Time At Home

Although we've been back in Cape Town for a week, it's been more than 2 months since we've posted an update on our journey, most of which was spent on a much needed furlough back in our homeland.  We were originally scheduled to depart Cape Town on May 21st, but some unknown health issues forced their hand and we opted to push our flight up 2 weeks earlier to get them sorted out.  We spent a total of 7 weeks living out of a suitcase, traveling all over the southeastern part of the US visiting friends and family, going to numerous doctors appointments, and eating all the food we'd missed over the previous 8 months.  We returned to Cape Town a week ago Friday, on June 28th, and had a weekend to gear up for the whirlwind of Holiday Club back in Red Hill with our kids and teens this past week.  But let me catch you up, briefly, on our life - doctor appointments, traveling, family, friends and eating - over the last couple of months.

The bulk of the focus of our coming back early to the USA was to figure out what had been ailing Claudia for so long.  For the better part of the 6 months prior to our departing South Africa, Claudia had been experiencing some physical problems.  There wasn't a span of 2 weeks where we she felt 100% the whole time.  Over a span of 6 months, we frequented the doctor's office 15 times and each time it seemed we were only treating the symptoms and not getting to the source.  Looking back, you'd think we would have figured out something was wrong sooner.  But oh how quickly we lose perspective when we don't understand.  I don't know if it was a fear of letting people down or not wanting to feel vulnerable, but either way, our pride told us we needed fight this battle on our own.  In May, after Claudia had missed 3 straight days in Red Hill, we decided it was best if we pushed our flight up and spent the extra 2 weeks seeing doctors, trying to figure out the source of Claudia's ailing.

After we landed in Nashville and had our "Welcome Back" meal at Cracker Barrel, we headed to Lexington in hope of finding answers.  After weeks of blood tests, a stomach scan, and a colonoscopy, we still hadn't found a definite answer to our medical questions, but we had eliminated many of the serious diseases.  While there was still a bit of unknown, we were thrilled to know it wasn't as serious as we had once thought.  After the findings of Claudia's colonoscopy, we had our first hint that it could be a food allergy, and so we scheduled an appointment with a Nutritionist/Chiropractor in Nashville.  There, Claudia had her blood drawn and tested for food, mold, and other allergies and we finally got an answer to what had been an 8 month mystery.  She is allergic to many of the foods we eat on a daily basis in Cape Town, including dairy and wheat.  Although seemingly having to adapt a new lifestyle with these allergies was a bit daunting, we were thrilled to have finally figured out what battle we are up against.  Changing our diet here has been a work in progress, but Claudia will tell you she's felt better than she has in a long time, which is such an answer to our prayer for the last 8 months.

Being back in the US was such a blessing for us.  We visited family and friends all over Kentucky and Tennessee while getting to update our supporters and host some dinner parties to tell others about our journey.  It was such a blessing and looking back at our time there, was exactly what God had planned.  While we were dealing with all the unknown, we spent 10 days, split up into 2 legs in Franklin, which is where our journey began, where our roots are.  It was while I was an intern at Rolling Hills Community Church that Claudia and I began dating.  There I went on my first overseas mission trip to the place where we would end up moving.  It was where God affirmed our calling to the kids and teens of Red Hill.  So it should have been no surprise that we would get the answers to our medical issues while we were visiting there.  Through meetings with our mentors, God brought us back to the basics of our calling and in doing so, refreshed and refueled us to come back more excited and with more purpose than when we originally moved!  

Looking back, our time spent with friends and family was invaluable.  We were blessed to have 7 weeks at home.  We were lucky to be able to celebrate both Mother's Day and Father's Day with our families.  We were able to go to Atlanta to see a Braves game.  We were both able to see one of our best friends marry the love of their lives.  We got to relax on vacation with our family to Florida.  We went to a concert and most importantly, we ate all kinds of Mexican food!  

I don't think I can properly express how much being home, surrounded by family and friends who love and support us, meant to Claudia and I, but know that I am very grateful for you.  

             

A Flash of Moments

It's hard to believe that tomorrow we will have been here for 6 months! WOW, that's half of a year. It is amazing to look back on the past six months and see all the things the Lord has done and how He has continued to be faithful in this chapter of our lives. There are so many things that stand out in my mind since we have been here. Let's take a look at some of our favorite moments in the past 6 months...

 Our first time on the road driving in South Africa was an adventure. We were excited and nervous all at the same time. It was a little intimidating since everything was on the other side. The steering wheel, the side of the road we were on, our turning signal, our window shield wipers, and the ways we were supposed to turn at a robot (stop light). We are grateful that we have had no accidents and only a few minor incidents where we turned into the wrong lane or got in the car on the wrong side, oops!

Our first event in Red Hill, Wait For Me. This was a little less then a month after we had arrived. It was such a blessing getting to see our kids and teenagers excited and wanting to learn more about staying pure before marriage. The Lord was present that day and we loved learning together.

First Thanksgiving together. We were sad whenever we thought about celebrating holidays away from home, but our family here in South Africa made that a lot easier. This was the first time we realized how many Americans there were here and the Lankford's opened their home to us to celebrate all together. We had turkey, dressing, mac & cheese, and so much more. Our community was slowly beginning to grow.

Christmas in Red Hill. We had two Christmas parties in Red Hill in December and they were both so much fun. We loved getting to share the story of the birth of Christ with our kids and teens. This was the first time we saw our teenagers take ownership and they helped bring to life the Christmas story for all of our kids. We had a great couple of days!

Christmas: Just The Two of Us. Christmas for us was usually spent with a lot of family, tons of food, and even more presents! This year it was a lot different, but a good different. For the first time we weren't surrounded with all the things that people make Christmas about and it was really nice. We made our own traditions that will hopefully carry on for many years to come!

Exploring. Trying New Things. Adventure. We are so blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We have had the opportunity to try new things since we've been here, like surfing! We love to go on hikes and be outside so this is really a perfect place to live. The most rewarding hike was when we hiked up Table Mountain in January! It was hard, but the view of God's creation at the top was well worth the long journey up!

Family. For Nathan and I it has been such a blessing to get to know Lumka, Phillis, and Kennedy. It is so refreshing to work alongside people who are there to encourage you and make you better. We have made so many memories together and love the joy each day brings with these three amazing people. We can't wait to continue this journey with them and see how the Lord continues to bless our ministry.

Blessings From Home. Having our home church here in February was so awesome! I will never forget seeing familiar faces walk through the gate at the airport that night. We felt so loved and encouraged the whole time our church was here and we loved seeing them serve the Red Hill community. Although it was hard to see them leave, we knew how much of a blessing they had been to everyone here.

Kids & Teens Club. No matter what we are doing our kids and teens come every afternoon excited and ready to learn. They are SO excited to see you everyday and their sweet hugs never will get old. We have loved seeing them all grow in different ways since we have been here. They are truly one of the biggest blessings in our lives.

We could go on and on of all the moments that have stood out to us. It's crazy for us to think how fast it has gone by and all the little things that have happened in between. We have had moments of laughter, tears, confusion, and utter amazement. One thing has stayed consistent through all of it though, the love and faithfulness of our Father! We are excited to continue on this journey and ready to see what the next 6 months brings! Our prayer is that we never lose sight of what is important and we continue to be bold in carrying Christ name to all we come in contact with. Thank you Father for your LOVE, PROTECTION, and JOY you have given us thus far on this journey!

Teens Camp

Last week we had the blessing of working with our teens at camp. The camp took place at Rocklands Centre in Simons Town, which is about a 15 minute drive from Red Hill. Camp is definitely something they look forward to each year. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take all of our teens because we were only allowed to bring 20. This was a hard choice but it all came down to how respectful they were each week in club and if their attendance was consistent. They found out about 3 weeks before we went so they would have time to fill out forms and know the things they needed to bring. Each community that Living Hope works in were able to bring 20 teenagers so in all there were around 80 teens at camp last week. Nathan and I didn't know the other teenagers because they were from Ocean View, Masi, and Capricorn. We were excited to get to know these other teens that we had never been around before. We arrived at camp last Monday and everyone was excited to jump into the week ahead!

We were excited to work alongside a church from the States that was there to help run things. They were a group of high school students from Seattle, Washington. The first day was a lot like camp anywhere you would go. We spent the first little bit going over the rules and things that were expected from them during the week. We were then spilt into 4 different groups that we would spend a lot of time with that week. My team was called the Cougars and Nathan's team was The Little Giants. We made up a group cheer and had a contest against each group to see who was the loudest. We then spent time getting to know one another and introducing ourselves. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed. They had some free time to swim, play soccer, jump on the trampolines, and just hang out together. Throughout the week we had different speakers talk to the teens about a variety of topics that they struggle with in their communities. The first day one of the Life Skill Educators, Kevin, talked to them about racism. Like in America, this is a problem that causes many issues in their communities. The kids asked Kevin questions afterwards and they liked hearing what he had to say about the issue. Later that evening, after supper, we had another session and the topic was relationships. We watched a movie called How To Save A Life which deals with relationships and the hard issue of suicide. The teens enjoyed watching this and taking away different things from it.

Wednesday and Thursday ran on the same schedule. On Wednesday the topic we discussed was dating. One of the Life Skill Educators had her fiance come and discuss this topic with our teens. He walked through the right and wrong ways that you should pursue being in a
relationship. He used a couple of the teenagers as an example and called them up to act out a few things. The rest of the group loved this and thought it was funny. He talked about the way we should view the opposite sex and how we should respect them in our words and actions. After he finished he gave time for questions and then Nathan and I had the opportunity to share a little bit of our story. This was a special time for us to let the teenagers hear about our dating story and how we ended up married, serving in South Africa. After the session was over we had a young girl come over and ask us a question which was really incredible to see them opening up and wanting to ask things. The rest of the day was spent playing different games in our 4 groups, some free time, and a choice of electives. We gave the teens 4 different electives to choose from that they could take part in each day. The electives were dance, drama, fashion, and music. They would all learn something in their different groups and then perform on Thursday night in front of everyone for the concert. I was with the dance group and Nathan was with the drama. We both loved getting to see all the different passions and gifts being used during this time. Each one of our teenagers are so gifted in different ways and we were able to see that come to life during camp. They had some free time before dinner Wednesday and then we had a special event that night. As you could have guessed soccer is BIG here! The boys love playing any chance they get. That night they had a indoor soccer tournament that they could play in. While the boys were doing that all the girls had a pampering session. We had so much fun painting nails, doing hair and makeup, and just hanging out as a group of girls. Both events were a success and our teens really enjoyed themselves.

As I said before, Thursday looked a lot like Wednesday. The topic that was discussed on Thursday was drug awareness. Lumka knew someone who had spoken in Red Hill before
and she asked him to come and talk to the teens. He had a powerpoint that walked through different drugs and the effects that those drugs have on you. He shared his testimony and how he had gotten to where he is today. He shared how the Lord had met him at his lowest point and completely transformed his life. It was so cool to see the Lord's grace and love throughout his story and we celebrated with him as he has been clean for many years now! Like the other sessions, the teens had quite a lot of questions afterwards for him. He asked the group as a whole who was experimenting with drugs today and a lot of the teenagers raised their hands. They were all so transparent and not wanting to hide anything which was really amazing to see. It was a blessing to know who of our teens we can specifically be praying for with this issue. After the session they had lunch and continued on to playing games in their 4 groups again. After that they went to their same electives to get ready for the evening concert that was happening later that night. After dinner everyone headed to the gym to watch the different groups perform. It was great to see the groups perform what they had learned that week and see the excitement on their faces when they were in front of all the other teenagers. I'll tell you one thing, they are not shy in the least bit and we loved it! The concert ended and camp was drawing to a close the next morning.

The week as a whole was incredible. We were able to get to know our teenagers on a more personal level and just have fun with them. I will have to say my favorite memory I will take away from the week would be the morning worship time we had with them. Before we would start things off for the day we came together and sung a few songs and Evan, leader of the group from the states, would lead them in a short devotion. We sang a few songs in English, but most of them were in Xhosa and Afrikaans. It was such a beautiful picture to see the teenagers worshipping freely and singing out to our great God. Even though I had no idea what they were saying, it was so beautiful. I had a glimpse of heaven during one of the songs that we sang. I pictured every nation and all people groups standing at the feet of Jesus singing praises to Him and glorifying His name! Nobody would care what color skin you had or what language you spoke, but we would be with our Savior as ONE church worshipping. I can't wait for the day that we are all together in heaven worshipping our Father freely and unashamed! Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement during our week of teens camp. We are grateful for the small changes we saw and pray they continue for years to come! Praise God for the sweet reminders of His unfailing love!

Blessings From Home

 It's very hard to put the last two weeks into words. Our home church from the states, Rolling Hills Community Church, arrived on February 20th to serve with us here in Cape Town for 10 days. The minute that we saw their smiling faces walk through the gate at the airport Nathan and I were so excited for the days ahead. It's hard to explain the feeling of seeing people from home after not seeing them for so long. I knew how exciting it was going to be, but the joy and happiness that came with that was incredible. There were 9 people on the trip, most of them we knew, but excited to get to know the ones we didn't. Lesli, a former missionary in Red Hill, was so excited to be back in a place that is so dear to her heart and spend time with those who mean so much to her. While many of the people on the trip have been here before, there were a few that hadn't been to Cape Town. The first day they were here we went on a tour of Living Hope and they were able to see how things have changed in the past year and some new upcoming exciting additions to the ministry as a whole. It was a good overview of everything and for those who hadn't been here before, it was nice for them to be able to hear everything for the first time.

All the LSE's and Rolling Hills 

Last Friday Rolling Hills put on a Life Skill Educators Retreat! This is something that the LSE's look forward to all year. As an LSE, Nathan and I understand how much work being an LSE in our communities is and were also thankful for this time together to grow and spend quality time with each other. We spent the morning talking about our life verse and sharing them with our groups. We then were able to sketch our life verse into some concrete and paint it so we could take it home to remind us daily. We then spent the afternoon in Muizenberg at the beach. We had a lunch there and were able to hang out and chill for the afternoon. It was a great time to just be able to relax and spend time with each other in a more chill setting. I'm sure any LSE would tell you that the day was incredible and it meant a lot for Rolling Hills to spend their day pouring into all of us. It was cool to hear stories about people still having their crafts from the year before and knowing how much this day really means to all of them. They day was so much fun and we are already excited for next year! 

Some of the girls hanging out before a ride

Saturday brought another sense of adventure for all of us! Lumka, Kennedy, Phillis, and all of their families were picked up early that Saturday morning from Red Hill to meet us and then head to Ratanga Junction. From the moment we stepped out of the Quantum’s at the amusement park there was pure joy on all of their faces. They were excited for the day and ready to jump on every ride that they possibly could. While riding rides and eating junk food was fun, the time spent in meaningful conversations was so precious to all of us. As an LSE that serves in Red Hill with Lumka, Kennedy, and Phillis day in and day out, I understand the tiredness and stress that comes even with the joy and blessings. They are such fearless leaders in their community and spend most of their time serving and tending to other peoples needs. They all have such big hearts for not only people, but for seeing those around them truly understand the importance of having a personal relationship with our heavenly Father. When we returned to the team house that night we all were able to share about the day and any special moments that we shared with all of their families. Lesli shared a story with us about Phillis and it made my heart so happy. Phillis looked at Lesli at some point during the day and pointed to her head and said, “today I have no stress and no worry up here.” This is exactly the kind of day we wanted them to have. A day that they could go out with their families and simply enjoy each other. It was such a blessing for me and the whole team to be able to see them spend their day without a worry. To be able to go to a place and have a day full of fun and excitement was something that I think they will hold dear to their hearts for a long time. It also gave us all a chance to spend the day having fun and getting to know one another better then we did before. That day was a lot more then going to an amusement park and riding tons of rides. It was a day filled with intentional moments, laughter, and the simple joy of sharing life with one another. I believe that moments like that remind us how much we are alike, and how we are apart of such a greater story then we could ever imagine.

Just finished riding the log ride

Last week, Monday through Thursday, we spent all of our time in Red Hill doing a lot of different things. There were a couple of different projects that needed to be done and so we all jumped in on that as soon as we got there. One of the projects was to lay concrete around the shelter where we do club for the kids and teens in middle camp. During the rainy season the water gets under the shelter and makes it really wet inside so we wanted to take care of that problem. The guys did a great job at doing this and taking care of that problem. Another exciting thing that Rolling Hills did was paint our office in Red Hill. Before the team go there Lumka and I talked about what colors we wanted it to be and decided that we wanted something bright and happy! We definitely were in for a treat because the office is the brightest thing in Red Hill now and we love it! We chose red and yellow as the colors for the office and it turned out great. Lumka, Kennedy, and Phillis loved out it turned out. Phillis also sewed some beautiful curtains to go in the office. She spent one day last week working hard on them all day and they look incredible. We are now reminded of our wonderful church every time we step foot in that office and see the walls painted. It is like we have a piece of home with us right there in Red Hill! Another thing the team worked on was Phillis garden. They worked on it last year when they were here, but there were a few things that needed some help. We helped pick up all the trash in the garden and helped pull all the roots up that were growing. The chicken wire that was put up last year to keep animals out is still in place and holding pretty well. Phillis is growing spinach in her garden right now and is going to be planting some other things soon. Our prayer is that we will be able to find people to help her keep up the garden. It is an excellent way to get the community to come together and help sustain the growth of the food coming from the garden. All the projects went really well and we are excited for the wonderful changes in the community!

Having fun painting the office

Concrete outside the shelter

Working on the garden 

One of our favorite things about working in Red Hill day in and day out is kids and teens club! It was so great having our church here to do this alongside of us. They planned everything before they came and the kids and teens couldn't have enjoyed it anymore. The focus for kids was greed and where they store their treasures. We had a skit for them on Monday and Wednesday to open up what we were going to be talking about that day. Then we broke up into two groups like we usually do. Emily and Lesli did a great job teaching the lesson to the older group and Sara and Mark did a great job with the younger ones. They loved the crafts that we did and the games. I loved watching their faces light up when learning something new and being exciting for all the different things that we did. During teens club on Tuesday and Thursday we talked about purity and how we are supposed to honor our bodies. Maria led the girls group and Nathan led the guys group. We did an activity with the girls at the beginning where they had to draw themselves and write words to describe how they felt when they looked into the mirror. It was really great to see them open up and share some of those things with the group. Maria did a great job leading the girls through scripture and reminding them how special they are to God. Relationships were formed with both kids and teens this week that I will stay with both the team and our kids and teens in Red Hill. We loved seeing Rolling Hills serve and love unconditionally all the kiddos this past week. It was truly a blessing.

Larry teaching the older boys 

Mark teaching the little ones the Bible story

There are so many stories that I could tell about the past two weeks and the impact that was made in such a short time. We are so incredibly thankful for the time that we had with our church and the moments that were spent in a place that is so special to all of us. Lumka, Kennedy, Phillis, Nathan, and I will be talking about the past two weeks for months to come and every time we do we will have the biggest smiles on our faces. Even though it was really hard saying goodbye when we took them to the airport, we are all left with memories that will carry us through until next year when we are all together again. Thank you father for one of the biggest blessings you could have ever given to us, the blessing of relationships! The laughter and joy that took place the last two weeks can't be described, but there has been a lasting impression left on the community that we love so much. We all anxiously await the return of our sweet friends from Franklin, TN next year! Until then, may the Lord continue to bless each one of you and know how much you are loved from South Africa! 

The Red Hill Team (Kennedy, Phillis, Claudia, Lumka, Nathan)

Rolling Hills Team and The Red Hill Gang

Back In The Swing Of Things

It has been about a month since our last blog update and for that I apologize. We had a 3 week break for holiday and started back on January 7^th. I know we sent out our newsletter at the beginning of January, but we are so excited about this New Year and all the opportunities we have in the future. Things in Red Hill are going great! We have been back doing club for the kids and teens for three weeks and they are excited as ever to be back and learning together. We have been blessed to have a team of four ladies with us the past month helping us in Red Hill. They are from Australia and have been such a joy to get to know. Their names are Velma, Kim, Simone, and Mikalya. They have been doing a lot of the health clinics during the morning and joining us for club in the afternoons. This past Saturday they hiked Table Mountain and Nathan and I were able to join them. Even though the hike was incredibly difficult, it was so fun spending the morning with them conquering all 3,800 feet of that beautiful mountain! They leave this coming Saturday and we will be sad to see them go, but blessed and thankful for the time we have had with all four of them.

In our Red Hill team meeting today we went over some of our goals for the New Year that we want to implement and it made us all very excited. We are going to be looking at different ways to make club more fun for our kids and teens. We are going to be having one day where we have a sport club where the kids will be able to choose a sport they want to do. We also want to go on hikes with them and let them take more ownership in the afternoons by teaching or leading crafts. We are also going to be seeking out the leaders in both clubs and giving them a little extra responsibility when it comes to serving their friends during club. Nathan will be keeping a close eye out on those kids and teens that show a sense of leadership within club. We are really excited for all of them to take more ownership this year and bring their ideas to the table for all of us to share. We have a lot of awesome leaders and we can’t wait to see them shine in different roles.

As most of you know, Nathan and I spend most of our days, all day, in Red Hill. We do have a small window of time that we are able to branch out and be apart of some other ministries within Living Hope. Tuesday and Thursday mornings are when we get to have a couple of hours outside of Red Hill doing some different things. Nathan is gearing up to start the numeracy program in one of the local townships called Masi. He has been asked to lead the grade 5 kids and is very excited about this new role. He will be coming up with lessons and teaching them to the other life skill educators in Masi where they will be tutoring kids one afternoon a week. He did a lot of math tutoring back in the states and so he is excited to take what he has been gifted with and help these sweet kids. I on the other hand am not gifted in the area of math so I am spending my mornings at Living Grace. This is a ministry within Living Hope. I have been spending my mornings helping the ladies cook in the kitchen, sorting clothes, and sharing life with the amazing people that work there. It has been such a blessing being there on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Living Grace also runs a rehabilitation center upstairs. The people that I have met in the program are simply incredible and have beautiful stories of our Father’s grace and sovereignty. I was approached last week to be in prayer about maybe leading a discussion group upstairs with them one day a week. I am really praying this works out because I would love to get to know the clients on a more personal level and hear more about how they got to where they are today. If you could pray for both Nathan’s numeracy program starting and the possibilities at Living Grace coming up we would greatly appreciate it!

We are happy to say that we have found a church that we absolutely love here. I know I have talked about Commonground in previous posts, but this is a little more exciting news. They are launching a new site closer to where we live. The first Sunday service is this Sunday and we couldn’t be more excited. Nathan and I have talked about church planting a lot and we are blessed and excited to see this church from the beginning phases. We have both been praying for ways to step in and serve in a church community here and the Lord is opening doors for us. The guy who was going to head up the youth ministry is moving back to the states and so they need hands in this area to get it started. Nathan is excited to jump in here since he has a lot of experience with youth from interning at Rolling Hills the past 2 years before moving to Cape Town. I am excited to jump in and help with the children’s ministry and find a place to serve whether that is teach a class or just be extra hands to help do whatever they need! If you can remember to pray for these new opportunities coming up and where the Lord wants us to jump in that would be great!

Life here continues to be exciting and fresh! We feel like we are completely settled into life here and are continuing to love it. We are anxiously awaiting our home church, Rolling Hills, to arrive in 3 short weeks. We can’t wait to serve alongside them and share all that is happening here. The Lord is teaching us new things daily and we are always blown away by his answers to prayer and constant encouragement through his word! We will be sending out our January newsletter this weekend so keep your eye out for that! Thank you for your prayers and constant encouragement via e-mail, Facebook, text messages, and care packages! We are so blessed to have so many people praying for us daily and supporting the amazing work the Lord is doing here in Cape Town. May God continue to get the glory for everything we do day in and day out! Love you all!