Monday, September 22, 2014

MINISTRY OVER ... HOW TO SUPPORT


Mark, Barb, JJ and Kara Hugo are South African citizens serving in fulltime cross cultural ministry with SIM (sim.org) and ZEMA (zema.org) in South Africa.

BACKGROUND

Mark grew up in Cape Town and studied Construction Management at Univeristy of Cape Town.  He worked a number of years in Cape Town as a site agent before heading to USA where he did his Masters in Pastoral Studies (at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon).  He came to a saving knowledge of Jesus as his personal Savior while first in the USA. 
Barb grew up in East London, South Africa and studied occupational therapy at University of Cape Town.  This is where they metJ.  She worked with various physical disabilities in SA and the USA.  While in the USA, she also enjoyed volunteering as a peer counselor at a Portland Metro Crisis Pregnancy centre.  Jesus gently became a permanent part of her life in her middle 20’s.

HISTORY

The Hugo’s became appointee’s with SIM in 1996.  Their fulltime service began in 1998 in the NW Province of South Africa in a small town of Mogwase.  Here they lived and worked in this predominatly Tswana area doing church work and later setting up a crisis counseling centre that did peer counseling, training and HIV testing and counseling. 

After 10 years in Mogwase, they moved to Sunbury Christian Camp in KwaZulu-Natal to learn the ministry of ZEMA amongst the Zionists.  While doing this, they also oversaw maintenance and housekeeping at the conference centre.  Mark also started teaching in the Zion Bible School run from Sunbury and Barb did some peer counselor training there.  They served there just over 4 years. 

(ZEMA provides bible teachers for Zion Bible Schools or ZEBS.  The Zionists organize themselves a group in their community that wants bible teaching.  ZEMA responsds by providing a teacher.  The teacher goes to the community rather than the students coming to a bible school.  This makes it much more affordable for the students.  Presently ZEMA has over 70 bible schools, around 40 teachers and more than 2200 students registered in Southern Africa.)

During this period living and serving at Sunbury, the Hugo’s dealt with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, when Barb was diagnoses with breast cancer.  Three years ago then moved to Durban so Mark could do fulltime Zion Bible School teaching.  The Lord, in His grace, has allowed 3 cancer free years since that initial treatment. 

PRESENT MINISTRY

Mark teaches Zionists at the ZEBS in Umlazi and is part of a team of 4 ZEMA missionaries who teach and support each other in KZN.  He is looking at other opportunities to open other ZEBS in the area with local pastor support.

Mark teaches twice a week at Durban Bible College which is a small evangelical bible school started by TEAM.  He has opportunity here to feed into leaders of the present and future but also has opporutnies to share about ministry amongst the amaZioni.

Mark runs the young adults bible study at the church we attend which has young people from South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.

Mark is also available to preach, teach and encourage in local churches.

Barb homeschools their 2 children.  Her low vision means her mobility is restricted but she enjoys hospitality and also assists with teaching counseling skills with the Zionists. 

OUR PASSION

Marks passion is to see the light go on in the hearts and minds of fellow Africans when presented with the Truth of God’s Word.
Barbs passion is to see the Body of Christ equipped in how to listen and disciple to form healthy relationships and to be Jesus’ hands in our hurting world.
JJ’s passion is art and music.  His desire is to study animation.
Kara’s passion is rhythmic gymnastics, ballet and writing in that order.  She is not yet sure what she wants to study when finished school.

HOW TO BE A PART OF OUR SUPPORT TEAM…

PRAYER…  If you do not receive regular communication from us, please let us know so we can add you to our mailing lists.  We communicate via email, facebook and blog.
Barbara Hugo or Hugo’s Highlights on fb

FINANCIAL SUPPORT explained…
As missionaries, we raise our own support.  Meaning we rely on the regular financial donations of friends, churches and groups for our monthly salary.  SIM coordinates all these donations on our behalf.

There are 2 ways to support financially…
1.     Monthly support.  These gifts are pooled together and cover our monthly living allowance, medical pool, travel fund for furlough, retirement, admin costs and housing.  The mission works out the minimum monthly cost per country where a missionary serves. 
2.     Ministry support.  This pools in our ‘ministry account’ to assist with ministry costs like transport (petrol is expensive in SA) and other ministry expenses. 
3.     One time gifts.  If you’re unable to give on a monthly basis, one time gifts are pooled together in our ‘ministry account’ and we’re able to draw from here as needed.

If you choose to join our support team, you would need to specify which of these 2 accounts you want your support to go to.  SIM will assist you in how best to make your contributions.
Contact people are…
South Africa:  John Berry or Gerhardt Venter (021)  715 3200
USA:  www.sim.org
England:  graham.brown@sim.org

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