Dec Prayer Letter - Riots

Just as I was beginning to feel settled and life was developing a good routine, the world decided I needed shaking up.  You may have seen my posts on Facebook as the situation developed, but if you did not, and would like up to the minute updates on all my adventures in the future, please like my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/GoSpeakLiveBoldly) and click on “Notifications.”    One Wed morning late in October I got up, got ready as usual, and walked over to the small animal clinic.  Imagine my surprise to find it locked up tight.  While talking with someone else trying to get in I learned that the university had been locked down due to student protests at the front gate.  Security personnel had been told to lock everything and bring all keys to the control station.  Although this seems logical on one hand, on the other it only caused more problems.  Critically ill pets were now locked in the hospital, I was now locked in the campus, and so were many others who drove to the back gate looking for a way out.  I wasn’t really concerned until I talked with one gentleman trying to get out the locked back gate.  He said the students had threatened to burn his car if he didn’t leave campus immediately!  Now I was concerned!  All I wanted was to get to my sick patients to safety and then leave campus.    With several other trapped staff members we finally broke into the small animal hospital to get out my patients and cut the padlock off the back gate so everyone could get out (we used another padlock to relock it after we left).  I rapidly threw together some clothes and necessities, left large bowls of food and water for my cat, and drove out as quickly as I could.   For the next ten days I stayed with friends as a refugee.  Thankfully, the back gate of the campus remained relatively quiet and was not involved in the continued rioting that occurred elsewhere on campus. So on quiet days I was able to sneak back into my house to pack a few more things, check on my cat, and water my plants.    Around the front gate and student center, things deteriorated over the next few days with looting of both cafeterias, the shops, and the bookstores.  Tires were burnt, rocks were thrown, students who wanted to leave were threatened and even beaten, and police got involved on several occasions.  Over 40 students were arrested at one point, although most were later released.  Several students were injured by rubber bullets as police and students clashed.      Students at many other universities were also protesting, but most of the protests around the nation remained peaceful.  Throughout South Africa, the students were united in protest against proposed tuition fee increases of 6-10% for the next year.  Eventually the universities agreed to 0% fee increases for next year, which stopped the protests, but I can only wonder what will happen in the future.    The campus was eventually reopened after 11 days of protesting and riots.  Final exams, set to start the week after protests begin, were generously moved back 3 weeks to allow the students time to study.  So far, all has been quiet again.  Once exams are finished, the students will be gone on summer holiday through the end of January.    Thank you for your prayer for my safety and for an end to the riots. Please pray that all will remain peaceful through the next year and that there will be no lingering resentment between staff, students, and the community.   I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  May the Lord bless you greatly with peace and joy throughout this holiday season. PS: Christian Veterinary Mission works in communities around the world where animals are much more than a companion, they are depended upon for survival. This Christmas season, we invite you to partner with us and give a gift that truly matters-the kind that can transform lives and communities from CVM’s Animal Impact Gift Guide atgifts.cvmusa.org

November Prayer Letter - Outreach

Thank you for your prayers during our outreach last month!  It went incredibly well despite many unexpected last minute changes and circumstances.  I took a group of six North-West University (NWU) students from the evangelism group I inherited and we met up with two former NWU students, a couple from the International Mission Board, and five Americans from Kentucky.  The first blessing was how well everyone gelled as a team despite different nationalities, cultures, and ages. We partnered with a local church in a township (black, poor, outlying, densely populated suburb) called Jouberton, outside the city of Klerksdorp.  Many of the homes here are cobbled together from cement blocks, corrugated steel, and anything else that can be scavenged.  Most only have outhouses for toilet facilities.  Trash gets dumped wherever is convenient and sewage frequently overflows from manholes and runs down the dirt streets.  Jouberton’s population of 111,938 people is crammed into eight square miles with extremely limited public services.     We had two main goals for the week: a children’s program in the mornings for three days and a youth (teens and young adults) outreach each evening.  The children’s program was the primary responsibility of the Americans and they were excited this year to mostly hand off the program to the local church, Letlhabile Baptist Church, with a training day on Sunday after church.  One of the former NWU evangelism students led the kids in Tae Kwon Do for an hour each morning and then they had a Bible story time and discussion groups.  Finally, games were organized for the last hour, with football (soccer) being a favorite of the boys, and a cooked lunch was provided. Ages ranged from around 3 to 15 years of age with 180-240 children coming each day.  On the final day, over 40 kids indicated a desire to know Jesus as their savior.     Although my NWU students helped out with the children in the mornings, their primary focus was the youth in the evening.  We went out into the streets each afternoon to invite people we met in yards or walking down the street and had many great conversations.  Wonderfully, many of those we spoke with did come along in the evenings. The students planned out 4 discussion based gatherings using movie clips to introduce a different topic each night.  After the movie clip the students led the discussions and finished each night with related Biblical foundations.  We had a wonderful turnout of youth each night and they were actually willing to interact in the discussions and ask questions.  On the final night we had 35 youth attend!   Although the students and I returned to Mafikeng exhausted both mentally and physically, everyone is eager to do it again!  Please pray for us as we look into starting a similar youth program in a village near North-West University.   The student evangelism group is also using the last few weeks before summer break (Nov-Jan) to plan outreach activities for the incoming freshman in Feb.  Please pray for guidance from the Lord in how we should reach out to both non-believers and Christians next year.   For more photos from the outreach visit my Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/GoSpeakLiveBoldly.   God bless,

Rebecca

October Prayer Letter - Two Paths

Have you shared the gospel with someone?  Has someone ever shared it with you?  How was it explained?  Because the gospel is at once simple and complex it can be difficult and even intimidating to share it with others, yet that is exactly what God tells us to do.  Part of my goal in training the students in the campus evangelism group is training them in a straightforward and reproducible way to share the gospel. Although there are many different methods, we have chosen one called "two paths" since most of those we share with are literate and have a strong respect for the Bible.
 
Today, I want to share the “two paths” with you so you can better understand what I am teaching the students and how they are sharing. As you read this, the students and I will be on an outreach in the town of Klerksdorp, about 2 hours away from Mafikeng, and they will have many opportunities to use the "two paths" method.  Please pray that the students and I would be bold in sharing the gospel and that the local church will follow up well with those who choose the narrow path.

 
The “two paths” presentation is very interactive so why don't you follow along with me and turn to the book of Mathew in the Bible and find chapter 7, verses 13 and 14.  Go ahead and draw the picture out on a paper as we go along.  These verses talk about two different paths. How are the paths described?  One path is wide and easy and one is narrow and difficult.  One gate is wide and the other narrow.  What lies at the end of each path? The wide path leads to destruction and the narrow leads to life.  How many people are on each path? Many are on the wide path and few on the narrow.

 

What does the Bible say about the people on the paths?  Let’s turn to Galatians 5:19-23.  The first few verses describe some of the actions of people on the wide path.  Write those descriptions down along that path. Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; and drunkenness.  In contrast, what do we see in the people like on the narrow path?  Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
 
And how do we end up on these paths?  Look up Psalms 51:5 to see how we start down the wide path.  We are sinful from birth and so the wide path is where we all start.  You can also read in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned and fall short of the perfection required by God. And how do we move over to the narrow path so we are heading towards life rather than destruction? Read John 5:1-7 to see how Jesus described it.  We must be born again; spiritually this time.  How can we be born again and enter the narrow gate?  Mark 1:15 give us two instructions - repent and believe the gospel.
 
What does it mean to repent?  It means we must turn away from the wide path and all it entails and go the other direction on the narrow path towards life.

 
What does it mean to believe the gospel?  In I Corinthians 1:15 the writer outlines the gospel for us briefly.  That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried and rose again according to the scriptures, and there were many witnesses of these things.  Also, in Romans 9:10-11 the Bible says that if we believe with our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead we shall be saved and never put to shame.
 
Everyone is somewhere on this diagram.  What road are you on?  What road do you want to be on?
 
This is the basic gospel presentation the students are learning.  What do you think? I'd love to hear your response!  Next month I look forward to sharing with you how the outreach went and how the students did in using this method.

September - My ways vs His ways.

The Lord’s ways are ever amazing and confusing. He prepares paths for us that we didn’t expect, but are excited to see and then diverts those paths again.  His paths have been both stirring and challenging to travel the last few months. Let me share a bit about what the Lord has been doing.

Shortly after I arrived in South Africa, mutual friends introduced me to Wes and Beth Gestring, IMB (Southern Baptist International Mission Board) missionaries also serving at North-West University (NWU).  Wes teaches in the agriculture department, which is located in the same area of campus as the small animal clinic.  They were heading off to a two-week IMB training conference where they learned about a church planting movement called T4T (training for trainers) championed by Steve Smith and David Garrison and originally developed by Ying Kai in China.  They returned very excited about what they had learned and eager to implement it with the student groups they led. 

In God’s own mysterious way, I had also been exposed briefly to T4T (1 day) and other church planting movement ideas while at the Center for Intercultural Training last May (in North Carolina).  CIT offered an extra week of training in Church Facilitation & Multiplication after finishing with the 4-week missions preparation course. I had decided to attend since I was there already and it seemed interesting.  However, I thought the week might not be very applicable for me since I wasn’t going to be involved in church planting. I’m so glad God convinced me to stay that extra week!  It was exciting and eye-opening to see how God was moving around the world and realize what was possible.  After that week, I knew God had me there for a reason, but I couldn’t imagine trying to implement these ideas on my own in a new country.

The Gestrings invited me over for dinner after their training excited to share with me about T4T and see if I would be willing to join them in working to implement it at NWU.  It was wonderful confirmation for all of us to realize how God had prepared us separately with the same vision for starting a church planting movement.  Even more amazing, the IMB was doing a second two-week training in South Africa in September and they were willing to let me attend at no charge!

The next week, I attended the woman’s Monday Bible study Beth led on campus for students as well as the student evangelism training Wes led on Wednesdays.  Just one week later everything changed when Beth found out she was going to need to return to the United States immediately for several months of medical care.  I agreed to continue the woman’s Bible study and for now I am also continuing the evangelism training although I feel woefully unprepared for that topic.  Although it is a relief to the Gestrings that the students they care so much about have not been left without guidance, it thrust me into a significantly greater ministry role than I had expected at this stage.

Please pray for wisdom as I lead both student groups as well as try to find my way around my role at the small animal clinic.  Please also pray for the Gestrings, that Beth’s medical treatment would be successful and they will be able to return to South Africa this year.  Finally, please pray for me while I attend the T4T training in Johannesburg the first two weeks of September.    There will be much to learn and to implement that is out of my comfort zone.

On a side note, my work at the clinic is going well and I’m starting to develop a rhythm with all the different medications and diseases seen here.  Parvo virus is rife with multiple cases each week and tick borne diseases, such as Ehrlichia and Babesia, are very common as well.  Diagnostic options are extremely limited because, although the university has excellent blood chemistry and blood cell count machines, they are currently broken and are unlikely to be repaired.  I’m essentially limited to urine dip sticks (when we have them), HCT/TP, a few snap tests (parvo, Felv/FIV), and whatever I can do in the exam room with a microscope (blood smears, fecal exams, FNAs, etc).

Thankfully, I’ve had several good outcomes with patients to start out my time here and we see lots of cute puppies throughout the day.  For more stories of my patients, please check out my project Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GoSpeakLiveBoldly.

August - Driving me crazy?

Ever wondered what it is like to drive in Africa?  I can speak from experience when I say it is never boring!  Thankfully South Africa is a relatively tame place to drive compared to the rest of the continent, but it is still an adventure every time you start your car.

The standard speed limit for rural roads, highways, and motorways (freeways) is 120 kilometers per hour, or about 75 mph.  That can be nerve racking when you realize most roads here are just two lanes with mminimal shoulders and no median.  Because many of the older vehicles and trucks can’t manage 120 k/h they end up going much slower, which leads to frequent passing.  People in South Africa pass with abandon – curves in the road and oncoming traffic pose little hindrance.  They even pass multiple vehicles in one go.  Once, I started to pull out to pass a slow vehicle in front of me only to realize a car coming up beside me in the process of passing the cars behind me, my car, and the truck in front of us.  Now when I want to pass I not only look ahead for oncoming traffic, but also behind for vehicles that might be passing me.

Because of the dangers involved in frequent passing, many slow vehicles will helpfully drive along on the shoulder rather than on the road so people can easily wiz by them.  Or, they will move over onto the shoulder (without slowing down) if someone wants to get by.  This works well when there is a large shoulder, but gets exciting when the same thing is happening in both directions.  A two lane road effectively turns into a four lane road!  This can be quite dangerous when obstructions are present on the shoulder.

Now, imagine all this passing and driving on the shoulder occurring while people are walking along and even crossing the road, donkey carts are trotting along the shoulder, and cows and goats are grazing on the sides of the road and in the medians when they exist. Second, add in potholes.  They can be 6-8 inches deep and vary in width from a few inches to several feet.  Dodging them is often impossible due to their sheer number and frequency and they can come up on you pretty fast at 120 k/h.

Finally, imagine all this is going on in the dark at night!  Street lights are rare so it can be pitch black.  The livestock are especially a risk at night when the donkeys are not being used to pull carts and are released to graze.  Hitting a donkey at 120 k/h is a big risk.  You will be glad to hear I avoid driving after dark as much as is realistically possible.  Even in the daytime, it feels like I’m driving in a Nintendo game. 

Another fun variable in the driving game is the robot (stop light).  They are often placed off to the side of the roads, rather than overhead, so I frequently don’t see them until I’m almost in the intersection.  It doesn’t help that they often have at least one of the colors not working so it may be only the absence of a green light that tells you to stop since the red isn’t working.  Or, all the lights may be out in that intersection and you revert to a four way stop.  The radio traffic updates even report robot outages as people call them in during the morning and evening commutes.

Despite all this, I realize that it is indeed a blessing to drive here in South Africa where almost all of the roads are paved and where traffic laws exist and are generally followed.  It could be much more exiting!

On a more personal note, I’ve finally finished most of my to do list now with internet set up, a bank account started, the house starting to feel like a home, car bought and insured, and everything unpacked. Thank you for all of your prayers!  Settling in to my new home has been much smoother than I could have hoped. 

I’m starting to get a feel for the clinic (mid-July) and have moved my lab coats and stethoscope into my new office. Next month, I’ll be able to share more about the clinic, but keep an eye on my Facebook page in the meantime.

July Prayer Letter - I have arrived!

June 12, 2015 - It is 3:39am and I’m currently at the Dubai International Airport awaiting my final flight to Johannesburg. The 14 hour flight from Seattle to Dubai went well, though I didn’t really get much chance to sleep since I was in the middle of the middle row of seats.  I think my next flight is supposed to be a window seat, which would be wonderful!

My emotions are rather confused at the moment with excitement about leaning to live and serve in South Africa mixed with sorrow after saying good bye to my parents and aunt yesterday. Driving away from my home of the last twenty some years is very bittersweet.  Although I may return there in a few years, it will never be the same because I will be changed.

Once I arrive in Johannesburg later today, I should be met by someone from the university for the ride into Mafikeng (about 4 hours).  I’ll finish this letter off over the next few days as I know more about my situation there.

June 14, 2015 – I arrived safe and sound at O.R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg on the 12^th and even my luggage arrived with no complications.  The university sent a driver and van to meet me and bring me to Mafikeng and the ride was quite exciting as we traveled at speeds of up to 140 kilometers/hour on two lane roads!   I did utter a few prayers along the way and thankfully we arrived without incident.

Currently, I am staying in a two bedroom bungalow on the university grounds just a few yards away from the small animal clinic.  Although I’ve unpacked and started to settle in, I may end up moving to a 2^nd story flat in a nearby neighborhood when one becomes available.  This bungalow is nice from a safety point of view (it is within direct site of the university’s 24hr guard shack), but it is a bit noisy as there is a busy road close by and I can’t really open the blinds because of all the people walking by. 

The house is furnished with basic furniture and kitchen supplies, but yesterday I went shopping with Mrs. Emery and started getting some the other things I’ll need (cleaning supplies, hangers, laundry soap, food basics, etc).  I have quite a list of items still needed and should cross off quite a few tomorrow when we travel to Klerksdorp about 2 hours away.

Dr. Emery and I also started the car buying process yesterday and will continue looking tomorrow in the larger towns of Klerksdorp and Lichtenburg (1hour away).  At this point it looks like the Hyundai i10 is the front runner and hopefully I can get a 2013 or 2012 model so there will still be some warranty remaining. 

Church today was a pleasure and I was remembered (from my visit last year) and greeted warmly by many of the members. 

June 16, 2015 – Yesterday the Emery’s took me into the much larger town of Klerksdorp; a 2 hour drive from Mafikeng.  They had several appointments there and we also wanted to look at the vehicles available there and do a bit of shopping in some of the larger stores.   The Lord truly blessed our search when we found a 2009 1.4L Honda Jazz (Honda Fit in the US) that was just at my price limit.  It has much better acceleration than the i10 and is just a bit larger to better accommodate future teams.  It even has air conditioning, power windows and locks, and an axillary port for the stereo so I feel quite spoiled compared to my Chevy Aveo at home.

The difficult part, was figuring out how to pay for it.  I had hoped they could just run my debit card, but apparently cannot use debit/credit cards for such large amounts.  Eventually we settled on wiring the money to the Emery’s South African account so they can do and EFT transfer for me.  I can’t wait to get a bank account settled here so these type of things won’t be such a big deal in the future.

Today is Youth Day so it is a national holiday and no one is open so it was a good chance to just stay home and finish settling in.  I enjoyed a long lie-in (slept in) and then took a leisurely walk around campus.  In the afternoon, I washed and found places for everything I purchased in Klerksdorp such as baking sheets, food storage canisters, a mixing bowl, etc.  This evening, the Moreos (pastor’s family) have invited me over for dinner.

My address here for mail is PO Box 5041, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa.  It can take several months for mail, especially packages, to arrive and the mail is somewhat unreliable so please do not sent anything valuable.  If sending packages, please mark the contents as “gift” on the customs slip to reduce the customs fees I have to pay here to pick up the package. 

I look forward to sending you more stories next month!  Until then, please pray for safety and energy as I travel to Kenya for a conference next week.  Please also pray that all the final details needed to settle in here (bank account, internet connection, phone, TV, etc) go smoothly when I return and that I will be able to start working at the clinic soon.

June Prayer Letter - Honor/shame Gospel

(Written in May - I'm now home again briefly)

 Hello from warm, sunny North Carolina! I’m finishing up my training here at the Center for Intercultural Training and it is a privilege study with such a great group of missionaries.

One key aspect of study is how I can present the gospel in a manner that makes it relevant to those in South Africa.  Assuming that everyone will get the same things out of the gospel message and that there is only one way to present it will seriously limit its impact. When you think of the gospel message, how would you explain it?  Something like this explanation I pulled off the internet?

“The gospel is the message that God will give us pardon from our sins and eternal life with Him in heaven, if we will turn away from our sins and turn to Him, accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Lord.” - Greg Laurie

Of course, there is much more to it, but the key components here are our sin/guilt and the forgiveness/pardon we can now receive because Christ paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. That is a great example for those of us in North America and Western Europe and it strikes home for us.  In other cultures, however, it may not resonate as well because guilt isn’t really something they experience deeply.  I know that sounds strange, but it is true.  Many other cultures (Asia, Latin America, and Southern Africa) are more likely to feel shame than guilt. A third cultural response is that of fear (much of Africa), but I’m not going to address that today.

Guilt is more common in individualistic cultures and is the feeling of knowing we have done something wrong and we usually seek justice or forgiveness to rectify the situation.  Shame, on the other hand, arises in more community driven cultures and is the feeling that we are wrong/bad. Shame can only be rectified if we can restore our honor before the community.

So, if a guilt/forgiveness gospel is unlikely to resonate with those I will be serving in South Africa, is there a better way to present it?  Thankfully, God in his wisdom has addressed all three views in the Bible.  Here are few highlights of a shame/honor presentation of the Gospel by Jayson Georges in The 3D Gospel.

“God has existed for all of eternity in full glory and honor. He is an honorable King, a Father who provides for the entire family… To magnify his glory, God created the world and spoke life into being. From the ground, God created Adam and Eve, crowning them with honor and glory... As God’s children, they lived under God’s name.”

“But Adam and Eve were disloyal to God. They forfeited divine honor to pursue a self-earned honor. Their disloyalty to God created shame, so they hid and covered themselves. Moreover, their sin dishonored God. God lost face. Because Adam and Eve brought shame upon everyone, God banished them from His presence to maintain His dignity.”

“As descendants of Adam, we inherit their original shame. Then our own defiled and disloyal heart increases shame. This shame shapes our identity and behavior. Sin (i.e., abuse, anger, gossip, boasting, racism, violence, war, etc.) is largely the false attempt to cover shame and fabricate honor... Having lost our spiritual face, family, name, and status, our life is a perpetual effort to construct a counterfeit honor… Our shame causes disgraceful conduct and dishonors God.”

“Though He was eternally glorious and honored in heaven as God’s son, Jesus became a lowly human being in order to save people from shame. His miraculous healings and radical table fellowship restored dignity and honor to marginalized people.”

“But Jesus’ ministry threatened the earthly honor of established leaders. So they responded by shaming Him, publicly and gruesomely. Jesus was arrested, stripped, mocked, whipped, spat upon, nailed, and hung naked upon a cross before all eyes. He faithfully endured the shame and broke its power. The cross restored God’s honor and removed our shame”

“God then publicly approved of Jesus’ shame-bearing death by resurrecting him to glory. Jesus now sits at God’s honorable right hand with a name above all others… Those who give allegiance to Jesus will receive a new status. Their shame is covered and their honor restored. People must renounce games of social manipulation, status construction, and face management to instead trust fully in Jesus for new status… God exchanges our old status as unclean, worthless, and inferior outcasts for the status of pure, worthy, and honorable children…”

“Upon Jesus’ return, unbelievers will be stripped of all worldly honors and banished to everlasting shame; while believers will receive crowns of eternal honor as God’s glory fills all creation”

The first time I read this (please check out the book for the fuller version) I was overcome by this whole aspect of the gospel that I had never appreciated.  The Bible actually talks about shame and honor much more than it does about guilt and forgiveness.  When we present the gospel in a way that reaches the heart of those we serve, rather than in a way that speaks to our culture, then God will receive even greater honor and glory.  Please pray that God would drive the truth of this honor/shame gospel deep into my heart so that I can better minister to those I will soon meet.

To take a quick test to see if you think in guilt/forgiveness, honor/shame, or fear/power visit www.honorshame.com.  Another source of information on this topic is www.jacksonwu.org.

May Prayer Letter

It is almost time!  I leave for South Africa in just over a month and it feels like things are getting down to the wire.  I’ve currently in North Carolina at the Center for Intercultural Training attending a three-week course on Equipping for Cross-Cultural Life & Ministry and then a one-week training on Facilitating Global Church Multiplication.  Since I’m just getting started here, I’ll have to tell you more about this training program in next month’s update.

Last month, I attended the 2^nd of a three weekend course by Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries. What a wonderful time of diving deep into God’s work to flesh out His advice for those struggling with grief, depression, and sexual sin.  I won’t be able to attend the final weekend scheduled this month, but I’ve already got copies of the lectures. 

If you ever find yourself wishing you knew what to say and how to help friends or work colleges who are struggling with emotional or family problems, consider looking into this biblical counseling training.  They have a regional conference in Seattle yearly and a big conference in Indiana each February.  I am taking the Foundations course, but then you can also take multiple advanced tracks and even become certified as a counselor by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.

Before I head back to my studies, I wanted to share a reminder on exactly what I will be doing in South Africa.  As part of North-West University in Mafikeng/Mmabatho they have an animal health technician training program.  As part of that course, all students must spend several weeks in the small animal hospital learning skills that will be needed in practice once they graduate.  I will be working as a veterinarian in that clinic seeing whatever clients and patients come for appointments. 

During appointments and surgeries, I will have a group of 6-8 students with me learning things like handling animals safely and humanely, taking blood samples, looking at the blood to identify tick borne disease (very common there), dispensing medication, caring for hospitalized patients, monitoring anesthesia, and numerous other practical topics.  Also, and more importantly, there will be many opportunities to share with them the love of Christ and his grace and mercy.   

                                                                                                

Once these students complete their studies and graduate as an animal health technician, they will likely go on to get government jobs in animal health or work with veterinarians in private practices as pet nurses.  Since many of these students come from a poor, rural background this is a great opportunity for a good paying job.

Finally, if you are in the North Carolina area (I’m between Charlotte and Asheville) and would like to get together sometime this month, please give me a call  or send me an email and we can connect!

Questions and Answers

Over the last few months I’ve answered a lot of questions about my move to South Africa so I thought I’d post a few of them here since many of you have probably been wondering about them as well.

When do you leave?

My tickets are booked to leave Seattle on June 10^th and arrive in South Africa on June 12^th.

Are you worried about safety?

Although I will take basic precautions, my life is not ruled by fear because I know my God is sovereign. 

Thankfully, although Mafikeng is a reasonably large city, it does not have the same crime problems for which Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town are famous.    Also, I will be living in a 2^nd floor flat (apartment) with surrounding walls and a gate. 

Since it isn’t wise to walk on my own, I’ll have a car to travel to and from work and run errands and most shop’s parking lots have “attendants” to watch over cars and, hopefully, reduce theft.

Will you be treating exotic/wild animals?

No.  The clinic where I will be working/teaching is a small animal clinic for cats and dogs.  There is also a farm animal side where I may help out with small ruminants, but no lions and tigers and bears, oh my! J

Where are you going?

I will be living in a city that is actually two towns side by side that were combined in the 1980’s, Mafikeng and Mmabatho. Mmabatho was formerly the capital of the Bophuthatswana, an independent state set up within South Africa as a homeland for Tswana speaking people.  In 1994, Bophuthatswana was reintegrated into South Africa and Mmabatho became the capital of the North-West Province.  A few years later, the capital was renamed to Mafikeng and Mmabatho became just a suburb.

Mafikeng was founded by the Barolong people in the early 1800’s and was the location of the Siege of Mafikeng, during the Boer War.  The British colonel at the Siege of Mafikeng, Robert Baden-Powell, held the town with 1,100 men against 8,000 Boer (Dutch) troops for 217 days until finally relieved by additional British troops. Colonel Baden-Powell went on to write Scouting for Boys and formed the youth scouting movement that became the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts we know here today.

Mafikeng is located just a few miles from the border with Botswana and is on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. As such, it is fairly dry (~21 inches of rain/year) and the average high temperature ranges from 68-88 degrees year round.

How can I be involved?

You can pray!  Your prayers will be even more important the first few months as I adjust to living in South Africa and develop friendships and relationships there.

You can keep in touch!  Although I will be living thousands of miles away, email still arrives just as quickly.  Snail mail will also be greatly appreciated once I’m settled.

You can support me financially!  Although I have met my anticipated budget, there will doubtless be many unexpected expenses over the next three years and current supporters who may become unable to continue their monthly support.  Also, as I get involved, extra support can go to setting up projects in the community or with the students.

Three Months to Go!

Only a few more months left before I move to South Africa!  I’ve turned in tons of paperwork to CVM, bought my flight, sent in my South Africa visa application, and have one more month to work at Banfield.  Dr. Emery, already serving in Mafikeng, has been out scouting cars for me so I can purchase one as soon as possible after I arrive.  And, although the packing hasn’t really started yet, there are piles of various items in my spare room ready to start the process.

In the midst of all the stress, excitement, and multitude of errands, I was recently struck again, during worship at church, by the song “Words of My Mouth” by Tim Hughes.  This has been one of my favorites since it came out and always serves to reorient my thoughts in the correct direction – towards God.  Songs can so often capture our heart and thoughts more beautifully than we can express on our own. So, once again, why am I moving to South Africa?

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart

Bless Your name, bless Your name, Jesus

And the deeds of the day and the truth in my ways

Speak of You, speak of You, Jesus

For this is what I'm glad to do

It's time to live a life of love that pleases You

And I will give my all to You

Surrender everything I have and follow You

I'll follow You

Lord, will You be my vision, Lord, will You be my guide

Be my hope, be my light and the way

And I'll look not for riches, nor praises on earth

Only You'll be the first of my heart

Play the YouTube video below to hear the original recording.

Over the next few months please continue to support me though prayer.  Pray for peace for my spirit in the midst of chaos, time and energy to accomplish everything that comes up, and wisdom in making decisions.  

The goal is in sight!

Praise the Lord!  Barring any complications, I’ll be living in South Africa this June!  By the end of December the Lord brought in the extra monthly support I needed to meet my budget.  I’ve turned in notice at work and registered for my final missions preparation training course so now the form filling-out marathon begins.  Please pray that my visa application process goes smoothly at the South African Consulate.

Please also pray that my search for a home church is resolved quickly.  I’ve been attending a church on Cameno Island recently that has been very welcoming and already has missions connections in South Africa.  It would be wonderful to be settled in a church here before I leave.  Please pray that the Lord would confirm my membership in a church that will be willing to take an active sending roll in this ministry.

100% Support Reached!

Have you heard the great news!  I'm fully supported!  Now I get to hand in my resignation at work and start working on all the details I'll need to wrap up before I leave.  I will be attending one final missions training course at Center for Intercultural Training in North Carolina in May and then hope to be on my way to South Africa by mid June.  So excited the time has finally come!

January Prayer Letter - The good and the sad

Did you have a great Christmas?  Our home is undergoing a bit of a remodel at the moment so Christmas occurred while flooring was ripped up, wallpaper torn down, and a bathroom was redone.  Thankfully the meaning of Christmas is not in the decorations! Soon everything will be fresh for the New Year.

On a sad note, the church I’ve been attending the past few years, Sedro-Woolley Community Fellowship, closed its doors mid-December, although many in the church hope to still meet together at times for fellowship.

A good church community is so important for support and fellowship and to keep one spiritually sharpened :).  I can’t wait to see where the Lord leads next!  What new friends will I meet?  How will I be able to serve? How will the Lord use this event to help pave the way to South Africa? 

For now, I’ve been visiting other churches in the valley and hope to be settled into a new church home soon.  Please pray the Lord will lead me to a church that is willing to support me spiritually, with prayer, and hopefully financially, over the years I serve in South Africa.

On a happier note, the Lord provided and brought in over and above the 15% I’d set as a goal for the end of 2014! The year end giving is not all in but it looks like I'm just about fully supported and should be able to set my departure and training dates soon. It is exciting to reach this phase and I am looking forward to being in South Africa soon where I have been called to serve.      

Finally, I’m looking to intentionally put together a team of prayer supporters over the next few months.  Prayer is key to getting to and accomplishing God purposes in South Africa.  If you already are, or will commit to, praying for me regularly, please drop me a quick email or otherwise let me know. My goal is 100 active prayer supporters before I leave.

May the Lord bless this New Year for you with joy, peace, and love.  I’ll look back to my time in Glasgow, Scotland for a quick Celtic blessing for you:

May you have

Walls for the wind

And a roof for the rain,

And drinks beside the fire

Laughter to cheer you

And those you love near you,

And all that your heart may desire

~ Celtic Blessing