The joy of impending summer

I so love the approach of summer! It gets light early and I can resume my wonderful walks on the beach at 5:30 AM. I am so blessed to catch the first light of the day walking with my dogs on the superb Longbeach here at home. It takes me about 8 minutes to get to the sea and some mornings I see a otter family playing on the beach - it is all so inspiring and sets the most wonderful tone to the day!

I have a favourite clump of rocks I walk to and then standing on the edge of the sea I give thanks for the splendour of God's creation. This is where I get time to talk to God and to have a blessed time of silence and communion with the Lord.

Michelle's parents have bought a house in Noordhoek and will be moving in the middle of November. It has been good having them with us, but it will be great to have some more space again - especially for Michelle to school the children.

As summer returns our thoughts are with weekends away - and we are planning a trip to the Cederberg in November - I am looking forward to packing the Cruiser and hitting the open road again. I so love being on the road - and especially in remote locations - far off the beaten track with only my family and nature around.

The Call

Michelle and I attended a wonderful mission's workshop, 2007 CALVARY CHAPEL AFRICA CONFERENCE, organised by Calvary Chapel in Cape Town South Africa. http://www.calvarychapel.co.za/News&Events.htm
At this conference we were blessed through meeting wonderful Christians from Africa and America - and in particular we met with Steve and Nora Braselton, from Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay.
They had just come back from Malawi and are thinking of relocating to Malawi to work with the widows and orphans. Their contact is in Lilongwe, Pastor Joseph D.N. Hara, who works in a very poor community - with major HIV and poverty issues.
We have no idea how God will use us - but we believe that will be God's will not ours. Michelle has many years of community work experience, and worked in the UK for many years as a missionary in Muslim communities.
My experience is diverse - IT, television and film production, business management - and most importantly - a heart to server Jesus.
So we have the call - now we must trust the Lord to wait for Him to lead.

Wednesday 3rd October

It is Wednesday morning, and it is raining yet again in Cape Town!
We have had so much rain - please Lord send the rain to more deserving parts of Africa!

I am struggling to write some reports for Sunrise about our company, which we will use to market our animation and film productions and to raise finance to make movies... I do so want the money to come in so that we can commence production on some of the exciting projects.

Michelle and I have been praying for the Lord to speak to us about our calling to Malawi and we so need to hear Him speak to us so that we can know His plans for us.

Currently, Michelle's parents are staying with us - they are looking for a house to buy, but are finding that prices in Cape Town are so high that they cannot replace the lovely home they left in Sedgefield with something equivalent in the deep South (Fish Hoek, Noordhoek, Kommetjie)
It is so hard to know what to do with one's parents - do we need to take them in and care for them? If we do - then we can never leave here again. They are not destitute, and are capable of looking after themselves - but they do want to be near their grand children.
It's a tough call - and one does not want to neglect your responsibility with those who devoted their lives to raising you. On the other hand we feel called to serve God in Africa - and that means leaving Cape Town.... Oh I do trust that God answers our prayers in this one!