Prayer Update

Life has been so busy, that we're not keeping up well with updates regarding the ministry.  Please forgive us!

SMASH went well with a total of over 60 youth coming together to serve Him over their school holidays!  We were able to do ministry through many different avenues, and saw many come to Christ as well as many that were serving with us committing their lives to serving Christ in full time ministry.

Please join us in praying for Natashia and Cindy, two wonderful young ladies, who are considering attending the Word of Life Bible Institute in Hungary.  Pray for wisdom, reassurance of God's plan for them, and finances, should they feel this is the path that God has in store for them.

We are thrilled about the upcoming arrival of a team of 5 people from Sinking Springs, PA.  They will be spending a week with us, and it is jam-packed full of ministry! You can read about it here if you want to pray for us!

We now have 20 days left before we leave for the US and there is so much to do! Keep us in your prayers that in our busyness, we keep God at the centre of our focus.

Love, Mary for the fam
Brad, Mary, Brandon, Marissa & Mya Hawkins

Ministry team from Sinking Springs!

We are thrilled about the upcoming arrival of a team of 5 people from Sinking Springs, PA.  They will be spending a week with us, and it is jam-packed full of ministry!

Here is a copy of our schedule so far, so that you can pray with us more specifically!
Monday - team arrives
Tuesday - morning, To Be Confirmed
                afternoon, Place of Safety - ministering to needy children
Wednesday - Thsolofelo (means "hope"), a small orphanage for 12 children where we found                     Mya - we will be doing some maintenance, housework, playing with children and                     holding babies
Thursday - morning, Open Air Evangelism with Mike Neilson
                afternoon, Place of Safety - ministering to needy children
Friday -     evening - Word of Life Olympians, Sandton Bible Church
Saturday - afternoon - Micro F1 (racing Hot Wheels cars) Evangelistic meeting at Joe Slovo                     Community Centre - expecting approximatey 100 children
                evening - Teen Youth Meeting, Bosmont EBC
Sunday -   morning - Church at Bosmont EBC
                evening - Church at Grace Baptist Church
Monday -   team returns to US

Re: Mya Coming to America

We now have a temporary passport in our hands!!!!!!!!!! 
I was able to schedule an appt. for a visa interview on the morning of August 8, leaving only 3 business days to get a visa.  It is only supposed to take 2 business days to process a visa.... In the meantime we are going to try to get an earlier "emergency" appointment.

During the phone call for the visa appt, we were told we would need to bring Mya's unabridged birth certificate to the appt.  This creates a problem for us!  We applied for this in early March and were told it would take 6-8 weeks.  It has now been almost 5 months, and still nothing.

They say that her registration of birth has been misplaced.  We know that she was registered because we have a short form birth certificate and it has an ID number on it! They are trying to say that we need to re-register her birth, but that's not something that Brad and I can do.

There is a slight possibility of getting a visa approved without this form (we know that has happened before), but it is a form we need in the long run anyway, so it would be nice to have it sorted out now.

Anyway, it's not over yet, so keep on praying!

Mary, for the fam
Brad, Mary, Brandon, Marissa & Mya

Re: Mya Coming to America

Thank you for your prayers!!!  We have been granted permission to bring Mya to the US! 

Yesterday we applied for a passport.  We must have a passport number in order to make an appointment to apply for a visa. Our flight is in 26 days.  Please keep praying that things fall into place smoothly so our little girl is on that plane with us!

Mary, for the fam
Brad, Mary, Brandon, Marissa & Mya Hawkins
Word of Life South Africa

Re: Mya Coming to America

We are still waiting for a Section 52 to be approved to bring Mya to the US to visit, BUT we were able to find out today that she can travel on a temporary passport! These usually take about 5 business days to process after we get permission, then we will have to apply for a visa, which usually takes 2-3 days.  This is looking more plausible again!

Keep praying!!!!!!

Mary, for the fam
Brad, Mary, Brandon, Marissa & Mya