off. After the meeting was closed in prayer, and before the baptismal service, we
went outside where after teaching the people the reasons, I prayed over the "nyanga" and burned
it as a testimony to the power of the Lord,

We then all traveled a few kilometers where there

was a place with enough water, and after Dave read from the Bible and prayed, Bro. Gumede bap
tized Florence Ntshangase, Philiswe Khumalo, and Hlen-giwe Zungu.

Two weeks later, I was asked to come and preach again at this same kraal. Again, the power
of God was present and thirteen people came forward at the invitation. Seven requested special
prayer and six accepted Christ as Lord. The Spirit of God is moving among these people and we
thank God for the responses we have witnessed in the past few weeks in northern Zululand, This
has been the very first time that anyone has

been willing to publicly give up their nyanga

received from the witchdoctor.

a very strong impact

upon all

This has had

the Zulu

who

have heard about it. Please continue to pray

that more will receive Jesus, and that the
power satan has on the people will be broken.

Pray for me as I travel among these people,

that the Lord will c'ontinue to show me the
spiritual needs and how He would have me min
ister to them.

H.

Rhonda
Nathan

-4^31?!!^

Susan

Wencly

Summer

Our children are growing up quite fasti We

left Ainerica almost seven years ago with 3
little girls and are returning with 3 young
women, plus a little sister and brother.

All of the children in school are doing

very well now. Rhonda and Susan are in speech
and drama this term

Bro, Gumede Baptizing

and Rhonda had her first

netball game recently.

Summer has started preschool and is enjoy

ing it very much. All are looking forward to

seeing America and visiting with you.

Dear Co-Laborer's in Christ

The first four months of this year have nearly passed, and these months have been busy ones
for us in Zululand. We continue to minister during the week at Entumeni, with most weekends
finding me out among the Zulu. I have been preaching mainly in an area between Mtubatuba to
Hluhlue. We have several preaching points in this district. Cindi went with me to a kraal out

side of Mtubatuba the second week of January and sang and testified.

It was really good being

able to travel together again. Raising a busy and growing family keeps her quite busy.
The third Sunday, Caiphas Ncanana, along with three men, Johan, Dladla, and Johan went with

me to old Shandu's place near Mtubatuba.

He was away on holiday, but we still had a very good

service with nearly 100 in attendance. I had been preaching about being faithful to our com
mitment to Christ, instead of calling on the witchdoctor and the power of satan. On leaving
Shandu's kraal, just a hundred yards away, we saw a witchdoctor dancing at another man's house
doing the things we spoke about in church. The power of the witchdoctor is extremely strong,
yet it is encouraging to see the victories'
that have resulted from our meetings.
February found me nearer Hluhlue, and in
March I preached once near the Umfolozi River
and most recently at Entumeni.
Our weeks are fulll Monday mornings Cindi
teaches a Bible study at Entumeni for the
women. Tuesday nights I have one for the men
and on Wednesday nights we have Bible study
for everyone.
Floyd Stamm had a heart attack and was un
able to teach this past term at Umzumbe Bible
Institute near Port Shepstone.
Lynn Stanley
asked me to fill in, so I spent Thursdays and
Fridays there until after Easter.
I taught
the Life of Christ.

Cindi and I attend

Zulu

classes on Friday afternoons on a farm near

Amatikhulu, and then afterwards we hold Bible
studies with Paul and Trish Bergh who were
baptized a few months ago.
We deeply appreciate each one of you who

has prayed for us

work

Congregation at Shandu's

and supported our Lord's

both in Malawi

Zululand.

and now

continuing

in

Please continue to keep us in-your

prayers.

Because Jesus Cares,

Ron

The Elericks will return to the States some

time in August for a long overdue and much

needed furlough. Plans are notfinalized yet as
to the length of their stay, but we'll keep you
informed. We will need to raise approximately
$13,000 for round-trip air fare and we are

attempting to have supporting congregations

adopt the full expense for a particular family
member. Eastern Heights of Ponca City will
underwrite Ron and First Christian at Medford, where Cindi's dad. Bill Bushnell minis
ters, will adopt Nathan. See if your congrega-

Johan

Dladla

Johan

tion will help!

AFRICA
VISION
Field Address:
Ron and Cindi Elerick

P.O. Box 377

Eshowe, Zululand, 3815

Republic of South Africa

Zululand Christian Mission

c/o Eastern Heights Christian Church

Route 2Box 88

Ponca City, OK 74601

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID
permit No. 32

Sharlotte Ray
Mission Services Assn.
Box 2427

Knoxville, TN
Forwarding Address

Nonprofit Org.

ADDRESS
CORRECTION
REQUESTED

37901

AFRICA
VISION
dMMm
Vol. 9 - No. 2

Ron Elerick Family

July 1983

Alter 7 Veers, Ihe lierick's llelurn to ilie II. S.

If all continues as planned, on Wednesday, August 10, 1983, when American Airlines Flight 329
touches down at Tulsa International Airport, the Ron Elerick family will have returned to the
States after nearly seven years on African soil.
Ron and Cindi (his bride of four months) to
gether with Rhonda, Susan, and Wendy left Oklahoma on October 18, 1976, to return to Malawi and
the country that had claimed the life of Ron's first wife and the girls' mother.
The ministry
continued in Malawi until continued health problems forced a move to Johannesburg, South Africa
and service with Stu and Marilyn Cook and the Aletheia Ministry, For the past three years they
have lived in Eshowe and ministered primarily with the Zulus. The family postponed a long overdue furlough until the four-year residency requirement was fulfilled so they could acquire the
Permanent Resident Visa status.

Summer and Nathan, the two youngest children, will accompany their parents to the States, but
the three older girls will remain in Eshowe until the end of November when the current school
year will end. Rhonda and Susan are being boarded at a hostel and Wendy is staying with Frank
and Allison Blair, friends viho minister in Eshowe.
The family will be reunited the last of
November and then all will return to South Africa before the first of the year because of Visa
requirements.
The four and one-half months will provide a time to renew relationships with many friends and
congregations but will of necessity be a "working furlough". All major supporting congregations
must receive a report on ministry "past" and be challenged for ministry "future".
Additional
one-time offerings are
Service Link must be raised if the v/ork is to continue and additional
needed to purchase a new four-wheel drive pickup and to equip it with a generator so a projector and amplifier can be used.
Ron has an aggressive new approach to evangelizinq the Zulu
and this will be implemented when he returns. The emphasis of the work will be to "b uild upon
no man's foundation", but rather to evange
lize, nurture, and mature new converts into

strong disciples and to establish strong New

Testament congregations. Government recogni
tion is now being obtained and another mis
sionary has been added to the Living Link of
Eastern Heights Christian Church, Ponca City,
as a co-worker with Ron, (A future newsletter
will introduce this new family to you.) As
Ron reports to the churches, he will explain
in detail the future plans and how you can be
a vital part of this outreach ministry.
During furlough, the Elerick's will make
Ponca City their home base. A house has been
rented and preparations are underv/ay to make
their ^'home away from home" livable and en
joyable. The Elerick's will make their visits
in a Pontiac station wagon that the Central
Christian

Church

of

Dodge City, Kansas, is

making available. (Our thanks to Clyde Goff,

minister of the fine people there.)
If you're within driving .distance of Tulsa,
you might plan to be part of the welcoming
committee on the evening of August 10. Bring
a banner and join the crowd for a personal
"welcome home" touch.
(You might call Ponca

City that day just to see if Ron is on sched

ule.
Call 405/765-3956 (church) or 762-5166
(Hap Prough) or 765-7761 (forwarding agents,
George and Hazel O'Mealey.)

Airlift needs Lift Speaking DaU>

It's not only thousands of miles from South
Africa to America, it is also thousands of
dollars. Thirteen thousand dollars at least.
Thirteen thousand that the

General Fund does

not have.
Therefore, we have asked some of
our supporting congregations to "airlift" a

family member home to the States. The approx

imate ticket cost per adult is $2,200, with
the two younger children coming for half
fare. Only Ron, Cindi, Sunmer and Nathan will
be returning in August and their tickets have
been underwritten by these churches:
Ron's fare was underwritten by the EASTERN

Due

to

Visa

requirements, the

Elerick^s

must be back in South Africa before the first

of the year. This schedule permits less than

five months to report to the churches and to

visit family and friends.

Since they have
been in Africa for seven years without a fur
lough, we anticipate that the requests for
speaking engagements

will

able time, especially

exceed the avail

in light

of

Sundays

available. Therefore, a schedule must be de

termined immediately.
Of necessity, prefer

ence must be given to those congregations

that have faithfully supported Ron the past

HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN CHURCH of PONCA CITY, the

seven years.

Elerick's Living Link Church.

Eastern Heights Christian Church immediately

and schedule their preferred date.
A Friday
night, Saturday night and Sunday Mission em
phasis would certainly give ample time for

Cindi's and Sunmer's

the

fares

were covered

DAVIS PARK CHRISTIAN CHURCH

bv

of

ENID,

for by the

FIRST

home church for Cindi.

Nathan's ticket was

paid

CHRISTIAN CHURCH of MEDFORD where Bill

and

Phyllis Bushnell, Cindi's parents minister.

Since Rhonda, Susan, and Wendy will not be
able to fly home until November, we have a
little

more time

to raise their fares.

The

situation at the present is this:

Rhonda's ticket:

The

SANDUSKY AVENUE CHRIS

TIAN CHURCH of TULSA will receive a special

offering for this.
Susan's fare has been underwritten by the
HIGHLAND PARK CHRISTIAN CHURCH of TULSA.

Wendy's travel fund has received

PARKVIEW

CHRISTIAN

CHURCH

OF

gifts from
CHICKASAW,

$400, JONES CHRISTIAN CHURCH of JONES, $405

and MR. & MRS^BILL BUSHNELL of ENID, $100.

" This means thafwe still need $1,300 on
Wendy's ticket and possibly additional help

on Rhonda (pending the results of the special

offering).
We are now making an appeal to any congre
gations or individuals to share in meeting
this need. Any funds in excess of the needed
total will be used for the purchase of the

These churches should

both the congregations and

get "reqcquainted".
The next preference

contact

the Elerick's

in scheduling must be

given to those congregations who have not

supported regularly in the past, but who de
sire to be a regular giving partner in this
ministry in the future.
We will schedule as
many of these as time permits.
We understand that there will be many con
gregations whose mission giving is already
committed on a regular basis but who would
still like the opportunity to hear a report
from the Elerick's and to share in a one-time

offering

to assist

in the

purchase

of the

specially equipped (for visual evangelism)

four-wheel drive vehicle. We may have a lim^
ited number of Sundays available, but cer
tainly meetings during the week can be sched
uled.

We are sorry that we must establish a pri

ority in scheduling, as Ron feels strongly
that he has a mission in the States

lenge churches
the

to see

of

one

new four-wheel drive pickup.

We are most encouraged by the above re

sponse to our "AIRLIFT" needs. Let's "lift"

Lord's Day,

it over the topi

than five months.

share with all

to chal

the need and to catch

Vision of African Evangelism.

furlough

year

would

A normal

permit Ron to

interested congregations on a

but this

cannot be done in less

e
AFRICA
VISION
Field Address;
Ron and Cindi Elerick
P.O. Box 377

Eshowe, Zululand, 3815

Republic of South Africa

ADDRESS
CORRECTtON
REQUESTED
Sharlotte Ray
Mission Services Assn
Box 2427

Knoxville, TN
Forwarding Address
Zululand Christian Mission

c/o Eastern Heights Christian Church

Route 2Box 88

Ponca City, OK 74601

to

37901

Nonprofit Or|.
U.S. POSTAGE

PAID
Pormit No. 32