SARAH CAREINS--Missionary to the Youth of South Africa

God's Silence

2012-01-17T00:12:00.000-08:00

“When He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was” (John 11:6).

Do you sometimes feel like God is silent? I have. Oswald Chambers explains how hard it must have been for Mary and Martha in the days of silence after their brother Lazarus’ death. It seemed like Jesus had forgotten them and didn’t care. However, his silence actually paved the way for a greater miracle. Instead of merely healing a sick Lazarus, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! Chambers said, “God’s silences are actually His answers.”

Time is nothing to God. We must trust Him through the silence. Though I still don’t know all the answers, I’m thankful for the reassurance of God’s presence. During the past month, I feel like God has swept over me with a fresh anointing and vision. With the holiday season, I’ve had time to step back from the tasks that sometimes overwhelm me and embrace my heavenly Father in a fresh way. God was saying, “REST and then the vision will be clear again. The things that count don’t take place in front of people but between you and God.” Faithfully, God has renewed the vision in my Spirit!

Through the silence, I know God is preparing the way for the coming year of 2012. HE OPENS DOORS THAT WE DON’T EVEN SEE. Let’s trust God so much that He can do even greater miracles within us.

Please pray with me for the following:

-Jan. 28—National Youth Committee Meeting…pray for guidance, unity, vision, and action

-Feb. 9—The General Presbytery is meeting. Pray for favor as our NYM Policy will be taken before them for approval.

-March 2-12- IPFW Chi Alpha & The Point-Young Adult Ministry from First A/G in Ft. Wayne, IN, is bringing a mission team to assist the national church in starting a Chi Alpha at the University of Limpopo. Please pray for direction and open doors as preparations and planning are now being finalized.

-Pray with me for the TRAIN THE TRAINER Program. The NYM Committee and I need to develop a training to train trainers who will train youth leaders in Africa. This is a big task which needs lots of direction from the Lord!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND CONTINUED ENCOURAGEMENT!

Christmas Blessings on the Mountain

2011-12-08T01:57:00.000-08:00

You may remember that last year we partnered with Cry Africa to bring food parcels to those affected by HIV/AIDS in the Venda region of South Africa. During that time of ministry, I found my Speed-the-Light vehicle stuck in the mud on the mountainside due to the heavy rains. So this year when Cry Africa leader, Emily Johns, asked me to assist in leading this project—I told her I would, but we must pray for NO RAIN.

On December 1st and 2nd, with the assistance of missionaries Wayne & Delight Peercy, we were able to bring food parcels and gifts to 94 families and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS. The forecast was clear skies for December 1st, but the next day was an 80% chance of rains. Thankfully, God gave me the following scripture the morning before having to face the mountain.

“I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth! ...The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go both now and forever.” Psalm 121:1-8 (NLT)

The words in this Psalm seemed to leap off the page as God himself was speaking to me. As a result, I faced the mountain full of faith that God—the creator of the mountain and of the rains—would watch over me and help me get up the mountain and DOWN IT! Indeed, this is what God did!

As I was driving back to Pretoria the following day, the heavens opened and unleashed a powerful rainstorm. Thankfulness, filled my heart that God had held the rains back and kept the mountain dry so we could reach the people of Venda with the gift of Jesus and God’s love.

(photo of myself and Pastor Jeremiah)

Thanksgiving

2011-11-18T08:26:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day is another holiday that is "American." Here in South Africa it will be business as usual. However, I do want to stop and reflect on the many things I am thankful for.

1. I am thankful to all those who pray for me, encourage me, and support me financially.
Without you, I would not be able to serve the youth of South Africa.

2. I am thankful for the Lord providing family and friends for me in South Africa. (Below is one of my closest friends here--Poelano at her wedding and then a photo with the Peercy family, missionaries in the Limpopo province, who helped me celebrate my birthday)
3. I am thankful for the many ministry opportunities which result in lives impacted and God glorified. (Photo: ministering at Mankweng IAG)4. I am thankful for young people who have a desire to serve the Lord. (Below is Keletso. We traveled with him to Rustenburg, South Africa, so he could visit the Bible College to enroll for classes to become a qualified pastor).5. I am thankful for our National Youth Committee. [Below is a photo from our November 12th meeting. The committee accepted the proposal to develop several ministries including: Chi Alpha, Bible Quiz, Fine Arts, Youth Alive, AIM missions trips, and Plant-to-Harvest (youth missions giving).]
7. I am thankful for God-the father, Jesus Christ-His son, and the Holy Spirit. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, I would not be able to fulfill the mission to the youth of South Africa. Without Jesus Christ, there would be no message to preach. Without God, I would have no existence. I'm thankful for the relationship I have with God....His love is more than I could ever ask for.

May you have a wonderful THANKSGIVING!
Sarah

Seasons Change

2011-10-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

As the seasons are changing in the USA with the fall leaves, the seasons are also changing in South Africa. Spring is in full bloom here with the Jacaranda trees displaying their bright purple flowers. The changing of seasons faithfully happens in nature and in our lives. I’ve found my ministry role has changed since the election of a National Youth Committee. Rather than doing all the work, I now have a team of people to train and work alongside. My hope is that these young men will catch the vision and be enabled to lead the youth by the time I must return to the USA for my itineration in November 2012. I have one year remaining to help equip and empower them to lead and develop the National Youth Ministries for South Africa.

On November 12, 2011, we will be meeting with the National Youth Committee regarding the future of the National Youth Ministries in South Africa. I will be proposing different ministries that we can adopt to reach the youth. (Youth are considered ages 15-35 if you are still single.) Please pray with me that the right ministries will be chosen and adapted to meet the needs of South African youth. The following ministries will be proposed with the vision to Win, Build, and Send Youth to fulfill the Great Commission:

Win:

Youth Alive...pray that God would inspire young people to reach their public schools for Christ.

Chi Alpha…pray that God will continue to touch the hearts of our pastors to help start Chi Alpha ministries on the University campuses of South Africa

Build:

Youth Bible Quiz…Junior Bible Quiz is already happening with the children here. Pray as I’m trying to obtain copyright permission from Zondervan publishers for the NIV passages in order to print Youth Bible Quiz material.

Fine Arts…pray that leaders would catch the vision and organize Fine Arts Festivals to allow youth to develop their talents for the glory of God.

Send:

Plant to Harvest (our own version of Speed-the-Light)…our goal is for young people to give financially to missions projects. Our first desire is to help our Bible Schools and pastoral students. By planting the seed in our Bible Schools, we will reap a harvest from the multiplication of their efforts. Pray that the youth learn the importance of giving.

Ambassadors in Missions…pray for youth to catch the vision of serving others in missions. Pray for our Missions Officer to organize these missions trips and for others to join in the effort.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYERS!!!

Get 'SELF' out of the church! Invite the 'SPIRIT' in!

2011-09-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

"We are aware that the challenges ahead of us are nothing compared to the greatness that the Lord has deposited within us." ---Vusisizwe Mahlangu, NYM Chairperson

Every day has new challenges that await us. These challenges may seem overwhelming at times. However, we must never forget the power the Lord has given us to overcome these challenges.

This past week all the pastors of the International Assemblies of God came together for an Acts in Africa Conference. The theme was “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Each pastor was challenged to preach on the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the purpose to empower us to be witnesses. Sadly, many of our churches have become focused only on the inner “SELF” and have neglected being witnesses to the outside world.

Dr. Uche Ama, a speaker from Nigeria, shared with us how the purpose of missions in Africa was to create an indigenous church to be Self-supporting, Self-governing, and Self-propagating. However, this has caused too much reliance on the SELF. “We need to turn our “SELF” over to God. Self needs to get out of the church! We should be Spirit-supported, Spirit-governed, and Spirit-propagated.”

The challenge is to take our focus off of SELF and refocus on the SPIRIT. Every believer should seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Jesus Christ. During the conference, everyone was challenged to win one person to the Lord each month. This is only 12 souls a year. Would you also accept this challenge?

I pray that today you would believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. I pray that you would be empowered with the Holy Spirit to be a witness. May God guide you to share the truth of Jesus Christ with others. I pray that you would die to SELF and live in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for praying for the outpouring of the Spirit among the youth of South Africa!

The SON Always Shines

2011-08-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

(Above photo is from the National Women's Retreat--myself, a national pastor's wife, and missionary Laura Goodrich.)

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

This verse was a promise God gave me when I first visited South Africa back in 2007. This past month the Lord reminded me of this verse as a promise for my journey in Africa. After living in Polokwane for 2 years, making the transition to a new city seemed to be a very difficult step to take. However, God led me along this unfamiliar path and made the rough place smooth.

I've now moved into my new house in Pretoria, South Africa. It's beginning to feel like home. The only thing that is missing is furniture which should arrive within a few weeks. The Lord has confirmed that this move was the right step. There is a new excitement in my spirit of what the Lord has for me in the next year.

Surprisingly despite the winter months almost being over in South Africa, there was a hail storm here this past week.
God showed me that though I may go through storms in life the sun continues to shine. Though you may not see the sun, it is shinning on the other side of the clouds. Even in the night, the sun is still shinning somewhere in this world. Ultimately God's SON, Jesus, is also always with me even when I don't see Him.

(This is the view from my new apartment in Pretoria, South Africa.)

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO WERE PRAYING THAT I WOULD FIND THE RIGHT PLACE TO LIVE!!!

MOVING to the OPEN DOOR

2011-08-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Since moving to South Africa in September 2009, I’ve been living in the home of Wayne and Delight Peercy in Polokwane, Limpopo. Originally they were scheduled to return in January 2011, but were delayed for various reasons. Now they've finally bought their plane tickets and are arriving on August 18th.

For 9 months now I’ve been looking for a place to rent in Polokwane, but only found closed doors. Originally, I thought the closed doors were due to the delay of the Peercy's arrival so I could continue to look after their home. As their day of arrival came closer, I began to question why God continued to close the doors in Polokwane. After the youth elections, I felt the reason why God didn’t open a door to rent in Polokwane was because He wanted me to move to Pretoria. Pretoria is more centrally located and closer to the national youth committee members. After searching for nine months in Polokwane, I found a place to live in Pretoria in ONE DAY! God's timing and provision is perfect!

I have PEACE, but ask for your prayers as I now make the difficult transition of learning how to live in a new city. Polokwane was the size of Lafayette, IN. Pretoria is the capital of South Africa. With Johannesburg directly beside Pretoria, it feels more like I'm moving to Chicago. I move on Monday, the 8th of Aug. I'll have to buy furniture and set up a home since I've been living in the Peercy's furnished house. (This will be the first time in my life I get to have my very own place!)

Change is often difficult. It's sad to leave the familiar. However, I know this is God's will. I'm excited to see how God uses this move for His glory.

Thank you for your prayers!

National Youth Committee Elected!

2011-08-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

As of July 16th, 2011, the International Assemblies of God in South Africa now has a National Youth Committee! It is exciting for me to finally have a TEAM of leaders to work alongside. Since coming to South Africa my focus has been on training leaders, which has now been accomplished in all 11 districts! With the National Youth Committee now in place, my new focus will be assisting these 7 leaders in their various roles and developing a “Train the Trainer” program.

“We are young, purpose-driven, power-packed, Holy Spirit filled, inspired to inspire, motivated to motivate, informed to inform, transformed to transform, and saved to save.” ~Pule Maloleka

“We want to see young people of the International Assemblies of God seeking God first more than anything.” ~Caswell Mokwele

“Our vision is to have youth vibrant and excited in serving Christ in every sphere of their life, willingly spreading the gospel of Jesus.” ~Sifiso Danca

TRAINING YOUTH LEADERS in the COLD

2011-06-22T03:14:00.000-07:00

Trainging youth leaders has been my mission since arriving in South Africa. Last weekend we held a training for the Gauteng District. This training was unlike any we have ever done. The night's service was so cold we litterally saw our breath the entire night! When I became a missionary to Africa, I never realized how I would have to endure the COLD! Despite the weather, it was encouraging to finally be able to connect with these youth leaders.

This upcoming weekend (June 24-26) we will be training leaders in Free State. The tempatures are even colder here. I'm estimating 0 degrees celcius (32 F) at night. You may not see this as cold but the buildings do not have central heat. Therefore the tempatures outside are also how it feels inside.

Upon completing this training we will have trained all 11 Districts of the International Assemblies of God in South Africa. These trainings are preparation for electing a National Youth Committee this July. South Africa currently does not have National Youth Ministries so this is a big step. I ask for you to pray with me for the right leaders to be chosen.

In the midst of the cold weather in South Africa, we are still persevering to accomplish the work of the Lord. Thank you for your continual prayers and support!

Born-Again?

2011-04-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

Are you a “Christian” or are you “Born-Again”? In South Africa, I’ve realized there is a big difference. Many people call themselves Christians. There are several churches in South Africa which teach false doctrines and call themselves Christians. However, if you ask them about being “Born-Again” they will tell you they are not. John 3:3 says, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Just because you call yourself a Christian, doesn’t mean you are “Born-Again.” If you are “Born-Again” your old life is gone, you have a new life in Christ Jesus. You won’t act like you used to or like the world does, you are a new creation. It’s not about a title—“Christian.” It’s about the evidence of the change in your life—“Born-Again.”

STORY #1—HOW CAN I BE BORN AGAIN?... On Sunday Feb. 13th, I first met Rebecca. She got my number from a mutual friend and called me that morning asking how to get to church. During the morning service, they had Holy Communion. Rebecca asked what the “rules” were to take it. I told her that you must be “born-again.” She said she wasn’t. After church I invited her to my house for pizza. While we were at Roman’s Pizza, we sat down to wait for the pizza to cook. She asked me, “How can I be born again?” This was amazing! I didn’t even have to ask her—she asked me! Since that day, Rebecca has been coming to my home most every Monday to have Bible Study. It has been such a joy to see her grow in her relationship with God. STORY #2—CHRISTIANS VS. BORN AGAIN…March 4-14th a missions team of young adults from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, came to partner with a local church to reach the University of Limpopo. During this week, I was amazed at how so many of the students would tell me they were “Christians” but then say they were not “Born-Again.” It wasn’t that they didn’t understand the wording…they knew the difference as mentioned above. As we shared with the students, many were ready to receive salvation and experience a “new birth”. Over 1,000 students were impacted on the campus that week. STORY #3—BABY BOOM....Imagine a hospital full of thousands of pregnant women ready to give birth but there is only one doctor to care for them all. Sometimes this is how I feel as a missionary. Every where I go in South Africa I see needs. I see people ready to be “Born-Again” and then need discipleship training. The need is too great! I can’t do it all. Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” My prayer is for workers to go into the harvest field of South Africa. I’m not asking for more missionaries, but that the National Church would arise to the call. Pray with me as we train youth leaders that they obey the call to go into the harvest field.

Thank you for your prayers and support as we reach the youth of South Africa. Pray with me that many more are “Born-Again.”

HOPE

2011-02-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

First of all, I’ll start by thanking all those who prayed for the National Youth Director’s Training on Feb. 16 & 17th. I truly felt that prayers were being offered.

Two days before the training was to start, I received a phone call from the venue stating that they did not have electricity. Their transformer had been stolen so they were informing me of possibly canceling our reservation. I frantically looked for alternative venues and sent out prayer requests. Thankfully, the electric company worked through the night to restore the power. My prayer was then that the power would remain constant. During the training, the lights flickered due to a rain storm but remained on…praise God!

During the teachings, I could feel God’s presence giving me each word to say. The evening service was especially powerful. I shared how we can be busy doing so many good things that we forget our relationship with God. I left this service amazed at how God ministered.

The final day involved discussions on the vision and action plan to establish the National Youth Department. It was decided that July 15-17th would be elections for the National Youth Committee. Please be in prayer that the right individuals are elected to these positions. This is the next big step to see our South African churches have fully functioning youth ministries.

On another note…we have had a very sad past few days as one of our youth leaders in the Limpopo province, Ramotse Tau, committed suicide. He was highly respected and loved by all. This is truly a tragedy. Many are shocked and asking why. My prayer is that God would some how bring good out of this. Please pray for the Tau family and those affected by this tragedy.

(below is a photo of Ramotse Tau, who will be greatly missed)
Finally, please be in prayer for the upcoming outreach at the University of Limpopo. The Chi Alpha from IPFW and young adult group from Fort Wayne First Assembly will be joining us March 4-14 to minister on the campus. This past week I was at the University to finalize some details with the Student Christian Organization (SCO). They told me that the night before one student shot another student 6 times. The student was hospitalized and the other had not been arrested. As I met with the SCO, I could hear protest songs being sung by several students in opposition to the shooting. Your prayers are needed for this outreach. We will be facing spiritual warfare the next two weeks. When I see this campus, I see the potential for many souls to be saved. Please pray with us that many lives are impacted eternally.
In the midst of tragedy, there is still hope. Jesus is my hope who I can trust in for every day and every moment of my life. Though circumstances may seem impossible, my hope is in the Lord. May we never lose Hope.

Closer to the Heart of God

2011-01-11T01:50:00.001-08:00

Every time I visit Venda, I feel that I’ve grown closer to the heart of God.

Our journey began on Friday as we took our loaded vehicles and trailer to distribute 34 food parcels to families suffering from HIV/AIDS. When we arrived, they were all waiting with anticipation. We quickly organized all the food and distributed it among them. They were so very thankful for this Christmas blessing!

On Saturday, we ministered to the youth of Pastor Jeremiah’s church. The morning began by a 30 minute hike up the muddy mountain. Pastor Jeremiah had told me to park at the bottom because my vehicle wouldn’t make it to the top with all the rains. We held a service in the morning. During the afternoon, I taught on how to be a witness. We then went out in groups to evangelize the village. We saw 5 people give their hearts to God! The sun had shined all day and the grounds were dry so Pastor Jeremiah assured me that the next day I could drive up the mountain.
As I woke up Sunday morning to the sound of monkeys running on the roof, I thought I also heard a slight drizzle of rain. I called Pastor Jeremiah to see if we should just climb the mountain again, but he assured me that the roads were fine. As I reached the bottom of the mountain, the drizzle of rain had continued so I again called him and he again assured me that I would be fine. Therefore, I started the climb with my Toyota Fortuner up the mountain. We eventually came to a very steep hill. About half way up my tires started spinning. I could go no further. I slowly let my car roll down the hill. Rather than reversing the entire way down, I pulled into a drive way of someone’s home. As I tried to reverse back into the road my car was slipping and sliding. I was stuck. Soon the house residents came out to see what all the noise was. They were some of the youth from the church. I was thankful that we were stuck at a friend’s house. They tried pushing the car, but it wasn’t working. I decided to leave the car, walk to the church, and pray the rain would stop. The rains stopping were our only hope of getting down the mountain.
Some of my reasons for wanting to drive to the church was I had several Bibles in the Venda language to give away and a wooden cross to load into the car which we had carried up the day before. I packed my bag full of Bibles. I had grabbed my umbrella, but felt my hands were too full and the path too slippery to try to balance everything, so I chose to let the rain fall on me. We walked in the rain over the large hill which I had just slid down. Upon arriving at the church, the rain only grew stronger. I kept praying that the rain would stop but it only poured more and more. I thought we were going to be stuck on the mountain for days and have to sleep in the village.

During the service, there was a devotion on Paul and Silas in prison. They praised God instead of dwelling on their problems. I tried my best to thank God and praise him as I watched the rain fall from the sky. Jessica preached the Sunday sermon. During the altar call, I went up to pray for people. When my focus was off of myself, the rains stopped. The sun began to shine again. Remembering the Bibles I had carried up the mountain, I gave them to those who didn’t have a Bible—miraculously, I had grabbed the exact number of Bibles needed.

After church we ate with the Pastor. We then collected the cross and made our way to the car. Several of the young men and the pastor, helped push the car. I was still slipping and sliding all over. The wheels were spinning. Miraculously, I made it out of the drive way. We said our goodbyes and prayerfully headed down the mountain. At one point the car started to slide in the mud, my stomach turned as I turned the steering wheel so we safely stayed on the path. When we reached the tar road, I was so relieved.

Lessons learned: 1. Never drive up or down a mountain on dirt roads in the rain.
2. God is always faithful!

I am so thankful for the Lord’s hand of protection on our lives and the vehicle. Every time I go to Venda I feel that I get closer to God. This time I prayed harder than I have in a very long time—thankfully God answered those prayers.

Resting in the Arms of Jesus

2010-11-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I visited a small village called Namagkale. My purpose in going was to minister to Khavisa, a 17 year old mother who recently accepted Christ. During this visit, I got to know her family. One of her sisters was Dipolelo-age 11. This little girl was full of smiles.

Dipolelo was just like any child her age. The only difference I saw was on Sunday morning. She wore a red dress to church. I noticed that her legs were covered with open sores about the size of an American quarter. Never really explaining the cause, the mother assured me that she had taken her to the clinic.

On Friday, November 12th, I received a phone call from Khavisa. She shared with me that in the night her sister, Dipolelo, woke up complaining of a headache. Within an hour, she passed away. What was the cause of death? Organ failure? AIDS? I will never know, but I do know that God allowed her life to last 11 precious years. Her life had impacted my life.

Dipolelo is now resting in the arms of Jesus. Please pray with me for this family. May they find the peace of Jesus in these hard times. My prayer is that we all wouldn't have to wait until Heaven to rest in Jesus' arms. May we rest in His peace each and every day of our lives.

New Life--Update

2010-10-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the joy of returning to Phalaborwa. The Limpopo Youth Rally was held there in September. During the outreach, I had prayed the prayer of salvation with a 17 year old girl named Khavisa. She has a little baby boy, Ethan, who is now two-months old. Since that day, we have spoken on the phone several times. She shares with me how amazing the love of God is, how she's reading her Bible, and praying every day. Phone calls didn't seem like enough. I knew that I needed to go visit her in person again to encourage her as a disciple of Christ. I was blessed by a donor in the USA to be able to provide baby supplies for Ethan, and I also bought Khavisa some new clothes.

Khavisa is gone during the week at school while the grandmother cares for Ethan. Their baby formula had run out 2 days before. When they saw the baby formula that was given, the grandmother jumped up and down screaming in excitement. They were so blessed to receive these gifts.

On this journey, I brought with me Nthabiseng (yellow shirt) who is 14 years old. She lives in Polokwane. She was so helpful in encouraging these young ladies in their faith. We not only ministered to Khavisa but also to her sister-Shiluva (middle) and neighbor-Boitumelo (far-right). I had met Boitumelo during the outreach in September. She was a part of the Zionist Church of Christ, which has many false beliefs. During this visit, Boitumelo dedicated her life to Jesus Christ!

On Saturday I took all these girls to Krugar National Park. We had a lot of fun and time to encourage each other in the Lord. One of the exciting parts of the day was I saw my first Cheetah in the wild!

After preaching on Sunday, I had to say goodbye. Please continue to keep these young ladies and baby Ethan in your prayers.

"I will miss you, too."

NEW LIFE

2010-09-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Imagine you are 17 years old and have a one month old baby. The father of your child stopped talking to you the moment he found out you were pregnant. You feel like you have no hope and are all alone. This is the story of a young girl named Khavisa.

While attending Limpopo’s Youth Rally, the young people were challenged to evangelize the community. I found my way to the home of Khavisa. Sitting under at tree outside her home, I was able to share with her about God’s love. She prayed the prayer of salvation! I gave her a Bible, and invited her to attend church. Khavisa was worried about bringing her baby to church, but in the 3 hour service the baby didn’t cry a single time. When the altar call was given, Khavisa was one of the first to go forward. I could see that God was working in her life. When I went to pray with her, she wrapped her arms around me. With tears in her eyes, she said, “I just want God to forgive me.” I explained to her that when she prayed with us at her home—God forgave her. Now she must forgive herself.
I recently spoke with Khavisa on the phone. She shared with me how she feels like a new person. She’s praying and reading her Bible. God’s love has truly filled her life.

God says, "I miss you"

2010-09-09T02:32:00.000-07:00

September 2, 2010, marked my one year anniversary in South Africa. I thought of all the things I had done in the past year—I had truly run the race hard. Was God proud of me?

Honestly, my thoughts were “I’m tired…I have nothing left to give…can I go on?” I had been doing so much for God that I neglected to hear his voice say, “Sarah, I miss you!” Yes, I’d been reading my Bible and praying, but it was more out of duty than love. I had been doing so much to make God known that I had neglected truly knowing God in my own personal relationship.

We, the church, are the bride of Christ. I often say, “Jesus is my husband.” Well, I had been neglecting Him. He wanted fellowship with me. Most importantly, I needed fellowship with Him.

I felt like God was telling me to “abide” with Him. The word “abide” means to remain, continue, stay, to dwell, reside, and to wait for. The Bible talks about how Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We can not bear fruit unless we remain in Jesus Christ (John 15:4-5, 9-11, 16). Our strength and joy come from abiding in Jesus Christ.

As I wrote these words in one of my journals, I turned to the very first entry. It was dated March 16, 2009. I had written, “Today I’ve been challenged to REMAIN deep in the presence of God. I’ve not spent enough time with the Lord in the past. I must REMAIN in Christ. It is through His Spirit that I will receive strength for the journey. The Lord is calling me to go deeper. He doesn’t just have a call on my life but a mandate…I need to get on my knees in prayer. The Lord’s sheep know His voice. I need to hear the whisper of His voice. The enemy will attack—I must have the armor of God and the Spirit to stand…” Wow! Jesus was confirming it again and again!
There is a theme in everything—it’s you and Jesus…Jesus and you! God desires a love story between you and Him. Let’s stop and smell the roses. This world is so busy! Are we too busy to spend time with Jesus? Psalm 6:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Picking Up a Hitch-Hiker

2010-08-16T02:33:00.001-07:00

I am a very cautious person and very aware of the dangers of picking up hitch-hikers. I never would have thought that I would.

This story begins as Jessica and I traveled down the coast of South Africa. We held three Youth Leadership Training Seminars for three Saturdays in a row. In between our ministry, we stopped one day at a National Park. We began a hike down a trail that borders the Indian Ocean. The trail was beautiful. We could even spot dolphins swimming in the waves. Our destination was the waterfall at the end of this trail. We didn't realize how rugged the trail was. We had to climb rocks and balance ourselves very carefully to prevent injuries. There came a point when we thought it might be best to turn around and go back. We were tired and had no idea how much further we still had to go to reach this waterfall. I felt like we shouldn't give up but persevere.

Finally, we reached the waterfall. Do to the lack of rain it wasn't that spectacular. However, there was a single young lady standing there at the waterfall. We greeted her as she left to return down the path that we had just came. Soon we were headed back in the same direction. We passed her and then she passed us. Eventually we found ourselves walking together.

As we walked together, we asked her about herself. Her name is Andrea. She was a school teacher in Germany. She just got a job teaching in a German school in Argentina. Before starting another job, she wanted to see a part of the world that she'd never seen before--Africa. In order to save costs, Andrea has been riding the taxis and even hitch-hiking across South Africa. We were amazed at her bravery.

Soon she asked us why we were in South Africa. We said, "We are missionaries." She said, "What's missionaries?" Isn't it amazing that people have never heard of a missionary before? We asked her if she went to church or believed in God. She said, "I'm too rational to believe in God." We began to share with her about an Atheist who tried to disprove Christianity, but through research he amazingly proved to himself undeniably that everything the Bible says is true!

We found out that she was staying the night just down the road from our Bed & Breakfast so I offered her a ride. The next morning we were driving to Cape Town. She was also headed in that direction. Again, I offered her a ride. I prayed that God would use this time for us to share with her about Jesus. I didn't want to force it upon her, but prayed that she would be the one to bring it up in conversation.

We had 50 km to talk with her as we drove down the road. She began to mention how she had read a book about a missionary's daughter who grew up in Papua New Guinea. We shared with her how our friends and colleges--Herb and Karen Johnson--had just been attacked in Papua New Guinea. This led our conversation to the movie "The End of the Spear." The missionary men were killed by the natives. The wives and children stayed and ministered to the very people who had killed their loved ones. At the end of the story, the son of one of the missionaries is given the opportunity to avenge his father's death. He states that the man didn't take his father's life, but he gave it. Before his dad had left the boy, he told him that if the natives attacked he wouldn't shoot them or defend himself. He was more concerned that if the natives died without Christ, they would go to Hell.

At this time our 50 km had ended, we were at Andrea's destination. We hugged her good-bye. I pray that the words spoken are a seed that is planted and continues to grow in Andrea's heart.

I'm amazed by God. If we wouldn't have persevered to the end of the trail, we would not have met Andrea. I believe God is speaking to her. Please pray with me that God's truth would be revealed to her.

Many times it seems that God does amazing miracles in the most unlikely of places. God brought a German girl to South Africa on her way to Argentina to meet two American missionaries. God's love is that big that He desires for all to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

CAN WHITE PEOPLE DANCE?

2010-07-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

FACING AND KILLING GIANTS

2010-07-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

The theme of Limpopo's Winter Camp this year was Facing and Killing Giants. Jessica and I spent the entire week of July 5-11 helping this camp become a success.

Camp food is different in South Africa than America. We ate lots of bread, pap (very thick corn meal substance), cabbage, chicken, and drank a lot of hot tea.

Jessica and I were in charge of activities throughout the week. We brought the fun.

There were about 70 youth in attendance. We divided them into six teams for competition.

Jessica and I also were able to speak during a few services. We spoke on overcoming the Relationship Giant and Secret Sins. We also had breakout sessions for girls/guys only. We spoke to the girls on modesty and then held a fashion design contest. Each group of ladies was given a piece of material, scissors, and safety pins.

The fashion design contest was one of my favorite parts of camp. The girls were so creative! I love that they put African flavor into the designs.
When the winner was crowned, the excitement in the room was so amazing.

I believe this camp impacted many young people. During the service times, many giants were faced and killed. God is moving in South Africa. I am honoured to be a part of this great work.

Thank You for your Prayers and Support!

COME HOLY SPIRIT!

2010-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

June 16th is National Youth Day in South Africa. This day commemorates the beginning of the Soweto riots in 1976 which helped end Apartheid. Many youth died for the freedom the youth of South Africa experience today.

We celebrated Youth Day by being the guest speakers at a youth rally in the Limpopo Province.

Jessica spoke in the morning on finding freedom in Christ from our sins. Many took off their "masks" and got real with God. In the next session, I spoke on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus knew the disciples would need help after He went back to heaven.

"On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:4, 5, 8

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place....All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

Acts 2:1-4

"...'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:38-39

"Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:17

There are some of you who may read this who do not believe the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for today. You might say that it was just for those in the Bible. I can testify IT IS FOR TODAY! I praise the Lord that I saw many youth be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. PRAISE THE LORD! God is doing amazing works in South Africa!

Pray with me that these youth will go in power as witnesses to impact South Africa! May the youth of South Africa truly experience FREEDOM! FREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST!

Winter is Coming...

2010-05-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

The weather is beginning to turn cold in South Africa...

Even though it's getting cold, the monkeys are still enjoying some ice cream!

South Africa is getting excited for the Soccer World Cup being held here in June & July.

....while Jessica and I are busy with Youth Leadership Training Seminars...

God is orchestrating divine appointments. Below is a photo of us with Jessie Zacharias who I met in Indiana in 2008. She is a missionary to Israel from South Africa. It's amazing that we met again!

Of course, while we travel throughout South Africa--we must enjoy the beautiful creation of our Lord!

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel across South Africa. We will be driving thousands of kilometers these next few months. Pray also for the Lord to inspire youth leaders to impact the young people of this nation. Your prayers are vital!

PLEASE KEEP THESE DATES IN YOUR PRAYERS....
April 17………..KZN-North Youth Leadership Training Seminar
May 8 …………Northwest Youth Leadership Training Seminar
May 11 ………..Meeting in Roodepoort with all District Youth Directors
May 29…….…..Mpumalanga Youth Leadership Training Seminar
June 5…………Rustenburg Youth Leadership Training Seminar
June 11-13…....Free State Youth Leadership Training Seminar
June 16 ……….Limpopo Zone 5 Youth Rally
June 18-20….. .Mpumalanga Youth Rally
June 25-26……Girls About Purity Retreat--Northwest Province
July 5-11……....Limpopo Youth Winter Camp
July 24…………KZN-South Youth Leadership Training Seminar
July 31……….. Eastern Cape Youth Leadership Training Seminar
Aug. 7…………Western Cape Youth Leadership Training Seminar
Aug.28………...Montontanyane Youth Rally

Easter Conference Video

2010-04-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Joys of Being a Missionary

2010-04-05T10:23:00.001-07:00

James 1:2 says "Consider it pure JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..."

People think of missionaries as "suffering for Jesus." I consider it a joy to live in Africa. There may be challenges, but this is what makes life an adventure.

JOY #1--- LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

While praying for people at a revival service, I thought I would use my new language skills. I wanted to pray "in the name of Jesus" (Ka lebitso la morena Jesu). Instead I prayed (Lebitso laka ke nna Jesu) "my name is Jesus." Wow! I didn't realize until the next day...I just pray the Lord helped the people understand I was not trying to really be Jesus! Lesson learned...

JOY #2-- LISTENING TO ENGLISH WITH AN ACCENT

Another language lesson is accents. South Africans do sing and speak English as well as their other languages. Recently, we were singing a song with the word "Emmanuel"...Jessica couldn't understand what language they were singing. With their accents, she heard "in my underwear." I had the hardest time singing this song after she told me what she thought they were saying!

JOY #3-- FINDING NEW PLACES

We just found a place called "House of Coffee" in South Africa. It almost felt like a Starbucks.

JOY #4--EATING NEW THINGS

We recently went to a restaurant called "Carnivores" with all the missionaries in South Africa during our annual business meeting. I got to eat crocodile, zebra, impala, eland, lamb, and other meats.

JOY #5- LIVING LIKE AN AFRICAN

While attending Limpopo's Easter Conference, Jessica and I got to experience everything that the Africans experienced. In the villages, most Africans bathe in a bucket or basin--no bath tubs or showers! During our three day conference, we had to bathe in a bucket. I did enjoy my shower when I got home. I appreciate simple things like running water now even more.

JOY #6- MY SPEED-THE-LIGHT VEHICLE

Recently at Easter Conference, we trained over 100 youth in a drama. There was no electricity to hook up a sound system so we used my CD player in my vehicle. We cranked up the stereo as load as possible while the youth practiced the drama. (I'm sorry I don't have a photo of this but a video will come soon...)

JOY #7- LIVING IN AFRICA
Easter Sunday morning, I was reminded how much "I love Africa." I love the dancing in church! I love the people! I love the culture! It is no sacrifice to serve the Lord! Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for me! I am overwhelmed with joy in being able to serve Him and share His love with others.

I challenge you to REJOICE IN THE LORD today!

Venda STL Video

2010-04-01T00:52:00.000-07:00

Bed Bugs...

2010-02-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

Today I went into the "Granny Flat" to clean it up for our Slumber Party this Saturday. The "Granny Flat" is a room off of the garage that we are not really using right now. When I pulled off the bed sheets I noticed dirt everywhere. I then pulled out the bed---I found a Termite Hill growing up the wall and under the bed!!! This took several hours to clean up. The room is clean again...but it was a big surprise for my day...

I also put Termite poison all around the outside of the house today. Pray that the bugs stay away!

A Belated Christmas...

2010-02-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas time, I've been expecting two packages that were mailed to me from friends in the USA. Every week I've been going to check my Post Net Box to see if they've arrived. I am supposed to receive a paper that states I need to go to the CBD (Central Business District) to pick them up at the main Post Office. However, I've never received this notification and even gone to the Post Office and asked with no results.

Today when I woke up I felt like I needed to try again. I knew in my spirit that these packages were at the Post Office. Therefore, Jessica and I embarked on our journey. After standing in queue (line) for a while, we finally arrived at the counter. I explained my situation. The lady made it seem hopeless without a tracking number (which none of my packages had.) However she decided to ask another man what he thought. I was given a stack of papers to go through and see if my name was in them. I searched through them. I found all three of the packages I was waiting for! (2 from Christmas and 1 from my mom for Valentines')

Now the hard part wasn't yet over. I don't normally carry my passport with me so that it isn't lost or stolen. I carry a certified copy of my passport. However I found out today that the copy expires so you must get a new copy every 2 months! She wasn't going to let me have the packages until I come back with my passport.

Thankfully, God touched her heart and she decided to use the copy...but she said the identity number wasn't working...the computer was rejecting it. She then apparently decided to skip this step and I found myself with all 3 of my packages leaving the post office. After an hour--the Lord prevailed.

I went home and enjoyed opening my belated Christmas and Valentines' Day gifts...

I'm very thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me with!
Thank you for your prayers and continued support!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1: 9

Dancing in the Rain...

2010-02-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

Jessica arrived in South Africa on February 2nd. We have been keeping very busy since her arrival. Her first weekend here we attended a Pastor's Wives Retreat in Rustenburg. There were several other missionary ladies attending.

We stayed with Chris and Amy Stubbs. They are also from Indiana. It was fun to spend time with their kids--Benjamin, Grayce, and Ian.

Then this past Sunday we went to a village in the Limpopo Province. When we arrived in the village, we could see the sky dark in the distance. Rain was coming...

It rained so hard that it was difficult to hear anyone speaking. We sang and danced unto the Lord during the storm. I was reminded of the saying..."Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but about learning to dance in the rain." We all face many storms in life--but how do we react--do we dance?

The storm ended in time for me to preach. I spoke on the life of Joseph who also faced many storms in life. The photo below is of me sharing an example about forgiveness.

The man in the middle is the pastor of the church. He is from Mozambique. They speak Portuguese there which is very close to Spanish. It was nice to speak some "Spanish" with him. I still know more Spanish than Sotho--but I'm learning!

This is Pastor Vernando and Pastor Martha Nkuna with Jessica and I. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for Youth Leadership Training Seminars.

Farting Elephant

2010-01-15T05:48:00.000-08:00

This is just too funny...sorry for the vulgarity...

A Dream Come True...

2010-01-14T00:34:00.000-08:00

My God is so amazing! One of my long time dreams has been to visit Victoria Falls, the largest water falls in the entire world. A few months ago I was asked to host, Sarah Hungerford--our financial specialist for Africa. This included taking her to Victoria Falls (my expenses paid!) I picked her up at the Johannesburg Airport on Jan. 1st. We visited several different places in South Africa, attended the Central and Southern Africa Missionary Retreat. Then we drove to Gabarone, Botswana.

We then flew with missionary- Brenda Mahar -to Kasane, Botswana.

Our first day there we visited Chaube National Park. I literally saw hundreds of elephants.

There was a beautiful sunset on the Chaube River.

(Back in South Africa, we stopped at a Lion Park where I got these cool photos...)

The day after Chaube National Park we crossed the border into Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls.

This was my first view of the falls...

It just keeps going and going...

I feel so blessed that I was able to have this experience. I'm so in love with the Lord--He continues to show me His love in so many wonderful ways.

My first Christmas in Africa!

2009-12-29T04:45:00.000-08:00

My Christmas was like none I'd ever had before....let me start from the end of the story...

A few days after Christmas, I was able to visit Pilansburg Game Reserve. We drove around for over 10 hours. This is not like the zoo...there are essentials one must take.

Binoculars
Snacks and a picnic lunch (to be eaten in designated areas)
Toilet Paper
Sunscreen
Map of the area
Friends to enjoy the journey with...

We found an elephant up close to the road--very exciting. He knocked down a tree. We soon realized this was blocking our road!
If an elephant begins to trumpet and puts it's ears out, you need to be prepared for an escape! (Don't worry this didn't happen--but we were ready to escape...)

Once the elephant was a safe distance away, the men (in the pile up of cars) moved the tree limb out of the way.
A few hours later we found several elephants. The exciting part was the babies.

There was a very little baby...

I also saw giraffes.

Here's Pumba, the warthog.

The African landscape is beautiful!

I saw a ton of zebras!

This might be one of my favorites--a dung beetle! They roll elephant dung into a ball!

The day before I went to the game reserve...I spoke at Northwest Provinces Youth Camp--Dec. 26th. They had an "outing" to the local pool...so I preached under a tree at the swimming pool. It was a lot of fun!

I spent Christmas with the Goodrich family. They are missionaries who work with children in South Africa. On Christmas day, we had a big meal--there were 9 missionaries in attendance. Christmas Eve is when we opened presents and decorated some cookies!

Christmas has to include watermelon when it's sooo hot here!

My brother Andy and his wife, Sammi, gave me John Deere Christmas Ornaments and a cowgirl stocking. The picture doesn't really capture the true excitement on my face...I don't really know what I look like--but I loved the present. It definitely reminds me of home.

My brother, Chad, got me a Buffalo ornament...I won't go into the story--but it is definitely a reminder of Chad.

Before I left for Christmas with the Goodrich family, I had a Christmas party in Polokwane. We also made Christmas cookies and had a nice time!

The day before my Christmas party I was able to finish my tree. Two boxes arrived from the USA with Christmas ornaments. The tree looked beautiful.

Thank you to all of you who made my Christmas special!

Youth Rally in Venda...

2009-12-19T05:53:00.000-08:00

Dec. 16th & 17th, I ministered at a youth rally in Venda at Pastor Jeremiah's church. These two days were filled with many experiences. In planning for this event, I was told there would be 3 services. Then two days before the event--I was told 4. When I arrived, I was told there would be 5 services! (We should always be prepared for any situation.) Thankfully I was able to bring three friends (Phosh, Lesiba, & Dudu) with me to help minister and share the burden.

Since I had an extra service, I decided to share about relationships--dating and marriage. The Lord knew what was needed--this topic ended up being the most relevant. The church has neglected this topic. I could tell all the youth were very interested in hearing the truth--they had a lot of questions! (Notice--I'm making this comment for all those Americans reading this--In the photo below, the podium is covered in a pillow case.)

(Below) Phosh, who is always smiling, was the speaker on Thursday morning. Phosh, Lesiba, and Dudu are friends that I made when I was previously in South Africa in 2007. Phosh and Lesiba are currently studying to be pastors in Cape Town, but were home on Christmas break in Limpopo.

Every sermon is twice as long--because it's interpreted into Venda. (Below) Enoch is reading the scripture in Venda.

We also inspired the young people to answer God's call. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel" isn't just for missionaries. All believers are called to be a witness. We gave them practical ways for them to be a witness.

The presence of the Lord was very real! ...Lives were touched.

....a few pictures...not so serious....
(below) The shack behind me is the church's kitchen.
The ladies cooked us a meal each day. However, there wasn't enough money for them to feed the youth a meal, too. When I ate, the youth got a snack of juice and a biscuit. Some lived too far away to go home to eat, so they went hungry all day until the services were over.

(Below) This young girl helped the older ladies prepare the meal. Here she is getting water for them...I took the picture because BGMC funds just dug a well in Venda. They were given BGMC buckets to carry water.

Here are the ladies who did the cooking on Wednesday...

On Thursday morning, I went to greet the ladies who were cooking. As I went around the corner of the church, I found my lunch being prepared!!! Chicken is fresh here!

Below is the meal with my delicious chicken. (The photo is me, Dudu, and Lesiba).

Thank you for all your prayers! This was an incredible two days...

...my next ministry time will be Dec. 26th. I will be speaking at a youth camp in the Northwest Province....

Grab the Elephant by the Tail

2009-12-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

I just thought this was amusing! Yes, this is a real elephant's tail! I'm holding the hair...but the scary thing is the rest of the elephant is missing...

Thanksgiving in South Africa...

2009-11-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is an American holiday, so it is just another day in South Africa. Several of the missionaries who are scattered throughout the vast country of South Africa gathered together this past weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving.

It was warm outside...and will only continue to get hotter as Christmas approaches. As it becomes colder in the USA, many of you face the problem of mice in your homes. As it gets warmer, I face the problem of lizards! However, they can be seen as good because they eat the bugs!

We made more than enough food. I was very excited to get to know the other missionaries and be able to fellowship with one another.

Then Sunday evening I went with the local Pretoria missionaries to "Carols by Candle-light"! It was very nice to be able to start off the Christmas season in such an amazing way. It was a birthday party for Jesus. This is at a very large Independent church in Pretoria. They handed out ice cream to everyone. We threw balloons and streamers.

Let's all remember to let our lights shine this Christmas season!!!

Please pray for my missionary associate--Jessica White

2009-11-13T01:07:00.000-08:00

Many assume that missionaries are such spiritual people that they can overcome any odds. Let me tell you—I am human not a super hero. I face struggles every day. It is only because I have no other choice than to rely on the Lord that I accomplish anything.

It is a difficult journey being on the mission field as a single lady. The nearest missionaries are at least a two hour drive away from where I am staying. I do thank the Lord for providing national people to be my friends. The task of developing the national youth ministries is very large and seems overwhelming to accomplish on my own. I am relying on the Holy Spirit!

Paul had Silas, Luke, and Timothy. Jesus sent the disciples out two by two. In January of 2009, the Lord answered my prayers to send someone to work with me. There is a young lady named Jessica White who is preparing to join me here in South Africa. I tell you I look forward to this day!

Most of the ministry I do here requires me traveling throughout all of South Africa. It is dangerous to travel alone. It is also difficult as a single lady to be working mostly in a man’s world. A pastor is not able to come by to visit because I need to avoid the appearance of evil. The ministry would be a lot easier if I wasn’t alone. In a human stand point, I tell you for my moral…it would be nice to have a friend to live with, talk to, and work with in this foreign land.

So I say all this…to ask you to pray for Jessica. She needs to arrive in South Africa at the first of February 2010. She will serve for two years with me here. As a missionary associate, she is not able to just call any pastor. She is limited to relationships that she already has or through people she knows. Her budget is $18, 619 in one-time cash needed and $2, 493 in monthly commitments. She only has $3,287 left in one-time cash offerings and $1,088 in monthly commitments to raise. With the holidays approaching, she needs to have this raised by December 15th so she can be prepared to leave for South Africa at the first of February.

Please pray! Ask the Lord how you might be able to send this laborer to the harvest field…

You can check out Jessica’s Bio and Blog at www.discipleafrica.com.

To make a monthly commitment, please click on the link below:
http://worldmissions.ag.org/agwm_commit_form.cfm?AcctNo=294757

To make a one-time gift, please click on the link below:
https://secure1.ag.org/contributions/detail.cfm?LedgerID=479ad867-04ec-4b96-bf24-ce5a8c1f6f6f

Jessica’s Contact Info is:
Acct. # 294757
Jessica.white@ma.agmd.org
Cell: 812-821-7560

Jessica White
1104 S. Stout St.
Princeton, IN 47670

May the Lord Bless You!

Kwazulu-Natal Youth Rally

2009-11-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

(note...there is a large Indian population in this area of South Africa)

Speed-the-Light Video

2009-11-05T06:03:00.001-08:00

Experience a week with Sarah...

2009-11-05T03:50:00.000-08:00

This past week held lots of exciting adventures…

Oct. 29th I began the 10 hour drive from Polokwane to Durban, South Africa

The South African police were stopping all vehicles. They searched my car and gave me a very difficult time because I only had a copy of my passport with me. (I don’t like carrying important documents like that at all times.) The Lord intervened and I was able to go without paying any fines.

Oct. 30th I spoke at the Kwazulu Natal Youth Rally. It was very exciting to be able to share and be apart of this gathering. You will notice by the photos that there is a large Indian population in this area of South Africa.

Oct. 31st was my 26th birthday. I spent this day at the Indian Ocean and visited uShaka World.

Poelano Nkoe came with me on the trip. It was a blessing to have her with me.
Nov. 1st –I went to two church services. The first one I had to reverse my STL vehicle down the road to be able to later return down the road safely. It was the “narrow road” to the Lord’s house. The church was built behind one of the members homes. The second church was held in a tent.
Then I visited Teen Challenge in Durban. I was able to speak to the young men at TC as well as share with the youth of the near by church. This was very special as the current TC Director was mentored by Indiana’s very own Missions Directors, Dan & Laura Pongratz while they were serving in South Africa. It’s a joy to see fruit still being produced from their ministry here.

The above picture is Pastor Gordon and his wife with Dan & Laura and the bottom is them with me. The below picture is of the youth who attended the meeting at the Teen Challenge Center.
Nov. 3rd- I met with the District Youth Directors of South Africa. One of the biggest needs is youth leadership training. My current task is to create a resource for training youth leaders. We will also be looking into printing curriculum for the local churches to be able to use in their youth meetings.

Thank you all for your prayers! Please pray with me as I prepare a youth leaders training manual specifically relevant for South Africa.

HedgeHog

2009-10-28T02:52:00.001-07:00

Last night my neighbors called me. They wanted me to come look at what they had found in their garden. It's a hedgehog. Honestly, I'd only seen these as cartoon characters in a movie or televison show. It was a nice surprise to see one up close and personal.

They roll up in a ball when they feel threatened.

You have to admit...it's kind of cute!

Married to Jesus?????

2009-10-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I just said "Married to Jesus!" (Desclaimer...I'm not saying that I am a NUN...if God brings the right man along...I'm open to the idea...)

As a single lady missionary, there have been situations that have come my way that a husband would take care of. Since I'm on my own, Jesus takes care of these things for me. He often sends someone to help me! I've joked these past two months that several people have been Jesus to me. Truly I'm very thankful for the Lord providing their friendship.

Missionaries, Earl & Laura Goodrich helped me purchase my STL vehicle, set up a bank account, replace lights at the missions house, and many other things.

Jurie, the car dealer, took me to downtown Pretoria to get my vehicle registration forms completed.
Missionary Chris Stubbs gave me part of his muffin because I didn't get one. Yes, something as simple as this! (When you have tea time with a hundred people, the muffins go very quickly...)

When I wasn't able to connect to the internet, a South Africa man named Sally (pronounced Sauly) came and fixed all my problems. (He told me he wasn't supposed to have come, but when he talked to me on the phone, he knew he should and did!)

I'm so thankful for the Lord taking care of me! I'm thankful for God's love. I'm thankful for people taking the time to be Jesus to someone. Who could you be Jesus to today? You may be the only Jesus people will ever see.

STL Vehicle

2009-09-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

As a youth, I remember washing cars, selling candy bars, collecting aluminum cans, doing bake sales, walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, bowl-a-thons, and sacrificing my meager income to give to missionaries so they can have vehicles to bring the truth of Jesus Christ to the world. Now I am that missionary!

I arrived in South Africa on Sept. 2nd and began the process of getting my very own STL vehicle. It has been a difficult journey the past few weeks. Speed-the-Light is low on funding...the youth have not been able to meet the needs. Since the funding is not available, I will have to get a loan to pay for my vehicle. Vehicles are very expensive here. The loan will be for $48,000. I'll also be paying $4000 out of the funds I personally raised for missions expenses. Pray with me for a good exchange rate this next Wednesday when the money is transferred to South Africa.

It was suggested to me by other South African missionaries that a Toyota Fortuner would be the best vehicle to meet my ministry needs. It can hold up to 7 people and go on rugged terrain for visiting the rural areas in South Africa. I feel very blessed to be able to drive such an incredible vehicle. This vehicle has been ordered and is currently getting some extra security features added for my safety. I hope to have it by this next week.

The Lord will provide! Thank you for praying. Thank you for giving.

Challenge: Don't forget Speed-the-Light in your youth groups...The need is great...challenge the young people that they can make a difference...without Speed-the-Light, my ministry in South Africa would be extremely difficult. This new vehicle will take me across South Africa to develop the National Youth Ministries here....but it's not really paid for...it's on a loan...will you help?

About Speed the Light
The concept is simple: we give so others can speed the light of the gospel to a world in darkness. This is accomplished by providing the “essential transportation and creative communication” equipment for missionary evangelism. Through modern transportation, radio, television, the printed word, and equipment for mass evangelism, our missionaries can better fulfill the Great Commission. Speed the Light (STL) is the student-initiated, volunteer, charitable program that provides much-needed equipment to missionaries across the nation and in over 180 countries around the world. Since its beginning, STL has raised over $220 million for missionary equipment around the world.

Fishy Business

2009-09-15T02:34:00.001-07:00

...So I thought you would like to see some photos of my days living in Pretoria, South Africa

This is my room at the Bed and Breakfast. I'm staying here until I can move into the mission house in Polokwane at the beginning of October.

This is my rental car! I'm driving on the left side of the road with a manual. Pray with me that the national office approves me to purchase a vehicle here in South Africa.

The Grocery Store in South Africa is a little different from the USA. I think a great idea is a place on the cart to put your shopping list.

Fish heads are sold in the grocery store!

Meat is hanging for all to see and smell!

When you enter a new culture, simple things like driving and grocery shopping can become a new challenge. The Lord is helping me to adjust.

My first Sunday Back in South Africa

2009-09-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday is always my favorite day in South Africa. I feel like I’ve finally truly arrived in Africa. This first month I’m staying in Pretoria which can be very modern. However, the church we attended was in a township south of Johannesburg. The service was held in a tent. The singing and dancing was so nice. They even sang a few songs that I’d learned when I was here before. (Cast your burdens unto Jesus for He cares for you....Higher, Higher, Higher, Higher--Lift Jesus Higher.....Lower, Lower, Lower, Lower--Stomp the Devil Lower.) I even loved eating the truly African food they served for lunch. It tasted so good!!

I was reminded that this is why I'm in South Africa. These people are why I've come this long distance. My heart is in South Africa!

Please pray with me for this coming Friday, Sept. 11th at 10am (4am EST), I will be meeting with the General President of the International Assemblies of God to discuss my work with the National Youth Ministries of South Africa.

Differences I've noticed in South Africa...

2009-09-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

So far...I've remembered from the last time I was here or completely had a new revelation of some differences in South Africa compared to living in the states......

NO FREE REFILLS on drinks at any restaurant
Some "Pizzas" have mayo on them
Breakfast (eggs and "bacon" ...this bacon is more like Canadian bacon) is always served with a tomato on the side
Drive on the LEFT side of the Road!
No cell phones allowed while driving unless a hands-free device---you can get a ticket!
No pumping of "petrol" aka "gas"...this is done by an attendant
When going in a grocery store in the mall, you must check your previous purchases at the door. They will either put security tape on your purchase or you must leave them there and take a number to retrieve it later.
There is an amazing fruit here called "Litchi"
Banking is with no checks--you can transfer money from one account to another online...or pay CASH in person!
Internet is not a flat fee each month for unlimited Internet...you pay per GB...If I download more things, I pay more.

This is all the differences I can think of in this moment...I'm sure there are more to come...

I Made It To South Africa

2009-09-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I'm really back in South Africa. It almost seems like I'm in a dream. It's almost unreal. I've spent 24 hours here now. My first day has been at the mall! (I know it's a rough life!) I opened a bank account and looked at purchasing a cell phone and GPS. Tomorrow I'll be renting a car until I'm able to get my STL vehicle. I will be spending my first month in Pretoria. I have a meeting next week (possibly Sept. 11) with the International Assemblies of God President. At the end of September, I will be traveling to Durban for a meeting. Then at the beginning of October, I'll head up to Polokwane to my new home (I'm house-sitting for Wayne and Delight Peercy.)

There is a lot to do to just become established in the country. Missionaries Laura and Earl Goodrich have been a huge help by picking me up at the airport and showing me the "ropes." Saturday I will be going with them to visit with Chris and Amy Stubbs in Rustenburg. Sunday I'll go to church with the Goodrich's.

Thank you for your prayers!! Please pray that I find favor in all the "red tape" I'll go through to become established in the country. Pray that I find a great vehicle to purchase. Pray that I learn easily how to drive on the other side of the road.

Final Clearance!

2009-08-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

AFRICA, HERE I COME!

Departure: SEPT. 1st @ 2:33 PM
INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT—UNITED

Arrival: SEPT. 2nd @ 5:20 PM (11:20 AM EST)
JOHANNESBURG—SOUTH AFRICA

Praise God! After 132 services, 64 appointments, and 29,816 miles of traveling; I have finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel. Now I’m beginning a new journey. Soon I will step foot on African soil. Many challenges will be faced as I begin the steps to pioneer the National Youth Ministries in South Africa. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to go.

Please Pray for:

Safe travel to Africa & peace as I adjust to the culture
(i.e. Learning to drive on the other side of the road)
Faithful monthly support
Youth of South Africa—God to open doors for ministry
Missionary Associate, Jessica White, for her support to be raised and quick arrival in South Africa
Wisdom beyond my years!!!

Weddings...

2009-07-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

June 13, 2009 I married my brother Andy to his wife Sammi.
July 18, 2009--I performed the cermony for my cousins, Matt & Tonya Careins, as they renewed their wedding vows after 10 years together.

It has been such a joy sharing in each of these occasions. Does the saying go--always a brides maid...never a bride? I've been a flower girl, brides maid, and the pastor! However, I think I'm done doing weddings for awhile. I'm leaving for Africa next month! Please keep me in your prayers.

Africa is so close!

2009-07-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm now at 85% of my monthly support. I just need $884 in monthly pledges to have clearance to leave for South Africa. This Friday I leave for two weeks on the road visiting churches in Kentucky and family in Georgia. Please pray with me that by the end of July the remaining amount would be pledged. I need the month of August to focus on preparing to leave not raising my support. My prayer is to leave for Africa at the end of August. I need your prayers the next few months. The end is near or rather the beginning?

The Shoe Tree

2009-05-15T10:00:00.001-07:00

- A few weeks ago, I was visiting my friend, Rachel. There isn't much to do in Albany, IN, so she suggested visiting the "Shoe Tree." Rachel and her husband just happened across this on their bike ride. I imagine it was done as a joke by some kids.

- As I looked at all these shoes, I thought of all those in Africa who have NO shoes. As Americans we think our economy is bad, but we still have shoes on our feet. We even have closets full of shoes...not too mention enough to throw up into a tree. We are truly blessed--here in America.

- I challenge you to count how many pairs of shoes you own. I confess to having 23 pairs of shoes in my closet, including my summer sandals and winter snow boots.

- Let's make sure our feet are fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). Wherever we walk, we should bring the wonderful news of Jesus Christ.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Romans 10:14-15

Just a few more months!

2009-04-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

April is almost over...then May, June, July! July is my goal to have my finances raised to leave for South Africa. Please pray with me as I still have $2000 left in monthly commitments that I need.

In March, missionaries Wayne and Delight Peercy returned to the states for their itineration. I served with them while I was in South Africa in 2007. I will be moving into their home when I get to South Africa until their return. Since we are both from Indiana, I visited with them last week. They expressed to me the great need for Youth Ministry. The pastors and youth of South Africa are excited for my return.

God is preparing the way before me! He is opening the doors. I just have to walk through them. It is exciting to see that the time is drawing near. Thank you for your prayers and friendship.

Faith Like Potatoes - Trailer

2009-04-08T08:50:00.001-07:00

Never Alone

2009-03-26T07:24:00.001-07:00

God has blessed me with a Missionary Associate! Her name is Jessica White. She will be coming to South Africa in February 2010 to work with me for two years.

Here is Jessica's testimony:

Spiritual Renewal Night in March 2007 there was a man speaking about foreign missions and his words grasped my soul. God spoke to me that night and said that I was to be a missionary after I graduated. As I walked back to my dorm room I was praying that God would confirm this to me. I had never been on a mission trip before so I did not understand. The Lord led me to read a piece of paper in my Bible and on it was the words of a song titled, “Jesus Use Me” and these are some of the words:

“Jesus, use me and O Lord don’t refuse me, For surely there’s a work that I can do; And even tho’ it’s humble, Lord help my will to crumble, Tho the cost be great I’ll work for you. Dear Lord I’ll be a witness, if you will help my weakness, I know that I’m not worthy, Lord of thee. By eyes of faith I see thee upon the cross of Calv’ry; Dear Lord I cry, Let me they servant be. Jesus, use me and O Lord don’t refuse me, For surely there’s a work that I can do; And even tho’ it’s humble, Lord help my will to crumble, Tho’ the cost be great I’ll work for you. I’ll stand for Thee, dear Jesus, Though death may come my way; I’ll spread the gospel to the fallen here; But if it be Thy will, Lord to go across the sea, Lord help me be will to say yes!”

As I read this, tears filled my eyes and I knew that God was calling me into international missions. It was at that moment that I said, “Yes, I will go!” After this every time I would think about missions God would lay South Africa on my heart. It was not until the summer of 2008 that I was able to go to South Africa. I went to South Africa for a month and during this time I was able to help in several different ministries. We ministered to children, youth, and adults. There was one night in particular that I will never forget. God really broke my heart for the youth of South Africa, and I began to cry. I could not stop. I just kept crying and praying. It was during this time that God revealed to me that I was to return to South Africa and disciple the youth.

When I arrived back in the states, I knew that things would never be the same. There has not been a day that has gone by that I have not thought about the people of South Africa.

My dad, stepdad, and uncle are not saved. My Uncle Junior has meant the world to me. He has been the only consistently loving male figure in my life that I could always count on. He comes to me and talks to me about things that He will not talk to anyone else about. One of those things is the Lord and salvation. I began thinking about how when I am gone in South Africa I will not be here to talk with Him, and He cannot hear so I cannot talk to Him on the phone. I began crying, because I was worried about what might happen to Him. It was then that God spoke to me through John 15:16, which says:

“ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

He said I have chosen you to go and bear fruit in South Africa. Fruit that will remain. I have called you, you did not choose this, I chose you for this. So you are to go, and you have been asking Me to bring your uncle, dad, and stepdad into a relationship with me. I will do this. I will do this, not you. You go and do what I have called you to do.

Therefore, that is exactly what I am doing. I graduate from Oakland City University May 2, 2009 and my hope is to return to South Africa in February 2010.

Why Youth?

2009-01-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

I will be pioneering the national youth ministries of the A/G in South Africa. Other missionaries are working in the Bible colleges and in children’s ministry. Without youth ministries, we lose these children who have been reached because they have no where to go. They lose the faith with no discipleship. Without youth ministries, we will not gain a new generation of pastors to train in the Bible colleges. The South African missionaries have expressed their need for me to come and help this nation. The youth are currently being lost—it is a devastating situation.

The history of South Africa is filled with hatred and prejudice with the Apartheid in the 1990’s. South Africa has not experienced revival like other parts of Africa. (God cannot hear your prayers when you hate your brother.) These young people did not experience the Apartheid. This is a new generation that is willing to forgive and see a change in their nation. I believe this generation will bring the outpouring of the Spirit of God.

Will you believe in this generation?

The Lord's Grace

2008-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

While I was in South Africa, I became best friends with Grace. She was my roommate for the six months that I stayed in Polokwane. She was such a blessing to me. Grace taught me most of what I know about the South African culture.

When Grace was four years old, her parents divorced. Her mother later remarried. In South Africa when your mother remarries, the step-father can chose to have nothing to do with the previous children. Grace and her brother went to live with their grandmother and aunt. This was not the best situation either because her grandmother was abusive. When Grace was about 19 years old, her biological father came back into her life. She thought that finally she would find the love that she longed for. Instead, her father raped her. She became pregnant with her father’s child. Grace aborted this baby. Her father later died of the HIV/AIDS. Grace did not contract the virus. Years later though she was again looking for love and became pregnant. She again chose to abort another precious child. This time Grace did contract the HIV/AIDS virus.

Today Grace has found the love and hope of Jesus Christ. She is telling others her story. She wrote me a letter in June. “I prayed and told God not to let me go yet before I serve Him like there’s no tomorrow. He has agreed and promised to heal me from this disease. I told him that even if He doesn’t heal me I will still serve Him.” In July, Grace went to the doctor and had more blood work done. The tests came back negative. The Lord did heal her. God’s GRACE is sufficient! I praise the Lord for I know Grace will be a vital part of the ministry in South Africa.

An African Heart with White Skin

2008-06-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

You might ask “Just what is this young woman going to do in Africa?” Many people are amazed that I am a missionary. My response is “Praise God!” He gets the glory. I may be young, but the Lord has called, equipped, and I will follow. I may not be the typical missionary with a husband and two kids, but I am boldly going with the Lord by my side. If Moses started his ministry at age 80, imagine what I can do.

Here are a few answers to your questions:

Where: South Africa. This country is 1/3 of the size of the United States. Pastor Jo Hlongwane, who overseas all of the International Assemblies of God in South Africa, has personally requested that I work with the national youth ministries. Since I have been asked to work on a national level, I will be traveling throughout all of South Africa.

What: I will be training disciples and leaders in youth ministry. The A/G has not had a missionary work specifically with the youth of South Africa before. I also have been asked to develop South Africa’s International A/G Youth Department, which is in desperate need of help.

When: The youth and pastors of South Africa often ask when will I return. They are waiting with excitement. My goal is to be in South Africa by July of 2009. I will need to have all my support raised by the end of May.

Why: There is a great need among the young people of South Africa. They face challenges that you and I could not even imagine. Many have been raped and molested. Others are raising themselves or their siblings because their parents have died of HIV/AIDS. Several have lost hope even committing suicide. I have the privilege of bringing the hope of Jesus Christ. Youth are full of passion and when given the right cause to fight for they can change a nation. Disciples will make more disciples. These youth are the next pastors of South Africa. Someone needs to believe in them now so they can change their tomorrow.

While I was at a youth camp in South Africa, the youth director told me that I had the “heart of an African with white skin.” In just the short time I was in South Africa, God opened many doors to minister to the youth. At that time, I had no idea that I would be returning to the same country, the same province, or the same youth. God was already preparing the harvest. Relationships have already been built. The Spirit has already prepared the soil. The harvest is ready but the workers are few. Will you help send this laborer to the harvest field? The youth of South Africa are waiting.

Restoring Hope, Reviving Passion, Reaching the Lost

2008-03-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah Careins is your missionary to the youth of South Africa. In Africa “youth” consists of those ages 14 to 35. Many of these youth are unable to afford a college education. They have time, but cannot find employment or positive ways to channel their energies. As a result, many find themselves in trouble and/or with no purpose or goals.

Working with the national church, Sarah desires to develop the time and energies of the youth. She wants to give them the opportunity to stand up and be a warrior for Christ. They want a cause to believe in and desire for someone to believe in them. The youth of South Africa need to find hope in Christ. Our desire is to see this generation passionately pursue the heart of God and minister to others. Ultimately, through the power of the Spirit, the youth of South Africa will reach the lost of their nation. Disciples will make more disciples. All it takes is someone to believe in their generation.