1. SA GIDEON
www.gideons.co.za
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL IN SOUTH AFRICA
October 2016
{Acts 1:8}
“BUT YOU WILL
RECEIVE POWER...”
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2016 | INDIANAPOLIS - FEEDBACK
GOD BRINGS A HARVEST IN UGANDA
380 FRIENDS OF GIDEONS IN ONE MONTH!

2. Banking Details
First National Bank, Pretoria
Branch code: 25 14 45
Cheque Account: 510 608 41497
P.O. Box 11263, Hatfield, 0028
Tel: (012) 460 7241/2
Fax: (012) 460 8552
email: info@gideonssa.org
INDEX
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www.gideons.co.za
facebook.com/GideonsinternationalSouthAfrica
@TheGideonsinSA
The Gideons Intl in SA
www.gideons.co.za
The Editorial
“But you will receive power…” • Corné de Jager
“But you will receive power…” • Cecile Smit
International Convention 2016 - Feedback • Christo van der Schyff
Running alongside others • The Gideons International
God brings a harvest in Uganda • The Gideons International
380 Friends of Gideons in ONE month! • Rickert Marais
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Design & Layout: Black Ink Graphix, 078 348 5761, info@blackinkgraphix.com

3. It is a privilege to present this edition of the
SA Gideon to you.
Over the years our organisation has been
blessed by men and women with a deep
spiritual insight as is evident from the
articles they have submitted for publication.
Thinking back on the articles published in the
SA Gideon during the past six months you
will notice a recurring theme – calling, sent,
going and witnessing. Upon reading these
articles one realises that they all emphasise
the fact that the Gideons International is
indeed the extended missionary arm of the
Church.
In this edition the writers placed the
emphasis on witnessing. The two main
articles make it very clear that we cannot
witness in our own strength, but must at
all times rely on the Promise contained in
Acts 1:8 to be successful. One of the articles
shows that we should always adhere to
God’s order when witnessing, otherwise our
efforts will not be effective.
An overview of the 2016 International
Convention held at Indianapolis from
19 to 25 July may be found on page 7
During this Convention a new Prayer and
Witnessing Programme was announced.
This programme will be explained and
introduced during the National Convention to
be held at Jeffries Bay during October 2016.
The recent International Convention was a
blessed occurrence and should serve as an
encouragement for members to attend the
next International Convention to be held at
Kansas City during July 2017.
The report on the “Friends of Gideons”
initiative on page 16 is very inspiring. Just
think about it – 380 new Friends within a
month and what could have been achieved if
every member had become involved in this
initiative.
The 2016 Venda Regional Bible Placement
took place under difficult circumstances and
is fully reported on in this edition of the SA
Gideon. The testimony included in the report
is a very moving one and should encourage
us to carry on with Bible Placements with
renewed energy.
In Closing: Have you recruited any
“Friends of Gideons”? This initiative
must now be fervently implemented –
only YOU can make it happen!
1SA GIDEON
EDITORIAL
October 2016
EDITORIAL

4. Corné de Jager
“But you will receive power…”
Acts 1:8
2 www.gideons.co.za
Can you still remember the day
when you got to know the Lord
and made Him part of your life?
Can you still remember how you
wanted to conquer the world, but
did not know how or where to
start? Can you still remember the
excitement when you came into
contact with the Gideon Ministry
and realized that this was a vehicle
given to you by God to obey His
command to take His Word to the
ends of the earth?
The Lord, however, not only gave us an
instruction, He also gave us a promise:
“…you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you.” Jesus promised his
Apostles that they would be equipped to
witness after they have received the Holy
Spirit.
It is important that we will note the
sequence of the events:
1. They received the Holy Spirit first
2. Then He gave them power
3. Then they could witness effectively
It happens so often that we turn this
process around and try to witness in our
own strength. To witness does not mean
that we have to prove what we can do
for God. This means that we will say and
prove what He has done for us.
The spirit of God is not just an entertaining
guest in our lives. He expects that our
lives will change, that we will trust Him,
that we will be dedicated to Him and that
we will glorify Him. However, He not only
But you will receive power • Corné de Jager

5. CORNÉ DE JAGER
3SA GIDEON
expects that we will change our lives,
but He also expects that we will witness
and that we will live His testimony with
gratitude every day.
We need to witness for the Lord all over
the world. It was Jesus’ last command just
before He ascended to the heavens: “you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
However, this is not an easy assignment.
We are often afraid or ashamed to tell
others of Jesus. The power that we
receive from the Holy Spirit not only has
to do with supernatural or extraordinary
power. This also means that we would
have the courage, fearlessness, insight,
skill and ability to be able to execute our
Divine instruction. All of these qualities
are needed to carry out our task.
We as Gideons and Auxiliary are
appointed by Jesus as His official
representatives here on Earth. We need
to accept responsibility for the truth of
the Gospel and we need to share it with
everybody. To share the Gospel does not
always require that we need to be good
speakers or that we need to have a long
conversation with someone. Sometimes
it is enough to say: “The Lord loves you
and everything will be alright.”
We read in 1 Cor 3 about building in
God’s Kingdom. Are you building in God’s
Kingdom, or are you only building in your
own spiritual life? The Spirit provides us
with all the building materials needed
to build. He provides us with the Fruit
of the Spirit to build in our personal life
and He provides us with gifts to build into
His Kingdom. He provides us with gems
to build with and therefore we have no
excuse to neglect to build in His kingdom.
Yet it is precisely what often happens. We
want to keep the best that was given to us
by God for ourselves and we want to give
the leftovers to Him. Our leftover time,
money and gifts. Where is the Lord and
the work of the Lord on your priority list?
However, when we separate ourselves for
the Lord and love Him with all our heart
and soul, we always give our best to Him
because He is then number one in our
lives.
The Gospel of God has not yet reached
its final destination, as long as there are
people who have not heard the Word of
God. Make sure you also contribute
your part by using the opportunities and
strength that God provides you with to
witness, in order to spread His message
in your family, your circle of friends, at
your work and wherever you may go.
Trust Him fully for everything you
need in order to obey His command
and allow the Holy Spirit to do the
miracles in your own life, but also in
the lives of those that do not know
Him yet.
Regional President –
Region 2
But you will receive power • Corné de Jager

6. Cecile Smit
4 www.gideons.co.za
In the book of Acts, we read that Jesus
ordered his disciples to wait for the
promise of the Father – Acts 1:4. We as His
children must likewise wait on His Spirit,
failing which we will attempt to witness in
our own strength and our witnessing will
therefore be ineffective.
The Spirit will give us power and will equip
us to be His witnesses. God’s Spirit has
changed our lives for ever. We can feel and
experience His Godly touch through the
Spirit. His fire will burn in us and His wind
will blow through us! The Spirit will urge
“But you will receive power...”
Acts 1:8
In Acts 1:8 there is simultaneously a
promise and a command. The promise
is that those who believe in the Lord
will receive power. The source of the
power is God himself. Paul, in his
prayer in Eph 1:19-20 explains that
God is working in our lives with the
same power that raised Jesus from
the dead. Through the outpouring of
His Holy Spirit supernatural power
is made available to God’s children.
We however need to grant Him free
access into our lives. Through the
powerful work of the Spirit God will
do the rest. We need to believe this
and to expect the impossible from
God.
What is the effect of
the Holy Spirit in our
lives?
But you will receive power • Cecile Smit

7. Cecile Smit
5SA GIDEON
We must witness until Jesus returns!
The reason for the promise and command
is that people may be saved. God’s loving
grace is meant for a lost world. We are
His witnesses but cannot do so in our
own strength. For this reason, the Holy
Spirit came to fill us and to lead us in
our witnessing. We know that He can do
exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that
works in us (Eph 3:20).
When His Spirit is working in and through
us, God will be glorified. May our Lord give
every Gideon and Auxiliary member the
strength to witness through the power of
His Spirit – not only in the place where we
work and live, but also unto the uttermost
parts of the world.
us to speak up because the command is
that we should be His witnesses.
The Holy Spirit will equip believers to bear
witness for Him unto the uttermost parts
of the world. His Spirit will help us to move
out of our comfort zones and to be His
witnesses wherever He sends us.
The“you”thatJesusreferstodoesnotonly
mean those who were present at the time,
but it is a collective noun for all believers
– that includes the Gideons and Auxiliary.
The promise of Acts 1:8 will equip us to
carry out the great commission of Mathew
28:19. Eph 3:10 states that “the manifold
wisdom of God might be made known by
the church ....” – you and me!
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God as
promised by Jesus in John 16. We
should witness about everything that
Jesus has done for our salvation – Him
becoming man, His suffering, His death
on the cross, His rising from the dead, His
ascension and the promise of His return.
The reference to Jerusalem and further
means that all people are included in this
command. Everybody that crosses your
path and with whom you communicate is
part of those to whom we should witness.
The purpose is to share the gospel with
those people who have not been saved.
They are entitled to hear from us that
Jesus has died for them as well.
Hulpgroepstreek-
presidente – Streek 2
But you will receive power • Cecile Smit

8. 6 www.gideons.co.za

9. Christo
van der Schyff
Executive
Director
7International Convention 2016 | Indianapolis - Feedback SA GIDEON
The 2016 International Convention was
held over the period 19 July to 25 July in
Indianapolis, the capital city of Indiana, widely
known for the famous Indy 500 motor races
that are held there.
The Convention was a blessed occasion, with
thousands of members and their families from
96 countries attending. Inspiring Bible and
Programme messages were delivered after
which the delegates embarked on a personal
witnessing outreach on the streets of the city.
The Convention’s opening event was a
community banquet held on Tuesday evening
19 July 2016. The guests were clothed in the
national dress of their respective countries and
they heard reports from all over the globe of
how God is busy changing lives of people.
The main speaker, Don Gleaves, Senior
Director in charge of the International Outreach
Ministry, emphasized anew that God called
us for a specific purpose when we joined the
Gideons International.
The Executive Director, Craig Warner, delivered
his Annual Operational Report on Wednesday
20 July 2016 and the outgoing International
President, Dr Bill Thomas, reminded the
attendees to look back over the past year and
to thank God for a year of blessing.
The Financial Report showed that the Gideons
International once again achieved a record
year as far as Bible Placements are concerned.
The Bible Message speaker was Rev. Michael
Catt and according to many of the Convention
attendees his address was the best ever.
He took the attendees back to the reason
for their calling as members of the Gideons
International.
A magnificent programme was presented for
the youth and children who accompanied their
parents to the Convention. The programme
included visits to many of the local places of
interest. The Childcare Directors and Student
Directors were chosen by the local youth
ministers to oversee the activities and to
present the Bible Studies.
During the Business Sessions a Bible Goal of
90.9 million Bibles and a Financial Goal of $123
million was approved for the coming year.
Another goal for the coming year is that each
camp will visit each minister and every church
within the camp’s borders.
A new prayer and personal witnessing
programme was introduced. Details about this
programme will be presented at the National
Convention during October 2016. This new
programme will place an on-going emphasis
on the importance of personal witnessing and
it is envisaged that during the weekly camp
prayer meetings testimonies coming out of the
communities would be shared.
Start planning now to attend the next
International Convention to be held in
Kansas City from 19 to 24 July 2017 while
we run with endurance the race set before
us (Heb 12:1).
FEEDBACK
Indianapolis | 19 – 25 July
2016 International Convention
Christo van der Schyff

10. 8 www.gideons.co.za Running Alongside others: The Gideons International
Running
Alongside Others
The Greek word to intercede for or to
comfort others is parakletos. The word
origin is from the name of those who ran
alongside a marathon runner on the last
few miles of the race for encouragement.
Within The Gideons International, distri-
bution opportunities include servicemen
and servicewomen, military, and medical
staff. Gideons and Auxiliary are able to
encourage those who spend most of their
time serving others. Here are some of
their stories.
Blue Emergency Service Testaments are
distributed across the USA to police officers,
firemen and women, and emergency medical
technicians. Some camps will take the time
after a prayer meeting to drop by a fire station
and offer a word of encouragement. Others will
take the time to thank a police officer.
In many cities worldwide, camps have the
opportunity to pass out Scriptures to the
graduating classes of officers at police
academies. There are several hundred
state and local law enforcement academies
throughout the Unites States alone. Glen Pillow
of the Hermitage Camp, Tennessee, regularly
visits the Tennessee Law Enforcement
Academy in Nashville. “We have anywhere
from 60 to 90 men and women graduate here
every few months. We do this because we
want to make sure Scriptures are out on the
street with these public servants. It’s a very
productive distribution and highly appreciated.”
The Hermitage Camp also uses the police
academy as one of the first distributions to
which they take new members.
There were many stories of New Testaments
going into the hands of emergency service
workers during the New York City Scripture
Blitz last year. Rick Bagley from the Henderson
County North Camp, North Carolina, was
there going from fire station to fire station.
“The firemen were very receptive. The whole
experience blew me away,” said Bagley.
“One man in particular was sharing how
firemen jump into immediate action with the
unexpected—from the Harlem gas explosion
of 2014 to September 11, 2001. When asked if
something unexpected were to happen to him,
he answered, ‘I don’t know—I’d hope I go to
heaven.’ There in front of the fire hall, Gideons
read Scripture together with him. The fireman
took immediate action and gave his life to
Jesus Christ. They are putting themselves in
danger everyday, and we just gave him safety
for his soul.”
Arm Them with the Gospel
Throughout the Bible, God is clear about His
command for justice and how He feels about
those who have been called to carry it out in
the world. Romans 13:4 says, “For he is God’s
servant for your good…he is the servant of
God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath
To Protect and Serve
The Gideons International

11. provided by The Gideons International. For
some, this is a renewing of their reading of
Scripture, and for others it is their very first
copy of God’s Word.”
Oftentimes the call of duty is passed down
from one generation to the next—the
familiar process of children going into the
military after watching a parent serve, or of a
grandchild enlisting after hearing stories from
a grandparent. It is a family affair when a loved
one puts on a uniform and steps out to defend
his or her country. It is a privilege to be part of
God’s process to share His Word with multiple
generations.
George Butler of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania,
received his service New Testament from his
father, a World War II veteran. As he boarded
a plane to Texas for basic training, his father
handed him a gift without an explanation
and hugged him. Aboard the aircraft, Butler
examined the New Testament to discover
it had been given to his father in January of
1953, during his tour in the Fiji Islands with
the 147th Army Infantry. Over the years, Butler
continued to be drawn to that hand-me-down
New Testament and to build a relationship with
Christ through it. “What comfort those words
gave me during such perilous times—and
they continue to comfort me today.”
For many who serve, the battle doesn’t end on
the field. In particular, post traumatic stress
disorder continues to affect many worldwide.
In the USA, Gideons make sure there are Bibles
in many of the 152 Veterans Administration
medical centers. The Gideons of the British
Isles place Scriptures in “Help for Heroes”
recovery centers for those returning from
Iraq and Afghanistan. Gideons in Australia
9Running Alongside others: The Gideons International SA GIDEON
on the wrongdoer.”
Since 1941, The Gideons International has
honored the men and women placed in
military service by equipping them with a
single weapon for battle—the Word of God.
Last year alone, several million Scriptures
were distributed to military personnel.
In the USA, Gideons make these Scriptures
available through Military Entrance Processing
Stations (MEPS). Camps keep the MEPS
displays stocked with the camouflage covered
Testaments. Across the world, military units
line up to receive God’s Word. In Moshi,
Tanzania last year, 3,100 officer trainees stood
against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro
waiting to receive God’s Word. One Gideon
remarked, “The experience was humbling
and dynamic—to see those recruits lined up
military-style with that impressive mountain
behind them, their hands held out to receive
God’s Holy Word.”
Another way The Gideons International
has been able to reach servicemen and
servicewomen is by working through military
chaplains. Michael Kelly is chaplain for the
120th Adjutant General Battalion Reception
Station at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Their
mission is to “receive, process, motivate, and
begin soldierization prior to Basic Combat
Training.” Kelly knows just how great the need
is for spiritual guidance. “With every new group
of soldiers that come through training, I get to
see an entire cross section of America, and
really from around the world. They come from
all walks of life, with the same problems we
all face, most of them looking to fill a void. It
is at this moment they reach out and we place
a book in their hands—the New Testament

12. 10 www.gideons.co.za
just placed Scriptures at the Heidelberg
Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne for their
veterans.
At the Right Moment
The Auxiliary placed or personally shared over
4.5 million Scriptures worldwide last year.
Many of those were placed in medical offices in
the communities where we live. Auxiliary came
alongside others in hospitals, nursing homes,
and prisons. Some made sure those living in
domestic violence shelters had God’s Word. It
onlytakesonefaithfulAuxiliaryattherightplace
and at the right time to change lives. Karleen
Howe of the Chattanooga Northeast Camp,
Tennessee, recently shared her experience:
It was a rainy day, and I was on my shift as
a volunteer counselor at a crisis pregnancy
center. Frankly, I wondered if anyone would
come on such a dreary day. About halfway
through the shift, a young lady came in, looking
much like the weather outside. She filled out
a form and handed it to me. I noticed she had
marked “abortion counseling” on the form.
As we talked, she confided she had an abortion
the previous Saturday. She had not wanted the
procedure, but felt pressured by her parents.
She shared more about the process as the staff
had taken her in for an ultrasound. Alone in
the room, she looked at the images. She was
seventeen weeks into her pregnancy, and her
heart sank at the realization this was a real
baby.
For almost two hours she poured out her
heart and her tears with me. Nothing could be
changed about what happened, but I was able
to share with her that Jesus offers forgiveness.
He died for her and paid the price with His own
blood. It seemed she was having a difficult time
believing she could be forgiven. I asked her if
she was ready to ask for God’s forgiveness
and healing. She said she was ready, but didn’t
know what to say. We knelt by the couch and
she repeated after me the sinner’s prayer with
sincere repentance—and there were more
tears.
I gave her a Personal Workers Testament and
showed her the Helps in the front for when she
had problems or questions. Then I showed her
the back pages and went over the verses of
assurance. I told her she could sign her name
in the back confirming her decision.
I left the room to get something for her. When I
came back, I noticed she had signed her name
in the back of that New Testament. After that
experience, the day didn’t seem dreary after all.
In each of these stories, Gideons and Auxilary
are able to come alongside people who serve
others in desperate or hard times. Just as
God reminds us in 2 Corinthians 1:4 it is He
“who comforts us in all our affliction, so that
we may be able to comfort those who are in
any affliction, with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God.” As you pray,
share God’s Word, and offer a word of witness,
you are strengthening the Kingdom—running
alongside those who often walk with the
weary.
Running Alongside others: The Gideons International
The Gideons International

13. 11SA GIDEONGod Brings a Harvest in Uganda: The Gideons International
God Brings a Harvest in
UGANDA
The Gideons International
Gideons and Auxiliary recently hosted
the 2016 Uganda International Scripture
Blitz in the cities of Hoima and Masindi.
Gideons from the USA and the British
Isles also came to Uganda to help carry
out the distributions.
“When you talk about the uttermost parts of
the world, this is it,” says blitz team leader
Gary Richardson of the West Wilson Camp,
Tennessee. “It leaves you with a sense of how
far-reaching The Gideons International is.”
Gideons in Uganda did an excellent job of
planning for the blitz. Transportation, which
can be a big challenge in such rural areas, was
in place and Scriptures were boxed up and
waiting.
Some roads the teams drove on had not seen
any automobile traffic in weeks or months.
“We encountered washed out roads that were
virtually impassable by any standard in the
USA or Europe,” said one Gideon on the blitz.
“We could literally feel the prayers from people
all over the world for us. There’s no other way
we could continue to move forward under
these conditions.”
Worshipping with The Uttermost
The first Sunday in Uganda, one team member
presented at a local church that partners with
The Gideons International. In these churches,
it is not uncommon to see people bringing
produce such as bananas or mangos as their
offering.
A collection was taken for The Gideons
International and the total amount was about
40,000 shillings, which equals about $15 USD.
Given that the annual wages in Uganda would

14. 12 www.gideons.co.za
likely be less than $500, the collection total
was an example of people giving abundantly,
even in their lack.
Going in Faith
Dwight Carter, a Gideon from Tennessee, ran
into some early problems securing his visa.
Someone asked him, “Aren’t you worried?”
“Nope,” replied Dwight. “The Lord put this team
together. I just follow through with what I’m
supposed to do and let the Lord take care of
the rest.”
Tim Thuemling is a Gideon from the Waukesha
West Camp, Wisconsin/Upper Michigan. As
a partner in a manufacturing company, he
shifted his focus from his busy schedule to
help out in this Scripture blitz.
One of the blessings Tim experienced occurred
as the Word of God was placed at a large
health clinic. By the end of the placement, 21
souls had received Christ. “What a joy, as these
people came in search of physical healing, and
instead left the clinic with the pure spiritual
healing that only Jesus Christ can provide,”
says Tim.
Early in the blitz, one of the distribution teams
drove their truck into a huge mud hole. If
the truck got stuck, it could create a serious
dilemma in reaching many of the schools
scheduled to receive Scriptures. After three
attempts to power the truck out of the mud,
the Gideon behind the wheel of the vehicle
told the other three Gideons in the vehicle
their best hope was to pray. The team prayed
and the driver made one more attempt. “This
time, it felt as if there were people from behind
pushing the vehicle out of the mud,” said one
of the Gideons. “We just drove right up onto the
road.”
Gideons Witness the Harvest
Schools were just starting back for the
summer, and for the first few days, student
attendance was very light. By the end of the
week, attendance was back to normal. As
Gideons made their distributions, the students
bowed after receiving their Scriptures as a sign
of respect.
In Masindi, Gideons arrived at a military base
to distribute Scriptures at two schools inside
the base. When they approached the officials,
the team was turned away because they did
not have all of the required authorizations.
God Brings a Harvest in Uganda: The Gideons International

15. 13SA GIDEON
That night at the hotel, the team shared their
experience with some of the other Gideons. A
Gideon employed by Uganda’s Department of
Defense accompanied the team the next day as
they returned to the base. As the other Gideons
prayed for an open door, the Gideon was able
to speak with the military officials and secured
the opportunity to distribute Scriptures. Those
open doors allowed about 1,600 students and
faculty to receive Scriptures that day.
At a prison in Masindi, Gideons distributed over
1,300 Scriptures to inmates and were able to
deliver a full presentation of the Gospel. When
they offered the prisoners an invitation to
receive Christ, 44 inmates came forward ready
to place their faith in Jesus.
Gideons saw evidence that other Gideons had
been to Uganda’s uttermost areas years ago.
They met one woman who received a Scripture
at a school when she was a child. It led to her
receiving Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Today,
she is the director of a school. They also met
another woman who grew up in a Muslim
home in Uganda. As a child, she received a
New Testament from Gideons. After reading it,
she placed her faith in Jesus, and today she is
a school teacher.
Gideons Bring Living Water
to Uganda
One person Gideons met during the week was
Flora. She runs a small cafe in a rural area
outside of Hoima. Several Gideons stopped
there for bottled water after driving on the
dusty roads to the next Scripture distribution.
They began talking to Flora about what they
were doing.
They presented her with a New Testament and
showed her the “helps” section and the plan of
salvation. The conversation came to the point
they asked Flora if she would like to receive
Jesus as her Lord and Savior. “Yes, I would,”
she replied.
One of the Gideons led Flora in a prayer of
forgiveness and to ask Jesus into her heart.
They rejoiced they only needed bottled water,
but the Lord arranged for them to offer Flora
living water, so she may never thirst again.
Praise God for dry, dusty roads!
Blitz Leaves Strong Impression on
Gideons
Blitz participant John Coldwell has operated a
travel agency for the past 20 years in the British
Isles. While he has made travel arrangements
for many other Gideons on International
Scripture Blitzes, the Scripture blitz in Uganda
was his first to participate in himself.
God Brings a Harvest in Uganda: The Gideons International

16. 14 www.gideons.co.za
“I was greatly impressed by the children,”
says Coldwell. “They were polite, courteous,
obedient, joyful, and thoroughly charming.”
At each distribution, Coldwell told the children
how precious they were, how much God loved
them, and how much He desired they love Him
back.
“The experience has made a deep impression
on me. The people and children in Uganda
were, almost without exception, some of
the kindest and most hospitable I have ever
met, making it easy to witness to them.”
Coldwell, who attends a church in the village of
Dinnington, says it has also reminded him that
the people of his homeland are just as precious
to God, though they are not as easy to witness
to. “I must redouble my efforts to reach them in
whatever way I can. In a sense, I have received
a gift from Uganda—seeing anew God’s love
for mankind through these wonderfully gentle
people.”
Blitz participant Tim Thuemling is a member
of Highview Evangelical Church in Wisconsin.
He says this experience left him with a
deeper conviction and love for the lost in his
hometown.
“Sometimes we can forget about the people
who live close to us, but this trip reinforced to
me the truth that the Gospel must be shared
with everyone and that my busy schedule
should not hamper that.”
While Gideons rejoice that so many in Uganda
received Scriptures and made public decisions
to receive Christ, they also know many more
lives need to be reached with the Gospel. That
thought has been weighing heavily on one
of the Gideons who shared, “We would be at
a school giving out Scriptures to students in
fifth grade. We would see some of the younger
children watching us from behind trees or
through school windows, wishing they were
old enough to receive a copy of God’s Word.
I just wonder, will someone be able to reach
them with a copy of God’s Word in the years
to come?”
Blitz Results
By the end of the blitz, 80,717 copies of God’s
Word were sown in Hoima and Masindi. We
praise God for the open doors and receptivity
the Gideons experienced during this blitz. We
pray that as men, women, boys, and girls read
the Scriptures received, they will place their
faith in the Lord and continue to draw closer to
Him. We thank the pastors, churches, donors,
and others who supported this blitz through
their prayers and donations.
God Brings a Harvest in Uganda: The Gideons International
The Gideons International

17. 15SA GIDEON
OPEN DOORS
WATCH LIST 2016
WORLD
MALDIVES
76/100
PERSECUTION LEVEL VERY HIGH
Leader: President Abdulla Yameen
Population: 336,000 (several Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism
The Maldives are still a country living in
two worlds. Internationally they have the
image of being a holiday destination of
paradisiac dimensions; on the other hand,
the country follows a strict form of Islam
and is struggling with unrest and many
political challenges. This results in a
dichotomy of cultures in the Maldives: one
that is highly Westernized and pleasure-
seeking/hedonistic, and another that is
increasingly Islamic and fundamentalist.
The latter was shown by several incidents
during this reporting period.
On February 22, 2015, former president
and opposition leader Mohammed
Nasheed was arrested and accused of
terrorism. This shows that the current
conservative Islamist government cares
less about its international image than
sticking true to their perception of Islam.
+ Pray that God would lead secret believers
to end fellowship.
+ Pray for Christians to have access to the
Bible, which is contraband under Maldivian
law.
Open Doors World Watch List 2016 - Maldives SA GIDEON
No form of evangelism or
missions work is allowed in
the Maldives. The Internet
has provided an opportunity
for witnessing to
Maldivians in recent years.

18. Rickert Marais
16380 Friends of Gideons in one month! • Rickert Marais SA GIDEON
Communication Officer
380 FRIENDS OF GIDEONS
in ONE month!
The Gideons International in South Africa
experienced a highlight in the Friends of
Gideons initiative during August 2016
when 380 new Friends singed up!
2100 people “Liked” the Gideons
International in South Africa Facebook
Profile. Of these, 235 signed on as
Friends.130 new Friends signed up by
using a “Friends of Gideons” business
card and a further 15 persons signed up
by making use of the website.
Of the 380 Friends mentioned, 100 signed
up as Financial Friends through the
intervention of the Call Centre run on a
voluntary basis by Mark Steenkamp and
Cornel Botha who telephoned Friends of
Gideons in order to recruit new friends
with their assistance and also to convert
existing Prayer Friends to Financial
Friends in order to let the Database of
Friends grow.