Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 1/8/2007
Well since we had a wonderfull debrief in Jeffreys bay, its been busy, HaleluuuuuJAh!!
i had a few days to visit my mom and step dad at Glentana(near MosselBay),
i then whent back to Port Elizabeth where i visited my friend Ed who works
for a Safari company called Shcotia Safaris, it was great to be in the bush,
we even darted a lion which had to be transfered to another region,
I then met up with a friend (Elroy Bagley) who compiled a mission trip
to Zimbawe. so 12 of us piled into a mini van loaded with donated clothes
and food hampers and other things and drove about 7000km there and back.
God blessed us and the Zimbaweans we met.
I then visited me dad and step mom in Durban for christmass and new year,
my dad had a hert attack just before i left for Zimbabwe and was in ICU, it was
difficult for me to stay obidient and go to Zim. but i did, and God healed my dad.
i been asked to teach at a high school ,initialy just for the first term (3 months)
in a town called Adelaid (South Africa), i'll be teaching an engeneering related
subject and doing youth ministry work (GOD help me) im very excited
about this and look forward to start on the 15th January.
Lloyd
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 10/6/2006
we had a wonderfull time driving from Pretoria to Port Elizabeth and then to Jeffreys Bay. (see Chad Masts blog for pictures)
Just the week end in J-bay and then we go to Utenhaag to two schools for two weeks and then iether Lesthto or Transkie.
LLoyd
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 10/2/2006
We left Tanzania a week earlyer than planed, and we all got place on the same flight. We never got to climb Kilimanjaro, but shortly after take-off the piolet anounced that the air traffic controllers have given clearance for us to fly over Kilimanjaro. i was expecting to see it from a distance, but to our supprise we flew low over it and circled it banking steeply to the right, we could see into the crater on the top. I then recalled the scripture in Psalm 11 "flee like a bird to your mountain" so birds dont climb, they fly, later we where blessed with a most beutifull African sun set. and best of all a hearty welcome on arival at Jan Smuts air port at Johanneburg South Africa by some friends and family of fellow travelers.
Wow in some ways it seems as if we left yesterday and in other ways it feels like we left ages ago.
We got back on Friday and on Saturday we got to go to Ellis Park Stadium and watched a rugby game, the lions beat Western Province. the Americans with us enjoyed the culture experiane of Braai vlies and rugby.
this last week i got to go to Potchefstroom, where the anual Aard Klop arts festival is held, it was a blessed time for me as i met up with friends and family and met many new people and i got to do many pictures for people who gave genoures donations. i then got to visit with my Eldest brother and his wife. it was then back to the farm on Sunday.
We leave Pretoria on this Thursday 5th and head for Port Elizabeth.
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 9/9/2006
Hello
Im in Tanzania near a town called Arusha. The team is working well together. We are experiancing God doing great things in the comunity. People coming to salvation, being delivered from deamons and recovery of the sic.
HaleluuuJah
Today has been very festive, a wedding at the church where we are staying, African style, and the Spring Bok rugby team won the Aussys 24 - 16. well done .
Im still hoping to klimb
Lloyd.
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 9/1/2006
We fly from Cairo Egypt to Nairobi Kenya on the evening of the 1st September. I'm not sure if there will be any Internet facility so this may be me last blog for a while.
When I was in Bosnia at the children's camp I awoke one morning and clearly heard the Holy Spirit tell me to read Psalm 11. In vs. 1 it says "flee like a bird to your mountain"
I said Lord which mountain? Placed me head on me pillow and saw the name printed on my tent 'Kilimanjaro' I thought no way. We are going to Kenya and Kilimanjaro aint anywhere near there. Later that same morning after breakfast was washing my plate when I over herd Jacques tell that we(the South African teams) will now be going to Tanzania, I asked if it was near to Kilimajaro. I then was told that Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and that the place we are gona go is very near there. Wow me heart leaped.
I ve re read psalm 11 later. The context of verse 1 doesn't relate to what I feel God wants me to do but I believe he allowed me to over look that the first time I read it that morning for me to get what he wants to say.
I strongly believe the Lord wants me to pray over (intercede) Africa from atop Kilamanjaro, the highest point in Africa.
I am not yet full aware of all the conditions that go with walking up this mountain, but ive heard by word of mouth that it takes about three days up and two days down, and
That there is a 'national park fee' of about $100 per day per person.
I don't have the funds to do this yet, so I humbly ask if you would prayerfully consider assisting me to complete this task.
Thank you.
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 9/1/2006
 Cathy and I found the rest of the group the next morning and moved to the same hotel. It was great meeting up with every one and sharing stories of God's goodness on our journeys. We rested up and then went to the 'garbage city' the people don't live on a trash heap, their work is to collect all the trash and then to sort it and recycle it. This all is done at home. Most of the people in this area are Christians. We went to look at their churches, I think it should be added to the list of 'wonders of the world. There are two very near to each other. They are built into a natural cave, the first seats 5000 people and is a semi open-air amphitheatre. The second seats 3000 people; it is an amphitheater inside a natural cave.
History has it that a ruler of Egypt loved debates; he got Jews and Christians to debate their beliefs. The Jews challenged the Christians with the scripture that says if you have faith the size of a mustered seed you can move a mountain. The ruler gave them three days to move a mountain or ells face persecution. The Christians prayed and fasted, revelation was given to the bishop that god would use the shoemaker, He did and the mountain moved, it is said that the sun could be seen shining from under the mountain. The Egyptian ruler became a Christian. It is at this mountain where the cave churches now are.
The next day we went to see the pyramids at Giza. They are much bigger and widespread then I expected.
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 9/1/2006
The time I've had in Israel has been a blessed privilege. I went to Tel Aviv for two days to visit a friend who I met when he came to Jeffreys Bay for a surf vacation. Tel Aviv was very hot in the daytime. So a wise decision was made to go to an air-conditioned museum in the day and to the beach in the afternoon.
We went to the Beth Hatefutsoth museum; the main theme was about the dispersion and persecution of the Jews from Israel to Western Europe and Eastern Asia.
I did feel there was some thing important that was lacking at the museum, let me explain, as children we often time told our friends of hidings we received, at school and home but were often reluctant to say why we got them or we were to prideful to admit we did wrong and deserved it, and many times we did not learn from the chastisement, and some times we did. God is the God of Israel, (all 12 tribes) Judah (Jews) being one of the tribes. He loves His people and in His scriptures (Torah) He says He is their protector and that also chastises those He loves (for our own benefit).
So when looking back in life's history the question that is often left out is: Why?
When we fail to ask this we rob our selves and the generations to come of a valuable lesson. Yes not all persecution is of God, we have an enemy, Satan, the father of lies who seeks to rob, steal and destroy.
After Tel Aviv it was back to Jerusalem and then to Eilat for one night to get me Egyptian visa (free for South Africans). It was extremely hot in Eilat, but the sea, the Gulf of Eilat (north eastern tip of the Red Sea) was absolutely wonderful, cool and as clear as the air. My friend in Tel Aviv arranged free accommodation for us with his friend in Eilat. Thanks guys! We appreciate it.
It was then a bus ride through the Sini Desert to Egypt. The desert has variations of large rocky mountains to large flat sand plains and very little vegatation. I tried to envision Moses and the Israelites traveling around there for forty years, or Joseph, Mary and Jesus traveling for many days to go to Egypt and back.
I traveled with Cathy from Jerusalem to Eilat, to Cairo, we eventually got cheked into a 'hotel' by 4am.
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 8/19/2006
wow, on arival in Jerusalem i was pritty tiered from the long journey, and i got some flu some where but i was very excited.
me wanted to go sleep but the lord led me to go by a pen and then when i walked out of the store he put it on me heart to
go talk to a young man.
It was a bit uncomfortable for me as he was having a conversasion with a freind and i didnt want to be interuptive, but i did.
I asked him for his autograph, he gladly obliged and i was led to draw a picture of a toocan bird. he told me that he works for a company in the uk that is called Toocan. HaleluuJAH.
Gods people are very special to Him, He loves them dearly. I Had the privelage of meeting more lovely and sincere people.
So i only got home about three or four hours later.
I spent mutch of the next day in bed, friday i was still feeling flat, but i had to get out so i whent for a walk to the old city,
a bit of a blast to the past. i went to the 'western wall' and then just randomly zig zaged through some streets without the use of the map. i saw wat looked like a little church but on entering it was huge inside with rather impresive architecture, but in my spirit i could disern a strong presence of religion, it was kind of like when we where at the budist temples in Tibet, very earry.
I later found out that it is one of the posible sites of Jesus' tomb, well what ever was there before it is now just another religeous idol to many.
Later i met up with Cathy and her friend. He took us to a place of fellowship where we hada wonderfull time worshiping the lord with song and dance. at the end i whent up for prayer for healing.....me feel mutch better now!.. and i got to pray for the man who prayed for me. he had a back ache. God is so gooood.
Me stayed on a bit and had a brief time of chatting with some of the other believers.
The streets are prity mayhem tonight(Saterday) compared to the previous night (shabat).
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 8/19/2006
Hi
Me had quite a trip, all the way across Turkey, from the west to the east, across Syria
from north to south and then half way through Jordan and into Israel to Jerusalem.
this all in four days on busses, taxis and some other kinds of busses. cost about $45
The bus ride across Turkey was pleasent and comfortable with service and comfort
that can be compared with flying.
At Hatay(turkey) 9am,i got a ticket to Damascus and i was told i would have no problem at the border.
ha ha, firstly, when we reached the Turkish border their computer system had a 'problem' so we all had a five hour delay, then at 3pm when we got to Syria customs the first thing the bus driver did was unload me bag. The service and reseption at customs was below third world standards.
all i got was "fax Damascas, 1 or 7(hours? )you sit,wait there."
So i went to the bus, me asked the driver for a refund (10 Turkish Lyra , i later discovered the trip should only cost 6 TL) as i had to wait for my visa, he say "you have problem, call head office Turkey" closed the door and drove off.
So back to customs, after 5 hours me cooked some noodels that managed to travel with me all the way from Hong Kong and by 10am it was pointless getting a visa for there where no busses. so me told the official i was gona go camp out side and sleep. he say "no ,visa come ,one (1am)you stay". me smiled and made like i dont speak english and went camping.
At 1am sharp i get woken up "visa ready come get !!" With one eye half open and bare foot i go to get it.
Then i get told "32 dollar or euro" i ask if i can pay with Syrian money, they say "no ! dollar only"
so i went back to me tent and slept.
Up at seven, i wait till 8am for the official official to arive. Then back to the $32 ordeal. the official exchange does not take Syrian money(and this is in Syria), then the man who walks about poring coffe offers to help and explains to me what i have to do and where to go.
So this is how the scam works: first i got to take my Syrian pounds to a man on the bench who give me us$ for what i can only hope was the right rate, i then take the $ to the exchange where i have to pay for my visa, they first convert the $ back to Syrian pounds(this is the counter that did not whant to accept Syrian money) and then process the payment, give me a receit and the syrian money which i have to take to a man who gives me postage stamps which i have to take back to the front desk to get the visa stamp.
So the whole deal for them is to get $'s in and to make exchange profits, and i cant even be sure if i officaly had to pay $32 because when i called the tel no. for complaints the person on that end of the line did'nt know and could only say "can you call tomorrow."
mmmm.....Im baffeled why a nation so keen on burning USA flags can be so keen on wanting USA money? Just a thought.....
So now i got me visa but no bus. The coffe man spoke to an official who does vehicle checks outside.
He tells me "He put you on bus,you pay no money, i tell him you my friend"
The same bus i was on arrived at 12am but was fully booked. The next bus arrived at about 1am and only had about seven people onboard. I got on ,didnt have to pay again.
After 28 hours of border crossing, being on the bus was verry pleasent,The land scapes in Syria are very
beutifull, but i was surprised at the conditions of the towns, streets littered with rubish and builing rubble and general neglect. Damascus reminded me of Mexico City.
I the had to take a taxi to another bus station, a kind young man offered me a place to sleep at his house.He paid for our bus ride to his home.I met and chatted with five of his brothers and had a good nights rest.
Early in the morning i got a mini bus taxi form the house to town where i had to get a private taxi to cross in Jordan. The service of the customs leaving Syria was no better than the entry, the official read every page in my passport, and stamped the wrong date which ment that at the last check point we had to drive about 1km back to get a stamp again.
Jordan was like a different plannet. The cars were getting stip serched, getting my visa took less than five minutes. It went so quick i thought i missed some thing. Well done Jordan!
It then took three mini busses and a taxi to get to the border and a bus over the Jordan river to the Israel border. (verry near to the place where Joshua & Israel crossed the Jordan to enter into the promised land)
Security was tighter than an airport which was comforting. then a shutlle buss to Jerusalem, and about a two mile walk to accomadation place.
The best part of the journy was the many pleasent people i met on the busses, people from Turkey, Russia, Syria, Jordan and Kenya.
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Posted in General Articles by Lloyd Joynt on 8/14/2006
heloooo.
i get a bus today and head of to the far easern part of Tukey.
I should get there by tomorow morning.
i ll the cross the border into Syria and head for Demascus.
form then me plan is to go to Jordan. and then Israel and Egypt.
its a very long journey and ill need mutch grace and prayer.
Lloyd. :]
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