We completed our most recent 6-month term of service in South Africa on September 29, 2008, when we returned to the United States after hosting a team of twelve from our home church, Great Divide Calvary of Breckenridge, CO, on a short-term mission trip in Freedom Park, just outside of Soweto, Johannesburg. The team worked alongside staff and volunteers from one of our ministry partners in South Africa in sponsoring a feeding program for approximately 100 children a day and a week-long after school program for twenty-four youth aged 11-14. The team was a blessing to the local staff and volunteers, the children, and members of the community whom they had the opportunity to meet, pray, worship and ‘do life’ with for the time they had together. The team was blessed as well by the experience and is eager to continue to partner with and support the work in Freedom Park and the surrounding areas with their prayers, purses and presence.
The team was a great inspiration to us, personally, as well. After serving as full-time volunteers with different organizations over the last four years it became clear to us that it was time to shift the focus of our service from working for other organizations partnering with and providing support to organizations which share our visions of ministry, stewardship and accountability. As a result our focus will shift from raising support for our personal efforts to raising support for our ministry partners and projects. The Great Divide team’s gifts of prayer, finances and their presence provided us and the local staff and volunteers with confirmation of our calls, lifted our spirits, made us even more passionate abou the ministry Christ has entrusted us with and gace us strength, courage, and boldness to continue to reach the nations for Him.
After being back in the states for less than two weeks Bill returned to South Africa on short notice for a week to meet with local partners regarding project opportunities and attend a church conference to investigate additional potential partners as well as opportunities to participate in planting churches and establishing a Bible college.
We are excited about the opportunities the Lord is presenting for us to partner with organizations across the African continent and world. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to develop these relationships as additional opportunities to reach the nations for Christ.