March 2013 edition

HUGOS HIGHLIGHTS

March 2013 edition

NEWS FROM MARK, BARB, JJ AND KARA

With SIM ...seconded to ZEMA  

     

Us with Marks family in Cape Town this past Christmas

The oppressive KZN summer heat season is slowly passing.  Phew what a relief!  With it comes a sense of clarity about our future…  We’ll be relocating to Cape Town in Oct/Nov this year.  We have been asking the Lord what He wants from us for a while now.  In Jan.  He brought us to the decision that we need to move to Cape Town to be closer to our support system.  Both ZEMA and SIM have supported us in our decision which we saw as the Lord’s door to stay in fulltime ministry.  ZEMA is excited to have us become the first ZEMA missionaries to live and serve the Zionists in the Western Cape.  Up until now, our colleague, Luaan Goosen has been commuting from King Williams Town (9 hours away) to respond to the requests of Zionists in that area.  He was overjoyed with the opportunity of us taking over that responsibility from him. 

Please pray for us as we end off this side and make preparations to move (for those who don’t know, Cape Town is a 18 hour drive from Durban).  We are trusting the Lord to show us each detail as He loves us to CT. The work Mark is doing here, is even going to be easily absorbed by existing missionaries and church leaders.  We have started telling people and its very sad.

Pallatese time...

The kids…  were initially resistant to yet another move.  But quickly realized how great it would be to for once be living close to family.  You could join them in praying for how to safely relocate the animals (the cat being a particular concern to JJ) and Kara for leaving her coaches and gym buddies. 

We continue homeschooling and its fun to see the kids learn and grow so differently.  We’re starting a new SA curriculum called Love2Learn (google offers great info) tho we’ll continue with the math program we’ve been using from the beginning with Sonlight.  Love2Learn is linked to Cambridge for the last 3 years of highschool, so its nice to have that option. 

Mark and the kids making blow darts...

Many thanx to those who have been praying for the children.  We thank the Lord for answered prayer.  JJ is now doing art once a week, has a drum lesson weekly and has started going to worship team practice 2x a month (tho has not ventured near the stage yet).  He continues to love scouts and is swimming 2x a week.  Kara continues gyming 5x a week, has started a weekly pallatese lesson (Yvonne does it in our home… she is a retired SA rhythmic gymnast) and she is dying to increase her ballet to 2x a week (but we just can’t fit it in).  Her ballet teacher thinks she should take the grade 5 exam this year and we’re still in the midst of seeing whether she’ll compete level 5 or 6 this year.  Right now she’s doing both! 

At Mayville ZEBS

We just can’t believe that they are already 14 and 12!!! 

ZEBS…  Umlazi continues to be a weekly encouragement to Mark.  Mark is teaching through the topic of angels and demons at the moment.  He comes home with many stories… he is learning a ton from the Zionists.  He has been assisting a colleage, Thomas Hassenknoff, teaching some lessons in a monthly ZEBS Thomas started just up the road from us in Mayville.  Good experience for Cape Town for sure.  Thomas is doing a super job and these new students are very excited at the chance to learn more about God’s Word.

Mark with 6 from his class of 7 at Durban Bible College

Durban Bible College…  Mark has stepped in to teach 2x a week for a TEAM missionary on furlough until July.  This past term he taught an overview of the bible.  Next term he teaches cultural anthropology.  He is enjoying this small group of 7 first years.

Mark and Barb… are doing fine.  This year has felt much ‘lighter’ than last year.  Our fatigue levels are improving and we’re starting to laugh againJ  The adjustment to life after cancer treatment (with the ever present unknowns related to that) wear one down over time.  We were overjoyed with Barbs clear blood results in Jan.  Her annual PETscan is scheduled for July. 

Mark is back running consistently and is getting into trail running.  He’s working on the house as he is able.  Presently finishing up the second bathroom. 

Barb is enjoying a weekly outing with Kara to gym in La Lucia where she visits with Paula for the afternoon, mom of one of K’s buds - a time of mutual encouragement, much laughter, some exercise and even a bit of shopping.

Support…  We’ve been encouraged by some people indicating a wish to increase support or provide one time gifts.  It seems the Lord is saying ‘stay’ in fulltime ministry.  Our support level is not however, where SIM needs it to be, so please continue to lift this need up.  J 

Other upcoming…  We are hoping to do a counselor training with leaders of the KwaMashu churches (Zionist included) the end of March.

The Stearns, another SIM family from England, will be returning to England in July.  Pray with us for them, especially the children. J and K are very fond of their 3 children and we will miss them terribly.

We have loved hearing from some of you over the last couple of months.  We value your friendship and love to know whats happening in your lives.  We’re enjoying being more connected with facebook.  We love the informal way of staying connected.  Please let us know if you’re on facebook. 

We trust you’ll see His fingerprints very clearly in your lives in the next few weeks.  He is so very faithful.  We trust this season of remember His victory at the cross will fill you with wonder at His wonderful gift to us. 

In Him

Mark, Barb, JJ and Kara