January Hawkins' Headlines (Includes Furlough Calendar)

Happy New Year from South Africa! The last quarter of 2025 was packed with ministry, and God proves Himself faithful over and over. He is so good! We can only share a snippet of what’s happening here in our short prayer letter, so be sure to check out our FB and IG to find current updates and photos! 

In October, we led our annual S.M.A.S.H. missions trip (Students Ministering And Serving Him) locally based in Durban North. This was a team of South African youth and young adults, and we were able to run a Holiday Bible Club (VBS) at Sinakekele Children as an outreach for the children in their community. We also teamed up with some local churches and helped them with evangelistic outreach into their communities. Here is a testimonial from one of the youth on the trip, Nicole: 

“This week as we came here for this S.M.A.S.H., God has been teaching me to get out of my comfort zone and reach out to more people, even if it’s people that I’m not comfortable with or I do not know. I should reach out and share the gospel; be bold and courageous.”

A New Granddaughter

This Christmas Day we welcomed another granddaughter, Madeline May Hawkins, into our family. We can’t wait to meet her and spend time with Brandon, Brianna, & Sarah soon!

Furlough 2026

We’re traveling for furlough, but our hearts will remain in South Africa. Thank you for being part of this journey—whether you send us, pray for us, or walk with us from afar! We can’t wait to share stories, moments, and glimpses of how God is moving in South Africa. This is a rough outline of our schedule, but it is flexible and we would love a chance to see YOU!

Jan 13-17 - Staff Retreat, Johannesburg, South Africa

Jan 18-25 - Switzerland

Jan 25-28 - Montoursville, PA

Jan 29-Feb 10 - Hoschton, GA

Feb 10-Mar 20 - Hudson, FL

Mar 20-25 - Denver, NC

Mar 26-Apr 16 - Montoursville, PA

Apr 17-May 21 - Davison, MI

May 21-Jun 10 - Montoursville, PA

Return to South Africa!!!

Youth Leader Training at Ngwelezane Baptist Church

 

S.M.A.S.H. 2025 Loading...

Meet our amazing team! Each person said ‘yes’ to God’s call and is bringing something unique to this mission. Pray for courage, health, and boldness for every team member.  Follow on FB or IG for updates throughout the trip!

Testimony Time

 

Meet Nicole - I met Jesus at Kids' Fun Day. Now, I'm leading a small group in children’s ministry at church. Word of Life helped me understand what it means to follow Jesus and make disciples. If He can use me, He can use you! 

Go Share Day at Redfern Bible Church

We partnered with Redfern Bible Church a while back for a great day of evangelism and ministry!

“Thank you and your team for joining us for evangelism at Redfern Bible Church. We appreciate your help and training our men for evangelism. May God’s glory continue to shine on you and your ministry. Blessings” 

Impact of S.M.A.S.H. Missions Trips (Students Ministering And Serving Him)

 “I am thankful for you and Uncle Brad and everyone at Word of life for the opportunity to serve on SMASH. I am now even more challenged to share the gospel everyday outside of SMASH in my personal life. I also learned the importance of sharing certain struggles with other Christians and praying and growing together…. This year has been quite a challenging year spiritually, so I am grateful that this short time at Smash was replenishing and encouraged a stronger walk with the Lord.”

Mala, Age 16

Take 5 for the Cause of the Gospel

"In the past 2 weeks, I had the opportunity to speak to the people in my cause circle about what they understood about Jesus and what questions they could possibly have. 

I initially expected them to decline because it had happened before, so I was prepared for the worst. I actually received a couple of questions that had me thinking for hours. But with the help from Aunty Mary, I was able to answer the questions that were asked.

To my surprise, this week I received a message at around 3 a.m., and one of the guys came across John 3:16 on his phone and he was very excited to share that verse with me. It was a really great experience to have that conversation with him and be part of his joy in that moment. I have been receiving bible verses from every day. I’m actually the one who’s learning now, and I’m very excited to continue learning with him.

It’s a really great feeling to feel saved by Jesus, and it’s an even greater feeling to watch another person get saved.

The biggest lesson I learnt was to step up and set a platform where nonbelievers can share with you about their understanding and beliefs about God, and to be willing to listen to them in order for them to listen to you. There are many people out there who are willing to learn, and we just need to step up a bit."

— Valery