Marie – Page 4 – Stefan and Marie Dell

Irma and Infographics

Garden Furniture and Pot Plants Squeezed into the Garage Because of Hurricane Irma.

This week could not have turned out more topsy turvy than what it did.

Hurricane Irma is heading our way and she has caused major panic for those awaiting her arrival and left terrible destruction in her wake. We have prepared ourselves as best we know how for her arrival.

Her arrival also impacted my (Marie) departure time for Denver where I will attend a content strategy* training next week. I will now enjoy an extra day in Denver while praying for the safety of my family and fellow Floridians. Please join me in prayer! Stefan and the children will be staying home.

Despite the upheaval, I’m super excited about this week of training. In the past 18 months, I have had more and more opportunities to be involved with thinking through content for different platforms (web, social media etc.) of Campus Crusade (or Cru as it is called here in America).

Being “findable” with our content online when people are searching for spiritual things has been an important part of what our ministry does. But we also want the people we meet online to move forward in their relationship with Christ, and this is always more difficult.

The past 3 months, our ministry made some intentional efforts to learn to connect with two of our online audience segments so we can help them move forward. We called these two groups, “Millennial Christians in a New City” and “Young Christians on Social Media”.

We listened to about 100 people in each of these categories and summarized what they said about themselves and what we learned in these two infographics.

Young Christians on Social Media (infographic)

Millennial Christians in a New City (infographic)

With what we learned we can create themes and content for future online outreaches and update existing ministry efforts. The ability to better know our audience means presenting the gospel and opportunities for spiritual growth more effectively.

I have so much to learn and I’m excited to be part of this journey. Please pray for me to soak up all the information next week and for a special bonding time with two co-workers that are joining me on the course.

Thank you for being part of our ministry through your prayers and financial support. Our work together results in people finding hope and growth through Jesus!

* Content Strategy as defined by Kristina Halvorson, the author of Content Strategy for the Web is Planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content.

Pain Is Never Wasted

When our winking son, Peter, died in 2010, several people mentioned 2 Corinthians 1:4 “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive” as encouragement that the Lord will one day use our story.

In December, I (Marie) was helping the Social Media team prepare content for the first few months of 2017. For February, the focus would be how God minister in our brokenness. As we brainstormed, I mentioned our own brokenness after Peter’s death and offered our story.

This past week, a video of my story was published and within days, over 13 000 people watched it and it was shared by nearly 100 people.

I thank the Lord for this opportunity and I’m also humbled by the truth that our pain is never wasted.

Thank you for your prayers the past seven years as we walked the road of grief.

We Survived Our 1st Hurricane!

Thank you for your prayers!

We are grateful to the Lord for His protection over us and our property. We are still under a curfew till Saturday morning at 7 am but at least the tumble dryer has stopped. The incredibly strong winds have slowed down and even our cat bravely poked his nose out for a toilet stop.

Several co-workers lots electricity for a few hours, but we had power throughout the storms. We felt at peace and the Lord’s protection throughout the storm.

Here are the Kenneth and Monica with some of our plants, rescued from outside before the hurricane came.

Continue to pray for others that are still in the path of the hurricane.

A New Academic Year Starts

Today, 15 August, our 10-week school holiday ends. The children are reluctantly looking forward to the new school year as they start a new school and a new curriculum.

Here are a few snapshots from our summer:

Thank you for your prayers for our Global Leaders Conference (26 June- 1 July). Our meetings went well and our leaders left Orlando encouraged and better equipped to lead our missionaries in their quest to see the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Marie had a wonderful visit in South Africa with her Mom and siblings. The last time they were all together was February 2013. What a treat to celebrate their Mom’s 70th birthday together.

While Marie was away, we joined co-workers at their cabin in North Carolina. It was a wonderful break from the Orlando heat and humidity. The lowlight was that Kenneth broke his leg by colliding into an unsuspecting tree from a rope swing. After getting a screw in his leg he is recovering well. Please pray for his complete healing.

We appreciate your prayers as we start the new academic year. After the slower pace of summer, we are back in full swing. We look forward to a fruitful year as we try to bring the Good News to a lost and hurting world.

When Can We See You?

We arrived safely in South Africa and have already been spoiled with delicious bobotie, potjiekos, biltong, a nice braai, malva pudding and koeksisters! Needless to say, all the Dells are smiling from ear to ear!

We would love to see you! To make sure we do not miss out on catching up with you, we arranged a few “hang-out” opportunities for us to connect.

BLOEMFONTEIN

Thursday- 18 June @ 15:30, Noorderbloem Aftree Oord, Oliewenlaan 11. Join us for cake and tea (and a few American treats). RSVP

PRETORIA

Saturday – 20 June @ 15:00, Campus Crusade for Christ National Office, 398 Rigel Avenue, Erasmus Rand, 0181. Join us for cake and tea (and a few American treats). RSVP

Sunday – 5 July @ 15:30, Campus Crusade for Christ National Office, 398 Rigel Avenue, Erasmus Rand, 0181. Join us for cake and tea (and a few American treats). RSVP

JOHANNESBURG

Saturday – 4th of July @ 12:00, Rosebank Union Church, Corner of St. Andrews street and William Nicol, Hurlingham. Join us for an American Independence Day Picnic with hot dogs and lemonade (minus the fire-works). RSVP

SASOLBURG

Sunday – 19 July @ 15:30, N.G. Fontein Gemeente, Van Wouw Street, Sasolburg. Join us for cake and tea (and a few American treats). RSVP

DURBAN

Sunday – 2 August, after church services, Westville Baptist Church

CAPE TOWN

Sunday – 9 August @ 15:30, 14 Gardenia Road, Ridgeworth, Belville, 7530. Join us for cake and tea (and a few American treats). RSVP

OUR CONTACT NUMBERS WHILE IN SOUTH AFRICA

Stefan – 079 130 6423
Marie – 076 361 4980

Accidents happen

Pack. Unpack. Pack. Unpack.

This characterized Stefan’s past four weeks. He traveled to Turkey, the Middle East, Thailand and Singapore.

While visiting, helping and learning from our different teams of co-workers, he also had the privilege of hearing stories about what God is doing. For example: One campus team in East Asia discovered there were 67 universities in their city. Their hearts broke for all the unengaged students outside their current reach. So by faith, they broadened their scope.

The team went out and bought several motorbikes, and divided up the city: each team member took responsibility for around 10 campuses. They began zooming around town, exploring campuses, sharing the gospel, and praying the Lord would raise up key volunteers on every campus.

By the end of the first year, they’d personally visited 55 campuses. They surfaced 24 key volunteers who began to share their faith and follow up others until nearly 180 students across the city were involved….and none of those 180 had ever met the original team!

Family News:

Marie was in a car accident, and though the vehicle was written off, we are grateful that she escaped with only bruises and burns from the airbags. Our church family and co-workers stepped in to help while Stefan was away and we felt loved and cared for.

Prayer Requests:

Thank the Lord for Stefan’s traveling mercies and for protecting Marie during the car accident.
Pray for wisdom and creativity as we work on different projects that will help our co-workers in their service to the Lord.
Pray for Stefan as he hosts a Global Technology Leaders’ Conference in South Africa from 5-11 March. Pray for the safety of the 50 participants that will join him there.
Pray for a good second-hand vehicle at a reasonable price to replace our destroyed one.

Thank you for enabling us to be involved in serving our missionaries around the globe!

Some Recent photo’s

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

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!