Simply Amazing

Youth Week was amazing! Kids from all over South Africa, Africa, Europe, America, and South America (about 800 in all) having a blast and worshipping God with total abandonment. I was part of the Tom Lane worship team and I have never seen anything like it. They were so ready to worship!!! Before we even started the first song they we’re already pushing in to receive something from the Lord! The Youth Week Band which was made up of all of our friends from Capetown were just incredible!!! It was totally mind blowing! WE LOVED IT! Getting to hang with all the leaders and the Revive team was also great! South Africans are very people friendly. They like to sit and talk and laugh and just basically enjoy life! Something we are trying to learn. Nancy and I love this country. I can’t really tell you what our calling is. All I know is we feel a stirring in our hearts about this place and this people. What diversity!! On one hand I feel almost intimidated by the large number of people groups and all the complicated problems in this country. The culture is very different from ours and there are many, many things we just don’t understand. When you walk by someone, sometimes their face looks stern or even a little angry, but if you smile all of a sudden they break out in an ear to ear grin. The other day we went to the grocery store, and as I handed this young girl some items to be weighed I told her she had a beautiful smile and she just started laughing!! That is a small moment but for me I felt a little normalized, like being here for an extended time doesn’t seem out of reach. I’m preparing now for the recording dates in Capetown from the 19th until right up until we leave on the 28th. Pray that we will get everything done or else I'll have to stay a few more days and that would be expensive. But we are trusting God!!! And we are blessed beyond words!!! Love all you peoples, keep praying for us, specifically for communication (phone-internet-has been difficult but it's Africa), transportation and that studio gear works!!. Hope you're all doing well!!! Blessings!!!! M&N

We're in the "Bush"!!!

Wanted to let you know we are here and having a wonderful time in the Lord with all these kids from all over South Africa and around the world. Nancy is teaching a class on knitting, I'm involved with the worship teams and just hanging out with our SA buddies! It's been surreal to be here with all the Africans that have been at our home through out the years. To see all there faces in one place was crazy good!!! I will post some pics soon. We have had issues with the internet since we are out in the bush so will try to post when there is an opening. Thank you....pray that God continues this wonderful time of ministry with the kids with good weather! The message here has been about the challenge of the missing father in African culture and how God the Father steps into that role. The kids are really getting it..they are really hungry for everything God has for them. Blessings!

Here We Go Again!!!!

We're off to South Africa again and we would like to ask some of you to pray for us while we are gone! We are going to participate in an event called Youth Week Jan. 3rd thru Jan. 9th and it is sponsored by Youth For Christ South Africa. Our good friend Rolf Weichardt is the director of YFC SA and they have been doing this event for as long as we have known him. We will be working with our close friends Tom and Patty Lane who will be leading a group of young leaders from Alabama that they have been mentoring for several years. We, along with the other Americans are going to be involved with teaching, worship, and having the privilege to minister to about 700 kids from all over South Africa. It will be a life changing experience.
Also, a new development has presented itself. I have been commissioned to write music for a production that is going to target the young people in townships. It will be very hard hitting as it will deal with some pretty ugly subjects, particularly AIDS. Nancy will be writing lyric for the songs as well. Please pray we can cross the cultural barriers, address the serious issues, but also have some light and hopeful moments.  Since it is a musical about Africans, we will be using African dancers and singers. Now that's exciting!! I will be doing some of the recording here but will record the final vocals and some other overdubs in Capetown before I come home late Jan to mix. Please pray for timing as I need to have an incredible amount of work done before I arrive in Africa.
We will continue to send a link every once in a while to the blog. Please share it with anyone you think might be interested. Last time we went, it was so re-assuring to see the comments and encouragement from you beautiful people. You can't know how much it means to us to have a connection back home.We love you very much.
ps. Because of recent events, please pray for safe travel!
M&N