Merry Christmas from sunny Cape Town! May the joy of Christ’s birth be with each of you.
Last Christmas we were in the U.S. celebrating Christmas with many of you. Spending time with my family and attending “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” at Park Street Church were highlights for me. Reliving those missed experiences fed my soul. Now, one year later, I am in a better place to fully embrace Christmas in the summer. We have begun to celebrate the season by attending Christmas parties with our ministries and inviting friends over to braai. It’s also tourist season, as the weather in Cape Town is glorious!
As the year winds down, we are able to reflect on the opportunities God has given us. Alberto has built on existing relationships and started new ones through the Restorative Justice (RJ) programs and follow-ups in the prisons with Hope Prison Ministry. Miracles are still taking place as hearts and minds are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a recent RJ conference, two Cape Town rival gang leaders came to peace with not only Jesus, but each other. While RJ teaches about the ripple effects of crime, there are also ripple effects of peace. The agreed upon cease-fire between the gangs extended to a general peace in their home communities. For better or worse, prison is the place where gang policy is masterminded. Some inmates are from further afield than Cape Town, such as Tanzania, and want to share their new hope in Jesus with family members back home. We are trusting that the seeds from the Cape Town prisons can spread to not only Cape Town, but all of Africa.
Next year, we plan to make some progress with the halfway house. Housing Isaac (an ex-prisoner who has gone through the RJ program) in our home has shown us some of the challenges and joys of reintegrating people back into society. Overall, Isaac is doing really well. He even bought me some chocolates when he was paid for a job last week, as a token of his appreciation!
The soccer ministry has finished for the year, although the boys are still waiting for a Christmas party! The current fields are unavailable, so we must think quickly of a place large enough for so many young soccer enthusiasts! This has been a great ministry, as interest in soccer is high, and half-time provides a convenient opportunity to talk to the boys about Jesus, respect for each other on and off the field, and how to make good life decisions to keep them out of the prison. This morning, one of the boys, Sam, was baptised at our church! He wants to attend the church’s summer camp program, so we will sponsor him for that! It is a joy to see young people who are excited to follow the Lord!
In terms of family news, Margaret arrived this past week. She is busily catching up with all her old friends, and really happy to be here. Likewise, I am thrilled she chose to return. We were finally able to visit Vega, the art school she will be attending in January. It’s an exciting place! Now we need to find her housing closer to the school, since we live an hour away.
Isaac arrives Dec 20, and will be with us for 10 days. He had a successful IronMan competition recently. Thank you for your prayers.
Phoebe finally has a facilitator for her new school! Thank you for praying! Leigh-Anne starts on Monday, and will build rapport with Phoebe at our house over the next couple of weeks before school starts in January. Leigh-Anne has experience working with children with autism and connects well with Phoebe.
Ana and Frenchie have been married for almost one year! They continue to be active in youth ministry in Kona, Hawaii with YWAM, and Frenchie continues to travel the world speaking on evangelism. You can read Ana’s latest update here. I really miss Ana, and hope she and Frenchie can come to South Africa next year! The picture above was taken last year after their wedding. We haven’t been together since.
I have officially finished my last class at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary! Interpreting the Bible was a challenging class, but it gave me to the tools to, well, better interpret Scripture! I will graduate with a Master of Arts in Christian Ministries in January, and attend an online ceremony in May.
We want to thank you for your love and prayers, and for your support in our ministry in South Africa over these past nine years as we have endeavored to share the light of Christ with those around us, particularly in the prisons. Your concern for all our children, especially Phoebe, has touched our hearts and shown us what the body of Christ is capable of. May God bless you in all aspects of your lives!
If you would like to support our ministry in South Africa, please do so on the Park Street Church online giving forum: www.parkstreet.org/give. We are listed in the drop-down box as “Paradas – Partner Missionaries” which means we are partner missionaries through the church, and receive only a portion of our support directly form the church. The majority of our support comes through individual and families. Or if you would like to support Ana and Frenchie, choose “Ana Parada” in the drop-down box.
May the joy of Christ’s birth bring you hope this Christmas season.
Love,
Alberto, Joanna, Ana (and Frenchie), Isaac, Margaret and Phoebe Parada