Merry Christmas!!!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV)

This is our fist warm South African Christmas as a family. We miss close friends and families we usually share Christmas with while in the states but are thankful for close friends and family in SA who we are forming new memories with. 

Thank you for your prayers and support this year. Let's celebrate Christ's birth together and remember why we really celebrate Christmas. 

Move

Light

Rugby Game

One thing that I missed a lot from not staying in South Africa is going to a rugby game.We were able to go to the semi-final game of the Currie Cup tournament. Western Province (Cape Town team) won and will be in the finals next weekend. 

Culture Corner

As mentioned before, language barriers occur even when speaking the same language.  Some of the most confusing is words that we use in English that mean something completely different here.  For example, what Americans call Jell-O, South Africans call jelly.  Jelly in the states is only referred to as jam here.  Biscuits are scones and cookies are biscuits!  Also, they eat biscuits (scones) with cheese and jelly (jam) together.  Confusing, but yummy!  Here are some pictures of common South African brands with the words they use. 

House Front

This picture is a glimpse of spring in our backyard!

Well, this month has brought lots of sickness to the Steenkamp household!  Casper had the flu, Zoe had a double ear infection and then an eye infection, and I was back in the hospital for my kidney stone.  But fortunately, everyone is getting better and I officially passed my stone, so very thankful for that.  

Straatlig

We continue to serve and volunteer alongside Straatlig ("Streetlight") which reaches out to the poor and homeless on the streets of Stellenbosch. They desire to love them holistically, proclaiming the gospel,  serving their needs,  and providing a road for those who desire to move off the streets. The biggest lesson that I am reminded of here weekly is to love those who can't love you back.

House Church

We have continued meeting on Sunday evenings discovering Gods truth in the Bible over topics such as Discipleship, love and prayer. It is such a joy growing closer to God and each other in a small intimate community where we can be open and transparent.

Tennis Discipleship

We started a tennis Discipleship team in partnership with Kuyasa which works in the township called Kayamandi. Kuyasa is a non-profit organization seeking to make a holistic difference in their community and sports is one of their programs.

We have 8-10 guys and girls committed to the team. We learn new tennis skills, life skills and learn about God.

September 2014 Update

Its been a while since we have posted anything.  So here we go!  We do send out monthly newsletters.  If you would like to receive them you can sign up and pick your preferences click here 
and/or if you would like to receive our weekly devotional and prayer requests, then you can sign up by clicking here.

The month of September was a blessing with Spring starting and many flowers and trees blooming. This month we will share about the discipleship communities, new tennis Discipleship team, house church, and Straatlig.  

DISCIPLESHIP COMMUNITIES 

4 intentional discipling communities have formed since we have arrived. The house church, tennis team, high school, and college. The high school and college discipling groups are already intentionally investing into the 2nd generation. It is a joy to see the Growth and multiplication.

Serve By Going First

So, I (Ashley) usually don’t blog my personal thoughts.  More about the things we are doing and what’s going on here.  But I was reminded of this thought recently, so I thought I would share.

I think I have discovered a phenomenon.  It usually occurs in gatherings of 6-15 people when they are eating a meal at someone’s home.  I like to call it the “No one wants to go first in line to get their food, lest they look selfish, rude, or even worse, hungry, so instead everyone stands close to the kitchen acting like they are interested in the conversations they are having, while really wondering if someone is ever going to start the line because they are getting hungry and the food is getting cold” phenomenon.  Ever experienced it?  I’m so aware of it now, I’ve come to enjoy watching this play itself out for at least a few minutes because it’s so entertaining.  Then I make a huge sacrifice.  I truly humble myself and decide I will serve my fellow mates by going first (sometimes even at my own house – gasp!)  You can almost hear the sighs of relief as the rest immediately fall in line.  There is absolutely no shame at all in going second or third.  And going last is almost honored as I’ve heard people say, “Oh, you had to get your food last.  Sorry about that.”  What they should have said is, “Oh no!  You are forced to take your first bite of food probably 6 minutes and 27 seconds after the first person takes their first bite!  You might starve!”  

Now don’t get me wrong.  I truly do understand the motivation of most people here.  Putting others first is, after all, a very biblical concept.  Paul writes in Philippians 2, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”   I’m hungry.  You’re hungry.  I’ll let you go first.  Perfectly sensible.  I get that.  Jesus also encourages us that, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.”  But sometimes I think we can twist this verse to still be about us.  Person 1: “No, I insist.  You go first.” Person 2: “No really, you can go ahead.”  In this silly argument, both people are often subconsciously seeking the gratification of knowing that they put someone else first.  We think, “Scripture says if I go first then I’ll be last!” or “I’m not being a true servant by going first.”  But I think then we’ve actually lost of the concept of looking to the interests of others.  If that person’s true interest is to NOT go first, then why are we trying to force them to just so we can look more like a saint? 

Moments where going first can actually serve other people are very interesting to me.  Take the dreaded class speech or project presentation, for example.  Often the teacher will ask if anyone would like to go first, which is usually followed by silence and all eyes down because everyone knows that eye contact with a teacher means “Yes, please.  Pick me!”  The students are begging one of their peers to go first in their mind because they know that if the silence lasts too long the teacher will arbitrarily pick some unfortunate soul.  And then there’s me.  Crazy goofball me.  I always asked to go first!  Back in my school days, I had little concern for the relief I was supplying my friends who were so thankful that they didn’t have to be the dreaded, awful first.  I was really just thinking, “Hey let’s get this over with and how about before my teacher has a chance to compare my presentation with anyone else!”  Looking back though, going first often helps others out by taking a lot of the pressure off.  If we can change our mindset about situations like this, with small simple actions, we really can serve our brothers and sisters.  Be brave!  Be bold!  Be the crazy one to go first, look foolish, and potentially be embarrassed.  Then you can encourage others that the experience really wasn’t so bad and that they too will be just fine. 

Now please don’t take this concept to mean I’m suggesting that you should always go first.  With a personality and constantly moving jaw like mine, I’ve learned the hard way that I need to let others speak first, go first, or give their opinions before mine.  But in many situations, going first can be an act of obedience that God can use to serve those around you.  Think about all the things you are afraid of.  Think of all the potential failures you worry about.  Now think of a time when you were motivated to look past those things and try something new.  There’s a good chance that you saw someone else do it who didn’t fall flat on their face and you thought, “Hey, if they can do it, I can do it!”  Is God asking you to be the one to do it first to motivate someone else?  After all, someone always has to be first.  Why not you?  Ask God today how you can serve others by going first.  Write that book.  Make that move.  Apply for that job.  Do that crazy thing God has put on your heart.  And for the sake of all those wonderful home-cooked meals that are unnecessarily being eaten cold, go first!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE CAMPS!

Here is a thank you from the kids!

Outreaches During IMPACT SA 2014

Outreach in Klapmuts

Sports Camp 2 at Simonsberg serving about 80 kids 

Sports Camp 1 at the Eiland serving about 40 kids

Sports Camp 1 at the Eiland 

Futsal Tournament Church Service in Cloetesville

Signing up for the Futsal Tournament in Cloetesville 

Futsal Tournament Outreach

Face Paint at Outreach in Cloetesville

IMPACT South Africa 2014 Testimonies

“This summer God completely transformed my heart into seeing how much of a loving Father He is to me. For the first time I truly realized that God wants me to be dependent on Him 100% of the time because He is ALL I need to live in freedom.” - Molly Fagan, USA

“This summer I learned many lessons about life, myself, and God's character. But the main thing that stuck out to me most is where I fit into God's big plan; to bring restoration among all nations. I came to understand what makes God cry, and what makes God cry through my eyes. God revealed himself to me this summer through His creation, through amazing kid camps, many different trials.  He always fulfills His promises that He made to us along time ago!”  - Meradyth Sehon, USA 

"Through Impact I learned that drawing close to God and listening to what he has to say is the most important thing. The Lord also laid on my heart the importance of discipleship and how much of a difference discipleship makes in a persons spiritual walk.” - Alex Fletcher, USA

“I learned at Impact how personal the nature of our interactions with God should be. I learned from leaders like Casper and Quinn what a follower of God does on a daily basis: love and obey. I saw from their example that to have a relationship with God is to obey His commands and to love Him and His people with the unconditional love He has given us.”  - Will Korzeniewski, USA

“2 months ago I was at a place where decisions had to be made. At impact God revealed to me that I should trust Him and follow Him. Wherever i go I should look and see what God is busy doing in that place and be obedient to what God wants me to do. I also learnt that being a servant is much more rewarding than being praised for the good things I do. My eyes was truly opened to many things that I was numb towards and I see things in a different light now. I see God working in every situation and not just some. Thank you impact for having a huge influence in my life.”  - Rowan Minords, South Africa 

"Impact for me was an experience of dying to self and letting God have all my strengths and weaknesses. He revealed Himself to me in ways that I have never experienced and will never forget. I was reminded of how great a God we serve and the faithful love He has for us.” - JB Long, USA

“Impact was an experience that I will remember for my entire life because that's when I really fell in love with God and realized how much love he has for not only me but for all the nations. I truly was able to connect with Him and learn more about myself and grow in my faith. God showed me my passions and how He wants me to journey in my life.” - Michaela Rich, USA

“My summer at IMPACT was nothing short of life changing. The way The Lord revealed Himself to me and showed me that He is my true Father has changed my whole life. The family He has given me this summer will continually impact my life forever. It's safe to say, this summer was the best 9 weeks of my life.”  - Rachel West, USA

“I learned that God is greater than everything. He is greater than any suffering, blessing, or trial. God's plans for us is greater than our plans for ourselves.” - Mike Moody, USA

“Throughout the course of the summer my relationship with God went to a knew level. God opened my eyes to see specific things that he cries for. I found what I am willing to live and die for and that is to make disciples wherever I go and whatever I do while completing the specific task he has laid on my heart.”  - Tyler Scott, USA

“Impact for me this summer was something almost indescribable, even as I sit here; I struggle to find the words to fully convey how God worked in my life and in those around me. One thing that God taught me this summer for my life specifically, was that as a Christian I have to be fully bought in to him not withholding anything, and that if I am holding on to even one thing then I have not completely trusted God.”  - Ryan Jordan, USA

IMPACT South Africa 2014

We want to rejoice with you before the Lord saying thank you for an amazing IMPACT South Africa! This is by far our most intensive ministry program of the year and we thank God for all He has done! We also want to thank the leadership team that made this possible. Thank you for all the sponsors and prayer warriors that prayed for us! Without this team effort, IMPACT would not have been a success. Thank you!

The month of July brought the last half of IMPACT and many great highlights.  Here are some of them: 
- We hosted 3 different sport camps serving a total of about 190 kids from different communities in the area. Over 20 children made first time commitments to accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Around another 20 made re-commitments to following Christ more wholeheartedly.  We praise God for that!!
- We sent 9 of our male interns to serve as chaperones/chaplains at the under 18 rugby craven week tournament alongside with SCAS (Sport for Christ Action South Africa).
- We visited a sports ministry soccer academy in a prison called Ambassadors in Football.
- The 24 interns continued with their training, completed all necessary requirements, and received their International Sport Leadership Training certificates for levels 1 & 2. Good job!

IMPACT was primarily focused on discipleship.  We are excited to see how God will use the interns in His kingdom as disciples making disciples as they go back to their home cities and countries.  We are proud of each one of the 24 students!  

IMPACT SOUTH AFRICA 2014

West Texas meets South Africa!

Seeing these windmills sure did remind us of west Texas! 

Braai with friends

Nothing like a braai (barbecue) with friends. 

Zoe getting after it like a true South African. 

Starting Afrikaans classes

I started taking Afrikaans classes at the university on Tuesday. So far it's been great. Here is the view from my classroom. ~Ashley 

Lion's Head

Hiking Lion's Head has become an IMPACT tradition. The beauty we see there is an amazing display of God's creativeness! Here are some pics from the trip. 

Kayamandi

Our interns got a chance to visit Kayamandi, one of the major townships close to Stellenbosch.  The picture below is of our group playing with some kids on a playground in Kayamandi. 

While there, we also went to Kuyasa, which is like a community center where we have a lot of ministry contacts. I went in one of the classrooms and took this picture of the map wall that I helped create 6 years ago! It was fun reminiscing. 

Camps

Yesterday and today our first round of camps finished up. All praise to God for what He did in and through the camps!!!

Camps

Camps

The camps for 100 kids 10-14 year olds officially started today! Please pray for the soil to be ready for Gods word to fall on. The one camp will finish Thursday evening and the other on Friday morning. Please keep us in your prayers!

Futsal community outreach

Yesterday was the adult tournaments. Congratulations on the champions!

Today is the youth tournament. Please pray for us. 

Futsal tournament

Today and tomorrow IMPACT is helping out with an event that includes a futsal tournament and a Kids Games outreach. Futsal is like soccer but on a smaller hard court with a heavier ball. Our interns have made teams amongst themselves and are actually playing in the tournament. Here are some pictures from the day!

Zoe made lots of friends and of course gave them all hugs like she does to most kids she sees!

Stellenbosch Sport Coalition Futsal tournament

This weekend we are partnering together with the Stellenbosch Sport Coalition hosting the futsal tournament. We are very excited. Please pray for the tournament, for the participants and for The Lords will to be done. 

Thankful for the visit!

We were so thankful to visit with Mike, Brittany and Craig for a couple of days! Thank you for your encouragement and love!

Jennifer is here!!!