Pictured above are friends who stayed with us during the recent Nations 2 Nationsconference at YWAM.  This conference encouraged young people to see themselves and their nations as mission-senders, as opposed to mission-receivers.  The world seems to prioritize mission initiatives from wealthy nations, while poorer nations are seen as recipients and victims of world politics.  This conference sought to instill godly pride in the participants’ countries of origin and to help them see that they are called by God to be missionaries.  Over 30 countries were represented!  It was a joy to see so many African young men and women (especially young men) stand up and be commissioned to be used of God wherever God sends them.  It is very encouraging to see how passionate the younger generation is in seeking God and wanting to serve Him in creative ways.

The main speaker was an Iranian man born into an abusive Muslim family, yet through God’s miraculous intervention, met Jesus and now is a pastor of a church outside his home country.  While most of the attendees are currently studying/living in South Africa and surrounding countries, there was a group visiting from South Korea, whom I especially enjoyed getting to know.  Although I struggled to understand one of the ladies, we realized that we both knew Spanish, as she had grown up as a missionary kid in Paraguay!  Amazing how God connects people!  We were also happy to meet up with Ethan and his father, whom we met our very first year in South Africa when Ethan was a little boy!  Now Ethan is doing his DTS and excited to follow in his parents’ footsteps (his parents are YWAM missionaries).

Prison ministry is up and running, with Alberto being able to participate in a few Restorative Justice programs and spending time following-up with participants and their families.  Please pray for a couple of the participants who have expressed remorse at their crimes, but are struggling to walk with Jesus in their newfound freedom:

X is well-respected in the prisons, as he was able to maintain his status in the gang of organizing crime and drug smuggling outside the prison walls.  Yet, before he got enmeshed with the gangs, he used to be a pastor!  He has repented and received Christ’s forgiveness, but is struggling to let go of his privilege in the prisons.

Y grew up in the gang system, as his father sold drugs.  The gang number tattoo on his father’s torso confirmed to Y that this was his inheritance and his destiny.  He became a hit man in the gang, which meant it was his role to kill whoever he was instructed to kill.  This evolved into people hiring him for his services.  The majority of the people he killed were women.  His brain has grown numb to the pain, and he no longer can recall how many women he has killed.  Please pray that his repentance is real and that he can exchange his old life for the new life we have in Christ.

Gender-based violence has been declared a national disaster here (source), with more than 35% of South African women experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes (source).  Although this is a global pandemic, South Africa has some of the worst rates in the world.  Please pray for my friend, who, with her husband and children, are strategically living in a very challenged area of Cape Town, living out the gospel.  Their teenage daughter recently received sexual threats as she left the school grounds.

On a more positive note, we are grateful for Phoebe and my trip back to Boston over Christmas. I received guardianship for her in the court hearing, which was the purpose of the trip!  While in Boston, I squeezed in a few doctor appointments, and am happy to report that Phoebe’s thyroid is now stable, and her gut inflammation is at an acceptable level.  Since returning to South Africa, her hair has started to regrow in the back, which is a huge blessing.  It was lovely to see some of you at church and to spend Christmas with my parents! My sister and her kids also surprised me with a post-Christmas visit.

On the family-front, Margaret just started her third and final year of college.  She has two lovely roommates in a safer section of town and is continuing with her internship with a media production company.  We see her regularly, which is a joy to me!  Ana and Isaac, on the other hand, are far away in Hawaii, although Ana, Frenchie and Radley have plans to move to North Carolina in July when Fire & Fragrance breaks away from YWAM.  Isaac seems content with Kona Coffee and loves his Christian communal living.

Prayer Points

* X and Y to stand firm for Jesus and to die to their old selves.
* Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as Alberto and team share in prison.
* Healed relationships, protection, and jobs for ex-offenders.
* An end to the gender-based violence in this country and protection for all vulnerable women.
* Vision and open doors for the young people who recently committed their lives to serve as missionaries.
* The new community center that Andrew and Anne May are discussing with us and Hope Prison Ministry.
* Safety for our family.
* Guidance and blessings on our children Ana (and Frenchie and baby Radley), Isaac, Margaret, and Phoebe!

Thanksgiving

* Nations 2 Nations conference, and the calling of many young Christians into missionary service.
* Recent Restorative Justice processes and lives changed for Christ.
* Successful completion of the guardianship process.
* Phoebe’s stable thyroid and gut, and the regrowth of hair on the (previously) bald spot on the back of her head.
* A happy start to a new school year for Phoebe and her aide, Nicole, and an invigorating start for Margaret’s third and final year of college.
* God’s faithfulness to us and our sponsors.

Hello my dear family and co-workers in the kingdom of God.  Thank you very much for your love, your prayers, and your financial contributions.  Without your partnership, what we are doing would not be possible.

I (Alberto) look back on the year and I see the orange uniforms of the prisoners, and it reminds me of how grateful I am to be free.  The color of Christmas is red, for the blood of Jesus, which is the price that was paid for our true freedom.  This Christmas, let us celebrate our freedom, but remember those who are incarcerated.  Pray that Jesus will become their true freedom, and that they can celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

As a family update, Ana and Frenchie were blessed with the birth of Radley Zeal this past August.  We were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet him in Hawaii when we were back in the US, and we miss them so much!  Ana and Frenchie continue to serve the Lord through YWAM’s Fire & Fragrance ministry.

Isaac is enjoying being an uncle and living close to Ana and Frenchie in Kona, while learning the nuts and bolts of the coffee industry.  He is technically a roaster, although is gaining experience in different aspects of the business, from farming to being a barista.

Margaret finished her second year of college and is enjoying her Arts & Communication major.  This is a very practical/technical degree, as she is doing a lot of digital art and branding.  She has just moved into a lovely apartment with two girls from her school.

Phoebe has finished another year at Beautiful Minds, and her facilitator Nicole is absolutely amazing and will continue with us next year.  This is the first year that we will have no change of school or facilitator for Phoebe.  She is improving in her speech and really enjoying her classmates.  Nicole’s energy and perseverance have been a huge blessing to us.

Phoebe received a few challenging medical updates this year, which we are still trying our best to address.  She swung from hypo to hyperthyroidism, then to the extreme thyrotoxicosis.  She has almost rebalanced now, though this will likely be a long-term pendulum.  An anti-inflammatory prescription for gut inflammation gave her the unusual side-effect of hair loss. Her diabetes continues to be an enormous challenge in our lives, particularly when her pump or sensor malfunctions.  The good thing is that we have amazing doctors in both countries, and some of them even know each other and respect each other’s input!

I (Joanna) have enjoyed my year of doing staff applications for YWAM and leading a small group.  It seems like every year a baby is born in our small group, so I am not deprived of holding babies!  I continue to be involved in a feeding program in a nearby under-resourced community, where children are fed a home-made meal and shown the love of Christ.

We had a wonderful time reconnecting with many of you this past August.  Phoebe and I are returning to Boston very briefly for Christmas, for a court date to hopefully finalize my guardianship application.  Sadly, my request for a Zoom hearing was denied.  It’s a bittersweet moment of realizing Phoebe is now 18 and would ordinarily be of the age to make all her own medical and financial decisions.

If you would like to support our ministry in South Africa, one way to do so is on the Park Street Church online giving platform: parkstreet.churchcenter.com/giving/to/paradas-partner-missionaries.   While we receive a portion of our support directly from Park Street Church, the majority comes from individuals and families. We are grateful for your support.

An alternative way of giving is directly through YWAM’s office in Texas: ywamepj.org/pay-give/.  They accept donations on our behalf and offer tax-deductible receipts.   Please designate Alberto and Joanna Parada when giving.

May the joy of Christ’s birth bring you hope this Christmas season.

Love,
Alberto, Joanna, Ana and Frenchie (and Radley), Isaac, Margaret, and Phoebe Parada

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

Happy spring to you all! And happy fall to us! We recently had the joy of welcoming the Lius into our home! They came to Cape Town to get better acquainted with the work of Hope Prison Ministry. Sitting around the table with them and the Mays was such a blessing!

Prison ministry is going well. Alberto and team recently did a Restorative Justice (RJ) training with the pastors from De Doorns, the small town in the wine country that they visited a couple of months ago. The goal of the training was to equip the pastors to expand their ministries to prisons in that area of the country, with the hope that they can visit the inmates and start to run RJ conferences there themselves. Another part of the training included how to welcome former-inmates back into their churches and into society at-large, which is no easy task.

Locally, at the maximum security section of Pollsmoor Prison, Alberto and his colleague Alexander (who attended the RJ program while in prison and now works for Hope Prison Ministry) are still allowed into the cells with the guys. Fifty or more men are crammed into an inhumanely small space while they await trial. Some wait for years. Yet, in this space, the Holy Spirit is present. As they study the Word of God, it’s amazing how many of them give their lives to the Lord. We are grateful Alberto still has access to the cells, as prison security has become quite tight lately.

Alberto and Alexander also recently embarked on a new ministry of serving coffee and tea to friends and families as they enter the prison to visit their loved ones. Visitors often arrive at the prison with heavy hearts, so appreciate a cup of tea, a listening ear, and a word of hope in Christ. Many prisoners are in for misdemeanors. One young lady was terrified as she entered prison property, saying it was her first time. She came to visit her mother, caught shoplifting.

In terms of family news, we are excited to finally be able to share that Ana is pregnant! She is due at the end of August. We are, of course, ecstatic! We hope to go to Hawaii in September to meet the baby boy. Before that, we are planning to be in Boston for the month of August. We will speak at Park Street Church on August 17 in both morning services, and possibly the evening service. We would love to see as many of you as possible. If you would like to get together, please email me by responding to this email, or call me at (781)267-8022. I now have a permanent US number (through Mint) which has been life-changing!

One of our biggest prayer requests is for Phoebe’s guardianship process. This is one of our goals for our time in Boston: for me to get guardianship for Phoebe. Phoebe turns 18 on May 30, at which time I lose all rights to access her medical records and make medical (and legal) decisions for her. We have appointments set up at Children’s Hospital to get the appropriate signatures to start the legal process. I am trying to get temporary guardianship at the moment, until the permanent guardianship is approved.

Phoebe continues to do well in school with her aide Nicole, and her language skills are improving! She recently had a long bout of diarrhea. It took us about two months to eventually identify the cause: E Coli. And then, I could not figure out the source of the E Coli, until I learned of the sewage drip into the ocean where she does surf therapy. Sigh. But, at least we know now, and the E Coli was immediately treated with antibiotics. Now we are back to trying the bladder control medication, which should kick in next month. I have not given up on toilet training!

Margaret is enjoying her second year of art school, loving her independent life in her apartment, and still looking for a waitressing job. She may start to look for a babysitting job of picking kids up from school and driving them to after-school activities. She has also had some stomach challenges, which we pray will be addressed by antibiotics.

We recently had fires in the mountains near Cape Town, dangerously close to our house. Over 7000 acres of land was burned, though no houses were destroyed. We actually spent the night with a friend when we saw flames from our bedroom window! It was very scary!

We are so grateful for your ongoing support and encouragement. Thank you!

Thanksgiving

*?? Ana’s pregnancy
??* Many lives touched with the Gospel
??* Continued open doors in the prison
??* Phoebe’s increased language abilities
* ??My role with YWAM on the staff services team
* All of you who read our updates and support us in word and deed

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
* An available field for soccer
* The guardianship process of Phoebe
* ??A good and safe job for Margaret
* Blessings and guidance for Isaac
* A healthy pregnancy and delivery for Ana
* Wisdom and the fear of the Lord for our leaders, and mercy for those who do not

Fire-ravaged land, that just recently was green with growth. Of course, out of the dust new life will come again and serves as a great analogy. Isaiah 61:3 speaks to those who are grieving. God will “bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.” This is particularly meaningful in today’s world.feel safe

This past weekend, Alberto and his team of three ex-prisoners headed to De Doorns, a small town in the wine country.  As picturesque as the scenery is, the vineyards are staffed with the cheap labor of the township residents who live in fear of their boss.  Their poverty and feelings of desperation often lead to alcohol and drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, and gang-violence.  After a gang-related death of a child in school during school hours, inquiries were made for help.  Alberto and his team addressed both the elementary school of roughly 600 kids and the high school of 1500 kids, sharing the hope we have in Jesus, while drawing attention to the consequences of crime and the realities of life in prison.  The school staff were very welcoming, as were the local police station and town residents.  There was an open-air evangelism event where many people gave their lives to the Lord and where there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  They also had a peace march and a pastors gathering where Alberto and team encouraged the leaders to be unified in their calling to serve the Lord and to not focus on divisions.  The weekend ended with Alberto preaching the Sunday morning sermon!  Please pray for the people who cried out to God for His mercy and salvation, that they will experience His healing and presence in their lives and in their challenging work conditions.  Please pray for the landowners to be touched by God’s spirit and to pay their workers a living wage.

On a national level, please pray for those whose physical life-line has been cut.  USAID has been funding HIV/AIDS and TB prevention programs and anti-viral treatments in South Africa for decades.  With the freeze of funding, 8.5 million South Africans with HIV (according to the UN’s website) are in a state of panic.  Please pray for all the children, women, and men affected by this virus, that God would meet them in their anguish, and we who are Christian would not turn a blind eye to their need.

On a more positive note, we have just finished the most exciting “Nations 2 Nations” conference at YWAM.  The focus, as the title suggests, is how God can use the nations to reach the nations.  It was a time to celebrate our diverse heritages and a time to challenge the young audience to consider how God can use them to spread His kingdom.

One of the focal points of the conference was the Oral Mother Tongue initiative, which is a movement to get an oral Bible into every mother tongue.  (Check out the website here.)  As many cultures value oral traditions, it makes sense to have an oral reading of the Word.  We heard remotely from a young man who developed an app for recording and sharing mother tongue Bible translations.  In person, we heard from another young man with YWAM who is actively translating the Bible into his mother tongue right here in the Cape Flats.  The Cape Flats is an area in Cape Town known for gangs and crime.  The language of the Cape Flats has always been considered a bit of a creole in that it is a mix of Afrikaans (itself a mix), the indigenous Khoi language, and Malay.  Kaaps, as it is called, has recently gained recognition as a language and is currently receiving translation support from Wycliffe.  You can read about the Kaaps language on Wycliffe’s site here.  Not only is Kaaps its own unique language, but so is Sabela, a secret language developed in the prisons of South Africa as a way for gang members to communicate with each other and mastermind gang activity outside of the prisons.  You can read more about Sabela here.  Although we have known about Sabela, we didn’t realize some considered it a language.  One of Alberto’s prison ministry friends, who is also involved in YWAM, was able to speak this language as he prayed during the conference.  It was a beautiful redemption of a language.  Maybe one day there will be an Oral Mother Tongue Bible translation into Sabela!

My new role in staff admissions at YWAM allows me to use my admin skills for the kingdom of God.  Not only am I part of a small diverse team within YWAM, I also get to read through applications of people who love Jesus and want to serve him here in Cape Town through YWAM.  In a world full of sin, seeing the light of Jesus shine through these applicants is very encouraging.  It is a delight to see so many young people seeking after God’s heart.  I am also doing a study with a small group of women on Christian disciplines: Practicing the Way, by John Mark Comer.  We are on week four of prayer, which has helped us draw into the presence of God.

In terms of family news, Phoebe is doing very well in school with her new aide Nicole.  Nicole seems to have endless energy and patience, which are qualities I appreciate!

Margaret started her second year of classes and moved into a nearby apartment with a college friend.  Thank you for praying for this provision.  We’ve never had a child live relatively close to us, so I am really enjoying the chance to meet her for coffee or welcome her home with her laundry.

Isaac is enjoying his coffee job, the ski season, his cafe group at PSC, and his new church Aletheia.  I am grateful he can be with my parents and shovel them out, especially since my mom just had hip replacement surgery.

Ana and Frenchie are well and currently using the new Fire & Fragrance base in Nashville, TN as their home-base.  Frenchie is currently preaching in Mexico, as it is Carnaval week, and the harvest is ripe!

Thanksgiving

* Invitation to do the outreach in De Doorns, and for the many lives that were touched with the Gospel.
* An amazing Nations2Nations conference at YWAM.
* Margaret’s start to the new school year and a great apartment.
* Phoebe’s start to her second year at Beautiful Minds Learning Centre and for Nicole!
* I am fully recovered from my accident and my lung nodules are of no concern. (Lung nodules appeared in my x-ray after my fall.)

Prayer Points

* The 8th grader whom Alberto met in De Doorns who is pregnant and doesn’t know how to tell her family.
* A different 8th grader who feels like she is a burden to the extended family she is living with.
* God to work through the injustices of the work conditions on the vineyards: to have mercy on the poor and bring justice to the perpetrators.
* The prisoners Alberto is doing follow-up with from the Restorative Justice conference.
* The ex-prisoners who are struggling to find work.
* A field for soccer.  The field the guys have been using for years is currently unavailable.
* A good and safe waitressing job for Margaret.
* HIV/AIDS patients who suddenly are without anti-virals, for a miracle!

Hello praying friends!  I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and were able to take a quiet moment to ponder the goodness of God in your lives.

Prison ministry is going well.  Alberto and team (pictured above) just finished another Restorative Justice conference at our nearby Pollsmoor Prison.  One of the participants was Lio.  Originally from Central Africa, he came to Cape Town looking for work, which he found as a bouncer in a bar.  One night there was a row between his boss and another man.  The disagreement moved outside, so Lio kept an eye on them, and followed them.  The fight turned lethal when a man was killed.  Lio was on the scene when the police arrived and was immediately accused of the crime and charged with murder.  Immigrant workers have virtually no rights in this country, so his case was not contested.  He ended up in Pollsmoor Prison.  When Alberto and his team met Lio, he had already served eleven years of his sentence.  He expressed appreciation for the Hope Prison Ministry team.  After hearing the story of Nicodemus, he wanted to be born again.  Alberto had the privilege to pray with him to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  To God be the glory!  Please pray for him, as he wants to stay clean from all the evil happenings in prison.  He wants to be a good man, with God’s help.

Now the conference is over, Alberto and team are following up with all the participants and many of their families.  Prison doors will close soon for summer holidays, so Alberto and team will start to focus entirely on the families.  Since Christmas is around the corner, his team just had a holiday braii for released Restorative Justice attendees.

On a sadder note, Isaac’s wife died recently and suddenly from a fall at work.  You may remember Isaac, who attended the Restorative Justice conference years ago, lived with us for a while, and started a DTS (although dropped out when his brother died).  Please pray for Isaac.

Thank you for the outpouring of love and prayers after my car accident.  I know it was the power of your prayers and God’s infinite mercies that kept Phoebe and me alive.  I am so grateful!  I have been undergoing lots of therapy, both physical (for sore muscles and whiplash) and emotional (to address the trauma of the accident).  Now, two months later, I am almost as good as new!  I think Phoebe’s low muscle tone actually worked to her advantage, as she didn’t seem to have any tight muscles!

As I was recovering, I had a conference to look forward to!  Thrive is a fully-funded conference for North American missionary women serving overseas and is only available to women once every five years.  As I attended my last Thrive conference seven years ago, I was up for another one!  At these conferences, women from all over the globe gather to rest, recuperate, talk about cross-cultural living, and, most importantly, dwell in the presence of the Lord.  It was the perfect time for me to sit in God’s presence and be in awe of his majesty. Songs such as “Holy Forever” brought me to tears, as I worshipped God on His throne, imagining Him surrounded by all creation and the angels, bowed in adoration.  If I can keep my eyes on the Lion on the throne, everything else is a detail.

At the very end of the conference, I slipped on a wet step and injured my back!  It is ironic that I survived a car wreck without breaking a single bone, but hurt my back walking down the steps!  I had an x-ray, which revealed a rib was fractured, but also showed that I have a nodule in my lung.  I am currently waiting for my Dec 4 appointment with the pulmonologist, who will presumably authorize the recommended CT scan.  Sigh!  Please pray the nodule is of no concern.

On a more positive note, I was recently asked by YWAM to take over the staff application process, which I will happily start in January.  The staff application process is for students who have completed their DTS (Discipleship Training School) and who want to stay on as staff missionaries.  We currently have over a hundred staff from almost 20 different countries, which is a beautiful thing to see, as one of our YWAM motto’s is “From every nation to every nation.”  Staff missionaries lead YWAM schools (DTS and more advanced schools like the Bible school that Ana attended) or do community outreach and evangelism (like Alberto does with Hope Prison Ministry).

Phoebe has had an incredible year at school with her nine classmates and loving staff.  Her speech continues to improve, slowly but surely.  Her new therapy Spelling 2 Communicate is coming along very slowly, but we are persevering.  The pelvic floor therapy has come to an end, with little positive results to show for.  I am still persevering with the toilet-training and may add a prescription drug.  On top of all this, she is a 17 year old girl with hormones in full swing, but without the language necessary to communicate her struggles.  It’s been a bit of a guessing game lately, which literally has us on the edge of our seats.

Her beloved aide Leigh-Anne (pictured below with Phoebe and Santa) will sadly leave us in a few weeks.  I was concerned that Leigh-Anne was irreplaceable, but, through God’s amazing provision, we now have Nicole!  Nicole is 26 and has worked with kids with special needs in the past.  She turned down many other more glamorous opportunities in order to work with Phoebe, as she wanted to work with a complex child.  Phoebe will not disappoint!  Nicole starts Jan 6, just in time for the new school year.

Margaret just turned in her last assignment for the school year!  She’s been focusing on digital art and has done some amazing projects!  She and her friend are still looking for student rental accommodation in the city.  Due to incredibly low inventory, competition for the openings is tight, and they have been outbid a couple of times.  Jobs are equally hard to come by.  She is hoping that by living in the city, she will have more employment opportunities.  At least she is still able to live at home with us and will soon come into possession of Alberto’s Honda hatch-back.  Alberto decided he really needed a larger vehicle to transport people and things, so he is currently in the process of buying a minivan.  I am happy to report that I also have a new vehicle, as my insurance pay-out covered 80% of the price of a new car.  I bought pretty much the same vehicle as I had before, as clearly it is a safe car!

Isaac is now happily working in the coffee industry!  Thank you for your prayers for his career pivot.

Ana and Frenchie are on their way to Nashville, TN, where they will be for the next six months.  Nashville is the site of a new Fire & Fragrance ministry plant out of Kona, so they will help get things going.  They also have a new puppy, who will accompany them. You can follow their ministry journey on Instagram @frenchie_ana.

Prayer Points

* The men, who gave their lives to Jesus in the recent Restorative Justice conference, to walk out their new calling in the face of great challenges.
* Protection over the soccer boys, and wisdom during the upcoming festivities.
* Comfort for Isaac as he mourns his wife.
* Endurance as we continue to struggle with some of Phoebe’s ongoing challenges.
* Margaret to find a job and apartment.

Thanksgiving

* Lio’s commitment to Jesus, and all the other participants who have chosen to follow Him.
* Nicole’s desire to be Phoebe’s aide.
* Margaret’s completed first year of college.
* Isaac (Parada)’s new coffee job.
* Ana and Frenchie’s proclamation of the gospel near and far.
* Joy in Christ, despite all the physical and emotional challenges I’ve faced these past few months.
* New vehicles.
* Faithfulness in God’s care for us over the years.

Hello Praying Friends,

This is an unusual update, in that I want to let you all know that I had a terrible car accident recently with Phoebe.  We are both ok.  It is a miracle that we walked away from the accident without a scratch.  We experienced the goodness of God on a whole new level.  I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, his angels guided our vehicle in between the tree and the wall, to a safe landing in the river bed.  The vehicle never did a complete flip, nor was there any internal damage within the car.  We were completely protected.  God was our shield, and He protected us in our hour of need.  And now we are leaping for joy, as we are alive and well, and can testify to His goodness.

To recap, I was driving home with Phoebe on a beautiful afternoon, when a car pulled out right in front of me from the side street instead of stopping at the stop sign.  The impact of the accident was on my side of the engine, and the force pushed my vehicle into a bit of a spin as we slid backward off the road and down the nearby embankment to the river.  I was very aware of everything during the whole process, praying we wouldn’t flip. Upon landing, I gave God glory that I could still open the passenger window and scream for help.  I simultaneously saw that Phoebe was ok, although she was crying.  Almost immediately, a hand reached into the window, offering to help.  Another hand also reached in, asking me to pass Phoebe out that same window.  This later hand was the hand of the driver who hit me.  Once Phoebe and I climbed out of the vehicle, I started going into shock.  People surrounded us, amazed we were ok, wanting to hug and help.  At that moment, I saw Margaret.  She happened to be driving home and saw the commotion, and stopped when she saw Phoebe on the side of the road.  She parked and came running over to us, at which point I burst into tears.  It was such a blessing to have her there.  The EMS arrived shortly thereafter and checked us for injuries, but they found none.  Even the man who hit us was fine.  The police and firemen were also on the scene.  Margaret called Alberto, and he arrived shortly thereafter.

There are so many little details that God orchestrated, and I am grateful to have had the privilege of being part of a miracle.  That evening, when we were all home and dazzled, we decided to go to YWAM for their praise evening.  I needed to hear and sing God’s praises with the saints.

Since that day, we have had an outpouring of love from our community.  People have brought us meals.  Phoebe and I have been checked out by the doctor and chiropractor, and even had some massages.  I have received many many hours of counselling from the trauma specialist at YWAM.  I am in good communication with the man who hit us.  (He did not see us.)  We have car insurance and are awaiting a pay-out for the value of the car.  Phoebe’s glucose levels were initially erratic, but have since stabilized.  Neither Phoebe nor I are apprehensive about getting into a car, and I have been driving Alberto’s car around.  Now we are three people sharing his car.

I stand in awe of God’s goodness and faithfulness to us.  I will close with Ps 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy and with my song, I praise him.”

Happy days!  These past few months have been filled with family and friends.  As you can see from the picture above, we were together as a family here in South Africa! It was our first time together since Ana and Frenchie’s wedding in Dec of 2022!  Although we were expecting Ana and Frenchie, Isaac’s trip was a surprise, or was supposed to be, at least!  (I found out a week before.)  We had an amazing time together cooking great meals, making coffee (Isaac’s specialty), and playing games.  My heart was full, but then felt crushed when the three of them returned to the US last week.  Sigh!  “Thank you, God, for such a blessing, and thank you that Margaret is still here!”  Understandably, it’s been a tough readjustment for Phoebe to be without her older siblings once again.

Prior to their visit, we spent the month of July in the US.  It was wonderful seeing some of you again and feeling your love and support.  Reconnecting with you and meeting some lovely new people was definitely a highlight for us, and balm to our souls.

One of our goals in going to Boston was to take Phoebe to various appointments at Children’s Hospital.  We had an all-time high of 14 appointments!  Some of these appointments were routine for kids with Down syndrome or Diabetes, and some addressed areas of concern for us.  The most helpful appointments were Urology and Developmental Medicine.  Urology revealed that there are some physical reasons why Phoebe is unable to be properly potty-trained, so we will be working with a pelvic floor specialist here in Cape Town.  Developmental Medicine provided a psychological evaluation of Phoebe that we need in order for me to apply to become her guardian when she turns 18 next May.  This later appointment was overwhelming not only in terms of highlighting Phoebe’s deficits, but also in inundating me with paperwork and resources to help navigate the legal process, hopefully culminating in a court appearance granting me guardianship.  As her guardian, I will be able to continue making all (medical, legal, financial) decisions regarding her care.  So, it seems that Phoebe and I will need to return to Boston when we get a court date.  But, one step at a time.

Another highlight of our time in the US was attending Family Camp with our Spanish-speaking brethren through the First Baptist Church of Washington, DC.  We have known some of these dear friends since Alberto and I met, so it is always a sweet time of fellowship with them.  This year, I shared two devotionals from the Book of Ruth, which was not easy in Spanish!  When we put ourselves in a situation where we need God’s guidance, though, He is always faithful.

Other highlights included staying with my parents and seeing my brother and nephew who flew in from the west coast.  Alberto was also able to spend some time with his family in El Salvador.

In between traveling to the US and receiving family here, the busyness of daily life and ministry continues.  Alberto has been attending meetings with Hope Prison Ministry and following up with folks.  He also jumped back into soccer ministry and has started attending the church plant in the prison again.  Yesterday’s sermon was on the “Father-heart of God,” which elicited a lot of tears from the pre-sentenced young men.  Seeing God as a father is complicated, as it addresses issues of abandonment, but also touches our very core of needing to be seen and loved by our Creator.

While we were in the US, a team from Colorado came and stayed in our home (with Margaret).  They participated in a Restorative Justice conference at Pollsmoor Prison.  Their presence in our home was a blessing, as it was a safety concern of ours to leave Margaret home alone.  (She could not travel with us due to her college classes.)

I have been busy submitting taxes in South Africa, which are due in October.  (And yes, we have to file in the US as well.) Ministry-wise, I continue to lead our twenty-member YWAM core group.  I have been invited to join the staff services and care team, so I am praying about this and talking to people about what it would entail.  Phoebe and I have continued with the church plant at the bottom of our street, which, although convenient, is a challenge for Phoebe.  I’m still praying about what to do about this.

In other exciting news, Margaret turns 21 next week, and Isaac turned 25 yesterday!  Phoebe received her first-ever birthday party invitation from a friend at school.  Her school continues to be amazing, and we are so grateful she can attend.  Her aide, Leigh-Anne, has sadly given us notice though, as she has her eyes set on an overseas job.  Please pray for God’s blessing on her desires, and that we could find another equally amazing person who can love Phoebe, help her at school, and manage her diabetes.

Attached are pictures of dear people, taken in chronological order top to bottom, starting with our time in the U.S.

Thanksgiving

* A wonderful time of reconnecting with friends and family in the US and Alberto’s visit to El Salvador in July.
* The many helpful appointments at Children’s Hospital.
* A full house with Ana, Frenchie, and Isaac.
* Leigh-Anne’s work with Phoebe at school.
* Isaac’s and Margaret’s birthdays and God’s mercy and blessing in their lives.
* The end of the coldest, wettest winter on the books in Cape Town, which included snow on Table Mountain!

Prayer Points

* The men, who recently gave their lives to Jesus in the recent Restorative Justice conference, to walk out their new calling in the face of great challenges.
* A new aide for Phoebe starting in January, successful pelvic floor therapy, and God’s blessing on her newest therapy, Spelling 2 Communicate.
* Guidance in the guardianship process I am pursuing for Phoebe.
* A new car for Alberto, who has been car-sharing with Margaret, and/or accommodation for Margaret closer to her school in downtown Cape Town.
* A job for Margaret.  She has been unsuccessful in finding work in our area, so restaurants in downtown may be more promising.  (With a 33% unemployment rate, it is VERY hard to find work here, especially for non-Africans.)
* Isaac’s career pivot into the coffee market.
* Ana and Frenchie’s full ministry schedule this fall.
* Mercy and help for all those whose homes have leaked during the recent rains.
* A church for us where Phoebe is welcome.
* Restoration and healing at Park Street Church.

Hooray!  I graduated!  I received a Masters from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and shook the hand of Dr. Sunquist, pictured above with my parents, Isaac, and two amazing friends (and a daughter).  What a blessing to be there in person, and to be reminded that my studies are part of something larger than me – they are a part of a larger Christian community on mission to the world.  It was a joy to see that I have friends in every realm: fellow students, GCTS staff, and faculty.  My parents threw a lovely party for me afterward, so I felt truly celebrated!  Thank you to those of you who were able to come celebrate with me.

Back on the home front, Alberto, Margaret, and Phoebe managed very well.  Phoebe continued with her schedule of going to school every day with Leigh-Anne, so her routine was uninterrupted.  

What will interrupt her schedule, however, is our upcoming trip to the US in July!  It’s time for her nine-appointment marathon.  Also included in the marathon are some appointments for Alberto and me.  We will be in the US for most of July, staying with my parents.  We are scheduled to speak in Park Street Church in all services on July 14, and plan to attend the Spanish First Baptist Church’s Family Camp in PA later in July (where I will be sharing on the book of Ruth!). 

While we are looking forward to being back and connecting with many of you, we are grieved over the problems at Park Street Church.  It is heartbreaking to watch the church we love crumble at the seams while it literally implodes.  If we, the body of Christ, cannot walk out repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation, what does that say about the message we preach?  We weep when we hear about the latest resignations and the steady stream of our friends who are leaving.  We continue to pray for a miracle!  The emotional toll this has taken on us is considerable.  We have always considered our home church to be a source of unquestionable foundational security.  We no longer have that security.  We continue to lift up the leaders of the church, and pray that they (and all of us) can be sensitive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit and walk in a manner worthy of our calling.

On a more positive note, Alberto has been very busy with Restorative Justice conferences in various prisons in and around Cape Town, and has been following up with the participants and their families.  This is what he says: “The work in the prison is getting more and more exciting!  There is not a single day in the prison when we don’t see the spirit of God moving in a powerful way.  We see why Jesus tells us to go to the prisons, and to declare the good news of his salvation and healing for the wounded.  The prisoners hold a special place in Jesus’ heart, and prisons are ripe for the harvest.  In these past few months, we have had so many breakthroughs.  We have seen leaders of the gangs humbling themselves and reconciling with one another.  Being with them and seeing these breakthroughs is so encouraging!  When God breaks the hearts of the leaders, this paves the way for their followers to also make good choices to change their lives by accepting Christ and renouncing their gangster lifestyle.  This has immediate consequences, as there are serious repercussions for leaving the gangs.”

One such example is Cia, who moved to Cape Town at the age of 5, which marked the beginning of his criminal activity.  Children are easy targets for gangs, as they are less likely to be questioned when running suspicious errands.  By the time Alberto met Cia, he had been in and out of the criminal system for most of his life.  But at the age of 40, he heard the message of hope we have in Christ, and took the brave step of deciding to follow Christ and turning his back on the gangs.  When he is released from prison, he wants to return to his family’s home in the Eastern Cape and share his changed life with them.  Please pray he can do this and the light of Christ will shine brightly through him!

A special lady (Maryann Gurney) from the Church of the Holy Nativity (my childhood church and where my parents still attend) helped make blankets for the needy.  When I visited last month, the blankets were being prayed over, so I could bring them back to South Africa to distribute.  The children affected by the bus crash in Tanzania were the motivation, but there are enough blankets to distribute locally to cold kids, as we are now in winter. 

These kids were affected by the bus crash, in that they lost a parent.  Along with many widows and widowers, they came to Cape Town for a week of debriefing and trauma counseling, and received blankets!  Perfect timing, as it is cold here! (I obtained permission for all the pictures of minors in this newsletter.)

One of the projects we are involved with is the soup kitchen Deon runs out of his garage, feeding the children in his community who would otherwise go without.  His motivation is Jesus, whom he loves to talk about!

Margaret and I rented bikes on my birthday!  (Alberto also had a birthday recently!)  Margaret just got her South African license, which is a great accomplishment, seeing how difficult the process is!  She is still living with us and commuting to school, and still on the lookout for a job and accommodation closer to school.  School is going well, although not as challenging as she had hoped.

Thanksgiving

* The many men who committed their lives to Jesus in recent Restorative Justice conferences. 
* The people who accepted Christ and those who received Bibles during Ana and Frenchie’s outreach to Kosrae, Micronesia last month.  

Prayer Points

* The men who recently gave their lives to Jesus to walk out their new calling in the face of great challenges
* God’s blessing on our upcoming trip to the US
* Guidance in our sharing both at Park Street Church and the Spanish First Baptist Church’s Family Camp
* Phoebe’s diabetic care as we travel across time zones in July
* Margaret’s safety as she stays home alone and commutes to school while we travel, and that she can find a job
* Isaac’s summer and future plans
* Healing and restoration in Park Street Church’s turmoil
* Peaceful days in South Africa as members of parliament clamber for a majority vote and choose a new president (The recent election was the first time the ANC did not win a majority in parliament.)

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