South African Friends: putting faces with names

  

Israel Summer 2011: where so much began!  God brought a group of humble yet fiery South Africans north and my brave Aunt Meg(on the right in the white) and Mom (Ann in the pink) over the Atlantic to experience Christ, our Savior and King, in His earthly homeland/heartland.   These friendships have continued and I am so excited to get to visit these beautiful believers in South Africa.  They live on opposite edges of the nation, so with a few flights (one lloong one over the Atlantic), an international driver’s license, lots of help and planning from Arno (on the right in blue), your prayers, and God's grace I’ll be traveling the nation.  We’ll help Petra (front in blue dress) harvest grapes and figs on their farm, we’ll visit/serve with Daniel and Maryna (left in blue and white) in the bush with their ministry fancy stitch (details in post to follow) in any way that opens up.  Hermana (left in orange) who connected us all is living in Israel. I’ll get to meet her mom but it seems that I’ll just miss seeing her- she’s headed back to Jerusalem on the 11^th of December.  

(Arno and I in the mountains of North Carolina)  Arno Young (South African) and I were able to keep in touch through email first and then skype after our meeting in Israel.  He came to the US this past May and now I’ll be visiting him and meeting his family in South Africa.  Our friendship and now relationship has continued to grow and we are praying for direction and God’s perfect leading. 

 Many months ago when praying about the possibility of traveling to South Africa one of my biggest unspoken prayer requests was a place to stay.  Tania, Gunther, and their children Ruan, Ivanti, and Devan (who I know through Arno and Hermana) offered without being asked.  They have an apartment on the side of their home in Pretoria and have welcomed me to stay there! Such beautiful people who I'm excited to get to know.