Honestly...

I told myself I would be honest on this blog. So, I will share the progress going on here and how we are feeling that this mission is so full of potential. I will share how we feel like God has put us here at a time when we can really help, but I will also share that it has been a really difficult month.

The farm is feeling very “farmy” with animals all over the place. We got two cats to take care of the rats in the nut shed, two dogs for personal protection as well as pest control, and 200 chickens. The cats and dogs are actually kittens and puppies still so we've gone from taking care of three littles to seven. I’ll be the first to admit it was an interesting decision, but it’ll be so good long term. The chickens start out in a coop that was already here on the farm, then they move to sleds which our whole family enjoyed building. We decided not to roost them over the compost because it would take too much time and effort to get them into their runs, so they're actually just living in their sleds. I won’t lie; we’ve lost a lot of chickens. Many of the first 100 are getting water belly which is caused by growing too rapidly so we should be able to remedy that. Some of the deaths are still a mystery. It is somewhat discouraging, but we are also grateful we started with batches of 100 instead of 400 while we are working out these issues. Please join us in praying for wisdom and healing.

Nick and the guys did thorough fire breaks around the farm because winter is fire season with all of the dry grass around. There was a fire burning on the mountain ridge for two days, and another big one across the road from our neighbour one night. It’s just normal around here, but it was incredible to us! A couple years ago, a runaway fire did a lot of damage to the farm, so the fire breaks are essential. Two weeks ago, Nick received a call from a friend who is a volunteer firefighter here. There aren’t fire stations around here, so people rely on themselves and their neighbours a lot. So anyway, the resort nearby has a wildlife reserve and there was a big fire. So Nick and the guys quickly loaded up our fire equipment and headed over. Nick said it was amazing; around 30 guys showed up to help. A significant amount of grazing was lost, but the damage could have been so much worse without everyone helping.

Ok, I just have to pause and note that my computer now autocorrects my spelling to British English… neighbour… also, my calculator now formats decimals with a comma instead of a period. We also can’t even get on American stores’ websites. Funny. Anyway…

In an effort to keep two of the men employed here, as well as produce more income for the mission and provide affordable quality furniture for the community (as opposed to the things they buy cheap in the stores which are ruined as soon as they get wet), Emoyeni has now started a custom furniture business! The guys have made beds and doors, as well as a custom order desk. The business is new, but it shows a lot of potential.

It’s been amazing to watch Nick flourish. He’s going to be somewhat embarrassed by this probably, but I’m going to take a moment to brag on him and what God is doing in and through him for a moment anyway. There’s always a new challenge here, and it doesn’t bring him down; he’s excited to rise to it. He is passionate about farming and business, and working out details here seems to bring him to life. He is always talking about giving the team here opportunities so grow and do better for themselves, and he is passionate about following God’s principles for human relations, finances, and the way we treat the earth. We’ve had some stress-filled spats here for sure, but all-in-all, watching Nick grow in God’s ways and desire to share that with others has been inspirational. (Love ya babe!)

We have finally been to church. The first week, our girls immediately made friends with the two girls who came to the service, but were also so wiggly. Because we left the States before Sunday school was open again, we’ve really been missing it. We also thought it would be good to have a children’s program to help the next generation learn about God in ways they can understand, and maybe it would also help draw more families into the church, so we decided to start one. Nick and I prepared to lead a lesson for the children outside during the sermon, and as we stood during the worship time, our children were the only ones in church. So I told Nick I would just bring our girls outside for a Bible story, but about a minute later six children walked into church! Lindiwe (part of the ministry team and a dear friend) helped us translate as most of the children only speak siSwati and it went wonderfully. The following week we had only two children in addition to our own, but it went well and we were grateful for their faithfulness to attend church. That evening, the President of South Africa gave an address as we are currently in a “third wave” of Covid. We are now in lockdown level 4 which means we are not permitted to gather. We will hear tonight if the lockdown will be extended. In the meantime, Mtho, who lives on the church property, is doing whatever ministry is safe and lawful, and the rest of the team is focusing on farm work.

On a personal note, I’ve really been struggling. I’ve been missing my loved ones dearly. We were told the farm can be lonely, but it’s beyond feeling like there’s no one around. There are some people I can spend time with here who are lovely, but there’s nothing like being with people who have seen you at your best and worst and have been committed to loving you in the specific way you need. I’ve also realised how much it means to me to be able to support the people I love as well. It has broken my heart to not be able to wrap my arms around my friends and family in their struggles and victories. I really underestimated how difficult this would be. It’s not just the loneliness that has been a struggle, and it all feels too much. I’m trying to cling to God’s goodness, but it’s hard to find in these moments. If you’re reading this and considering becoming a missionary (or really if you’re not as well), I want you to know it’s normal to have struggles. On our own we can do nothing. God is the only one who can qualify us. Right now, I’m crying out, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) Please pray, for me and our family, against Satan’s attacks because we have a very real and very deceptive enemy, but we know the Prince of Peace has already won the victory against the Father of Lies.

As always, please comment or email us. We love to hear from you! 😊