The past month has been filled with grief.  Too many tragedies in too short a period of time.  At least we know this phase will pass, as “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Ps 30:5).

Tragedy #1: Bus accident in Tanzania killed 11 YWAMers.  (https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2024/february/ywam-tanzania-bus-accident-11-missionaries-killed-arusha.html)  A YWAM base in Arusha, Tanzania recently hosted a leadership gathering for (mostly) young African leaders, 11 of whom were killed in a bus accident.  Many of them left spouses and young families.  They all left budding ministries.  When the list of names was eventually published, we realized we knew one of the people.  Lova left two young children and a wife, was from Madagascar, and oversaw the YWAM work there.  Ana stayed with him and his wife when she led an outreach there many years ago.  We met Lova and his family when they did the Leadership Training School here in Cape Town at the end of last year.  It broke our hearts to know Lova was among the dead.  As time went on, we learned that some other friends of ours were also part of the YWAM excursion and narrowly escaped death.  One of these friends was immediately thrust into the position of all the administrative work involved in dying: getting death certificates and arranging the repatriation of bodies.  Since they were not given time to grieve, she and her husband were encouraged to take time to process the trauma.  It just so happens that we have (different) friends in Cape Town who are in the process of setting up a retreat center for missionaries in crisis.  So, our two grief-stricken friends and their children came to Cape Town to meet with counselors and take time to start to heal.  Listening to my friend recount her experiences in Tanzania was heavy.  Margaret and I watched their children a few times during their stay.

Tragedy #2: On Saturday, while I was watching our friends’ children, Alberto attended a funeral for Isaac’s brother.  Isaac, as you may remember, had recently started a DTS with YWAM.  We were all so excited!  Initially, he was grateful to be able to be there and draw closer to God.  His teachers were happy with his growth.  And then Isaac’s brother died unexpectedly, and Isaac quit the DTS.  For weeks we didn’t know where Isaac was.  His texts were vague and a bit accusatorial.  This was very painful for Alberto, who felt rejected by someone he had poured so much of himself into.  Of course, we understood Isaac needed time to mourn the untimely death of his brother, but still, it was a time we could have supported him, but instead, we were worried and wounded.  Weeks after the apparent death of his brother, when people started questioning whether there actually had been a death, Isaac reappeared on the scene and came to work with Alberto.  Shortly thereafter, Isaac invited Alberto (and me) to the funeral.  It was a sad day for Alberto as he supported his friend and mourned with him, despite his frustrations with him.  Isaac is now living with his father and has no intention of returning to YWAM.  Of course God is not limited to working through YWAM, but I am still sad that he doesn’t want to finish what he started, considering YWAM would have given him the right type of support.  Please pray for Isaac to remain faithful in his walk with God, as he is surrounded by many temptations in his home environment, and has struggled with this in the past.

Tragedy #3: The day after the funeral, I got the news that my beloved aunt had died. She had been admitted to hospital outside Johannesburg for something that did not sound life-threatening, but things changed in the ensuing two weeks, and she died.  I was shocked, as this aunt seemed so strong and was certainly young at heart.  She was a huge influence in my spiritual walk, and was like a second mother to me.

As you can see, it was a rough weekend.  But God is always with us, and new things are on the horizon.  Here are some exciting things that lie ahead:

I am coming to Boston for my graduation from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary on May 18!  I found a cheap ticket for one week, so I get to come and shake the president’s hand and receive my diploma.  Praise the Lord I finally finished!  I may get an award for being the longest registered student, as I took my first class in 1998!

Another exciting piece of news is that Ana and Frenchie are leading an outreach to Micronesia next week for six weeks.  You can read more about their trip in her recent newsletter here.  Ana turned 27 yesterday!

Lastly, YWAM has used “Circles” in the past to care for their missionaries.  “Circles” have recently undergone a rebranding, and are now called “Ubuntu” groups.  In Zulu, “Ubuntu” means “I am, because you are.”  I continue to co-lead a group, but with open registration, our group has jumped to 20 people plus kids!  We have a kick-off pot-luck at our house this week, so please pray we can clearly discuss hopes and expectations, and start to get to know each other in this exciting new chapter!

Alberto with Isaac, his uncle, and his father at the funeral.

Alberto, Alexander, and Andrew shared ministry opportunities through Hope Prison Ministry at a recent YWAM ministry fair.

A participant of Restorative Justice was recently released from prison, and is seen here celebrating!  Gangstar Cafe is a pretty cool place, as it is South Africa’s first coffee shop that trains and employs ex-offenders!

Our friend Lova and his family in December in Cape Town.  Lova died in the bus accident in Tanzania.

The last time I saw my aunty Denise was when my parents visited two years ago.  She is pictured above with my dad and me.

Phoebe has been enjoying school with Leigh-Anne, although has been on a seemingly long fall vacation for the past 2 and a half weeks.  Now that we are back in the South African school schedule, I must adapt to the many short breaks throughout the year, and the lack of a long July vacation!

As an update to Phoebe’s toilet-training, we have come a long way.  I realized that part of the problem with Phoebe’s accidents was due to her high glucose readings in the mornings (which were actually not terribly high, as her HBa1c readings are always within range, but they could get better).  I have adjusted her insulin and diet once again, with the help of her endocrinologist.  Through this change and endless repetition, we are starting to see some good progress.  Please continue to pray for this!

Pictured above is Ella, who has been living with us for the past month.  She is from Austria, and is a friend of a friend who needed a home while she processed her parents’ divorce.  She is 21, and has grown very close to Margaret.  We have had some excellent discussions about Jesus, and Ella even came to church with us on Easter!

Margaret has been enjoying her art school, despite a rocky start where she wondered if she had made the right choice.  Now she has friends at the school, though, and is used to the long commute.  She is taking driving lessons locally, and is hoping to get her licence and a car soon!  I am enjoying her living with us.

Prayer Points

* Comfort for the family members and friends as they mourn the death of their loved ones in the bus accident
* Protection and guidance for Isaac as he figures out how he wants to live
* Health and protection for us, especially Alberto, as he’s been sick a lot lately
* God’s blessing on Alberto’s upcoming Restorative Justice conference
* God’s blessing on my upcoming trip, and that everything will be ok with Phoebe during my absence
* Phoebe’s continued progress in school and in toilet-training
* Margaret’s safety as she commutes to school, and that she can get her license and a job
* Isaac’s (Parada) school year to end well
* Ana and Frenchie’s outreach to Micronesia next week
* Healing and restoration in Park Street Church’s turmoil