December Hawkins' Headlines

 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! 2023 has been a whirlwind of a year from South Africa to the US and back - a year full of blessings from God! In October we returned to South Africa after a 3-month home assignment in the United States. We drove over 7,000 miles (11,000 km) and visited many friends and family. We also had the opportunity to have all our children under one roof for a week! Our time in the US was a blessing. Brandon & Brianna continue to serve with Word of Life in Taiwan, and they are expecting a baby in June. Please pray for them as Brianna has been experiencing morning sickness and fatigue, and navigating the maternity system in another culture can be a challenge. We are thrilled to be Grammy and Pappy soon - another blessing! Marissa came back to South Africa with us, and she is planning to continue her studies remotely. Please pray for wisdom as she makes decisions in this regard. Mya is continuing homeschool and will be starting Grade 11 in the new year. We are blessed to have time with them as we know it won’t last forever. We have two young men living and working with us currently, Joshua Mashele and Ngcebo Buthelezi. They are continuing in their studies of the Word of God, alongside with working on support raising so they can continue in the ministry. They are a blessing to Mary and I as both ministry and property maintenance would be too much for us to handle on our own. It was spectacular planning the 2024 ministry calendar together. It is a blessing to be able to pour into them and to work side by side! Joshua Ngcebo The end of the calendar year in South Africa means the end of the school year as well, as schools run from January-December. This means, amongst other things, planning and executing year-end functions and Christmas parties for children’s ministry and teen ministry, as well as our Christmas Carol service at church, and the gospel message was clearly presented at each one! It has kept us on our toes and is just now beginning to wind down. We are looking forward to celebrating the birth of Christ and taking some time to remember that this blessing is the foundation of our lives and ministry. Please pray with us as we look at the year ahead and strive toward every student everywhere hearing the gospel from a friend.

Global Evangelism Day!

On 11 November, we hosted a Global Evangelism event with Dare2Share ministries at Grace Baptist Queensburgh! This involved evangelism training and an outreach into the community. Our team had 22 in-person gospel conversations, and 1 decision for Christ. 7 of the youth in our team made dedications to be more intentional about sharing the gospel in their daily lives!

May Hawkins' Headlines

Sanibonani from Afrika!

In April, we took a SMASH team (Students Ministering And Serving Him) to Johannesburg for a week! It was a privilege to serve in various ministries together, including evangelism, Kids’ Fun Day, high school youth meetings, children’s ministries, and some work projects on the Word of Life property. We had 267 gospel conversations, and 102 people came to know Christ as Savior. We are excited to be able to plug those new believers into local church ministries right in their neighborhoods! (See more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/995727587177235.)

On May 6, Mary graduated from Calvary University with a double major, earning her bachelor’s degree in both Bible and Biblical Counseling. We are grateful to God for providing this opportunity, and for more tools to be able to better serve others.

We have quite a few events coming up in quick succession that you can be praying for. Coming up first is Kids’ Fun Day May 20. This is an evangelistic event that provides the opportunity for local churches to reach out and invite other children to come together for a day of fun games and food as an avenue to share the gospel. This event requires over 20 teen and adult volunteers to help the day run smoothly. Please pray that everything falls into place and the weather cooperates for this outside event.

The next event on our calendar on June 3 is the Mid-Year Leadership Conference for youth leaders and pastors. This will take place at the Word of Life Durban Property, and we have invited Pastor Kelly Smith from The Fellowship Baptist Church in Umhlanga to be our keynote speaker, with a focus on Holding the Line: Encouraging the Youth to Hold onto Their Faith.

June 8-12, Brad has the opportunity to fly to Cape Town and serve alongside teammate Thato Sathige, ministering to local churches and training up pastors and youth leaders, equipping them to better serve their children and youth. 

Later, from June 15-17, we will hold our annual BattleZone Camp in Durban for high school students. This camp is designed to help equip the youth to take up their crosses daily and follow Christ. Our theme this year is Lords and Ladies - teaching what God’s Word has to say about being a man or woman of God. 

Then from 26 June - 1 July, we will be running Holiday Bible Club (VBS) Keepers of the Kingdom, teaching the children in our local church and community to stand strong using the armor of God in the battle for truth. 

Next, we head to Johannesburg to join a Word of Life Student Fusion high school missions team from the US on July 5 for 10 days, after which we will fly to the US for a few months of home assignment. We would love to see you and update you in person on what God is doing through Word of Life South Africa while we are in the US! We will be traveling from a home base in Pennsylvania to Florida, New York, Maine, and Michigan. If you are en route to any of those locations, let us know so we can meet for coffee and catch up!

January Hawkins' Headlines

 

2022 flew by and we look back on the whirlwind of life and ministry, and we can truly say that God is faithful. There was much change in both our family life and ministry. In August, Marissa transferred to the New York campus of the Word of Life Bible Institute to continue her studies. We were so excited to have her home for three weeks over Christmas, though it did not seem long enough.

In October, Brandon and Brianna returned to their ministry with Word of Life in Taiwan! Once the country opened it’s doors to new visa applications, everything fell into place pretty quickly. We are so excited to see how God is using them to minister to the SYME students there, the staff, and also in their local church. 

Mya is continuing homeschool and started Grade 10 in January. Within the last year she has taken up tennis and violin, and was able to assist backstage at a local school theatre production. 

Also living in the Hawkins household is a young man named Lihle Sogoni. He was a youth at our church, and just gradually became a part of the family. When he needed a place to stay so that he could study at a local university, we were happy to open up our home to him, and he has been living with us for the last few years. He is a help and a blessing, both in the ministry and in our home.

Bowling on Brad's 50th Birthday (from left to right)
Lihle Brad, Ngcebo, Lamoudie, Mya, Johrin

2023 brings with it some new adventures! Some of you know that Johrin January was an intern with us in Durban for the last part of 2022. Not only did she return to intern for 2023, but we also welcomed two new interns. The first is Lamoudie Nawezi. You may recognize her name from a previous prayer letter. She started as a student at our other campus, and when she finished her studies, she committed to intern with us for at least the next 6 months. The third intern, Ngcebo Buthelezi, just matriculated (graduated) from high school in December, and he is planning to be with us for the year. Each of the interns will be studying and working with Word of Life. They live with us on the Word of Life property during the week and go home on the weekend to minsister in their local churches, with the exception of Johrin, who lives too far away to travel weekly.

NextGen Class

Among our new and exciting news here at Word of Life Durban is that we are working with our local church, Grace Baptist Church Queensburgh, to teach NextGen Bible Institute classes in coordination with the South African Theological Seminary right here in our classroom. These classes will be attended by the three interns, but also a couple of local pastors that are working toward their degrees. The first course is Biblical Worldview taught by Pastor Louis Fourie and it started tonight!

Raising the Bar Leadership Conference

The 2023 theme in both ministry and in our personal lives is “Raising the Bar.” We do not want to settle for mediocrity. Just last Saturday we had our Leader’s Kick Off conference for the local youth ministry leaders, and we were excited to have around 30 in attendance. We were challenged by Ed Ransami and S’bu Nyawo to raise the bar in the areas of evangelism, discipleship, and leadership. We are looking forward to an exciting year ahead serving God together.

Mya's Missions Trip

Greetings,

I would like to share with you the opportunity the Lord has given me to serve in Port Shepstone during my school break on a short-term mission trip! I will be part of a Word of Life Missions team called SMASH (Students Ministering And Serving Him). Through SMASH, young people from around Durban have the opportunity to minister in South Africa for a week!

My trip to Port Shepstone will be from 3-9 July. I will meet with my team before my trip for training. Along with the rest of my team, I will learn how to share the Gospel clearly, effectively share my personal testimony, and spend time preparing for specific ministry opportunities. This will be a great chance for us to develop team unity as well as prepare for our time in Port Shepstone.

While in Port Shepstone, we will work alongside Port Shepstone Baptist Church together with Word of Life Missionaries, ministering in a variety of ways in order to share the Gospel with those we meet. We will help with Holiday Bible Club and have various opportunities to serve and share Christ in the community. We will have a full schedule, sharing the hope of salvation with as many people as we can!

I am writing to invite you to be a part of what God is going to do through this team in Port Shepstone. I am currently putting together a team of people who will support the work financially as well as through prayer. Will you commit to pray for me both as I prepare for the trip and while I am in Port Shepstone? In addition to prayer support, I need to raise $130 for trip expenses (food, lodging, transportation, ministry funds, etc.). Will you consider joining my financial team by giving a special gift toward my goal? Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can be part of what God is doing through Port Shepstone SMASH!

In case you are interested in being a part of my team to reach youth in Port Shepstone, I have included banking details below. Please use my name and SMASH as a reference. I am excited to see how the Lord will lead me through this experience and opportunity!

Gratefully,

Mya Hawkins 

Give in US: https://give.wol.org/06113c (write Mya SMASH in summary)

Give in South Africa: Word of Life South Africa FNB Clearwater Branch code: 254-005 
Account # 62009024093
(Use Mya SMASH as a reference)

May Hawkins' Headlines

 Sanibonani from Afrika!

We are excited to share with you some of the ministry opportunities we have already had this year! 

We had a great time of fellowship and encouragement at our Leader's Conference and an amazing challenge from the Word of God from Pastor Trent Eayrs. Thank you to all those that were able to come! We had representatives from 8 churches, and missed those that were unable to attend. Looking forward to a great year ahead working alongside them and pouring into the lives of youth at each of the churches!

Thank you for your continued prayers regarding Mary’s visa. At this point, she is here on a 90 day visitor’s visa and will have to request a 90 day extension at the beginning of June. In order for her to get a longer visa, she will have to return to the US to apply. We are praying for wisdom regarding each step we take in this process. To go to the US to apply would mean separation for an unknown period of time while she waits for the visa application to be processed. We know that God’s timing is perfect and He is in control.

Watch video update on KZN floods 14 April

In April, subtropical cyclone Issa passed through Durban resulting in massive flooding and over 430 deaths. We are fortunate that we did not have major damage to the Word of Life property. We lost the new retaining wall and have water in our newly renovated office block. Just as we started repairs, we had another major storm that resulted in more flooding and further damage to the property. Please pray for a quick resolution with the insurance company so that the repairs can be made before any further damage is done. 

We would like to present you with an opportunity to support Lamoudi Nawezi, a young lady with a desire to attend the Genesis Program with WOL South Africa. The aim of this program is to offer young adults an opportunity to study God's Word, be discipled, and get involved in various ministries in order to equip them to grow in their walk with the Lord and serve Him whole-heartedly wherever He takes them in life. The inclusive cost for studies, room and board, etc. is $1500. You can give to help cover her costs by indicating Genesis Project on the response slip and returning it to WOL, or by going to this website and noting Lamoudi’s name in the summary: https://give.wol.org/06128C. The Genesis Program is from July - December, but it is just the beginning!

Marissa has finished her academic year at the WOL Bible Institute in Florida, and is transitioning into counseling at camp for the next 6 weeks. Brandon & Brianna are waiting for Taiwan to open up for them to apply for visas, and in the meantime, they have been given the opportunity to also work in the camping ministry with Word of Life in Florida, so they will be on the same campus with Marissa. Mya turns 15 this month and is in Grade 9. 

September Hawkins' Headlines

 

Mr. & Mrs. Brandon Hawkins

On August 14 God added another daughter to our family! Brandon & Brianna’s wedding day was so special. We are thrilled to watch as they start this next phase of their life together. Please pray for them as they pursue returning to Taiwan to serve with Word of Life.

After the wedding, we wove our way to the Word of Life Bible Institute in Florida to settle in Marissa as a student. Goodbyes were difficult, but we are so proud and excited to see how God will develop and strengthen her over the next year!

It has been a blessing to visit many friends and family across the miles of our travels. We will be spending the majority of the remainder of our time in PA with a few weekend trips, and would love a chance to connect with you in person or virtually!

Please continue to pray for our visa applications for our return to South Arica. We have seen some movement, but are still waiting for the final approval. We hope to return to South Africa mid-October.

Thank you for your prayers for our time in the US these last few months! God has granted us around 7000 miles (11000 km) of safe travels, as well as grace through some exciting major life changes! The blue states on the map are the States we have been in since our arrival in June.