The most exciting news from our recent US trip is that Radley Zeal was born on Aug 30! We flew from Boston to Hawaii in September to meet our precious first grandchild and to spend time with Ana and Frenchie. Ana had an uncomplicated home birth, and has been receiving much love and support from their YWAM community. I am happy for them. It was hard to leave, though, considering South Africa is literally on the opposite side of the globe from Hawaii, and we don’t have any follow-up trips planned. We also left Isaac in Hawaii! He had recently resigned from Gracenote coffee in the Boston area and accepted a roasting position at Kona Coffee. He is now living in a Christian community close to Ana and Frenchie.
Our entire trip to the US was very full. Our motive for the trip was two-fold: to meet Radley in Hawaii, and to apply for my guardianship of Phoebe. Now that Phoebe is 18, I need to make all legal, medical, and financial decisions for her. As soon as we arrived in Boston in late July, we started meeting with doctors and a social worker as we prepared the guardianship application. At the time of our return to South Africa last month, the application was accepted and we had a court date, to which I had applied to do the hearing via Zoom. Sadly, this request was just denied. Phoebe and I will fly back to the US for the hearing in December.
While we were doing our annual doctor visits at Children’s Hospital in Boston, it was discovered that Phoebe’s thyroid condition had swung from hypothyroid to extreme hyperthyroid (thyrotoxicosis), which is a symptom of the auto-immune Graves’ Disease. As soon as we started treating it, many of Phoebe’s recent health challenges resolved. We now need to test her thyroid levels every four weeks, which we will continue to do here in South Africa.
Because of her significant weight loss (which I assumed was the result of the E. coli she had earlier this year), the GI doctor ordered a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I initially protested, since she had started to regain weight with the thyroid medication. After a second stool test with the same results, I consented. Because of the timing of this intense procedure, we had to delay our return back to South Africa. Good news is that Phoebe does not have any bowel disease, but must take medication for the inflammation the doctor found in her gut.
You can see why this was a very full trip for us! Between doctor appointments, we were able to reconnect with many of you, which is always a highlight. Even my sister flew in from Denver with her kids. My brother sadly had to cancel his flight because of COVID. Alberto and Isaac flew to El Salvador for 10 days to see his family and celebrate his father’s 92nd birthday.
And between all that, Alberto and Isaac painted the front of our house in Quincy, and we were able to get Phoebe a state-issued ID, fix her stroller, and do a few other admin things for her. I also tried to clear things out of my parents’ house in Weymouth, with mixed results.
Needless to say, we returned to South Africa with full hearts and tired bodies. We’ve been fighting various colds and bugs since returning, but believe we have now turned the corner.
Phoebe was very happy to get back into her school routine, and Alberto has been back in the prisons preparing for or following-up from various Restorative Justice events.
It was a joy to come back to Cape Town and see Margaret! School is intense for her right now, with the year ending next month. She now has a waitressing job at a pizza place, which seems like a much better fit than her previous waitressing job.
Thank you to all of you who made the effort to see us. To those of you who couldn’t, we will see you another time. We are so grateful for your ongoing support and encouragement. Thank you!
Here’s a letter from Alberto:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I thank my Lord Jesus Christ for allowing us to come back to continue to be part of what He is doing in South Africa. Jesus said the “harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Mt 9:38). Let’s continue to pray so that we can be good workers to the souls He puts in our field. This way they will also become good workers. The prisons here in South Africa are full of potential for the Lord. As I gather with young and old people, I get excited to share from my heart that Jesus wants to be their friend and Savior. It is humbling, as He has given us the privilege to make Him known, but He is the one who deals in a very personal way with those who open their ears to listen to His voice. The harvest is plentiful, but it is also important to know there are plenty of obstacles, as there is an enemy. We need to be wise, ask the Holy Spirit to prepare the way, and ask the Lord to protect us as we harvest. Pray that we do not grow weary.
The other day, outside Pollsmoor Prison, there was a group of men sitting at the entrance. Two of my team-mates and I introduced ourselves and had the opportunity to share the Gospel with them. We realized it was a divine appointment. The Holy Spirit revealed to us that one of the men had a chest infection. When we asked him, he said it was true. We had the privilege to pray with him for healing, and then two of the men decided to reconcile their lives to Jesus. We were rejoicing in what God had done! The next day I was sick all day with stomach pains. I’m not sure if it is a virus or a spiritual attack. Please pray for protection from the strategies of the enemy.
Thanksgiving
* Radley Zeal
* A guardianship court date (Dec 22)
* Treatment (in process) for Phoebe’s thyroid and gut
* Time of reconnecting with many of you
* New and old prison ministry opportunities
* New chapter for Isaac
* Margaret’s job
Prayer Points
* RJ graduates to stay committed to Christ and humble as they start reconciling with their families and victims
* The ex-prisoners who are struggling to find work
* Spiritual growth of the new believers
* Health and protection for our family
* That Rad will be a radical follower of Jesus with zeal for the Lord
* For our US leaders and all who feel at risk