Sheer Wonder of Grace

Dear Team,

The sheer wonder of life and the grace of God never cease to amaze me. The Lord has blessed us with extended years of health and strength to continue preaching the Word to all who will listen – and the number is growing. Last month provided opportunities to preach in Hermanus and Durbanville. This month I’m preaching in Cape Town, before leaving after Easter for Eastern Europe.

Recently, Harriett was asked by several women in our Church to lead them in forming a prayer team. They meet at Pennireef on Friday mornings. The impact of their intercession is making a decided difference here in Cape Town. Prayer changes people and people change things.

Last week, after I preached the morning service at D’Urbanvale Community Church, we took the long way home. It was a scenic route through Hottentot country toward the inland mountains. We stopped for lunch in Franschhoek, a picturesque old town settled by the Huguenots, French Protestant followers of John Calvin, who were severely persecuted and forced into exile in the 17th century. Many came to South Africa with their culture and cuisine. We dined, under a mahogany tree in the garden of an old farm house built in 1860, on fresh Smoorsnoek (a local line fish), sweet potatoes and rice.

Charl van Wyk will be in America April 24-May 3. He was at Church on that Sunday evening in 1993, when terrorist burst in and shot up the congregation. Letlapa Mphahlele, the commander of the terrorist group that attacked his church is now helping Frontline Fellowship distribute Christian books to libraries in Black Townships around South Africa. You must hear his story! I hope you can meet him somewhere on his itinerary. Kristi or Debbie at the ITMI office can give you details. His book, Shooting Back is a great read.

Several churches have booked meetings for my summer 2004 US itinerary. God has called me to do the work of an evangelist. (2 Timothy 4:5) If I may be of service to you in this way please contact Kristi at ITMI. One sows another reaps; let’s win souls for Jesus!

This month we welcome Nadine Peterson to our administrative staff. She joins Kristi and Debbie and will replace Ron this summer while he serves in Poland.

Visiting ITMI’s website www.intouchmission.org is a great way to keep in touch! Thanks to ITMI’s Chairman, Dr. Tim Ruchti, I can regularly updates this page with news from overseas, plus editorials and devotionals. This month I’ve reviewed Dan Brown’s controversial book The Da Vinci Code. Log on for a visit.

Yours in His grip,





Bill Bathman

P.S. Please pray for non-violent elections here in South Africa on April 14.