Prayer Update

Brad returned home from Battlezone Camp this evening excited about the wonderful time that was had by all, and exhausted from all the activity! This camp was a new experience for us and we'd love to share about it with you.  Check out the pictures!

23 teens arrived for registration on Monday afternoon and we had 2 days filled with fun and learning. Our focus for the first meetings was walking the walk. Then our focus changed to talking the talk, as we trained the teens how to share the gospel through various means, including a rope trick, a color bracelet and drama. We concluded the camp with an outreach as we headed to Norman House, a place of safety for troubled kids. We had quite a few youth make salvation decisions and also others that had many questions. Please keep both the campers and the youth at Norman House in your prayers.

Most of these campers will come to S.M.A.S.H. (Students Ministering And Serving Him) later this year. S.M.A.S.H. is a yearly short term mission opportunity for South African teens. This year we will be headed to Swaziland to do ministry.

Thank you for your prayers regarding Battlezone Camp!
Mary, for the fam
Brad, Mary, Brandon & Marissa Hawkins
Word of Life South Africa

Prayer Update

We were excited on Sunday night to answer a phone call from Community Baptist Church in Montoursville, PA. They called us on skype during their evening service for an update on our ministry for the missions conference! The phone rang around 12:10 am, as we're 6 hours ahead of EST, and we were able to use our webcam for them to see us on screen. We so appreciate their part in our ministry and it was exciting to share with them what God is doing here in South Africa.

You'll notice if you look at our calendar that the ministry is growing! We are doing orientation with 2 new churches, and it's been great to see their excitement and desire to see spiritual growth in their youth.

Here are a few upcoming events that we would like you to pray for:

1. Soccer Outreach, March 17 - We are coordinating an outreach with a church in a nearby informal settlement, Diepsloot. This event is hard to plan for, as it is impossible to do registration ahead of time. We don't know how many teams will be involved, but we are praying that many will be exposed to the gospel and that many will come to know Christ as personal Saviour! A group will be here from Maine to help with this outreach, as well as several people from local churches in Joburg.
2. Brad is preaching at Southern Suburbs EBC, March 18 - Brad is excited for the opportunity to fill in the pulpit as this church is currently without a pastor.
   
3. Battlezone Camp, March 26-28 - This camp is during school holidays and has a focus on discipleship with a ministry opportunity. Our goal is to encourage the kids to share their faith.
4. Ladies' Bible Study, March 30 - This will be the first of bi-weekly Bible study meetings that Mary will lead in our home. We will be studying a book of the Bible using the book Discover The Bible For Yourself by Kay Arthur.

The kids are doing well! It's hard for me to believe they're getting so big as they insist on reminding me that they are not 4 and 7, but almost 5 and almost 8. Tomorrow is Brandon's last cricket game for the year. The year's going so quickly - I feel like he just started!

I have been teaching them, along with a few friends, how to play the recorder. They have so much fun! And it's actually beginning to sound like music.

We have also started learning Afrikaans, thanks to Genevieve, who is living in our flat. We are having lessons on Saturday morning, and I will share with you what we've learned after our first lesson (pronunciation in parenthesis as best as I could type it)....
Hallo (hallow) - Hello
Ek es Mary - I am Mary
Kop (cope) - head
Skouers (skoewers) - shoulders
Knee (k-nee-a) - knees
Tone (two-wanna) - toes
en - and

In case you wonder why these words, we're learning to sing "Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes".

We have previously learned a LITTLE Afrikaans, but hopefully soon we'll be able to have small conversations in it!

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

Praise Update

Thank you for praying for the Schusters! Their house has sold! Here is the email that we received:

"We have wonderful news! I bet you have
been praying! The buyers suddenly decided to go with a full bond instead of
having us wait on the sale of their house – we didn’t put any pressure on them
at all it seemed strange that they would change to put themselves out. THEN just
after we signed to agree with that (as it would all go through sooner) they SOLD
their place and were offered cash for it! God is so good – we are thankful!"

Tim & Kim Carter

Here is an update from our friends, Tim & Kim Carter. To see the original prayer request click here.

Just want to give you a quick update on where I am in
my treatments. I am now officially half way there; I have gone through 3
treatments and have 3 to go. The last treatment itself went well, but I
was very nauseous for about a week. After the second treatment I had a
ct-scan and it showed the tumor is now 10cm by 5cm. So that is an answer
to prayer that the tumor is shrinking. The next step is a Pet-scan
today. This test will determine if the tumor is dead or not. If this test
shows that the tumor is now dead, then I will continue with the last 3
treatments as scheduled. If the tumor is still alive, they will have to
look at the treatment they are doing and possible make some
adjustments. We don’t expect to find out the results of the test
until March 15^th at a doctors appointment. The 15^th
& 16 are the dates of the next treatment.

I again just want to thank you for your continued
prayers and support during this time as I continue to trust and rely upon God.

Praise:

1. That the tumor is smaller.
2. It has been awesome to see how God is providing financially and
   physically for our needs.
3. The kids are doing well in school and were excited to hear daddy’s
   tumor was smaller.

Prayer Requests:

1. That today’s test will reveal that the tumor is dead.
2. That the Lord will continue to meet our financial and physical
   needs.
3. That the kids will continue to understand when daddy does not feel
   well.

Thanks again for your prayers,

Tim, Kim, Timmy, Nicole and Austin