April 2015
Greetings from South
Africa! Our first month is behind us and we feel overwhelmed with what God has
been doing in and through our family. You ask “What could happen in a month?”
Well, quite a lot actually. God had prepared many things in advance for us to
walk into. When we were here in December, we met a girl named Marizel whom our
good friend introduced us to. Little did we know, she would become a great
friend and a huge helper in getting us settled and comfortable. She is a 19 year old girl who has a lot of
questions about God and what it means to be a Christian. The church culture
here has a lot of legalism and many of her questions are about the “rules” of
Christianity. It’s a joy to be able to
have conversations with her and her friends and see how the Lord is changing
the way they view Christianity. Our typical routine with them is to hang out
and make dinner together. We have conversations about all kinds of things
including South African culture, language, school, her hopes and dreams, and
God. She is also very curious about America. After dinner we do a devotional
and have a short, simple Bible study session. Sometimes we will introduce her
to a specific topic that the Holy Spirit prompts. Our friendship continues to
grow.
Carolynn is doing
well. As her due date approaches (May 12th)
she is slowing down a bit and needing a little extra help from me around the
house. We went to Worcester, a nearby
town, for a doctor visit to make sure we had a doctor to deliver the baby when
the time comes. Things went well and we await the day when our little boy
arrives. We are praying for a very comfortable, quality experience at the
hospital. Carolynn also keeps busy
teaching Amelia and trying to keep James out of trouble! She also thoroughly
enjoys washing clothes and dishes by hand every day. Ha!
Our house is comfortable. It’s an old house, over 100yrs
old, and you can see where it needs some work, but overall, it’s very
impressive, all things considered. There is a storefront that is part of the
house that we are praying about how to use. We have been dreaming, but will
take things slow. I know in the back of
my mind that there is a great future for it in serving the community.
Lucas started school at the only English speaking school in
town. It works out really well so far,
as the location is only a few blocks away. It’s a private, tuition based,
Christian education that teaches individuals at their own pace. The teachers were very impressed with his
test results. Though he had not yet finished 2nd grade in the
States, his scores placed him in the middle of 3rd grade right on
track with his peers! He has to wear a
school uniform which also makes him look super smart!
I spend time working in the garden and around the house when
I am not out making friends. I really
anticipate the day that I can distribute some of the goods that have grown in
the garden to those who cannot find enough to eat. We also have some chickens that
are a huge asset for us to have in providing inexpensive food. I like to go out
into the township with Lucas and pray for people. Sometimes we just sit and
talk with people, learning all we can about their life. There seems to be a
theme of alcoholism in this town. It will be overcome by the power of Jesus! Luke and I go to the hospital and pray for
people as well.
Once in a while, a
person will hear about us or just see us and stop at our house to talk. There
is one man named Andre who has stopped by twice. He is an alcoholic but also
has an amazing gift for playing the guitar.
He has been opening up to me about the pain that has led him to a
dependency on alcohol. He has a great heart, but it is so hurt and broken, that
alcohol has become his way to cope. I pray for Jesus to capture his heart. Another woman named Margaret was picking
leaves to eat from a vacant area when I noticed her. She had a bad limp and as
I got closer, I noticed she was blind in at least one eye. I stopped her and
prayed for her leg to be healed and her eyes to be opened. I didn’t notice an
immediate correction of her limp or a miraculous coloring of her milky eyes,
but she was touched by the Holy Spirit for sure. As I walked away, I felt a prompting to give
her some money for dinner. I reached in my wallet and was going to give her $5.00,
but my mind was changed and I gave her $10.00. She broke down sobbing with
tears of gratitude. When she picked herself up, she walked with me and didn’t
appear to limp anymore. Her spirit had surely been lifted! I felt hope that her family would be touched
by God’s grace and mercy.
Through these interactions I have acquired a list of
addresses for future visits. It seems
that God is providing many different opportunities for us to build
relationships within the township.
Our current prayer requests include: direction with the
shop, direction about getting a vehicle, smooth birthing processes and
adjustments, friends for the children, productive garden and chicken ventures,
language learning to come quickly, greater understanding of the culture and why
alcoholism is so prevalent, and continued interactions that build relationships
and trust. Thank you to everyone who is supporting us financially, through
prayer, and the many other ways you have found to be a part of what God is
doing here is South Africa. We wish we could tell you all that is happening
here! It really is exciting! Carolynn frequently posts quick updates and
pictures on Facebook so you can keep track of us that way in between blog
posts!
