Looking back, moving ahead - by Kevin

The year of our Lord 2015 was full of challenges, but as always God had treasures for us to find.  I have gotten into the habit of reflecting back on the year and recording my top 10 memories in my journal so I can treasure them for years to come.  

My (Kevin's) absolute highlight of 2015 was getting to baptize my son Daniel in Carey Lake, Ellensburg.  We asked Daniel about baptism 2 years ago and he said something like, "OK I'll do it, so I can get it over with".  Sooo we decided to leave it, and a year later he pursued it completely on his own initiative.  I am so happy and proud he has chosen this path.

Another one of my highlights was a “Giving worship service” we had here in Worcester at the YWAM base.  Stefaan Hugo the former base leader was speaking at the Monday morning worship time and asked everyone to pray and ask God what to give and to whom, and then we would meet Thursday night at our weekly Community Meeting to see what God would do.  The act of giving - especially when it hurts - is an act of worship and also of power as it can break the mentality of poverty.  YWAM-ers tend not to be a very cash rich demographic group, but giving from the heart is a beautiful thing to witness.  It was amazing to watch how the spirit of God brought joy to the giver and receiver alike.  We saw at least 10 guitars trade hands.  One young man wept as he gave away his first guitar that he had for many years, then only 30 seconds later was given another one that had him weeping with joy.  Even though we were a bit tight on cash God put it on our hearts to give Khaya and Grace (a couple from South Africa and Nigeria) the money they needed to travel home to the Eastern Cape for Christmas for the first time in years.  They are devoted staff here on the base.  

When they received the gift and Khaya’s eyes filled with tears I was thankful to all our supporters that made this gift possible.  After they had returned to Worcester they reported that Khaya's entire family was there for Christmas and their 2 year old son Judah was able to meet everyone for the first time.

On Monday the Couples and Families Counseling School started here on the YWAM base, with both of us attending as students.  It was exciting to get to meet our fellow-students and staff members whom we will get to know very well over the next 3 months.  We are an international crowd of 9 students and 9 staff, from 9 nations:  South Africa, China, Japan, Togo, Brazil, Canada, Cameroon, the UK and USA.  It feels really, really good to be doing a school again.  It’s been 13 years since we’ve had any training, and we’re ready for it.  It’s also great to be a part of a group of like-minded people who all have a passion for families and for the freedom that Christ has for us.  The staff are all really qualified and have tons of experience so we’re very excited to learn as much as we can from them!

We will be learning about the systemic approach to counseling (which considers the individual's interpersonal relationships within their family system, as well as the generational patterns in their family) and about various methods of family therapy.  Especially with our return to serve as Chaplains on the ship later this year, we are happy to be able to learn some tools that we will be likely to use.  We are adjusting as a family to our new schedule, which is quite full with classes every morning and 3 afternoons as well.  There will be some juggling involved! 

On Friday we had a lovely day out in Cape Town with our fellow students and staff, getting to know them better as we wandered around the Waterfront and had an unforgettably delicious lunch experience at the vibrant and culturally intense Eastern Food Bazaar. (Best Indian food outside of India, to date.  Mmmmm.....)

My (Kevin's) Dad suffered a severe stroke in mid-January, which has left him unable to walk or feed himself.  He has just been moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center in Yuma, Arizona.  It's hard to know at this point what his future holds.  

We are due to attend the On Boarding course at the Mercy Ships International Operations Center in Texas starting in early June.  As our Counseling School here will end in mid-April, we are considering bringing our departure date forward a little, so that we can be in the USA to see my dad briefly in May.  Of course we have no idea what his situation will be like by then, so we would appreciate prayers for wisdom to know what to do in terms of purchasing plane tickets and looking for accommodation etc.

The drought situation here has gotten quite severe.  On Monday the fire came close and turned our Worcester mountains into Mordor.  The winds were blowing Ellensburg style and got within 1/2 mile of a friend's house.  Their prayers were answered when the winds suddenly and unexplainable changed directions and the fire burned itself out almost completely.  South Africa sure could use some rain.  Please pray (and rain dance if you are being led). 

Our plans for next year - by Rachel

If you've been reading our blog posts, you are probably already aware that our time in Worcester has been challenging. For several months now we have been sensing that perhaps Worcester for us is supposed to be more of a bridge than a destination.  Our time here has so far been tough, but also GOOD - God has used this time to really delve into our hearts and challenge and change us in many ways.  So often, it seems, He has to get us out of our comfort zones and into a time of confusion and discomfort, to be able to do that.  We have felt it to be a time of preparation for what is to come.

We will be taking the Couples and Families Counseling school here from January to April, and we are really looking forward to being in the position of being "learners" again after a long time, as well as getting the opportunity to become equipped with tools that are specific to our calling and to where our hearts are at.

And after that?  Well, it seems that we finally have some answers:  

We have spent many years on board Mercy Ships in the past.   (8 years for Rachel, 6 for Kevin.)   We first met on the Anastasis in 2000, and have served on board as singles:

 a married couple:

 new parents:

 and a family of 4: 

Actually, we have "tried" to leave Mercy Ships a few times in the past, only to unexpectedly return.  And then we left in 2010 because God put it on our hearts to adopt internationally.  

In many ways, Mercy Ships is our spiritual home.  We have invested much of our lives in this organization, we know the quirks and foibles of living on board, the joys and the tough parts.  For 4 years we worked on board as Chaplains to the international crew - a position that we really enjoyed fulfilling together, and which is a really good fit for both of us - encompassing both of our strengths in counseling and teaching. And the occasional bout of crisis management.  :D

It just so happens that a position in Chaplaincy will unexpectedly be opening up on the Africa Mercy in August, and the position has been offered to us.  The ship will be coming to South Africa in July.  

Ironically, before we moved here to South Africa, Mercy Ships allowed us to send two boxes of clothes etc. to their head office in Texas, so that they could put them on a container going to Durban.  By mistake, they ended up on the Africa Mercy in Madagascar, where they still are now. Looks like we'll finally be reunited. (Did God know all along?  :D  )

Because we have been away from the ship for many years and we will be in leadership positions we will need to attend the On Boarding Program at the Mercy Ships headquarters in Texas in June.  This is a 5 week training program to prepare crew for service on board the ship.  We will then fly back to South Africa in July to embark the ship, and from there to sail to Benin (West Africa) for the following Field Service.

This is clearly a change of course for us, and definitely not what we expected when we moved here to South Africa.  But we really  feel right about returning to the ship and serving the international crew in the role of Chaplains.  We plan to make a 2 year commitment, and go from there.  (As a side note, the Africa Mercy has an excellent school on board.  We are very excited about this.  We have some stories to tell about the kids' school experiences in South Africa!)

In the new year we will communicate more about Mercy Ships and what the next season will look like for us.  Meanwhile, if you would like to find out more about the mission of Mercy Ships, you can find out here.

When it doesn't all just make sense - Rachel

If you've read any of our previous entries, you know that our transition to Worcester has not been easy.  The things we had thought we'd do here have not worked out the way we had thought.  We all feel differently about being here than we thought we would.  We've been struggling to figure out God's purpose for our family here in South Africa.  Again, disclaimer:  We love YWAM Worcester.  Great base, great leadership, great people.  We have no issues with them at all.  For us, this is more about figuring out where we fit in, and lacking a long-term vision here - beyond working in Transport, that is.  :D

I like things to fit together nicely and make sense.  OK, I can live with uncertainty and mess for a while.  But then, after an arbitrary amount of time, I stomp my metaphorical foot, thinking that I have the right to be able to look at the circumstances of my life and say, "oh - that's what God's been doing!  He did A because of B, in order to bring us to C."  And I feel smugly justified in the decisions that I had made in the process, because in the end it was all clearly part of God's plan.  How satisfying.  (And to be fair, there have been many times in my life when I've been able to do that, even though it may have taken a little longer than I would have preferred for the bigger picture to be revealed.)

But what about when it doesn't all just make sense?  

Do I struggle to fit all the pieces together in my mind, desperately trying to arrange them into some semblance of order - partly to appease my desire for everything to inter-connect, and also so that I can present it to our supporters and prayer partners in a tidy package?  (Er yes, apparently that's exactly what I do.  Giving myself stomach ulcers in the process.)

OR, do I wait... and trust... even if I never seem to get to the point where the answers are evident and everything "fits"?

It all really comes down to whose job I'm doing.  

For example:
Analysing the various reasons that we came here in the first place?  
-Not my job.
Wracking my brain to think of different ministries we could get involved with?  
-Not my job either.
Feeling guilty and responsible for the kids' occasional homesickness and not-quite-perfect circumstances?
-Nope.
Putting a plan together that will tie up all the messiness into something that makes sense to me and helps me feel better about myself?
-No.

The fact is, God is sovereign, and doesn't have to explain what He is doing.   He is the Potter, and not only did he create us but He also reserves the right to use us - or not use us - however He wants.

Humbling though it is, I do not have the answers.  But I know who does.  

So my job is to focus on today, doing the job at hand to the best of my ability.  And then to trust, wait, relax, and leave all of the outcomes up to Him.


P.S. Kevin had his dental procedure done last week.  It all went smoothly and he'll have the sutures removed next week.  Only one tooth was possible in the end, which cut the bill in half.  :D  The other good news is that it appears that enough funds are on their way to cover it!  Thank you! 

The Ocean Desert - Kevin

Once Rachel and I realized we were in a desert season (see previous post), my first response was, "How did I get here?  Did I make a mistake?  How do I get out of here?"  My desert has a lot of water, too much.  Before we left home, I felt like I was standing on the banks of a large river called "Faith".  I knew this river was going to South Africa, but that's all I knew for sure.  So I waded in deeper and deeper until the next step disconnected me from the shore and into the fullness of the current.  I had followed God into the river before, always a bit nerve-wracking, but I've learned to trust him.  

This time the river carried me out into the ocean and before I knew it, I had lost sight of land.  At first I thought I could  save myself with my wisdom and strength, but I didn't even know which way to swim.  But God was there in the midst of this ocean-desert in the form of a life raft that would provide safety, shelter, and everything I would need to survive.  

But at first I did not want to get in.  I held on to the side with one hand and I held on to my rubber ducky in the other.  My rubber ducky signified everything I relied on instead of God - My pride, strength, wisdom, my comforts: good things and bad.  What kind of fool would hold onto a rubber ducky when there was  a life raft right there?!  I love my ducky, he is my "Wilson"!  

But he cannot save me.

It seems like God uses difficult times to wake us up to the reality of how much we need him and and how we are designed for deep dependence on our Shepherd-King.  But this does not come naturally or easily; we must make the choice ourselves.  In Proverbs chapter 3 it talks about how God disciplines those he loves (He even led Jesus into the desert).  Discipline sounds like a negative thing but it is not.  "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12)  

A sermon from Rick Ezell says this:  "Discipline means training.  It is meant to draw us away from what will cause us harm and then lead us into the likeness of Jesus.  Discipline is needed to align our will to God's will."  

God is using this desert season to discipline me, just like a coach using discipline and training to make his players the best they can be.

"The job of a coach is to make players do what they don't want to in order to achieve what they have always wanted to be." -Tom Landry, Hall of Fame coach of the Dallas Cowboys (and a follower of Jesus).  
Things have become a lot easier knowing that God has a purpose for this hardship.  The more I trust him, the more peace he gives me.  I'm not sure which is more amazing: that I believe in Jesus, or that Jesus believes in me.

In other news:

Financial help needed: Tooth Story

We all start out with 12 molars. My wisdom teeth were impacted so I was then down to 8.  Right before I joined Mercy Ships in 2000, #7 on my upper right side cracked.  It would need a root canal and then a cap costing $2,000 or $75 to pull it.  I was broke, so out it came.  #6 on the upper right side continued to serve me well even after it had cracked and had a root canal in Africa (on the ship) in 2009.  Last year on my birthday while trying to consume a Snickers Blizzard it cracked down to the roots and could not be saved.  With no molars left I cannot chew food on the right side of my mouth.  The bad news is that implants cost about $4,000 dollars in the U.S. Dental insurance typically does not pay for dental implants.  The very good news is that they only cost $1400 in South Africa using the same high quality components.  The other bad news is that we exhausted our savings account covering our transition costs to come here.  

So I'm asking if anyone can help.  I can put it on a credit card but the borrowing costs are high, and I've not carried credit card debt since 1997.  The bone scan showed I have 8mm of bone, 7mm is needed otherwise bone grafts are required (expensive and painful).

As we get older the bone mass decreases, so right now there is a window of opportunity.  I found a great dentist in Cape Town, I have the bone mass, but I need help with the cost.  The total cost for all the screws/posts, surgery and making the new teeth will be around $2,800 for the #6 and #7 molars. The surgery to place the posts is scheduled for Nov. 17th, so the bill will come due in December.
Information about given can be found at this link:

www.ellensburgwellspring.com/yangas-family/

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Kevin and Rachel

The Desert - by Rachel

You know when God leads you somewhere and you step out in obedience, convinced that you are going there in order to do this certain thing or serve Him in this or that way, and when you get there you realize that actually His purpose in bringing you to that place was completely different from what you had thought? 

Well, that's pretty much where we've been at for the past 3 months since we arrived in South Africa.  We had a fairly clear idea of why we came:  We had plans to staff some of the various Counseling Schools that are run here at the YWAM base.  We had a vision to "equip the nations" and disciple young people through their personal journeys as they went through these schools.  
It looks as though - at least for now - God had other ideas.  

Our experience here so far has been very different from how we imagined it would be.  (Apparently God is God, and we are not.)  Don't get me wrong - the YWAM base here is an amazing place filled with dedicated and Godly people, and we have nothing but respect and admiration for all that happens on the base.  Okay, so perhaps we had not expected to spend our first 3 months here working in Transport, although we are happy to help in that area for now.  But that's not what this post is about.  

I will spare you the boring details, but practically speaking a couple of the things that we've been dealing with are: 
1) Because of the way the YWAM School calendar has unfolded, we would not be eligible to staff any of the Schools until 2017 (although we could take a couple as students), and 
2) The kids' school is very different from anticipated.

After grappling with these and other issues over the past couple of months, plus feeling confused, out of our comfort zones, homesick for friends and family, vulnerable, and completely stripped of all our defense mechanisms and our illusions of control, we are both coming to the conclusion that the reason God has us here - at least for this present season - has much less to do with what we can do and how we can serve and the difference that we can make, and much more to do with what He wants to do in our hearts during this time.  

In other words, God actually has us right where He wants us.

A key verse for me during this time has been Deuteronomy 8:2:  "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart..."  



This feels like a desert.  I am definitely feeling both humbled and tested.  And I don't much like the look of what's in my heart.  

God is especially challenging me in the following areas: 
- trust 
- surrender of control
- surrendering my kids to Him.  (Do I really trust God with my children, their welfare, their education?  Apparently not.)
- living with tension
- taking my thoughts captive
- living in the present
- patience
- choosing joy and contentment in the midst of it all.

So, this has been a not particularly easy season, but it's definitely a GOOD one.  We know that God has some things He wants to teach us, so we are doing our best to "show up to class" by engaging with Him and allowing Him to do what He wants to do in us.  

I am also immensely thankful.  Thankful that God loves me enough to want to challenge me and change me.  Thankful for this opportunity I am given to allow Him to do that.  Thankful for the adventure of living and working here in South Africa.   And especially thankful that even though this is a tough season for Kevin and me, the children are for the most part happy and doing really well. 

We're not sure what next year will look like for us, although it is likely that Kevin and I will continue in this time of training by taking the Couples and Families Counseling School from January to April. We know that God currently has us in a time of preparation for whatever might lie ahead.  But rather than try to figure out the future, we know that we need to be fully present in the here and now, no matter how messy it seems.

Meat South Africa - by Kevin

We have enjoyed our first South African braais, courtesy of fellow Mercy Ships alumni the Myers and De La Rue families, and yesterday by our base leaders Bruno and Judy.  The braai is a big deal to the South Africans.  It focuses on hospitality, fellowship and meat.  I've never seen so much meat!  When I inquired about the lack of veggies I was informed that chicken was a vegetable ;-) Like I said, they are serious about their meat.  They are also serious about their rugby and supporting the national team the Springboks.  They beat Wales 23-18 to earn a place in the Rugby World cup semi-finals.  Go Boks!

I still don't understand all the rules, but I think trying to pull your opponent's head off must be wrong. 

We think we may finally have a handle on the transportation department.  The transportation billing system was rather complicated, very difficult for us to learn, and ate up 60 hours each month.  This week I created and proposed a revamped system to the Base Administration Team.  The changes were approved and we will be implemented starting Nov 1st.  Billing should now hopefully take about 10 hours a month.   I do enjoy fixing things, restoring or making things work better.  My grandfather was a time engineer and spend his life making factories work more efficient.  It's funny the things we inherit.

 "Excuse me sir, you have a Pterygium in your eye."
 My eye doctor told me I really need to wear sunglasses.  
Causes of Pterygium:

Most experts believe that significant risk factors include:

• Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light
• Dry eye
• Irritants such as dust and wind

But I can't see well unless the sunglasses have prescription lenses which cost about $400 for curved lenses.  So this week I bought sunglasses, then took the lenses from my reserve glasses and glued them to my new shades, BAM! saved $375.  They look normal on the outside.  That's all that counts right?

I also discovered a way to harness solar and wind energy to dry our clothes... what?  Rachel's trying to tell me this was discovered already.  Whatever.

Last post we showed you our toilet brush tree, now here's our hair brush tree!

Thank you for your prayers and support as we try to digest  this new culture.  (get it- meat South Africa :-)

The Yangi

Spring to life - by Kevin

It is spring time in Worcester.  It is season of change and new beginnings, and so it goes for the Yangi.  We've been through a lot of changes, and it seems that outward change forces you to change on the inside as well.  Change is one of the most constant things in life, resistance is futile.  Our choice is to embrace change, trusting God to guide and care for us, or we can shrink back.  

This has been a difficult season for us, our transition to South Africa has been tough in many ways.  But if we can survive the difficult days of winter, the flowers will eventually come.  

In the midst of some of my difficult days I have only been able to say one thing, "I trust you Jesus, please help me today".   I don't know much, but I do know that God is faithful.  For me flowers are such a gift from God, the colors and smells, they infuse joy and life into me.  Outside our house we discovered a Bottle Brush tree.  The flowers are in the shape of a bottle brush, or a toilet brush if you prefer.  When you look close, they are amazing.

So with God's help we have survived our first month as Transportation Managers.  The base has 5 Toyota Avanzas (carry 7 people) and 2 Toyota Quantums (carry 12-14).  These vehicles are utilized to help the base to perform its practical ministries in the community.  If available they can also be used for personal use by staff and students.   

One of our best customers is Dandeline.  She checks out a vehicle for use for ministry several times a day every day, including Saturdays.  She is from South Africa, met her Zambian Husband doing her Discipleship Training School (YWAM's entry-level course) and has worked on the base since 2002.  Dandeline runs the soup kitchen ministry that feeds families in the Roodewal township two times a week during the winter.  She also works with the youth after school helping them understand God's love and teaching practical life skills.  This area has had a great deal of trauma related to gangsters and gang violence.  She is trying to address some of the root causes and encouraging fathers stay with their families.  She also uses the vehicles to pick her son up from school.  I'm praying God will provide her with her own car some day (she would like a white one).

Our main job is to keep the vehicles running, and to get the car keys to the right person at the right time.  Rachel has taken on the mind-numbing job of tracking the financial side of things, keeping track of who owes what.  To perform our task we have been given a lovely office that used to be a toilet...

...and we also spend some time hands-on with the vehicles - filling them up with fuel, making sure they're clean and maintained, and picking up the base's mail from the post office.

Spot the dipstick.

We would still really like to take the "Couples and Families Counseling School" that will run here from January to April next year. ( ywamworcester.com/training/cfc)

It has been a while since either of has had any training, and we feel that it would be a good tool for us to have, no matter what we end up doing after that.

Zaden is asking to be home-schooled, which would make it difficult (but maybe just about do-able?) for us both to take this course.  Rachel is very open to home-schooling if that is the best thing for the kids, but it would then make it much harder for her to be involved on the base - which of course is the reason we came.  

We would really appreciate prayers for wisdom in finding the best solution for our family.