Getting in the Groove

Hello from the Southern Hemisphere where it's winter and so cold!

We have had a busy couple of months and are settling into a rhythm of life here. Below are some highlights from June and July:

Ministry Highlights

Reconnecting with Denver & Nimo

Denver and Nimo were two South Africans in which we heavily invested in our first years in SA, and we recently got to reconnect with them.

Nimo participated in our two-year Residency program in 2015-2016. She and Denver, another EM Residency graduate, have launched an East Mountain initiative in Port Elizabeth, a city 8 hours away. They are working with 5 different churches, focused on leadership training and resiliency skills for at-risk youth ages 15-25. 

Nimo & Denver returned to the Cape Town community to receive training and to do some strategic planning for the Port Elizabeth initiative. It was inspiring to hear all the ways the Lord is working through Nimo and Denver. We felt like immensely proud and thankful parents, as we saw the ways the vision and mission of East Mountain has sunk deep into the way they do discipleship, interface with partner pastors, and live in community with others. What joy and blessing to see the fruits of our labor! 

Strategic Planning For Southern Africa

Jack and the leadership team spent a week with consultant Dale Phillips (who is a man of God with deep roots and is very skilled at facilitating teams). They spent lots of time in prayer together, made short and long-term goals for EM, discussed roles within the team, reflected back on how God has moved through EM in the past and where he is calling us to invest in the days to come. We are excited to see the fruit this team-building and planning will yield in the months to come.

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Family Highlights

We are finally starting to feel settled in our house!

This is a HUGE blessing and answer to prayer. We prayed for a place that would feel like home. We asked for financial support to help make this happen.

We envisioned a place where ministry would holistically flow out of our lives, where we could invite people into our everyday. We pictured a place of rest and refreshment. We cannot believe we have already seen these prayers answered(less than six weeks after our arrival!) as we host people multiple nights a week for meals and for overnight stays.

It fills us with joy and awe to see the way the Lord is using the funds faithfully given and answering the prayers earnestly prayed to accomplish what we hoped for. 

The kids are both doing well!

Theo wants to crawl, but it’s just too hard when your head is that big. Micah’s social skills are growing every day, and she’s intently listening to every conversation, asking lots of questions and starting to pick up on things like tone, mood, and subtleties of language. It’s fascinating and intimidating!

She just started a “playschool” (like a mother’s day out program) 3 mornings a week. She LOVES “school days,” and I am so thankful to have some time freed up to do more ministry and to get some “headspace.”

Please pray Theo will sleep well “on the go” and continue be a flexible little guy, so that he will nap while I have EM meetings. 

Micah exploring a local farm with our dear friends, the Halberts. She and Emma Kate (the blondie on the right) were both born in South Africa just three weeks apart!

Back in Action in South Africa!

We are finally back in Cape Town!

Thank you for helping us make it! 
 

We landed in South Africa just short of four weeks ago. It has been a whirlwind of adjusting to the time change, settling into our new rent house (which we love), and re-connecting with our East Mountain ministry team, church partners, and friends.
 

Family Highlights

We have finally all adjusted to the 7-hour time change! Everybody is sleeping through the night, most of the time.

We had a sweet, sweet reunion with many friends at our church here! It was so wonderful to walk in the church and see faces we love beaming back at us.

All of our bags arrived! Now, we are working hard at setting up our home. We've already begun hosting families from within the EM community so that we can intentionally re-connect.

We are so glad to be back!

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Ministry Highlights

Summit, EM's summer internship, has begun! We will be hosting one interns at our house for dinners and informal mentoring. 

Jack is assuming his role as Director of Operations and beginning to meet with our Program Coordinators to assess how things are going and what aspects need attention.

We are thrilled to be back in Cape Town, and we wouldn't be here without you!  Thank you for all your love & support!  

The 2018 Summiteers, who will be with EM for six weeks studying theology, culture, and mission  within our community setting. 
Tori (middle) completed our year-long residency last yeear and is our Short-Term Trips Coordinator taking charge of Summit this year. 

2017 Hopes & Plans

While every year is a new adventure, full of surprises, here are some things we expect on the horizon in 2017...

Expanded Ministry Roles

• Jack will be taking on dual roles of Director of Operations & Theological Education.
  • On the Operations side, Jack will assist with implementing the mission and vision, strategic planning, and coordinating event. On the Theological Education side,  Jack will lead a talented team of Bible teachers and facilitators. He will oversee our educational events and curriculum.
• Loren will lead our storytelling and communications teams and continue mentoring.

School

• Jack hopes to finish his Masters thesis on the Hebrew word 'attah ('now') in 2017.

Fundraising

• We will be in the states for part of 2017, fundraising for our next several years in South Africa. We would love to meet with you and share more about what God is doing in South Africa and how YOU can be a part! Let us know if you are interested. We would love to get together.
• While in the U.S., we will continue serving in our ministry roles part-time and stay connected to the EM community via Skype, text, phone, etc. We are so thankful for technology that allows us to bridge the distance!

Family

• While in the U.S.,  we will be seeking medical care for our sweet Micah Mae. She has had a period of slow growth and will be under the care of some excellent nutritionists and doctors at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston to help her overcome this "growth falter." We are thankful our team of doctors remain confident this will not hinder us from returning to South Africa.
• We are expecting our second child, a baby boy, in early October!! We are so overjoyed and thankful for the blessing of another child. Praise God!

2016 Highlights

2016 was filled with excitement and busy as ever! Here are a few of our highlights from the year.

Ministry

• Hosting and coordinating a pastor & scholar seminar with Bill Mounce
• 2016 Summit - Loren planning
• Loren discipling Nicolene & Nimo
• Jack teaching spiritual formation session on Rest
• East Mountain trained 186 leaders from 14 different nations

School

• Writing MA Thesis
• Presenting Research at IOSOT
• Deepening relationships with fellow postgraduate students & connecting them with EM 

Family

• Micah's first birthday
• Our cousins and close friends Nate & Alex came to visit along with their 1 year son Silas.
• Battle for the Heart spiritual formation process
• Reading through the entire Bible this calendar year