Family in Africa!!

My time with my family was soo incredible! Wow! They were actually HERE with me! That is just way too cool : ) Once again, I give all the glory to God for making it all work out for them to come to Africa. They truly enjoyed, each one of them and they experience A LOT in just two and half weeks! But even though it was busy it was well worth it. Plus there was many times for us to just relax as well. Praise the Lord, they didn't experience ANY jetlag! Really that is a miracle because 8 hours difference really can mess up your body.. Dione and I sure suffered for at least a good week! I think Dione a little long even.

They arrived May 12, in Durban (a city on the coast) and we spent a few days there, seeing some of the sights, going out for supper and playing in the waves and Aaron and I tried to learn how to surf. Oh yeah! And my birthday was so awesome, first because I got the best b-day present ever! (My fam coming to Africa of course) and also because the restarant we went to was very African style and the waitress and waiters were all dressed in their African gear and our waitress came around washing each one of our hands and painting our faces. And the BEST thing was having 4 black singers dressed as the Jackson 5 come around the table to sing happy birthday to me in a sweet African tune. haha, so great.

Then we flew to the famous and BEAUTIFUL Cape Town, on the other coast-side of South Africa and spent a few days there. I didn't realize how much there was to do in Cape Town so our time was quite a bit too short but I'm still so thankful we went because we were blessed so much there. Every thing that we were able to experience and seeing and getting to know Joseph and Eileen better was so worth it. Such wonderful, hospitable people who really love the Lord. While there we got to see a castle, a beautiful botanical garden, HUGE crashing waves. Seriously I've never seen such big ones! We did a lot of street vendor shopping and got nice cheap stuff.. haha. We went to Robben Island which is the island where many blacks, including Nelson Mandela, were held in prison during the aparthied years. We enjoyed a very nice fancy meal along the waterfront. We saw magfinicent mountain ranges, and rocks and so much green! There were a few things I would have loved to do but they just didn't work out for us but that was fine. That will just be for the next time I visit!

Having my family get to see what I've been doing here in Africa was so special to me. And I'm sure very special to them also. They enjoyed it a lot. Playing with the children at the crèche, play center, during the hospital visits and in the townships on outreach and Kid’s Club; giving food parcels and praying with families in great need; gardening (my mom), and physical labor around the mission (my brother). For those of you who will be seeing them soon, I’m sure they will tell you much more! They were touched with the great need here and at the same time greatly encouraged at the work the Lord is doing here at Melusi.

As well we got to enjoy some African animals on the Saturday. We went to a game reserve called Ithala with Dione and Judy and it was fun just to see more of Africa and enjoy the fellowship together. Warthogs are now my favorite animals...well one of my favorites! They are TOO cute!

The Lord is so good and I know I have been very blessed to have had my family share with me the ministry here in South Africa.

Enjoy the pics!

Lindsay

WEC Conference

Last month (April 3-7) we had the WEC Annual Conference, where all the missionaries which are a part of WEC working in South Africa come together. It was such a great time for me, just to see people that I had met before here, and to meet new people.

We had times of laughter.. especially at the "Fun Night". Here is bobbing for apples....

And this is the children doing a dance to some music off a CD. It was too cute!

And the classic... Kareoke!!

Dione and I had the blessing of being a part of the worship team and playing with the main speaker, Elfi. She and her husband, Hans, are from Switzerland and were missionaries in Gambia. They were a very special couple.

This is Elfi and Hans. Lots of time was spent praying for WEC and all the different ministries WEC does in South Africa and for personal needs. This is Ameila, a very precious lady. She is Irish and so great and makes everyone around her laugh... and her absolute favorite topic is discuss with anyone is marriage/relationships/etc.. haha, she calls herself The Match Maker.

Lots of time to hang out with friends and to make new ones...And, alas! Another fellow Canadian! This is Amanda. She married a guy from Zimbabwe, Sipho, and now they are living there and starting up a children's ministry. They are such an amazing couple. They are living in this tiny little house.. well, not really a house, looks like a little shed, no electricity, no running water... and yet they are so happy and joyful and the Lord is in their hearts very much.
Then Dione, Judy, Sofia and I got to see some AFRICAN ANIMALS! It was amazing. I still haven't seen an giraffee or an elephant yet.. but soon.. very soon :)

The beautiful African skies.

So ya, the conference was really great and it was so fun to just be able to get a break from the mission and just to see what God is doing around the rest of South Africa. Please continue to pray for the people's of Africa and that God's people would continue to bring others to Him.

Cheers,

Lindsay

8 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

In 8 days I get to see my WHOLE family again!! My mom, Hil, Tiff and Aaron are coming to visit me!! I'm soo incredibly excited! They arrive on May 12 and will be here till the 29th. A nice good two and a half weeks!
I will be meeting them in Durban and then we will be staying there for a few days and then we will be heading to Cape Town, the most beautiful city in South Africa, for 4 days. I've been looking at pics and trying to plan what we will do and it looks so fun and so much to do : ) And it's such a blessing because we have places to stay at both cities. There is a WEC headquaters in Durban and Cape Town and both of them have been soo welcoming in letting us stay with them! I'm so grateful to God for how He is working things out for us.
Then on the 18th to the 29th my family will be coming to the mission here and will work alongside with us, doing the different ministries (children's ministries, food program, outreaches, hospital visits, etc) and as well, my brother might do some electrical work or something practical a few days he is here. I know this is God's will for them to come. I'm really needing a holiday and lately I've been just needing to see my family and it's so cool how perfect God's timing is.

It would be super if you would pray with me about a few things:

- safe flight for my family to South Africa
- that my family wouldn't experience much jet lag
- safe flight to Cape Town and safety in Cape Town/and Durban (Durban is a little dangerous...)
- planning our time together - things to do in Cape Town and at Melusi. It's kinda stressful when I've never been there (Cape Town) before and I don't know how far away things are from each other. But praise God Andrea and Katy are from Cape Town and so I'm planning on asking Andrea to come over one night this week and help me plan our time/activities there!
- Oh! Yes! Please pray about driving. As maybe some of you don't know, here we drive on the left side of the road... and so please pray that as my family drives they will be confident, and wise and will not get into any accidents. Especially driving in Cape Town. It's a really big city. It will definitely be a fun adventure for us!
- That God would really be preparing their hearts for what He has for them here and that he would do a great work in each one of their lives as the meet the local people (Zulu's) and see their cultural and lifestyle and minster to them
- That the Lord would richly bless our time together as a family in Africa

Thank you to those who will be praying for us! I will definitely share with you the pics of our time in Cape Town and at Melusi.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR THIS HUGE BLESSING!!!

A Hammer and a Wall

I wanted to share with you guys something the pastor shared with the team this morning about prayer. It was soo powerful and a new and neat way of looking at prayer. Maybe right now you are praying about something that you have been praying about for weeks, months and even years. It can get disheartening when you haven't seen any change in that situation and you feel just like giving up and saying "Where are You?? Why aren't You listening to me?!?"

Here's what the Pastor shared this morning:

"Praying is like taking a hammer to a wall. Every time you pray, you knock off a piece of the wall and you get closer to the final result. Sometimes we get weary and sometimes we will stop using the hammer. This is when we fall into unbelief and in unbelief nothing will happen. What we don't know is that maybe one or two more hits may have crumbled that wall."

So ya, sometimes it's going to be tough, really tough, but God knows the perfect timing for His answers to our prayers and we as Christians must continue to believe that. The pastor also talked about the verse Jer. 29:11 where God says that he has good plans for us and plans to must us propser and not to harm us. Pastor said that verse is useless and irrelavent in our lives if we don't BELIEVE in that verse. He said the Bible isn't magic and that things won't just happen like that, we must have faith in it and believe with all our hearts.

Don't miss out on the results because of one final swing of the hammer!

YEAH CANADA!!!!

We were able to convert SIX South Africans and ONE Hollander to be Canadians for a little while Friday night. It was SO great. hehe. The highschool where three of the children that live of the mission attend had a rugby tournament going on this past week and a Canadian team from BC came to play against this South African highschool team. Sadly, Canada saw defeat... but that didn't matter to me. I was just too happy that I got to put on my Canadian flag tatoos all over my face and see them on my foreign friends : ) hehe D was a proud and faithful Canadian and brought her beautiful big flag. Actually funny thing is we didn't even make it to the game! We got there when it finished! But we still got a pic with the team and talked with the coach for a bit. Hey, maybe one of you even KNOW someone in this group?? Anyways, I'm SO proud to be CANADIAN!! CANADA I LOVE YOU!! AND I MISS YOU!!

Hospital Visit!

Every Tuesday we walk to the hospital, about a 10-15 minute walk, and visit the children's ward. There are a few times when we decide to visit the mamas and the babas in the different wards. Everytime we go we do different things with the children and bring them different things. Some days we color with them, or bring balloons and play with the balloons in the hallways, or make hats and random animals out of the balloons (because none of us are skilled in the art of making cool things with balloons). Sometimes we bring danone (yogurt) or candies or cookies or juice to the children and the mamas. Sometimes we sing with the children. But one thing that doesn't change every time we go is praying for them. It's such a honor to be able to go into the hospital and pray with the mamas for their children. I'm so thankful for the religious freedom in this country. I love giving them some sort of hope that they are not alone in their situation and that God IS really watching over their precious children and does love them!

Here are some pics I took this week.

This is a two week old (maybe 3) GORGEOUS baby that was abandoned by the mother here in Dundee. Someone found her wrapped up in blankets on the street. Sofia had made a comment about adopting her and the nurses right away started talking seriously to her about it and what she would all have to do! haha, so maybe it is easy to bring one of this beautiful black children home after all....ummmm : )

When I first walked into the room of this little girl she wasn't too sure about me, but eventually, soon after I used my little bit of Zulu, we had a lot of fun together learning to count to ten with our fingers. I wish she was smiling in this picture so that you could see her beautiful smile!

As you can see, this little boy is wearing a necklace and a little string about his body with a little sack sewn on it. This is all part of ancestral worship. Ancestral worship is soo huge here in Dundee and people will still call themselves "Christians" even when they still wear the necklaces and braclets and put up the furs of different animals related to ancestral worship. It is such a huge problem here. They wear it and put it on their children for protection against different spirits.

This little girl is enjoying coloring with her mommie. I think she is one of the most beautiful little girls!

God's Goodness

I just want to testify that the Lord is such a wonderful God. My prayer/advice to all who read this is to just remember all that the Lord has done for you in your life, all that He has saved you from and all the many undeserved blessings He has showered upon you and your family and friends. Remember all that He has given you in your past and in your present and what He promises to give you in the future. The Lord has been showing me that I am still and always will be His precious child, even when I mess up. He is right there beside me in the situation to lift me back on my feet. He is showing me that even when I forget about His goodness to me, he is still faithful all the time; continually pouring out His goodness in my life, amidst my lack of trust, or time with Him. How truly great is our beautiful God. He will never let me go through anything I cannot handle and He promises the same for you.