Happy Thanksgiving!

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

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

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...

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

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!