Mrs Poti stood in awe as her class recited the strategy to overcome peer pressure...

STATE IT: You think we should watch a movie at your house without your parents home?
SELL IT: Let's watch a movie at my house with my sisters, We can stop at the garage and buy a coke to share with them.
MOVE IT: I'm going to watch a movie with my sisters, do you want to come?

They also answered very clearly "What is safe sex?" Only waiting to have sex until you get get married (to someone who has also waited)and remaining faithful to your spouse! Because God created sex for this occasion!

Ready to make a commitment of abstinence until marriage 130 grade 7 students at Tembelitsha, revealed they were listening to our teaching over the past 3 weeks.


Each student thought seriously as they asked their friends to be witness to their oath of purity until marriage. God is working to bring change and hope for the future of the next generation of students in South Africa... we are blessed to be used to encourage them. Thank you for to all our partners who support God's work here!

"An Elephant never gets tired of supporting it's tusks" (African Proverb)

By answering an appeal to assist with the leadership training of the prefects (senior students) of Thembelitsha Primary, ministry included playing with the elephants. Given the task of teaching leadership skills, Nathan provided opportunities for learning through ice-breakers and games in between sessions on Conflict Resolution, Drug & Alcohol Awareness and Leadership Responsibilities. Students learned how to work together to get out of a knot, to work as a team by putting a puzzle together upside down, to listen and give good directions as they guided a blinfolded team member through a maze, and to trust each other as they sat in unison. These student were challenged to take on the privilege of leadership as a responsibility and not as an opportunity to have advantages over their peers.
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After leadership learning finished, elephant learning started. With instructions to ask questions, the team was driven to the feeding grounds and interaction with the elephants allowed. Once over 400 elephants roamed the forests in our area, and now only 3 remain, not only the smallest in size but the smallest in population. Even though these elephants are in a controlled environment and trained to interact with humans, there was still much respect for their size and intelligence.

For the occasion of this blog, I looked up proverbs & sayings about elephants... enjoy!

"It is the little things that fret and worry us; you can dodge an elephant but not a fly." (Josh Billings)

"The hunter who is tracking an elephant does not stop to throw stones at birds" (African Proverb)

"There is not enough room for two elephants to sit in the same shade." (African Proverb)

"With a sweet tongue and kindness you can drag an elephant by a hair." (Persian Proverb)

"To take revenge on an enemy give him an elephant - first he must thank you for the gift, and then the elephant's appetite will deplete your enemy's resources." (Nepalese Proverb)

"Although he who walks behind and elephant may feel very secure, he is likely to get splattered with elephant dung" (Lao Proverb)

THE END!!

"I'll become even more undignified than this..."

Invited to speak to the girls at Knysna Primary for National Woman's Day of Prayer, God reminded me that I only have sisters and daughters... girls are my specialty!

Using some YouTube clips, we sang and danced before the Lord like David did at the return of the Ark of The Covenant. Modeling our lives after Hannah, the girls were reminded to seek God for their hearts desires, continuing to pray even if it takes years for God to answer.

Wrapping up by teaching them a song I woke up singing, The All Day Song (John Fisher... from the 70's) "Love Him in the morning when you see the sun arising, Love Him in the evening cause He took you through the day, and in the in between time when you feel the pressure coming, remember that He loves you and He promises to stay... with you..."

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." (Ps 9:1-2)

"Thank you... This camp showed me that I am not alone in my challenges as a parent!

Partnering with Child Welfare, YFC-Options held a 3rd Parenting Camp for 18 parents last weekend. It was a time for these parents to enjoy a serene quiet get-a-way from their kids, and learn how to be better parents. Comments were made that the activities presented along with each workshop helped for deeper understanding; wearing another's shoe, handing an egg to another as the gap grew, tearing your self esteem, etc.

In addition to the practical teaching, the Holy Spirit softened hearts to bring emotional healing to long hidden areas. Freedom from the bondage of bitterness... and for some it was admitting their own sin that caused the challenging current circumstances. During devotions, God revealed the broken places in their heart (crackes in jars of clay), and filled them with His Spirit and love... many tears revealed the work He was doing... giving comfort so that they in turn could give comfort to others.

"Do you know anyone that needs some Bibles?"

Always in need of extra Bibles, this question was an answer to prayer. The Kaleideskoop Church in Knysna was blessed to give away Bibles to organizations and Churches that had a venue for distrubution. Always ready to make the most of the opportunity, Nathan jumped into action. With the Prison "Open Day" for families soon approaching, 120 Bibles in Xhosa and Afrikaans were loaded up in the back of our Combi. Prisoners and Wardens were thrilled to have God's Word available in local languanges...

We know that God's Word will not return void, and we rejoice at the opportunity to be used to share it!

Closets at The Island Church overflowing...

It was time once again to distribute clothing and various household items to the Hlalane settlement.

With little ones on their backs, mothers patiently waited their turn to choose items for their children, husbands and themselves. After one trip through the line, they returned to the end of the line for one more trip through the tables. I think there was as much joy on the faces of the church volunteers as the recipients when they saw God's love meeting the simplest needs.

After the tables were empty, the children were anxious for our regular Wednesday Bible Story and a meal from the soup kitchen. Sitting in a 'boat' in the 'water' singing "My God Is So Great" we praised Jesus for helping Peter walk on water, and helping us with our impossible situations when we look at Him for help.

"My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do... for you!"

Back in school... No, not for ministry, Nathan is literally back to academic studies.

Jehovah Jirah (God - our Provider) put it in the hearts of close friends and The Island Church council to supply the finances for the 3 year programme; fulfilling Nathan's hearts desire to complete a Master's programme in Biblical Counseling.

During this hot summer, you will find him in the coolest room of the basement, reading, listening to lectures and writing papers... to prepare for the next season God has planned.

Commissioning Service for BSSM...

Challenging the audience to visualize the room (place of service) God has them in as bigger than it appears... in fact it is only limited to the restriction we put on it; it was in thes context Trevor shared his testimony. (Invited for this special occasion, Trevor & Sharon Baker from Revival Fire Ministries of UK). When Trevor met Christ he had just come from living in a 9 X 9 prison cell, and God asked him "How big is your room?" He moved from that cell of confinement into a mansion of freedom and open heart in which the Holy Spirit's power was only limited to his imagination.

Having completed their 2nd year of study at the Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry, the students were commissioned to activate their effective ministry giftings. Through a spiritual impartation, Trevor prayed for the students in order that signs and wonders would follow to ultimately lead people to salvation in Christ and initiate healing and restoration. Armed with this annointing the students were sent forth to all the nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Back home in Knysna with Nathan, safe-n-sound, and back to ministry!





Acclimating myself slowly to life in South Africa, I joined Nathan last week at the Hostel... had a wonderful time with returning students that I knew from last year, playing challenging thinking games when they weren't doing homework.




This week,
- taught Children's Church - the class has changed (new school year started in Jan) now teaching 18 students, but 7 of them are 4 and under! Nathan has 16 in his 13-18 yr old class!


- Back into the schools this week, with an assembly at Tembalitsha supporting Nathan as he spoke to over 900 students about the gift that their Heavenly Father has given them of their sexuality, and the importance of abstaining until the right time (marriage) to give away the gift!

















- Tomorrow will be teaching the children at Hlalane (soup kitchen) about Jesus having compassion for and healing the man with the withered hand.
- Thursday will be a meeting with Eunice at YFC to learn of my new responsibilities (changes happened while I was in the US) mostly a new program "Families Matter" which includes parenting camps (the next one is Feb 27/28).





A side note... this morning while Nathan was facilitating BSSM (Bethel Supernatural
School of Ministry) at church, I spent the whole morning chasing sugar ants... Having the uncanny nack to find any single speck of food, they have taken over the kitchen, including the fridge!!! This is now war, since I also spent yesterday wiping down every surface with bleach and spraying all know entry crevices with crawling bug spray!

TIA (This Is Africa)

Sorry, I didn'ts have any pictures of parents when I posted the blog...

Here are the proud parents

Tiffany Stobie and Johnny Saraceno