Back in South Africa

Just to begin, I'd like to mention a little bit about the picture here. Jake took this picture all by himself! He has the camera in his hand, and not even being able to see what he was shooting, he was able to take this. Having a digital camera is nice to help develop his love of photography, since we can just delete the pictures (except for the good ones)!




















The other picture you see here is Jeremy last week as a part of the Regional Communications Coordinators meetings in Kansas City. World Mission Communications hosted all of us for three days of meetings to discuss techniques, new developments in media, and to learn a bit more about what we are all doing in our separate regions and how we can learn from each other. Since three of us are new within the last year, it was really good to get to meet everyone.

I know that a lot of people are looking for a baby update, so here's a brief one: Tricia is about 32 weeks along now, and Baby Boy and Baby Girl are doing very well, even a little bigger than the doctors expected them to be at this point. Of course, this makes Tricia pretty uncomfortable, and she is dealing with the effects of her body being stretched to its limits, both literally and physically! Please pray for Tricia and the babies (we are still trying to pick names) during these last few weeks of pregnancy. The longer we can wait the better, but we should have news for everyone soon!

Things are going well for us here, just seems like everything is very hectic right now. Not only has Jeremy been out of the country for two of the last four weeks, but he is also teaching a class out at Nazarene Theological College in addition to his Communications responsibilities. Oh yeah, and preparing for two new additions to our family has kept us pretty busy as well!

Well, Jeremy's class is ending next week, and so we are in the middle of final preparations for the big day, which should be sometime next month. We feel like we still have a lot to do, and Tricia is much less able to get around and do things than she was with Jake. Please pray for our preparations (and sanity) as well!

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Okay Dad, let's play. I'll be Spiderman, and you be Dr. Phil."


Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

A Trip to Rwanda

Last week, Jeremy travelled to Kigali, Rwanda to attend a meeting with our French Equatorial Field leadership. He met with Field Strategy Coordinator Rev. Chanshi Chanda, district superintendents and pastors to discuss the use of radio, video, internet, and written communications on the field, which covers the countries of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Madagascar, and Reunion. We hope to start a couple of new radio programs in the field this year, as well as develop a short documentary about the Church of the Nazarene.

The country of Rwanda has a dark past with the genocide of 1994 being the low point (over 1 million people were slaughtered), but the country has come a long way since then, and the future is full of hope and very bright. President Paul Kagame seems to be a very wise man, and the country is trying to capitalize on the high-quality coffee and tea crops grown there to improve the economy. The city of Kigali was very clean and also one of the safest in Africa. Most importantly, the Church of the Nazarene is alive, well, and growing there!

Above is a short video clip from an ordination service that took place while Jeremy was there. This was a choir from Rwanda singing in Kinyarwanda. Dr. and Mrs. Porter (jurisdictional General Superintendent for Africa) were on hand to ordain five elders from the Central and Northwest Rwanda Districts. It was an exciting time!

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Man, it is really getting 'crowdy' in there!"

(Commenting on the crowded and rowdy playland at McDonalds)

Praises and Prayer Requests

We thank God for Jeremy's safety as he travelled, and also for the safety of the rest of the family while he was away. Everything went well!

Please remember the following need in prayer this week:

-- A couple of days after Jeremy left Rwanda, an earthquake struck in DRC and Rwanda, killing more than 40 people and injuring hundreds more.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake