HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019!
Dear Ones,
We wish you all a very Happy New Year 2019! We trust that you have all enjoyed the holidays and are gearing up and ready for what the new year may bring. Your well-being, prosperity and fruitfulness in the coming year is in our prayers! Always remember that you are deeply loved and highly favored by the Lord Himself!
Some, if not most of you, already received our update on the Christmas events, etc. on our end (repeated in the last part of this newsletter). We have filled in a bit more info here and separately from this we are writing up a brief summary of the year that went. We look back in awe at all that the Lord has done and the way the ministry has grown, and we look forward to what is in store for the year ahead. We have found that the key to our fruitfulness, happiness, etc. is maintaining a close relationship with the Lord. It is from Him that all good things flow. And His love is without partiality. He wants to bless, help and, strengthen everyone. We just need to come to Him!
Between Christmas and New Years (while classes were suspended) we showed the movie the War Room which contains some very good lessons on how to fight our battles the right way! In prayer!
Our movie night snack was some delicious ice cream cones, served here be Emily and Rita,
Our Gracelife church closed for a couple of weeks, so we held a local church meeting in Sir Lowry’s Pass. Emily made the needed announcements, we then showed a teaching by Barry Bennett on the Ministry of Jesus, specifically addressing prayer and the importance and need for prayer in our lives—which was an excellent follow-up on the movie the War Room. At the end we had an altar call as new people attended!
Besides getting food hampers and/or vouchers everyone received some nice rabbit meat for themselves and their families. We again thank Leon for his generosity and thoughtfulness! Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who blessed us with clothing among other things, to pass on. Always appreciated!
We also thank you, our partners for your support as it enabled us to replace W’s tools that were stolen!
OUR CHRISTMAS MEAL IN SIR LOWRY'S PASS:
Our students/disciples, and families (approximately 80 people) joined us for a festive celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. We had reserved the night for an evening of fellowship and relaxation, so just shared a short Christmas story about the spirit of Christmas being the spirit of giving. We also expressed our love and appreciation of each one and the progress they have made through their study of the Word.
We have an amazing team that helped cook, serve and clean. We would never make it without them!
We had a nice braai and everyone mixed and mingled some sitting inside while others choose outdoors.
PARTY PACKS:
A BIG THANK YOU to SFA Sweetlands for their contribution towards Party Packs for the children as well as some of our precious friends from Sir Lowry’s Pass who readily volunteered their services in helping us put together approximately 150 Party Packs in time for Christmas for many of the children in Sir Lowry’s Pass.
Seen here is an example of one of the Party Packs.
Seen here are some of the children that attended the Christmas meal with their parents in Sir Lowry’s Pass!
A new ECD Center in Sir Lowry’s Pass whom we were referred to as they did not anything to give the children for Christmas, as they are new and just getting started.
Mila’s Angels—Sir Lowry’s Pass. — This is just a little glimpse as we are not able to show everything here.
FOOD HAMPERS AND VOUCHERS:
We distributed 20 food hampers and 20 vouchers. The food hampers were to ensure that our gift went for food and not otherwise. Below is a photo of what each hamper contained!
Here is a picture of the kitchen staff (although not all were present) whom we felt led to bless with a double portion as they work sacrificially and tirelessly all year long for little or no pay.
Seen here are some of the happy recipients, space fails us in showing all but here’s a little glimpse!
CHRISTMAS LUNCH:
We were also blessed to be invited for a Christmas lunch in Cape Town, where we met one of the instructors from the Charis Bible College in Colorado, Wendell Parr, along with some friends old and new. Below: Philip, Wendell Parr and me, Rita
