Welcome to Signs of Life!

Journal Entries

11 April 2007

Its been a long time since I've taken the opportunity to write here. I apologize and hope to do better in future.

I just returned yesterday from a two week trip back to South Africa. Much was accomplished during the short visit, which sets the pace for the months to come.

I was accompanied with a friend for several years, Jimmy Tsoukalas. He is Deaf and, along with his wife, has raised full support as a missionary to the Deaf. His original plans were to go to Botswana, but by God's grace, AND in answer to our prayers, has agreed to come to South Africa!

He will help us as we take the next step in the development of the work for the Deaf. Our weakest link has been the Deaf College. By the leading of the Lord, we've made the decision to become a full-time Bible College as of January 2008. Jimmy, along with my nephew and myself will be able to accommodate the teaching load. I've almost completed writing all the courses for the college and will be ready to begin at the first of the year.

I shared this dream with the Deaf Church and it was received with excitement with several already making known their desire to be full-time students. This will require the building of a dormitory or hostel, which will be situated on the present property behind the church.

I had the opportunity to present our dream to several South African pastors last week and explained to them my desire that the bulk of financing of the building should come from South Africa. This was received with hearty, South African enthusiasm! Praise the Lord for pastor friends Reuben May, Alistair Butterworth, Peter Thomas, Leonard Schmidt, and others. Also, it is our privilege to count as our friends John Page, director of Word of Life South Africa, and Garth Lombard, Word of Life South Africa, who equally joined in our vision of what can be accomplished with God's leading and provision.

I continued showing Jimmy the country, helped him make contacts for purchase of a vehicle and securing housing upon his arrival. He taught on both Saturday's we were there and preached one Sunday in the Church. I explained his duties to him, which include teaching in the college and mentoring one of our men in the starting of a third Church for the Deaf on the south side of Johannesburg (see Mapquest). This is approximately 40 kilometres from our present Deaf Church in Chloorkop (see Mapquest). Our second Church for the Deaf is located in Pretoria (see Mapquest), 40 kilometres from Chloorkop to the north. I explained to Jimmy that the one of the worst things I've noticed on the mission field is when missionaries are all attending one church. We need to be busy in the starting of new works, not all fellowshipping together in an established work.

My heart was blessed to realize the fruit of my wife's ministry. Over the years Lucinda has done extensive counseling and teaching of the ladies. However, we never know how this information is received and whether it will be assimilated and accepted as their own. Those doubts were put to rest in my conversation with one of our established members. Mary (named changed) has been with the Church at Chloorkop since our beginning. She asked to speak with me and explained how her daughter found that she was pregnant. All the family was telling the daughter to have an abortion as the inconvenience of a child was too great. As Mary began to think about this she told me her heart became sore. She remembered the lessons Lucinda taught on the value of a child's life and said she HAD to talk to her daughter. Mary told me that she wouldn't be a true Christian if she just kept quiet. So, she counseled her own daughter who decided to keep her baby! What a blessing to my heart to realize Lucinda's work is bearing fruit! In the new building, Lucinda will have her own office with several ladies already expressing their interest to be trained as crisis counselors. It was a blessing to have the ladies forward their love and respect to Lucinda during my visit.

It was a joy to see old friends, to be able to preach 4 times, baptize one of our Deaf young ladies on Easter Sunday, have two men saved on Easter, eat South African food again, and to sleep and stay in my own house!

I'll miss South Africa, but know our time in the US is vital to the development of the vision that God has given us. We hope to present this dream to many and, perhaps, garner the interest and support of the Bible Baptist College for the Deaf.