Christmas 2012

Greetings friends and family around the world!
We had the privilege of being able to spend Christmas in California with Susan's family.  It wasn't a planned trip, but because of Susan's mom's diagnosis of cancer (for the 5th time), this time in her bones and lymph nodes, a generous donor offered to fly us home for the holidays.  We were so glad to be there with family during this time. 

Here are a few of the pictures:

Hans with Tim and Donna's kids (Susan's brother's family)


With niece Lydia at the baby shower thrown for us by Almond Valley CRC


Reading to niece Tessa with nephew Kaase looking on


With Greg and Amanda's family (Susan's brother)


3 pregnant sister-in-laws, due in March, April and May (right to left)


We spent a lovely afternoon with our family in Fresno... Cammy, Jerry, Talia, Ryan, Sienna and Grandpa Gordy (visiting all the way from North Dakota.) This picture is with Hans' Aunt Cammy and Grandpa Gordy.

 

 

If you are interested in being added to our mailing list, please send your name and address to:  susanoines(at)hotmail.com

 

Also, we send out (relatively) regular photo updates via email.  If you'd like to be added to our email list, please send your email address to: susanoines(at)hotmail.com

The People, The Word

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!!

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!

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!