This month we celebrate Freedom in America! It is a celebration that reminds us that much sacrifice is sometime needed in order for us to find Freedom. In the same way, Christ suffered greatly in order to guarantee our freedom from sin and bondage. It is because of His sacrifice that you and I can live in peace in this world even though there is so much trouble all around. I hope that you and your family experiences this freedom in Christ! There is no other peace like it. I also ask that you consider what sacrifice you might make to help others around the world experience this same freedom!
Michelle and I find ourselves once again back in the USA waiting for our South African visas. It has been almost one year since we said our good byes to our friends in Senegal and returned to the USA thinking we would spend 3 months here and then move to our new assignment in South Africa. Over the next 6 months we waited patiently to hear something from the offices of Home Affairs. We have finely found some evidence that the process is moving forward and by the grace of God hope to return to South Africa in late July or early August to finally settle. It will be good to finally have our personal effects in our home instead of still sitting in storage in Senegal all this time.
We praise God that we have found a great welcome in our new roles at the Africa Regional office. Though it has been overwhelming at times, we see how God has prepared us over the years to do the work that He is calling us to today. We both are growing into our responsibilities and hope to do our best to serve the church. Michelle has had the great task of helping to settle many new missionaries into their assignments. She was able to visit Cape Verde in June to help new missionaries go through orientation. She has participated in helping the new team in West Africa find their places and take over the positions we left behind. She has flown to Durban to work with the Benjamin family taking on the new role as education coordinators for the Africa Region. She and I are taking a course in Strengths Coaching to help us better serve the leaders and colleagues that make up our team across Africa. Keep praying for her as she learns her new role and tries to keep up with all the policies and communication needed to keep people serving as missionaries from more than 19 nationalities in Africa.
I praise God for the development of the Jesus Film Coordinators across the region. I work with some of the greatest leaders in Africa. Every month we get Jesus Film Reports from over 200 teams in Africa. I was able to fly to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and teach along side Rev. Nzola Dieumerci in church planting essentials. We delivered more than 300 church resource packs to the church planters in this vast country and beginning to see how it is making an impact in the ministry. I also spent 3 weeks in West Africa helping to deliver new Jeus Film equipment to teams in Togo, Benin, and Niger. |
