The Son is Shining...

"... you become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world..."   -- Philippians 2:15

This past week we had the opportunity to see hundreds of kids (young and old) make a public profession for Christ. Last Friday (Aug 1), we visited Charleston Hill High School in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Paarl East. The community is stricken with a high volume of gang violence, drug abuse, unemployment, and poverty. Though the grounds of the school are somewhat safe, outside those walls lies a life with unbelievable obstacles for a child to succeed and "escape the ghetto". One of the women from our church attended Charleston when she was growing up "on that side of the world". The Lord put it in Vahl's heart to speak with the principal of the school and see if Mike could come to the school and share his testimony with the students. 

In response to the the Gospel message that Mike delivered, many students made a decision for Christ. In our experience with talking to a lot of kids within the community, most kids attend church their entire lives without ever being presented the Gospel and given an opportunity to understand why we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. So it's so amazing to see it begin to click in the minds of the young people when such a message is given.

This morning we attended a Primary school (grades K-7) in the same neighborhood. This school has 14 faculty members and over 800 students. (That's more than 57 kids per 1 adult!) Once again, our great friend, and sister in Christ, Vahl had attended this school growing up. So we were invited by the principal to come and talk with grades 4-7 (350 kids) about making the right choice. And the right choice is, of course, Jesus Christ. Dozens of kids responded to the message and made a choice to ask Jesus to save them from their sins, and reside in their hearts. It was a joy to be a part of such a wonderful thing that God is doing here in Paarl. 

Please continue to pray that God will open up more doors just like these. We are so excited about these upcoming months, and the possibilities that lie ahead. We are determined to stay focused on the Lord's plan for this ministry. Please pray that God gives us wisdom and discernment. 

This week, Joy and I will celebrate our 1 year anniversary living in South Africa, as well as our 4th wedding anniversary. This past year has been quite a journey, and an awesome growing experience. Emerson tells us all the time, "I stay in Paarl, South Africa!". Wow... what an amazing life the Lord has allowed us to live. 

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. They are so dearly appreciated. We love and miss all of our friends and family so much, but we are assured everyday of God's purpose for our time here in Paarl. The picture at the top of this post is one of many amusing things we see here in Paarl... just another fine day.

All our love,

The Sextons