And Then There Were Four

“A man’s steps are of the Lord; how, then, can a man understand his own way.” – Proverbs 20:24

My friend, Erin, arrived in South Africa on 7 May. She jumped straight into ministry shortly after getting off the plane, and she fits right in.

We met with Thembani for discipleship where we had a great discussion about Ruth.  Ruth lost everything: her husband, homeland and family. However, she chose to follow God and remained faithful in that decision. God rewarded her faithfulness by providing her with a Godly mother-in-law, husband and child. Finally, we discussed how we should never assume that what happens in our lives is merely a matter of chance or coincidence. God is always at work, divinely orchestrating events to bring about his purposes in our lives. Pray for Thembani to realize God’s providence in her life amidst the daily struggles she faces.

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. During the testimony time, some of the youth shared a Bible verse. Then, to honor all the mama’s, they performed a song and dance. Afterwards, Erin got to meet a lot of our friends. Pray for these youth to be steadfast in the Word and that their desire to know God would increase every day.

We took a day trip to Standerton, Sibongile’s home town last Monday. We met her family, enjoyed some tea, juice and cakes, played with kids and toured the area to see where Sibongile grew up.

That afternoon, we drove around downtown looking for Sibongile’s brother, Sipho. He lives on the streets, so we weren’t sure that we would be able to find him. But, through God’s providence, Sibongile spotted him at a tuck shop (small shop to buy items like bread and cold drinks). It was at least a year since she last saw him, so it was very emotional for her to see him this way. We took him to KFC and enjoyed seeing him reunite with Sibongile and Kabelo. It was difficult to sit there as people stared at him and questioned why he was in the restaurant. Pray for Sipho to make better choices and choose to get off the streets, and pray that he will see all the ways God has provided for him and choose to follow the direction God has for his life.