Hans and Susan Oines

The People, The Word

2012-02-10T00:29:00.001-08:00

One of the main joys in our life here in South Africa are the people we work with.

(The top picture is of the School of Biblical Studies '11-'12 students and staff at their Christmas party. The second is of the School of Biblical Studies staff at their recent retreat.) This is Hans' work family, and even though I'm no longer formally in the Biblical Studies Department, I'm still involved with the school, the team and the vision.

These are good people.

People who are passionate about the Word of God.

People who have decided that studying and teaching the Word of God is something they want to pursue with their whole lives.

People who want to see lives and families and communities and nations impacted by the life-giving Truth that is found in this amazing book.

We are honored to be working alongside such a stellar group of people.

We are honored to be able to devote our lives to studying and teaching the Word of God.

Both are a joy and a gift.

Winter

2012-01-31T23:27:00.000-08:00

Winter Is the Best Time
by David Budbill

Winter is the best time
to find out who you are.

Quiet, contemplation time,
away from the rushing world,

cold time, dark time, holed-up
pulled-in time and space

to see that inner landscape,
that place hidden and within.

I was talking to my brothers the other day when I realized that I haven't been in winter since 2009. Living in the southern hemisphere, our seasons are opposite to what we're used to, and we've traveled the last two years, spending what would be our winter in the warm and inviting summer of the northern hemisphere. Don't get me wrong... I do love summer. Having nearly 3 years of almost constant summer (with springs and falls thrown in there as well) has it's perks. We've had an uncharacteristically warm summer here in Muizenberg, and it's been nice.

But to be honest, I really miss winter. I identify with this poem by David Budbill. There's something about winter that invites us to enjoy solitude and contemplation, to slow down and allow ourselves to rest and be. Maybe I'm longing for winter because I'm actually longing for that kind of space in my life. Maybe I'm longing for winter because right now the landscape of my interior world identifies more with a good rainy day than the forced optimism of constant sunshine. Maybe I'm longing for winter because I'm in a sort of hibernation mode, and winter just seems like a more appropriate, more fitting backdrop for my life right now.

Many of you reading this are in the middle of winter, probably dreaming of the kind of sunshine and high temperatures that we are experiencing. I understand. But perhaps you can remember me as you sit by your fire and and bundle up in your cozy blankets and sweaters. Perhaps you can take a few minutes to enjoy the slower pace that comes from days spent indoors, nights spent home, allowing the stillness to speak to your soul. If you haven't taken time to slow down this winter, to experience that "quiet, contemplation time, away from the rushing world," perhaps this can be a reminder to do so. Let God speak to you about who you are as you take time to hole up with Him, "to see that inner landscape, that place hidden and within." Summer will be back soon enough. Each season has its beauty and its gift. As you unwrap what winter has to offer, I will do the same with my 3 year summer. And I know that our faithful God will meet us, speak to us, sustain us as we walk with him.

SBS 2011-2012

2011-11-06T08:15:00.002-08:00

After 3 years of working with the SBS here in Muizenberg, this year I have transitioned into a new role in Staff and Student Development on our YWAM base. It's been a good move for me, and I am enjoying the challenge of the new position. I am also enjoying being a part of the SBS in a less official way. Since Hans is still SBS staff, I get to participate in the social aspect of the school, attending parties and staff functions. Even though I don't spend as much time with them, I still enjoy getting to know the students through hearing their stories and seeing their passion for learning God's Word and serving Him in the world. I feel like God is giving me a new perspective on the SBS and the value it holds for the students who are dedicating 9 months of their lives to studying the Bible. Having stepped out of that environment, I am constantly drawn back to the things I've learned and the perspective I've gained through studying the Bible inductively for 3 years. What a blessing and a privilege.

Here are a few pictures from the school year so far:

a beginning-of-the-year braai with our new students

hans teaching on the book of Colossians

picnicing with the students

a typical afternoon in the life of the SBS student... studying

3 of our students from Nigeria, South Africa, and Swaziland

Home Again

2011-09-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

After a bit of a hiatus from blogging, we are back! We are currently in South Africa, having just returned from another trip to the States, and we are excited about what this new season will bring for us. Hans is staff of the School of Biblical Studies, and I am transitioning into a new role in Staff and Student Development. We are entering our 4th year living in Africa, and are so thankful for the opportunity to continue serving God in this place that we have come to love. Coming back felt a bit like coming home.

Many Blessings, Susan

Our Students

2011-03-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

This year we have 18 wonderful students in our School of Biblical Studies. They are from 13 nations (14 if you include staff), so we have a very diverse classroom! It makes for a very interesting environment in which to study the word of God.

Nations represented in our classroom:

Taiwan, France, Kenya, Australia, USA, Canada, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Brazil, Germany, Nigeria and South Africa.

Here are a few pictures taken in our classroom during an in-class assignment:

Rabo from Burkina Faso

Lesley from Taiwan and Katrien from France

The students hard at work

thank you

2011-03-05T05:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for our family, especially last year during my mom's 4th time battling cancer. When we left California to come back to Africa, we knew that her surgery had been successful and the cancer had been removed, but we didn't know what kind of treatment she would need. By God's grace, her doctor said she didn't need any chemo. He just wanted to monitor her as she recovered from her surgery. So for the past 6 months, she's been recovering. She's had one scare since then, but thankfully, it was unfounded. She's fighting a persistent cough due to some sort of lung infection right now. So, we keep praying. We pray that the cancer will stay away and that her health will keep improving.

This is probably the most difficult part of living overseas, so far away from family. I'd say this past year has been one of the more difficult years of my life. So I thank all of you who have prayed and continue to pray for us. We need it and we are grateful for it!

Lots of Love,
Susan

We're alive!

2011-03-05T03:43:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Well... after a gentle nudge from my loving mother, I decided it was time to get back on the blogging train. Last time I posted was in September, with pictures from our summer trip to the States. Now it's March and we're half way through our School of Biblical Studies. I will fill you in on that soon. But first, I want to post a few more pictures from our summer trip.

Visit To America - Part 3

After our time in Alaska, we returned to California. I came back a week before Hans did, in order to be with my mom for a doctors visit. When Hans got back from Alaska, we were able to spend a few days in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. Our friends, Anneliese and Devin, live in the mountains and were going to be away from their house for a week, and they graciously offered it to us for a mid-summer getaway. So Hans and I had a relaxing and refreshing mountain retreat in the middle of our summer travels. It was a huge blessing. Here's a few pictures:

We visited Calaveras Big Trees, a National Park known for it's magnificent Giant Sequoias. Here, Hans is standing on the stump of one that was cut down about a hundred years ago.

Susan and a live Sequoia

We spent a day at Lake Alpine, picnicking, reading, and taking a kayak around the lake.

After our mid-summer getaway, we spent our last several weeks with my (Susan's) family in California. A highlight of that time was a Schoolland Family Camping Trip to Pinecrest Lake. There are 18 of us now, with 8 under the age of 7... so it was quite the adventure.

Happy Campers

We spent lots of time by the lake

Uncle Hans taking on the nieces and nephews in a competitive game of Trouble

Our sweet foster nephew...

We took a family trip around the lake on a pontoon boat

Our amazing van

We spent lots of time around the fire

Visit to America Part II - ALASKA!!

2010-09-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

howdy all, hans here.

as you can see in the photos below, our time in alaska was priceless. we spent time with family and friends, had some alaskan adventures.....like... dip netting with a grizzly. good times. Going cruising in Katlian Bay at high speeds on a sunny day (within safe parameters of course)... quadding on some ATV trails... catching some fish that an enormous sea lion wanted to share...rather persistently at that...(even hopping onto the dock in pursuit).. lots of fun fun and more fun.

twas precious. quality times with quality folks.

i got to help my dad put a roof over the oil tank, i got to push my nieces on swings (and have them show me all the secret hiding places around my folks house : ) we got to eat some wondrous fruits of alaska (fishes) we were even given the chance to speak at my home church! We got to have a "christmas in july" birthday party, we got to have multiple game nights.... and even some movie nights : )

what more could one ask for?!?

this was certainly fun.... painful, yet fun : )

i think my bravery was tested more than the girls. they wanted to be pushed far higher and faster than my faint heart could muster

hmm....greek (oines style). seriously tough to beat that kinda spread

maritime adventures, courtesy of TJ motors and rentals

3/4's of the alaskan oines men. certainly a rare breed

fun and mud. seriously.... can you have one without the other??

i ask again: What more could one ask for??

except i guess.... more time?!? : )

We're Back!

2010-09-14T08:58:00.001-07:00

When I say that, I mean "We're back in the blogosphere!" After a 3 month break, we decided it was time to get back in the swing of blogging. We know there are at least 3 of you who enjoy reading our updates! So to start, we need to do some backtracking. We just spent 2 1/2 wonderful months in the States and want to share a little about our time. The next several posts will be devoted to a recap of our home visit.

Visit to America Part I

We left SA at the end of June, just a few days after the last School of Biblical Studies (SBS) ended. It was actually a difficult time for us as we had just learned about my (Susan's) mom's recurrence of cancer and didn't really know what to expect as we journeyed home. We knew our time would look different than we originally planned since we would be spending more time with my mom, but we really didn't know what that meant. It all depended on news from the doctors, which varied a great deal with each report we received. So we left for the States without really knowing what our time there would look like or when we would be returning to Africa. We were just so glad to be going. How amazing that God worked out the timing of our trip to be at the exact time my mom would be diagnosed with cancer. We've had these tickets for over 6 months. Imagine if we had to search for last minute tickets and leave our jobs unexpectedly (because staying away was not really an option for me...). Instead, we already had this trip planned. We were already going to be in the States. Now I could be with my mom and family during this difficult time. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for that.

Our trip began with a week in California, where my parents live. After an emotional reunion, we began a whirlwind week with my family. We were heading up to Alaska to visit Hans' family after a week, so we made the most of that first week together. We had family meals, celebrated the 4th of July, had a "work day" at my parents house (tackling a list of things my parents have been wanting to get done around the house) and basically just got in as much hang out time as possible. It was wonderful.

This picture was taken the morning after we arrived... we woke up to 5 of my nieces and nephews (Tim and Donna's kids) standing at the end of our bed waiting for us to wake up. We met baby Hans for the first time, which was so special. (We don't have any other pictures from this first week... so that's all you get!)

So that was the first part of our visit to America... good ole Ripon California and time with the Schoolland family. Next stop... Alaska!

Been a long time...

2010-06-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

We have not been so good with the communication these past few months... but we are still alive and kicking! We have 3 weeks left of the current School of Biblical Studies, and then we are heading to the States for a 2.5 month visit. Our plans are then to return to South Africa to continue with the work we've been a part of for the past 2 years. If you'd like more information on our travel plans, please get in touch with me: susanoines@hotmail.com

Winter has come to the Southern Hemisphere... and as usual, it's been quite cold in Muizenberg. We had a warm sunny day yesterday, but in general, we're seeing plenty of our typical cold weather. I'm writing this by a roaring fire in our wonderful fireplace. Even when it's sunny outside, our house stays icy cold, thanks to thick concrete walls and windows that don't face the sun. So, since I'm thinking about how much I appreciate our fireplace, I thought I'd include a few pictures of it... In the first one, I just made the first fire of the season. In the next one, I'm enjoying the fire with a group of students who I had over for a "girl's night." The 3rd one is of our SBS staff meeting, which we have every week in our house. Usually we don't light a fire for the meeting, but that day it was just too cold.

Sometimes it's the little things that make us happy... and today I have to say, I'm thankful for my fireplace.

SBS Restoration Retreat

2010-05-10T02:10:00.000-07:00

Last week we took our students on our annual "Restoration Retreat." Because the 9 month School of Biblical Studies can be an intense experience, we've found that it's important to take some time towards the end of the school year to get away as a class and process some of what God is doing in our lives and to get some much needed rest. We drove 2 hours to a Christian Conference Center and spent 3 days/2 nights relaxing, playing games, eating good food, processing individually and in small groups, and having times of worship. Since our YWAM base is in a more urban setting, the students really enjoyed being in a place that they could go for hikes and play field games and be outside at night. Some of the feedback we received from our students after the retreat was that they found it valuable to stop and intentionally process some of the things God has been teaching them through their studies of His Word, and that they feel a renewed passion to finish well as they enter the last 7 weeks of the school.

Here are a few pictures from the retreat:

Virgil and Valorie are students in the school and the children are kids of one of our students. Notice the fall colors!

Lynette and Butshwa preparing one of our delicious meals

Hans playing frisbee on the sport field.

The beautiful retreat center

meal time

Students enjoying the sun

A Wonderful Visit

2010-04-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hans and I feel so blessed! We had such a wonderful visit from Hans' parents. To come here all the way from Alaska is quite a commitment... South Africa is about as far as you can get from Alaska! They spent 10 days here and were able to experience a little big of our lives. Here are a few pictures from our adventures together:

The Muizenberg beach huts

Dipping our feet in the beautiful Atlantic Ocean

We enjoyed a visit to a game park

We didn't miss the opportunity for some free labor :)

We saw some of the local wildlife (baboons)

Attending our church on Easter morning

Coke's famous cinnamon rolls... how did we get so lucky?
Our favorite activity: sitting in our apartment and talking!

Good Times with Lance at the Cape Argus

2010-03-14T08:41:00.001-07:00

Today the largest bike race in the world took place in Cape Town (called the Cape Argus). 38,000 bikers went on a 107 km (66.5 mile) ride around the Cape Peninsula. Our good friend Lance Armstrong was in the race, so we got up at 5:30am to cheer him on. Our even better friend DeWet was also in the race, so he's really the one we wanted to cheer on. It was worth the early morning!

The first sunrise I've gotten up for since we've been here... It was beautiful.

This was the group Lance was in... we couldn't tell exactly which one he is, but we can say we were there!!

Me with 3 of our SBS students... it was early, but we had a good time!

Susan's Trip to Swaziland

2010-03-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from my recent teaching trip to Swaziland. I went to teach on the book of Hebrews in the School of Biblical Studies 1 that is running there. I loved my time there, getting to know the students and reconnecting with staff from Muizenberg who are running the school. Swaziland is a truly beautiful country and I am so blessed to have been able to spend 2 and 1/2 days there!

We visited the fruit market in downtown Mbabane, the closest town to the YWAM base and the capital of Swaziland.

This is the guest house that I stayed in on the YWAM base.

This is the road to the base... it gets a little tricky in the rain.

Teaching away...

The students and staff of the SBS 1... a great group!

The view from the base... amazing!

teaching the pentateuch

2010-02-17T04:46:00.000-08:00

Hans and I have each taught our first Pentateuch books. I taught on Leviticus last week, and this week, Hans taught on Numbers. It was a challenge for both of us, but so rewarding to be able to spend time looking more in depth at such important books of the Bible. Of course all books are important, but there's something about studying one book for an extended period of time that makes you realize just how crucial it is to the overall message of the Bible and to our lives as Christians. I can tell you that Leviticus came alive for me as I studied it. Who knew! I loved studying it in my SBS, primarily because I came in with such a lack of knowledge... and I really enjoyed bringing that same experience to my students. So much of the NT actually rests on the information we receive from Leviticus. We wouldn't fully understand what it means that Jesus was our ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God, without Leviticus. We wouldn't realize how amazing it is that he is our Great High Priest and that because of him we have access to God. Seeing everything that the early Israelites had to go through in order for God's presence to dwell with them makes it so much more incredible that we have God's presence with us now... without all the sacrifices and the tabernacle and the priesthood. Jesus accomplished so much more through his death and resurrection than we often realize. Or we do realize it and take it for granted. Studying the Pentateuch gives us a renewed appreciation for what he accomplished for us!

Hans promises to write soon about his trip to Swaziland. I will actually be making the same trip in a few weeks. Their Hebrews teacher had to back out, and since I taught Hebrews in November, I am going to fill in. Hans had such a wonderful experience, so I'm really looking forward to getting to experience it as well. More info on that soon.

Hope this finds you well!
Much love from Africa...

Hans is in Swaziland!

2010-01-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

I dropped Hans at the airport on Saturday and he began his first international speaking trip! He is spending the week in Swaziland teaching in the School of Biblical Studies that is currently running at the YWAM base there. His topic is the book of Mark. There are 12 students in the school from both Swaziland and other parts of the world (South Africa, USA, Brazil...)

I know he would appreciate your prayers for his lectures (he taught today... Monday... and also teaches Tuesday and Thursday.) He'll give you more info on his time when he returns! (He flies back to Cape Town on Friday.)

This picture is of a building at the Swaziland YWAM base.

A few facts about Swaziland:

It is a small nation that is almost entirely surrounded by South Africa, with a small portion bordering Mozambique.

It's one of the last kingdoms in the world. The king of Swaziland has 18 wives, and counting! (This is a picture of the king with one of his wives.)
46% of the population of Swaziland is under the age of 14.
Swaziland has the highest HIV infection rate in the world (figures range from 40% to 50% of the population.)
It is a beautiful mountainous country, sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of Southern Africa.

Near Break In

2010-01-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

Recently Hans and I got to experience the crime that South Africa is famous for. Burglaries pick up around the holidays and the building our apartment is in was no exception this holiday season. The other apartments in our building are rented out as vacation rentals, and the thieves must have noticed the guests moving in and out with their luggage and laptops. Thieves broke in to two of the other holiday apartments two days in a row, stealing 3 laptops. The third morning we woke up at 530am to two guys in the process of trying to rip the burglar bars out of one of our windows, which wasn't too difficult considering the rusty nails and corroded wood. But thankfully they made a lot of noise and woke us up. Hans scared them off before they could get into the house. We got the local private security company involved, and they said they saw the guys running away, but they didn't catch them. They were almost certainly junkies looking for something to sell to buy drugs.

That day, Hans proceeded to reinforce all the burglar bars in our house by replacing the rusty screws and added more locks to our front door. It needed to be done, and this close call was all the motivation he needed!

All this to say, we appreciate your prayers for safety! We've been doing surprisingly well, not feeling unsafe or having trouble sleeping. And we haven't had any more trouble. Here's a pic of our damaged burglar bars, and Hans on the rampage with a screw driver.

Christmas Day

2010-01-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

Those of you who receive our Friday Photos have already seen these pics, but we wanted to post them here anyhow... double the enjoyment!

On Christmas Day we had a wonderful celebration at the home of our Pastor and his wife. They invited approx 30 people over for lunch and we had a huge spread of both our traditional food (they were being considerate of their North American guests!) and African food. Besides turkey and stuffing, we had all kinds of meats including beef, ham and chicken and all kinds of sides (pap, curried carrots, salads, rice, spinach, etc). We spent the whole afternoon at their home, enjoying conversation, singing, and even a little dancing. We really enjoyed ourselves!

1st pic: Hans and James carving the Turkey

2nd pic: a group from Cameroon (plus our student, Collins from Zambia in the front)

3rd pic: Hans and Nick cutting up the watermelon.

Kirstenbosch Candlelight Christmas Carol Singalong

2010-01-01T23:31:00.000-08:00

We are back from our camping trip! Before we get to those pictures, we wanted to post a few other Christmas pictures:

We began our Christmas break on December 19 by going to a Candlelight Christmas Carol Sing-along in the park... at Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town. Kirstenbosch is a beautiful botanical garden/park with a huge amphitheatre where they have picnic concerts every Sunday in the summer. Another annual tradition is this concert, which consists of thousands of people enjoying picnics in the park, and then, when darkness begins to fall, lighting their individual candles (in white paper bags to look like luminaries) and singing Christmas Carols and hearing the Christmas story. It's not advertised as a Christian event (it's put on by Rotary International) but all the songs are traditional Christian Carols and the whole Christmas story is told straight from the Bible (interspersed with appropriate songs). At the end, a pastor from one of the churches in Cape Town gives a short, evangelical message and then the evening is ended with "Silent Night." We went with several of our students and enjoyed a magical evening celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

We will post more about our Christmas break in a week... we will be camping for the next 6 days, so we will not have Internet access. But before we go, we wanted to wish all of you a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We have thoroughly enjoyed our 2nd African Christmas. Still, our loved ones back home are never far from our hearts. We pray for God's richest blessings as you celebrate the birth of His Son.

Teaching the Bible... and Having a Christmas Party!

2009-12-12T22:09:00.000-08:00

This was an eventful week for us. Hans taught on 2 Timothy on Monday. Susan taught on Hebrews on Wednesday and Friday. Saturday we had our end of the year Christmas Party for our class at a Silvermine lake. It was the perfect way to end a busy week. We had a delicious picnic and got to enjoy the sun and relax with our students. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy!

We have one week left of classes and then begin our 2 week Christmas break. We appreciate your prayers that we will all finish well, and for safe travel for those who are leaving for the break (most of our students are either traveling home or traveling around South Africa). Hans and I will stay home in Muizenberg for the 1st week, and then are camping with friends the week after Christmas.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this holiday season!

greatest miracle possible...

2009-12-08T02:15:00.000-08:00

howdy folks : )

hans here. just had a wonderful time reteaching 2nd timothy yesterday. i tell you what, its awesome to get to process a book for teaching.... and then process it again a year later.

seriously, what God communicates through His word can be so different at different seasons!? how is that even possible? what struck me last year was the love that was communicated through the book, this year is was the neccesity of faithfulness. BOTH profound truths from 2tim, just applicable in different ways. the living word is an incredible occupation... i am truly blessed.
and now,
on to the greatest miracle possible

as some may be aware, i visit a police station near muizenberg and share devotions.
last week tuesday i went with a fellow biblical dept staff (as the driver). His name is Olivier Koffi (spelling?) and he is a gifted teacher from Togo. He has studied to be a lawyer, and is an incredibly perceptive and clear communicator. He took on the topic of "grace" from Titus chapter 2, verses 11-14. Salvation has come to ALL people...
he did a beautiful job communicating the heart of God for everyone, and at the end asked if there were any people that would be interested in giving their hearts to Christ....

and guess what? there were.

i had never seen anyone do such a thing in this setting! i had never even considered doing such a thing?!? it seemed completely "out there" to me!!
are you serious?? (i was thinking in my heart)

the greatest miracle possible happened as a result of olivier's boldness.
we went back this morning (tuesday) and he did a follow up message.
declaring the neccesity of dependance, showing the brokeness of human nature.

guys, this has been one of my highlights here in south africa.
its amazing what a bit of obedience mixed with courage can accomplish!!
we will continue follow up with said individuals as the opportunity affords.
be obedient! be courageous!
who knows if God may make you a witness too,
the greatest miracle possible...

ps.
if any are interested in investing in this man of God let me know.
he is a worthy investment of your resources and or your time.
he is going to swaziland to help pioneer an SBS 1 (3 months).
he could use all the support possible. financially and prayerfully.

blessings

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T11:41:00.003-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our base Thanksgiving meal. Our whole YWAM Muizenberg family got together for a traditional meal, complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes. The Americans put on a short program and everyone had a lot of fun eating and listening to American music. There was even a little dancing! We certainly missed being with our families, but are so thankful for this community that we were able to celebrate with.

Reverend Hans

2009-11-29T11:21:00.001-08:00

Hans and I have been attending a local church in Muizenberg for the past year. It's right around the corner from our apartment and meets on the top floor of the local Bible college/seminary. The church is affiliated with Church of England, and has a very multi-cultural feel. We've been developing a relationship with the Pastor (his wife is a student in the SBS) and several of the members, and are enjoying being part of a local congregation.

Each week, Pastor Brian has someone "M.C." the service, so the pastor's only responsibility is the sermon. A few weeks ago, he asked Hans to do this, so Hans got to officiate a traditional Church of England service! He, of course, did a great job. He says he was honored and challenged and felt as nervous to do this as he does to teach a 3 hour lecture on a book of the Bible. There is very specific order and expectations in a Church of England service, and Hans handled it very well. He did the call to worship, the confession of sin and assurance of salvation, congregational prayer, announcements and Bible reading. Might as well start calling him Pastor Hans!

Birthday Boy

2009-11-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HANS!

Yesterday we celebrated 32 years of Hans' life. The day started with a very special phonecall from his family in Alaska. We then went to class and listened to a lecture on the book of 1st Corinthians. After lunch at home, we enjoyed a complimentary birthday milkshake at a local restaurant (complimentary because the owners love Hans!) We spent much of the afternoon preparing for Hans' party. We had about 15 people over for a braai for dinner (chicken, boerwoers, corn on the cob, and salad.) I even made Hans a birthday cake, which I haven't done in years (carrot cake, in case you were wondering). So there you have it... Hans' birthday in a nuthshell. And now a few words from the birthday boy himself:

g'morning..... it is here anyways (morning that is : )

what a wonderful day! memorable!! thoughtful wife, friends, bbque AND carrot cake! what else could a guy ask for?? sue put herculean effort into making the day special, and she succeeded.

i am blessed. i am loved. i am growing up (maybe); well, getting older anyways.

thank you for all the brthday wishes.

once again, i have been blessed. Thank you.

Life Carries On...

2009-11-14T02:13:00.000-08:00

Hello! I'm never sure how to start a post... we want to keep you updated on our lives, but aren't always sure how best to do that! Hans spent a chunk of time last week writing a post about his lecture on the book of Mark, but then lost the entire post and didn't have the time to rewrite it. So hopefully he will still be able to do that soon.

I taught on the book of 2 Thessalonians last week. It's a short book, but packed with good stuff! I got to delve into topics such as a Biblical view of suffering and the Man of Lawlessness. I ran out of time but could have also spent hours talking about work ethic/Biblical perspective on work. This was where I was most challenged as I studied this book. Paul asked the church to hold one another accountable in this area, which reveals that our work ethic is actually a community matter... not just a personal issue. God values work and created us to work. John Stott writes that work has 3 purposes: It gives meaning to individuals, it benefits the community, and it glorifies God. Work is not something we do just to get a paycheck or earn vacation time. Work is part of our identity as humans. I'm not saying we are what we do, but what we do does add meaning and purpose to our lives (as well as build up the community around us and bring God glory). I'm also not saying certain types of work are more important or meaningful than others. The work God gave to Adam and Eve before the fall was to "work and keep" the garden of Eden. Whether you are building a house or teaching 3rd graders or pastoring a church or raising your children, God values the work that you are doing. I'm also not saying rest is not important. God also built the need for rest into our identity as humans. We should never feel guilty about taking time to rest... (in fact it should be high on our priority lists.) Some would say, the balance between work and rest is the key to a fulfilling, healthy life.

What would you say?

Chapman's Peak Drive

2009-11-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful spot on the Cape Peninsula that we visited with our friend Katie last Sunday. It's on the West coast and is a stretch of road right along the ocean/mountains. The road's been closed for almost two years for repairs, so this is the first time we were able to check it out. It was worth the wait! We just wanted to give you a little taste of this corner of the world where we live!

School Of Biblical Studies, 2009-2010

2009-10-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

This is our class! 26 Students, 8 Staff Members

Our students are from: the States, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Italy, Nigeria, Zambia, Switzerland, Norway and Australia. They range in age from 19 to 72.

Our staff are from the States, Canada, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

As you can see, we have a very diverse and interesting group. We are really enjoying getting to know our students. They're a lot of fun and are very interested in learning on both the academic and heart level. The Holy Spirit is already at work in their lives and we've heard several testimonies about things God is teaching them and challenging them with and changing in them. We call those moments our "paycheck" moments! It makes all that we're doing worthwhile.

We will share more stories about this amazing class as we go.

Hans Taught Mark

2009-10-25T00:47:00.000-07:00

The School of Biblical Studies is cruising along... We've completed our first month of classes. We have an amazing group of students who are soaking up God's word. We will introduce you to some of them soon...

Last week Hans taught on the book of Mark. He had 3 days to teach... 9 hours of lecture. He did a great job and many students expressed how God challenged them and spoke to them through their study of this gospel. Hans encouraged the students to think about things in ways they hadn't before, and there was much lively discussion both in and out of class.

This is the back row... (L-R) Minah and Christine from South Africa, Ann from Kenya and Natalie from Malawi

And this next pic is Minah and Cherie from Canada... who says studying the Bible can't be fun!

Muizenberg Kite Festival

2009-10-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the annual Muizenberg Kite Festival. Since Muizenberg is one of the windiest places on the Cape Peninsula, it's the natural place to have a kite festival. Unless it happens to be the one weekend out of the whole year without wind! The first photo is from last year's Kite Festival. The next one is from this year's festival. You will see the difference! Even though there wasn't wind, people showed up in droves to eat carnival food (potato chips on a stick are delicious) and hang out for the day. It was still an entertaining way to spend a few hours this afternoon...

I did think it was interesting that you could get tested for HIV and TB at the Kite Festival. (That's what the booths in the picture below were for.) Not something you see at most carnivals in the states.

Classes are Underway!

2009-10-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since we've posted... we've just completed our first 2 weeks of classes for the School of Biblical Studies. We've had classes morning and evening in order to introduce the students to the Inductive Bible Study method and to prepare them to study the Bible for the next 9 months. After next week, we will only have class 2 to 4 mornings a week, and the rest of the time they will be studying on their own. As staff, we spend a lot of time working one on one with students, grading their work, and preparing to teach on different books of the Bible. It's challenging and exciting and life-changing, all at the same time. Right now we are enjoying getting to know our students, who are from so many different cultures and nations and walks of life. They are a great group and we are very excited to study the Bible with them for the next 9 months!

Here's a few photos from our first week...

Our class room before the students arrived:

Our class room bursting at the seams with students:

Class outing to Boulders Beach to picnic with the penguins:

There will be more pictures to come... Stay tuned!

Starting on Monday!

2009-09-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Well, our students are arriving and we are in the midst of final preparations for the School of Biblical Studies to begin on Monday. We've spent the week making beds and cleaning rooms and preparing our classroom and doing airport runs and preparing to teach next week. It's all very exciting and surreal. We know God has great things in store. We feel very privileged to be able to invest in the lives of these 26 students (yes, the number has grown) for the next 9 months. We feel so blessed that this is our job!

Thank you for your prayers as we begin this new school year. We greatly appreciate it!

What have we been up to?

2009-09-18T14:13:00.001-07:00

That's an excellent question. For 3 of the past 4 weeks we have been in staff training, preparing for the upcoming School of Biblical Studies. Our staff has 8 members on it and we have had many valuable hours together receiving necessary training and praying for our students. These are pictures of one of our staff training sessions (taken in our apartment, by the way).

For 1 of the past 4 weeks (Sept 7-13), Hans and I were able to attend a YWAM conference in a nearby town. This was a University of the Nations gathering and YWAMers from all over the world were in attendance. There were 3 other locations for the conference as well (Ukraine, Egypt and Switzerland) and we were all linked via satellite. The theme of the conference was "For Such A Time As This" and the focus was evaluating where YWAM and UofN is at and discussing where we are headed. YWAM is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010, so it was interesting to look back on how far it's come in the last 50 years. It was also exciting to look forward to the next 50 years. We made many valuable connections and were inspired to continue serving God in this organization.

This was one of our main meetings... there were close to 500 in attendance at our site.

The theme

meal time: where connections happened

The conference center housing... we did not get to stay in these Rondovels, but most of the attendees did. It was a beautiful area.

Friday Photo

2009-09-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hans and I have begun a tradition of sending a photo out to our friends/family/supporters by email each Friday. It's just a way to give them a glimpse into our lives. If you would like to be on our email list, please let me know by writing me at susanoines@hotmail.com.

This is the Friday Photo I sent out today:

This is not a photo from this week, but it's still a glimpse into our lives...

These are boys that live either on the streets of Muizenberg or in nearby townships (in which case they spend their days on the streets). Over the year, Hans has interacted with these boys, learning their names and talking to them when he sees them. It's not uncommon to hear kids shouting "Hey Hans!" (pronounced "Hands" without the "d" sound) as we walk around our neighborhood. Hans wrote a blog post when we first got here about the dilemma of whether or not to feed these kids, since they are always hungry and asking for food. They know where we live and often ring our bell, asking for something to eat. We usually have an extra loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter around the house so we can make them sandwiches. (We don't feed them every time they ring, but it's hard to say no every time!) This time they rang and asked for tea, since it was a cold winter evening. I told them I didn't have containers for them. Within minutes they all had found empty bottles (from who knows where) that I could put their tea in. How could I say no with that kind of effort and creativity? So Hans made them sandwiches and we sent them on their way with hot tea. We still struggle with this issue. There are signs in shops around town that say "Giving Doesn't Help" because it really only perpetuates the problem. But when a hungry little boy is at your door, it's hard to turn them away.

So these are a few faces that are a part of our life here in Muizenberg:

Christmas in July!

2009-09-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

This is a little out of date, but I wanted to post a few pictures of our "Christmas-in-July" party. Since our Christmas this past December was in the middle of summer, my friend Lauren (from California) and I decided to throw a Christmas party in July in order to have a "wintery" Christmas. It happened to be a beautiful, warm, sunny day, but we still enjoyed our Christmas party! We had turkey and ham and all the fixings, apple and pumpkin pie and Christmas cookies. About 30 people crammed into our apartment for the festivities. We put up a (little) tree and made paper snow flakes and watched Miracle on 34th Street. Hopefully we'll make it a tradition!

I forgot to take a picture of the turkey until it was only a carcass. (I did make turkey soup from it... first time ever!) Lauren (next to me) was the mastermind of the whole event and she and Katie (far right) helped us pull it all together.

Making snow flakes by the fire :)

Enjoying dinner

We had many hands in the kitchen!

Our lovely Christmas tree (and Katie at work in our kitchen).

We are really enjoying becoming a part of the YWAM community here in Muizenberg. We are so thankful to have a home where we can invite people over to make these kinds of memories! Relationships and community are so important, and our lives are richer because of the people we know, both here and at home. Thank you all for the part you play in our lives!

At Home Retreat

2009-08-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

Last week was our yearly "at home retreat." The last week of August each year, the entire staff of YWAM Muizenberg gets together for a 3 day retreat. We spent those 3 days listening to a speaker, having times of worship, praying for one another and basically gearing up for the next year of schools and programs. We did have a fun afternoon of mini golf and a braai to celebrate our time together. There are approximately 90 staff members and they work in many different areas, so it was a valuable time for unity and reconnection. Our theme for this retreat was Rest and Restoration, which is always a necessary topic for missionaries to be reminded of. We were encouraged to live a balanced life and to not neglect our own relationships with God.

So, who are some of the other staff that work on our base? The 3 main areas that YWAM staff work in are training, mercy ministries and evangelism. At YWAM Muizenberg, we have many training programs, including the School of Biblical Studies that Hans and I are a part of. There is also the Discipleship Training School that runs 4 times each year, a Church Planting school, School of Intercessory Prayer, and School of Field Journalism. Another department on our base is called Urban Ministries. There are many staff members in this department doing many different types of ministries, from working with street kids and prostitutes, to working in local orphanages, to prison ministry, to preparing for the World Cup (soccer) which will take place in South Africa in 2010. We also have many administrative staff members who help with the logistics of running our base, including our registrar, financial officer, and building manager, to name a few.

For more info on YWAM Muizenberg, you can check out the website: www.ywammuizenberg.org

This is just a small glimpse into the life of our base. We feel very privileged to work with such an amazing group of people. And we enjoyed our time reconnecting with them.

We hope you are well!

Classroom Preparation

2009-08-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks we've been in our "between schools" mode, getting our classroom ready for the next group of students and beginning to prepare for the books we will be teaching in the first quarter of the next school. Since we have a larger group of students this year (the last school had 16 students and we are looking at about 23 for this next one) we had to get a little creative with our limited classroom space. By changing the direction the desks face we were able to squeeze in 4 more desks, which Hans helped build. These are a few pictures of our efforts! (I'll post a picture of the finished classroom soon.)

parental visit

2009-08-09T04:20:00.001-07:00

As Hans wrote in the previous post, we had a wonderful visit from my parents. It was such a blessing to have them here. We had 12 days for them to see our life and meet our friends here in Muizenberg, to travel around and see more of this beautiful country, and to fit in several nights of staying home and playing games by the fire. More than anything, we were just happy to be with them. Here are a few pictures from our adventures...
We visited the Southernmost tip of Africa.

My Dad and I are at the top of the lighthouse at Cape L'Agulhas.

Hans and I are at the marker where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.
We visited an ostrich farm in Outdshoorn.

Hans is standing on ostrich eggs.

These next pictures are from our safari on a game reserve a few hours outside of Cape Town. We saw zebra, wildebeest, rhino, elephant, giraffe, lion, cheetah, and cape buffalo to name a few:

These cape buffalo greeted us outside our room in the morning:
Here we are at the South-Westernmost tip of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope:

We are so thankful for this visit from my parents. It's been almost a year since we've seen family so we can't even tell you how much it meant to have them here with us. It was a wonderful way to cap off our first year in South Africa. Thank you Mom and Dad!

"has been" becoming "is"

2009-08-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

hola. its been a bit since i typed some thoughts, so here goes.....

we just had susan's parents visit from california.
if i could summarize what their trip meant for me in five words it would be these:
they made "here" feel "home."

let me explain.....
"here" is where we live; muizenberg ZA. a bit distant from where either of us grew up : )
you knew that though...
"here" is where we work, as students and teachers of God's Word.
"here" is where we are developing maturity, our relationship, friendships, our ability to love/serve (and our desire for such).
"here" is where we are challenged in many ways; including: faith, trust, confidence, identity, purpose, dreams.....more too...

"home" has been (in our heads/hearts) where we are most known/appreciated.
"home" has been (in our hearts) where many of YOU are, reading this...
"home" has been (in our heads) where comfort and familiarity go hand in hand.
"home" has been (in our hearts) where many of your families are continuing on...
without us..

home now and always will be (on this earth) where ever we are together, but
please notice the transition from present tense to past tense in the previous statements...
home "has been"; here "is".
dad and mom schoolland brought the past "has beens" more to the present "is" with their visit.
their visit made "here" more "home".
incredible memories have been created. stories have been logged that will be told again...
and again.

we are appreciative. and very thankful.
twas a precious time
in summation:

we are blessed. deeply.

2009-07-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Today, for our final practice teaching of the 3 week Titus training, we were divided into teams to do a 5 hour seminar in which we taught the Inductive Bible Study method through a small book of the Bible. Our team taught the book of Jonah and our hypothetical audience was a rural community in Zimbabwe. Our goal was to teach them how to use the inductive method as a tool for studying the Bible for themselves. Even though it was a practice teaching, it was valuable experience. It made us excited about traveling and teaching in the future! (We are praying about an opportunity Hans has to teach in Swaziland in February.)

Here are some pictures from our practice teaching:

Susan teaching on interpreting the first two chapters of Jonah.

Nick teaching on applying the book of Jonah to our lives

Our teaching team: Hans, Susan, Nick from Zimbabwe, Rahila from Nigeria, and Tanyse from Zimbabwe

This weekend two Titus teams will be heading out to teach what we've been learning for the past three weeks. One team will be going to a nearby township where they will work with a church, facilitating leadership and Bible training and a relationships seminar. The other team will be traveling to Swaziland to teach, as well as to recruit for a 3 month School of Biblical Studies that will be taking place in Swaziland in January. After this, the two teams will join together in a local township that YWAM Muizenberg has been working in, building relationships and connections that we hope will lead to future opportunities to do year round Bible training. We are excited to see the training that takes place on our campus extending to the communities around Cape Town.

Thank you for your prayers!

Titus Training

2009-07-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

These are the staff and students of the Titus Project

We began our 3 week Titus Training program last Wednesday. It's a very practical teacher training course that ends in a 2 month outreach into local Cape Town communities. (Since Hans and I will be staff of the 9 month School of Biblical Studies that starts in September, we will not be participating in the outreach portion of the program.)

Some things we are learning:

lecture preparation
lecture presentation
learning styles
teaching in an African context
reaching oral communicators
teaching the inductive method
Bible overview/Church history

We have several practice teachings during the 3 week training and the outreach teams will have a very busy teaching schedule in the local townships, including leading pastors conferences, church seminars, and youth groups (we are hoping to join them for a few of these events). So it is a very hands-on course. We are loving the change of pace and are getting excited about the new group of students that will be arriving in September for the next SBS. After seeing the impact of the school we just completed, we have great hopes and expectations for the next school.

We hope you are all doing well... Thank you for your prayers!

Lots of love,
Susan

School of Bibilical Studies Graduation

2009-06-29T02:09:00.001-07:00

I don't have any pictures of our actual graduation ceremony, so you'll just have to trust me that it was a special event. There was a time of worship, thanks given to all the people on the YWAM base who helped make the school possible and our experience better, testimonies from 2 students, words of wisdom from our school leader and the handing out of diplomas. Graduation was followed by a dessert reception and then the blissful feeling that there were no more deadlines to meet or homework assignments to complete (at least, until we start the next training program on Wednesday!) Here are a few pictures from the reception:

Jeremiah (in the center in the white jacket) was one of our students. He is a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and seeing God work in his life throughout the School of Biblical Studies. He has a heart for evangelism and preaching the Word and testifies that God deepened his knowledge and love of the Bible during the past 9 months and challenged some of his foundational beliefs. Pictured with him are family members that live in SA and were able to come for graduation.

Thabo and Garrett are the sons of our school leader.

They have a special fondness for Hans.

Lauren from So Cal, Petra from Belgium, Me, and Sharon from Canada/Pakistan.

Graduation Celebration!

2009-06-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

On the night before the SBS graduation, our class went out for a special celebration dinner at a restaurant called Moyo. After spending the day debriefing, reminiscing and sharing memories and highlights and things we learned over the past 9 months, we went to Moyo for an African meal complete with face painting, entertainment and all you can eat meat and African dishes. It felt good to celebrate this amazing accomplishment and to be together as a class before we all move on to the next thing God has for us. Thankfully, most of the students are remaining in Muizenberg to complete either the Titus training or to participate in another training program on base, so there were no tearful goodbyes. Instead there was a sense of both relief and excitement for what lies ahead. We each got our own unique face paint design.All the girls posing for the many cameras.

There was a lot of excitment and celebration!

Vera from Cameroon.Derrik from Minesota and Rahila from Nigeria with Hans and me.We did our best to get a class picture... this is everyone!

Last Week

2009-06-22T02:13:00.000-07:00

Well, we are in our 35th week of studying the Bible, with 2 of 66 books to go. Today we are studying Song of Songs and tomorrow we wrap up our study of the Bible with Ecclesiastes. Thursday we have a debrief/fun day as a class and a graduation dinner, then we graduate in our base meeting on Friday morning. It's hard to believe our first school is coming to a close! It's been an amazing, challenging experience that we will continue to process and learn from long after it's over. In the next few weeks we will have more time to communicate and blog and write a newsletter, so we will share more of our experiences soon.

Well, it's back to class for me. Hope you all are doing well... and that all you fathers had a wonderful Father's Day!

- Susan

activities...

2009-06-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

so what have we been up to?

life is good..... or so my frisbee says. (brandname) and i can only concur. rather, God is good. and our lives currently reflect His faithfulness...

we are nearing the end of our first SBS in africa. sue's school and my first staffing experience. She has studied 62 books of the bible as of today, and i have studied 6. : )
honestly...... how fortunate are we!?!
God has kept us.
sue and i were looking at zechariah this morning; israel having returned to the promised land from exile, neglecting God's house while building their own......... dashed expectations. disappointed. and not just for a few weeks.... but 16 years.. 16 years... that really struck me.
israel's disobedience caused exile...... while in exile God preserves them mightily. miraculously. time and time again. Then God raises a ruler that finances their return to jerusalem (cyrus). and the people respond with depression. disappointment.

kinda pathetic really. and yet so applicable to me.
God, instead of tiring with them at that point......encourages them. and gives reason for hope, through His prophet Zechariah. "...I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem... do not be afraid... I will save you... you shall be a blessing... let your hands be strong..."

Thankfully God is unchanging and treats us the same way......
God pursues, and continues pursuing.
IS 42 says a bruised reed i will not break......
and i am so thankful.

Sue and i are tired, yet fulfilled. we are nearing the end of round 1 (less than 2 weeks from graduation). there have been challenges, but the primary sensation is satisfaction...

God has kept us.

we have both been challenged personally, in our marriage, and in other relationships, God has stretched our hearts our minds and our abilities to think, He has brought change, and profound transformation. our beliefs have been challenged, both as it comes to our understanding of God and ourselves. our perspective on humanity and the effect of sin has been altered.

Scripture, in dynamic relationship with Holy Spirit, has changed our lives.

Not only our lives, but the lives of every staff and student here with us.
We are in the process of celebrating this experience, and in the initial phase of mourning its end.

God has accomplished much.

We are thankful. To Him primarily, and also to you who read this, for making it possible for us to invest in His kingdom in this fashion.
Thank you.

God is good. and frisbees are a testimony to that... : )

-hans

ps. check out http://www.sbsinternational.org/ for a cool look at what is going on.

Restoration Retreat

2009-05-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Our school just returned from our fall retreat. The staff suprised the students with a "Restoration Retreat," so from Monday to Wednesday all of the SBS staff and students drove 2 hours to a town on False Bay called Hermanus and stayed at a beautiful retreat center. It was a time to relax, play games, hike, and spend time together. We had worship times in the evening and a class on Jeremiah on Tuesday morning (but didn't have to do any homework while we were away) . It was very restful. We are in the middle of the prophets (Hans teaches Zephaniah today and we start on Ezekiel on Monday) and approaching the finish line (only 6 weeks to go!) so it was the perfect time to take a break and reflect on the past 7 months and prepare to finish well.

I took only a few random pictures at the retreat. The one above is the view from the cottage we stayed in. Behind the bushes in the foreground is a huge field that was used for games of cricket and ultimate frisbee. In the distance is a pond that Baboons often visited in the mornings and evenings. Of course everyone saw them but me, so I don't have any pictures! The next two are Hans and Thomas braaing our dinner on Monday night. The third is a picture of the cottage we shared with Thomas and Butshwa. The last is an exciting game of Chutes and Ladders (we took a break from Dutch Blitz to give the kids a chance to play!)

It's Been A While...

2009-05-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all...
We apologize for not writing for 2 weeks. We will post something interesting soon. We've been busy these past few weeks. Susan has been studying the prophets and last week was Isaiah. That's a big book (and a very good book!) Hans taught Joel and is preparing to teach Zephaniah. On top of all our regular responsibilities, we also moved this past week. A 2 bedroom apartment opened up in our building, and after weighing out our options and analyzing our budget (and consulting our families) we decided to go for it. We are both looking forward to having more space for an office (since we primarily work from home) and for having people over. The apartment we've moved into was previously occupied by YWAMers and has been a great location for gatherings, parties, meetings, celebrations, etc... We just had to keep it in the YWAM family! We are looking forward to having a place we can use for hospitality and entertaining. And now we have a spare room to host guests. So you are officially invited to come visit us!

We hope you are all doing well. Enjoy these days of spring. We are experiencing fall in May for the first time. We've already had to break out our sweaters and warm socks and blankets!

human trafficking

2009-04-20T02:04:00.000-07:00

One thing I enjoy about being a part of the YWAM community is meeting together weekly for "intercession." Our entire staff and student body meet together on Monday mornings at 8am to pray about different things going on around the world and in our own community. Sometimes we spend the time praying for teams that are going out on outreach, sometimes for a specific country or a specific issue. It is a way of being informed about different things God is doing in the world, and a way to be a part of it through prayer.

This morning, a group called "Justice Acts" led our intercession time and we prayed about the issue of human trafficking. With the World Cup (soccer) coming to South Africa in 2010, it is estimated that as many as 100,000 women and children will be trafficked into SA to function as prostitutes for this worldwide event. Justice Acts is using this opportunity to raise awareness and fight human trafficking. YWAM alone will have 3,500 volunteers come to the country for the World Cup and a huge focus will be on this issue... They will be spreading the word on human trafficking, meeting with groups, handing out fliers, doing counseling for women and children, running a safe house and help line, etc... They've even been given advertising time on the big screens at the stadiums and on the streets where the games will be broadcasted to run informational advertisements to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Besides preparation for the World Cup, Justice Acts also does training and seminars in areas where people are at risk for being trafficked to make them aware of how they are vulnerable and what tactics traffickers use to lure people into slavery. Human trafficking earns as much money in South Africa as the illegal drug trade. People are preyed on by traffickers who promise them jobs or sports contracts or passports and then sell them into slavery which could include the sex trade, selling drugs or even just labor. Even in this area of South Africa, a group recently went into a high school saying they were looking for teen models. They "recruited" 7 girls who went with them and haven't been heard from since. This is a very real and heart-breaking issue.

So this morning we prayed for God to bring this issue to light not only with those at risk, but also with those in government who have power to pass laws and really address the issue (apparently human trafficking is not illegal in SA.) We prayed for the resources to continue and expand the ministry of Justice Acts, that they might have an even greater influence on society. We prayed for more creative ideas and open doors and key relationships. Already, they are teaming up with other groups and organizations that have a similar vision and are getting requests to come speak and pass out information, etc... So God is using this group and I believe he will continue to use them! We will continue to pray for them as they meet this enormous challenge and take on this difficult issue.

Check out their website: http://www.justiceacts.org/

Neighborgoods Market

2009-04-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Over our fall break a South African friend took us to a Farmer's Market that takes place in Cape Town every Saturday. We enjoyed it immensely, including all the free tasters. It was like Costco on a Saturday, only better! We really are enjoying getting to know this area. There are so many unique and fascinating facets to life in Cape Town. We love learning about it!
Here's a few pics of the "Neighborgoods Market."
(warning: these pictures may make you want to be a missionary in South Africa)

April Newsletter

2009-04-14T12:03:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't get our newsletter, I thought I'd include the text here. (If you'd like to be on our email list, let me know!)
Susan

Greetings from South Africa!
We are heading into the 3rd and final quarter of the School of Biblical Studies. It's been an amazing experience so far and we are excited to see what God has for us in these final 3 months. The students and staff enjoyed fall break this past week and are feeling rested and ready to jump into the 3rd quarter. We just completed our study of Chronicles and have begun to study the prophets. There is much to learn and understand in this interesting portion of scripture!

It's an exciting time as our students are starting to make plans for what they will be doing after SBS. We are planning on taking a 3 week training course which will prepare us to teach the Bible in various settings in Africa. After the 3 week course, several teams will head out for a 2 month outreach in which they will lead seminars and teach the Bible in different locations in Africa (Botswana, Tanzania and Swaziland are a few of the options). We will not be going on outreach because we are scheduled to be staff of the next School of Biblical Studies here in Muizenberg. So we will spend the month of August enjoying some time off and preparing for the next SBS, which starts in September. We are looking forward to being on staff together and continuing to study and teach God's Word, while walking with students through the adventure of studying through the entire Bible in 9 months.

April is a big month in South Africa. Presidential elections will take place on April 22. South Africa is a multi-party parliamentary democracy, and there are at least 15 parties with candidates running for president. The front runner is from the African National Congress (ANC) and there is much controversy surrounding him. It's an important time to pray for the nation of South Africa, as much will be determined by who is elected. This will only be the 3rd election held since the end of apartheid in 1994, so this is a critical time for South Africa.

Thank you for your prayer for this nation. Thank you as well for praying and supporting us. We love what we are doing here and are certain that Biblical Truth is exactly what this nation needs. May God richly bless you.
Love, Hans and Susan Oines

2009-04-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

hello hello!
Hans and I are enjoying our fall break. We had a very relaxing 3 day camping trip, and now we are home again. We have much we want to accomplish, people we want to spend time with, and more rest needed in order to be ready to start classes again on Monday.

A few prayer points:

Safety for our students as they are enjoying the break... most are still in the area but a few traveled home for the week.
Finances for our final quarter... as a school we're only about 1,000USD short of everyone having their tuition covered.
Students are starting to make plans for after SBS. We're hoping several of them opt to do Titus Project, a 3 month outreach program that involves teaching the inductive Bible study method in different parts of Africa. We're also hoping some of them will choose to come back on staff. But we trust God with each of them and know that whatever they choose to do, these 9 months of Bible training will be a solid foundation for the rest of their lives.
We're happy that Nick from Zimbabwe is planning on joining the Biblical Studies department after SBS. Pray that the necessary funds would be raised so he and his family will have the support they need to live here.
I (Susan) have been missing home recently. We are so happy to be here, but can't help missing our friends and family. Several of our dearest loved ones are going through difficult times, which makes the distance feel that much greater. It's a huge lesson in trusting God with the people we love! We can't be there with them, but we know God is. We appreciate your prayers for focus (on what God has for us here), contentment, and the peace that only God can give.

Thank you for your prayers. Remember, we always love hearing from you and knowing how we can be praying for you as well!

susanoines@hotmail.com

hans_oines@hotmail.com

Fall is in the Air

2009-03-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

Apparently yesterday was the official beginning of fall in South Africa. There does seem to be a little bit of a chill in the air. The nights are getting colder and we've had a few overcast days. It still seems a little odd to be heading into fall in March, but so it is.

Next week is our Fall Break, which we are very much looking forward to. Part of being involved in the School of Biblical Studies program is a 6 day work week. In order to finish what needs to be finished, as a student, it's necessary to work 6 full days each week. And staff are expected to work 6 days as well. So we are thankful that every 3 months there's a little break to recuperate and prepare for the next 3 months. We plan on going camping for a few days with our friends, James and Sarah, and then we have several practical-life-things we need to catch up on (taxes, newsletter, fall cleaning, etc...) We also want to spend some quality, not-homework-focused time with the students who will be remaining in town for the break. There's so much to do and see in this area and many of them have not been out of Muizenberg. Basically, we aren't worried about getting bored!

But before the break, we will finish studying the books of Kings. We've already mapped out the books, noting each king and which kingdom he was from and whether he was good or evil. Next we're going to do an in depth inductive study of the first 12 chapters of 1st Kings. And by Friday, we will turn in a summary of each of the kings, including cross-referencing to Chronicles (which has additional information on many of the kings.) After the break we're going to create a time line of the kings which we are told will be very helpful as we study through the major and minor prophets. It will be interesting to see where in the history of Israel each of the prophets fits, and what events they are writing about. It helps to put everything in context.

Hans led devotions at the Cape Town PD again this morning. He really enjoys that. It's so amazing to have that connection. Every Tuesday, they've invited YWAM to send someone to lead devotions at the beginning of their staff meeting. This morning, Hans said they started with singing. One of the officers printed up song sheets and led everyone in an acapella sing-a-long. He said the singing was beautiful. And that they seemed more comfortable with him and engaged with what he was saying than the first several times he's been there. So that is encouraging and exciting. Who knows the impact this could have.

So this post has been a random assortment of information about our lives. Hope you enjoyed it!
~Susan

tomatoes

2009-03-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's appropriate to brag about your husband on a blog, but I'm just going to go for it...

So it's late summer here in South Africa, and summer vegetables are available. There's a pick-up truck that parks on our street and sells veggies and fruit from crates. We usually grab something as we walk by (buying it, of course) whether it's a bag of plums or onions or bell peppers. Once I bought what I thought was a cauliflower still wrapped in leaves, and it turned out to be a head of cabbage.

Recently, Hans decided he wanted to make salsa. We knew the truck was there (it's usually only around on weekends) and had seen they had tomatoes, bell peppers, chili peppers and onions. Perfect! So he went to buy the goods. However, since the small bags of tomatoes were gone, he came home with a 5kg box of tomatoes. That's about 10lbs. Which is a lot of tomatoes for two people.

But I'll tell you what... if Hans didn't use every last one of those tomatoes. I think we had to throw one out that went bad, but other than that, he was a crazy tomato machine. And when after two enormous batches of salsa there were still yet more tomatoes, he made spaghetti sauce, from scratch. Meaning from fresh tomatoes. He roasted them with garlic and olive oil and made them into a delicious veggie filled sauce. How many of you have made spaghetti sauce from scratch? I know I haven't. Who does that? My husband does.

So we've been enjoying the summer bounty of the Cape Peninsula farm lands. We hope you are enjoying the first signs of spring. Here's a few pics of Hans in action... just to prove my story. (I must admit, I'm excited to see that Hans may have gotten the Oines cooking gene. Thank you Coke!)

2009-03-10T01:52:00.000-07:00

Just for clarification, the man Hans was referring to in the previous post is a homeless man in our community who professes the Rastafarian faith. He often spends time on the corner near our house and is very friendly. He talks a lot about Jesus and how he climbs the mountain every morning to worship God. Often we aren't clear exactly what he's talking about, but we do know that God often chooses us to provide him food. We know he's a vegetarian, so we bring him a lot of peanut butter sandwiches and fresh fruit. We don't know a whole lot about the Rastafarian faith, except that they worship a god named Jah and that the religion is often associated with Jamaica, but has roots in Africa. And that it involves lots of dread locks.

God moves in mysterious ways......

2009-03-05T03:18:00.000-08:00

There is a rasta here in Muizenberg named Barnard. He is a joy to chat with and regularly informs us that the Lord has spoken to him specifically that we are to bring him food........ we have been chosen.....

its a beautiful thing to be the "Lord's" chosen one so often. what a privilege : )

The other day after one such instance, he could barely contain his excitement. He said he didn't want to tell me what he did, but he couldn't hold it in. He said the Lord told him to pick all the weeds from our entrance, by way of showing gratitude......

I thanked him. He said; "Thank the Lord".

Beaming all the while.....

simple joys.....

Nations 2 Nations

2009-03-05T01:01:00.000-08:00

Once a quarter (every 3 months) on our YWAM base we have a celebration called Nations 2 Nations. On a Friday evening, all the staff and students gather for a meal to celebrate a region of the world. The most recent N2N dinner celebrated the continent of Africa. (The previous N2N focused on Europe.) So the Africans on our base planned the evening and made the dinner and did presentations on the nations they are from. The food was delicious and the program was informative and entertaining. It was a fun evening!

Thomas and Butshwa are staff of the School of Biblical Studies.
Thomas is from Zambia and Butshwa is from Zimbabwe.

Vera is a student in the SBS from Cameroon.

Nick and Daisy (and their son Nassie) are students in the SBS from Zimbabwe

Here we are, crammed into our dining room,
listening to the Zimbabweans sing their National Anthem.

The South Africans are also singing their National Anthem

thoughts

2009-02-28T02:40:00.000-08:00

Wow... we really do miss having internet access! Except for a few days, our internet at home has been down the entire month of February. And at the YWAM base it's intermittent at best. And we simply haven't had time to go to an internet cafe. So we feel out of touch! We apologize for our lack of communication. The problem at our apartment has been diagnosed and our landlord is working on it.

We will try to catch you up on our past month soon. We did go to a Community Watch meeting this morning (see following post for more details.) It was very informative. The purpose of the meeting was to learn about the group and to meet people in our community, as well as to hear a presentation on personal safety awareness. We both really enjoyed it, mainly because it got us outside of our YWAM circles and into the community. It's such a small community, so it really is possible to get to know neighbors and become involved in people's lives. Often in YWAM we focus on what's going on inside the walls of the base with training programs and meetings and sending teams on outreaches to far off places (which is all very good). But Hans and I have an interest in getting to know the people in the community right around us... the people we see every day as we walk down the street or in the grocery store or at the post office. We are not training for some future "missions experience." We want to live out our faith here and now among the people who live around us. We want to learn how to love the people around us practically in every day life. That's the real challenge, isn't it. It's the crux of the Christian life whether you live in South Africa or Zimbabwe or California or Alaska.

We have so much we want to write about. We ask for your patience as we continue to figure out our schedules and deal with internet problems. We also continue to appreciate your prayers. We've just finished studying the Pentateuch, and I'll tell you what... it was amazing. I'm still processing. Some SBS students are struggling quite a bit with the work load and the change from NT to OT. Hans is doing a great job working with those students and helping them find the life and excitement that he found studying the Bible during his SBS. But we all appreciate prayer for perseverance and perspective. Our school still needs prayers for finances, although we have seen God come through for many of our students. Prayer for safety is always coveted. We are starting to make plans for next school year, so that's exciting to start thinking about. Most likely Hans and I will be in Muizenberg as staff of the next 9 month SBS, and we're already in the process of accepting applications for students and making preparations for that school. So it's full steam ahead, and we're just excited to be on board! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and please feel free to contact us any time!

Much Love from South Africa...
Susan
susanoines@hotmail.com
hans_oines@hotmail.com

safety

2009-02-28T02:13:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post over a week ago, but due to internet problems, am just posting it. Enjoy!

Hans is thinking about joining the Muizenberg Community Watch group. He's excited about it, actually. As most of you may know, crime is a huge problem in South Africa, and the community we live in is no exception. It's not as danerous as say, Cape Town or one of the local townships, but it still has more crime than any place we've ever lived. This December we learned that crime was up 100% from last year at the same time. In one month something like 20 cars were stolen from the street we live on. That's a lot of cars. And then last night, while Hans was out with a friend, I peaked out of my blinds because I heard some noise on the street below. I saw two young men standing casually by a brand new white convertible Volvo as a group walked by. As soon as the group rounded the corner, they resumed what they had been doing which was prying the license plates off the car and sticking new ones on with packing tape. I don't know why I didn't call security right away. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. And then they hopped in the car and cruised away.

We have not been unaware of crime here. We live with an extra level of awareness and "carefulness" all the time. We don't go out at night and if we do, we walk in the middle of the street so no one can corner us against a building or push us into an alley (and I would never walk alone at night.) We don't carry expensive items out in the open. You put your money in your wallet before you leave the store or walk away from the ATM. We don't ever take our cellphones out when walking on the street. I don't carry a purse. Hans does carry brass knuckles. Simple things like that.

We live right around the corner from a street that is known to be the worst street in Muizenberg (ironically called Church Street.) It's just a few blocks long, but has become known as the crime center of our community. Hans and I noticed some of the houses were being bricked in with cinder blocks. We read later that criminals were using the unoccupied houses to store stuff they stole until it could safely be removed from the community, so the city was just closing up the houses. Which makes me wonder about the night we were walking back from the base to our flat (about one block) when a guy ran by carrying a full sized sofa on his back. As we puzzled over this odd sight, two more guys ran by with arm chairs, and then one more with a coffee table. We wanted to believe they were helping a friend move, but that probably wasn't the case. We've since programmed the number of the "Mountain Men" into our phones so we can be good neighbors and citizens and report such incidents. MM are a private security company that have men constantly patrolling the community two by two on bikes. They respond to calls within minutes, while the police are so busy it could take hours. MM actually have "spotters" on the mountain that overlooks Muizenberg with infrared binoculars. If you call in a crime, they can locate the house and track the escaping criminal, directing the heroes on bikes with radios. It's actually quite the system. We heartily thank the Mountain Men every time we see them

So while it is different here than we're used to, we are adjusting to this extra safety layer that has been added to our lives. Like people said when we moved here, there is no reason to live in fear. If we follow the common sense safety guidelines that are a little stricter than we're used to, we'll be fine. And we do feel fine living here. We don't ignore the issue, and we don't let it control our lives. But we do want to be involved in the solution, which is why Hans is joining Community Watch. And why I need to be a little quicker with my phone the next time I see car thieves changing out plates in front of my house...

intenet woes

2009-02-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

An addition to our "You know you're not in 'Kansas' anymore" post....

You know you're not in Kansas anymore... when the internet goes down in mid December at an international ministry base that houses several different schools and ministries and is used by 100 staff and students and the prognosis is: it'll be fixed by mid-January. And in the beginning of Feb it is still not functioning properly.

So we've had very limited internet access. I'm at a coffee shop right now to use the wireless. Our internet is also down at home and since our landlord is out of the country, we get to wait.

So we apologize for the lack of communication. Hopefully we'll have things straightened out soon. It's all part of the fun!

But I guess even this is not such a serious hardship. I was joking with Coke (Hans' mom) about how we were roughing it because we have to hang dry our clothes (we have a washer but no dryer)... Putting it all in perspective, we really don't have it so bad. I mean, we have access to internet. We have a washing machine. And for that I am incredibly grateful. We can deal with sporadic internet and a little wet laundry!

(And by the way, neither of us have ever lived in Kansas)

Interesting Article

2009-01-30T01:53:00.000-08:00

A friend forwarded this article from the Times Online (a UK e-zine). It is written by an atheist and makes an excellent case for the need for God in Africa. When we were living in Montana, I (Susan) took a 3 month course called Foundations in Community Development. A huge focus of the course was on the crucial role of worldview in bringing transformation to people/cities/nations... You can bring the greatest social programs to a country, but if the foundational beliefs that are the root cause of the problems the people are experiencing are not dealt with, the social programs will never be effective.

If you are interested in this concept/missions in Africa, click on the link (or paste it into your address bar) and check it out. It is why we are here, and why we've chosen the avenue of Bible study/teaching as our focus for our time in Africa.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece

10 things that remind us, we're not in "Kansas" anymore!

2009-01-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

10. It is windy, really really windy, every single day

9. Someone gives directions, saying "...turn at the next robot..." and you wonder what they mean.

8. You can order butternut squash and banana pizza.

7. You celebrate Christmas in the middle of summer.

6. Police sirens, car alarms, home alarms are heard around the clock

5. You can buy fresh fruit and veggies in December (not normal in Alaska)

4. You no longer share a bathroom with 50 other people. yeah!!

3. You encounter a sign that says "No Hooting" huh?

2. The president of the country changes 3 times in 3 days.

1. You attend a wedding reception (in Africa, mind you) for an Indian groom and a Swiss bride, listening to an MC from Ghana (who speaks 13 languages) and sitting at a table with people from England, Canada and South Africa. Welcome to YWAM!

privilege.

2009-01-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

its amazing to me that i get to teach. i get the opportunity to munch on God's Word often.
i am teaching 1st Peter this friday. and i gotta be honest. i wish i wasn't.
cuz that means, i won't be getting to chew on 1st Peter much longer. and i gotta admit,
peter is one of my favorite characters in scripture.
its amazing getting to track with some of the revelations God gave him, that changed him from the hypocrite we see in Acts, to the one whom church history records died a martyrs death crucified upside down. i am encouraged, that God never gives up.
He is faithful when we are not.
He continues to change our hearts, our beliefs and understandings.
all through our entire lives, way til the end as we know it.
something else is cool too. i am gonna start doing devotionals at the police dept here.
i am really excited by that. more my comfort zone too.
10 minutes in and out

we are privileged

I live in Africa

2009-01-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

I live in Africa.

This is as much a reminder to me as to you. Not that I forget where I live... but sometimes it still doesn't seem real. I live in Africa. Hans was reminding me the other day that when he asked my parents if he could marry me, he told them to take their time and think about it, because he might take me to Africa one day. At the time, I just chuckled. Africa. I knew we would probably live overseas, but I had something a little different in mind. Europe. Maybe England or Switzerland. And then, after we got married, we reached a place where we were sure we'd be in Alaska for the rest of our lives. And I was happy about it. Excited.

Yet here we are in Africa... at the furthest place on planet earth that we can be from Alaska, (besides Antarctica.) And I'm happy about it (not to be away from Alaska, but to be here in Africa.) Excited, even. But I still need to remind myself. I have a two year temporary residence volunteer workers visa in my passport. The key word is "residence." We reside here. And the two years are most likely just the beginning. Because, frankly, we've realized that two years just simply isn't enough. We aren't here to get a cross-cultural experience to put on our resume's. We're here because we feel called to be a part of what God is doing on this continent. And while it's possible to be a part of something for a short time and accomplish what God has for you to accomplish and learn what God has for you to learn, Hans and I just might be slower learners. We might need a little more time to fully grasp what it is God has us here for... to fully give ourselves to it and become a part of it.

Who knows the future, but God himself. Thankfully, we can trust him with it. We can trust ourselves to him. This is a promise we rest in a lot these days. God is trustworthy. And faithful. In him there is nothing to fear. And if he called us to Africa, he will give us the grace to be here... to live the life he has called us to live. He has given us the grace... is giving us the grace. We are blessed beyond words by this experience so far. We are challenged and we are stretched. We are emptied and we are filled up again. We feel lonely and yet loved. We feel out of place, yet right in the center of his will. What a strange, beautiful place to be.

I live in Africa.... with my best friend... serving an amazing God.

And there's no place I'd rather be.

comments and Revelation

2009-01-07T05:02:00.000-08:00

I changed the settings on our blog so you don't have to be a registered user to leave a comment anymore. Anyone can now comment on our blog entries. So feel free to comment away! I didn't even realize that was an option... so thank you Cleve for pointing it out.

Hans and I are enjoying our first week back in class. We are currently studying The Book of Revelation. I wasn't sure how I felt about studying Revelation, but it's proving to be very interesting. Lots of food for thought. There are definitely many perspectives out there on this book. Is it literal? Symbolic? Part literal and part symbolic? Did it already happen? Is it in the midst of happening? Is it all going to happen in the future? Does it really matter?

I think it does matter. Our view of eschatology does affect how we live our lives. Do you agree?

I'll at least have more information to consider as I formulate my thoughts on the subject after spending this week studying it. It's more than I've considered Revelation in a very long time!

Speaking of... I better get to work. This afternoon I need to put together a summary of the historical background of Revelation from both internal and external evidence. That means I'll find what I can in the text itself that helps us understand the author, the original reader, when and where it was written, and the historical setting and culture of the time it was written, and then go to Bible dictionaries and our class notes to build on that internal evidence. This is all in preparation for interpreting and applying the text, which I'll probably get to tomorrow. Fun stuff!

We hope you are enjoying your first week of the new year. We are missing our friends and family and always love hearing from you!

love from the Southern Hemisphere,
Susan

camping fun

2009-01-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful camping trip over New Year's. We stayed in a place called Buffelskopf near Knysna in a campground overlooking the Indian Ocean. We were with our new friends James & Sarah and Marysol & DeWet.
Here's a few pictures:Setting up camp... the sites were grassy and instead of a fire pit,

there was a brick brai in each camp site... good for cooking, not so good for sitting around a campfire at night. But most nights there were hurricane force winds, so it didn't matter.

This is a picture of the campgrounds we stayed in. So beautiful!

This was our campsite. View from our campsite of the nearby little town (on the peninsula).
The town mainly consisted of vacation homes with a small store and restaurant.The beach in town (Buffelsbai)

We took a day trip to Tsitsikama... a National Park right on the ocean. It was gorgeous.

James and Sarah

Marysol and DeWet

Hans and Susan

Boxing Day

2008-12-26T12:58:00.001-08:00

Today is Boxing Day, which is apparently a big deal here in South Africa. The beaches were full with people out celebrating. What is Boxing Day, you ask? We have no idea. How did we celebrate Boxing Day? We went for a walk to check out the masses at the beach. We had lunch with Sharon (Hans' fellow staff member) and her parents who are visiting from Canada (her mom made yummy soup with the left-over turkey... a little piece of home!) We went to the mall to return a few things (yes, there are malls in Africa... and they look a lot like the malls in the states, just with different stores.) And we cleaned our house and got ready for our camping trip. (We leave in the morning for a 5 day camping adventure. We're driving east along the coast for about 5 or 6 hours to camp with two other couples who work with YWAM Muizenberg. We're looking forward to seeing more of the country and having a little vacation before starting up our 2nd quarter of SBS. We'll be back on the 1st and classes resume on Monday, the 5th.)

We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy your time with family and friends... This is such a special time of year! Here's a little snapshot of what you missed on Boxing Day in South Africa...

Christmas Day

2008-12-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

What an unusual Christmas! This has definitely been different than what we're used to, but we are still enjoying this new experience of celebrating the holidays in the Southern Hemisphere. Hans and I celebrated Christmas with our fellow staff and students who were still in the area for the break. We had a lovely Christmas dinner with turkey and stuffing and the works... picnic style. Here's a few pics:

Going for a Drive

2008-12-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

Hans and I have a car on loan from a friend who is in the States for Christmas, so we've been able to do a little sight-seeing. Last Sunday we took a drive around the Cape...

The first picture is of the Indian Ocean side of the Cape (False Bay) and the other two ocean shots are of the Atlantic side. And I just thought these trees were beautiful.

Hansi driving... it's particularly fun to go for a drive when you don't have the option of going whenever you want! We drove by and ostrich farm.

Q and A with Hans and Susan

2008-12-20T00:49:00.000-08:00

1. What is one thing you miss from home?
h-family and friends
s-people

2. What is somthing you don't miss that you thought you would?
h-food
s-american stores

3. What is one thing you miss that surprises you?
h-i don't know
s-our sweet VW van

4. What is something you wish you would have taken with you?
h-my chess board from greg/ping pong paddle
s-more shoes. all I brought were sandals and flip flops, but it rained the first 6 weeks we were here.

5. What is something you are glad you took with you?
h-my wife
s-my milk foamer

6. What is one thing you really enjoy about being in South Africa?
h-meeting new people/being challenged
s-my apartment.... and studying the Bible with people from so many different nations

7. What is one hard thing about being in South Africa?
h-being challenged
s-being a student... I love studying the Bible, but would love to already be functioning in a staff capacity. I have to remind myself to enjoy this year that I get to devote completely to studying through the entire Bible.

8. What is something that surprised you about your new life in South Africa?
h-that i need and use a cellphone and a laptop
s-the weather... I thought Africa would be hot hot hot, but I was freezing the first 2 months we lived here. And now, even though it's summer, the wind still keeps things cool.

9. What is one memorable moment since arriving in South Africa?
h-my teachings
s-watching the US presidential elections from a different continent... seeing the international reaction first hand...

10. What is a special treat you've discovered in South Africa?
h-biltong/chutney/samoosas
s-fried calamari... so good!

11. What is something that has challenged you?
h-typical support structure is gone(family friends church familiarity) still, God is binding us to Him and each other, in new wonderful ways
s-living on support... knowing people are sacrificing for us to be here. and also, having faces to put with the news stories about poverty and oppression. for example, 2 of my classmates and 1 of my staff are from Zimbabwe. they have families back home living through the horror and insantity of what's happening there. they don't have money themselves and are trusting God to be here, but on their minds all the time are their family members who don't have food or clean water and who are in a country being stricken by a devastating, but easily treatable disease.

12. What is something you're still getting used to?
h-people asking for money/food/help. i have been able to begin telling the difference between shysters and the genuine article. mainly by who is around the neighborhood consistently.
s-looking right when I cross the street!

13. What is something you've learned/are learning about yourself?
h-i enjoy walking with people through challenging issues. i love listening, and encouraging.
s-I am excited to teach the Bible... I am really, truly looking forward to teaching.

we made it

2008-12-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it through our first of 3 quarters of our first SBS in South Africa. It was a busy week... Hans taught on Wednesday (he really did a great job with 2 Timothy). Susan had two books due, a test on Wednesday and a student teaching on Friday. We're both tired and Hans caught a bug that's going around. It feels a tiny bit like exams right before Christmas break in college. Except we don't get to run out of our last exam, hop in a crammed Ford escort and drive 6 hours to see our family! Instead, we get to look forward to a two week break with no deadlines, meetings or homework. A main priority for this time will be rest. Another will be taking some time to sit down together and process/evaluate our first 3 1/2 months living in Africa. Once SBS started, our lives just rushed from one thing to the next... so I think it's important for us to take advantage of this opportunity to process our transition so far. It's no small thing to move to another continent (we've realized!), and I think we could miss out on part of what God has for us in this transition if we don't take time to process what he's taught us (and is teaching us) through this experience. I'm actually looking forward to that.

We'll be blogging more frequently during this time as well (because we have time to do it!) I know that's perfect now that you are all busy with the holidays! We do think about our family and friends often... knowing how special this time of year is. We've resigned ourselves to the fact that Christmas won't feel very much like Christmas here, at least this first year, so we're going to make the most of it. We're going to enjoy it for what it is... our summer break! But we know that all of you are right in the middle of holiday activities and excitement and traditions... and we want you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. We pray that you are able to rest as well, during this holiday season. And that Christmas wouldn't be a time of frantic activity, but a time of peaceful enjoyment of family, friends, and the celebration of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

weakness...

2008-12-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

i finished my 2nd teaching today.
i taught 2nd timothy, the last book of the quarter. despite that, the students tracked very well.
it really is fun actually. i didn't really know that the person up front can tell if people are understanding/paying attention.
This group did. and for that i am thankful. it could have been challenging, with everyone disconnected, dreaming about christmas break. but it wasn't.

i am struck again by the absolute priviledge of doing what we are doing.
i get to spend over a month, studying one book of the bible, and then i get a few hours to share it. man, i can't imagine anything i would rather do...

another portion of my job, very different, is dealing with folks individually.
i have a few students i get to meet with regularily.

What a priviledge to walk through life with others! not only that, but to feel like my gifts are being used, even developed.

its actually quite humbling. i am recognizing more clearly all the time, that lives are affected by the power of the holy spirit-working through me. not by me.

scripture say His power is made perfect in our weaknesses, i am begining to think its actually true.

Tanzania Team

2008-12-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd give a little update on some of the exciting things happening in our department...

But first... a summary of what Hans and I are doing for those of you who are new to our blog: We are currently working with YWAM in Muizenberg, South Africa. While there are many schools, programs and projects that are running here at YWAM Muizenberg, we are specifically involved in the Biblical Studies Department. Right now, that means we are a part of a school called School of Biblical Studies (SBS), a 9 month school in which students study through the entire Bible using the Inductive Bible Study method. Hans completed this school last year in Montana, so he is on staff, and Susan is currently a student in the school and planning to be on staff next year. "Being on" staff includes teaching in the school as well as working one on one with the students, both in a discipleship capacity and through grading their work.

The Biblical Studies department also has a program called Titus Project. This program takes graduates of the SBS, trains them to teach the Bible, and then takes them on outreach to various locations around the continent of Africa to do seminars for local pastors and Christians who have not had training in studying the Bible.

Right now a team from our department is running Titus Project in Tanzania. Almost all of the students who are being trained to go out and teach are Africans. They will be going to different African nations, many for the first time, to teach the Bible. It's been so great to hear updates and to pray for them as they are preparing to take three teams on outreach. Here's a little update from the team in Tanzania:

Titus Tanzania is going full steam ahead. We have 15 students from: Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, USA, and India. The students are hard at work preparing their teachings and in just a few weeks leave for remote parts of Tanzania, Mozambique, and Rwanda to teach until the end of February. This has been years in the making and finally happening!

So while we are thoroughly enjoying our time in Muizenberg with the SBS, we are also excited to see the vision of our department for taking Bible teaching into other parts of Africa, and we look forward to being a part of that vision. We know these teams would appreciate your prayers. God has already provided for them in amazing ways... both financially and through getting all the visas necessary for their travels (which is always a trick in Africa) but more prayer never hurts.

Here's a picture of the staff and students of Titus Tanzania:

Time Flies

2008-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well, we are now a week past our Saturday Thanksgiving... which was very Thanksgiving-y and fun. It was even a cold, rainy day, so it felt like fall! We all pitched in different dishes (Hans and I made rolls... yes, from scratch.... and mashed potatoes.) We had so much delicious food, it was great! Someone even brought a football game on DVD which we had playing in the background, while we played cards and ate homemade apple and pumpkin pie... I tell you what. It was just like the real thing.

There hasn't been so much blogging happening because we're in the middle of a busy few weeks... lots of books due back to back, Hans preparing to teach 2 Tim, holiday parties, etc... It's good, but taking a toll on our communication efforts. We have already had 2 Christmas parties. The staff party for all YWAM Muizenberg was a big braai (BBQ) at a park with lots of food and volleyball and lounging on blankets in the sun... you know, just like most Christmas parties we've been to. Last night was the party for the SBS staff... also a braai, this time at the Lautsbaughs (the school leaders) home. Apparently, 'tis the season of braais and beach days. People from all over South Africa come to the coast for Christmas and New Year's. Our little town will be packed full with people celebrating at the beach. We've heard you can't even walk down the sidewalk by the ocean because there are so many braai's set up and people grilling and sunning and hanging out. So that will definitely be a different holiday feel for us. We'll post a few pictures.

We have two weeks of class before our two week Christmas break. We are really looking forward to some time off. Quite a few of the SBS students are also staying, so it will be good to have some time free of deadlines and homework to do fun things and get to know them better. We may have access to a car, so we'll be able to see a few of the sights we haven't had a chance to see yet. We are going camping for a few days over New Year's with two other couples. Apparently that is also a popular holiday activity here. We'll be driving 8 hours up the coast and camping somewhere along the ocean. So we're looking forward to that as well.

I sometimes feel like my posts make it sound like we're on a big, fun vacation. And we are definitely enjoying ourselves. But we do stay busy with our work and studies. And we feel like, really, we're still adapting to being here. It's easy to write about the fun we're having, and a little more difficult to write about all the things we're still processing and adjusting to. I think, because I'm an internal processor (YWAMese) I like to have things figured out before I verbalize them. But know that we are still in the transition, adjustment phase. And that we do appreciate your prayers.

I know the holidays are going to be the most difficult time to date of being away from family. Already I've had those tearful moments of realizing we won't get to share this holiday season with our families. Last year I got to spend 6 weeks with my family, which was a huge blessing. The holidays are such a special time. But we are also excited to experience a different culture's holiday season. We love seeing how life is lived in a different part of the world... what is valued, what isn't important, etc. It's an adventure, to be sure.

So enjoy this holiday season. Bundle up and sip hot cocoa by the fireplace for us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:24:00.001-08:00

I will say, this has been the most "unthanksgivinglike" Thanksgiving I've experienced so far. It was just a normal class day. I had ramen for lunch. (Is that sacrilegious?) But the Americans in our department are getting together for a Thanksgiving meal on Saturday... so we won't be deprived!

But there is still so much to be thankful for. Just thinking about our families gathering together today makes us think about how thankful we are for each one of them... and how much we miss them. What a blessing to love people so much that it's painful to be apart from them. We truly are thankful!

And we are so thankful to be where we are. We still have to pinch ourselves sometimes... are we really living in beautiful South Africa, doing something we love and are so excited about?? Indeed we are. We are so thankful that it is possible for us to be here. I really mean that. We feel so blessed.

So, while Thanksgiving doesn't look "normal" for us this year, we are still filled with thankfulness for our loved ones and for the many blessings in our lives.

Enjoy your Turkey!

a week in the life...

2008-11-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

This morning as I look out our salt coated window, I see trees whipping in the wind and sand swirling down the street, the overcast sky keeping the sun at bay. A day like this would be totally normal in Sitka right now... cloudy sky and sideways rain... but we're in Africa. And it's summer. Apparently this is not usual for this time of year. But I'm enjoying it, nonetheless... today's a study day so I have the whole day to sit in my cozy apartment and study Luke, with no sun to tempt me outside.

Before I begin Luke, I thought I'd spend a little time here... it's been awhile and we have a goal of updating our blog at least once a week. So I'm going to tell you a little bit more about our life here. (Since Hans' day looks different than mine because of different roles and responsibilities, he'll have to write his own entry... this is just my perspective)

What does an average day in our lives look like? I'm thankful that there is some variety in our days. We have class 3 or 4 mornings a week, and the rest of the time is ours to study. Each student also has a work duty so we get to factor that in as well. ( I clean 4 restrooms and wash the base dish rags... I chose this duty because it's flexible. As long as I stay on top of it, I can do it when I want to.)

So every day starts with coffee from my little french press from Reba. On lecture days, we're up by 7 and to class by 8:30. The first hour is either an all base gathering for prayer and/or worship, or an SBS time of worship or review for our tests. From 9:30 to 1:oopm we hear a lecture on the book that we are studying. Our staff members are the ones who teach, except for the occasional outside lecturer who comes in to teach a book.

Lunch on base is at 1pm. Hans and I eat maybe 2 lunches a week on base, but typically walk home and eat at our apartment. We like to eat on base to spend time with people, but prefer the freedom of eating what we want at home. My afternoon is then typically spent doing homework at home. (What that entails is for another blog, another day.) Because it's hard to sit for hours and hours, I usually intersperse my studying with other things, like a walk to the local grocery store or fruit market. We've gotten into the habit of only buying small amounts of food at a time (partly because we have to carry it home... no car) which I actually really like. We go to the store at least 2 or 3 times a week. It's only a 5 minute walk from our house and it's a nice break from studying.

We usually eat dinner at our apartment (maybe once a week at the base). I've really enjoyed the mental break provided by activities like preparing dinner. It uses a different part of the brain and helps me feel a little more balanced. And we're both glad to be able to control what we eat, choosing healthier options than we've had access to during our last 3 years of eating in cafeterias. We eat a lot of chicken, and have been experimenting with the different spices and sauces that we don't have in America. We also eat a lot of fruit and veggies. This is a farming area and since it's summer, there's a lot of great produce available. Yesterday I walked to the "farm store" (fruit stand) a few block from our house and bought 2 cantelope, 6 bananas, 2 avocados and a bag of about 10 onions for the equivalent of $2.50.

Our evenings sometimes consist of more studying. When Hans is preparing to teach a book, he uses his evenings to study. When he isn't and I do have to study, he's usually at the base playing ping pong. He started a ladder tournament and there are about 35 people participating. Ideally, though, we don't have to study at night and can take time off to relax. We read, write email, maybe have someone over for dinner, or watch the TV show Prison Break (don't ask).

So that's a typical week for us. The weekends are different (we typically study on Saturday and take Sunday off). We fit cleaning in there somewhere, and we're learning to prioritize things like communication with our friends and family and supporters and keeping track of our finances (we know this is important for tax purposes but are still figuring out what that looks like). We're still deciding on which church to attend regularly. There are several in this area. And we typically go to the Sunday market to buy dried fruit and things we need for our apartment (last week's target, a cutting board and a fly swatter, this week - a cleaning bucket).

I think we're both still adapting to our new life, and there are definitely challenges and moments of loneliness and homesickness. We are so happy to be here, and at the same time, we don't feel like we have our feet totally beneath us yet. It's an interesting time for us. Good in so many ways, difficult in so many as well. So we still appreciate your prayers and are so grateful for your support. And we're excited to see how things continue to unfold for us. We'll keep you posted!

teaching....

2008-11-01T23:54:00.001-07:00

teaching is, kinda surreal.
i spent months, literally, reading through and studying 1st thessalonians.
then i get to get up and talk about it for three hours, roughly.
whats challenging to me, is.....well, everything about that.
concerning myself with others communication style and background is ground unfamiliar.
i truly do desire to have others understand what has challenged and changed me through that book, but my ability to clearly communicate that; lets just say the desire and the ability don't always align. or match up.

it went well. not as well as i would have like though. i had desire to tie my illustration (basically a self discovery tool) into my interpretation of thess much better. to make it clear.
learning experience..

one of the student's world got rocked as far as i know.
and thats worth it.
God moved. and challenged an individuals concept of himself.
which is what i think paul was doing in 1st thess. removing peoples cultural blindness to truth.
challenging historical, cultural norms prevalent in the times.

God is teaching me how to better communicate.
its a privilege.
i enjoy it actually, but my perfectionism and desire to be admired;
based on my performance,
might suffer some blows.
who knows. it might even get goned.....

thats hopeful.

experiences........

2008-11-01T23:40:00.000-07:00

isn't it great to know you are where God wants you?!?

isn't it odd, that that place is so challenging,
that you feel "in over your head" 90% of the time??

realizing one is in a place where the experience
one has is insufficient, and the training one has
is as well.

i am in that place.
it is not comfortable.
but it is wonderful.

it is life changing.
growing dependence and
increasing humility
is
grand. and painful.

I am amazed how the experience here has been so rich.
daily confrontation
with tragedy and brokenness
lends itself towards bravado's demise.
the spectrum of emotional experience,
and increasing fluency in such,
is a privilege.

6 books down...

2008-10-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Time is already cruising along in the SBS (School of Biblical Studies). Today we turned in Acts. What an amazing look at the early church and the initial spread of the gospel. I've often heard of those days of the church as being an ideal we should aspire to today... be like the New Testament church... but as we're studying this time period, it's clear that this was actually quite a tumultuous time for the church. There were periods of relative peace when the church unified and grew... but most of the growth and spread of the gospel happened because of intense persecution. For example, it was Stephen's death that began a fierce wave of persecution that drove most of the believers out of Jerusalem. And what did they take with them? The gospel. Their new beliefs. This was the beginning of the gospel going to Judea and Samaria, and eventually to the ends of the earth. Besides all the persecution from those outside the church (mainly religious leaders of the day) it was quite a huge task for those inside the church to boil things down to the essentials and to prune out the false doctrines and the things the new believers wanted to pull in from their previous belief systems. In some ways we have an advantage today... the advantage of hindsight and church history and thousands of years of scholars expounding on the truths in scripture. But we can't forget that it all began with a band of believers, empowered by the Holy Spirit who gave them amazing boldness to proclaim the gospel in the face of obstacles and persecution. And the movement carries on to this day, 2,000 years later. The same truth. The same faith. The same Holy Spirit. Pretty amazing.

But the thing about SBS is there isn't much time to really meditate on a book. Acts was due at 6pm and it's immediately on to the next one. Which happens to be 1 Thessalonians. Which happens to be taught by our very own Hans Oines. So I'm looking forward to that! I know he's looking forward to being done. We'll let you know how it goes!

Muizenberg Kite Festival

2008-10-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Muizenberg Kite Festival. It makes sense, considering the constant wind of this particular area. It was a beautiful day. The kites were huge! (The closest big red one is anchored to the van...)

The kites as viewed from our apartment... hard to see, but they're there!

Baking Day

2008-10-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Since I'm the only SBS student living in an apartment (the rest live at the base), I had all the girls over for a baking afternoon (as you can see, it was more than just baking...). So here's a few pics... and a sneak peak of our new apartment!

at desk: Vera from Cameroon; standing, Rahila from Nigeria; behind Rahila, Sarah from the States; on the couch: Sandra from Switzerland, Sharon from Canada, Michelle from the States and Hannah from Germany.

Lauren from California and Tanyse from Zimbabwe
with the chocolate muffins that didn't quite turn out.

Our lovely kitchen, which is on one wall of our living/eating area...

outing to the penguins

2008-10-25T01:03:00.001-07:00

Vera and Rahila, from Cameroon and Nigeria were freezing!
The temps here are much cooler than the rest of Africa!

Handsome Hans by the beautiful sea (False Bay)

Yes, there are penguins in Africa! Cute little guys...

questions......

2008-10-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

what do you do when one hungry street child asks you for food?

what do you do when four hungry street children ask you for food?

what do you do when four hungry street boys named Andrew, Carl, Godfrey and Bonte ask for food... everyday?

what do you do when you feed these boys occasionally, and an elderly man also living on the street comes to you describing how terrible these four boys are?........

in detail.......

what do you do when 4 boys aged 14, 15, 16 and 17 have never been to school?

some say feeding the hungry allows the process to continue....and they have a point.

the bible says care for the orphans and widows.
the destitute and forgotten....

what do you think?

Busy-ness

2008-10-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hello!
So our lives have gotten a little busier these past few weeks (hence the lack of blogging). The School of Biblical Studies started 2 1/2 weeks ago and we haven't had a dull moment since. Hans taught 3 sessions during that time, and has been busy working one on one with students to help them understand the Inductive Bible Study Method, as well as preparing for his first big lecture on the 1 Thessalonians. He is, of course, in his element when it comes to welcoming and getting to know and encouraging the SBS students. I think he's in the middle of an intense ping pong tournament right now (so there still is time for fun...) I've been enjoying being a student again. We've already studied Philemon, Titus and Philippians and are in the middle of Galatians. We've spent most of our time just learning the method we'll be using to study through the entire Bible over the next 9 months, but have still learned so much about the books themselves... I can definitely see the value of looking in depth at each book of the Bible. There is so much to learn! (I'll expand on that some time in the future.)

We love living in our new apartment. It already feels like home. We've been able to add a few personal touches, but really just having a space to call our own makes it special to us! I promise I'll post pictures soon. It really is a beautiful place. We feel so blessed!

Each time YWAM Montana deposits money from our supporters in our account, they send us a report so we can keep track of our finances. I got one of those reports today and was reminded anew of how amazing it is that people are supporting us to be doing what we're doing right now. Even as I think about it now, it makes me emotional... I'm so grateful to each one of you for sacrificing for us to be here, doing what we know God has called us to do. We feel so much peace and joy, even though it's challenging and unfamiliar and uncomfortable at times. I can't tell you enough how humbled and thankful we are to the people who God is using to make it possible for us to be here.

I will get to the questions people have asked soon... I also have an inkling to write some brief reflections on life since college, seeing as my 10 year college reunion was last weekend... so you can look forward to that as well (as I'm sure you will... you're already on the edge of your seat, I can tell...) And you'll hear from Hans again soon too. As always, we love to hear from you. We are missing our friends and family!

But now it's off to sleep. Until next time...

Any questions?

2008-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hello! We are wondering if any of you have questions for us about our experience so far. We'd love to answer them. Post them as a comment or email us as susanoines@hotmail.com or hans_oines@hotmail.com. Then we will have a better idea about what to include in our blog!

THANKS! We look forward to hearing from you!

day with kids

2008-10-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, Hans and I had the chance to help with a "fun day" for kids from a nearby orphanage that YWAM works with. I think there were around 35 kids from age 3 to 16 (approx). We started out at a place in Muizenberg that is an indoor fun center for kids. Then we took them to the beach to play games, do crafts and have a picnic lunch. Some of the kids (who live in Cape Town) had never seen the ocean. It was a really special day.

hans' first

2008-10-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

howdy all,
i trust you are well.
I have finally taken the time to write a bit about what life has been like for me the last few weeks. the first word that comes to mind is....awesome. it has been awesome. i have really enjoyed the staff training. it was challenging and i learned a lot. one of the most challenging things was realizing i must be mindful of the different cultures; reliance on slang and americanisms will not be sufficient for communicating. also, if students arent learning, its because i am not teaching well.
that was challenging to hear, but a good intro. i need to know the responsibility. its my job to communicate well, not the students job to sift through a binch of wackiness.
ive had my first two opportunities already. i am not teaching the bible yet, just the inductive method. the first went really well, the second was honestly terrible. i didnt manage the time properly so my illustrations were left hanging, and my wrap up was insubstantial.
i learned a lot more from doing poorly than doing well.
our new place is grand. its the first time in 3 years we get to cook for ourselves, and we are enjoying that.
we will have 18 students. not all are here yet due to visa situations. we have 6 black africans as students, and 4 white africans. our international flavor is almost unreal.
we are working through philemon first and titus next. sue can give you those details if you want. i must meander back to base to check on my students.
i make sure they are following along well. oh yeah, i am also in charge of work duties for our school, and will be doing the room checks every friday to make sure they are clean. yeah for experience in residence halls!!
be good.
hans

Still Waiting

2008-09-24T04:40:00.001-07:00

Well, we still haven't moved into our apartment. We've had the 3rd delay from our landlord, so the move-in date is moved back to this coming Saturday. Each time the date's been moved we've felt disappointed, but it really isn't the end of the world. It's just a little taste of life in Africa. We have a place to stay on base and will have plenty of time to settle into our new apartment. So we're doing just fine.

Hans is feeling the pressure of the SBS starting up this week. The staff has been busy getting ready for students, doing everything from cleaning dorm rooms, to preparing for their first teachings, to attending staff training meetings (and the all the other meetings that come along with being a YWAMer!) I'm sure he'd appreciate prayer as he is adjusting to his new role as SBS teacher and staff member.

I, on the other hand, have been a little more free these past few weeks. How have I spent my time? I've attended some of the staff meetings, including the 3 day staff retreat last week. I've done some reading (The Kite Runner, Martin Luther King: In My Own Words). I started blogging. I've spent time on the internet, both in our room on base, and also at a local restaurant that has unlimited wifi for 10 rand (approx $1.25). I've gone for walks. I've journaled. I've spent some time with a girl called Anne from Sweden who is just here for a short time between YWAM schools. I went along on a trip to visit two orphanages that YWAM works with in the local townships. Hans and I toured the Cape Town waterfront and Cape Peninsula on a rainy day with Hans' South African friend that he knows from Switzerland. I've organized our finances. I've taken lots of hot showers, as it's typically the only way to get warm (since there's no heat in the buildings.) I've been able to help out around the base with work duties. I've eaten a lot of toast and have had lots of instant coffee and rooibos tea. I've gotten to know some of the staff on base and have enjoyed seeing the variety of cultures and countries that are represented here. Everyone has an interesting story about how they got to be here in Muizenberg...

So while it hasn't been stressful, it also hasn't been wasted. Like I said in my previous post, it's been a very good transition time for me... a time to get used to my surroundings and adjust to our new life. And now I feel ready to start this next phase... this 9 month adventure in studying God's Word. I've had a good breather and enough free time to be okay with not having so much free time for a while. I feel trepidation, but also excitement to be dedicating these next 9 months to the Bible. It's exciting to know that I'll be getting to know the Bible in a deeper way than I ever have before... getting to know God in a deeper way than I have experienced before. I look forward to sharing with you some of the challenges and revelations and questions that will arise as a result of my study... and hearing from you how you are getting to know God on a deeper level, as well. After all, we're all on this journey of intimacy with God. We're all on a journey of getting to know Him better. My journey happens to have taken me to Africa to study the Bible. Where has yours taken you? Where ever it is, God is there with you, inviting you to seek Him and know Him and draw near to Him, as He draws near to you.

The beach

2008-09-22T02:10:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken on Friday at the beach in Muizenberg when the sun broke through the rain clouds for part of the day. Sunday, this beach was packed with people because it was actually warm! We spent the afternoon wandering through the local flea market and walking a path along the beach to the neighboring towns (St. James and Kalk Bay). Today, Hans is back in staff training and I'm enjoying one of my last 3 days of freedom before the SBS begins on Thursday. These several weeks of transition time have been a great way to begin our lives here in South Africa. They may not be indicative of what the rest of our time here will be like, but they've helped us adjust to being here. I think we're both ready for things to really get started! We know there are good things in store...

Checkers

2008-09-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

My mom asked a question about where we'll do our grocery shopping. So here are pictures of the local Checkers grocery store. Besides different names on some of the products, it looks pretty similar! We haven't actually gone grocery shopping yet, so we aren't sure how prices will compare. But we hear some things are less expensive and some things are comparable in price to the states. So I guess we'll see!

our apartment building

2008-09-18T06:56:00.001-07:00

This is our apartment... we'll live on the top floor with the balcony on the right. We move in this weekend. Yeah! It's fully furnished and very close to the base. The bottom picture is from the roof of the YWAM base (I'm pointing at our apartment... clever, eh? I'm also proud to represent SJC in Africa. Oh wait....) Anyhow, we're excited to move in!

newness

2008-09-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we've arrived and have begun our new life in South Africa. All I can say is, so far so good. There is a lot of newness as we're settling in and adjusting to a new environment. But it's good newness. Exciting newness. Refreshing and invigorating newness. We've been getting ready for this kind of newness for a long time now.... since even before we knew we were moving to South Africa. God's been preparing us. So while there's definitely inner processing and transitioning taking place, we still feel the peace and assurance that this is where we're supposed to be. This is what we're supposed to be doing. And that's a welcome feeling.