Another Busy, Yet Rewarding Week behind Us

Beginning on Sunday of last week we visited the Anglican Church to make a presentation for Living Hope, Living Way, and Living Grace. We also had planned to be at the Masi Baptist Church for another savings club launch, for a Malawian group, after that. Do to communication issues we didn’t get to launch this one but got it scheduled for mid May. We began our first ever Entrepreneur course for Living Way on Monday and had 6 students that we knew in the community that had either started their own business or had an idea. Mike, Richard, and I met early last Thursday for a time of prayer for this group and God delivered all of our requests and so much more. We invited different races of people to the class and hoped that everyone would have unity among the group. When we see black people in America we sometimes assume they all come from the same place. Here it is quite different, just because someone has dark skin, black or colored, doesn’t mean they all get along. There is a lot of racial tension among them. One thing that sticks out about our class was at the end Mike was reviewing the course and asked if there were any cultural expectations in their neighborhood. He was really referring to the way they did business and buying and selling on credit, but one of the guys spoke up and started talking about the Somalia’s who came in and started businesses and took their customers away. This opened up an opportunity for Mike to explain why it is important to have new ideas to be welcomed into the community and also if they were to need each other say one person ran out of material or packaging they could have good relationships so they could borrow from one another instead of being at each others throats. Literally!! They all understood and I think that really made them think differently about relationships. This class also taught them how credit was not their best way of doing business, as this is part of the cultural expectation.

We also had the opportunity to share Jesus with them and what He has done in our lives. Mike started out sharing his testimony on Wednesday and by Friday morning each one of us had shared as well. We did not know who was or was not a Christian, but we told them at the beginning of the week we were a Christian organization, and we were going to open and close in prayer everyday. It turned out that all had accepted Christ as Lord and Savior over their lives. We also had the opportunity to share scripture references for teachings about business throughout the week.

After the presentation of certificates one of the ladies, Patience, got up and thanked us for giving of our time and talents to their group. She recognized that we probably had some decisions about who would be in the group and if there would be unity amongst them. How awesome is our God to provide just that for this group. You will see in the picture, the guy with his arm around the other guy is a Zimbabwean. The other guy is a Xhosa guy. He is the one who was talking about the Somalia’s coming in and taking over. He used the Somalia’s as an example but I am sure he was referring to anyone coming into the community and competing for the same customers. Everyone got along great as you can see. She like all the rest had a new appreciation for business and was excited to see how God was going to use this teaching to empower them to get out of the poverty situations they are in. Please pray for us to find the mentors that we need (business people) to come along side them in the next couple of weeks.

Busyness of Life in Cape Town

We have really gotten busy with our work here and it is almost overwhelming with all we have going on. It is a good thing though. We are launching 3 savings clubs this week in the townships and doing a week long entrepreneurial training course with 7 people from the townships beginning next week. This is a pilot course and we are using them to learn how to teach this in the fall to about 20 or more people. It is really taking me out of my comfort zone because I don’t have any background in business or marketing only common sense. (Which is not all bad)

We had a savings club that we were launching this morning and the director and a mentor from another savings club both couldn’t make it due to different circumstances so it forced me and Mike to rely on the Lord to get us through. It was quite amazing because I was uneasy and upset about it. Mike was the cool one. When we got to work two devotions popped up on my screen from 2 different sites and they were both about confidence and that Jesus will see us through. I was totally at ease from that moment forward. Phil 1:6, Matt 28:20.

The other really neat thing was that I had printed out everything that I was supposed to share in the meeting and when it was my turn to speak, the Holy Spirit just lead me right through everything. When I got back to the car to sit down my print out had fallen out of my pocket and was lying on my seat. I am so thankful that I didn’t rely on my paper to get me through.

We also are working with bringing volunteers both local and abroad to help out and all the sudden we have so many that want to come help. It is a good thing, but we have to find jobs they can do. Mike is very good at working along side the people here to see where they could use some help. Please pray for us as we are placing these volunteers that God is directing our paths for each one.
Hope everyone has a great week.

Potential for disaster turned out wonderfully with God's hand

We have had such a great week in allowing God to lead our paths with small steps.
Tuesday of this week was our second launch of a savings club in Red Hill where the fire took place when we first got here. We struggled with wanting to be involved in building houses because that was an immediate need but that was not what God had planned. He wanted us to wait to be involved in a different way. We now see the plan. When we first arrived at the church, the wrong one I might add, we couldn’t find anyone who knew about the savings club that was supposed to take place. We knew of another church in a different site so Mike took off up the hill and found another church and asked them if that was the “river of life church” they said yes and Mike came back down the hill and said he found it. We all, about 15 of us, loaded up and headed up to the other church. When we got to the other church, the person who was supposed to have cleared the church had not done it so they had no idea we were coming. I began explaining what we were doing and she was ok with letting us come in. Then we realized that the word hadn’t really gotten out, so we thought all of these people had come to help launch the club and we aren’t going to have anyone to come. God certainly had a different plan. He brought 3 people from the lower area and the lady that opened up the church to us went around and recruited about 10 more people so we have the perfect amount of people to get it started.
We have our first meeting on Monday and this will be our first opportunity to share the uniqueness of our savings club in that it is a Christian based. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us through this and that those that may not be Christians will grow from the teaching and ultimately ask Jesus into their hearts!

A quiet weekend at Home

Yes, we had a quiet weekend at home after celebrating my birthday on Thursday. Mike was so sweet. He had a birthday cake at work for me and then treated me to a short round of golf and sushi for dinner. It was a beautiful day without wind. We have a busy week this week with a daily devotion devoted to prayer each morning. We have had lots of paperwork (volunteer forms that needed updating) that we are trying to get done. We have a savings Club to attend in Masiphumele in the morning and launching our second one in Red Hill tomorrow afternoon. This will be the first one that Mike and I will be involved with from the ground up. The first one did not incorporate praying before and after their meetings nor did they have any scripture references to go by. I get to launch this “Crown Financial” concept and I am very excited yet nervous. This is what I have been waiting for so pray that the Holy Spirit will use me as a vessel to deliver the message that He wants me to share with them. There will also be 5 ladies from the Masi savings club, so pray they will want to incorporate this into their weekly meetings. Wednesday we will go to all the holiday clubs and see where volunteers might be needed and take lots of pictures. Thursday we will have our entrepreneurship training all day to get ready for the 7 people that are interested in starting small businesses. We have found out again that we won’t be going to our Outreach in Sutherland, as they are having unity issues amongst their church, so pray that if this is not where God wants us that He will find another place for us to go to. It is really awesome to see God work in our lives and to be able to share this with you all. Thanks for the friendships and may God bless you.

Waiting on results for a new President of Zimbabwe

Living in the US we wouldn’t have given this fight for Presidency a second thought. However, because we live in the country of South Africa and amongst many Zimbabweans, who have fled across the boarder illegally, we are very much in prayer for the removal of President Mugabe of Zimbabwe. This is an 84 yr old man who has been in power for 28 years and has driven out all farmers, factories, and anything that promotes advancement for the people. This means there is no food, jobs, or hope for the people of Zimbabwe. It takes 10 million Zimbabwean dollars to equal 25 cents US. He blames the Westerners for all of the problems, but in reality that is far from the truth. He rigged the last election and is working hard at rigging this one. The election should have had results on Monday, but the voting is slow leaving time for falsifying information again. We are praying that Lord will deliver a new leader and will help the people who have fled from their homes to be able to return and have a life with families they have left behind. We ask that you would join in helping us to pray for these people. They have moved into the shack townships because this is all they can afford but they would like nothing more than to get out of these places and move back home. They are kind and gentle people with good work ethic and because of their eagerness to work hard; they are persecuted by the local South African black groups. At King of Kings, where John Thomas is the pastor, there are approximately 40 to 50 that come every Sunday. This past Sunday John had a special prayer for them and for the results to be in favor of a new President. As you tune into your news this week pay special attention to the results of Zimbabwe. We covet your prayers during this time. This is also a good time for us to remember our obligation to vote and to pray for our leaders so we can live in peace.