Fall in South Carolina

"Honour thy father and thy mother: Exodus 20:12"

When we returned to the USA in early October, we went to Georgia to spent some time helping at Tony's mom.  Tony loves pruning and cutting down trees and his mom has many!

We also honored his mother with an 80th birthday party which most of the family attended.

We were thankful that our oldest daughter, Amy and her husband, Rob, and their four children came up from Tampa for that weekend.


I visited my mother everyday that I was in Greenville and enjoyed sweet times with her and her roommate, Mrs. Little.
Tony and I are thankful for our mothers!

A new book, SAMMY AND HIS SHEPHERD, quickly became a favorite! 

I ended up buying several for some very special little people in my life!  

Sprucing up for Spring in South Africa

 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23"

With my trip to Cambodia to help with Emily's first baby's birth, Tony and Brandon continued discipleship with our newest believer, Elizabeth.  She babysits two toddlers.

The men held a work day to spruce up the Knipes' van which was in their garage for almost 8 months.

They also did some spring cleaning in the house removing winter's mildew from ceilings.

Just before I left for Cambodia, my sweet girl, Lydia, took us for a spa date.  We posed before before out foot massages and pedicures.

When Knipes returned, Tony had couple of days  before he could get into his short term stay apartment to visit the Balies in Genadendal.

The fellowship service at Pastor Kevin's work in Eersterivier is a monthly highlight and

Tony preached there for the last time in 2015, since we were to leave for four months in the USA on 30 September.

New Grandson, Hudson!

"Children's children are the crown of old men [and women].  Proverbs 17:6"
The Lord allowed me the privilege of going to Chiang Mai, Thailand to join Emily and Ethan for the birth of their first child.  We enjoyed a week together waiting for labor to begin.

On September 1, Hudson James Alden Crowley 

arrived on September 1 weighing in at 3,38 kilograms (7 lbs 7 ounces). 

I enjoyed being with Emily and Ethan and Hudson in the early weeks of Hudson's life to help Emily. 

We were able to leave Thailand and  return to their home in Siem Reap, Cambodia on September 12. 

 We thank God for His gift of this little grandson.

2015 Women's Day Retreat

"The joy of the LORD is your strength.  Nehemiah 8:10"

The ladies of 8 churches in the Western Cape met together for our third annual ladies' retreat at Melkbosstrand on August 9 - 10.  We had beautiful, crisp winter weather along the water's edge of Table Bay and enjoyed good Bible lessons and wonderful fellowship.

The Lord provided for 98 ladies to attend.

 The singing and sharing of testimonies and hearing lessons from the book of Philippians were great.

 Miss Mary Herman, retired Bible school teacher, traveled from Missouri to be our guest speaker.

We were very thankful for the Lord's provision for strength for the team who prepared the meals and tea times.  Tony, and our fellow missionaries, the Blantons and their daughter, Stephanie, worked very, very hard!  Meal times were happy times of food and fellowship.

 The bond of Christian fellowship during these two days is a sweet foretaste of what heaven will be.

Guests, Teen Girls' Sleepover and Birthdays

"Use hospitality one to another . . . .  I Peter 4:9"

The Lord allowed Amber and Britney Stutz to travel to South Africa to share in the ministry of Lee and Janel Peterson in Sedgefield in early July.  The last weekend in July, the girls came down to Cape Town to have 5 days to see our ministry.  We enjoyed meeting Petersons and sharing a bowl of soup on that cold winter day.

Later in the evening our teen girls came for a sleepover.  

The girls enjoyed making homemade pizzas, playing games and hearing the lessons Amber had prepared for them.

We were able to provide Amber and Britney sightseeing opportunities at Canal Walk, Simons Town, Boulders and Signal Hill before they left Cape Town.

On July 25, Tony and I attended the 21st birthday dinner of Petra (in the center) 21st birthday.  We rejoiced over the sweet testimonies we heard from friends and family.

We thank God for the opportunity to have ministry and friendship with  this very talented young lady.

At the very same time, in Greenville, SC, several friends gave my mother a lovely 84th birthday party.

I owe a great debt to my mother who modeled faithfulness to God and brought me under the preaching of the gospel from infancy.

Winter Bybel Klub and BJU Africa Team

"Suffer little chidren . . . . to come unto Me.  Matthew 19:14"

The BJU Africa team arrived in Cape Town on June 27 for two weeks' of ministry with us and with Pastor Kevin Simpson in Eersterivier. They helped with our annual Winter Bybel Klub held June 29 - July 3 and with Pastor Kevin's the following week.

After the second term ends in late June, the South African schools are closed for three weeks.  During these often cold and rainy winter days, the Winter Bybel Klubs draw many children.

We registered over 130 children in the 5 days and averaged about 80 children each day.

They children learned songs, verses and Bible lessons.  We used the Wordless Book to explain the gospel. Now we are busy following up with home visits sharing the gospel with their parents and families.

We pray that the seed sown in the hearts of these children will bring forth fruit.

On July 3-4, we took the team for a visit to the historic village of Genadendal for the mission history of Georg Schmidt, the first missionary to Africa.

Dr. Isaac Balie, a 6th generation Genadendalian and our friend, kindly gave the young people a tour and lecture about Schmidt's life and the work and the work of those who followed Schmidt in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The young people were able to enjoy the southern peninsula on a sunny winter day.

We pray that the Lord will use their experiences to cause them to desire to serve the Him whether at home or abroad.  Whenever I am at the Cape of Good Hope, I remember the Lord's promise to be with us to the "end" of the world, literally, here at the tip of the Africa continent!

Return to Hubby in South Africa

"Fulfill your ministry . . . II Timothy 4:5"
Tony was very thankful that I was able to return to South Africa on June 19. He was  visiting, preaching, keeping house and cooking his own meal AND teaching the winter term at Oostenberg Bybel Instituut's a course through  I Corinthians at three venues in two languages!  Below is the English class that meets in the home on Monday nights.

The class that meets on Tuesday nights in the Strand is one of the two Afrikaans classes. The other Afrikaans class meets on Thursday nights in Eersterivier at Immanuel Baptiste Kerk,Pastor Kevin's church.

Twice a month the men from Eindhoven Baptiste Kerk meet here as well.  They are doing a course on hermeneutics.  Some of them preach twice a month and they all value greatly what they are learning.

Even though Elizabeth cares for several small children whose mothers work, she agreed to do the evangelistic Bible study, THE EXCHANGE, which I translated into Afrikaans a  few years ago.

Elizabeth attends our services faithfully and even brings two neighbourhood children with her. Cody and Jaydy greeted me with kisses on my return to South Africa.

 

It is a joy to be back with those who worship together at Eindhoven Baptiste Kerk and I returned just in time to prepare for the yearly Winter Bybel Klub.  (More about it in the next post!)