Help Renovate a House to Restore Lives in ManenbergAdam Heather - 26 Feb 2014
Pete and Sarah Portal have worked for 4 years in the South African township of Manenberg, pioneering prayer and mission in an area saturated with extreme violence and poverty - in the last two weeks alone, they've had a bullet through their office window and four have been killed in a local gang war.
In the heart of the gang zone, they are looking to plant the first Boiler Room community in Africa and are giving their lives to praying and helping those looking to break free of the gang and drug culture.
The last 4 years have seen God move in incredible ways (if you joined us in Dublin for the International Gathering you may have heard some of the stories!), but they know that to see actual community transformation, they need to be able to open up their home and offer people shelter, family and demonstrate a different expression of life.
A dream known as the 'Manenberg House'.
But they need your help….
In a step of faith, they have brought a home - now they need to refurbish it.
Having consulted specialists, they know that they need to raise £24,800 to make the neccessary renovations to make the 'Manenberg House' a reality. Whatever money is raised will go directly into helping establish the house and impacting Manenberg.
Here is a little video which explains exactly what they are trying to do and how you can get involved...
"It’s always been a Fusion dream to have a house. For the last 6 years we’ve become increasingly frustrated with dropping our young men and women, some of whom are new believers trying to come out of gangs and addiction, at home each afternoon to gang-joining, gun-toting, drug-smoking friends and family. The harsh reality of the home life of many of our friends often counters the breakthroughs in their lives – because whilst we work 9am-5pm hours (and then some), the majority of gang activity happens when darkness falls. Relapse happens in the night.
We’ve realized, through the ups and downs of the last 6 years, how desperately unlikely it would be to see the widespread gang reduction and community-level transformation we’re believing for, without somehow becoming the answers to our own prayers. A daily schedule of activities and prayer goes so far, but we’ve continued to hit the same ceiling over and over again. God began to speak to us about ‘re-parenting’ these individuals, and so what was needed was a house in which to base the ‘family’ – a transformational community.
Our house will enable the growing of our prophetic community of brothers and sisters that have come from lives in the drug dens, gang hq’s and street corners. We believe this community will be a visible, tangible redemption of the gangs. Rites of passage will be observed, breakthroughs will be celebrated, intercession will be offered unceasingly and, as Acts records, perhaps “the Lord [will add] to their number daily those who [are] being saved.” (2:47).
It would be so great for friends and family of 24/7 Prayer to get behind us as we stand as a generative contradiction to the prevailing culture of violence and division."
Pete Portal
You can find out more about the work in Manenberg by watching this interview with Pete Portal during the International Gathering in Dublin
Adam Heather is on the Leadership Team for 24-7 Prayer International and serves as Strategic Director for Emmaus Rd Church, one of 24-7 Prayer's first Communities. He is married to Hannah and they have one daughter.
Meet Adam