Making disciples

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Matthew 28:20

Discipling and mentoring occupy many of our hours of each week.

On Mondays, Tony and I meet separately with Bradley and Oriel at our home. These newlyweds arrive at 7 pm and spend several hours studying with us. While Oriel and I meet in the kitchen, Tony and Bradley (here visiting at his mother-in-law's home) hold their session in the study. When we say goodbye about 9:30pm, they often continue chatting by their car for sometimes for as much as another hour.

Andre meets with Tony after Andre gets off work on Tuesdays. They are working through the discipleship course. We are also training Andre for children’s work through our weekly Bible club in Delft. He listens to the children’s verses and helps teach the memory work. Soon he will be preparing his first lesson.

We meet with Jeremy (2nd from left) and June (on left) on Thursday evenings to mentor them. Seeing them taking steps of growth encourages us greatly. They have a burden and a vision for their community and humanly, they are the reason that we began to minister in Delft. Jeremy preaches about once a month and visits with Tony on Sunday afternoons. I am training June for children’s work. She recently taught her second lesson.

Tony continues to meet with the young father, Chris, on Thursday afternoons. He and his wife and little daughter enjoy visits to our home. Their one-year old allows us to practice of our grandparenting skills! Tony recently got Chloe to sleep while her parents viewed a dvd on marriage.

Our “son” Jason and Tony have time together each week. Often he sleeps over on Thursdays and helps Tony with ministry and home projects affording us the opportunity to train and influence this young “Timothy.” He is preaching about once a month, visits door-to-door, and works in the Bible club.

On Thursday mornings, I am mentoring Caren, a young mother of three. She approached me about the possibility of studying the Bible together. We are working through Titus 2’s commands for young women.

Resurrection Weekend and Some Birthdays

" . . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and . . . he was buried, and . . . he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (I Corinthians 15:3-4)."

The Easter season is South Africa is still celebrated by observing Good Friday as a public holiday and most churches observe the day with a church service. We held a joint service by having the Eindhoven Baptiste Kerk travel to Northpine to meet together with Calvary Bible Baptist Church. Tony preached from the sixth saying of Christ on the cross. We learned that "IT IS FINISHED" was a shout of victory, of completion and of invitation to believe.

After the service everyone enjoyed a time of tea and fellowship, complete with a birthday cake for Jean-Pierre who turned 6 years old on Good Friday. He shared his spiderman birthday cake with some of our Bible club children who attended the service.

Today Eindhoven Baptiste Kerk in Delft hosted the believers from Calvary Bible Baptist Church, since the hall where they usually meet was unavailable. It was a blessing to have 37 in attendance at our first Easter Sunday service in Eindhoven. Shireen (in the back corner)returned for a third service. Two of her daughters and a grandson who came with her were first time visitors. We are encouraged to be having first time visitors each Sunday in this new church plant.

After the morning service, Tony took me out to an estate dating back to 1685 to enjoy a postponed birthday celebration at their cafe. The weather as well as the gardens were beautiful and the food was delicious.How grateful I am to the Lord for the gift of life over 50 years ago this month (you can guess how many years over 50! :-), but more importantly for the gift of eternal life at the age of 6, which I also celebrate in April.