Friday night Hunter and Chandler went to the youth group at Open Baptist for the first time - they had a good time and will go again. Friday evening Peter and Tirello came over for a visit. Peter is the tech ministry intern at OBC. They are expecting their first child in December and are looking for a place to live. It was nice to visit and share "baby" stories. They will be doing the course "BabyWise" so we shared some of what we had learned through our experience. Saturday we invited the Blankenships over for a cookout. The Blankenships are IMB missionaries in Botswana serving all of the IMB missionaries as business and logistics managers. We have really enjoyed getting to know them and their family. They had 3 extra boys with them (MK's from Lobatse) so my boys loved having a large group of guys to hang out with. Scott and I enjoyed the fellowship and advice. They have been in Botswana for 6 years and have so much wisdom. We learn a lot about the country and culture when we talk with the Blankenships. On Sunday we enjoyed worshipping at Open Baptist Church - Gaborone. This Sunday was not much different from the last except that the "aircon" (as it is called in Botswana) was on and there was one empty seat beside me. Therefore I was praising God for my comfort!!
Pastor Norman is doing a sermon series titled "Something happens when churches pray". Yesterday was on the church praying for a lost world. He was really challenging his church members from Acts to be more mission minded. He talked about how the church met together and prayed and God told them to set apart Barnabus and Paul and send them as missionaries. He challenged them to be a missions sending church. He shared that OBC is some 30+ years old and has never sent a missionary from their congregation. He challenged the church to pray and to be willing to send their best to the lost world. The challenge made me think about ADBC sending us to Botswana. I remembered Clay sharing that in the 50 years of the churches history Scott and I were the first to be sent. There are days when It still seems surreal and I have those "why me? and why us? moments. But hearing this sermon I was reminded of how God works and calls and sends people - ordinary people just like me. During the service Pastor Norman asked for anyone who was at the service who was in Botswana as a missionary - whether short term or long term - to stand. I was amazed at the number of people... there were probably 20 who stood including us. He thanked us and thanked God for sending us to serve in Botswana. He reminded his church that God doesn't just send people to help and serve them - He calls them to go too. Pastor ended the service by sharing news that the Lord is working in the heart of one of their young women and is calling her to serve. He asked that everyone return that evening for a special prayer service for missionaries - the ones that are here serving and the ones that God would call out of their midst.
Scott and I along with Jeff and April Sukup (the couple we lived with when we arrived) were asked to be a part of the evening service by sharing how and what God had called us to do in Botswana. We were also asked to share some specific prayer requests. After we both shared the pastor introduced the young woman who is sensing God's call on her life. Her name is Kaz. She is a precious girl (21) that is still in University at UB (University of Botswana). She shared how God is working in her life and how he had been working throughout her life to lead her to this point. She shared how God had impressed upon her at a early age to study French. She had never had any exposure to French but knew that was what she was suppose to study at University. She shared how hard that is to go to University and make French your major when you haven't had introduction to the language in High School. She will graduate this coming May top of her class. Praise the LORD!! This is just a tidbit of the testimony of GOD working in her life. She feels called to go to northern Africa which are French speaking countries to be a career missionary.
After the three of us shared the church broke up into 6 small groups where we spent time together in prayer. We prayed for Kaz, for the church to be ready to send a missionary, for the mission stations (small churches and groups) that the church already support, and we prayed for the Sukups and Shipes as we serve in Botswana. It was such a blessing to be in a small group to be prayer over and to be able to pray for Kaz and the church.
Please join us in praying for: 1. Kaz - that she would continue to seek God and where He has for her to go. 2. Open Baptist Church - that they would be ready and willing to send one of their own to the mission field. 3. The missions conference that OBC is hosting this weekend - for encouragement for all of the mission pastors in attendance and for awareness for the congregation of mission possibilities for themselves. 4. Scott and myself - that we would be good representatives of our own mission and what God has called us to do at this mission conference. 5. That we would be good hosts For the 2 pastors and one of their wives that will be staying in our guest cottage during the conference. 6. Hunter, Chandler, Parker, Josh and Joe - that they would continue to settle well and would begin to feel that Botswana is home. 7. Makenzie - that she would be encouraged and stay strong in her faith as she is missing her family and we are missing her. 8. Peter and Tirello - that God would provide a home for this couple and new baby.
We love you all and appreciate all of your prayers!
Tonya
Monday, September 27, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Experiencing God
What a day! It is so hard to even put into words but here is my feeble human attempt to describe my "experiencing God" Day.
Yesterday ( Tuesday) began as any other "normal" day. Getting the kids up and ready and delivered to school, spending some time in prayer and planning with Scott, having lunch, etc. Yesterday afternoon was different. I told Scott that morning that I was going to try a Woman's Bible Study at Open Baptist Church. That would mean he would have to take care of the kids that afternoon and greet our visitors from Campus Crusade. He agreed and encouraged me to go. The study begins at 2:30 and I arrived very close to that time. I had visited this same group when Scott and I were here in October of last year so I knew where to go. When I entered the room there were about 5 other women there and I wasn't sure I was in the right place. I introduced myself to everyone and they assured me that I was in the right place. I had no idea what they were studying - I just knew I needed to get plugged into a small group with other women. After my introduction to the few that were there, I noticed on the TV screen that they were studying "Experiencing God"! I was excited. I had done "Experiencing God" many years ago at MBC. The even more interesting part of this TV screen (that was paused -waiting for the leader to hit play) was a small picture of a man. I looked even closer and realized I knew the person in the picture. Here on the screen in Botswana was a picture of Lonnie Riley from Merrizdo Ministries - Lynch, KY. Lonnie and His wife had been at the Global Impact missions conference at Millbrook Baptist Church that Scott and I attended in March of this year. Millbrook has worked and partnered with Lonnie for many years. They have sent teams on several mission trips to Lynch that my parents have been on and most recently my sister Felicia and my niece Makela went. I was kind of taken back to see his picture here on the TV screen. Several more ladies came into the study and the leaders of the study came in - (they had been next door praying before we got started). The leader - Gabi - the pastor's wife at OBC started the video and we proceded to watch Henry Blackaby teach lesson 4 of "Experiencing God". As he spoke from Mark 1:17 - "come follow me and I will make you to become" and then from John 14:15, 21, 23&24 - "If you love me, you will obey (keep) what I ask" "Whoever has my commands and obeys theme is the one who loves me." "He who loves me will obey my teaching." I was reassured and reaffirmed from God that He has called us here to Botswana to accomplish His purposes. It was as if a fresh breath of life had been breathed into my spirit. I just sat there and prayed and thanked Him. Thanking Him that He knows what He is going to do through Scott and Me (even when I feel like I have no clue). "He will make us to become"!! At the end of Dr. Blackaby's lesson Lonnie Riley came back on the screen to give testimony about how God was at work in his ministry. Lonnie shared about God laying on his heart the need for a teen center in Lynch and how he and his wife began to pray. They had no idea how it would happen but they would be obedient if that is what GOD was asking them to do. He continued to share how things began to happen and how God provided different people and resources to make the teen center become a reality. Part of that provision about getting a call from a church in SC that wanted to help him and his ministry. I knew that Lonnie was talking about Millbrook -my home church, the church I was born in, baptized in, married by, where Scott has surrendered his life to God and had accepted the call into ministry. So here I am sitting in a church in Gaborone, Botswana (8,000+ miles away from home) with about 20 other women who have no idea that I even know anything about this man much less this church he is speaking of and He is testifying of God's provision through them!! I was pretty much blown away with my "God Experience." So I'm thinking Wow that is so cool God!! Thanks!!! When the video ended Gabi got up to testify to a similar experience where God had told her and her husband to find a plot of land to build a church in Johannesburg, SA. They prayed and searched and God led them to a plot. They were pastoring a church of about 40 people and had very little resources but she continued to share how GOD had asked them to find the plot and they were obedient. He didn't tell them how or where the money to buy it would come from. Soon after they found the plot they were called to another church and never knew the outcome of the plot. This past Sunday they went for a visit in South Africa and rode past the plot and they were very happy to see that the church was being built there!! GOD knows the plans He has - He is at work and is asking us to be obedient to what He asks of us. We might not understand how or why or even when, we just have to obey because we love Him.
I never shared with the group about that little moment of WOW over Lonnie Riley being in that video and him sharing about Millbrook Church being a part of God's provision. We broke up into small groups and I recognized one sweet woman from the small group I had been in in October. She recognized me too and invited to rejoin their small group. It was awesome. There were 5 of us total. We discussed days 1 and 2 of session 4. Day 1's lesson was about Abraham's faith when he went to sacrifice Isaac. We talked about faith. I was able to share with them about God calling Scott and our family to Botswana and how we had NO IDEA how God would work it out but we just said yes, stepped out in faith and HE did work out all of the details to get us here to serve. Day 2's lesson we all shared from this large list of ways we had experienced God. It was such an incredible "God Experience" to me just to hear these women share. One lady was from Zimbabwe and she shared how she had experienced "GOD of all peace". She and her husband were fairly wealthy business people but had lost everything due to the government and failed currency. But they had complete peace in God through the whole devastation. People could not understand how they had this kind of peace. Another lady from Zambia shared how she had experienced "GOD of all comfort" just recently when she had buried her brother. Another lady from Botswana shared her experience with "GOD of hope" as she deals daily with her 3 year old son who has sickle cell anemia. I didn't have a workbook but I shared about my experience with "GOD of all comfort" during the loss of my nephew Wills. I just sat there with tears rolling amazed at ALMIGHTY, EVER-PRESENT, OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT GOD. Here we were all sisters in Christ, from all different countries, all testifying to how we had individually had very real and personal experiences with HIM!! I was talking to God as I was leaving just thanking Him for that sweet time - a time to fellowship and sharing intimately with my sisters in Christ and a special, refreshing time of experiencing HIM!!
I returned home on a "high"!! You know that feeling when you have had such a personal experience with GOD. When I got home there was a team of 5 at the house from Campus Crusade for Christ (2 of them were Seth and Matt the interns from the states that are going to rent our guest cottage). The others were Hasee the interim National director of CCC, Sylvia a volunteer from Zimbabwe, and Paul a pastor that serves on the CCC staff part time and does "Jesus Film"part-time. We had a nice visit and all talked about ways we could work together to reach Botswana. Scott and I are excited with possibility. Scott and Paul talked about the 4 guys doing a small group together for accountability and maybe reading "Radical" together and discussing it. Please be prayer about this possibility. Before they left Hassee approached me and asked if Scott and I would do some marriage counseling. I just laughed. I told her we are not counselors. She was basically looking for Christian mentors - she is a newly wed and they are suppose to meet with other Christian couples for some marriage guidance. I still laughed but told her I would love to have her and her new husband over for dinner and we would be willing to share life and life experiences with them. She was very gracious and happy about that possibility. Please be in prayer about that too.
As I close I am reminded once again that God is at work in the hearts of His people to accomplish His purposes!! Will you Obey when He speaks?
We love you all - thanks for reading - for praying - for sending your words of encouragement!!
Tonya
Yesterday ( Tuesday) began as any other "normal" day. Getting the kids up and ready and delivered to school, spending some time in prayer and planning with Scott, having lunch, etc. Yesterday afternoon was different. I told Scott that morning that I was going to try a Woman's Bible Study at Open Baptist Church. That would mean he would have to take care of the kids that afternoon and greet our visitors from Campus Crusade. He agreed and encouraged me to go. The study begins at 2:30 and I arrived very close to that time. I had visited this same group when Scott and I were here in October of last year so I knew where to go. When I entered the room there were about 5 other women there and I wasn't sure I was in the right place. I introduced myself to everyone and they assured me that I was in the right place. I had no idea what they were studying - I just knew I needed to get plugged into a small group with other women. After my introduction to the few that were there, I noticed on the TV screen that they were studying "Experiencing God"! I was excited. I had done "Experiencing God" many years ago at MBC. The even more interesting part of this TV screen (that was paused -waiting for the leader to hit play) was a small picture of a man. I looked even closer and realized I knew the person in the picture. Here on the screen in Botswana was a picture of Lonnie Riley from Merrizdo Ministries - Lynch, KY. Lonnie and His wife had been at the Global Impact missions conference at Millbrook Baptist Church that Scott and I attended in March of this year. Millbrook has worked and partnered with Lonnie for many years. They have sent teams on several mission trips to Lynch that my parents have been on and most recently my sister Felicia and my niece Makela went. I was kind of taken back to see his picture here on the TV screen. Several more ladies came into the study and the leaders of the study came in - (they had been next door praying before we got started). The leader - Gabi - the pastor's wife at OBC started the video and we proceded to watch Henry Blackaby teach lesson 4 of "Experiencing God". As he spoke from Mark 1:17 - "come follow me and I will make you to become" and then from John 14:15, 21, 23&24 - "If you love me, you will obey (keep) what I ask" "Whoever has my commands and obeys theme is the one who loves me." "He who loves me will obey my teaching." I was reassured and reaffirmed from God that He has called us here to Botswana to accomplish His purposes. It was as if a fresh breath of life had been breathed into my spirit. I just sat there and prayed and thanked Him. Thanking Him that He knows what He is going to do through Scott and Me (even when I feel like I have no clue). "He will make us to become"!! At the end of Dr. Blackaby's lesson Lonnie Riley came back on the screen to give testimony about how God was at work in his ministry. Lonnie shared about God laying on his heart the need for a teen center in Lynch and how he and his wife began to pray. They had no idea how it would happen but they would be obedient if that is what GOD was asking them to do. He continued to share how things began to happen and how God provided different people and resources to make the teen center become a reality. Part of that provision about getting a call from a church in SC that wanted to help him and his ministry. I knew that Lonnie was talking about Millbrook -my home church, the church I was born in, baptized in, married by, where Scott has surrendered his life to God and had accepted the call into ministry. So here I am sitting in a church in Gaborone, Botswana (8,000+ miles away from home) with about 20 other women who have no idea that I even know anything about this man much less this church he is speaking of and He is testifying of God's provision through them!! I was pretty much blown away with my "God Experience." So I'm thinking Wow that is so cool God!! Thanks!!! When the video ended Gabi got up to testify to a similar experience where God had told her and her husband to find a plot of land to build a church in Johannesburg, SA. They prayed and searched and God led them to a plot. They were pastoring a church of about 40 people and had very little resources but she continued to share how GOD had asked them to find the plot and they were obedient. He didn't tell them how or where the money to buy it would come from. Soon after they found the plot they were called to another church and never knew the outcome of the plot. This past Sunday they went for a visit in South Africa and rode past the plot and they were very happy to see that the church was being built there!! GOD knows the plans He has - He is at work and is asking us to be obedient to what He asks of us. We might not understand how or why or even when, we just have to obey because we love Him.
I never shared with the group about that little moment of WOW over Lonnie Riley being in that video and him sharing about Millbrook Church being a part of God's provision. We broke up into small groups and I recognized one sweet woman from the small group I had been in in October. She recognized me too and invited to rejoin their small group. It was awesome. There were 5 of us total. We discussed days 1 and 2 of session 4. Day 1's lesson was about Abraham's faith when he went to sacrifice Isaac. We talked about faith. I was able to share with them about God calling Scott and our family to Botswana and how we had NO IDEA how God would work it out but we just said yes, stepped out in faith and HE did work out all of the details to get us here to serve. Day 2's lesson we all shared from this large list of ways we had experienced God. It was such an incredible "God Experience" to me just to hear these women share. One lady was from Zimbabwe and she shared how she had experienced "GOD of all peace". She and her husband were fairly wealthy business people but had lost everything due to the government and failed currency. But they had complete peace in God through the whole devastation. People could not understand how they had this kind of peace. Another lady from Zambia shared how she had experienced "GOD of all comfort" just recently when she had buried her brother. Another lady from Botswana shared her experience with "GOD of hope" as she deals daily with her 3 year old son who has sickle cell anemia. I didn't have a workbook but I shared about my experience with "GOD of all comfort" during the loss of my nephew Wills. I just sat there with tears rolling amazed at ALMIGHTY, EVER-PRESENT, OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT GOD. Here we were all sisters in Christ, from all different countries, all testifying to how we had individually had very real and personal experiences with HIM!! I was talking to God as I was leaving just thanking Him for that sweet time - a time to fellowship and sharing intimately with my sisters in Christ and a special, refreshing time of experiencing HIM!!
I returned home on a "high"!! You know that feeling when you have had such a personal experience with GOD. When I got home there was a team of 5 at the house from Campus Crusade for Christ (2 of them were Seth and Matt the interns from the states that are going to rent our guest cottage). The others were Hasee the interim National director of CCC, Sylvia a volunteer from Zimbabwe, and Paul a pastor that serves on the CCC staff part time and does "Jesus Film"part-time. We had a nice visit and all talked about ways we could work together to reach Botswana. Scott and I are excited with possibility. Scott and Paul talked about the 4 guys doing a small group together for accountability and maybe reading "Radical" together and discussing it. Please be prayer about this possibility. Before they left Hassee approached me and asked if Scott and I would do some marriage counseling. I just laughed. I told her we are not counselors. She was basically looking for Christian mentors - she is a newly wed and they are suppose to meet with other Christian couples for some marriage guidance. I still laughed but told her I would love to have her and her new husband over for dinner and we would be willing to share life and life experiences with them. She was very gracious and happy about that possibility. Please be in prayer about that too.
As I close I am reminded once again that God is at work in the hearts of His people to accomplish His purposes!! Will you Obey when He speaks?
We love you all - thanks for reading - for praying - for sending your words of encouragement!!
Tonya
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Things I took for granted!
This weekend has brought many things to my mind that I used to take for granted. So I have spent much time in prayer asking God to forgive me for not being more grateful for the things I had. After having 8 months of what I called "striping away" - letting go of stuff I had accumulated through the years - selling a house and making no money - not to mention the spiritual stripping of my pride, I thought I was ready to leave the "comforts" of home and move to a foreign country. I'm not saying that I wasn't ready - I knew I could trust God and could follow Him where ever He asked me to go and stay. I am just realizing how good and comfortable I had it!!! Some things in my "new" life are the same and overall we do have it very comfortable but most things here are different. So this weekend every time I realized some of the major differences I spent time confessing my ungratefulness and then being grateful for what I do have.
One of the major differences today was at church. Sitting in service with every seat taken (and I mean every seat!!!) Keep in mind this is one of the largest Baptist churches in the country and by their standards one of the wealthiest churches. These seats I talk of are small plastic seats like you might see at an ice cream parlor at the beach. Every seat was touching the seat in front of you when you sat and the seat behind you was touching your back and the seats on both sides of you sitting right up against you so that you had to hold your arms in so everyone would fit on the row, not to mention there was no air-conditioning therefore very uncomfortable!!! This made me realize how good I had it in the churches I had always been in. I never sat in church on a Sunday morning and thanked God for my comfortable place to worship. I might have said a prayer of thanks for my freedom to worship but it never crossed my mind to be thankful for comfort. Other than an occasional Christmas eve service did I ever have to cram into a pew or seat with any discomfort. The temperature in the churches I attended was climate controlled and the seats were padded and there were usually available seats between my family and others - you know an empty one to put your Bible on. Today I told God how sorry I was that I never thanked Him for my comfortable places of worship!! I thanked Him today that I had a place to worship and asked Him to help me to remain grateful and I thanked Him that He is still stripping away the parts of me that He sees the need to.
Another major difference I really noticed this weekend for our family is no TV. I used to say "I don't really watch TV" and really I didn't very much but it was always there when I did decide to "veg" in front of it. My kids, Scott and even I am really missing just having TV in our life. We kind of thought we would be able to find some of our shows on the internet and watch them after the fact but even that isn't possible here. For some reason the country blocks American TV - no Hulu - no ABC.com - no NBC.com - no CBS.com. Again I was saying to God how sorry I was for the things I took for granted. Small things - petty things - unnecessary things - but things we enjoyed none the less. I could go on and on about the differences - the grocery stores - the convenience foods - bread with a shelf life - a clothes dryer - a dishwasher - etc. etc. etc. But instead I am going to tell you some of things I am very grateful for!!
Yesterday I spent the morning sewing a ruffle on a pair of curtains that someone had given me. I was very grateful that I had brought my sewing machine from home and that we had a transformer to plug it into. But I was most grateful yesterday that I had a Mom that could sew!! I was thanking God over and over that my Mom had sent me to the 4H sewing class and that she had trained me over the years how to run the machine and just do some basic sewing. When I bought my sewing machine several years ago on clearance at Target, it was a big joke among my family. We would all tease about me making Scott some tennis shorts. I never really used my machine that often but it was there when I needed it for something simple. This weekend I was thanking God for my machine and for knowing how to use it!! (and Thanking you Moma!)
Two weeks after we arrived in Botswana two young guys came here from the US. They are here for a year with Campus Crusade for Christ. We have had the privilege to meet them and spend some time together. We have had them over for meals, games and just fellowship. My boys love having them here and ask me everyday if we are going to invite them over. I am thanking God this weekend that He placed Seth and Matt in our lives so that my boys would have some comfort and connection to home.
I am also very grateful to God for a comfortable home to live in, a safe place in a safe neighborhood. I am grateful for transportation, for food on the table, for safe water to drink, and for electricity. I am thanking Him again and again for technology. I am grateful to be able to Skype with my sister and parents, to Facebook with all of my friends and to be able to share what He is doing in our lives with all of you!!
As I close this post I want to encourage all of you to take some time today and THANK GOD for everything He has blessed you with. Think of your day and tell Him how grateful you are for every little detail of your life!! Thank Him that He has blessed you with comfort and never take that for granted!!!
I love you all and thank you for reading and praying and encouraging us!! Please keep us in your prayers as we make Botswana our new home!! Tonya
One of the major differences today was at church. Sitting in service with every seat taken (and I mean every seat!!!) Keep in mind this is one of the largest Baptist churches in the country and by their standards one of the wealthiest churches. These seats I talk of are small plastic seats like you might see at an ice cream parlor at the beach. Every seat was touching the seat in front of you when you sat and the seat behind you was touching your back and the seats on both sides of you sitting right up against you so that you had to hold your arms in so everyone would fit on the row, not to mention there was no air-conditioning therefore very uncomfortable!!! This made me realize how good I had it in the churches I had always been in. I never sat in church on a Sunday morning and thanked God for my comfortable place to worship. I might have said a prayer of thanks for my freedom to worship but it never crossed my mind to be thankful for comfort. Other than an occasional Christmas eve service did I ever have to cram into a pew or seat with any discomfort. The temperature in the churches I attended was climate controlled and the seats were padded and there were usually available seats between my family and others - you know an empty one to put your Bible on. Today I told God how sorry I was that I never thanked Him for my comfortable places of worship!! I thanked Him today that I had a place to worship and asked Him to help me to remain grateful and I thanked Him that He is still stripping away the parts of me that He sees the need to.
Another major difference I really noticed this weekend for our family is no TV. I used to say "I don't really watch TV" and really I didn't very much but it was always there when I did decide to "veg" in front of it. My kids, Scott and even I am really missing just having TV in our life. We kind of thought we would be able to find some of our shows on the internet and watch them after the fact but even that isn't possible here. For some reason the country blocks American TV - no Hulu - no ABC.com - no NBC.com - no CBS.com. Again I was saying to God how sorry I was for the things I took for granted. Small things - petty things - unnecessary things - but things we enjoyed none the less. I could go on and on about the differences - the grocery stores - the convenience foods - bread with a shelf life - a clothes dryer - a dishwasher - etc. etc. etc. But instead I am going to tell you some of things I am very grateful for!!
Yesterday I spent the morning sewing a ruffle on a pair of curtains that someone had given me. I was very grateful that I had brought my sewing machine from home and that we had a transformer to plug it into. But I was most grateful yesterday that I had a Mom that could sew!! I was thanking God over and over that my Mom had sent me to the 4H sewing class and that she had trained me over the years how to run the machine and just do some basic sewing. When I bought my sewing machine several years ago on clearance at Target, it was a big joke among my family. We would all tease about me making Scott some tennis shorts. I never really used my machine that often but it was there when I needed it for something simple. This weekend I was thanking God for my machine and for knowing how to use it!! (and Thanking you Moma!)
Two weeks after we arrived in Botswana two young guys came here from the US. They are here for a year with Campus Crusade for Christ. We have had the privilege to meet them and spend some time together. We have had them over for meals, games and just fellowship. My boys love having them here and ask me everyday if we are going to invite them over. I am thanking God this weekend that He placed Seth and Matt in our lives so that my boys would have some comfort and connection to home.
I am also very grateful to God for a comfortable home to live in, a safe place in a safe neighborhood. I am grateful for transportation, for food on the table, for safe water to drink, and for electricity. I am thanking Him again and again for technology. I am grateful to be able to Skype with my sister and parents, to Facebook with all of my friends and to be able to share what He is doing in our lives with all of you!!
As I close this post I want to encourage all of you to take some time today and THANK GOD for everything He has blessed you with. Think of your day and tell Him how grateful you are for every little detail of your life!! Thank Him that He has blessed you with comfort and never take that for granted!!!
I love you all and thank you for reading and praying and encouraging us!! Please keep us in your prayers as we make Botswana our new home!! Tonya
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Molepolole
I got to visit a dear friend, Moruti David at Molepolole (Mol-e-po-lol-e) about his church and how we can minister to his needs. Moruti means Pastor in Setswana. He is a true patron of the church growth here in Botswana. He has started many churches in his life time and is a builder by trade. His desire is to provide spiritual truth to his community and to stand against the demonic and tribal beliefs that keeps them from true joy and freedom that comes from walking with the Lord. In the smaller, surrounding villages it is very common to belief in Christ but hold on to the "old way of life", tribal and ritual beliefs. The hold strong to hexes, curses and making "the spirits" angry or sad. This is his biggest challenge with the people, separating from traditional thinking to new.
His church is an old drinking hang out called a Shabeen. He rented the property and closed the bar. Students from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia cleaned it up and painted it for worship. The church has grown from a faithful five to around 40 in attendance in a year. His biggest prayer concern is the landlord will not let him alter the building and he needs to add to it for growth. He is praying a plot to become available to establish the church. The church has the funds to purchase. He asked me and my supporters to pray for a plot to become available so they can purchase it and begin to establish a permanent place to worship. Please commit to prayer on this matter. Here is a photo of the church below. As you can see it is very small. Bars are made sit outside not inside so it was never big to start with. The children sit outside in the dirt under the tree you see below and hear scripture from his wife Seffoni while David preaches. They do need our prayers.
I have enjoyed meeting the church God has placed here in Botswana. What I have found is true worship and faith in God. I have found people who need truth. I have met many who have it and are trying to share it. Pray as we prepare and go out into the communities and villages that God will provide the place we need to connect and work along side the church as they work to reach their children. Continue to pray for the adjustments the Shipes family is making. Not having friends and play buddies other than the 7 of us is rough on them this week. Thank you for reading our blog today and pray for our family.
In His Steps,
Scott and Tonya
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| Moruti David, grandson and his wife Seffoni. |
His church is an old drinking hang out called a Shabeen. He rented the property and closed the bar. Students from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia cleaned it up and painted it for worship. The church has grown from a faithful five to around 40 in attendance in a year. His biggest prayer concern is the landlord will not let him alter the building and he needs to add to it for growth. He is praying a plot to become available to establish the church. The church has the funds to purchase. He asked me and my supporters to pray for a plot to become available so they can purchase it and begin to establish a permanent place to worship. Please commit to prayer on this matter. Here is a photo of the church below. As you can see it is very small. Bars are made sit outside not inside so it was never big to start with. The children sit outside in the dirt under the tree you see below and hear scripture from his wife Seffoni while David preaches. They do need our prayers.
I have enjoyed meeting the church God has placed here in Botswana. What I have found is true worship and faith in God. I have found people who need truth. I have met many who have it and are trying to share it. Pray as we prepare and go out into the communities and villages that God will provide the place we need to connect and work along side the church as they work to reach their children. Continue to pray for the adjustments the Shipes family is making. Not having friends and play buddies other than the 7 of us is rough on them this week. Thank you for reading our blog today and pray for our family.
In His Steps,
Scott and Tonya
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Grateful for Help
I was able to spend a little time with Mark Johnson this morning before he left. He was very helpful in showing me the best way to share photos. I am happy to be able to share more of what we are capturing while here.
The past few weeks we have been so blessed to have friends with us - they provide so much help - not only physical help, but emotional and spiritual help. Both teams worked very hard to build the feeding station in Old Naledi. Both teams led Worship (preaching) at Old Naledi Fellowship. Both teams spent time with our family and shared meals. Both teams sacrificed time away from their families to be a part of ours and to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus in Botswana. We have been Blessed!!!
Today we said our last goodbye to Mark Johnson who stayed with us a few extra days after the others on his team left. Mark is such a great guy and friend. He and Scott have a long standing "bromance". Mark has a huge heart for Botswana - this was his 4th short term trip to Southern Africa. We really enjoyed the extra days he had with us. He and Scott got to do a little traveling, shopping and visiting with pastors in the outskirt villages.
I am attaching pictures of the past few weeks that show the progress of the feeding station during both teams stay. Enjoy!!!
Until the next team comes we will cherish the time we've had!!
Tonya
The past few weeks we have been so blessed to have friends with us - they provide so much help - not only physical help, but emotional and spiritual help. Both teams worked very hard to build the feeding station in Old Naledi. Both teams led Worship (preaching) at Old Naledi Fellowship. Both teams spent time with our family and shared meals. Both teams sacrificed time away from their families to be a part of ours and to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus in Botswana. We have been Blessed!!!
Today we said our last goodbye to Mark Johnson who stayed with us a few extra days after the others on his team left. Mark is such a great guy and friend. He and Scott have a long standing "bromance". Mark has a huge heart for Botswana - this was his 4th short term trip to Southern Africa. We really enjoyed the extra days he had with us. He and Scott got to do a little traveling, shopping and visiting with pastors in the outskirt villages.
I am attaching pictures of the past few weeks that show the progress of the feeding station during both teams stay. Enjoy!!!
Until the next team comes we will cherish the time we've had!!
Tonya
A week with Freedom Fellowship
Saying goodbye to our ADBC team was made a little easier by our time with the Freedom Fellowship team. Our great friend Mark Johnson led this team of six. Freedom picked up on the building project of the feeding station and made great progress. Our family joined the team on their last night at the Mokolodi game reserve to celebrate a wonderful week. We saw lots of animals but the highlight was being up-close to the rhinos. We ended the evening with a delicious "Bush Braai" (aka - cookout). It was a fantastic ending to an awesome week!! Thanks Freedom Team for all of your hard work and for a wonderful time of fellowship. I hope you enjoy the pictures of our evening together.
Tonya
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A month of memories!!
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| Eland in Gaborone Game Preserve |
As I think back over this month I am reminded of God’s blessings and incredible provisions. This past month He blessed us with:
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| monkey at game preserve |
1. Answered prayer of a great friend for Makenzie and her peace about us leaving!
2. Safe and on time travel with 5 very well behaved boys.
3. The opportunity to meet 140+ pastors from all over Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia to share about our ministry.
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| Parker, Joe, Tonya singing and dancing with kids in Kumakwne |
4. A chance to be His hands and feet in Kumakwne with OBC to children in need of warm clothing.
5. A chance to see some of the African Animals.
6. Arrival of our container the same day we arrived with our stuff from home – including our Suburban.
7.Gracious Hosts (Jeff and April) that provided temporary housing, lots of meals, and friendship.
8. Hosts that could show us the ropes and the way to get our necessary business done and even some lessons on culture (April was a MK that grew up in Zambia).
9. Two teams from USA – that both brought special requests from home.
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| Construction of Feeding Station - Old Naledi |
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| ADBC team with brick mason |
10. The chance to help the teams construct the feeding station at Old Naledi.
11. Being witness to 20 new believers baptisms.
12. A second vehicle – for the same cost that we sold our van at home.
13. A school for all of the boys.
14. A house with plenty of space to call our own.
15. A “magicjack” to make calls home.
16. Lots of new people to meet and share lives with.
17. This month to settle in, get adjusted and prepare.
18. Amazing encouragement, prayers and support from friends and family.
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| April making a train cake with the boys |
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| Baptism at Old Naledi |
As we look forward to what this next month will hold we stand firm in Him – knowing that He is the one that has called us and He will work in and through us to do His good work. Please continue to pray for all of us. Please pray that the boys will continue to adjust – especially to their new school. With so many opportunities for ministry to children please pray that we would know exactly when to say “yes” and when to say “no”. Please continue to pray for our relationships with one another, that we would be more patient, kind and loving.
We love you all - Tonya
Monday, September 6, 2010
A New Week and New School
Well, this was the first day of school. The boys were so funny and so different with their attitudes. Hunter and Chandler were not digging the uniforms. They do no understand why someone would wear a blazer in 95 degree weather. Parker loved the new look and styling. Joe and Josh were ready to show off their new uniforms. They have to leave the house around 6:30 and so that adds to the misery. Check out the pictures.
While the boys were in school, I was getting schooled on how you register a vehicle in Botswana. No one should ever complain about a DMV any where in the US. I get a ticket when I arrive with a number. I look at the fine print and noticed the estimated time would be 3 hours later! After waiting this torturous 3 hours I realize I am at the wrong place but they would enter me in the system and take my $125 Pula (approx. $20USD). I then drove across town to find out they are at lunch. I return at 2:00 and an hour later they run all the required tests. It is at this point I discover the customs forms have the VIN number incorrect by one digit. He can not register until this is correct. I drive across town and get the correction and official new stamp. When I got back to the registration, it was discovered the error occurred 3 times and needed to be stamped 3 times at each error correction. Are you kidding me? No Mister Shipes this is official business and no laughing matter. Humbleness and patience does not come natural for me. It is not my first choice. So I continue my journey tomorrow.
When I returned home, I had a family who was excited to see me. Joe said he was going to school everyday because he loved it so much. Josh said it was OK. They are separated this year for the first time. Parker loves his teacher and said it was going to be fun this year. The older two said yea whatever. Unloaded some boxes tonight. It was like Christmas a litte. Finding stuff we forgot we shipped. I found some pictures and hung them on the walls. It helps feel more at home. Tonya cooked a fantastic meal made from scratch. No prepared foods here. She is doing such a great job. The boys ate all of it.
Tonya spent the day getting the other vehicle settled. They needed to repair the rear view mirror and put the tags on the car. By time she was done there and went by the grocery store it was time to pick up kids. They get out of school at 1:00. The afternoon was spent doing homework and relaxing after the first day of school.
Please be in prayer as Tonya and I are formulating a plan of action to begin children's ministry here in Gaborone and beyond. Please pray that God would show us what is best for this country and these children. So often foreigners come in and just want to do their thing - the way they have always done it. In a different country and culture it is important to do things their way - alongside them - so they can own the ministry after it is started. We need lots of prayers and guidance from God during this planning time.
Scott
While the boys were in school, I was getting schooled on how you register a vehicle in Botswana. No one should ever complain about a DMV any where in the US. I get a ticket when I arrive with a number. I look at the fine print and noticed the estimated time would be 3 hours later! After waiting this torturous 3 hours I realize I am at the wrong place but they would enter me in the system and take my $125 Pula (approx. $20USD). I then drove across town to find out they are at lunch. I return at 2:00 and an hour later they run all the required tests. It is at this point I discover the customs forms have the VIN number incorrect by one digit. He can not register until this is correct. I drive across town and get the correction and official new stamp. When I got back to the registration, it was discovered the error occurred 3 times and needed to be stamped 3 times at each error correction. Are you kidding me? No Mister Shipes this is official business and no laughing matter. Humbleness and patience does not come natural for me. It is not my first choice. So I continue my journey tomorrow.
When I returned home, I had a family who was excited to see me. Joe said he was going to school everyday because he loved it so much. Josh said it was OK. They are separated this year for the first time. Parker loves his teacher and said it was going to be fun this year. The older two said yea whatever. Unloaded some boxes tonight. It was like Christmas a litte. Finding stuff we forgot we shipped. I found some pictures and hung them on the walls. It helps feel more at home. Tonya cooked a fantastic meal made from scratch. No prepared foods here. She is doing such a great job. The boys ate all of it.
Tonya spent the day getting the other vehicle settled. They needed to repair the rear view mirror and put the tags on the car. By time she was done there and went by the grocery store it was time to pick up kids. They get out of school at 1:00. The afternoon was spent doing homework and relaxing after the first day of school.
Please be in prayer as Tonya and I are formulating a plan of action to begin children's ministry here in Gaborone and beyond. Please pray that God would show us what is best for this country and these children. So often foreigners come in and just want to do their thing - the way they have always done it. In a different country and culture it is important to do things their way - alongside them - so they can own the ministry after it is started. We need lots of prayers and guidance from God during this planning time.
Scott
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Settling In
Sunday, September 5, 2010It is early Sunday morning and I am up as usual so I decided to put my thoughts together of this past week. We were so blessed to have a team from Alice Drive here this week. It was fun working and hanging around with 3 of our dear friends (Jock, Mark, and Chris). We learned more about Botswana together and were able to relate to what they were experiencing. The guys did an awesome job getting the foundation laid on the feeding station. It really seemed an impossible task on Monday morning and then having a set back on Tuesday but by Friday night the slab was poured. Chris shared when he left us that he learned to never say never. He told himself on the plane they would never make the connection in JoBurg - and they did. He told himself we would never get his lost bag - and we did. He told himself we would never get the foundation built and slab poured - and we did. GOD is so much bigger than we in our minds can comprehend!! To Him be all the Glory!!
It was hard on the boys when they packed up to leave. Chandler was homesick when they left yesterday. He was plotting an exit strategy sooner than we planned because he missed Sumter. A wise 11-year old girl shared with us this summer before we left home “you can’t wait to leave when you get there and can’t stand it when you have to leave. It is the craziest thing!” Claire, thanks for reminding us there is much tugging and pulling of emotions the first weeks here but in the end the experience is worth it. Please pray that one day Chandler, and all of the boys, will dread leaving Botswana.
School here starts tomorrow for the boys and I can’t wait to post the pictures of them in their uniforms. You have got to see my 6’4” Hunter in his attire. The twins are mad they can’t wear their uniform everyday - they love it. Parker and Chandler look so grown up in coat and tie. Chan is not happy about wearing a coat in Sub-Saharan Africa in the summer. While they are in school this week, Tonya and I have lots of work in and around the house getting it in order for the family. There is still some paper work to do to get the cars registered and insured. That is the biggest project for the week.
There are still plenty of boxes and suitcases lying around the house. With us not having a schedule and routine for so long it has put a strain on all of us and living out of boxes and suitcases adds to the frustration. The boys especially get irritable middle of the day and at night before bed. Whether they like it or not they do much better with structure and order in their lives. It is God’s instruction for all us to have a plan and structure to achieve a goal. Without it there is chaos. We have had our share of chaos with 5 boys plus me bumping around one another for nearly 8 weeks. Structure and order is coming.
Pray for a great first week of school for the Shipes boys. Continue to pray for their adjustment to this new environment and culture. Pray they make new friends and learn to enjoy this opportunity God has provided. Pray for our Alice Drive team as they return home and adjust to what they experienced and back to their time zone. Pray for Freedom Fellowship as they arrived yesterday to continue building the feeding station on the foundation the previous team laid.
Pray for Tonya to keep up the great attitude, she is such a blessing to this family. We could not have done this without her. She rocks in Botswana just the way she did in Aiken and Sumter! She has done a great job making Botswana home. We had dinner last night with just the 7 of us on our kitchen table and plates from home. It is beginning to feel like home.
Thank you for reading this blog and your prayers,
Love Scott
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