School Days – by Chad

Greetings from hot and sunny South Africa.  We’ve gotten through the steamy days of February and are enjoying the best part of the year that the south coast has to offer.

Sara working with one of the students.

The last two months have been an absolute whirlwind.  During January and February, Sara and I were both working full-time at a new Christian school here on the south coast.  Although small, with 45 students ranging in age from 8 to 18, the school provided a great opportunity for our family to work and minister together. I have really enjoyed working side-by-side with Sara and seeing her gifts of administration and motherhood enlarge.  She went from teaching and caring for our own two kids, to loving and instructing all of our students.

As we plowed through all the busy work of diagnostic testing and placement of the new students, we had many opportunities to get to know and speak into the lives of some of the most amazing young people on the south coast. In devotions each morning we discussed the significance and power of the choices we make. One Friday morning in January, God’s presence was physically tangible and that day more than half of the students made the most important decision of all: to trust their hearts to God and live for Christ.

Chad speaking about choices during morning devotions.

One of the students had suffered a severe knee injury over three years ago.  He was in constant pain because it had never healed properly.  The knee would often go out of joint and sometimes the entire leg would go numb. His biggest disappointment, however, was that he was no longer able to play sports. Though his family could not afford it, they sacrificed so he could visit a specialist several times a month with the hope of improving his condition.  After hearing his story I had the opportunity to tell him how Jesus is still healing today — that when He died, He took upon Himself our pain and sickness as well as our sin. We spoke to the young man’s leg in the name of Jesus and immediately the pain went away. He was also able to squat and to lift his leg in a way that would have been impossible just a minute before. That same afternoon he had another appointment with the specialist. Amazed, the doctor checked out the knee and told our student that he did not need to come back for any more treatment! The knee was completely healed. More than a month has passed — he remains pain-free and is able to participate in sports.  God is so good!

We’ve seen God working in His beautiful variety of amazing ways since we made the permanent move to Africa in 2009, and yet this has been a lonely season of ministry. There is an ache in our hearts for real relationship and to discover the place where we belong.  A place where we can fully serve but continue to grow as a family.  Since our commitment to the school is now completed, we are eagerly looking forward to what the next years of “missionary life” hold for our family.

As many of you know, CMA (Christian Mission Aid) has offered us the opportunity to move to Nairobi, Kenya to work with them throughout Eastern Africa. This is a huge change for us to consider and it holds the potential to position our family to step more fully into what we are called to do here in Africa. We will continue to keep you posted as we work through the details of yet another international move.

I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and continued financial support. Without our consistent monthly supporters, these doors would not be open to us. We pray for your families every week. Please don’t hesitate to email us your prayer requests so that we can stand in agreement with you.

Let’s change the world together.
-Chad