God is adding to our numbers & showing us His faithfulness - bigger and better than anyone of us dreamed!
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30 June 2011
Adding
42 teens at Teen Club today (Thursday)!
one new name
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28 June 2011
38 teens in Capricorn Club today!
Praise Him!
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27 June 2011
3 weeks of Holiday Club starts today
We need your prayers. 3 weeks of VBS - ages 5-19. Pray for our Life Skills Educators as we share God's love & a Living Hope with the kids/teens each day! May God bring Salvation upon many!
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26 June 2011
Christmas in June
I miss American Christmas - particularly Christmas in the winter season. So, I declared 25 June in South Africa my American-Winter-Christmas. I made my friend Meagan play along & we had a ball!
. Played Christmas music all day
. Made breakfast in my PJs: bacon, scrambled eggs, bacon & buttermilk biscuits
. Watched a Christmas movie on my laptop
. Baked Sugar Cookies & decorated them with icing & sprinkles (mix & prepared icing from the States - always a welcomed gift)
. Made a big dinner: mustard chicken, deviled eggs, steamed broccoli, carrot soufflé, ambrosia (orange salad with coconut- Harold's recipe), Apple cider (Raven's Nest mix from Susan)
. Read the Christmas Story in Luke after dinner!
... I even wore a pair of Christmas PJs that my grandmother mailed me last Christmas (but they were too hot to wear during our summer-Christmas, but perfect for my June-Winter-South-African-Christmas).
It was neat celebrating a chilly Christmas again - and I especially loved sharing my American traditions with my friend Meagan!
Call me crazy, but it was FUN!
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24 June 2011
Snow in Cape Town?
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20 June 2011
University Ministries Leave an Imprint
The Shades Team has been gone about a 2 weeks. Life has been super busy and I'm very encouraged by the effects of this specific team. We're still talking about how fun they were, the encouragement they brought and how great it was to watch my life and my surroundings, my day-in-day-out, my challenges, my all through their eyes. They reminded me of why I was called here, they reminded me that it's ok to cry. They reminded me that God really is alive and active here. I know those things but it's nice to be reminded and confirmed/affirmed by others.
Thank you Shades University Ministries! Looking forward to hearing how God uses this experience to further the Kingdom of God both in South Africa and in Birmingham, Alabama!
Here are some photos from their week with us:
Hawaiian Luau - Friday Youth!
Luau - our guys having fun!
Youth Girls Retreat - beach games
Team House Girls Retreat
UMin gals! God's got big plans for these girls!
Saying good-bye to sweet friends.
09 June 2011
Discipleship ... All Grown Up
As Afternoon Club began, I was beaming with pride as I watched 2 of my former youth (Jenna and Allison) serve the people God called me to and minister to those they've personally prayed for out of my requests for ministry in South Africa. These girls were in my Core Group (small group) while I was on staff at Shades Mountain Baptist; I've known these sweet girls for 7 years, invested so much love into them and prayed they would multiply and disciple others after my time with them. With my own eyes I watched that prayer play-out. These girls are teaching and investing in others, the discipleship process is in action - I did all I could do, planted seeds, watered them and now others are watering that seed and the fruit is ministering to others. Wow! I'm honored, I'm excited, I'm proud of who these young ladies have become. I'm even more proud that they would sacrifice their time and money to invest in the culture and teens that God has burdened me for. They're seeing with their eyes all the things I've been telling them about and all the things and people they've prayed for. They're encouraging me and reminding me that progress has been made here and that the work is worth it! Seeing life here through their eyes is a blessing and seeing them minister to those I love is a deeper blessing!
Praise the Lord for teams that bring me strength!
Team dinner with John Thomas
He poured his heart out - telling heart renching stories about why Living Hope came about - giving the team an glimpse of how burdened he was about the AIDS crisis in Africa & the lives that were affected.
Here are some key points from his visit:
. 17,800 people were served by Living Hope last year. Many of these people are recurring clients and people we see weekly in either Support Groups, Afternoon Clubs, Home Based Care, etc.
. The greatest poverty is the poverty of the mind - the inability to dream.
. People often tell us, "You've shown me Jesus, now help me know Him." This is when we know we've served and met a need and then the work becomes even deeper !
John also reminded the Team that it's their job to communicate to others the vision of Living Hope and the work that God's doing in South Africa. We're still lacking funding in the Life Skills Department, so the Dollar-a-Day Program is still in great need and we need financial ministry partners. One of Living Hope's supporters has agreed to MATCH up to 300 'DADs' ... that is, if Living Hope can get up to 300 people to commit $1 US a day, the donor will match that money, making the donation $730 US dollars! Spread the word - your dollar is now multiplied when given to Living Hope! These programs are so crucial and so life-changing. Praying that you choose to invest in the spiritual lives of others in South Africa!
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