Greetings from Durban, South Africa

We are grateful for all your prayers for us. Our journey was long but we arrived after 29 hours (23 hours flying) to Durban and were greeted by Darryl Meekins. We've been staying at Darryl and Casey's home. Their two year old daughter Emma has been a delight. We have been unable to access blogspot until tonight, but have sensed your prayers for us as we have had extremely busy days, moments of weariness physically and exciting conversations with missionaries on the ABWE Durban team. We are enjoying the opportunity to hear firsthand the vision, love and commitment that these wonderful people have for the people of Durban. Keep in mind that this team is made up of American missionaries, South African nationals of several ethnic heritages (white, black, Indian) and missionaries sent from Hong Kong. It is rare to have a team like this and some have grown and served together for over 25 years.

Confirmed Impressions - From day one we realized that Durban is a city of contrasts...big contrasts. This was confirmed by missionaries living and working here for 5 to 20 years. There are very affluent sections and impoverished sections of the city, sometimes just on the other side of the road. Downtown there is a kind of Beverly Hills, Rodeo drive area and behind these same stores there is a squatter area that the poor have built up with whatever they can find and it "houses" approximately 11,000 people. Major security is found everywhere: high fences with wicked looking barbed wire and electrified fences or wire. Signs are everywhere related to armed response security being enforced. Yet this contrasts with parts of the city, especially down by the beaches, where it is beautiful and so pleasant to walk along the sand or boardwalks. Missionaries are telling us of the false socio-economic situation of the country and the vast needs. There is a need for vigilance while they serve in a very dangerous city. So much poverty and yet if you look at the sea it is full of ships waiting to unload their cargo at the largest port in Africa. Crime has been a long standing problem and all the missionaries have been effected by it with some situations that have been very traumatic.

The ABWE missionaries are clearly committed to the work here and we have been enjoying it as they share their heart for ministry in all their contexts. It has not been easy for any of them though. The contrasts and the needs are glaring. Yet they all are trying to serve in such a way that they will glorify the Lord by loving the people, meeting their needs and giving them the gospel of Christ.

We've spent each day speaking with missionaries and team members who are South African. We've also had the opportunity to see their ministry context at Baptist Bible College, Fellowship Baptist Church, The Phoenix Fellowship, The Community Connection Church in Ballito and heard from the missionaries serving in Richard's Bay. Two missionary families serve in HIV/AIDS ministry. Today we joined in an important time of prayer with the team and attended their team meeting. Jason and I have also attended a couple of growth groups in their churches. We've also had the opportunity to see Phoenix Fellowship's property that they have been trying to build on for 2 years. This land was a neighborhood dump that nobody wanted. They bought it very cheap and then a government official wanted to cancel their sale contract. It took 2 years to settle it in court. Now that they've won, they are cleaning it up and preparing it by fencing and leveling it off. Pray for the Lord to provide so they can build on this land in the next year. Also, pray for me as I will be preaching at Phoenix Fellowship on Sunday morning (9 hours ahead of California time). The Phoenix section was primarily for non-whites over the decades under apartheid and this meant that the citizens are mostly ethnic Indian (primarily Hindu, but some Muslim). Darryl and Casey live just across the road from the beginning of the 12 sections. They go in order from 1 to 12 and as they increase in their designation to 12 then each section shows to be more poverty stricken. The church's property is in section 10 of Phoenix.

Conversations with Darryl about the college and its students have been great. We will be working on my preliminary job description which will essentially be for a role as Dean of Students. There is a pressing need for oversight of the apprenticeship/internship program. The great concern is that this college will be training and graduating students who are well prepared. Students who are not just preparing for the ministry through academic courses, but who are being prepared in their character, personal walk of holiness, dependence on the Lord and practical use of the Word. There will be further opportuities to serve in this ministry such as teaching courses and administration. The process of getting their own accreditation with the government looms high on the list of priorities for the college as well. Kim too will have a role in this since there are women training at the college for ministry in their local churches. Also, the launching of online courses is set for January 2010 and Kim may have an opportunity to help with this part of the college ministry. All of the above is still to be fully determined so we ask you to pray for the Lord's will to be revealed, but Kim and I believe the Lord can use us effectively in this ministry.

Please pray for Jason and I in these last days as we will have further discussions tomorrow about the college ministry and also see the ministries of missionaries serving at Grace Baptist Church in the south of Durban. On Saturday we will meet with the missionaries serving among the Chinese population and also with a national who serves in and near a black township. That should be very eye-opening!

Jason is doing great here. He's made friends with students of the college, young people at the churches and children of missionaries. He's especially enjoyed time with the worship and youth leader at Fellowship Baptist Church. Jason has also been interacting with the missionaries in conversations. Pray that we can glean as much as we can in this short week and with the few days we have left. Thank you for praying for us and for this wonderful opportunity. I expect to be able to write at least one more post before we return as long as the internet is cooperative.