Dear Loved Ones,
Some of you remember when we lived in Kenya and had huge Christmas preparations culminating with a three-day Christmas musical for our town and hosting a Christmas Open house for up to 200 businesses acquaintances and friends. I suppose in our minds we keep building up to that sort of Christmas and in Botswana the shock and disappointment of ministry at Christmas just leaves us with our mouths open in exclamation!
All around town people have put up decorations in the shops and the malls(! Yes we have them!) have Christmas trees and very skinny Father Christmases. But the actual weekend of Christmas everyone is GONE! Today we had 20 including about 10 or more children! Almost everyone will have left town by tomorrow. Of course, traditionally in Botswana there was no worship of Jesus Christ and people that worked away from their homes in the village all returned there for the holiday time. Usually at Christmas, the temperature is soaring over 100 degrees and people just rest!
We will take this time to do just that REST! The responsibility of the school and the new property has us completely worn out. I can’t believe that I will not even be cooking on Christmas Day. We have been invited to two homes, one of our church members has invited us for lunch and some missionary friends for supper. They have both suggested that we do not bring anything!
This morning, we gave small gift bags with a Christmas puzzle and some stickers and sweets to our church children. We are thankful for a family in one of our supporting churches who sent the gift bags and stickers for us to use.
May each of you have a wonderful Christmas focused on the gift of the Saviour of the Nations!
Reaching the Unreached,
Steve, Pam Derek and Devin
Monday, December 24, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Angie
Dear Loved Ones,
Not long ago, we wrote about a teenage girl who was saved while visiting our church from Zimbabwe. *Angie* is a someone we have known for a couple of years. Each time she has visited, we have been pleased to spend time with her. Our impression was of a shy, sweet girl who lived with her elderly mom and cared for her niece. This week we learned a little more of her story.
Apparently, Angie has been going through some troubled times. Her sister told me that she brought Angie here to help out her mom who is basically at wit’s end. Earlier this year, the mom arrived home to see Angie in pretty rough shape. It was evident that she had been somehow assaulted. The mom asked if she had been raped and she said no, but the mom pressed until she found out that a schoolmate was responsible. In the process of the police investigation, they required a doctor’s examination. The results came back that Angie has full-blown AIDS.
Angie is 16. According to her diarized accounts, she became sexually active at 13. The diagnosis was not from something recent. Her family is devastated and up until now, her behavior has shown no signs of changing. She has been involved in petty theft and deceit for most of the last two years.
Her sister, who attends our church has told no one except me. She has been carrying a heavy load. She is not a strong Christian. Would you pray with us for her that God will draw her close to Him and she will find the comfort she needs at this time. And would you pray for Angie? I pray that her salvation will bring forth the fruits of righteousness so that all will know she has been changed. We are hoping that she did not just say she has committed her life to Christ to make people think better of her. She is now on ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) that can help her lead a somewhat normal life. Even with AIDS her life can have a purpose when given over to Jesus Christ.
Our Amanda will not be able to be with us for Christmas. We had hoped, but there were no seats available. She will travel this weekend to Steve’s sister’s home in North Carolina to share Christmas with their family and Steve’s mom. Would you pray for safety as she travels?
Reaching the Unreached,
Steve, Pam, Derek and Devin
Not long ago, we wrote about a teenage girl who was saved while visiting our church from Zimbabwe. *Angie* is a someone we have known for a couple of years. Each time she has visited, we have been pleased to spend time with her. Our impression was of a shy, sweet girl who lived with her elderly mom and cared for her niece. This week we learned a little more of her story.
Apparently, Angie has been going through some troubled times. Her sister told me that she brought Angie here to help out her mom who is basically at wit’s end. Earlier this year, the mom arrived home to see Angie in pretty rough shape. It was evident that she had been somehow assaulted. The mom asked if she had been raped and she said no, but the mom pressed until she found out that a schoolmate was responsible. In the process of the police investigation, they required a doctor’s examination. The results came back that Angie has full-blown AIDS.
Angie is 16. According to her diarized accounts, she became sexually active at 13. The diagnosis was not from something recent. Her family is devastated and up until now, her behavior has shown no signs of changing. She has been involved in petty theft and deceit for most of the last two years.
Her sister, who attends our church has told no one except me. She has been carrying a heavy load. She is not a strong Christian. Would you pray with us for her that God will draw her close to Him and she will find the comfort she needs at this time. And would you pray for Angie? I pray that her salvation will bring forth the fruits of righteousness so that all will know she has been changed. We are hoping that she did not just say she has committed her life to Christ to make people think better of her. She is now on ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) that can help her lead a somewhat normal life. Even with AIDS her life can have a purpose when given over to Jesus Christ.
Our Amanda will not be able to be with us for Christmas. We had hoped, but there were no seats available. She will travel this weekend to Steve’s sister’s home in North Carolina to share Christmas with their family and Steve’s mom. Would you pray for safety as she travels?
Reaching the Unreached,
Steve, Pam, Derek and Devin
Monday, December 10, 2007
Dear Loved Ones,
The first picture is of Dube. Dube is from Zimbabwe and has been with us since the very beginning of our time here in Botswana. He is a faithful man and a man of prayer. We thank God for him and pray for many more like him.
You can also see in the picture that at our new property we have a nice place for what you would call “dinner on the grounds”. That’s what we had today after our children presented their Christmas program, “The Christmas Present”. One of our supporting churches was so kind to purchase the book and CD for us to use. It is the first time we have done anything like this here and everyone was so thrilled and surprised at how well the children performed. The message of the program stood alone – the best present of all is Jesus!
We are continuing to have visitors at our new place and are thankful for those who are coming. Our church is beginning to feel ownership of the new place and are excited about the possibilities it brings us.
One of our ladies left early today because she had work at the office that could not wait. I later had a text message from her that her visiting sister from Zimbabwe accepted Christ as her Saviour today!! Pray with us as we work with her while she is here in Botswana for another week or so.
The second picture is of some of the children we ministered to yesterday at the clinic for children living with HIV/AIDS. We volunteer at their annual Christmas party. The attendance was down some because of the rain, but our youth were there shining the light of the love of Jesus to the children and their caregivers. We thank the Lord for the opportunities He brings because of this ministry.
Christmas is upon us and it is hard to believe. With all the new opportunities, we have not really taken time to prepare as we usually do.
We had hoped that Amanda would be able to join us since she is the only one apart from us right now, but it looks like there are no seats left at the time she would be able to come. Would you pray God’s will be done in that? This year has been particularly hard on our family and we long to be together, but we understand God may have different purposes. We pray that His will be done for His glory even in this.
Reaching the Unreached,
Steve, Pam, Derek and Devin
The first picture is of Dube. Dube is from Zimbabwe and has been with us since the very beginning of our time here in Botswana. He is a faithful man and a man of prayer. We thank God for him and pray for many more like him.
You can also see in the picture that at our new property we have a nice place for what you would call “dinner on the grounds”. That’s what we had today after our children presented their Christmas program, “The Christmas Present”. One of our supporting churches was so kind to purchase the book and CD for us to use. It is the first time we have done anything like this here and everyone was so thrilled and surprised at how well the children performed. The message of the program stood alone – the best present of all is Jesus!
We are continuing to have visitors at our new place and are thankful for those who are coming. Our church is beginning to feel ownership of the new place and are excited about the possibilities it brings us.
One of our ladies left early today because she had work at the office that could not wait. I later had a text message from her that her visiting sister from Zimbabwe accepted Christ as her Saviour today!! Pray with us as we work with her while she is here in Botswana for another week or so.
The second picture is of some of the children we ministered to yesterday at the clinic for children living with HIV/AIDS. We volunteer at their annual Christmas party. The attendance was down some because of the rain, but our youth were there shining the light of the love of Jesus to the children and their caregivers. We thank the Lord for the opportunities He brings because of this ministry.
Christmas is upon us and it is hard to believe. With all the new opportunities, we have not really taken time to prepare as we usually do.
We had hoped that Amanda would be able to join us since she is the only one apart from us right now, but it looks like there are no seats left at the time she would be able to come. Would you pray God’s will be done in that? This year has been particularly hard on our family and we long to be together, but we understand God may have different purposes. We pray that His will be done for His glory even in this.
Reaching the Unreached,
Steve, Pam, Derek and Devin
December 2, 2008
Dear Loved Ones,
We moved our services today. We and our church members are so excited. Today was the first time many of them had seen the property God has given us to use for His glory. We are overwhelmed with His gifts to us.
Next Sunday we will meet together and have our children’s Christmas presentation plus we will have our annual December church cookout.
Please remember us in prayer on Saturday while we volunteer at the Botswana Baylor Clinic for Children with HIV/AIDS.
Also please join us in asking God for a harvest of souls in this Christmas season.
We moved our services today. We and our church members are so excited. Today was the first time many of them had seen the property God has given us to use for His glory. We are overwhelmed with His gifts to us.
Next Sunday we will meet together and have our children’s Christmas presentation plus we will have our annual December church cookout.
Please remember us in prayer on Saturday while we volunteer at the Botswana Baylor Clinic for Children with HIV/AIDS.
Also please join us in asking God for a harvest of souls in this Christmas season.
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