Hello Again!

Yes, we missed a week somewhere in there, although it seems that only a week has gone by! Time is just going so fast lately. Next week it will be 8 months that we have been here! Our three year internship will be over and we'll be home for our commissioning and home assignment before you know it.

The picture you see this week is Jake with his "favorite" baby from the orphanage, Lindiwe (Lindi). Jake is having such a good time going there each Tuesday and playing with the kids. Jake plays with the babies occasionally, but mostly plays with Bongi, Benolo, Tabile, and Phiwe (pronounced "Pea-way"). Bongi and Benolo are both two and then Tabile and Phiwe are both five.

Things are going well for us at work, Jeremy had some big meetings this week to get some fairly major things sorted out and running smoothly for the Region. Sorry that's not too detailed, but the details can't really be shared at this time. Tricia is also doing a lot of work in contacting those interested in missions across the Region and also working on planning her first "cross-cultural orientation" here in South Africa. The "cross-cultural orientation" is a seminar about working cross-culturally and is one of the preliminary steps in becoming a missionary with the Church of the Nazarene.

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Dear Jesus, Mommy doesn’t like ear-crocodiles or ear-pirates or ear-whales, but she likes dolphins and they eat fish. Amen."

(Don't ask, because we don't know.)

Praises and Prayer Requests

Everyone has been well for the most part this past week! Jake did have one evening where he spiked a 103 degree fever, but it was gone the next morning. Tricia has also felt much better over this past week, as her allergies seem to have subsided for the time being. Thanks for your prayers!

Please remember the following in prayer this week:

-- Change and progress is a good thing... but it also brings stress. Please pray for us as we get into the "meat" of our jobs.
-- Unspoken request

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Happy New Ear!

Okay, apologies for the corny title, but we are celebrating today because Jake's surgery went well! We were amazed at how quickly he came through it, it was less than 20 minutes from the time he went into the operating room until he came out. The doctor told us that between Jake's exam on Friday and the surgery this morning, Jake had developed a severe ear infection. The doctor said that he had never seen an ear infection get so bad so fast and that the eardrum probably would have ruptured by the end of the day if they hadn't had the surgery this morning. God definitely knows what He's doing!

Before I go any further, I guess I'd better explain the pictures. The first is one of our friends from our backyard. These little lizards are everywhere! They are cute little guys and range from the size you see in the picture to about the length of an adult's finger. Jake loves them! The second picture is from our first day of volunteering at the children's home in our neighborhood. Jake and Jeremy played with the big kids while Tricia helped care for the babies. We had a great time!

Well, the last 24 hours have been pretty exhausting (especially since Jake woke up 4 times last night), but God has brought us through wonderfully. We are so thankful that the surgery went well and we can focus on putting Jake's ear issues to rest now. Thank you so much for all of your prayers during this time, the Lord was definitely with us!

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Mommy, after the doctor fixes my ears, then we can go to the mall, and then we can go to the store to get some jelly beans."

(This kid never stops thinking about candy)

Praises and Prayer Requests

Of course, our big praise for the week is that Jake's surgery went so well. We know that a lot of you were praying, and we feel so fortunate to be lifted up by the Body of Christ in this way. We really can't express how much your support means to us.

Please remember the following in prayer this week:

-- Jake's recovery from his surgery, which should only take a few days. He has a follow-up appointment with the doctor in 2 weeks where they will retest his hearing. We're praying for 100% rather than 70% this time.
-- Tricia is still sick. It's been well over a week this time and although she is feeling a bit better today, it would be nice if she could kick it.
-- A team of ANU students (ANU is in Nairobi, Kenya) is travelling to Johannesburg this week. Please pray for their safe travels.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

A Prayer Request

Just a quick note to request prayer:

Today, we took Jake to an ear, nose and throat specialist to try to figure out why he has been having frequent ear infections, difficulty hearing, etc. He had a bit of a problem with this when we were still in the U.S., but we have noticed that it has intensified since we arrived in Joburg, and he was starting to get in trouble at school because he "wasn't listening".

Anyway, it turns out that Jake needs grommets (we call them tubes) in his ears. They are also going to check out his larynx while they do the surgery, as they suspect that some of his problems might be related to his reflux, believe it or not. He has his outpatient surgery scheduled for Monday morning. It's not a huge deal, kids get grommets all the time, but we are a little nervous about having our three-year-old put under for the surgery. Plus there's the fact that we are in a foreign country and we have to front the money and then wait on the insurance to reimburse us.

So, we'd like your prayers for Jake's surgery and healing, his parents' nervousness, and the Lord's provision on the financial aspect. His surgery is Monday morning at 8:00am our time, which is 1:00am Central time in the States.

Thank you for your prayers!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Fun Times

It's that time of the week again, and it's been another good one. Not that there was anything too exciting going on, but it was an enjoyable week.

This past weekend, we went to the National Zoo in Pretoria, which is about 45 minutes to an hour from our house (45 minutes with Jeremy driving). Oh yeah, and we went with some random South Africans that we met at McDonald's two weeks ago (they turned out to be great). Animal-wise, it was probably just about like any other zoo in the States. However, the grounds and facilities were nicer than any zoo that I had ever been to. But... once you've been to a game park, a zoo just doesn't quite cut it anymore. We've been here 7 months and we're spoiled already!

Then on Tuesday, we started volunteering as a family at a small orphanage in our neighborhood. It's called Door of Hope, and it's affiliated with the Baptist church (there's nothing similar that the Church of the Nazarene offers in our area). We figured that it's close to home and is a good way for us to "get our hands dirty" in ministry, plus it's something we can all do together. In all, there are 14 kids at this home, 10 of them between 0 and 2, and 4 of them between 2 and 5. Jake and Jeremy play with the older kids while Tricia helps take care of the babies. Right now, we plan to go once a week for about two hours. It was a blast the first week!

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Dear Jesus, help us to take a ride on the boat with Auntie Diane on November 9th and please give us a new house. Amen."

(I don't even know what to say about this. Looks like I'd better find a boat in Ethiopia...)

Praises and Prayer Requests

We thank God this week for the work that he is doing on us. We feel challenged, but in a good way. You don't grow without the challenges, right?!

Please remember the following in prayer this week:

-- Tricia and Jake are sick... again. Sooner or later, we're going to get used to these South African germs.

-- Aggie at Door of Hope: She is running a home with 14 kids with just her and another live-in volunteer. The rest of her help with the kids is volunteer help, which is sometimes just not enough. Please pray for her health (and sanity!) as she cares for these children as best as she can.

Until next week,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

A New 'Do !!!

Yes, Daddy convinced Mommy today to let Jake try a new hairstyle. About halfway through the haircut, neither Mommy nor Daddy were too sure about it, but it turned out okay (we think). We're sure that there will be many that will disagree with us, as Jake's hair had many fans before. However, as Daddy told Mommy, don't worry, it can always grow back. So, what do you think?!

Well, this has been a big week. On Saturday, Jeremy went with some of the guys from the Regional Office to a soccer tournament in Soweto. There were about 80,000 crazy fans there, and it was a blast, although Jeremy came back with a killer sunburn on his face.

While Jeremy was in Soweto, Tricia and Jake went with another missionary and a local lady to Bruma market, an open-air market that was the setting for one of the challenges in last year's Amazing Race (the TV show). They also had a great time shopping and soaking in the culture.

However, the highlight of the week was yesterday, when Jeremy and Tricia celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that eight years have gone by already, it seems like yesterday! They went to a nice dinner at a steak restaurant in the area while "Uncle Johnny" and Jake had pizza and watched The Lion King. Going out to dinner is cheaper here than in the States, which made it extra nice! We thank God for eight wonderful years, throughout which he has challenged us, guided us, and most of all, loved us.

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Daddy, I have to stay in and watch a movie today. I can’t go outside because I have an ear collection."

(We haven't actually seen Jake's "ear collection", but we really hope we don't. However, if anyone is missing any, we will gladly make Jake return them. But the threat worked, Daddy let Jake stay in and watch a movie this morning.)

Praises and Prayer Requests

We praise God for our family and the eight years during which it has been established and grown both in number and in strength. By the time we come home for a visit in December 2008, we will have had quite a first decade of marriage. It has been a great joruney and there are not words to express how much we owe God for this joy.

Please remember the following in prayer this week:

-- Jake has been battling with his hearing lately, which (we think) is allergy related, but can't really tell. The doctor has told us that in order to accurately test his hearing that we have to catch him at a time when his ear canal is not irritated and there is not much wax build-up. So far, those two things haven't happened at the same time. Please pray that we get to the bottom of this soon.

Thank you to those who have sent packages lately. We will be sending pictures to you soon!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Eish! What a day!

"Eish" (pronounced like ash with a long "a" instead of a short one) is an expression that South Africans use sort of in the same context that we would use the word "man". For example, "Eish, I'm tired" or "Eish, that stinks."

Anyway, the reason it comes into play here is the day we had today. It definitely was a doozy. To make a long story short, in addition to the normal daily tasks, the Johnsons got to deal with a leaky toilet (leaky on the dirty side, not the clean side), plumbers that were four hours late, and having a confrontation with some crazy hippie "missionaries" that managed to deceive their way into one of our guest flats. Lots of fun. In the end, the police were involved and everything, but it ended without things getting physical, so that was a blessing! We are all safe and sound.

Well, because of these things, the Johnsons are a little worn out tonight, emotionally and physically. This will be a short one. Please pray for our peace of mind, because we actually felt badly about having to get rid of our hippie friends, since it is very cold here right now. Pray for them as well, that God can really work in their lives and keep them out of trouble.

Anyway, this week was a pretty "average" week, tonight's events excluded. Jake did take "Uncle Johnny" (Johnny Wakefield, a NIVS guy who graduated from ONU this year) to the Lion Park on Saturday, and that awesome zebra pic you see is Johnny's.

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Dear Jesus, please send us lots of jelly beans, ‘cause that’s why you’re up in heaven Jesus, is to give us jelly beans."

(Jake has obviously gotten his theology mixed up a little bit somewhere along the line... we're working on it.)

Praises and Prayer Requests

We praise God that the potentially very bad situation we faced today was defused without much fanfare. We are reminded that even when we are asking "why me?", God is already working out a way to make himself known to us. Thank you for safety and learning experiences!

Please just remember us in prayer in a general sense this week. There's nothing "big" going on, but we definitely need the Lord's guidance in our lives this week. Thanks for your prayers!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

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

Almost Done with Winter!

Today, you can see that Jake and Jozi were having fun playing with bubbles (Jake blowing, Jozi biting). We had a very warm day today, it got into the lower 70s , which is about 10 degrees warmer than normal. Not too bad for winter! The "winter" part comes at night, when it is in the high 30s/low 40s. They say that the weather starts warming up again in August, so our winter is almost over!

Well, this past week we have been doing a lot of work on making our house "ours". Six months in, we decided to shift some furniture around, put up some more decorations, and even put a loft up in Jake's room! He calls it his "jungle bed" and is up there as much as he can be. It's a lot of fun!

Things are going well with our jobs, we just keep plugging away. Tricia made some good progress this week in her work, and Jeremy is getting ready to close out one of his many projects. We are feeling pretty good about that!

Also, we just wanted to take the time to thank everyone for all of the cards and the packages that have been sent over these past six months. They have been a real blessing to us and have definitely brought smiles to our faces every time we receive them! Thank you so much for all that you do to make us feel loved and supported.

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Ouch Daddy, you've got swords on your face!"

(Daddy hadn't shaved in a couple of days and gave Jake a kiss goodnight)

Praises and Prayer Requests

We thank God this week for a good week! We are also thankful that this week we were able to catch up with some friends that we hadn't talked to in a while. That's always nice!

Please remember the following in prayer this week:

-- The Miller family (missionaries to Ethiopia), as they are currently in Joburg attending to health problems.
-- Jake, as he copes with recently losing his two best friends to different assignments.
-- Our continued adjustment to South Africa and also working in a church setting.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Noses to the Grindstone

Well, Jake sure looks like he's taking it easy, but this past week has been one of those weeks where we didn't really do much but work. Even our "time off" was spent doing a lot of work-related things this week. I guess we'll have weeks like that, though.

In the spirit of keeping our noses to the grindstone, we thought we'd share a little bit about the things that we are (and have been) doing at work these days:

Tricia
Tricia has a dual role for the Region, she is the 3D Program Coordinator for the Africa Region and the guest flat manager for our housing complex here in Joburg. The goal of the 3D Program is to discover, develop, and deploy African missionaries, both within Africa and throughout the rest of the world. While this program is further along in some other areas of the world, Tricia is really building it from the ground floor here in Africa. In some ways, it is good that she has just arrived on the mission field, because she remembers her training and can apply the same concepts to those called to missions in Africa.

As guest flat manager, she is responsible for renting and maintaining our guest flats here in Joburg, which serve mainly to house those who are visiting the Africa Regional Office from other countries. Whenever there is a conference, event, etc., Tricia is making sure that our guests feel as much at home as possible.

Jeremy
Jeremy's main responsibility is serving as the Special Assistant to the Finance Coordinator, but he seems to get his hands in a little bit of everything from time to time. Right now, he is working on getting the pension and medical programs sorted out for the employees of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa, assisting in the monthly allocation process (accounting of the movement of money on the region), and a variety of other projects that have been on the back burner while more pressing issues have taken people's time. His main job is to take care of those pesky "business issues" that the Finance Coordinator just can't afford to spend time on while working on improving our accounting system.

However, Jeremy has also helped around the office in a number of different areas, everything from remodeling to real estate, and from moving furniture to selling cars. The good thing is that there is always something to do, so he is never bored!

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Dear Jesus, please send us strawberries and jelly beans and gummy worms and marshmallows and some… lots and lots of candy. Amen."

(He is definitely his mother's child!)

Praises and Prayer Requests

This week, we were reminded of God's grace as we celebrated six months in South Africa. We still kind of laugh to ourselves that God would have us being missionaries. We know that it is nothing within us that allows us to be here, it is all him. We look to the future confidently, knowing that he will take just as good of care of us as he has so far.

Please remember the following needs in prayer this week:

-- The Cyr family, as they are traveling to their new assignment in Miami
-- The Mthombeni family (one of Jeremy's coworkers), who have lost four family members within the last month, including one in a car accident on the way home from one of the funerals.
-- The Miller family (missionaries to Ethiopia), as they are currently in Joburg attending to health problems.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

6 Months Already?

It's hard to believe that on Wednesday it will have been six months since we arrived in South Africa... if the rest of the three years goes as quickly as the first six months, we will be there visiting with you in no time!

So, six months into it, we are starting to feel a little more at home. We know our way around a bit, we know enough of the local ways of saying and doing things that people actually understand what we're trying to say/do, and Jake is even starting to talk a bit like a South African!

Actually though, six months into it, we thought we would have accomplished more than we have. We're really just starting to understand how much work there really is to do. As Americans, I think we're used to rolling up our sleeves, getting right to work, and getting things taken care of. It just doesn't work like that here! Things just go at a different pace here, and there's not a whole lot you can do about it sometimes. We have learned to be a bit more patient and just to plug away, little by little, each day!

By the way, Happy 4th of July! I guess this also means that we've been posting on this blog for a little over a year now... wow. Living in another country really gives you a perspective as to how fortunate we really are to enjoy the freedoms (and luxuries) that we have as Americans. So we can sit here this year with no fireworks, but more proud to be Americans than we ever have been before.

Jake's Quote of the Week

"Mommy, when the sun goes bye-bye, he goes home to get a toy from his mommy and then when he gets his toy, he comes back tomorrow to see us."

(Move over Galileo, there's a new sheriff in town...)

Praises & Prayer Requests

We thank God for the strength that he has given us to make it through these first six months! It has been very hard at times, and we have been homesick, but he has helped those feelings to pass and to give us the comfort of knowing that we are exactly where we are supposed to be. Your prayers have been a vital part of this!

Please remember the following in prayer this week:

-- Tricia, as she is struggling with her allergies here in this new environment. Summer was good, winter not so good. Luckily, winter will be over in August!
-- The Africa Region Financial Services office, as we prepare for a major accounting system changeover in August.
-- The North family, as they get adjusted to life in the U.S. again, and the Cyr family, as they prepare to leave South Africa next week.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

P.S. The picture this week was taken at the Lion Park we went to a few weeks ago. If you look closely, you can see that one of the lions is playing with a windshield wiper from a car that got a little too close. :)

Saying Goodbye

Don't worry, WE'RE not saying goodbye to YOU... it's us saying goodbye to some fellow missionaries. Yes, part of the life of a missionary is saying goodbye, and we've done more of that than we care to in the last six months. Since we said goodbye to our friends and family in early January, we've now said goodbye to four missionary families. But we understand that the only constant in life is change, and we also know that the families that left have all felt God's calling to new assignments.

This time around, we are saying goodbye to the North and Cyr families. The Norths leave tomorrow and the Cyrs on July 10th. This is going to be an especially hard one for Jake because Jordan North and Nkele Cyr are his two best friends. He doesn't really grasp the concept now, but we imagine that we will have one sad little boy on our hands once he realizes what has happened. However, we know that he will make new friends and will be just fine once he has done that.

Well, the big news this week is that everyone is WELL! We were all so sick of being sick, but we're back in the saddle again. Jake is eating like a big boy and back to doing all of the things he likes to do. For right now, those things are:

1. Swinging on his new swing

2. Making his parents nervous by jumping off of EVERYTHING

3. Making up stories having to do with dinosaurs, dolphins, lions, sharks, pirates and swords

4. Watching movies

5. Playing with his puppy

6. Hitting his dad with empty paper towell rolls (actually, Dad started this one, so he deserves it right back)

Well, the big news of this week is that we have discussed it as a family, and we are going to try out a new section in our weekly update. We'll see how it goes over... your feedback is appreciated. :)

Jake's Quote of the Week (with parental commentary)

"I like to go potty sitting down because Jesus goes potty sitting down." - Jake

(As at the time it was spoken, I'm not really sure what to say here, so it will be more of a disclaimer than a comment this week... The views expressed in this quote are solely the opinion of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the doctrines and/or beliefs of the Church of the Nazarene... or his parents)

Praises and Prayer Requests

We are so thankful for health, it is so much easier to do the tasks that God has set before us when we actually feel like getting out of bed in the morning! Thank you for you prayers, they worked!

Also, a praise/update on Dr. Enoch Litswele, who is out of the hospital and back at his home, continuing his recovery.

We ask that you remember the following needs in prayer this week:

-- The North and Cyr families, as they go and prepare to go to new assignments.

-- The group from the Africa Regional Office that is currently in Kansas City and heading back to Joburg next week.

Until next week,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Still a Bunch of Sickos...

Well, that's not entirely true, Jeremy has fully recovered from his illness and is back to 100%, and Tricia is mostly just battling severe allergies, but the ol' Jakester is still sick. He was better for a few days, seemed on the road to recovery, but over the weekend his cough and fever came back. So, we took him to the doctor today and he has two ear infections and a throat infection... bummer. But today we got him a whole bunch of medicine and the doctor thinks that he should be better in a few days. The joys of a child in preschool... :)

In other news, we are finally settled into the newly remodeled portion Africa Regional Office. Jeremy helped coordinate both the remodeling and the move of everyone from their old spots to their new ones, so it's a nice sense of accomplishment to see it done. Now that she has a desk, Tricia is going to start going into the office on a part-time basis (she works from home most of the time) so that she can get filing and things done that can't be done remotely.

Jeremy's supervisor, Fred Otto, is back from home assignment and is getting settled back into the office, so things are getting back to normal for Jeremy. Of course, as soon as they do get back to normal, the Financial Services office will be undergoing an accounting system change in late July. It's a good thing though, as it is the same system that Headquarters is on.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... the pictures this week are from our trip to the Lion Park this weekend. It's about 20 minutes from our house and has about 40-50 lions, in addition to zebra, giraffes, ostriches, and a few other animals. Jake and Daddy got to pet the lion cubs while we were there! Jake also had fun using Mommy's digital camera to take some pictures of his own! We'll let you guess which one he took. :)

Praises and Prayer Requests

We praise God that this past week we received word that our fellow missionary friends, the Shinglers (intern missionaries to Ukraine), who welcomed a new baby girl, Geneveve Grace, into their family! Please remember them in prayer as they balance a new baby and intensive language training.

Thank you for your continued prayers for the following needs:

-- That Jake gets to feeling better, as he's been sick off and on for over two weeks now. We know that God will see him through this next year as he battles with all of the new "bugs" he will face at preschool.
-- As we prepare to say goodbye to the North and Cyr families, we pray for God's blessing on their new assignments. The Norths are going to serve at headquarters in KC, while the Cyrs have accepted a missionary assignment on the Caribbean Region.
-- With the departure of these families, Jake will be the only missionary kid under 15 in South Africa. Please pray that he finds some new friends to play with!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Happy Birthday to Jake!

Well, this post is a little late because we all have been sick for the last week and a half, but here it is! There has been a nasty flu/upper respiratory thing that has been going around Joburg for a few weeks, and the new missionary family was sure to get it. Jeremy missed two and a half days of work with it and Jake missed over a week of school. Thankfully, Tricia did not get the same thing that the guys had, but has been struggling with her allergies lately.

However, we are back in the saddle! For those of you that knew about it and were praying, thank you! So, it has been an action-filled two weeks, but here's a quick summary of the things that happened:


Jake got a new puppy (a Boxer) for his birthday...














He had a birthday party...



















He played a lot of fun games at his party with his friends from the neighborhood...













And even got to have a party at school with his class!












So, Jake has had a couple of big weeks, despite the sickness. Mommy and Daddy have been taking care of Jozi, his new puppy, and Jake has been having fun being three. Thanks to everyone that sent cards and packages to him, he really enjoyed getting the mail!

Praises and Prayer Requests

While we are very thankful that we are not as sick as we were this time last week, we're still not back to 100% for some reason. Jake especially is having a hard time with this one, and still has a pretty nasty cough. Please remember him in prayer this week.

As a follow-up to a prayer request a few weeks ago, we have received word that Dr. Enoch Litswele is doing much better in a hospital in Nelspruit, South Africa. Please keep praying for him and his family, as he still has a way to go in his recovery.

Please also pray for our continued adjustment to our new jobs and lives here in South Africa. We are so blessed to have such a great support system behind us!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

A Busy Week

As we mentioned last week, we started off our week having two students from the SNU team staying with us. Leigh and Amy were the two assigned to our house, and we all enjoyed having them stay with us, it was a good time. Jake especially enjoyed it, asking every morning when he first woke up, "Where's my girls?" He had a lot of fun playing with all of the students on the team, and I think the team thought Jake was okay too. :) Our pictures this week are of Jake with the team (of course, one with just him and "his girls").



This week also brought the end of Jake's "itches" (stitches), as he called them. We were worried about how he would react to them being taken out, as he didn't have any anesthesia for that part, plus they were right in his hairline, and we were afraid that the doctor might pull some hair with the stitches. However, Jake proved to be a little tough guy and didn't even cry at all! Maybe part of it was that he was being bribed with jelly beans, but we were impressed! Thanks for your prayers!

This week at work, Jeremy coordinated the first half of the office move that ARO (Africa Regional Office) is undertaking. The last few months, Jeremy has been working with contractors to have the main office area remodeled, and it is nearing completion. Thursday and Friday, Jeremy was in charge of a team of students from nearby Nazarene Theological College to move the first half of the offices. Everything went well and they are now ready to finish it up this week. This move will put most of the ARO staff in the same area, rather than scattered throughout the building, which will be a good thing for everyone.

We are also preparing this week for Jake's upcoming birthday, which is June 6th. His party is June 3rd, and we are working on preparations for that. It's hard to believe that he almost three years old! Tricia is making a pinata for the party, since no one here in South Africa has any idea what one is. It should be a good time!

Praises and Prayer Requests

We thank God this week for the easy time that we had with Jake's stitches coming out. That was a concern for us that God really took care of for us. We also are thankful that all of the various things that we were involved in this week, despite challenges, turned out well!

Please remember the following needs in prayer this week:

-- The SNU team that is now travelling in Botswana and Zambia, that God would bless the rest of their time there and that they would have a safe trip back home.
-- The Africa South Field meetings that are occurring this week, that God would use the time that the leaders of the church are here together to begin some great things for the South Field.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

A Helping Hand

This past week saw us receiving helping hands from all around the world. All the way from the United States, three students from Mrs. Burlend's classes in Manteno, IL sent us school supplies for the children's group at our church. The group is small but growing, and the kids here are so excited that they can have things like crayons, glue, markers, colored pencils, etc. This will really help with their crafts from now on! They had so much fun using them this morning!

These pictures are from church this morning, when the kids got to use their new supplies during children's church. Thanks, kids!


From here in South Africa, the helping hands that we received were those of our family doctor, Dr. Jardim. Yes, unfortunately, Jake had a little accident on his bike and ended up with 5 stitches in his forehead this past Monday. It was a pretty scary time for us (especially Tricia, who was home when it happened), but everything worked out okay. We thank God that we have such ready access to good medical care here in South Africa, it's a blessing we often take for granted that many of our counterparts throughout the rest of Africa do not enjoy.

So, it's been an interesting week, but all is well in the Johnson house. We have a team from Southern Nazarene University that is in southern Africa doing AIDS relief work, and we are housing a couple of members of the team. They just got here yesterday, but Jake is loving the attention already. More on that next week...

Praises and Prayer Requests

Well, we are especially thankful that Jake is okay, other than a few stitches. Things could have been a lot worse, and we praise God that they were not. Part of the perils of having a little boy in the house!

We are also thankful for the support of everyone back home, in so many different ways. From those who send school supplies, to those who send money, to those who send e-mails and letters of encouragement, to those who pray for us daily, we are so thankful for each of you and everything that you do!

Please remember us in prayer this week...

-- For Jake's follow-up doctor appointment on Tuesday, to hopefully get his stitches out. He winced when I touched his "boo-boo" today, so pulling the stitches out will probably be a bit of a bad time for him.
-- That we would be good hosts to our SNU students so that they can rest well and make a big impact on those afflicted by AIDS in this area.
-- For wisdom and perseverance to do whatever God wants us to accomplish this week

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of you mothers out there, we wish you a very happy Mother's Day! Jeremy and Jake spent the day today trying to make it a special one for Tricia. They made sure that breakfast, lunch and dinner were taken care of and tried their best to pick up after themselves and to stay out of trouble. Jeremy did take off for his weekly basketball with some other missionary guys, but that gave Jake and Tricia some time to rest. It was a good day for everyone!

Jake also performed in his first school program this week for his mommy. They had all of the mothers into the nursery school (about 50 in all!) for tea and biscuits while the kids sang songs. Jake added his own little dance moves to the routine as well, which mommy was able to capture a little of on video. Daddy was not invited, but from the look on Mommy's face, Jake was a star!

Thank you for the prayers this week about Jake's doctor appointment. Things went well and they got his ears all cleaned out. The doctor thinks that Jake might need "grommets" (we call them tubes) in his ears, but other than that, everything seems to be fine. He did very well this week in school, not crying when he was dropped off, although there was bribery involved. :) Whatever works, right?!

Also this week, we had our interviews for our district minister's licenses. The interviews went well and our Regional Director will be passing along good feedback to our district. We were both a little nervous going into it, but quickly realized that there was no need to be nervous and everything was great! It was also good for our new boss and colleagues to hear a little more about us and our call to ministry. An all-round good experience!

Praises and Prayer Requests

We thank God for the prayers that were raised up on our behalf this week, there was good news in each area for which we requested you to pray! God is always faithful, isn't he?

Some prayer requests for this week:

-- Dr. Enoch Litswele, retired assistant Regional Director, went to the hospital this week and discovered that he had diabetes and also a stroke. We do not yet know the details of his condition, but please pray for him and his family during this time.
-- Also this week, Rev. Chuck Lockard, one of our fellow missionaries, fell ill and went to the hospital as well. He also has been diagnosed with diabetes. He is now home and resting, but please pray for the Lockards as they adjust to living with this newfound condition.
-- Please continue to pray for Jake's adjustment to nursery school and his new way of life. That is our main concern right now, yet we know that God will be faithful in this situation. Please lift Jake up in prayer during this time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Back to Work...

You know, we completely forgot to tell about our trip to Lesedi last week in our summary of our vacation. It is a "cultural village" where you can go to see how five of the different tribes from South Africa lived (and/or live). Jake is seen here with ones of the Zulus. :)

Well, all good things must come to an end, and so did our vacation. It was back to work this week, but it was a good week as well. Tricia had some meetings regarding her job and things are starting to move forward there, which is exciting. She has been given the go-ahead to start putting together a "cross-cultural orientation" (one of the things we had to do in our missionary application process) and to hold it at our theological college here in Joburg as a first run. It's good to see things moving forward!

Jeremy was also getting back into the swing of things in the Finance department this week. He often remarks that he will never have to worry about getting bored, there is always a mountain of things to be done!

Praises and Prayer Requests

It was pointed out to us that this section has been less consistent lately, and we gratefully accept the rebuke and will make a better effort to include it in the future! We definitely appreciate those who make such an effort to pray for us that they notice when there are no requests!

We also thank God for the opportunity we had to see a little bit of South Africa during our vacation and for the smooth transition back into work. Though we were tired, it was a good week!

This week, please remember us in prayer in the following ways:

-- Tricia and I will be interviewed by a local licensing board on behalf of the Kansas City District this week to be considered for our district license. We ask that God would guide us and the board in this process.
-- Jake has been struggling lately with a bit of "separation anxiety" when going to nursery school and children's church. He now cries every time we drop him off, which is difficult for both him and his parents! Please pray that Jake would be comforted and that we would have the wisdom to deal with things in the right way.
-- Jake has been having some difficulty hearing lately, so we took him to the doctor and they think that he might have something wrong with one of his eardrums. He will need to have his ears cleaned out this week so that an ear, nose and throat specialist can see what's going on in there. Please pray that both appointments would go well and that whatever is causing the issue would be something correctable.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Pictures From Our Holiday

Here's Roy, chillin' in Nelson Mandela's bedroom














Jake at False Bay













One of the locals (yes, a penguin) at Boulders Bay












Cape Point, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic













Tricia's favorite animal, at Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Our First Visit!

Well, this week we had our first visitor to our new South African home, Jeremy's friend Roy from Kokomo (they went to high school together). We had a great time seeing all of the sights around the country and also enjoyed all of the goodies from home that Roy brought us! We'll give you a recap of some of the highlights of our first holiday (that's what they call vacation here) and will also post some more pictures later.

So now the pressure of being the first visitor is off and everyone else can come visit us now!

Roy arrived on Friday morning (the 21st) and first on the list was a trip to Pick n' Pay (like a Super Walmart) to stock up on groceries for the week. This is an experience in itself, and there were many "South African" things that we picked up for Roy to try while he was here.

Saturday we started the sightseeing with a trip to Soweto, led by a couple of our new South African friends, Kenneth and Theola Phiri. We visited the Regina Mundi Catholic church, where students organized their peaceful resistance demonstrations in spite of an apartheid government that threw blacks in jail if they were caught in groups larger than two people. The scars of police responses to these gatherings still remain in the church. Also while in Soweto, we visited Nelson Mandela's house, which was a great experience as well. The street the house is located on has the honor of being the only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace Prize winners (Mandela and Desmond Tutu)!

Sunday morning it was off to Cape Town, where we spent three days driving all over the Cape Peninsula. We got to spend some time at the V&A Waterfront, visited Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years), Cape Point, and everything in between! It was a hectic three days, but we had to make the most of it, since we won't often be able to explore like that. Jake had a blast, getting to swim with penguins and see baboons (both in the wild, not a zoo) within about 30 minutes of each other. We never realized that penguins were native to Africa until then!

Wednesday was a day of rest for us, but Thursday we headed up to the Hartbeespoort Dam for Roy to do a little souvenir shopping. Roy was able to use his negotiating skills at the market to bring a suitcase full of Africa back for his family and friends!

Friday we woke up at 4:00am and went to Pilanesberg National Park, which is a good-sized game reserve about two hours west of Johannesburg. We spent the day driving around there scouting for wildlife and ended up seeing an elephant, giraffes, zebras, impalas, blesbok, baboons, rhinos, wildebeest, and a few other kinds of animals.

Saturday was another day of rest and Roy and Jeremy went to finish up the souvenir shopping at Cambano's, a very nice little curio shop about 45 minutes from home while Tricia and Jake played at the playland at our local mall.

Yesterday, Roy got to attend his first African worship service at our church. It was a service full of energy and Rev. Chuck Lockard brought a great holiness message to all of us. Later that evening, it was back to the airport for Roy and tomorrow it is back to work for us. We are very happy to have gotten the chance to experience a little bit more of our new home country while Roy was here!

Thank you for all of your prayers this past week, as our travels went off without a hitch. We spent a great deal of time in the car and are happy to say that everyone is safe and sound! We now are preparing to head back to work next week re-energized and ready to continue the work that the Lord has called us to do!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! We are reminded today that we serve a God who was loving and humble enough to die on a cross for us, yet powerful enough to conquer all of the sin and death in the history of the world on that first Easter morning so long ago. If that's not good news, I don't know what is!

We have really enjoyed our first Easter weekend here in South Africa. We had great services on Friday and this morning. Also, both Good Friday and Easter Monday are national holidays here, so we are enjoying a four day weekend of fun! We have been going around to various local activities all weekend, such as Easter egg hunts, and will need to use Monday as a way to catch up our energy. Jake has had a blast though.

Take this time to remember what Jesus has done for you on the Cross and through his resurrection, and what that really means in your life. How has it changed you? We know it has changed us and that he has saved us from what we once were. We love you all and will see you next week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

We have finally gotten around to taking a picture of the strip mall around the block from our house. This is where we get prescriptions, rent movies and pick up odds and ends from time to time. It's about a 5 minute walk from our complex, which makes it very handy.

As you can see, it doesn't look drastically different from the strip malls you'd see in the U.S. (other than the street markings on the other side). We really are blessed to have this convenience so close to us, it has saved our lives a few times so far!

This week, we are taking a step back from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives to remember the reason why we're here. We are overwhelmed that God would choose to die to save us. And his rising from the grave is the hope which he has given us. And now it is our job to ensure that Africa hears of this hope and takes hold of it. That's an exciting thing!

A little less than two weeks after Easter, we will have our first visitor! Jeremy's friend Roy (from Kokomo) will be swinging by South Africa on the way home and spending a little over a week here. We are excited for the visit and hope that we will have more of you lined up to come visit us soon, whether it is a Work & Witness trip or a vacation. We'd love to have you!

We really don't want to focus on our prayer requests this week, but just to bask in the fact that God has already claimed the victory over anything that comes our way. Thank you for your prayers and be encouraged by this fact in your own life as well.

Have a happy Easter!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Branching Out

Betcha you've never seen one of those before! Well, I'm sure you've seen a cricket, but have you ever seen one that was 4 inches long and was red and black? We hadn't either, until we saw this guy. Kinda freaks you out at first, but they are pretty interesting to look at and watch.

Getting to know the "strange" things that we can find here has been one of our goals. We want to get the "African experience" so that we might understand where those we minister to are coming from. We view getting to know our surroundings, trying new food, reading about the history of this country (Tricia is currently reading "The Long Walk to Freedom", Nelson Mandela's autobiography), and anything else we can learn as a big help to our ministry. However, Jake got a little carried away with this concept tonight at the dinner table when he decided that watermelon and ketchup sounded like a good combination. We tried to tell him that this was not a typical South African dish, but he didn't care and kept eating it anyway! (yuck!)

We have found a nice church that we have settled into here, it's actually the church at Nazarene Theological College. It is a great mix of cultures, backgrounds, ages, and even countries of origin. We love the lively worship (it reminds us of our beloved KC First Spanish!) and have enjoyed getting to know some of the students. We are doubly excited because we know that these are the future leaders of the church in southern Africa, who we will be working with very soon in the future. We hope that they will replace us someday!

In other news, it looks like we are creeping ever closer to the day when we will have to get Jake a pet. For the past two weeks, Jake has been "hamster-sitting" for Quinn, one of the other missionary kids, and has fallen in love with the hamster. In fact, he was quite upset when it was gone this afternoon after Quinn came back. So... it may not be long until Jake has some sort of animal in our house. :) Any ideas?

This week, please pray for Tricia as she gets a little deeper into her new responsibilities that she started last week. She is trying to come up with the beginnings of a "3D" program for the Africa Region (that means Discover, Develop, Deploy), or really, for Africans that feel a call to missions. She is also going to be managing the guest flats here at our townhome complex. Please also pray for Jake as he begins his second term of nursery school (4 terms a year). And... it wouldn't hurt to pray for Jeremy as well, he usually needs it! :)

See you next week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

God is Moving

Fall revival started at our church today (yes, we're entering the early part of fall here), and it has already been quite a reminder that God is always moving and calling his people to move with him. He is putting his fingers on some areas of our lives that we need to work on and we are being challenged spiritually.

This week has been a good week, we are all getting over our colds and life is getting back to normal. It was a busy week at work for Jeremy as he continues to manage the office remodel project for the church and is also selling one of the Region's cars in addition to his normal duties in Finance. Also, Tricia is now beginning to get to work on her assignment as well. She will be coordinating the "3D" program (Discover, Develop, Deploy), which is designed to prepare people for missionary service and is pretty much what we just went through in KC. There is not a program currently in Africa, so Tricia will be developing one so that Africans who are called to missions can be properly prepared to go into missionary service. She will also be coordinating the "guest flats", which are apartments for church visitors to South Africa.

Please pray for the revival that is taking place at our church. We believe that it has the potential to be taken across the entire continent of Africa by all of the pastors-in-training that go to our church. These are exciting days for Africa!

We pray that revival will come to your heart as well this week. Use this time to hear what God is saying specifically to you. Is there anything he wants to change in you? Something he wants you to do? We have discovered that he is faithful in every detail, and pray that you feel that this week.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Life on the Mission Field

One of the things that we have discovered in our short time on the mission field is that one of the only constants is change. This weekend we had a party to say goodbye to two of our missionary families, the Barkers and the Mellingers. The Mellingers are leaving this coming Saturday for home assignment, after which they will be headed to Kenya for a new assignment. The Barkers leave for home assignment in April and will be heading to Ethiopia thereafter for their new assignment.

Though we are sad to see them go (it’s amazing how people can become such a part of your life in such a short time), we are happy that God has chosen to use them in new and exciting ways. We know that they will impact the lives of others, just as they have ours. Please pray for these two families as they travel and begin their new assignments soon.

As for us, we have all been sick this week. Jake is starting to get over his, but Tricia and Jeremy are still not feeling that great. It’s just a bad cold, but Jake is bringing home all new germs for us from nursery school, so we’re susceptible to things that we probably wouldn’t get in the U.S. We’ve been told by the other missionaries that the first year is especially bad for getting every little virus that comes your way. That was something we really hadn’t even thought about when we came.

Well, I guess that makes the prayer needs pretty obvious, so I won’t rehash everything down here. We really appreciate you stopping by and appreciate all of your friendship and prayers!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

God's Blessing

This waterfall, which is about 150 - 200 ft high, is the centerpiece of one of the national botanical gardens here in South Africa. This garden, which is the one for the Joburg area, is only about an 8 minute drive from our house and was the site of our outing last weekend (more pictures from that trip to follow). It was just another reminder of the beauty that God has blessed this world with.

Jake had a blast seeing a few assorted animals, the various trees and flowers, and of course, his favorite... sticks. He found a few really good ones that he and Daddy carried around during the walk!

Jake is not feeling the best today, he has gotten his first little bug since attending nursery school (sure didn't take long!). He was feeling much better this evening though, so we're hoping he's through it. However, please keep him in your prayers.

This week was the Africa Region Nazarene Compassionate Ministries conference, which attracted missionaries and church leaders from all over Africa. We got to see Donna Lovett, who worked in the registrar's office while we were at Olivet (and her husband Russ, was both Jeremy's and Tricia's academic advisor), and who is now a missionary in Rwanda. It was great to see her again, and a blessing to be able to meet everyone else that was here for the conference.

Another wonderful thing that happened this week is that we finally received our shipment of our household items from the U.S.! You never want to feel to dependent on material things, but it was so nice to see useful and familiar things that can make our life easier here and also remind us of home. It was like Christmas for Jake to get some of his toys back as well!

Well, our primary prayer need this week centers around Jake's health. Things just don't feel right when he's not running all over the house, getting into things and making us laugh. So please pray for him, and also for these other things as well:

-- That the effects of the NCM conference would positively impact the way that the Church of the Nazarene ministers in Africa
-- Safe travels home for all of those who attended the conference
-- Continued wisdom and blessing for Eugenio Duarte, our new Regional Director, and his family

Thanks for stopping by, please check back again next week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

First Week of School

As promised, this week you get a full report on Jake's preschool adventures. Well, as you can see from the first picture there, Jake was not too excited about going to school anymore when he was woken up early on Monday morning and found out that unlike the tour, Mommy was not staying at school with him this time! :)


However, as you can also see in the second picture here, by Friday, he was all smiles, especially when Teacher Sharon took his whole class to a park for play time! By the end of the week, Jake is loving school and talks about it a lot. Plus, he is one of the younger kids in his class, so he is being challenged physically, socially and intellectually, which we are thankful for. Thanks for the prayers for Jake this week!

This week has been a busy week at the office, with the Field Strategy Coordinators (used to be called Field Directors) from all over Africa coming in, as well as Dr. Louie Bustle from KC. Jeremy has had a few meetings, but they have all been great and have really encouraged us that we are exactly where God wants us. Next week is the Africa Region Nazarene Compassionate Ministries conference, which will also give us insight as to what's going on out in Africa, and how we can help here in our roles in Joburg. Should be exciting!

Also exciting was the inauguration service this past Friday. Rev. Eugenio Duarte was officially installed as the new Regional Director for Africa, marking the first time that an African (Rev. Duarte is from Cape Verde) has held this position. It is an historic moment that we are proud to be a part of, and we have the utmost confidence that Rev. Duarte is going to do a fantastic job.

Please continue to remember the following needs in prayer:

-- Safe travels for everyone flying to and from Joburg this week for the various meetings and the conference
-- That God would reveal his will for the ministry of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa at these meetings (and that we would be listening to his guidance)
-- Jake, as he goes back for his second week of nursery school

May God bless you this week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Jake the Big Boy

We have been discovering that since we've gotten here, Jake is growing up at an even faster pace than he was in the States! Please tell us that it slows down a little bit. Right?!

Well, you see there in the picture that Jake is now a little chef, making ice cream clowns with "Auntie Diane", one of the other missionaries here in Joburg. Of course, fine cuisine is only one of the many things that Jake has picked up on since he has been here. For instance, he rides a motorcycle, he plays basketball, and he even starts school tomorrow!

Yep, that's right, he starts school tomorrow, much to his parents' dismay. Not because we think that he won't like it, or that he'll even be away that long. We know he'll love it and he'll only be going half days, three days a week for starters. No, it's just the fact that he's quickly becoming a "big boy", and we wonder where these first 2 1/2 years have gone so fast!

Well, look next week for a full report on Jake's first week of school, but he's doing quite well in his new environment here. He's made lots of friends, is making lots of messes, and continues to make his parents laugh with the clever things he says. He's adjusted well to "Souf Acrifa", as he calls it. :)

We are always encouraged to hear that we have people back home that are praying for us, and we got word this week from several of you that follow the blog and are praying for us daily. We need it, please keep them coming! Some special needs that we are reminded of this week are:

-- Rev. Eugenio Duarte, as he officially takes the position of Regional Director of the Africa Region this Wednesday, that God will give him HIS vision for the Region
-- Safe travels for the Middendorfs and the Bustles, who will be traveling from the States for the inauguration ceremony
-- All of the missionaries travelling to, during, and from home assignment
-- The Church of the Nazarene in Africa
-- Jake, as he begins nursery school, and his parents, as they worry about him

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

New Wheels!

This has certainly been an eventful week! On Wednesday, we got our car, which is a Renault Clio. A small car, but a car! We are SO excited to have it, and we thank each and every one of you that made this possible for us with your deputation offerings. We also thank God for providing us the vehicle at a price we could afford.

This Saturday, our new car helped us get to Maropeng, which is a World Heritage Site that is just outside Johannesburg. Essentially, this site is a museum that displays and celebrates certain archaeological finds from southern Africa. It was interesting, but there was a lot of evolution speculation throughout the exhibit. I guess we will learn exactly how God did it all one day, huh?

The best parts about the day were the picnic that we had overlooking the South African countryside and also playing with Jake in the "kiddie cave". We had a blast, and it was wonderful to be able to see a little bit more of our new home. We hope to be able to see a little bit more every week now that we have our new car!

Work is going well, Jeremy is learning a little more everyday and trying to get things accomplished one at a time. There is a lot of learning to be done! Tricia will start training for her new job in about two weeks, when Jake starts nursery school. He'll be going half days, three days a week. Tricia is looking forward to starting her new job, but we are just having a hard time believing that our two-year-old is off to school already! We know that it will be a great experience for him to play with kids his own age though.

Please continue to remember the following needs in prayer:

-- The work of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa
-- Our continued adjustment to our new environment
-- Good health to be able to perform our jobs
-- Jake's upcoming adjustment to nursery school

As always, thanks for your prayers!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

God At Work

Well, this has been a week of seeing God at work. We are always amazed to see the diverse ways that he reassures us that he is in control and that he guides and protects us if we let him. As it always is when you see god at work, it has been a time of praise!

Tricia is 100% better than she was last week, thanks for your prayers. She went to the doctor on Monday and found out that the upper respiratory virus that she had had led to a secondary infection in her throat and sinuses. She went on antibiotic on Monday night and was completely healed by Thursday morning. We definitely want to thank God for that!

We also had a bit of a scare this weekend, as some of our fellow missionaries was involved in a serious car accident. In taking some missionaries to the airport, one of our Regional Office counterparts was driving down the highway early Saturday morning. A vehicle came up behind her at almost 200km per hour and then went off the road slightly as he passed her. The other driver's tires went off the side of the road and he overcorrected, skidding across the entire highway and hitting our missionary's car. They started spinning as well and both cars hit the embankment on the other side of the road. The other car, since it was going so fast, went about 20 feet up the embankment and then flipped down it, ejecting the other driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt. He died at the scene. Although it is a terrible tragedy and our prayers go out to that family, we praise God that our missionaries were not seriously injured, just bruised a bit. Keep the prayers coming and heed this tragic reminder to always buckle up!

After over 5 weeks of being here, we think we'll finally be able to get a car this week. Thank you for your prayers on this subject as well. We have had the wonderful benefit of having other missionaries around to help us with transportation during this time, and that has been such a blessing.

Thanks again for all of the prayers coming our way. We received several e-mails this week, assuring us that we have people praying for us every day. What a blessing! Please remember the following needs in prayer:

-- Missionaries that are traveling
-- The continued growth of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa
-- Continued good health
-- Finalization of our car purchase

May God bless you as you work for his glory!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

New Friends

This week was a little bit of a challenge, as Tricia was sick for the last half of it, but things are still going well here, and we are encountering new experiences everyday.

As you can see from the picture, Jake is making new friends. Clockwise from bottom right are Jake, Sam, Marshall, and Jordan. Sam is an MK, but the other two are South African boys from our neighborhood. Jake has also made another friend named Jordan (who is an MK), but he was not around for this picture. Jake loves to ride his new motorcycle with his friends either riding or chasing along. He has been LOVING how much he gets to play outside now, since there is always at least one of his friends out there during waking hours.

We visited another church today, this time with Linda Braaten, a fellow missionary. Incidentally, Linda is the sister of Dan Braaten, pastor of Lee's Summit New Beginnings Church, which is one of our LINKS churches that we visited during our pre-field training. Tricia couldn't make it due to illness, but Jake and I went with "Auntie Linda" and had a good time. We are trying to visit all of the area churches before finding a church home.

We're getting closer on the search for a car, but have not purchased one yet, so please keep praying. Just when we thought that we had our minds made up, another possibility popped up and we're checking it out. Hopefully we can make our decision this week though and get rolling on our own wheels!

Thank you for the e-mails of encouragement this week, they are greatly appreciated! We would also appreciate your continued prayer for the following needs:

-- The Church of the Nazarene in Africa (with the first African Regional Director, Rev. Eugenio Duarte, taking over March 1, it's going to be a year of exciting changes!)

-- Dr. Fred and Dinah Huff, the current Regional Director and his wife, as they travel back to the States for a new and exciting assignment themselves.

-- That Tricia would get well soon

-- For our search for the right car for our family.

-- For continued adjustment to our new environment

Thank you for your support, we are so glad to be a part of the Body of Christ!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Home Sweet Home

Yep, that's our house! Actually, this picture shows our flat (the South African word for apartment or townhome) as well as our next-door neighbor's and even a little bit on the other side of them as well. It's kind of hard to tell where one starts and the other stops. The carport to the right of that little trailer and the garage are ours, for a frame of reference. The carport leads to our front door and the two windows that are furthest to the left are the front side of our upstairs. Basically, it's a three bedroom flat, which is perfect for us!

Today we got the opportunity to be a part of the Gauteng District Assembly (Gauteng is the province that Johannesburg is in). It was a great service, and Dr. Middendorf was the keynote speaker. Also, the highlight of the weekend was the ordination of African deacons and elders at the service. It was great to see so many (more than a dozen) be ordained, as it really shows progress in Africa. That really sums up why we're here, to help get the Church of the Nazarene in Africa to the point at which they don't need us to be here anymore. That so many were being ordained today was just a testament to how fast the church is growing here in Africa.

Another point of praise that was brought up in the service was that over the last month, in the country of Sudan, the Church of the Nazarene has shown the Jesus film to over 650,000 people (that's not a typo!)! Thousands have come to know Christ and two churches have been planted -- one of 600 and one of 1,200. More will surely follow soon also. Praise God!

We thank everyone for all of the e-mails and prayers that have been sent our way over the last week, you all are a great support for us, we wouldn't be here without you. Things are going great here so far and we are starting to get adjusted, but we do have a few prayer requests that we'd like for you to remember this week:

-- We have found a strong candidate for a car, we're just trying to figure out how we're going to have to alter our budget over the next three years in order to get it. Please pray that God would give us the wisdom to know what to do and the faith to know he will make it possible.
-- For the new ordinands, that God would continue to grow them and bless their ministries.
-- For the newly planted churches and thousands of new Christians in Sudan.
-- For Dr. Middendorf , as he travels back to the United States.
-- For our continued transition to life in South Africa.

We love and miss you, thanks for all that you do for us!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

More African Animals!

We thought we'd post a few more pictures from our game drive last weekend for your viewing enjoyment. We'll be writing another update within a week as well.

So, let's start off with the white rhino (that's the larger type of rhino)



A small group of zebras, hanging out with the wildebeest, oryx, and eland









A crested crane










A couple of lions getting annoyed with a car that got a little too close









A giraffe, laying down for a rest










Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

We're Not In Kansas Anymore!

Yes, we took that picture... That lion, along with about 6 others, was sitting about 10 feet away from our car as we drove through Krugersdorp Game Reserve today. It's just a small game reserve right outside of Joburg, but these Midwestern Americans were pretty impressed! Jake finally believes we are in "Souf Acrifa" now because he got to see all of those animals today! :)

We drove through the park in about 3 1/2 hours and saw lions, rhinos, giraffes, wildebeest, impalas, gazelles, ostriches, zebras, an eland, and many other animals. We probably took about 100 pictures, but unfortunately can't put them all up here. If you'd like more, just drop us an e-mail and we'd be happy to send some to you. We may also post a few more here in a few days, you'll have to check back and see!

Getting out and seeing all of the beauty in God's creation was more like an act of worship than safari today. He has just created such diversity and beauty in nature, and to think that it's just a shadow of his greatness... what a mighty God we serve! He has blessed us all with so much on this earth, and gave our family the blessing of being able to see a little more of his masterpiece today.

In other news, yesterday Jeremy completed his first week of work. There are five people in his office, two from South Africa, two from the U.S. (although Jeremy's boss has been a missionary in Africa for over 20 years), and one person from Mozambique. However, everything is going great so far and the office is operating like one big happy family. That is definitely an answer to prayer, praise God!

This coming week, our search for a car will need to start heating up. Please pray that we can find a car that meets our needs on our very tight budget. We know that you all will be praying and the Lord will work everything out somehow, so we are at peace about it. Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you, we will be updating you again soon!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

The Eagle Has Landed!

Well, after a LONG time on the airplane (almost 20 hours!), we're here in Johannesburg! We made it through the flight pretty well, but Jeremy got sick shortly after we landed and was sick for a couple of days. He's feeling much better now though, and we have spent the last several days trying to get our house in order. That means we're unpacking, buying household necessities like cleaning supplies, etc. We've been very busy, but things are going great as we are getting acclimated to our new environment.

We have all taken a few days to get used to the time change, but our bodies are now adjusted and we're getting ready to dive into our duties. We have had dinner with a different missionary family each day since we have been here and have enjoyed getting to know our coworkers, we are fortunate to have such a great group! Jeremy begins work tomorrow morning at the Regional Office, while Tricia will be spending a few weeks getting Jake adjusted and continuing to get the house in order before she starts working part-time on her assignment. We are both looking forward to getting to the work that the Lord has sent us here to do!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers as we have really been blessed to have everything go so smoothly this far. We praise God for blessing us in more ways than we can imagine. If you would like to pray for some of our current needs, they are:

- That we are able to find a car that is within our budget, yet reliable enough to last for the next three years.
- That we would learn quickly and perform well in our new roles beginning tomorrow.
- Continued good health for our family.
- That God would continue to move in mighty ways in his church in Africa.

This weekend, we are going to try to get to one of the game parks around here, so hopefully we will have some interesting pictures to share with you next time. May God bless you in a powerful way this week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Leavin' On A Jet Plane...

Yes, the time has finally come. We are leaving for Johannesburg tomorrow at 5:45am, which means we will be leaving for the airport around 3:30am! We are very excited, and yes, a little nervous, but we know that God has ordained this path for us and that he will be with us throughout our journey. There's nowhere else in the world we'd rather be than right where he wants us.

Well, this is going to be a short one because we have a lot to do today and not much time in which to get it all done. However, we will have a lot to say and a lot of pictures to post once we get there and get our internet hooked up! We thank each one of you for the part that you've played in getting us to this point.

As we leave, we ask that you would pray for traveling mercies for our family and that God would show us exactly what he wants us to do and be while we are in South Africa. Thank you once again and we will be posting again soon from our new home!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake