First Day of School

Josiah and Caleb finally went back to school. They have been out since December 6^th. That is an extremely long Christmas/Summer break. Yes, it is summer here and it is hot. It was 88 degrees in our bedroom last night – at 8:30 pm.

Caleb started grade 1 and Josiah is in grade 4. They both enjoyed their first day. Caleb was disappointed that he didn’t have any homework on the first day. I asked Josiah how his first day of school was and he replied, “Perfect!” They usually promote the classes together with the same people in the same classes – they didn’t this year. I thought he would be disappointed that he didn’t get in the same class with his best friend, but he seemed to be ok with it. We are home schooling Andy and he started a couple of weeks ago. We want to finish up with him around the first of June so that we can concentrate on packing and doing the stuff we need to finish before we leave on June 21.

And of course, the other pictures are of Bethany and Melody from Sunday - can't leave them out!!!

Just another Sunday in Mmabatho.

I had the opportunity to preach at 2 different locations today. My first preaching station was just down the road from our house at Calvary Baptist Church.

I preached from Luke chapter 9 where Jesus talks about commitment and being his disciple. This is the church where we attend if I am not preaching anywhere on Sunday. It is also walking distant for Jody and the kids if I am away.

My second opportunity was right after the first. I preached the 11:00 service at Calvary and then I went to Christ the Lord Ministries church and preached from Acts chapter 2. I showed them in the last seven verses of the chapter five characteristics of a growing church. Their preacher, Million Mardenzegwa, has become a great friend. I see him at least once a week, if not more. He asked me on Thursday if I wanted to preach. I told him that I was already at Calvary. He said it didn’t matter – they would wait for me. I got there about 12:20 and they sang for about another 10 minutes. I got into the pulpit and finished by 1:30. Andy was with me and he took the pictures today. When I got home I was able to watch the Colts-Ravens game that was played yesterday afternoon. It was almost like a normal Sunday – Sunday school, preaching, lunch, watch a football game, take a nap – unfortunately I missed out on the nap. Oh well, God is good!!!

The rest of the pictures are just extras – good extras.

Just Some Pictures

January Update

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What an incredible blessing it is to serve Him. I have no idea why He chose me, but I am so glad that He did.

We rang in the New Year in Johannesburg this year at our annual Prayer Retreat. At 10:00 pm, it was midnight in Nairobi, Kenya, so we counted down and rang in the New Year 2 hours early. We said good night and went to our rooms and went to bed – that’s what we did – when you have 5 kids, things tend to change a little bit. When we awoke in the morning, we turned the TV on to CNN International and they were just counting down to the New Year in the Central Time Zone. We had eaten breakfast and were packing when the New Year came to those of you on the West Coast.

We had a good Christmas. The boys awoke at about 5:00 am. We got up and got everything ready. We got the boys bicycles for Christmas and they could smell the rubber tires throughout the house. They enjoyed Christmas. Bethany awoke at about 5:30. She had a fun time opening her presents. Every time we say something about Christmas, she smiles and says ‘presents’ and wants to open something. We had some good friends come from Francistown, Botswana, that evening and spend a couple of days with us before we left for Prayer Retreat.

We have about 5 and a half months before we head Stateside for about 6 months. In fact, a year from today we return from the States to be right back here. This next year is going to fly by. Some of you have already contacted me about speaking in your church, I would encourage you to get in contact with me as soon as possible if you would like for us to come and visit you and your church in some capacity. With all our other activities, our calendar will fill up quickly.

I have had several good meetings with some national pastors concerning our time left here before we leave. Our work in Extension 39 looks very promising. Tshwaro, the young pastor, has moved into his house in Ex 39. We now have a home to work from in that new area. I also talked with Ben Poo and he has an old man in his church with pastoral experience that is on pension, but he knows that God is not finished with him. He is interested with the work in Ex 39. I would ask you to pray for this situation – that we would be sensitive to God’s moving and His direction. I want to see what God is doing and join Him in His work.

Jody was able to distribute some Christmas stockings out in Moshawane village. After being absent from the village for the last 3 months, she was welcomed back with open arms. We took the boys with us and they were just as excited as handing the stockings out as the kids and ladies were in receiving them. Pray for Jody as she tries to discern the Lord direction in that village. She doesn’t know whether to continue there or move to a different area.

Josiah and Caleb start school on the 23^rd of January – still 2 ½ weeks away. We went shopping for school supplies and uniforms. Last year, Caleb didn’t have to wear a uniform to school, but this year he does. He wasn’t too excited about his gray socks that go to his knees. Pictures will follow in about 3 weeks. Andy will start his schooling next Monday. We have to work hard with him to finish 6^th grade so that he will be able to enter 7^th grade this coming September in Longview, Texas. I have been teaching him Math, Science and History and Jody has the rest of the subjects. We try to get started around 7:40 and I finish at about 9:00. He then has an hour to finish any class/homework from me – takes a break from 10 to 10:30 and then finishes the day with Jody. I am free then from about 9:00 in the morning to do my work and in the evenings and things happen.

Bethany is talking up a storm. She is like a tape recorder – she is repeating everything the boys are saying – good and bad. So this is not always good. We had to correct her from saying ‘tupid-head’. Melody is looking around and is now awake 5 hours a say instead of 2!

Thanks for remembering us in your prayers. We cannot and would not want to do this without your prayer support and prayer cover. I have realized that there is some incredible spiritual warfare going on over here that I have not seen before. We look forward to seeing you this summer and fall.

Happy Thanksgiving

Now, you may be thinking that this is 2 days late. You are kind of correct. Those of you in the USA celebrated or observed Thanksgiving on Thursday of this week. You remember – the day the Dallas Cowboys played and won – beat the Tampa Bay Bucs. Unfortunately, I was unable to see the game and they did not show SportsCenter on Friday so I could not see any of Tony Romo’s five passing touchdowns – the first Cowboy quarterback to do that at Texas Stadium.

Anyway, over here in South Africa, Thursday was just the fourth day of the work week. Today, we all met at the Beighle’s and celebrated Thanksgiving. There were about 27 missionaries and several friends. The Beighle’s have hosted Thanksgiving for years and this was there last one as they retire next year enjoying 31 years on the field. We had a wonderful meal and a lot of good fellowship. It wasn’t the same as being home, but it was the next best thing to being there – even though it was in the low 90’s. I looked at the thermomether in my bedroom this evening – it read 89 degrees – but I am thankful.

I Am Thankful.....

...for the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.

...for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

...for the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

...for my shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

...for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

...for all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.

...for the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

...for the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

...for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

...for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

...for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.

November Update

Well, it is the middle of November already. Time has flown since our last update. I knew that it would and it will only continue as we head into Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year.

If you have not heard the neww or visited our blog, Jody had a safe delivery of Melody Kayelynn on October 25^th, 12:55 pm. She was 9lbs 10ozs, 22 ½ inches long. She arrived healthy, but had to be on oxygen for the first 8 hours. Jody didn’t like that; not being able to see her until that night. She did, however, get to hold her for about a minute or so in the delivery room. Jody’s mother arrived safely and had been here. She has been a great help. (Please don’t let her see this comment.) She leaves to go back home next Wednesday. This will not be a happy time. The boys and Bethany have really enjoyed having her here.

It is hard to believe that we are month away from Christmas. With the temperatures in the high 80’s and low 90’s, the Christmas spirit is not in the air. But we will continue on. We have learned that we cook out at Christmas and we cook in on the 4^th of July!

With Christmas just around the corner, it is time for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I want to thank you again for your giving last year. Last years total was over 137 million dollars. All of the money given goes to support over 5000 missionaries around the world. The LCMO is not used for administrative or promotional cost. So, I just want to thank you as you give again this year.

Work continues, even though at a much slower pace for the rest of the year. As we enter into December, work ceases around the country and people disappear. Many people go back home; back to the village where they grew up in. It is incredible to see, but it is nice to experience because lines everywhere are much shorter.

Please continue to pray as we get through this lull. I look to ‘hit the road’ hard and fast in January. We are only here for another 5 ½ months after the new year. There is a lot of work to do. I will be working with the pastors in December on the calendar for the first half of 2007. Starting in January, I will start scheduling for our time in the States. We plan on seeing everyone on our own time, but certainly want of visit your church in an ‘official’ capacity.

Lottie Moon Fast Facts

The board's more than 5,100 missionaries and their international Baptist partners baptized more than 475,000 new believers last year, started nearly 23,500 churches and engaged 104 people groups for the first time. They also planted churches among 19 people groups where no Baptist churches previously existed - including 13 with no evangelical churches of any kind.

In 2005, Southern Baptist missionaries and their partners:

-- engaged a total of 1,170 people groups worldwide, three-quarters of whom are classified by mission researchers as unreached (less than 2 percent of the population claiming evangelical Christian faith)

-- engaged for the first time 104 people groups, 73 of whom are unreached, with a combined population of nearly 100 million.

-- engaged 120 unreached urban centers, including 12 for the first time.

-- started 23,486 churches and more than 10,600 "outreach groups" (potential future churches). That brought total partner churches worldwide to 135,252, with a combined membership of 8.8 million, and outreach groups to 55,723.

-- baptized 475,072 new believers - about 1,300 each day or one each minute.

-- involved nearly 510,000 new believers in discipleship training, in addition to more than 1.1 million existing church members in discipleship groups.

-- trained more than 150,000 Christian leaders in nonresidential settings (extension and correspondence courses, short-term courses and on-the-job training) and more than 20,000 in residential pastoral programs.

-- worked with 1,772 international missionaries sent out by overseas Baptist partners to other people groups and 3,400 home missionaries reaching out to people groups within their own countries

Time Flies

I did not realize that it has been almost 2 weeks since I put up the last pictures.

An update will be coming soon, also. It has been just a little bit busy around here.

Melody and her Siblings

Monday night: Dennis and the boys are back in Mmabatho.

Jody, Bethany, Melody, and her mother are still in Jo-burg. Jody should be released by the doctor to travel home on Wednesday. Jody is getting better - slowly, but surely.

She is ready to return home - as I am ready for all of them to be here also - that even includes my mother-in-law!!!!!

Melody - Day Two

Everyone is doing well. Probably get to leave the hospital Friday evening or Saturday morning. She is yawning in the one she has her mouth open.

Melody Has Arrived!!

Melody Kayelynn Janz arrived at 12:55 pm, weighing in at 9lbs 11ozs, measuring a full 22 inches. On her way out, she swallowed some water, so that has caused her to recieve oxygen. She has been held by her mother for about 2 minutes. I have held her hand while she was in the incubator. She should be ok within a couple of hours. They have fed her 30 ml of formula so that she would calm down and breathe easier. Mother is resting and will nurse her as soon as possible. More pictures will follow.