NEW TEAM MEMBERS

Three years ago I was nearing the end of my studies through the Church Ministries Institute - Cape Town. Michelle and I had prayed about and discussed the next steps we should take towards becoming church-planting missionaries in South Africa. We had wanted to be a part of a team because during my studies with the Church Ministries Institute I had learned how valuable a team was to a church-planting ministry.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

We had also been a part of the Multi-lingual Team when I did my internship through Paarl Vallei Baptiste Gemeente. I saw for myself a team working together towards seeing a church-plant becoming autonomous.

We prayed for a couple that we could team up with, continuing the church-planting efforts made here in the Western Cape started more than twenty years ago. The Lord guided us to missionaries Marc & Nancy Blackwell. They have been missionaries here in the Western Cape, South Africa for seventeen years and were nearing the end of one of their church-planting ministry efforts. We approached them during this time about teaming up with us. After many discussions and prayer by both couples, they came back to us saying that they would like to serve the Lord with us!

The Blackwell Family

Marc, Nancy and their children, Nicole & Matthew officially joined us at Swartland Baptiste Gemeente, Malmesbury in November of 2013. We are thankful to the Lord for leading us to this couple. We have already learned so much from them and look forward to the years ahead as we serve together along with the other members on the Multi-lingual Team working in Paarl.

Please be praying for Marc & I and our wives as we pray about and act upon strategies we believe the Lord would have us follow for this year of 2014. Through these strategies we pray:

•  The Lord would guide us to new families in our community that we can see come to know the Lord as their Savior.
•  Teaching them from God’s Word, seeing them grow in the Lord and being a witness to those around them.

 We are forever grateful for you, our Prayer Warriors. Thank you for partnering with us in this way. It is a great encouragement to us knowing that we have many people in South Africa and the United States and throughout the world praying for our family and ministry in Malmesbury, Western Cape, South Africa!