Ministry Newsletter

Thank you for praying for me during my long trip to southern Africa. I felt as if I were enveloped in grace during those two weeks! The travel itself was intense, beginning with the 16-hour direct flight to South Africa. I slept in six different beds in three countries and traveled many hours by car, bus and plane, yet every leg of the trip was blessed and there were no delays, disruptions or accidents. Thank you for covering me!

My first stop was Durban, South Africa, where I spoke several times at three locations of His Church. In the photo below you can see me with Pastor Simon Hemsley. I spoke to the church staff and at their Bible college and also did a special men’s event as well as Sunday services. This church is one of my favorite places on the planet! Simon and his team—Ian, Grant, Crystal, Jane, Billy, Brandon and Tash—have been such a blessing to me since my first visit four years ago.

God is breaking racial and cultural barriers in South Africa, and I have been blessed to be a part of that process. His Church has a Xulu congregation pastored by my friend Mondli Myeza, and I got to speak there again on this trip. Below you can see some of the members of the church who came that day. Some people also prayed to receive Jesus for the first time in that service.

I have stayed in close touch with some of the younger guys from His Church, and a group of them gathered while I was there just to have a “braii” (South African barbeque) and to fellowship. Many of these guys have become like sons to me.

I met Atu Munde on my first trip to Durban. Two years ago he accompanied me on my first trip to Malawi, and so he wanted to go with me again this year. Atu, who is originally from Malawi, has grown so much since I began investing in him. He understands my mission to confront the abuse of women, and he is making the message his own. I love making disciples! One day Atu will be able to do these kinds of meetings on his own, and he will train others!

After five days in South Africa, Atu and I flew to Lilongwe, Malawi, and we were able to spend some time with David and Fanny Injeidi, our ministry partners in southern Malawi. Fanny has a strong burden to launch a ministry for abused and abandoned girls, and we are committed to helping her as God provides the funds. We hope to launch a shelter and a sponsorship program to keep girls in school. She has also been working hard to keep some young girls out of prostitution. (Many girls are tempted to do this because they need money.) Fanny and some of her church leaders also came to my conference in Mzuzu, Malawi, to receive further training.

When Atu and I drove to Mzuzu, Malawi, we partnered with my dear friend Tony Mkamanga and his wife, Charity. You can see me with Tony below. Tony and Charity are working with us to launch a women’s shelter and restoration ministry in their city, where so many girls and young women have been abused.

We did a full-day seminar about abuse in Mzusu, and many pastors from the area attended. Because cultural traditions are so strong, few churches talk about the issues of abuse or women’s empowerment. This message is revolutionary! After that event, Tony, Atu and I drove for many hours to Iringa, Tanzania, to bring the message to a new region. It was my first time in Tanzania, but I was warmly greeted by my hosts (below), Bishop Berrings and Grace Mlambya, pastors of Bethel Life Church in Iringa.

In one of the meetings we had the governor of the state of Zacapa with us. He is in the center of the photo below. This man became a Christian five years ago and he loves Jesus very much. God has been using this man to oppose corruption and to open up new channels for business investment in the region. He is a friend of our ministry and will be a great asset as we open the women’s shelter. He plans to be with us for the dedication of the building when it is completed.

While I was in Iringa, I spoke several times a day at a women’s conference that Bishop Berrings hosted. It was revolutionary for these women to hear the principles of gender equality and women’s empowerment. God brought deep healing into the women’s lives. Then, on Saturday night, it felt like an atomic bomb went off when I asked the men in the conference to come to the stage, kneel and repent to the women for abuse and discrimination. The women began to wail because they have never seen Tanzanian men apologize for the mistreatment of women. I do believe history was made that night!

We were so blessed that some people from the Masai tribe came to our conference in Iringa. You can see some of the Masai believers below. Women suffer horribly among the nomadic Masai, and today some Masai families are selling young girls into forced marriages just to get the dowry payments. I challenged this custom in our conference and God is breaking the old mentality that causes people to view women and girls as property.

Below you can see some of the people who attended our conference in Iringa. Even though it was very difficult to reach this city, I can honestly say I left part of my heart there. Now I understand better Matthew 9:36, which says Jesus looked on the multitude and felt compassion. My heart has been stretched by God’s amazing love, and I hope to go back to these people and do more to help them. Perhaps some of you will come with me.

On the last day of my visit to Iringa, about 16 people gave their hearts to Jesus for the first time during a Sunday morning service. Even though there were some deep emotional healings and some people were set free from demons, salvation is still the greatest miracle of all!

After the Iringa trip, Atu and I had to travel by bus for about 9 hours with Bishop Berrings to get to Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania. Below you can see Bishop Berrings reading my book “10 Lies the Church Tells Women” on the bus. This was a special way to end the trip, because I know that I am leaving a deposit in Tanzania. Key leaders are now learning how to bring Christ’s healing to victims of abuse. I am grateful that the seed has been planted, and I know it will one day produce a great harvest.

Thank you again standing us in this mission. Deborah and I are grateful for your love, prayers and financial gifts. Please continue to pray. We urgently need more funds to cover our costs for the Africa trip and to invest in all the other projects. I am praying for some donors who can help us complete all our Phase One initiatives in Latin America and India. Please agree with us for this financial miracle!

If you’d like to give to our work, just click on the “Donate” button below to give online, or mail your check to The Mordecai Project, P.O. Box 2781, LaGrange, GA 30241. All

Lee and Deborah Grady

The Mordecai Project
P.O. Box 2781
LaGrange, GA 30241