Passed My Driving Test

Well, I just wanted to update everybody on my

license situation. On Friday I went and took

my driving test. I passed and thankfully didn't

even get asked for a bribe. Praise God!! He

deserves all the praise!! So below is a picture

of me with my temporary license document.

I go back in 4 weeks to get the real license. I

have enjoyed being able to drive my Mazda

Drifter again and battling it out with the crazy

taxi drivers on the SA roads. I look forward to

driving around and doing ministry my last two

months here in South Africa.

Me with my License and Truck!!

Prayer Request

Tomorrow, Friday February 11th I am

going to take the Driving Test to try and

get my South African driving license. My

US license has expired and its been expired

to long to get it renewed online. So I have

been in the long process the last few months

of trying to get a South African license.

After many delays I was finally able to

get my learners permit and was able to get a

reasonable testing date for my driving test.

That day is finally here. For those of you who

don't know license are hard to come by here

without paying bribes. Also the test is much

more detailed then the test in the States. So

please pray for me tomorrow as I take my

test that I will do well and also that the

instructor will be grade me fairly and not ask

for any bribes. If I pass I will be able to stay

until my extension into April expires. If not I

will leave South Africa at the end of this month

unfortunately. So I appreciate your prayers in

this matter very much. Whatever happens

tomorrow I know God has a plan and purpose

for everything. Pray that I will just trust in that

and not worry about it. Thanks again for you

prayers and support.

Soccer Clinic In Dobsonville/Meadowlands

The past two Saturdays in Dobsonville rachel,

lori, stephanie, philani, and I have had the

opportunity to go play soccer with kids and

share the gospel with them. We usually begin

with basic drills, then we split up into teams

and play. At half time of the games we share a

Bible story and invite the kids to Church. It

has been a very fun time playing and getting

to know these kids. Pray they will take what

they hear and believe it.

Everybody introducing themselves before we

started the drills.

Stephanie playing soccer with some of the

older kids!

Lori and Rach playing soccer with the

younger kids!

Lori sharing the story of Elijah and the

prophets of Baal while Philani translated.

64 kids heard the Bible story this day!!

Praise the Lord that 10 of these kids came to

church the next day. Pray that they will

continue to come and that Given & I can go

visit them and their families at home to share

the Gospel with them.

Carnivore

Last week wednesday some friends and I had

the opportunity to go to the carnivore to eat.

We ate chicken, beef, pork, lamb, sable, kudu,

crocodile, and zebra. Unfortunately there was

no giraffe on the menu that night. It was a fun

evening of fellowship and great food!! Enjoy

the pics!

Dec 2010 Holiday in Cape Town

The last week of Dec 2010 I went with some

friends to Cape Town on Holiday. It was a

nice relaxing vacation. Here are some pics

from the week.

At Boulders Beach about to go see the

penguins!

Me with some penguins in the background!

Penguins on the beach!

Cape of Good Hope

One of the many beach shots from the week!

Me sitting on top of a boat at the waterfront

with Table Mountain in the background!!

Nov 2010 Soccer Tournament

Back in November we had a soccer tournament

for the kids in the 4 schools Philani and I have

been working in over the past two years. This

was the last tournament for the kids while I am

here in SA. It was a great day for the kids to

play and compete with one another. At the end

of the tournament I was able to share the gospel

and then we had a trophy presentation. It was

a great day!!

Mayibuye as Germany came in 1st Place!!

Bonamelo as Argentina came in 2nd Place!

Dr. Mary as Portugal came in 3rd Place!

Obed as Spain came in 4th Place!

Pray for these kids as they grow up in Soweto!

Many of them do not have support at home and

live under difficult circumstances. Pray that

the things they have learned over the past two

years will grow in them and that they may come

to have a relationship with Jesus!!

Sibongile & Lebo's Wedding

On October 30th I had the privilege to attend

my first African Wedding of my good friends

Sibongile and Lebo. Here are some pics from

the day.

Thembani, Rach, Patricia, Mama Tshabalala,

& Beth before the wedding started.

Given, Rach, & I before the wedding

started.

Alan performing the wedding ceremony for

Lebo and Sibongile.

Sibongile putting the ring on Lebo.

Lebo putting the ring on Sibongile.

Wedding Cake

September Vacation to Victoria Falls

In September I had the privilege to go on vacation

to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe with my friends

Rachel Jensen, Stacie Barker, and Ethan Crowder.

We had a lot of fun seeing the falls and just

hanging out and relaxing while surrounded by

God's amazing creation. Here are a few pics.

Hope you enjoy them.

Given & Philani

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

While here in South Africa I have been truly

blessed to be able to work along side and

become great friends with some amazing

people. I would like to share with you a little

about two young men specifically that I really

enjoy very much. I don't know what I would do

without them. They are absolutely amazing

young men of God. There names are Given

Mokoena and Philani Mjijwa.

Given is the first national that I really met and

got to know when I arrived here. He is 20 years

old and just finished high school. Given is an

excellent translator for me and his spiritual gift

is without a doubt evangelism. Given goes

along with me to Bible studies, Church in

Dobsonville, and visitations for evangelism.

He helps with translating for sure but sometimes

will lead Bible studies and preach also.

Philani is a young man of 23 years old.

I met Philani a year ago last month. Philani is

a former semi pro soccer player. Obviously he is

an excellent player and a testimony of how

God changed his life and showed him how there

was more to life than drugs and soccer. Philani

helps me coach and translate at the 4 different

schools that I work with in Soweto. His soccer

skills, translating ability, and testimony fit

perfectly and help out so much with my soccer

ministry. He is an example that the boys we

coach can really look up to.

I am reminded daily how blessed I am to have

them alongside me to help me with ministry.

More importantly though I truly cherish there

friendship which means the world to me. I will

miss them very much come next April when

I leave to go back to the US. Please be praying

for them to continue to walk and grow with God

daily. I see God is using them daily and He will

continue to use them mightily in the years to

come here in South Africa.

Given and I at a world cup soccer game.

Philani & I preparing to watch

the first game of the World Cup.

Dobsonville

The past 2 months I have had the privilege

along with the Soweto team and my friend

Given to help start 2 Bible studies and get a

worship service started in Dobsonville,

Soweto. Please pray that God will continue

to work in the lives of those who are attending.

Please pray that I will seek the Lords guidance

in what to preach each sunday and as i lead

these two Bible studies along side my friend

Given.

Sunday Morning Worship. It was a small

group this past week. That is Given in

the back.

Bible Study

World Cup 2010

The World Cup has come and gone. It was an

exciting time and I am truly blessed to be here

in South Africa while the World Cup was here.

While the world cup was going on I was blessed

to have been able to attend 5 games live and

watch many more. Enjoy the pictures!!

Here is a crowd in Soweto getting ready to

watch the opening match between South Africa

and Mexico on the big screen.

Brad, Philani, & I excited and ready

to watch the opening game of the

2010 World Cup between Bafana

Bafana and Mexico in SnakePark,

Soweto!!

Amber, Rach & I watching USA v Slovenia at

Ellis Park in downtown Jozi!

Kurt & I at USA v Algeria game in Pretoria.

Thanks again Kurt. It was fun!

My friend Given & I enjoying a game in

Polakwane between Paraguay & New Zealand!

Amber, Rach, and I at Soccer City watching a

round of 16 game between Argentina & Mexico.

It was freezing that night but lots of fun!

Argentina v Mexico!!

Rach & I were blessed enough to find tickets

to the quarterfinal game between Spain &

Paraguay at Ellis Park!! It was an awesome

game! Fun times!

Quarterfinal game between Spain & Paraguay.

Mission Trip To Manzibomvu In Zululand

Several weeks ago i had the opportunity to go

on a Mission trip to manzibomvu in Zululand.

It was an awesome week of ministry, camping,

and even some relaxation on the beach. I

enjoyed it so much I hope God calls me back

to work in a rural setting like this someday.

Enjoy the pics.

Scenery on the trip to Zululand

More beautiful scenery

Setting Up Camp

Our group that went to share with the schools

every morning.

Sharing with the High School

Holiday Bible Club with the kids in the late

afternoon.

Kids at Holiday Bible club.

The packed out school room for the Jesus Film

presentation one evening.

In the afternoons we did some work around

the church property. This is a hole for a new

septic tank we put in.

Trent & I installing the new toilets.

On our day off we went to the beach for several

hours to relax and swim in the Indian Ocean.

Can't beat chilin with good friends at the

beach.