Updates!

Hello Dear Family!

I hope this post finds you doing well. I want to appologize for not updating this more often. I have been crazy busy over the past couple of weeks. Ministry is going well, though can be disappointing because with wacky weather it makes soccer ministry hard. Anyway, things are going great with the sewing classes in Capricorn and the women are finishing up making the bags I designed. After that we will move on to making aprons, then peg bags, pillow cases, and pillows. No idea how long it will take them to make all this stuff, but probably a bit. It's been fun getting to teach them as they are all eager to learn. The language barrier can be a bit of a problem at times though. I plan to learn Afrikaans so that I can converse better with people and since I will be coming back it'd be very helpful in my ministry.

There was a lot of commotion in Capricorn on Tuesday because a man had been attacked and stabbed in the head twice. I didn't actually see that happen but I saw him drenched in blood. The health care counsellors from Living Hope brought him into the container to clean him up and bandage his head. Three police vehicles arrived as did a Fire and Rescue vehicle. They went out to try and find the guys who did this but I don't know if they found them. It made me so sad and the kids we run programs for were all riled up but this stuff doesn't even phase them anymore because they are used to it. That just breaks my heart! I just can't imagine all that these kids have seen and been through. Makes my trials and struggles seem miniscule compared to them.

Last night I went to bible study with a cell group that is run by a couple that attend Hillsong Church. I've been going to Capricorn Church on Sunday mornings and Hillsong in the evenings. Anyway, we read John 20 starting in verse 19 and read about doubting Thomas. It was such an awesome passage and time of sharing. In the passage we read, 3 times Jesus said "Peace be with you" and that just really stood out to me. Usually when God says something more than once it's important stuff and God reminded me that His peace is with me and in me. That yes we all have doubts and that's ok because even when we have no idea what's happening and what the Lord is doing we can rest in the peace of God and know that "there is nothing that the Lord is not in control of".

I moved rooms and am now rooming with Zuzana who is such a lovely young woman. We have lots of deep awesome conversations and lots of laughs. It's been cool how open we've been with each other and the other night we were able to talk about some struggles and it was really encouraging. We've gained 3 more volunteers, so now at the house there is: myself, Ronnie, Kendra, Zuzana, Stuart, Chelsea, and Louise. What a lovely bunch of people and a great dynamic each of us brings. In about two weeks we are actually all moving to a new location which isn't far from where we are now, and it's only about a minute from the Living Hope head office. I've seen the house and it's in a neighborhood and seems really nice.

Fall/Winter is upon us and with that comes some of the craziest weather. One day it'll be sunny and relatively warm, the next day it storms in ways I've never seen before. When it rains here it pours-it's like God opened up the flood gates and just dumped it on us. It's really crazy and the wind is insane, but it's so fun to sit and watch and see the power of the Lord at work.

Just recently, outside of ministry, I decided to take on coaching a girls soccer team for Fish Hoek. I am training them with another woman on Tuesdays/Thursdays before I have my own practice. I am still training with the Fish Hoek men's second team and hopefully will get a chance to prove myself on the game field soon and then I am also playing with the Fish Hoek women's team. It's been a lot of fun.

Lots of stuff has happened in the 4 months that I have been here and I am excited to see what the Lord has planned for the rest of my time here. God is so good and I am excited for coming home to see you all and then coming back to South Africa to serve. Just to keep you all updated I am in the process of having my support letter, newsletter, and commitment card reviewed and approved before I can send it out. Please keep me in your prayers as that's what I need more than anything; I need people willing to be prayer warriors to pray for me daily!!


For His Glory,

Amy