Thankfulness to our Lord

During the month of June our deputation travels have taken us to the state of North Carolina where we have been ministering at Friendship Baptist Church in the city of Raleigh. Michelle enjoyed the opportunity to give her testimony and share with the ladies how we are ministering together as a family for the Lord in South Africa. I have been blessed to be under the mentorship of Pastor Robert Vradenburgh and have enjoyed the opportunities to observe and learn and to be given the privilege of teaching and preaching at the church. We greatly appreciate the special Sunday evening the folks of Friendship Baptist Church set aside to allow us to present the ministry the Lord has placed on our hearts. We will focus on our immediate task of completing the work began by Dr. Marc & Judie Blackwell (Michelle’s parents), in the town of Malmesbury. We will be encouraging this congregation to join us as life-long “Prayer Partners” in our ministry of Church Planting. Friendship Baptist Church has been such a blessing to us and has already encouraged us with their love and prayer support.

Deon Preaching at
Friendship Baptist Church

Within the last few months that we’ve been away from South Africa, we have heard from our co-workers of how the Lord is blessing Swartland Baptist Church. We are excited to hear of three new families that have been visiting the church. We thank the Lord for the completion of two new classrooms that have been added to the church facilities to enhance the Sunday school program with the children. We also give praise to the Lord for the reports of “one of the best” Family Camps ever held at Paardeberg Mountain Retreat. This was a “first” for Swartland Baptist Church to be able to fellowship with their sister church plant, Paarl Valley Baptist Church, being planted in a town about 40 minutes drive to the Southeast. We have especially been encouraged to hear how the Lord has been working in the lives of the people of Malmesbury through the blessings they have received and we look forward to returning in September to continue ministering for the Lord amongst them all.

We would like to express how thankful we are to the Lord… for some really special ‘news:’ Michelle and I have found out that she is pregnant and due to have our second child in November of this year. She suffered a miscarriage in September of 2011 so we are overjoyed and excited to hear that this little baby is doing much better. Please keep Michelle and Baby Boy Rensburg in prayer that she and the baby would have safety and strength as we travel the many miles needed to visit and present our ministry to the churches along the East coast of the United States.

Thank you for your love and prayers for our family and for our church planting in this strategic town of Malmesbury in South Africa!