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News Bulletin From Jae & Debra Evans |
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March 2008 |
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In this Issue Special Links
How to Donate
MCM Web Site
Contact Us Praise Report: Please join us in thanking God for the following items: For the new vehicle for food transport at the Food Center. For the tremendous progress done this month at the Food Center. For new small group leaders being trained and more children attending small groups. For more kids in attendance in the high schools life skills training and Christian Clubs. Prayer Requests: Please join us in praying for the following items: That God will continue to develop in us an intimate relationship with Him. This is first above all else. For Debra`s continued improvement in strength and health, and for the complete healing of her cancer. That God will continue to touch those who are willing to support us monthly as we work in South Africa. For the continued success in the completion of the Food Center and distribution to feeding programs within the community. For many to be drawn to God`s word in our ssmall groups and high school programs. For our new small group leaders and interns to be strong in their witness, attend church, and for their daily protection. That God would be glorified in all our work, words, and ways. |
Well another month has gone by. It sure seems like days and not a month. I guess what they say is true - Time sure flies when your having fun. I am sure having fun seeing the new Food Center come together. It is so neat to think that in just a few weeks we will be baking bread and making soup! WOW! Is God good or what? You can read more on the Food Center progress below (it is worth the read).
We are doing well here. Debra has her good days and her bad days. Overall I think we are seeing a few more good than bad, but we are trusting in the Lord that this is all part of the healing process and that she is continuing to overcome the cancer. I just pray that I can be a little stronger for her than I feel I have been. It is a difficult journey to say the least. She still isn't really up to feeling like she can fully engage back into the ministry, but I have to take that as a good thing. All things in His perfect time.
We have had a great time with the Short term teams that have come over so far. We had a great time seeing them (and the entire MCM team) pitch in and give the Lukhanyo Center a new coat of paint and a new garden plot. It was really a wonderful time and we got to see the community of Mbekweni come together to help in the clean up of the area as well. More on that below as well.
So much is going on here with the ministry that I can't put it all into the newsletter (so check out the web site at www.montechristoministries.com ) I guess it is the blessing of having so many new people joining the MCM team. It seems like for every new Short term Mission team we have at least one of them feel the call to return in either a full time ministry position or an intern position for a year or more. It is really neat for us old folks to see so many young people willing to give up a year of their lives to serve Him here.
Go Chargers! Well that is what most of us from Southern California thought when we finished painting the outside of the Lukhanyo Community Center in Mbekweni. The colors that the Lukhanyo folks picked reminded us of the San Diego Chargers Blue and Gold. We had a lot of help from the MCM team, some of the Xhosa kids in our small groups, and a visiting short term team from the States. It was amazing how quickly we got the entire building painted, and we even had a small team clear a part of the grounds for a community vegetable garden.
The Lukhanyo Center plays a key role in our ministry in the Mbekweni township. Here we have our weekly discipleship groups and bible studies. It is also one of the places that feeds the kids one day a week.
One of our new interns, Lungile Members of the team at work.
Community members helping out The team poses for a group photo It is really great to see how far the Community Center has come over the years we have been here. As one of the Xhosa guys working on the project said, "Now the members of our community will know to go to the big blue building." But don't you think it would look better with a big gold lighting bolt (Chargers logo) on the side?
We continue to make a lot of progress on the MCM Food Center project. The building is nearly complete and most of the equipment is in place. We also have made significant progress on our Water Bottling project out at the MCM farm in Porterville. We now have all our supplies and the water bottling room is almost complete. We expect to begin the bottling process in just a few weeks. One of the neat things is that we just received our new Food Center delivery vehicle (thanks North Coast Church - Edgeites!), and we have already made our first transport of water bottles and supplies up to the farm. What a blessing to finally have all of this coming together.
19 Pallets of water bottles Our new Bakkie
The Bakery side of the Food Center Equipment and dry store room
If all goes according to schedule (HA -Remember TIA - This is Africa) we will begin baking bread and rusks the end of this week. We still need to get a couple more BIG pots and some tables as well as some small items before we will be cooking soup. But we are hopeful that the first batch of soup will be cooking in a couple more weeks. Thanks to all of you who helped make this possible.
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