We recently had a company meeting and our kiddos were recognized for their years of service on the field (Taylor 15 years, Bradyn 10 years, and Ellie 5 years). I am so thankful for how they are missionaries alongside of us.
Taylor was also recognized along with 5 other kids graduating from high school.
So proud of each of our kids ❤️
It’s so hard to believe that Taylor is graduating this July. A sweet friend captured some beautiful Senior Photos for us, thank you April Lee Photography ❤️
Rift Valley Academy where Taylor attends high school provides so many amazing opportunities for the students. They recently did an African Field Studies week where the students could pick different interests to explore further. Taylor pick art and had some amazing experiences in Nairobi to see how local artists use their gifts/talents to make items.
I am a planner. Sometimes when things don’t go as planned my husband is quick to say ‘we will make a plan’ and I about crawl out of my skin as I have made a plan and put tons of work behind those plans and can sometimes lead to moments of frustration on my part.
I am often reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9 ‘ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
As we recently had a volunteer team, plans were just not going the way we had organized and another plan had to be made. Here is a glimpse of how God orchestrated our day and made me see His ways are higher than my ways and plans.
One of the days that fell through with our original plans, we decided to do evangelism in an area near the church. The following testimony of that day was written by journeyman Kenna Boyle…”We split into smaller groups with translators and spread out to share with anyone willing to listen. My little group prayed before we began, asking the Lord to lead us to open hearts. One story that stands out is when we came across a small home with multiple vehicles in the yard, so we figured someone must be home. Standing outside the gate, we called out, but no one answered. Just as we were about to leave, a woman opened the front door and started sweeping her front steps. We asked again if we could come speak with her, and she said yes, inviting us inside. Her name was Sage, and as we talked, she shared that she had grown up in church but never really made the faith her own. She had always been confused about how to do that.
We all took turns encouraging her and sharing Scripture. She told us that earlier that morning, she had been feeling distraught and had asked God to show her that He was real and listening to her prayers. She realized that God had led our little group to her house to show her what salvation by grace really means. She was so happy to hear what we shared and decided to come to church on Sunday to receive her very own Bible.”
We love our sending church-Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC. When we were first married, we settled in Raleigh for Brent to attend Southeastern Seminary and we attended Providence and were deeply involved in their life classes. We have felt so loved and supported by this church over the past 16 years of serving in Botswana.
The past 2 years, Providence has brought University students on their spring break to come and serve alongside of us in Botswana. They served in so many amazing ways from youth group at Gaborone Baptist Church, teaching Sunday School, evangelism, VBS kids program, University of Botswana outreach, and Fusion high school program. Nearly 400 people heard the gospel during evangelism or large group settings and 22 people chose to follow Jesus.
On one of the evangelism mornings, one student was able to share the Gospel with two men who were sitting in their yard. These men didn’t have any work and their circumstances were pretty rough. It was easy to look around at their surroundings and have a seed of doubt that sharing the Gospel was going to mean anything to them. BUT GOD worked in their hearts. According to one of them this was the first time in his whole life he had heard the Gospel- what Jesus did for him on the cross. They asked such deep questions that showed how much they were thinking about this, “what is sin? what would I be repenting from?” One said, “now that I have heard this, I know that I am lost.” They heard that choosing Jesus wasn’t going to be easy and that following Christ requires us to give up the things of this world, and they were ready to commit their lives to Christ. After praying to receive the gift of life Jesus has offered us, we gave them each a Bible. The team was able to explain to them what the Bible really is, how to read it, and where to start reading. After we left, we look back at the men sitting in their yard, and they already started reading their Bible. Our hearts melted to see that. They were already eager to read what we just showed them. We went home praising and thanking God for what He has done in their lives. On Sunday morning, the two men walked into church, with the Bibles in their hands and in their nicest clothes. Please join us in prayer for these men and all of the others who heard about Jesus this week.
