Planting for the Future…
It has been an exciting few months! Welcoming a new family member…. almost losing her….being astonished by God’s love in the best and worst of times. Honestly we still do not have the language to express the revelations given, but one we are currently pondering is the link between dreaming, planting, and provision.
When God first planted us in Africa, we were overwhelmed with dreams of seeing orphaned and abandoned children coming home to Him and a loving, Christ-centered family. Now the dream is a very real reality which we have the privilege of living every day at MCV! Thinking over the past few years in SA, there has been a mix of the supernatural and the natural. So many examples of God’s divine provision… and there were also the countless days of the non-glorious, hard work of daily obedience…years even! Some harvests take a long time and others spring up overnight!
A great example of quick harvest is the recent Dream Center. This was a vision planted in ours heart due to the felt-need of our community. With 80% unemployment and only 40% of kids finishing high school, local youth often feel hopeless and helpless about their futures. So we dreamed of a place where youth could go to receive prayerful encouragement and solid job skills/empowerment in the right directions. In July, without much effort in the natural, the Backdoor Dream Center was opened in Village of Hope (the community outreach center we oversee). So much fruit is flowing from the place already…
Another overnight success is the newest church plant in Nelspruit. Guess where? A local brothel☺ Some of the female missionaries at our base went out to minister to local prostitutes. With love and miracles were flowing, the ladies and team meet regularly at a certain house of ‘business.’ Glory! Now four ladies have left the darkness of the streets to begin a new life in Christ- they are all enrolled in our Bible school and doing great! Pray with us for a new home of refuge for these precious ladies…
Now God has given us a new dream for MCV. In addition to the harvest of radical children for His glory, we see a harvest of macadamia trees. The planting of the Lord that not only represents the righteous destinies of the kids, but the provision to empower them! Sustainability. Dignity. Job creation. The dream of someday being able to give more than we receive! And just like raising our kids, this dream is going to take decades.
Pray with us! Dream with us! If possible, come and get your hands dirty with us! Thank you for remembering the poor and prayerfully partnering with us here in South Africa. Everyday in Africa is a gift from God and from you… Wow, we are so grateful and blessed!
