Western Cape Spring Flowers

Nathan has been telling me for 4 years that we must go see the spring flowers on the West Coast... and this year we planned a trip between volunteers going and coming.

The first day was rainy, rainy... when we popped into this little pub for coffee.

All of our Friesan friends will appreciate the first thing I noticed when we walked in the door (the large flag in the middle is from Friesland in Holland)!

Dunn's Castle near Piketberg was our home for two nights as we drove around the west coast.












We didn't stay in the castle rather we were in self catering units facing the valley for this beautiful sunset.












On a quest to find flowers on day 3 we drove as far north as Nieuwhoudtville... and were disappointed because we only saw a few flowers and they were closed up (they don't open up until 18 Celsius and it was only about 16)... but the falls were quite amazing.





















Stopping for lunch as we were headed home the little petals started to spread, and color began emerging in the fields all around us!











As we drove back to Dunn's Castle carpets of color surrounded us... mostly yellow and white.






Day 4 -
Leisurely drive to Langebaan...  check out the 4 seagulls that flew by as I took the picture of this flamingo!

Approaching Langebaan... this was the first multicolor field! 

Our eyes were satisfied and we headed to Club Mykonos for the night.

Again the Lord provided another dazzling sunset!

Day 5 - 

Knowing we had to drive all the way home, we started early for the West Coast National Park.  Just leaving Langebaan was the first of many fields and fields... 

It was impossible to stop the car and take pictures at every turn of the road...

By 1pm we knew it was time to head back to Knysna... God had revealed His glory over the whole trip and we were back in our own bed by 9pm!  We give Him all the praise for a safe trip!!

August Weekends

Sundays...
At the request of church leadership, Nathan has organized a "Foundations" course for new believers and church members interested in strengthening their understanding of the foundations of following Jesus.  Taking advantage of already being at church, the class follows the church service and has 24 in attendance.  Dividing up the lessons between the leadership, Nathan has taught "Salvation" (what does it really mean) and "The Father Heart of God".

Saturdays...

(ministry)
The 24th of August was the anniversary of the Rheenendal School bus accident (which I reported on last year while I was in the US and posted a blog about the camp held for family members in May).  It has been our passion to minister to these struggling families by holding a private memorial service with before the anniversary (due to the desire of a very public service on the actual date by the community).  God has been faithful to lead what to put on the program and fit each part together perfectly as we have been working with these families.  Even providing flowers and candles for a family altar, and a nice Chicken Curry meal!  We marvel at how He arranges each part to meet their needs.  Even helping me make a dvd out of the powerpoint of the pictures of the deceased children for the public service the following week.

Ghila - Psychology of Grief

Letters to beloved children

Prayer for surviving siblings

Shahida - Letting Go

Family Altar

Sarah - Testimony of Gods healing when mother passed away

Good food and ...

lighter hearts!!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion 

and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, 

so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Please pray that God will show us how to minister to the surviving children from the accident, lots of attention has been given to the families of the deceased, but we have been made aware that the survivors are suffering from nightmares, and acting out at school.  We are considering how we can serve them and their families.

Saturdays...

(fun)

Some of you have noticed that about 3 weeks ago Nathan joined the Facebook world!  This was a whole weekend project helping him find friends and add friends, and learn the functions of fb on his Blackberry... One day this was his status with a picture he found on google images of a dog herding cattle... "This is not Barnabas, but we did have cattle in our front yard - his herding skills need much work still.  Barnabas had a face-off with the bull!"  Only to discover that one of the Dutch volunteers has captured the real thing and posted it to his fb page...  

Mooooove on and stop eating my lawn!

The next weekend we saw an advertisement for the South African Sheep Dog Association herding trials being held in Knysna... needless to say we loaded up Barnabas and took him to see how it is really done!!

Turn here

Divide and conquer!

"You are facing the wrong way!"

Finally in the pen!

Not sure if Barnabas really understood... but it was fun!! (and VERY windy!)

International Family

We are growing!

Taken last week, you can see we have added a few since early July. 

In the back:
Aryan, Matti (both Holland), Clarissa (Germany, Anke (Holland)

In the front:
Julianna, Nathan, Barnabas, Anni and Christina (both Germany)

And this photo doesn't include Tea (Holland) who just arrived.

This group has been amazing to observe as God molds them together... the Germans and Dutch are volunteering for two different ministries yet at home they are one.  Cooking for each other, eating meals together, traveling/sight-seeing (this weekend - Cape Town, last weekend - Addo Elephant National Park).  The Lord has truly been glorified in and through them.

It will be sad to see them go (one by one) over the next 3 weeks...
it is a bitter sweet cycle!

Olympics Assembly at Knysna Primary

KIX - Kids In Christ 


Invited to share a message about the Olympics, Nathan and I scoured Youtube for relative clips and came up with a fun message.




Starting with the symbol of the Olympics... the 5 rings representing the 5 main continents - the whole world.  God so loved the whole world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will receive eternal life!

The spirit of the Olympics represented by the Olympic flame... and the Holy Spirit is our encourager, teacher, and enables us to run the Christian race!


With a "Chariots of Fire" clip, Nathan told the story of Eric Liddell who said "I feel God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast, and when I run I feel His pleasure."  Eric chose to honor God by observing the Sabbath and refusing to participate in the race he was favored to win in the 1924 Olympics.  God honored Eric by giving him the ability to beat a world record in a race he was not even expected to win.


Paul often compares the Christian life to a race.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize?  Run is such a way as to get the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:24)


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1-3)


"You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you fro obeying the truth?" (Galatians 5:7)








These two clips highlight perseverance: the importance of getting up when we fall, and never giving up.

Ending with this clip... when the mouse is caught in the trap we encouraged him on to never give up... go... go...go... watch for a giggle!

Thank you to Theuns Visser for his commitment to these youth and bringing his talent of worship to start and end the program!

"One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining for what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

Partnering with Scripture Union

YFC Strategic Focus - Youth For Christ reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up life long followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.

Working together with Scripture Union South Africa, some of the young men we are discipling at YFC volunteered to help facilitate a Holiday Club in Karatara. 

 Kudzai, Junior, and Goodman enjoyed a movie at the sleep over Nathan organized at our house before they left the next day for training.  


With a trailer packed full and stacked high with mattresses (Thank You to the Knysna Municipality!)



they headed off on Saturday for Karatara (a outlying community of woodcutters).

More YFC Volunteers; Christopher, Sibongile and Bongi joined the training on Sunday as we brought another trailer full of fruit donated by "Fruit and Veg" for snacks. 

A cool sweatshirt that I wanted to share (A BLOOD DONOR SAVED MY LIFE)

Tuesday Matty joined Nathan to deliver more fruit!

A highlight of this event for us was the delivery of this year's 90 Day Leader's Devotional (printed by Scripture Union).  




This year, both Nathan and I contributed a week of the devotions!

The sky has been revealing God's glory as we drove away from the holiday club, we followed this rainbow for 30 minutes all the way to the beach!