One day at a time…

Posted on September 26, 2015     Leave a Comment

It sounds like the united states is experiencing some cooler temperatures, and enjoying football games, and hooded sweatshirts.  Honey crisp apples, chai tea, and pumpkin bars, are a few of my fall favorites that I will miss this year.  Here in South Africa, it is warming up a bit each day, and we are in the full swing of spring.  Summer is right around the corner, as we are seeing temps in the 90’s.

I must admit, it is going to be odd to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in shorts and t-shirts this year, but I won’t complain.  No white Christmas here.

As the Christmas season is fast approaching, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to bless a family on the other side of the world.

I had a few sleepless nights this past week.  Things had been swirling in my head, and I have been trying to organize my thoughts.  I asked Esther (Syiabonga and Thobile’s auntie) to help me, and last Saturday we went to town to put together our first blessing basket.  I had Esther pick out items that she would consider a blessing (picture below).

Each basket will include: mayo, toilet paper, soya, tomato sauce, sugar, flour, vinegar, coffee creamer, oil, salt, fruit drink concentrate, rice, dish soap, butter, apricot jam, spices, canned beans and peaches, eggs, powder custard, tea bags, baking powder, detergent and a few sweets for the kids.

If you would like to sponsor a basket for a family this Christmas it will be $50.  

Please e-mail me, and I will give you further instructions.

On a side note, things have been hectic here.  We usually have anywhere from 9-14 people with us at all times. Meals are crazy, shower time is busy, and our rooms are full of beds to accommodate everyone.  It has been fun, challenging, and something Rob and I can’t do in our own strength.  We trust God is present, helping us wake up each day and look at the gifts God has put before us, and the obstacles that He wants us to overcome.

Only in His strength will we continue to walk obediently, one day at a time.

J-life camp house…..

Posted on September 6, 2015     3 Comments

is complete and it is our ‘home’ for the time being.

We moved in on Friday, July 24th – minutes after returning from the coast with the 6-week interns.  Sorry for the delay!!  We feel blessed to have our own space, and have already enjoyed the times God has allowed people to be here with us. We all loved the silos but felt like 6 people living above a family of 3 wasn’t very fair (and we are a loud bunch).

We have already had two pizza party lunches for J-life.  It is so great to gather together as an organization and enjoy each others company, one more way to break down those cultural barriers.  We will continue to do this each month, in hopes that each time everyone will become more and more comfortable.  Our living room is also our dining room, which is perfect for big groups.  We found a table that can fit 12, (pictured below) so we are always prepared for guests, or whoever pops over.  We are thankful for our ‘home’ and pray that God uses every nook and cranny for His glory!!

our bedroom

Tate and Tanner’s room

Within the past month one of the year-long trainee teams were struggling  with where they were trying to minister, and after prayer and a clear understanding of what they were doing, we decided to move them in with us.  Dana is living in our extra bedroom.  She is from the US but has been with J-life since January 2015.   Karabo is sharing rooms with Austin and Hudson.  He is originally from Lesotho but has also been with J-life since January 2015.  Having all ages of kids/young adults has been rewarding and challenging all at the same time.

Rob and I are confident God has asked us to live life with people to grow, understand, and become more like Christ.  There has been awkwardness, and times when we are tired, but we look at these young adults as our own children.  When our boys are walking the path God has for them, and someone comes into their lives and builds into them, we will be more than grateful.

So, while we have them here with us – we love them, we ask the hard questions, and we watch God transform them.  We have seen tears, we have participated in a lot of laughter but most importantly we have felt God’s love over all of us….and each day we all wake up trying to grasp how incredibly big and overwhelming God’s grace and mercy is for us.

I don’t think you can see all of the shoes lined up in the picture above – but with the 2 young adults, Siyabonga and Thobile (on the weekends) we usually have 10 pair of shoes by our front door at any given time.  It warms our hearts to see all of those shoes.  Each pair represents a child of God, and we feel blessed that while we are here, we are able to minister to each of them, all in very different ways.

Heavenly Father – Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your story, we feel so blessed.

Stop Hunger Now…

Posted on August 28, 2015     3 Comments

We all (the 4 boys and 2 J-life trainees) went to Waterstone College yesterday in Johannesberg, where Nathan and Jordan attend school.  The school had been raising awareness and funds to help with the STOP HUNGER NOW organization.  Once the funds were raised, the organization sends a STOP HUNGER NOW representative to facilitate the packaging of the food.  The meals are highly nutritious and consist of rice, soya, dehydrated vegetable mix and a fortification pack of 23 essential minerals and vitamins specifically formulated to combat malnutrition.

These meals are given to lower-income areas.  Whoever they are given to, they are held accountable to use the funds that they would otherwise spend on food, to buy something essential (each family with varying needs).  It does not foster dependency, but empowers them, which secures their sustainability.

With the help of about 100 kids, we packaged 15,000 meals in less than 2 hours.

It was a lot of fun!!

We enjoyed this “outing” and look forward to helping out in tangible ways in the communities around us.  I will post pictures of the J-life camp house (that we are calling our home) soon, and more on the 2 J-life trainees that God has put in our lives for this season.

Love from Africa!!

My life in Africa…

Posted on August 25, 2015     1 Comment

has been filled with hurts and pains, all physical.  When we first got here my dad, Austin and myself went to a camp by a river.  Austin, Nathan (John’s son), and I went to the river one afternoon to go swimming.  We were playing on some rocks and I slipped and cut my leg open.  I did not go to the hospital because my dad said it would be fine, so he taped it.  Now I have a big scar on my right shin that reminds me of that camp.

The other time I got hurt was when I put my sweatshirt on and felt something stinging my arm. When I looked inside, I saw a wasp. I threw off my sweatshirt as fast as possible.  Luckily it only stung me once (a wasp can sting more than once) but it hurt the rest of the day.

This past Sunday I dislocated my finger.  All of my brothers, Nathan, and I were playing karate on the camp trampoline and Nathan accidentally kicked my pinky.  All of the sudden, I looked at it and my pinky was crooked.  So, I stared running up to John and Lorna’s house and my Dad and Mom took one look at it and we left for the hospital. Once we got there the doctor did an x-ray and this is what we saw.

This is what it looked like when it happened.

 This was while I was waiting for a doctor.

Even though I have been physically hurt in all these ways, I love being in Africa. I really enjoy being on the farm and I love the people here.

Tate.

6 week internship program….

Posted on August 14, 2015     1 Comment

started the second weekend in June and ended the last weekend in July.  Rob and I were able to work with ten young adults, all from the united states.  The age range of the group was 17-23.  There were 7 girls, and 3 guys.  It was a GREAT group (I can’t stress that enough).  Since this was the first time for Rob and I to help with this J-life program, God was gracious, and gave us a solid bunch of kids.  Below is only an overview of the six weeks.

• The first week they did the AMAZING RACE (with the year-long trainees), participated in lectures and training, spent the day doing an Africa Realities project, and planned a Kids’ Camp.

• The second week was spent in lectures and training, and an outing to the Soweto Museum.

• The third week they did solitude, and counselor training for their upcoming sports camp.

• The fourth week they participated as counselors in sports camp.  The picture below is all of the girl counselors as they prepared for the talent show.

• Following Sports Camp, we also split the girls and guys and did an Encounter weekend.  Rob and Bhuti spent the weekend with the guys.  Tara and I spent the weekend with the girls.

• The fifth week they finished up on lectures and training and planned a 3-day holiday Bible club in Extension 23.

• The sixth week, we packed them up and took them to the coast!!   They enjoyed zip lining, surfing, and a full day in Hluhluwe Game Park.   The zip line was amazing, the surfing was cold, but they were troopers, and the game drive was out of this world!!

I can vividly remember doing orientation with this group the first few days they arrived.  They seemed young, unsure, a bit scared, wondering what they had gotten themselves into….but as the weeks went on we saw such growth, we saw their hearts, and we saw God really working in their lives.  Our daily prayers and devotions gave us a chance to be transparent with each other and look at how God continues to mold and shape us, reaffirming that He never leaves us where we are.

This group had such diverse personalities, with varying strengths and weaknesses, but all of them left with strong friendships and lasting memories that they will hold dear to their hearts, and most importantly, a passion to see Christ glorified to the ends of the earth.

There is a first time for everything…..

Posted on August 3, 2015     Leave a Comment

and Rob took one for the team!!  He returned from Cameroon with a really bad stomach ache and little bites all over one arm.  He thought the stomach ache must have been from the food (he consumed a lot of fish – which is a staple in their diet), and the bites must have been something that got him in the night.  He had taken malaria medication prior to traveling, so we thought we had all of our bases covered.  Cameroon is a very tropical climate with warmer temperatures as well, so while we were seeing it dip into the low 40’s/high 30’s at the farm, it was very warm for them.  Upon returning we were in full swing with the 6 week interns and Rob just wasn’t feeling any better.  We were scheduled to eat with the 6 week interns at the dining hall 3 times a week and as we were getting ready to join them, Rob decided to stay back and head to bed early.  I took the kids for dinner and after eating, I sent Tanner and Hudson home to get ready for bed.  Tate, Austin and I stayed behind to help with clean-up.  When we walked back into the silo the first thing we heard from Hudson was, “MOM – you are never going to believe this……dad just popped worms out of his arm, it was SOOOOO cool!!”  There was a little plastic bag on the kitchen counter with the evidence. (Coolest science project ever for the kids!!)

How did this happen?  Well, every morning Rob hung his wet towel out to dry.  Later we learned that hanging anything outside to dry in areas of high tropical rainfall can be risky if they are not ironed properly. Mango flies are common in these areas.  It is possible for a female fly to lay eggs and the eggs penetrate the skin. People will usually complain that their body is itching and within three days, painful, boil-like lesions occur. Over the next three days, pus emerges from each sore as it gets ripe. Once the sore is expressed a worm comes out of it.  Below are pictures to show the painful boil-like lesions on his arm, and one of the worms.

Finally Rob took a trip to the doctor.  The mango worms were not an issue, but the doctor was concerned more about the stomach problems.  Praise God with 10 days of strong antibiotics, he was feeling back to normal!!

Also below Rob captured some footage of their taxi ride to the airport.  This was after riding on a bus for several hours longer then expected, because of the many accidents on the only road between Yaounde to Douala.

We have included both of these experiences to give you all a small taste of Africa!!

On a positive note, the trip was a great success.  John was able to do 3 days of training, and they were able to spend quality time with Leo, Florence and their team.  They were also able to visit the training center to see all of the work that has been done – way to go Grace Community for all of your hard work!!

In addition, one of the most encouraging aspects of the trip was to learn about all the opportunities that Leo and Florence have had to train people in surrounding countries, which are almost 100% muslim and unreached.  Below are a few pictures from their trip.

Hugs from this side of the pond, we will post soon about the 6-week program with our team of 10 interns from the states.

Kids, kids, and more kids…

Posted on June 20, 2015     4 Comments

kids camp kicked off last night at we have about 70 kids here for the entire weekend.  The year-long trainees and the 6-week interns have worked hard to plan and organize an amazing weekend for these kiddos.  The theme is I AM CHOSEN BY GOD.  Most of these kids were picked specifically by a Pastor, or came from an orphanage, or are farm hand kids, knowing a weekend of getting spoiled would be such a blessing to them.  I think when this weekend is over everyone will walk away feeling blessed – and that is the amazing way God works.

The picture below is dark, but this is everyone getting checked-in and divided into their dorms according to age.

They made a purple cross and had all of the students put their fingerprint on the poster, to explain they are each chosen by God.

Last night after dinner, we ended with a skit, some great worship music and A LOT of dancing.

John and Rob are busy training in Cameroon.  While we are freezing in South Africa, they are sweating from when they get up in the morning until when they go to bed.  The post below was forwarded to me by Lorna, and it sounds like things are going well.  Continue to pray that their time is impactful and useful to all of the believers they are working with in Cameroon.

Lastly, we have discovered hot water bottles – and honestly they have to be some of the best things we have encountered since sliced bread!!  With no heat, I woke up a few times this week and the silos were in the 40’s and our pipes were frozen.  About a half hour before we snuggle into bed we fill our water bottles with HOT, HOT water and find the perfect place for them in our blankets.  Most mornings they are still warm…not HOT but I am amazed at how well water holds heat.

Please pray that the kids camp runs smoothly, that the kids are warm at night.  Also that they experience love, and know they are significant.  Let’s pray that they see they are truly chosen by God, and through His power they can change the world. Amen.

We have been busy….

Posted on June 16, 2015     2 Comments

and being busy has felt really good.  Sometimes when we are idle, we can begin to feel homesick!!  Rob was able to pick up some friends who were here visiting from North Carolina (Robert, Ginger, Meagan & Lindsey).  They had asked if they could bring anything over for us.  Rob asked for a few tape measures, saw blades, and power strips, and I asked if they could throw a few bags of chocolate chips in their suitcases.  Much to our surprise they brought us everything we had asked for and more.  As you can see in the picture below we received 16 pounds of chocolate chips.  We have already made chocolate chip cookies a few times, our first bag is getting low.

Thank-you so much for spending time with us!!  We have known Robert since our Malawi trip in 2013.  This time we had the privilege of meeting Ginger and their two awesome daughters – Meagan and Lindsey.  Meagan is also part of the 6 week interns too!!  Robert and Ginger also celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with us, and with so many youth, it doesn’t take much to have a full-out dance party.

Happy Anniversary Robert & Ginger – and many more years together!!

After taking all of the pictures off of our phones, I realized there are a few things I forgot to post.  We made it back to Door of Hope and spent the day together as a family installing some shelving.  This shelving had been laying in pieces for a long time.  We were able to put them together and also install them in a shed so they can be used.

Each of us had our own individual job to do, but we all worked together as a team.  Below are the shelving units assembled and the storage area organized.  Now they can see what they have and they have plenty of room to grow!!

The last weekend in May Rob and I were asked to help with a high school retreat called, Encounter.  There were about 30 high school girls that spent Friday – Sunday here at Camp Eden.  The guys packed up and went to the Vaal Dam.  We went for walks, horseback riding, devotions, master chef cook-off, and shared our hearts with each other.  These girls in the picture below were the ones I spent more of my time with.  I had a great time, and it was a great to start working with youth here in South Africa.

Rob also had a great weekend.  Following the retreat weekend with these guys, Rob now goes to their high school every Friday to meet with some of the guys that were interested in digging deeper into what God has for their lives.  He is looking forward to journeying with these young men, and helping them discover their full potential in Christ.

This past Saturday we took all of the trainees (the year-long trainees and 6-week interns) to Extension 23 and gave them their first clue for their very own Amazing Race.  I can’t disclose all of the details (in case we have others joining us in the future) but it was a great team building exercise.  We have so enjoyed watching all of these kids get to know each other better.

The race ended at David and Liz’s house for chili and rice.  I offered to bring chocolate chip cookies (since we had 16 pounds of chocolate chips).  Hannah and Whitney cooked in our kitchen all afternoon (after arriving from Iowa) because I didn’t want them sleeping until it was bedtime.  The cookies were awesome and although we had over 75 cookies it didn’t take long for 40 people to devour them!!

We took Siyabonga and Thobile with us as well.  Besides going to school, I don’t think they make it off the farm very often.  We love having them around and enjoy our time with them so much.

I have spent the past two days sitting in on the 6-week intern training.  We have learned a lot and my brain is on overload.  Rob and I have the privilege of doing devotions with the 6-week interns every morning.  Most of these young adults have been here less than a week, and I think we are going to have a blast together!!

Lastly, as I post this – Rob and John are in route to Cameroon.  They have a 5 hour flight to Nairobi, Kenya and another 5 hour flight to Douala, Cameroon.  They will be there until Monday, the 22nd.  Rob is excited to see what our Grace teams have accomplished while they have been there.  He will also take part in the same 2-day training I just did with the 6-week interns.  I am excited to hear about Cameroon, but obviously we will miss him greatly.  The boys and I are praying for safe travels – and a busy week so our time apart doesn’t seem so LONG.  We are bummed that he won’t be with us for Father’s day, but we snuck a card and a few snacks in his suitcase!!

Thank you for all of the continued prayers and support.  May we continue to be grateful each day for God’s grace and mercy and not forget the price He paid for each of us on the cross.

Hugs for South Africa.

They have arrived…..

Posted on June 11, 2015     1 Comment

We were so excited to see these 5 get through immigration and join up with us at the airport.  We were back at J-life by 10 AM and I have been keeping them busy all day.  No naps, not one!!  They are really dragging, but they will get to snooze in about 2 hours.  Melissa was happy to do a brief re-cap of their few days of travel and they will post more soon.

The first day and a half of our teams travels didn’t seem to be a complete failure, but it most defiantly didn’t feel blessed.

• First Whitney and I were told in Chicago that we didn’t have the correct documentation to enter South Africa.
• In London Josh got chewed out by a subway attendant.
• When we re-entered the Heathrow airport Hannah and Amanda were told that they both would have to pay to check their carry-on luggage.

All things we had tried our hardest ahead of time to prepare for, all things meant with unfair adversity. It seemed things were getting out of control. It was these moments that God used in the first part of our trip to teach us something. We didn’t have control to begin with. Not even a little. God did, has, and will. He wasn’t surprised by snappy airport employees or blindsided by the technicalities of international travel documentation.

But it’s easy for us to forget. We get caught up in doing what we think God wants us to do and forget to pray and listen.

It wasn’t a matter of letting God be in control of this trip, He already was, it just took us a few ups and downs to remember and to sincerely pray:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 139:23-24

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16

We did a sleepy picture too….more soon!!

If you want to keep up with their activities, and thoughts you can check out their blog at: summerinsouthafrica2015.blogspot.com

Surrender…

Posted on June 6, 2015     2 Comments

doesn’t come natural to me, I’d rather fight you for something I don’t really want, than to take what you give that I need, and I’ve beat my head against so many walls now I’m falling down, I’m falling on my knees.

The above is part of a Rich Mullins song, “Hold Me Jesus“.  And it perfectly describes our first 3 months in South Africa.   While we were back in the US preparing for the life that God was calling us to, we had many ideas of what it would be like.  Unfortunately I only had what I knew in the US to help us foresee.  At home I was a builder by trade, and I enjoyed it very much.  I had gotten to a point in my business and life, where I was able to control many aspects of it.  I knew who to call to get something done well, and I also had the resources to do it.  I had a huge support group around me, including our family, and I had gained the respect and praise from both work and church.  I was well grounded and comfortable.

So, this is what I projected would happen in South Africa too.  We would hit the ground running and be able to get things done.  We would call the right people, we would make a difference so we could write home to all of our family and supporters and show them all that we have accomplished!!

Here is the real truth – I have battled from day 1.  Nothing is familiar, I don’t know who to call, and I struggle to do it myself because everything is unfamiliar.  Daily I am asked to do things that I am not naturally good at.  The language and cultural barriers are so big.  When I call the plumber, the electrician, the door guy, and the cabinet guy, they tell me what I want to hear.  It is culturally acceptable to say what the other person wants to hear (so they aren’t letting me down) with no intentions of following thru.  I’ve been told many times, “We will make a plan!”……and then a few weeks go by and I call again and they say, “We will make a plan just now!” and another week goes by and I call again and they say, “We will make a plan now, now!”  You get the picture, and I struggle to get done what was so easy and natural for me to do at home.

Then the devil starts asking the question – did God really say He wanted you here?  You aren’t making a difference at all.  Why would He bring you out of your environment, when you could get things done so efficiently, to an environment where everything is an up-hill battle.  I feel so inadequate for the job.

I finally called a friend from home, that has been a huge part of my life.  He knows me well, knows my weaknesses, strengths, sins, fears, and failures.  I began to share with him all of the things that I had been experiencing and he just listened.  But at the end of the conversation, he said two things that I know now were from God….he said, “What did you expect – that it would be easy?” and he also stated his main concern regarding our entire conversation was when I said, “Maybe I just need to stop being a baby and pull myself up and try harder.”

Then it hit me…..and that was my problem.

I am not adequate for this job, really none of us are – and that is the point.

That takes me back to how I started this post, the Rich Mullins song.  We were sitting around this cold Saturday morning as a family (35 degrees in the silo), worshiping God with music and this song, Hold Me Jesus, came on and the word surrender jumped out at me.  That is really why I am here.  That is why all of us are where we are….to learn to surrender.  It is not about us, or about what we do or don’t do.  It is about surrendering to His will.  After we understand that daily we die to self, and we have nothing to offer apart from Him, then and only then, are we ready to be used for His glory.  I realize now that many of the struggles we have faced are really an answer to prayer that we have asked many of you to pray.  That we don’t come over here on our own strength, but that we do what He is asking us to do, and only by His power.  I think I was just to prideful to see it.

Thank you Jesus for using a brother in Christ to point me back to you.

 – God doesn’t call us to be comfortable, He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.    

Francis Chan