Greetings from our new home in Cape Town! We are very happy to be together as a family in a great house, but the transition has not been easy. We left a small, rural, tight-knit community in YWAM Worcester and arrived in the big city of Cape Town with no community. Although we are slowly making headway in meeting people, the accumulated stress of moving and adapting once again took a toll on us initially.
With few exceptions, we did not know anyone when we arrived, so spent the first few weeks stumbling around. Where is the grocery store? How do you get internet? (Ok, we are still struggling with this one!) Who do you call in an emergency? How do you turn on and off the electric fence and security system? Is it ok to sleep with windows open, even though there are no screens but bars on all the windows? How do you respond to men, women or children begging on street corners? Personally I felt like a deer in the headlights, always being on alert and trying to absorb my new environment as best I could. The fact that we had no friends here was a bit disheartening. I looked eagerly into people’s blank stares, and knew I was a complete outsider.
“Stand strong when life changes, stand strong for the up’s and down’s. Stand strong for you know that God is in control.” Sounds familiar? Those are the lyrics of a song from a Kidsweek cd from years past. (One of Phoebe’s favorites!) So, we stood strong, trusting God in our new place. And God showed Himself faithful.
I became more confident in our calling here. I began to relax. I started smiling at the people I saw. And one day someone smiled back at me! Somehow, that physical sign of welcome was a turning point for me. I knew that the worst of the transition was behind us. I felt hope. I knew it was just a matter of time before I made friends. I would adapt. We were no longer strangers in this new city. We were residents.
Later as I reflected on that smile, I realized that one person is all it takes to change someone’s scenario. One person to say we can rent his house. One person to offer Isaac admission at a school. One person to share Christ with. And ultimately, one Savior who died on the cross for us. The power of one.
To close, I quote another Kidsweek song, “You paid the price for me. Now the least I can do is live my life for you.”
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Alberto took some of his boys from Worcester on their first hike to a beautiful local waterfall.
Alberto also recently participated in another Restorative Justice conference at the nearby Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison. This is a very dangerous overcrowded under-serviced prison where Nelson Mandela was held. Out of such a place, 12 men gave their lives to the Lord, and a number of them made the very risky decision to leave their respective gangs. The latter has potentially lethal consequences as the gangs are still active in the prisons. Praise God for the strength of our new brothers!
Although Cape Town is a very beautiful affluent city in parts, the poverty in other parts is oppressive. The poor do not have many opportunities to earn an income, so many turn to crime. It is easy to see why the jails are overflowing.
I have started visiting a home where 14 foster kids live. Interacting with the kids is challenging at this point, but I understand that trust does not come easily.
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Ana and Margaret returned on Sept 6. Ana loved being a nanny for a very special family, and Margaret enjoyed being with her friends again. Margaret started homeschooling the day after she arrived.
Meanwhile, Isaac is being a diligent student at the American International School. It’s mostly international, with only 18% American, and 55 different nations represented in their 400 students!
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Happy 13th birthday to Margaret and happy 17th birthday to Isaac. We celebrated at Cape Town’s beautiful waterfront. There were so many blessings to celebrate!
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Phoebe is showing off her new haircut! She recently expanded on her favorite 3-word sentence and made it a 5-word sentence: “I want more meat please!”
We are having a challenging time finding affordable therapies for Phoebe here in Cape Town. Not only are prices much more expensive than in Worcester, but therapy is not covered by our insurance. Please pray that we can find some good options for her.
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The surprise of the month is that Ana decided to return to YWAM Worcester to do a DTS (Discipleship Training School). DTS is an intensive 3-month discipleship course followed by a 2-month outreach. It is YWAM’s flagship course.
Since Ana’s college doesn’t start until February, she had just the right amount of time to do the course. She decided to do the course the night before it started! There are 7 girls from 7 different countries in her class, and 10 boys. I am thrilled Ana took the initiative to do this course, and I am happy that she is not too far away!
Financial Request
Thank you to those of you who have contributed to our increased living expenses. Our rent, Isaac’s tuition, and Phoebe’s therapies have increased our budget considerably. We will be sending out a formal fundraising letter later this year.
If you would like to help contribute now, please make a donation to Park Street Church with our name in the memo. The online giving link is parkstreet.org/give.
This move has been a steep step of faith, so please join us in praying for the necessary finances to enable us to do what we believe God is calling us to do. We are very grateful to each of you who gives and prays for us. Thank you for your role.
Prayer Requests
1. God’s protection, blessing and guidance on what we do.
2. Protection for our new brothers in prison.
3. Wisdom to know how best to help the needy children we encounter daily.
4. Conviction for those in power who are only concerned about their own betterment.
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Fynbos, pictured above, is the name of the indigenous semi-arid bush that thrives where we live on the Cape Peninsula. It is protected under World Heritage laws, which means the invasive pine trees that have crept into the area (over the past 100 years) may be chopped down to make space for the reseeding fynbos. The battle between fynbos and pine is waging in court and on the streets at the moment, as residents love the local pine forest.
YWAM Worcester recently celebrated its 30 year anniversary. In a huge home-coming event, people from all over the world returned to celebrate the spiritual heritage of this place. What a blessing it was to be there!