Swaziland mission report

The hills of Bulembu ring out with the silent peace of God. What a beautiful town because of what God is doing there amongst the community and mainly with children. A children's pastors dream with 200 orphans and the goal to accomodate 2000 by 2020. Our team spent the week there running an amazing holiday club put together by my wonderful wife. the 160 kids who attended each day were so blessed. We shared the gospel, we taught on prayer, Bible reading and hearing God's voice and saw in the spiritual God breaking the chains and healing hearts. Our team loved the kids and built so well with them. Then we also visited different parts of the restoring town and heard inspiring stories. We broke down walls literally and painted and gardened. We looked after the creche for an afternoon and showed God Man to all the children in two different locations. We worked very hard but it was so rewarding. The Nevilles hosted us so well and we blessed them with fellowship and prayer. Having my nieces join with us was so cool to see. They of course live in Bulembu. Our team overcame personal hurdles and was a big happy family and we believe they will be different because of this. One kids said it was a week of total awesomeness, and he happily gave up his World Cup tickets to come on this mission. My son, Kenan asked if he could burn his passport so he could stay in Bulembu!
Driving thru the dark to share the gospel with kids is what missions are made of. A new chapter of Jozi Kidz missions has been birthed....

All Age Worship service rocked!

To worship God is the best thing on earth, and to do it in a great church surrounded by great people is such a blessing. I love His People Jozi. Was such a joy to be part of the worship team with Sandile and Mtha and to lead in a way that all ages could identify with the music. What a talented team of musicians. So proud of the way our kids worshipped, shared testimonies and contributed to this service. Mark preached so well and drew everyone in to his message. He is brilliant. Now that was Ayoba!!!

Cold hands but warm hearts as Jesus comes in!

It was worth getting out early, packing the car, and standing for 45 in freezing cold at the school gate to see about 15 kids giving their hearts to Jesus. God just took over as we worshipped Him in the cold hall with mostly unchurched kids. They needed little encouragement to respond and it shows how much God loves them and how KICK2010 is God's thing for this week. After this, none of the fist day niggles occurred and kids went home happy and excited. Our team served so well and we look forward to day 3 tomorrow.

We can feel it... in the air

Why did you spend the morning at the mall, asked my friend PY? Well it wasn't a normal morning in our beautiful country. I went to spend time with God in the midst of people that He loves. By 8am the vuvuzelas were blasting, there were people dancing, smiling, talking to each other! Even little Afrikaner grannies in Bafana Bafana jerseys interacting with young black men. Praise God! While at KFC I got to share Jesus with Mpho who works there and showed her that God provides and that she should look to Him. Gave her a prophetic painting from my little Mpho(Shaylah) and decided I needed to go and fetch my family so they could experience the colour and noise of the South Africans.
After lunch there, it was off to friends to watch the opening and brilliant game. Highlights were standing to sing the national anthem, and doing the victory dance when simphiwe scored!
This ain't the old SA but the new one of hope and possibility for intergration... we can feel it!

Missions morning

Every nation has its own appeal and needs... Each morning I try to pray for a country and today it was Serbia and Bosnia. I have many missionaries that I correspond with all over the place and they are heroes! From MAF pilots in Lesotho to ex team members like Neil in Sierra Leone and Joanne in Amsterdam. With two families of our children in Boston and one in Perth, we are seeing the fruit of our emphasis on the nations. Our prayers, and our mission Sundays are working. Looking so forward to travelling to Manila for the World Conference with our own kids and seeing Kuala Lumpur on the way back. Off to Swaziland with a team of 19 kids and adults in two weeks time... so we are doing our bit to see the glory of God spread to the whole earth. He promised it and never fails to deliver.

Soccer Fever

As I ran with my buddies in the media industry today we spoke soccer, I put on the radio and it was soccer. Yes we feel it, it is here! Our team parades today, tomorrow is the big concert, Friday is the opening and i predict SA vs Mexico 2-1 in our favour! Love the atmosphere and our country knows how to pull things off. Now to ministry and we do our last assembly for the term at 9am and next week is KICK2010 our holiday club and we hope to capitalize on the soccer to bring the focus on to Jesus. Like Kaka says, the ultimate goal is not soccer but to know the one who is the ultimate- Jesus Christ. Let us enjoy and make the most of this season.. as Mama G in our church said on Sunday "Can you feel it, the Holy Spirit is here!"

Early morning devotions in winter

The alarm goes off, and as you reach thru the dark and click the light blinds you as you read 5am! Reach for the jersey and pillow and sit up in bed. That's when the love of Jesus comes screaming in, and I think how awesome is it to be a christian. I pray, journal, pray, journal, read scripture, praise, check diary, send a few sms messages to draft, to send later! Oh how good it is to know the Lord. Today woke up from a dream with the message we are marked by God. Marked by the fact that we are just matter, carbon molecules but with the God ordained DNA strand that makes us who we are. Marked for His purposes, nothing wasted, every gift in place. Marked by parents, friends, world experience but then marked by the one who was marked for us. The marks all over His body, the marks in His hands and feet... How can we not embrace this and live to thrill Him today. Certainly worth lifting the sheets for!

Kidz are important to God

Spent my whole day serving kidz, cos they matter to God. Firstly at Craighall Primary doing an assembly and hanging out, and then at Vuleka with two groups. Shared how God loves them and died for them. Struck by just how much He cares for each one. Then this afternoon and evening we served at Jozi Lights. What a privilege we have to look after them. Our team did so well and Letty excelled in her preaching tonight. Raised funds with a family movie nite, again to help us go to Swaziland to serve kidz that are important to God!

Here we go...

Ever wondered who would listen to your waffles? well so have I, and wondering it now but here we go... Let's see who finds my thoughts interesting and worth a read. Been looking at google maps of Manila and Kuala Lumpur and checking out hotels in KL. Can u believe it, just about 6 weeks we will land as a family in KL then connect to Manila for the World Conference! Been a three year dream since I was there in 07. Now it's with the whole family and God has supplied the finances. On the way back we get 3 nites in KL. What an experience and how excited we all are. Before that however, we have 2 Holiday Clubs and a Mission to Swaziland to lead, much regular ministry to enjoy and of course lots of soccer to watch. Will keep you all posted. In the morning doing two assemblies, one a promo for Kick 2010, and one on child safety. OK now I am waffling but that's what this is all about...