November 11, 2007
This past summer saw Johan and I having a long overdue visit to South Africa to reconnect with family. Of course one month is just way too short to do much, but we managed wonderful times with cousins of Johan - some of whom I had never met. We are impressed at the purposeful way so many of them live for the Lord amidst the trials of their present day circumstances. We spent a good amount of time down in the Cape researching our roots - three of Johan's four grandparents are of Huguenot descent, and it was inspiring to learn something of the sacrifice and hardships surrounding these early settlers to South Africa..... a Bible smuggled out in a loaf of bread, and family graves with whole sections just for children who had died as toddlers and young children.
On returning, we are sad that one of my neighbor's and friend who is from Spain whom we had introduced to Jesus and who had become like a sister, has moved away to the south of the city - a family issue. It is a lot harder to meet now, and our dear friend needs a church where she can grow. She is a university professor - very gifted, also works with the WHO and does things like going to Nicaragua to teach pearl divers how to dive safely. She taught at the astronaut university for a long time, and is seeking God now for how He would use her - please remember her in your prayers as she is at a crossroads in her life right now.
Could we ask you to pray for another couple in our lives right now: Helena and Sasha Bogat from the Ukraine - he is a pastor and she a Russian translator - they both have masters degrees - lived in a one roomed house with outside plumbing - that's right, no toilet in their little home. They have a 19 year old son, and so they would let him have the bedroom and they would sleep in the other room. They currently do not have a car, so go everywhere on bicycles - can you imagine that in 90+ degree weather and 100% humidity. At least there are no hills here - small comfort. Her husband Sasha, and her son Igor, are going for English classes offered by a Baptist church here, and ride on their bikes for one and a half hours there and then back again. What commitment. The two of them are praying about getting into a local seminary to study counseling degrees so that they can go back to the Ukraine and work as counselors, because the needs for that kind of service is so great in their home country. Helena works at Third Millennium and is the sole bread-winner at this time as she is the only one who has a work visa. And she doesn't exactly bring in big bucks. IIIM have been very good to them and helped them get set up in an apartment as well as gather some basic furniture from local churches, so they are getting started here.
We are also excited to hear how the Spanish materials from IIIM, are being used. Johan received a letter recently from a missionary in Ecuador who is using the DVD's to train Ecuadorian pastors and leaders. At the same time, Johan is discouraged by the technical obstacles that impede the flow of his production. There is a spiritual battle on to cause delay and discouragement, and prayer is the solution.
Since arriving back I have been shocked at a new phenomenon that is taking hold in the hospital in which I am working. Many of my colleagues - 5 just on my unit that I know of on our day shift, have been taking classes in Reiki, and have begun using it on their patients. For those who don't know, it is a form or eastern healing prayer, with Buddhist roots, that channels universal energy into healing. We know of folk in Chile who were involved in this sort of thing who actually needed deliverance ministry when they came to faith in Christ. I have sensed a damper on the atmosphere in the work environment that is also polarizing relationships.
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