What We Are Doing Here - Daily Living

I realize I should give an overview of what we are doing here on the coast of SA these last three months.  People know portions of it but maybe an overview pulls it together more.  I'll break these ministries up in future blogs and post pics but here is just an intro.

Although we miss the farm life greatly, one of the benefits of living in a town is that we are a lot closer to everything.  It's been a lot easier to be more hands-on and have more depth of relationships.  We also have more variety in opportunities to do ministry. 

With the boys in school, Brian and I take turns taking care of Annie and the household while the other is working.  We are really thankful scheduling has worked out so that both of us can live out our God-given ministry passions while balancing family life, our first priority.

Here's a quick look at our week:

MONDAY
Morning is our time off.  As for the afternoon, Brian spent all of first school term volunteering as head basketball coach at a local high school.  Brian + Basketball + Coaching Teens = PASSION  :)

Now that it's basketball offseason, Brian will still coach at the school a couple days a week but now has Monday afternoons free to spend at the Murchison Community Centre.  The centre serves the youth in that community by providing a feeding scheme, reading program, music academy and gym.  He will initiate a basketball program while the kids and I play with some of the younger children.

TUESDAY
Brian spends the whole morning at our partner church in a staff devotional and pastors' meeting.  We appreciate NSC, our partner church, for the way they have embraced us as part of their staff!

He then coaches at the high school in the afternoon.

Afternoons are also spent preparing for our evening discipleship group.  We are taking 12 youth leaders (young professionals) through Francis Chan and David Platt's Multiply study the next few months.  The kids love having their grown up "friends" come over, but hate going to bed 15 minutes early Tuesday nights!  ;)

WEDNESDAY
Youth group happens on Friday nights so our whole morning is spent planning with some of our key leaders.  This is a vibrant group, so brainstorming sessions are always a blast!  Here is where we plan programming for our youth group of over 120 students, grades 8 to 12. 

THURSDAY
I LOVE spending my mornings at the Genesis Care Centre!  This is such a special place that primarily serves those battling HIV.  I am so blessed every time I walk through those doors.

Brian coaches at the high school in the afternoon so we tag team.

FRIDAY
We have devotions at church and then Anniston and I are about to start volunteering at a Zulu church preschool.  There are about 16 kids, ages five and under.  Their moms are primarily unwed teens.

Youth group happens in the evening. Over 100 youth attend weekly.  Brian is there to give oversight and sometimes teaches as well.  We are taking them through the Beware of Christians documentary.

In addition to the above "set" ministry times, we spend a lot of time preparing. We prepare for our discipleship group, plan for the team coming from our home church in June (YIPEE!!!), plan for the sports camp we started last year and will return to in June, research for Friday night youth and Brian preps for his twice weekly basketball Bible lessons.

In between all this, we are mom and dad and doing all the same things we would do at home; playing in the yard on pretty days, knocking out homework, hanging out with friends, exploring our new town, etc. We love that our kids are able to fit into a couple of ministries with us.  Anniston attends our Wednesday meetings and hangs out with us during Tuesday night discipleship group.  She's a champ in meetings, even the three hour ones!  Thankfully, our youth team is accommodating and so extremely loving to her.  I'm excited for her to learn some Zulu from her new friends at the Zulu preschool.

The boys will begin going to the Murchison Centre with us Mondays.  Noah is excited to do basketball lessons with his Dad and Tyler will be great playing with the younger kids.  They've also befriended two of the boys we see some weekends when they beg on the corner where we shop for groceries.  It means a lot to us that the kids can get to know the kiddos we've come to love on.  They are as much a part of this as we are.  We are thankful for that.  Some of the lessons are hard.  Through it all, we pray they are learning compassion.

Enough for now, more to come later!