Cars, Cars, and... Cars

Yes, the movie Cars has come out here in South Africa, and we went to see it the weekend before last. Ever since, that has been almost all Jake has talked about. He has gotten a couple of toys of the main characters from the movie in his Happy Meals, and he plays with them all day and then sleeps with them all night. He is addicted! Since movies are only 14 rand a ticket (right at $2), we will probably end up seeing it again before it leaves the theater. It's fun to see him so excited about something.

The past week has been a pretty exciting one for us at work. Tricia is really starting to get rolling and it in conversations with a lot of Nazarenes in Africa who have been called to missions but have never had an avenue to pursue that call. It's so encouraging to see how ready they are to accept that call in their lives, even though getting them through this still-developing process will take some time. At the same time, this reassures us in our call las well, to see that we can make such a difference when God has already prepared the way.

Jeremy is also still chipping away at various issues in the Finance department as well. This past week, he was working with an insurance company to figure out a way to get pension payments to retired ministers in other countries throughout Africa. There have been many complications with the way those sorts of things work in South Africa, but he was able to figure out a way to make it happen this week! Now, those who had not been receiving their pensions can finally start receiving them again. How rewarding!

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Oh, Jesus is sick in my heart! I need you to pick me up so that Jesus will feel better.”

(Jake was running around just after eating and said this as he was grabbing his stomach)

Praises & Prayer Requests

We praise God this week for the encouragement he gave us through the recent progress we have made in our jobs. It really reassures us that this is exactly where he wants us to be right now. It's a wonderful thing to have that knowledge.

We also praise God that Dr. Enoch Litswele, who was on our prayer list a while back, is continuing to make great leaps in his recovery from a stroke. He is walking, talking, and his memory is coming back nicely now!

Please remember the following in prayer this week:

-- Tricia, as she battles her allergies this winter. Her allergies were better than they have been in years during the summer, but are now worse than they have ever been during this winter.
-- Patience for the Johnsons. Our toilet and washer both broke this week, and repair people aren't exactly as reliable here as they are in the States. Tomorrow will be Day 3 that Tricia has had to sit at home all day, waiting for the repairman to show up. It's tempting for the Americans in us to come out!
-- As we experience success in our roles here, it is sometimes tempting to try to "take control" and leave God out of the equation more than we do when things are going badly. Please pray that we will constant rely on God in both our failures and successes.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake