Time marched on

Wow! It's been almost 6 weeks since my last post!

As staff members we have a helpful device for acknowledging a mistake and asking for forgiveness.

So, here's mine.


Late February and March was a full time. Let me catch you up on what we've been up to.

At the end of February, fellow staff member Ben returned to America. Ben was here at a difficult time of transition with Bridges SA moving headquarters from Stellenbosch to the Academy grounds, but much of staff still living in Stellenbosch. Ben was the exception, living on the grounds of the Academy and somewhat isolated. We were grateful to get to know Ben, and sorry to see him leave, but also thankful for the way he started things off here and managed to keep things going until our round of staff arrived.

Right after Ben left, our friend Linda, whom we met on our potential staff trip in September, arrived from America. We are so excited to have her working with us. Although it is a small group (Linda, Annelise -- our SA administrator, the Wadleys, and the Kelleys), we are developing a strong sense of community here at the farm.



Part of our community are the various people who come for retreats, visits from America, and other reasons. At the beginning of March, we enjoyed a visit with Semester at Sea collegians Anne-Marie and Kirsten, and friends Ricky and Zac. We had an enjoyable rainy weekend with some wine-tasting, a braai, music, and discussion.

In early March, we hosted a "Training of Trainers" training session for LifeWind's CHE (Community Health Evangelism) program.


We participated in training with about 20 others, including a dozen Philippians, and a couple of Swazi ladies. The training was excellent - when we return I hope we can help infect MCC with a passion for community development and health.

Other participants in the CHE training included a pair of Swazi ladies and a pair of young Philippian women who are teaming together to serve as a CHE training team that will try to start a CHE program in the community of Siteki, Swaziland. It's hard to express how cool this is! Siteki is an impoverished rural community where efforts to date have largely (perhaps necessarily) been focused on relief. For Philippi to be sending people out to another country is an amazing sign of the work of transformation going on in that community. And incredibly hopeful to observe multiplication in action.

Another participant in the training was a 20-something named Travis, who is working with LifeWind making videos that capture CHE through observation of it in practice in various communities. Travis has spent some time with us at the farm, enjoying communal life with us, and helping us to plant a vegetable garden. He has become an instant and welcome addition to our little community.

In mid-March, we (the Franschhoek staff and families) travelled to Wilderness, a beautiful area a few hours to the east on the Indian Ocean. There we spent considerable time as a staff together, learning more about each other, and coming together as a team. This was a wonderful time together, which will greatly help us know and understand each other as we spend so much time together working on our shared mission.

In the last week, Linda, Ruth, Annelise, and I have been on our own working on projects, as the Wadleys have been on a family vacation in Australia and Malaysia. We will be working hard for the next couple of weeks continuing to knock property development projects off the list before the Wadleys return and we enter an extended season of hosting numerous retreats and American church trips.

Throughout it all, we have been having a fabulous time, and we are getting lots of work done. Thanks so much for your prayers, and your continued support.

Please pray for the following:

• The Siteki training team. Pray that the team will bond well together, that the young women from Philippi will feel welcomed, and that they will collectively make the connections within the community which will start the CHE program off on the right foot.
  
• Mama Lulu, who is grieving the brutal murder of her nephew. Pray for her peace, and that she will continue an encouragement to and source of hope for her sister.
  
• The Wadleys as they continue to enjoy a well-deserved period of rest and relaxation. Pray that they come home refreshed and ready to continue with the work.
  
• Potential staff for next year, including our possible school administrator.
  
• Grace and Lucas, particularly Grace, as she continues to face hurdles transitioning from our much-loved Montessori environment to that of the sports-focused private school they are enrolled in at present.
  
• Us and our parenting. Pray that this will be an opportunity to spend a great deal of quality time together as a family.
  
• Philippi staff, who are doing an incredible job running programs in Philippi, and who are growing in their sense of empowerment in incredible ways. Pray in particular for Babalwa and her safety as she has taken on a whole new ministry to a group of gangsters in the community. Pray also that new opportunities for education and training opened up by the computer lab will be recognized and well utilized.
  
• Our work at the farm and preparation for the Academy.
  

Just another word of thanks for how you have supported us. We are merely the tip of your efforts.