Progress in Africa

Dear Team,

January and February have been extremely busy and varied summer months for us with a good schedule of Youth meetings, Church services and preaching opportunities. Everything from taking part in a pro-life service at Parliament in Cape Town, to preaching to the prisoners at Pollsmoor maximum-security prison and an old fashioned Revival meeting among the Xhoza in Nyanga. Along the way I had dinner with a longtime friend Ian Smith, former Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and was able to witness to him concerning faith in Christ.

Harriett is currently teaching a 5-week course on Thursday mornings to women in our local Church. Her theme: "The ministry of the older woman to younger women" from the book of Titus. It’s one of her special interests.

Many of you have asked about our grandson, Christopher Hammond, who was born with a serious renal disorder and not expected to live beyond two weeks. We praise God for this miracle child! He’s now 91/2 years old and all boy – he loves “cars.” (Where did he get that from?) His favorite is the Mini-Cooper and he has a remote controlled model.

He is a little behind the growth curve for a boy his age, but he’s grown 2.5 inches in the last 4 months. He enjoys swimming, is learning guitar and fencing. He also plays a good game of chess. Guess who taught him?

Health-wise one of his kidneys has been removed and the one remaining has only a 50% function, so he tires easily. Last month his mom and grandma took him to the Red Cross hospital here in Cape Town for a routine semiannual checkup. Now it gets technical: his glomeruli filtration rate (GFR) is 50, an acceptable level. This is a complex blood test requiring several visits to the hospital in one day. Blood is drawn each time.

We discussed the possibility of a transplant. It could be done when the growth rate accelerates during puberty. The kidney harvest and transplant can be done at the Red Cross hospital. We were greatly encouraged last month to see in WORLD magazine (Feb. 5) the amazing progress in umbilical cord stem cell research, which includes repair of kidney damage. This is quite different from using embryonic stem cells, which we oppose because it destroys an embryo. Christopher’s younger brother, Calvin, has his cord-blood stem cells stored in the cryo unit at the U.of A. in Tucson. This may be a life-saver one day for Christopher.

This month I go to KwaSizabantu for the bi-annual Ministers Conference, then on to speak at Jivannadi Mission, near Durban. Next month: ministry in Europe, God willing.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Yours in His grip,





Bill Bathman