“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.“

{1 Cor 3:7-8 NKJV}

AUGUST PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS

PRAISES:

It’s been a mild South African winter and this week our Preschool Mom’s Bible study women harvested and sold 35 bunches of spinach! Six of our preschool moms have been busy maintaining thirty crop circles (pictured above) for the last 10 weeks which contain spinach, cabbage, carrots and onions. The cabbage, onions and carrots all require more time to grow, but the spinach is ready now can produce leaves for up to a year! The women will keep a portion of their harvest to eat and sell the rest for a small personal income and to reinvest in more seeds, seedlings, compost and fertilizer to continue the project.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.”

{Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV}

Thank You Jesus, “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask” is the only way to describe how blessed were were to receive word that in the time since we sent our last update we have raised $7,000 of our $15,000 goal to fund the South African construction costs of the teaching, training, and resource center expansion, and received a pledge for the remaining $8,000! We also have until October 15 in the current Giving of Life Grant season to match $3,000 of the funds already given towards the completion of building, which will be used to fund some odds and ends not directly related to the building project like repairing our security gate, tiling the existing preschool, and perhaps employing one of our preschool dads as a groundskeeper. Here’s a link if you’d like to help us meet the match: http://ow.ly/o09tP

We also hear that the container built-out and filled with materials, supplies, and Christmas shoe-boxes by our friends at Cargo of Dreams and Project Cargo:Summit to South Africa has left the Port of Los Angeles and is on it’s way to South Africa, scheduled to arrive around 27 September. We hope to have a link to enable you to follow the progress of the ship real-time on our web page soon, and will also be announcing short-term (1-, 2- or 3-week) service opportunities in late October/early November for individuals or small teams (6 person maximum) to help us build and paint the center once the container arrives. Stay tuned to our website, Facebook page, Twitter account and these Newsletters/PrayerMails for that information!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

We’re still praying for new foster parents for three teenage boys, one four year-old boy, and a nine year-old girl. In addition to identifying potential parents, we’re also praying for the government social workers assigned to each of the cases to fulfill their roles in providing appropriate care for the children in a timely manner.

For the health of Tshidi, our preschool Director who has been experiencing complications from previous surgeries. If her condition does not improve in a week she will likely require another surgery.

For divine appointments with local church and civic leaders to give us favor in starting men’s Bible studies with the preschool dads and men from the community.

For travelling mercies and personal encounters with Christ for Shelly, her sister Becca, and her mom Donna who will be joining us for a week in September and for Taylor who will be serving alongside us from late September through early November.

For Christ to raise up a couple of family to serve with us in the field for three months or longer starting in November of this year.

For Christ to stir the hearts of additional local and international short-term mission teams and short-, medium-, and long-term volunteers to assist us in the field.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

{Ephesians 2:10 NKJV}

We thank Jesus every day for His provision and the precious and generous gifts of your prayers, presence and purses. We are blessed and honored to have you walk with us in the good works He prepared beforehand for us all.