Tuesday - Day 2 at the Safe House

What a privilege to return to the House of Safety. We are beginning to understand the importance of the missionaries establishing the relationships and returning time after time to the same places. We are also grasping the importance of God's Word - it is there when we are not and it never comes back void! Our students helped to lead motions to the worship songs, Julia and Allie gave their testimonies, Justin and Sarah did a new drama, and all lead groups in games and teaching times with the Resurrection Eggs.

They led a new team building game with sticks that in the words of our students didn't go well. John Page had planned it on purpose. He knew it wasn't going to go well, but had planned it that the children would realize the difficulty they have trusting each other and working together and that could be a springboard into teaching and working with them today. This was a new concept for us...to use games in order to give insight and teaching.

Some of the girls set up a nail salon station...the teenage girls loved this and it gave lots of opportunity for conversations with them. Cheney, Darren, Julien and Trevor did balloon animals for the kids...it was a blow-out of a time. Gia and Josh decorated many of the faces with beautiful painted designs. Opportunities to bring smiles in the name of Jesus and have conversations that lifted Jesus high abounded.

Jon Naz and Virginia led professional development seminars for the workers of the Safe House on Speaking the Truth in Love, Respect, Gaming / Camping, Active/Reflective Listening, Self-Injury and Suicide. Try covering those topics in three hours or less! God was good to allow us to prepare even with limited resources. The workers were so receptive. Virginia was asked to do counseling sessions with individual students, but there was really only time for one with Issy (Bella). Pray for her to cling to Christ and to be able to have hope for life and not be overwhelmed.

Pray for all the children and workers who have heard the gospel multiple times in the past two days that we were there. Pray for protection of those seeds that have been planted and for the twenty or more who indicated that they have recieved Christ. Pray for the WOL missionaries that will go back in every 4-6 weeks to do followup. Pray for those who are Christians to grow and be faithful to reading their Bibles.

Keep in mind that this facility is a government owned and run place! How ironic! The freedoms here so outdo those in America, the home of the free and the brave. Pray for all of us as Americans can continue to grow in our bravery and obedience with every opening and opportunity to witness to these very spiritually open and hungry people in this very free land. We also got to spend a couple hours at a very modern mall in the evening. And, it was the official "call home" night for all those who didn't call on Sunday. It is always good to hear the voices of you, our loved ones!

Pray I Corinthians 16:13-14 TLB for all of us on Wednesday (your Tuesday night) as we will have a day to tour a Gold Mine, an Apartheid Museum, and an amusement park. It so easily become an "off" day ministry wise...but we know that God has divine appointments already set up for each of us. Thank you for your faithful support, encouragment and prayers! Have a beautiful day with Jesus and some his people wherever in the world you are!

We'll post the pictures from Tuesday and Wednesday when we return to the house tonight.