“No Reputation”

If our Lord came to this earth and made himself of no reputation, how much more should we reckon ourselves indeed to be nothing in the eyes of men and God? This is the word the LORD sent me to PE with, and truly it has been thus. May God thoroughly cleanse us from all error, pride, puffed up knowledge and understanding, wrath, doubts, fears, and unbelief so that we might truly be nothing, and thus, we can be FILLED by HIS Spirit with only HIS marvelous grace, mercy, peace, truth, love, hope, and faith.  

Prayer and Fasting

Since coming to PE the LORD has led me into much deeper prayer and more fasting than ever before. He has shown me that this is one of the keys to fulfilling the command of 2 Corinthians 7:1. There is so much junk deep within our spirits, souls, bellies, and minds that the LORD wants to thoroughly cleanse, purge, and root out entirely so that we might be wholly sanctified unto the LORD and be fit and meet for the Master’s use. To truly bring your entire self under the examination of the Lord, (“search me, O God…”) is not a pleasant experience to the flesh. But it is truly a blessing to submit under the mighty hand of God and allow him to crucify the flesh so that we might rise to newness of life and bear the good fruits of righteousness unto holiness. I would strongly exhort every Christian to learn to seek the LORD in deep soul-searching prayer, and to fast unto the LORD as he leads you. In fact, a Christianity without deep prayer and fasting is not real Christianity. Remember the words of our Lord Jesus…

Open Doors

The LORD has opened doors of ministry in 3 shelters/rehabs and 2 hospitals. The LORD has moved quite strongly and consistently in these places. The names of the shelters are MES, Vistarus, and Jerusalem. The hospitals are Livingstone, and Provincial. The LORD used my friend Jan to get the open doors in MES and Vistarus. MES is a wild-west cowboy kind of place, but God has moved mightily. I have seen men cry out to the LORD with all their heart and seen God drive wicked men away out of the shelter and protect his children within. I currently preach there 1 evening per week and lead a Bible study 2x per week. The LORD has provided a good core group of guys that are hearing the word of the Lord and beginning to seek HIM. Vistarus is like a mini-village where over 300 people live and there are multiple work operations and child care going on constantly. The LORD has opened an effectual door for the gospel there. The 2 leaders of Vistarus have welcomed my friend Jan and I in with open arms and have asked us to even lead a class for all the leaders in the whole place! We currently teach 1 class per evening to whoever wishes to join and 1 class per week to the leaders. I also do a devotion/prayer/counseling session 1 morning per week and am looking at starting a discipleship class in the new year. Jerusalem is a very quiet and calm place compared to the other 2. It is a home with only about 22 beds, but it is definitely a place that would be good for spiritual healing and gentle growth and learning in Christ. I do a devotion 1 morning per week and teach 1 class per week. The open door at Livingstone was truly an amazing door that the LORD opened for me. He sent me there at the exact right day and time for the door to LITERALLY be unlocked and opened to me in the Chapel (I arrived just as a flock of female staff arrived and proceeded to unlock the door for me and then ask me if I wanted to lead the service! Thankfully the LORD had told me to bring my Bible and notebook and I was fully prepared for such! I began with Psalm 1 and have continued… we are now in Psalm 37!). Since then I have basically been given full liberty to operate as a Chaplain and I conduct services there 2-3x per week! I have just gotten an open door into Provincial hospital through one of the faithful female staff at Livingstone. LORD willing we will begin doing prayer and devotions there once a week (I have just been there once). The LORD has also opened up a door at MES and Vistarus for Hannah and Sune (Jan’s wife) to minister to the ladies there. Please keep our wives in prayer as the LORD is really using them to speak the truth in love to these very broken women. The enemy has brought a fair amount of opposition to these ministries but the LORD has helped them press through and is clearly blessing these ministries. All glory to HIS NAME!

Our Family

When we came down here, Hannah was almost 7 months pregnant. On June 12, (10 days AFTER Hannah’s due date), Hannah gave birth to Lily Elizabeth. She was born healthy and with beautiful copper red hair! She has been a real blessing and brought some fresh peace and settledness to our home. We have faced some major challenges since coming down here, but the LORD has been very merciful to help us through all of them. We currently have to leave the property we are living in as our landlord wants to move back into her home. The LORD has provided another place for us to stay; it’s quite a down-size, but also a significant cut in rent. So we give thanks.  

In July we got to celebrate our 8th anniversary, my birthday, Adelaide’s birthday, and our twins (Benjamin and Judah) birthday! Hannah’s was in August and Hudson’s in November. It is not easy having 5 children aged 7 and under. Please hold us in prayer for great humility, patience, wisdom, and grace from the LORD. Our sincerest desire is that our children would truly come to know the Lord and love HIM with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength. But it is also so instructive to have so many children. We see the need of humility, repentance, forgiveness, and mercy to maintain kindness and love and unity. Oh how we need the LORD to help us to follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. How I long for our children and all the children of God to learn to dwell together in true unity, love, righteousness, truth, and peace in God and with one another. I love each of my children. But when one causes harm or hurt or mistreats another, I am not happy with that child and our relationship is affected. How we need to consider how we treat one another as we will all stand before our Lord’s judgment seat! LORD have mercy!  

The LORD answered a huge prayer of ours by leading us to a little Christian school that is run by some Baptist missionaries here in PE. It turns out that there are about 5 Baptist missionary families here in PE! I “accidentally” discovered them when the LORD prompted me to visit a Baptist church in town one Sunday night. One of them started an A.C.E. school last January that runs from Pre-School through grade-8. This school has been such an answer to prayer as it was too much for Hannah to have 3 little ones in diapers and still have to homeschool Adelaide and Hudson. Adelaide has been enrolled since September and is doing excellent. She is 1-year ahead and received A-Honour Roll and won the Christian Character award for her class. We praise God. By God’s grace, Hudson will be starting Kindergarten in January.  

Lastly, please pray that the LORD would confirm (if he sees fit to) whether or not we will be planting here in PE long-term or if this is just another short season. It would be our desire to own a home and raise our children in righteousness. But we only want to plant where the LORD wants us. Also, please pray if the LORD does want us here if he will confirm whether or not I should establish an “official” ministry here in South Africa. The LORD gave me the clear call to feed his sheep and that is what I have been doing since 2020. The LORD tends to lead me to the outcast sheep who have no shepherds that care for their souls. But I see that the LORD is also raising up some young men with the same desire and calling. So I am seeking the LORD whether we should establish a ministry that is registered as an NPO so that we can help people with Visas and provide funding for the men who want to serve the LORD… Otherwise, for now, we just do what he has called us to do and make no big scene.  

Thank you to everyone who holds us in prayer. We truly need backup as we are in the front lines of ministry. The LORD seems to send me to the ground level, and so we expect the hits. But our Lord himself took many hits and wounds for our redemption, and so it is no great thing if we take hits for the glory of his name and the redemption of others. We also appreciate and give thanks for all who give to our family and the ministry. Without the gifts of the saints, we could not do what we do here in South Africa. The LORD bless you all and make you all to increase and prosper more and more in HIM and the glory of HIS eternal riches in Christ!

Much love and blessings to you all from all of us here at one of the uttermost parts of the earth.