Prayer Update

Dear Friends,

Wow! is all I can say for last few weeks here in South Africa.  I have been meaning to send you an update before this, but it has been go, go, go since we got back from Cape Town. Let me tell you about our trip:

• 6 of us (4 with WOL and 2 local Leaders) flew down on Friday, June 8.
• We had a youth rally on Friday night with 200+ students and leaders in attendance.
•  On Saturday we taught a Leaders Conference for the local leaders and churches.  When we planned this trip the told us to plan for about 35 and when we got there we found around 50 people.  We had a great time of sharing about the principles WOL is founded on and sharing how to apply them practically.
• The 6 of us split up and went to different churches on Sunday, many getting the opportunity to preach.
• We have already had 2 churches call and express a desire to start right away and there are going to be more in the coming weeks.  I can’t wait to see how God continues to work this out and see how this will grow.

Next, I want to share with about what is happening in the next two weeks.  We leave Friday for camp.  Our Mid-Year Leadership Conference will be Friday and Saturday and at the same time will be the training for SMASH (Students Ministering And Serving Him), our annual mission’s trip for South African teens.  On Sunday and Monday will be more training for SMASH and ministry here in Gauteng.  On Tuesday we leave for Swaziland with the youth from SMASH to do ministry there.  We will return to Johannesburg on Friday, June 29.

Now if that wasn’t enough when we get back Mary and I have a one day turnaround and head for Pietermaritzburg.  We will be hosting a Holiday Bible Club in a local church there we are currently involved with.  Our theme is "Back to the Beginning" and we will be teaching on creation.  Then and only then will we be coming home and getting back into the swing of things here.  We are all looking forward to seeing how God is going to use all these opportunities!

Prayer Requests:

1. Trip to Swaziland
2. Trip to Pietermaritzburg
3. Mid-Year Leadership Conference
4. Churches in Cape Town
5. Family as we travel over next few weeks
6. Mary & Marissa as they are recovering from sinus infections/tonsillitus and hope to be well before SMASH.
   

Praise Items:

1. Friends who purchased Mary’s hard drive
2. Successful trip to Cape Town
3. Safety for our family

In His Service

Brad Hawkins
Word of Life South Africa

Welcome to the VanBruggens!

The VanBruggens have been accepted as appointee's to Word of Life South Africa!  They will be serving at Word of Life INN in Schroon Lake, NY this summer with the STC program.

The Van Bruggen Family
Mike, Fran, Ethan (16), Bret (14), and Rachel (12)

Prayer Update

Dear Friends,

Just want to share a bit of all that has been happening here in SA.  We are finishing off the preparations for our trip to Cape Town, we leave this Friday.  There will be 6 of us, including the 4 on our staff, John Page, Garth Lombard, Alan Schuster & I, as well as a local Pastor, Wayne Gordon & a local Youth Leader, Mike Cameron. We are going to be hosting a youth rally for about 200+/- Students that night.  We are planning a great night of teaching and sharing from God’s Word as well as some games for them all.  On Saturday we will be meeting with about 35 - 40 Pastors and Youth Leaders to share about the ministry of Word of Life. We are so excited to see this trip growing and how God has sparked the interest of the people in the Cape Town area.  Then, if that isn’t enough, we all will be preaching in different churches on Sunday before flying home to Jo’berg that evening.  Please be praying that we see God’s leading in what we need to do to help these churches in the coming months.

            Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?  You can come and help anytime you want! We currently have a short termer here now and it is great to give her a chance to see all this first hand and to help get everything done for all these trips.  It has been a blessing to have an extra pair of hands and a heart that's willing to work!

Prayer Request:

1. Youth Leaders and Youth
2. Trip to Cape Town – Traveling safety and finances for traveling is needed
3. For the Family while I am away to Cape Town
4. SMASH Camp to Swaziland
5. Marissa’s Birthday this Friday – Daddy will be away

Praise Items:

1. Friends who purchased a new hard drive for Mary's computer
2. God's ongoing provision for the Ministry
3. Safety for our family
4. Mary and I celebrated our 14^th Wedding Anniversary

In His Service,

Brad Hawkins