The “active” phase of Face The Nation has been completed for another year! I put active in inverted commas because life at the office has been no less active. We praise God for the safe return of all our volunteers and the successful completion of their time in the schools.

“Face The Nation…going the extra mile.” was our theme. This was held early in August. It was a joyous reunion time of the teams and a time of celebration, as everyone looked back over the goodness, provision and faithfulness of God over the past three months. The testimonies of some of the volunteers were incredible. Each one is a story in and of itself. I will be sending these to you over the next weeks.

Every volunteer is asking “where did the time go?” Everyone who thought that the first week was easy and the students were not coming for counselling have changed their minds. It is like all the students have problems. The guidance and counselling offices are full of students who need help. Some of the issues which the volunteers have to deal with are oversized issues.
Most of the volunteers have gone the extra mile in their duties. Some teach the curriculum at prep time so that they may finish all the lessons. They did a lot of tutoring in academic subjects which made most of the teachers appreciative. The teams in some schools find themselves praying and fasting for the issues they face and because of spiritual warfare. Many of the volunteers have made presentations about Face the Nation at Career Fairs.
One of our facilitators made a presentation that got everyone in the school talking.

Prayer

• Pray for the South Region and for all the volunteers. There have been a lot of spiritual attacks in the region.
• For volunteers that were threatened by a demon possessed girl. She said that they were going to die within 2 days.
• Suicidal spirit which has now led to a student attempting to commit suicide.
• That volunteers will not succumb to temptation.
• That the rally teams will be safe and united.
• For Scripture Union revival.

Praise God

• The rallies have been good.
• For all the good work done in schools.

The volunteers are now used to the cold weather and start their days very early in the morning.
Some have transport problems and have had to ride on open bakkies to get to school on time but this has not demoralized their high spirits and they are still committed as ever to serving the Lord.
FTN is winning the battle against most organizations which have similar programmes in the school. Most schools prefer FTN volunteers to any other group. First lesson has been taught to all schools and one school has put key words like Future Stick and Sex into Braille so that the visually impaired students can participate.
FTN has been invited to two schools to take part in an academic and abstinence workshop which will be organized to help students focus on their studies and on abstinence.
North Rally Team has done ten rallies which included morning devotions at Police stations, prisons, junior schools and the Brigade.
South Rally Team had their rallies cancelled. We must continue to pray for them to have rallies re-scheduled.

CHALLENGES

• One school had 31 girls drop out because of pregnancy.
• Many schools are faced with the pregnancy issue.
• Counselling with lesbians in the schools.
• There is generally a low regard for marriage. They think it is just a piece of paper.
• Difficult students.

PRAISE BE TO OUR GOD FOR:

• The safe travel of our volunteers, rally teams and facilitators everyday.
• For the devotional guide.
• For students receiving salvation and seriously pledging to abstain and stay committed.
• For schools who have welcomed FTN.

We thank God for the safe arrival of all our volunteers to the 28 schools around the country.
The Rally Teams were sent off last Sunday after the usual last minute packing and cross-checking. It is no small feat to put 24 young people on the road for 5 weeks.
The North Rally Team had a successful couple of days in Kang with 4 ministry opportunities at Matsha College, the Brigade (a technical school), a junior secondary school and with the police. They have had 2 rallies in Ghanzi and are currently in Maun. They are attending a church, where they are performing today.
The South Rally Team spent time at a feeding station in Kumakwane and have done a rally in Goodhope. The response to all the rallies had been enormous.
All over the country, the volunteers successfully prayer-walked their assigned schools and received a warm welcome from staff and students.
There was the usual 1 or 2 comments by staff members sneering the idea of abstinence but, by and large, the schools were receptive and are commenting on the very positive impact that Face The Nation has on the students.
For the first time this year, most schools had teaching timetables ready on day one and, by Tuesday, teaching had begun in earnest at every school. We praise God for this.
In Goodhope, the volunteers attended the funeral of Mr. Ben Mogwera and supported his wife, their Prayer Partner, Susan. She was deeply touched and encouraged by this. They also held a 4-hour service for the students at the school last Sunday. No one wanted to go home.
In a number of schools, volunteers were asked to participate in the Day of the African Child celebrations on June 16.
There has been an outbreak of measles in the Lotsane Senior Secondary School in Palapye. Please pray for the protection of our volunteers based there.
The facilitators are all happy with their schools, with no major problems to report.
Back home… we have moved back into our offices and the place looks clean and normal again after months of hard work and preparation.

Copies of the 40-day prayer journals are now available.
Click the link below to download.

FTN 40 Day Prayer journal

Volunteers’ applications has Stated!
Planning is well under way. Our teaching curriculum for our volunteers, to take into the schools, is complete. Application forms for volunteers are now available at the Baptist student Centre or at Open Baptist Church. The closing date for application is March the 31st 2009.

Funding
We have however faced some challenges. We are working with NACA (National AIDS Coordinating Agency) to receive funding from the government. Please be in pray about this, as the next few weeks will be decision making time for the powers that be.

Reduced Training Period For The Volunteers
Several weeks ago the students at the University of Botswana (UB) went on strike and the university was closed for 2 weeks. The vast majority of our volunteers come from UB. Due to class time missed, the year end semester has been extended. This has had a direct impact on FTN, as we start with the School of Discipleship as soon as exams finish. This has meant that we have had to condense a 5 week program into 3 weeks.

We have been busy wrapping up on the active phase for 2008.

Some interesting facts:
55,000teenage students were reached

Rally teams travelled some 5,330 kilometres (3, 331.25 miles)

10 114 abstinence pledge cards were signed.

2 392 commitments to Christ.

28 government senior secondary schools and 1 private school were reached.

68 rallies were held through out the country.

42 different churches were represented amongst the volunteers

As we start focusing on FTN 2009, we are mindful that this indeed remains God’s program. We feel humbled and privileged to be a part of it and we are excited to see what new heights God is going to take Face The Nation to.

Although there was a good response to the abstinence message and large numbers of youth were making pledges for sexual purity, there was a deplorable lack of interest in the salvation message. The Palapye team had even sent prayer requests so that this situation could be remedied.

Well, the prayers have been answered and the latest report is that 278 students have committed their lives to the Lord in that one school!!!!

Brandy,our USA volunteer, was so excited last week at leading a student to the Lord. Well, that student went and told her best friend about Jesus. Both students then came to Brandy and she led the best friend to the Lord too. Doubtlessly, they are all very excited!!!

Mean while, due north, near the village of Tonota, a university of Botswana student doing their teaching practice was also led to the Lord by one of our volunteers.

And back in Moeding, where 321 students pledged to a life style of Sexual purity, there were 286 commitments to the Lord!!! That is quite amazing!!!

These guys are not going to be left on the lurch when the program comes to an end. This year our volunteers were given follow up bible studies material to give to the newly committed Christians. Through our partnership with Youth For Christ the new believers will get regular encouragement, advice and additional bible study material through the year through our correspondence.

Salvation
· News is coming in on a daily basis of students giving their lives to the Lord. This is being done in groups and individually.
· Brandy, our US volunteer led a girl to the Lord. Her comment: “My trip has been worth it for this.”
· In Shoshong, the Scripture Union held their own outreach last week end, with the FTN volunteers and they have made a request for 50 extra Bibles.
· In Letlhakane, the team believe they are starting to see the harvest. People’s hearts are being opened and even a teacher has asked for counselling.
· There has been similar feedback from Moeng.
· The Rally Teams are also reaping a harvest. At the Gabane taxi rank, 30 people gave their lives to the Lord after an open air rally.

· In Mochudi, which is normally considered a tough school, the Rally team reported their best rally ever with 187 giving their lives to the Lord and responding to the pledge to sexual purity.
· As far as possible follow up Bible Studies are being done with the students.
· Please pray for the team in Palapye. They have reported that students are signing up for sexual purity. They are sharing the gospel one on one with every student that comes forward but the response to the salvation message is extremely slow
WHEW!!!
· This is the sentiment of many reports. The pace is increasing and there is more and more pressure on the volunteers. As they are winning the confidence of students, so the demand to counsel increases. Some of the cases that they are counselling require a counsellor with a PhD and years of experience!
· There is also more and more demand to be doing programs in the SU, PACT and Abstinence Clubs.
· The most common comment that accompanies the “Whew!” is “By the grace of God we keep going and He gives us the strength and the wisdom.”
· In Kang the volunteers have already counselled 32 students concerning sexual relationships.
· Please pray for ongoing grace, strength and wisdom as these young, brave people walk in territory where most would fear to tread.
PROUD LEADERS
· Pastor Norman has just made a trip to Francistown and David is currently doing a round the country trip. They have both proudly given feedback from the schools they have visited. Staff and principals alike have raved about the volunteers- how well they know their subject, how well they teach, how well they are conducting themselves. They are very excited about Face The Nation. Teachers are sitting in on lessons to learn and observe.
GOODHOPE
· This is a school near Lobatse that had a shaky opening at the beginning of the year.
· We decided not to send volunteers there because they were just getting going themselves.
· On a courtesy visit they begged us to send in volunteers and had already organised accommodation for the volunteers.
· In Moeding the volunteers do not have a full teaching schedule and so these volunteers are working in both schools.
· We have put out an appeal for old clothes, blankets and schools bags to be donated to this community, as it is very poor. Donations are coming in at a steady rate. Thank you!
· The deputy principal welcomed the volunteers and said, “You couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.”
· They had their first day of teaching today.
EXAM TIMETABLES
· Many schools are cutting the teaching programme short because of changes to the exam timetable.
· This is very frustrating for the volunteers and is putting them under a lot of pressure to condense 5 lessons into 4 or even 3.
· Some schools are also cancelling or trying to postpone rallies for the same reason. This is making life a challenge for the rally teams.
PLEASE PRAY
The harvest field is enormous and ripe but the labourers are few. Pray for our labourers. Pray for their continued protection.

Yours in Face The Nation Gail Wingreen