Marie

Dell Highlights and Lowlights of 2014

We are grateful to the Lord and you our faithful partners for another year of service in His harvest field. Thank you!

Highlights of 2014

Kenneth and Monica are doing very well at school.
40 young people from a multitude of countries, who work at Disney, attended our American “Thanksgiving” outreach. 28 indicated that they would like to have further spiritual conversations after hearing the Gospel.
One of our neighbours accepted Jesus and we are building relationships with several others. Many are from other countries and despite some language barriers, it has been an exciting adventure.
The impact of our work on the lives of our missionaries as they use tools and resources our teams develop.
Your faithful prayer and financial support that enable us to see lives changed around the world.
Marie’s mom spend the month of November with us – what a treat!

Lowlights of 2014

We miss “our” people and country, despite many great visits.
The death of our neighbour across the street. We found him unconscious and did CPR until the paramedics arrived. The whole “911” experience was hard but bonded us with the widow.
Four of our South African missionary friends died as martyrs this year (they were serving with other organizations).
Feeling the urgency of a ripe harvest, and insufficient harvesters and resources to collect it.

May you be touched by the significance of the birth of Jesus this Christmas.

We are praying that during 2015 you will experience the Lord in new ways and will be very aware of His guidance, presence and peace.

Merry Christmas!
The Dells

Meeting Vladimir in Greece

Building capacity and sharing the gospel in Kyrgyzstan

“I encourage my team to share about Jesus Christ with anyone they meet. If you spend more than 5 minutes with someone, you have an opportunity to share the gospel.”

Vladimir & Erik Butz (Global Operations Leader) — Vladimir and Erik Butz (Global Operations Leader)

This was the testimony of Vladimir, from Kyrgyzstan. He has the heart of an evangelist, a passion to share Jesus Christ with others. The exceptional thing is that Vladimir leads the national operations team, not a field ministry team. This is a team of accountants, tech experts, office managers and administrators. Their primary calling is to provide support systems for our field teams in Kyrgyzstan. At the same time they are also living out a ministry of evangelism and discipleship as a way of life.

Even more amazing is that Vladimir’s team serve in a country that is nearly 90% Muslim. They take the initiative to boldly share the love of Christ daily. Vladimir shared with excitement about his teams evangelistic outreach. That week his operations team shared the gospel with more people than the students ministry team!

We love being a part of developing leaders like Vladimir, who are skilled at building operations capacity for the ministry, filled with the Holy Spirit and passionate about sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

Our time in Greece with Vladimir and other operations leaders was an encouragement and also a time to collaborate and trust God for greater impact. Thank you for your prayers for us and our children that stayed at home.

Please join us in praying for:

Greater impact & wisdom for our operations teams around the world as they work “behind-the-scenes”.
Stefan’s travel to Korea (18-25 October) to attend our East Asia staff conference.
Wisdom as our ministry trusts God for greater digital maturity and simplification of our global communication.
Marie’s Mom, who will be visiting us in November, for safe travels and a wonderful time together.
Irene, a Norwegian neighbour that prayed to receive Christ with Marie. Pray for her spiritual growth and her sons to know Jesus.

Click here to see some photo’s from Greece

Operational Force

How can we help to accelerate the spread of the gospel?

The Global Operations leaders of Campus Crusade for Christ will gather in Greece from 25-30 September to again wrestle with our part of this question. We meet every two years , for a time of collaboration, brainstorming, training and strategic planning that has helped tremendously to expand the impact of our organisation around the world. We call this the Operations Leaders Connection and had our first meeting in 2006.

Pray for the following:

Traveling mercies – Stefan travels via London to attend a meeting about “data protection” laws around the world.
Stefan will facilitate the Technology Leaders tract & Marie the Communications Leaders tract in Greece. Pray for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading and good interaction.
Safety for all our leaders traveling from around the world.
Keith & Kay Seabourn will stay with our children. Pray for stamina and strength for them.
Kenneth, Monica and Moonshadow to enjoy the time with their American “grandparents”.

We are grateful for your prayers and support!

Jesus Appears in a Dream

Eleven weeks of school holiday flew past in a jiffy and our children started school again. Not being the new kid on the block made a big difference to Monica but Kenneth had to repeat the experience as he started Middle school (for Grade 6 – 8). You can pray for him as he settles and stands strong against the temptations that comes with this age group.

One of Marie’s joys is to collect stories from around the world of what God is doing through Campus Crusade. Here is just one of the stories – this one from our colleagues in North Africa:

“Anna is a teenager living in North Africa and had been repeatedly sexually abused as she was growing up—even by supposedly devout men of her religion. She sought advice and comfort from a religious leader of her faith but received no satisfying answers.

About that time she passed by a house with a small sign which said, “Jesus is love.” Shortly after that, Anna failed a critical test at school and had thoughts of suicide. With nowhere else to turn she cried out, “Reveal yourself to me, ‘Jesus of love.’

Well, Jesus did appear to her in a dream and said to Anna: “Accept Me as your Lord and Savior.”

She immediately went back to the home with the sign about Jesus. They gave her a DVD called “Magdalena”—a version of Campus Crusade’s the JESUS film on the life of Christ. “Magdalena” presents the story of Jesus as seen through the lenses of women. Anna watched it three times, responded to Christ, and couldn’t stop crying for two days.

Transformed, she led her mother and sister to the Lord. She played the DVD for her fellow students, and in just one week 25 students came to Christ.

She is now a first-year student in university and leads a group of 30 women on her campus. These women are boldly telling others that Jesus is love.”

In the midst of all the reports of evil in our world, it is great to hear how God is working. Praise Him for His life-changing power. Continue to pray for mighty breakthroughs as our staff and disciples minister all across the world and thank Him for your part in it.

P.S. See our latest photos here.

Hooray – One Year Today

One year ago today, at the O.R. Tambo International Airport we waved goodbye to our family and started the adventure of serving as missionaries outside our home country. We bravely stepped onto the airplane, certain that we were answering God’s call.

A year later, we are even more convinced of His calling and look back at the year with gratefulness to Him and to our partners.

Reflecting on the year, here are the highs and the lows of our experiences:

The Highs:

Experiencing the Lord’s provision at a new level, despite the weakening Rand.
Being used by God at the Global Headquarters as we join with others in seeing the Great Commission being fulfilled.
Being the first people on our street and welcoming all our neighbours as their homes are completed.
Our new friends and church.
Seeing our children grow in leadership and wisdom despite the challenge of “being different”.
Experiencing so many new and exciting places, foods, cultures and people.

The Lows:

Missing our family and friends.
The cost of living is much higher here.
Language barriers – we wish we could speak Spanish.
Witnessing the universal sinfulness of humankind – you cannot escape crime, poverty and abuse.

To God belongs all the glory for the privilege to serve Him!

Meet Moonshadow

We are well but would appreciate your prayers for the following:

Stefan will be in Korea and Hong Kong from 4-13 April. Please pray for safe travels and fruitful interactions as he learns how to serve our staff members in that region.
Marie will be attending an “Old Testament Survey” course next week (7-11 April). Pray that she will learn a lot while juggling all her responsibilities.
Kenneth and Monica are writing important State-wide Math, Reading and Science exams on 14 & 15 April. The grading influence many things so they are under pressure to perform well. Pray that they have clear minds and peace during the exams.
Stefan’s mother, Lynne, is currently in hospital with various health struggles. Please pray for her and the health workers.

Meet Moonshadow – our adopted tom cat! Here in America the rules for keeping a pet are different, but we are learning fast. Since his arrival on Sunday, he had brought us lots of joy.

We appreciate you prayers!