When we moved to South Africa it seemed like a huge impossibility for us to buy a home. Many reasons - lack of funds, very high prices, not being able to get a mortgage (a "bond" in South Africa), etc. We looked at places to rent, but found that to be a very discouraging process. There were few places available, and the ones that were on the market were too small, too expensive, or too awful!

Through a series of God-ordained events, we found "our home." It's a house that had been on the market for quite a while, but because of it's different, not really South African style, had not sold. The owners had lowered the price considerably, but it was still too high for us.

At the counsel of a wonderful Christian realtor (the father of a young man in one of the All Nations house churches), we made a very low offer. Unbeknown to us, the owners had also received a full price offer, but they would have had to move out right away. They are retiring to England, and wanted a longer process for their move. We could continue house sitting/living with our friend Maureen, so that was fine with us to wait longer. They countered our offer with a price slightly higher than our low offer, and we had a deal. It was really quite remarkable. It all happened in 4 days.

Meanwhile, the dear realtor had investigated and found out we could get a mortgage on the type of visa we have, so things moved speedily ahead. The Lord wonderfully provided the down payment........and here we are now renovating and hoping to move in in a few weeks.

Early in the process, a missionary friend shared how the Lord had provided a home for her and her husband. They had been blessed in such a way that their home was paid for before they moved in! When I heard this, something stirred in my heart. I've felt an urgency to pray daily for a similar miracle for us - because that's what we would need......a "mighty miracle!"

There are days when I don't know if my heart is stirred with great faith or just wishful thinking - but I can't seem to get away from this impression in my spirit. I haven't been able to just shake it off.

So I'm wanting to ask if you would pray with me/us?! Maybe God has a "mighty miracle" to encourage us all! Whatever happens, we are so grateful for His guiding us, opening doors for us, providing for us in all the ways that have led us to this home in South Africa. As a 16 year old when I went on my first missions trip, I would never have dreamed of all that my life would have in store. God has been so good! How faithful He is!

"God gives.....a home to dwell in." Psalms 68:6

By Sally

We've had some pretty big things we've been praying for recently - both personally and for our workers.  We've needed to see some "impossible" things happen!

A family has been making plans to come from Germany to join the ministry here.  Although the Home Affairs department in South Africa had granted their visa, the embassy in Berlin repeatedly refused to issue it.  The flight they were booked on was leaving in about 48 hours.  They needed a miracle!

A short term team was working in Masiphumele, one of the townships nearby.  In a split second, the bag with all their camera equipment and other valuables was stolen.  They needed a miracle to find the thief and retrieve their things before it was all sold to buy drugs.

We were scheduled to get the keys to our new home on July 1.  We've been anxious to take possession and do some renovation work before we move in.  We'll have been in "transition" for 15 months by the time we unpack our boxes.  I'm very ready to "settle."  Unfortunately, we've had a nation-wide strike of government workers going on for a number of weeks.  There was a backlog into May of transfer papers being processed.  The lawyer said it was absolutely, 100% impossible for the papers to be issued by July 1.  We needed a miracle!

We prayed, friends prayed and in a matter of hours we saw all 3 impossibilities become possible!

The family went personally to the embassy in Berlin, and, after much discussion, were issued their visas.  They were able to catch their plane as scheduled.

Some of the local young men found the robber and retrieved all the stolen items.  The thief had planned to sell the whole bag for 100 rand/$14!  It was a miracle that he hadn't already sold them, and that we found him!

Then the lawyer emailed and said she didn't know what happened, but our transfer papers were processed.  She was stunned!  They were still waiting for the ones from May to be processed, and ours went through!  It was an incredible miracle.

God had definitely been at work in answer to those prayers!  We won't soon forget our day of miracles!!

"It is time for the Lord to act."  Psalms 119:126

George.....and friends!

I recently had quite a surprise when I looked outside on the living room deck and saw a large baboon walking along the railing. I had heard of "George," as he's called by everyone in the neighborhood, but this was my first time to "meet" him. Baboons normally move around in large groups called troops, but George had gotten into some kind of trouble and was dismissed from his troop. He now travels alone.

I called Floyd to come see George, and by this time Sossy, our dog, had spotted him too. She was barking furiously while pawing at the door trying to get outside. George just sat and looked at her while munching on berries he'd pulled off one of the bushes. He obviously didn't feel threatened at all by this barking house pet!

This week we were visited by the whole troop of baboons. Fortunately, at the house where we're living, all the doors and windows were closed. They only managed to get into the outside garbage can and scatter rubbish all over the yard and driveway.

But, later in the afternoon, they visited our team house! They walked right by one of the girls who was sleeping on the deck - and headed straight for the kitchen. They made quite a big mess while enjoying a container of homemade muesli. Then they headed for the guest apartment over the garage and caused more havoc there. They surprised a mother and her 4 children! The toddler spotted one of the baboons and said "doggy." The mom took the children and left.......while the baboons checked out the fridge. They ate 20 eggs!!

I love having guests and visitors, but I hope these "visitors" don't come back too often!

As I've said before, every day is an adventure when you live in Africa! You can never tell what might happen next.

"And God made.....everything that creeps upon the ground." Gen. 1:25

By Sally

We're in a season of hosting a number of short term teams from overseas who are coming to minister here. We're often asked if groups of people coming into a new culture can really do much good in 2-3 weeks. We always say emphatically "yes!!" Recently we had a small example of what can be done.

We live near a wonderful HIV/Aids ministry/hospice called Living Hope. Some of the young ladies on one of the teams went to the hospice one day. They planned to give manicures and pedicures to all the women in the hospice.

They had noticed one lady in particular who was always quiet and withdrawn, always sad. After she'd received her manicure and pedicure, they were quite stunned to see her dancing around and quietly singing to herself. As they listened closely, they realized she was singing over and over - "today I'm a lady!"

If all of the teams came and only touched this one life - it would be so worth it! For a few hours/days, they ministered beauty and dignity to this suffering woman.

Some people define spiritual ministry as only taking place when someone is praying or preaching. We believe it's an act of worship to Jesus to serve those with AIDS and minister to the poor in whatever loving, serving, encouraging, or practical way we can.

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." Matt. 25:40

By Sally

It's winter here in the southern hemisphere.  Well, technically, it's still autumn - but we've had lots of "winter" (read cold!) days.  We've also had many pleasant, sunny days, so it's not all bad.  But the weather has turned, the nights are definitely cold, and my 'used to central heating' body is going through some major transition!

I've been told I'll be a true Cape Tonian when I've survived my first winter here!  I think I may need to increase the prayer support.  I'm used to living in cold climates (blizzards in Afghanistan, cold/wet weather in Amsterdam, snowy Colorado, ice storms in Kansas City), but the big difference for me here is the lack of heating.  I must confess that I puzzle over that concept.  I find it hard to function/work/be sweet when I'm shivering and watching my breath in the air.  I just want to curl up in a ball (like our dog Sossy) and try to keep warm.

Some homes have fireplaces.  Our home-to-be doesn't, but we would like to build one in.  Some people use electric heaters.  Many, I'd say most, don't.  I was with some friends recently in very cold weather.  We were all bundled up and the topic of conversation was how very cold it was.  As I walked through their home, almost every window and many outside doors were wide open.......now that's another concept I don't understand.  I'm told it's to have fresh air.  But, hey! that fresh air is freezing cold!!!

We're still house sitting for a friend here.  During the very first cold spell I was going to light her fireplace.  I wasn't quite sure how the flue worked, and Floyd wasn't home, so I decided I'd better wait.  When Floyd came home, he found a dead pigeon stuck in the flue.  Thankfully I escaped the aroma of roasted pigeon in the house!

Our winter clothes are still mostly packed away in our boxes (hopefully we'll unpack those in Aug.), so I'm keeping warm by layering.  Some days I look a little roly-poly doll, but it works!  Floyd says I'm an angel when I tuck the hot water bottles in our beds at night.....I do miss my electric blanket!  I guess I've been pretty spoiled by some of these creature comforts.

All in all, I'm very blessed and can't complain.  I'm living in a lovely home, I have a roof over my head, I have clothes to wear and food to eat, and a dog and husband who love me.  I'm just praying my blood will quickly thicken up for the winter here!

"While the earth remains.....summer and winter......shall not cease."   Genesis 8:22

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a typical front line type person! I prefer to be in the background. I'm more practical. I enjoy helping to get things done by serving and working behind the scenes. You won't find me preaching on a street corner. I most likely won't be leading an outreach team.

And here I am, in South Africa, helping to pioneer and develop the ministry of All Nations in Cape Town. It could seem like a bad fit! Yet I'm happy, I'm challenged, I'm loving being here, and I'm finding what God has for me here. We've been here about 7 months, and I already feel very much at home. It seems like we've been here much longer!

One of the ways that I "fit" is by loving people one at a time. I find God has people for me to encourage and build friendship with all over the place - at the bank, at the post office, at the shops.......I don't even have to look for them. He has strategically placed them all around me. All I have to do is listen to that "still small voice" prompting me to say something, reach out in some way, to someone right in front of me.

The other day I was in a huge long queue (line) at the grocery store. I was joking with a couple in front of me, and then the husband left. I somehow knew I was to talk with the lady about Jesus - which we did for about 10 minutes while standing, waiting to check out. It was one of those moments when I knew God put me here in South Africa for that lady.

Small home groups are starting to be formed around contacts that different ones of our team are making. Soon U.S. summer teams will be joining us, so we hope to be meeting/ministering to even more people.

We can all talk. We can all be friendly. We can all share about the most important person in our lives - Jesus. So we can ALL do this! If I can do this, you can too!! Want to come join us in South Africa?

Floyd, Sossy (our Airedale Terrier) and I are doing well in our new homeland. Sossy communicates from the outside balcony with the whole neighborhood! We're all finding our place here!

Floyd and I recently took a couple days to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.  Forty years.  Wow - that's a lifetime!  I have lots of friends that aren't even that old.  The children of Israel wandered in the desert for that long.  When we speak of it, we talk about how l-ooooo-n-g that was!!  And, now, we've been married that long!  Incredible.  How did that happen?! :}

Some days when I think about it - it seems like forever.  It's hard to remember not knowing Floyd.  At other times, it seems like we just got married last week.  However long or short it is, it's certainly been the best years of my life!

Every day, every week, every month, and, yes, every year has been an adventure!  I would have never, ever, in my wildest dreams have dreamed what my life with Floyd would be like.  Who, but God, could have known?!

We've seen the world.  We've had amazing adventures.  We've had highs and lows.  We've had "richer" and "poorer."  We've had "sickness" and "in health."  We've had "better" and "worse."  We've had "wither thou goest."  We've had it all, so to speak.

I wouldn't trade a day of it - even the hard ones! - for the way God has directed and interwoven our lives.  He has been so faithful to us.  We know each other in strengths and weaknesses, and love each other in spite of, or because of.  The good days have brightened our love - the hard days have deepened it.

I'm very grateful for the lifetime we've had together, and hope we have 40 more.  We'll be hobbling around by then, but it'll still be a fun adventure.  I'm thankful to God for giving me such a wonderful partner in life.

And now we find ourselves beginning a new life and adventure here in South Africa.  Some would say we should be relaxing, "retiring," slowing down.  Well, I do move slowly some days, but we're not slowing down.  We're at the outset of a new chapter in our life here on earth.  I wouldn't begin to imagine what all it will entail.  But I know there'll never be a dull day.  God is good!!

"The Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9    Amen!  He has been with us for 40 years!

I must confess that I don't like the kinds of questions that have to do with "biggest," "most," "best."  You know the kind I mean.  What is your most embarrassing moment?  What is the best.......?  What is your biggest.....?  I don't tend to think in those terms, and I always feel so put on the spot.......like I have to come up with a wonderful answer.

And yet the other day I found myself thinking along these lines......my favorite verse (see it quoted below).  I love II Cor. 12:9!  Probably because I've needed the truth it contains so much in my life!

I love the way the verse says His grace "is" sufficient.  It's present tense.  It wasn't just available yesterday.  It won't just be available in the future.  It's available right now, this very minute, if I need it.  I have only to call upon Him.  He doesn't always remove the problems from my life, but He does give me what I need to walk through the problem.  He helps me persevere and endure.

I like to be strong and up for the task, but this verse lets me know that in my weakness, if I'll lean into Him and receive His grace, He can more clearly shine through me in His power.  He gets the honor and glory - not me!  There have been so many times in my life when I KNEW I couldn't do something, couldn't persevere through something........but I knew He could through me.  He's given me the strength and courage to face things I couldn't have otherwise.

There are so many situations that I think back to:  living in Afghanistan, raising our children in the red light district of Amsterdam, living with physical pain, walking through conflict with friends, nursing our daughter in her illness, facing the possible loss of my daughter and grandson when he was born, leaving friends and family to move to a new land, trusting God for miraculous provision.......the list is endless.  If His grace hadn't been there, I couldn't have made it!!

In our life now in South Africa, I feel so inadequate in response to the need.  The problems, the needs, the numbers are so great.  I don't know if I have the wisdom, time, or energy to meet them.  It can be overwhelming if I focus on myself.  His grace is ministered to my heart when I think about His infinite power and might.

I must say that I feel my "age" as well.  At age 58, I just don't have the strength and energy that I had when I was 20 or 30.  I can't go as long and as hard.  I need my sleep, and even a nap now and then.  I have some aches and pains that I didn't use to have.  I do feel "weak."  How grateful I am that His power can be shown forth in spite of my age-related weaknesses.

The comfort and testimony of looking back to how He's helped me in the past gives me assurance in facing the new challenges of my present life.  I'm weak, inadequate......but He IS sufficient.  That's why I love this verse!  It is my "favorite."

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.........for when I am weak, then I am strong."  II Cor. 12:9, 10

When I've read the Old Testament story of the children of Israel being led by a cloud each day after they left Egypt, I've often wondered what that meant......or more specifically, what it might have looked like.  There are clouds every day.  What's to distinguish one from another?  What makes one more special?

When we lived in Holland, we saw lots of clouds.  They were massive - filling the whole sky.  There seemed to be more clouds than earth.  When you looked out the window, you saw a little bit of land, but most of the view would be clouds - great masses of them!  And they just hung there!  They didn't seem to move very quickly.  They stayed there and brought gray days and rain.  The sky was often very bleak and heavy looking.

Since moving to Cape Town, I have been fascinated by the clouds here!  They are huge, and move quickly through the valley where we live.  They may move east for awhile......and then later I'll look, and they're moving west.  Sometimes there are 2 types of clouds moving in opposite directions.  Some clouds hang low in the valley, others are high above us.  Sometimes the sun is shining through the clouds making them almost too bright to look at.  Very rarely do the clouds here stay still.  They seem to always be on the move.

The clouds and the ocean seem to have a distinct relationship - working together.  Sometimes clouds roll in from the ocean and disappear as they reach land.  On other days, it's the opposite - they roll from land out to the ocean and dissipate quickly.  It's fascinating and constantly changing.  I can see why people would be drawn to study them and learn from them.

I don't think I've been "led" by them yet, but I've certainly enjoyed watching them........and thinking of the one who created them!  How vast and awesome is He!!  Clouds are mentioned so often in the Word.  In the Old Testament, His presence was often in the cloud.......in the New Testament, He spoke out of the cloud at Christ's baptism.  I look out the window at these beautiful clouds and sense His nearness all around me!

"The Lord God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way......and did not depart from before the people."  Exodus 13: 21, 22