April Hawkins' Headlines

Sanibonani from South Africa!

We are excited to share with you a little of our ministry over the past few months and a glimpse into a few opportunities that are to come!

BattleZone Camp was in March. There were 50 people with staff and students. Our theme was Bible Origins, and we were excited to have guest speaker, executive director of Voice of the Martyrs South Africa Ashley Illman. We were reminded how special the Word of God is, but also how privileged we are to be able to have a copy, the ability to use it in the open, and to worship freely. Here is a testimony from one of the campers:

The impact that BattleZone Camp had in my life was quite profound. It made me realize how privileged we are to have access to the Bible, because so many people do not. I also found it amazing how despite the persecution Christians face in so many countries, they are still so eager to use every opportunity they get to meet together and grow in their faith, even though this may result in death. This caused me to do some self evaluation and I'd say, I've really learnt to not take the privilege of being able to go to church and having the Bible for granted, as well as the importance of praying for the persecuted Christians.
Sfeziwe Buthelezi, age 15


Over the last few months, I have had various opportunities to fill the pulpit in local churches as well as teach the students at Durban Bible College. It is a privilege to teach both about the Word of God and the importance of youth ministry in the local church!

Kids’ Fun Day is happening on 18 May! 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.

BattleZone Camp 2024

Please pray for our upcoming BattleZone Camp from 21-23 March! We look forward to the work that God will do in the lives of those who attend. 

LCM Africa - We are excited for the opportunity to use our training and experience with Word of Life Local Church Ministries to coach and encourage other Word of Life missionaries throughout Africa and the Middle East with the same vision of every student everywhere hearing the gospel from a friend and growing in their walk with Christ. Right now, that takes the form of remote support but may involve traveling to visit other countries and doing in-person training and conferences in the near future. Please pray with us that God directs our steps for His glory!

Hawkins' Update

South Africa takes December holidays seriously as the schools have finished for the year and many businesses shut down until well into January. We have taken advantage of the quiet to tackle some projects around the Word of Life property, finish editing the curriculum for 2024, and spend some time reconnecting as a family.

On Sunday, we will be travelling 6 hours to Johannesburg for a week-long staff retreat with our teammates. We are looking forward to a time of reconnection with them, as well, and some refreshment and encouragement together.

Leader's Kick Off Conference

 

Merry Christmas from the Hawkins

 

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.