Farmers for a Day

Life on a farm demands hard work. Matthew and I had the privilege of spending a few days with his good friends who have a farm in the Free State. They welcomed us into their lives and let us help out a bit with the farm chores. To be honest, I'm not sure how much aid we gave them, but it was great to get our hands dirty and join in on the daily routine. Most of our time, however, was spent chatting with our farming friends over many cups of tea, decorated with fresh goats milk and raw honey. 

A Day Hike at Golden Gate National Park

African Sky Blue

Solar-Powered Audio Device - Bringing Hope & Truth to Women

Last week, I was given the opportunity to spend the day in a neighborhood of Johannesburg called Alexandra, one of the poorest urban areas of South Africa. Matthew's aunt, Elizabeth, has been ministering to women in Alexandra for the last several years and invited Lyn and me to join her for the day. There is a lovely little group of about 7 grannies who meet together on a regular basis for prayer and fellowship. Elizabeth joins them once in awhile and serves them by bringing a warm meal. This time around, Lyn brought a device that will open up the possibilities for these grannies to hear the Word of God and grow in their walk with Jesus. It's a small, solar-powered audio device that is programmed with 100+ Christian radio programs geared towards women. Each program is about 20 minutes in length. We gathered around the cell-phone-sized device and listened to a message that reminded us of God's care for His children. Even when the circumstances of life are tough and leave us wondering how things are ever going to get better, God meets us there and His love and grace are enough for us.

Lyn, explaining the simple way to operate the listening device and select the programmed messages.

Discussing the message together after listening, talking about how it applies to our lives.

The group posed for a quick photograph at the end of the discussion and prayer time, 

just before hugs good-bye.

(The audio device is part of TransWorld Radio's branch of ministry to women called Project Hannah, whose mission is "to offer compassion, encouragement and hope to suffering women worldwide through prayer, awareness, radio programming and mercy ministries." Lyn is the coordinator of Project Hannah in South Africa.)

Un Retour En Famille

Returning to Cote d'Ivoire was such a privilege... Spending 2 1/2 weeks with my dear host family and friends in Niakara, as well as touring to visit most of the Journeyers in their respective towns and villages. We kept saying that it hardly felt like I had left. Six months went by in a flash. And yet, there were many changes and happenings that occurred throughout the last six months in the lives of the Journeyers. They are well-integrated in their families and communities. Some of them have new routines and projects... take Katie and Najo, for example, who are both shadowing midwives at their local hospitals. All of them are speaking French...and some of them have already picked up Dioula or Senoufou...some local languages. What a joy it was to chat with the Journeyers about the ups and downs of life in an Ivorian family... and the refining interpersonal challenges of team life and Christian community. We can all thank God for His faithfulness and provision to the Journeyers throughout the last 9 months. They have just a couple of months remaining - Would you please join me in praying that God would give them the strength to finish well?

My beautiful family greets you! They are all doing well... the boys are growing up quickly, my sisters are busy with school and work, my mom is doing daily field work, and my dad is traveling around the country for his sales job. Life back with them was more than a "visit" ... it was simply folding back into the day-to-day ... sitting around the courtyard, making meals, sweeping the house, pulling water from the well.