Day At the Zoo

December brings with it the opportunity to get out, enjoy the sun and spend some time with the Family.
We headed off to the Johannesburg Zoo. Joel (4) and Seth (2) Had a blast as they took the journey through our newly renovated Zoo. The boys full of energy ran us off our feet.

Joel has blossomed this year, he loves his School and besides his finger accident he is doing well. Seth now two looks forward to the new year as he too gets to go to school. Mary had a very busy year with teaching her students excelled, she truly is a gifted teacher.

Here are some more images from our zoo trip:

This has to be one of the best emails i have ever recieved

Hi Charlie

I was almost in tears tonight just realizing how special our boys are. I had put the boys to sleep in their beds and Seth was crying. Joel comforted Seth, was holding his hands and was telling him not to worry or cry and that the sun will be up in 5 minutes. I sat listening to them with my ear against the door. Joel got out of his bed and lay with Seth in his bed.

Joel also said to Seth that maybe daddy will give mommy a big spanky. I think it is important for us to allow this to happen, our boys have bonded so. We shouldn't scold Joel for lying with Seth; I think it is adorable and wonderful. When I got home today Seth couldn't get to Joel soon enough, Seth hugged Joel through the gate and showed extreme excitement to see him.
Seth didn't even bother to see me just his brother. That was so nice to see.

Hanging in London

Im spending time in London with some friends, we are gathering to discuss how research has impacted the Dawn movement and how we can work together to effectively implement research strategies that will move the church forward in a SCP focus. Research has the Nehemiah effect that touches the hearts of the leaders and moves them to action.

We have been discussing research models from Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Arab World, and a report from World Map.

Hanging with the family:

We recently spent some time with the family Richards Bay on the East coast of South Africa. Spending time with family is always a blessing, my kids love to go visit Ouma (granny). I read the book “When Heaven is Silent” it was a refreshingly thought provoking book, I am always attracted to authors who have lived it and share from a heart of experience.

I find myself on this life journey and its like I find these road signs along the road that help me to think through some of the obstacles I am facing.

We took the kids to a farm they had a ball here are some Pics

Mozambique in focus:
Mozambique, yet another of the African countries that has emerged from a brutal and bloody civil war spanning more than a decade. (a good source of the history of Mozambique can be found here).

I can remember my first visit to Mozambique in the late 90’s to find a country devastated by the effects of the civil war that had ensued. This time however it was a pleasant and refreshing sight to see the new developments and the fast pace at which this country now finds itself growing in strength and economy.

Together with my colleagues we spent two days training six researches that would be implementing a micro research project in the Capital city of Maputo. The outcome of this project will track three major influences over the city, namely: places of worship; drinking places and significant social influences. This information would help the Christian leaders of the city to see on a digital map the state of the city, where the harvest force (the visible Church) is located, where the negative influences are located in the city that could potential hinder the Gospel message. It would in effect help them to be more strategic in their approach to a saturation Church planting strategy. This information would give them the tools to know where to plant churches in the neediest areas of the city.

The training venue we had brought with it some interesting works of art, since the end of the war there has been a push by many organizations to get the guns out of the hand of the public, this specific ministry swaps out guns for useful appliances like sewing machines; food; or even in some cases finical remuneration. I have put together a page in my gallery to display some of the pieces. It is quite amazing to see.

Life is a journey this is mine – Part 2

I have added a picture gallery to this blog family, friends and I will begin to add more pictures of the travels that I go on.

I have been married to Mary for 10 years, we met in our home town of Richards Bay, we where part of a group we called “The Young Adults” it was a time where God truly visited us in a powerful way during those meetings. Since I completed reading the book “The Power of a Transformed Mind” I have constantly been thinking of how I can get back to the place in my heart where I am truly hearing from the Lord again.
Neil Cole a brother that I met in Colorado Springs when we lived there has written several books that can be found here :

While I was on my East Africa trip I read his book: “Cultivating a Life for God” in this book it explains the lifestyle of LTG’s Life Transformation Groups. With this renewed desire to truly hear the voice of God, my plan is to implement 2 things, Pray the Luke 10:2b prayer and find someone to share the LTG experience with me…

Life is a journey, this is mine - Part 1:

I have just finished reading the book’ “The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind” by Bill Johnson, from the very early years of my walk with God, my best friend and I would dream of the supernatural, we would be fearless when it came to praying for the sick, wining souls to Christ, then as time went by and I became more in entrenched in Christiology and playing church that the fire for the miraculous faded into a distant memory.

For the past 5- 6 years I have been content with status quo living a life that has been numbed by choices I have made. It was about 6 years ago that I was exposed to the world of online gaming, It took all of 5 minutes and I was hooked, it took me on a journey that would span 6 years of compulsive gaming, I am a gaming addict. I almost lost my wife of 10 years came very close to loosing my job and more than that it has numbed my heart, for what ever reason it was my escape from the reality of this life, and adventure where I could do the impossible, and I was good at it!

In the past few months, my dissatisfaction with the status quo, the yearning that burns in my heart like a heartburn that cannot be appeased, I know that God is doing something to win back my heart. I made a choice that the road I was on was leading to my destruction and that only God could change my heart. I repented of my idolatry and my stubbornness to not heed to his voice, and slowly things are changing.

This book, “The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind” has confirmed and reinforced my longing to be a “History Maker” I know that God has called me for a purpose and that I want to be a vessel that will be a conduit for Him to fulfill his plan in my life here on this earth in this time.

A day in the life of:

The endless smog from the hundreds of mosquito bikes, blended with the smug bog of and early morning sunrise it’s another day in Cotonou Benin. I drag my weary body our of bed from the comfort of my air conditioned room only to be enveloped by and intoxicating humidity as I venture down the three flights of stairs leading to the roadway below.

Not much changed this night past except perhaps the smoke is thicker than usual today with the over cast sky and the bare striped streets people are bustling about making ready for their monotones montage of a life that takes them from one sale to another. Everyone who is anyone has something to sell, from a tooth pick to a basket of bread or maybe some chicken to brighten up the day.

From dawn till dusk and dusk till dawn there is something that needs to be sold, just one more cd, or perhaps one more power supply and ill make my quota. Children play haphazardly in the sun scorched streets amused by the one year old trying out his first steps. But what of this young child, what lies before him? A life destined for pedaling or maybe a bike mechanic or a maze grinder, yes maybe even a tailor or a butcher, time will tell. Mid morning passes only to invite the rays of the sun that reach a level of claustrophobic aura. I watch on as a young boy sleeps on the brush swept soil only a sheet to cover his frail young self. He lay there for what seemed an eternity, not stirring lest he should break a sweat. The fly’s swarm him the ants crawl over him yet not a stir or a moan. Its best to be indoors this hour as the heat seems to much to bare perhaps I'll venture out in an hour or two well make that three or four.

East Africa:
Recently I returned from East Africa, I had the privilege of traveling to Kenya, Burundi; Rwanda and Uganda for the purpose of training researchers. East Africa is without power for the better part of the days so it was an interesting experience trying to adjust culturally.

Unlike the power grids of East Africa the Light of the Gospel is certainly far from failing, it continues to pierce the darkness that once held this continent captive. Sitting in a church in the outskirts of the City of Bujumbura in Burundi the sound of Praise echoed off the tin roof out into the surrounding village carrying with it words of adoration and praise to the risen King.

As the drum continued to beat a familiar melody I began to realize that this beat, the African beat is not unique or localized to one African country but its a sound that rings true in many of the African countries that I have visited, from the lake shores of Malawi to the jungles of Madagascar, from the great lakes to the sweltering West coast this sound, this African beat that is found in so many praise songs carries a familiarity with it that can be heard in all regions of Africa, it dawned on me that the light of the Gospel has so far and wide spread through this continent that atop the sounds of beating drums in every corner comes sounds of praise to a living God!

As I traveled from city to city, country to country I was amazed and shocked at the number of street children I saw that lined the streets in search of food, or the hope of a coin or two. HIV has ravaged this continent and left scores of children to fend for themselves. The Africa word "zungu" meaning "White man" brings with it a twinkle in the eye of the chanters for surely the arrival of this "zungu" increases the odds of them getting something, anything.