Blessings from your family in South Africa!Excitement is in the air as we gear up for the biggest and best birthday of the year. Amazingly, our SA family (which includes YOU) was able to bless over 140 orphans in the Extended Kids Outreach program via eight local churches…Just today, we hand delivered gifts in BackDoor; praying for each child and home. What a joy sharing the greatest gift ever-JESUS!!! And last Friday, we hosted over 350 local kids with a Christmas program, chicken feast, and candy bags. Things got a little crazy during the feeding and giving out the gifts, but not even small riots can stop His love from being poured out! And we cannot forget to praise God for our 24+ kids at the children’s village who soon enough will be overwhelmed by Daddy’s lavish love! Wow, wow, wow! We rejoice in His wonderful provision! “Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol him who rides on the clouds, by His name and rejoice before Him. A FATHER of the fatherless, a DEFENDER of widows, is God in his holy habitation. God sets the solitary in FAMILIES; He brings out those who are bound, in to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” Psalm 68:4-6Thank you to all who have poured out your hearts in prayer and your pockets in giving so that we are able to bless abundantly these amazing treasures at the children’s village and the awesome ministries flowing out of the SA base! You are a great Christmas present to us through the love you so generously pour out. We also want to thank those of you who have specifically lifted us up to the Father on a daily or weekly basis. Without you, we could not continue being His hands and feet in Southern Africa!.
Jean often says, “Our family just keeps getting bigger and bigger!” Amen! Presently, we have over 20 kids and 2 babies at the children’s village and hundreds more being cared for in the feeding program, preschool, and extended outreach ministry. As the family grows, everything else seems to grow: the joys, the triumphs, the needs, the problems, etc. As in any big family, there is never a dull moment and everyday, new adventures!
As the days go on, we are learning more and more about the beauty of God’s family. There are no orphans in God’s family. Only sons. Only daughters. Each one deeply loved and wondrously healed. With our Heavenly Daddy leading and guiding the family, we receive His full inheritance and His promises on earth as it is in heaven. Our precious family in South Africa is not there yet…but we are in pursuit! We have seen so many orphaned children with tragic pasts come to Jesus and find healing in His presence. We have watched the orphan spirit dissolve away as a child embraces his or her place in God’s family! Just two weeks ago, as one of our newest girls was dropped off by Social Services, the social worker wrote on her intake file, “She refused to do dishes. Therefore, she was not wanted in the previous home.” What? Hounding the social worker for more details, we learned of the girl’s tragic history of sexual and emotional abuse (a little more important than not washing dishes!) Head and eyes downcast, the young girl did not want to talk at first. We watched as her new foster mother embraced her and began the process of making a genuine heart connection with the beautiful girl. Slowly, this precious, wounded young girl opened her heart. Within an hour, we saw the beauty of family at work.
We are enraptured by the splendor of God’s family–the Body of Christ. For the believer, no matter where he or she goes in the world, God has a family waiting, even more so, God has a family longing to grow! Each and every person in the Body is needed to fulfill His great command and commission (1Cor. 12:12-13; Matt. 22: 37-39, Matt. 29: 18-20). The holidays are an amazing time to reflect about this truth. We want to encourage you to embrace this holiday season with a renewed passion for family. God has given us such an amazing, yet diverse family! In South Africa, we have so many cultures coming together- siSwati, Afrikaans, British, American, and Mozambican. Please know, you are a vital part! You are such an awesome blessing to us and we pray for you often! Until we join the greatest family reunion in heaven, may we pursue the fullness of the Father’s heart and see more and more children enter into His eternal family!!!
We are happy to announce the new website for Michaels Childrens Village! Please visit www.mcvafrica.com Currently we have several posts about Welcome’s journey (Warrior Baby). He is 16 month old being healed of advanced AIDS and TB. We are seeing some great breakthroughs with him and many of our other children…please visit and read more testimonies and prayer requests.
From our hearts to yours this Christmas!!!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for standing with us, for praying for us, for financially making all this possible. We love you and we so appreciate your vital part in this ministry and growing family. May the Holy Spirit hold you close this Christmas and overwhelm you with His lavish love! He is already overwhelming us…we are busy with the babies and kids, preparing gifts and celebrations for our new family…believing that each child will embrace the Father’s love! Any orphan spirits will be broken forever! May we all fully grasp our inheritance in Christ and our precious adoption as sons and daughters. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth Peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14). His favor soooooooooooo rests on us Friends! Because we have Jesus–we have everything….at least everything that matters!
