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| Capricorn Community Church, Junior Youth - post Camp Bake Sale! |
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| In community! |
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| Christmas in June Party - Mel, Meagan, Gherkin and Interns! |
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Dear Friends and Family,
A few months have passed since my last update. This break in newsletter communication was intentional - that updates would not be redundant (since being on the field over 3 years now), but that I'd let time lapse so that there are reports of progress in some direction. Below are some highlights and updates of what's been going on in Capricorn, South Africa.
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AUGUST 2013 - Update from Melanie in South Africa:
Nine-week Interns, Lauren, Allison, and Maria have come and gone. They were involved in all aspects of Church life. We did weekly Missions Education/Theory and also held a Book Club - reading A Mile in My Shoes - by Trevor Hudson. I progressively blogged some of their happenings. Check out the last few blog posts to see photos of their adventures! It was fabulous to have them pour into our church and community. They really were successful in our goals of: Living, Learning, Leading, and Loving our church!
I've officially been full-time with Capricorn Community Church ONE YEAR this month! Celebrating my anniversary in full-time church-planting with great joy and a sense of being fully where God wants me. Although this has been quite the transition and I've faced lots of trial, being in God's will is priceless. [I've been in South Africa since January 2010, but moved focus to full-time church work in August 2012.]
Evaluating Ministry as a church staff: We're going through growing pains, trying to establish a strategy as a team and evaluate effectiveness in ministry. Working in a poverty-community is hard. What works in other places does NOT work here because of many things, but our finances and our vast culture-mixing being a couple reasons. God has burdened our church staff's hearts to re-look at how this church was planted and what needs to be uprooted. We're needing to lay a foundation of the Gospel - not whatever has been taught or thought previously in culture and tradition. So, we're going back to the basics and wiping the slate clean. Pray for this process and its disruption to what is socially/culturally-normal. Taking risks brings a dependence on the Lord that we're desperate for!
Pray for our upcoming series (Sept/Oct 2013), Rick Warren's, Purpose Driven Life - 40 Days of Purpose. Our whole church will go through this book together. We're hoping to get books in each member's home-language (we have people from Rwanda, Malawi, Congo, Kenya … and 3 different South African languages, including English). We're praying that this teaching will ignite unity and purpose in our Body. Pray with us! The planning has begun. May we be Spirit-led and make way for what God has ahead!
Personally, I'm needing rest - after many visitors and constant ministry over the last 3 months, my mind and body need a break. I'm having to say "no" to opportunities a lot more than I'd like. This is part of ministry/missions, I know! But, I'm at a point of really taking a pause in my personal life and making rest a priority! Pray for me as I break- that it would be productive, that my mind would rest and not be flooded with ministry concerns, and that my body would bounce back from stress and pressure these last few months.
Overall, ministry is progressing and developing! I'm learning to celebrate the small victories and not worry about the big steps that we need to tackle. God has been faithful to teach and grow me each step of the way. I'm still praying my life-verse: Luke 2:52. I'd encourage you to look that up and discover your growth potential through the Word! Growing abundantly each day!
In the coming month, I'll be blogging more about specific ministry updates : Youth, Junior Youth, Tutoring Programs and Girls Ministry. Stay tuned (www.meldill.blogspot.com) for more updates and ways to pray. Honored you'd follow what's going on with me and ministry in South Africa. THANK YOU!
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