November Heat

It is now summer here in the Southern Hemisphere and it is hot both in temperature and activity. The time since our last blog update has been significant. Ministry-wise it has certainly been busy as Paul spoke in three Sunday gatherings as well as two JAM staff Devotions.

The last weekend of September Paul spoke in Mokopane at Pastor Sam Paghati’s church, Church of the Firstborn. Paul shared about overcoming through revelation. He and his father-in-law, Rodney Lloyd tag-teamed and flowed seamlessly together. It was the final service this church would have in their tent facilities before completing their new building. Paul reminded the church that the last time he had been there- exactly one year ago- Minda had spoken a message about “enlarging your tent.” It was an honor to encourage this growing church on this significant day in their history.

The ministry throughout the month of October at our home church, NCCB, was handled by a team put together to speak on the Kingdom of God. It was a significant time, and the level of faith and understanding seemed to build in the church throughout the month. Paul spoke on the morning of the 11th and on the evening of the 18th. After the message on the 18th Paul and a couple of the elders led the people to a response and some ministry. A hunger and passion began to grip the church. One of the elders called an ad hoc prayer meeting for the next morning at 5:30am to continue crying out to God and many attended. (These messages are accessible in the “Resources” section of www.nccb.co.za).

We officially became members of NCCB in October. Justin Donlon, one of the elders with whom we have become particularly close jokingly commented to the church on our “remarkable integration strategy” in preaching to the church three times before becoming members. In October we ate dinner with the NCCB elders at the house of Justin and his wife Kerry. Minda treated everyone to Mexican cooking from “back home.” We later also had another group of NCCB friends over to our house for some Mexican food after a guided tour of JAM and Jesus Alive Ministries.

Paul has a new job as the Writer for Jesus Alive Ministries! This involves writing the Outreach reports, website material (www.jesusalivemin.com), annual reports and various other printed publications. Paul is thrilled to now be working more closely with Peter Pretorius and also the great men who are taking the Gospel into rural Africa. We believe this is a strategic opportunity to glean from this side of Peter’s work, after working in 2009 for the feeding/humanitarian side- Joint Aid Management.

Our Peter has his last month of the school year this month (the school year corresponds to the calendar year in South Africa). We were delighted to visit his school for an end-of-the-year concert in which Peter’s class and the Kindergarten sang songs with motions. They quoted Jeremiah 29:11-13, which Peter can now recite entirely. It is so cute to listen to him recite this verse, which he learned to say with a South African accent since he learned it at school. “…Plans to give you a hope and a few-cha.” As parents we can hardly express our gratitude for God’s provision for Peter and John David respectively with Peter’s school and John David’s nanny. God promised Minda before we moved that He was going to provide for our children. He has done so “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

This past Saturday, 14th we enjoyed one of the wonderful benefits of living in Africa as we spent the day at Pilanesberg Game Reserve in the Northwest Province of South Africa. Pilanesberg, along with several other Game Reserves is just a two hour drive from our home and we absolutely love our close proximity to such amazing views and African wildlife in their natural habitat. Incredible. We arrived at the gates before 7:00am and drove around all day through the valleys and up into the mountains while spotting wild animals. We saw an elephant in the distance and drove right next to monkeys, warthog, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, rhino, and several large buck...the lions were hiding this time. The boys loved it!

Plans are coming together for a Christmas visit to family and friends in the States. We will share at World Harvest Church, our beloved home church in Dublin, Georgia on Sunday, December 13th. But, before then we will celebrate our first Thanksgiving meal while in another country… and in the summer!

(Feel free to post a comment. We love to hear from you!)

1 Year Mark Since Our 2008 Trip

There is something about finding and embracing your place in the Church that releases things in your life. We have found that since we determined to pursue NCCB as our local church and place of service we have been overwhelmed with the goodness of God towards us that has surrounded that decision. It seems almost overnight that we feel so relationally connected to so many quality people at NCCB. Deep and fulfilling friendships are developing faster than we can keep up with! We have been so grateful at how quickly and readily the leadership have embraced us, taken us in and received what we have to give.

August was a big month in many ways. JAM celebrated their 25th Anniversary with an “International Funder’s Week,” during which the heads of all of our international affiliate offices convened here at our South African international office. It was a joy to mix with these amazing leaders from Canada, Germany, UK and Switzerland who are all doing their part in the JAM global effort to help the children of Africa.

During August Paul spoke at NCCB, which represented the first time we’ve spoken in a church context since moving to South Africa. We were delighted with the connection that was made with the body as we gave what has been given to us, and have been pleased to hear positive feedback from the church.

On September 27th Paul will go with his father-in-law, Rodney Lloyd to speak to the church in Mokopane that we visited in September last year (refer to 2008 post). This was such a precious experience last year and we eagerly await visiting “Pastor Sam’s church in the tent” (as Peter referred to it). This is a large African congregation in the province of Limpopo, which is a place with a real “African” feel to it. Pastor Sam will once again interpret Paul’s message into the local language, Northern Sotho and Paul is now getting his Sotho-speaking friends at work to help him prepare an impressive greeting in that language. Paul is also working with Werner (pronounced “Vernor”) Badenhorst, an elder at NCCB (and fast-growing close friend) in developing a series of teachings on “The Kingdom of God” for NCCB during the month of October. Presently the plans are for Paul to speak on the Sunday mornings of October 11th and 18th. As we’ve stated in previous posts, NCCB Sunday messages are available on their website, so you can always catch the messages at www.nccb.co.za.

September is also a big month for the Nichols family as both Peter and Minda celebrate birthdays. Peter will turn five on the 26th, and Minda turned older than that on the 16th.

We are presently putting plans in place to visit family and friends over the Christmas holidays in the States. Not a day goes by where we don’t fondly think of and appreciate the many wonderful people who have walked through life with us “back home.” We can’t wait to see “ya’ll!”

Paul's Preach

If you would like to hear Paul minister at NCCB, the message will be downloaded online after Sunday, August 23rd (he will be the speaker on the 23rd instead of the 16th).
Click here: http://nccb.co.za.
(From the menu select "Media" and from the dropdown menu select "Preaching.")

August Update

We’ve passed a significant milestone in our passage into Africa. We have identified and settled on a church to make our home in Johannesburg and our local covering for any ministry the Lord may lead us to do in Africa. We are very excited to be a part of New Covenant Church Bryanston (NCCB) and will be received as members in September.

One's journey through life is truly meant to be a walk of faith. Not every detail was laid out in front of us as we came to Africa, but as we have walked step by step we have been led by two things: 1) principle and 2) peace in our hearts. As we’ve been patient we have been amazed at the unfolding design of God in leading us to the right church for us at this important crossroads in our lives.

NCCB is the original congregation of the network, New Covenant Ministries International, which has planted hundreds of churches (some on every continent) over the past 30 years. We were drawn to NCCB because of their like-minded paradigm to what has been built into us already in ministry. One of the most outstanding characteristics of NCCB is that they have managed to maintain a very organic nature, despite their 30-year existence and relatively large congregation (about 800).

Churches are planted literally every year from NCCB. Not surprisingly, God sends many leaders to NCCB and to the leadership covering of Ashley Bell (the pastor) and his eldership team who are absolutely committed to sowing their “best”. Of the 15 or so elders that were in the church 2 years ago, only 2 remain and others have since been added on. The rest have been sent out with teams of other leaders within the church - and yet God keeps adding to NCCB.

We have also been excited as we’ve learned more about the work that NCCB does “up into Africa”, continually sending out teams to train and raise up indigenous leaders amongst the Church in Africa. This is thrilling to us because of what God has laid on our hearts for this continent.

There is a large segment of the congregation that is “youngish”, in their 20’s and 30’s and there are many young families, so we are thoroughly enjoying the vibrancy of church life! We have been warmly received and we can hardly keep up with all the opportunities to connect and relate to new friends.

Paul has been honored to be invited to minister at the Sunday morning service on August 16th. You’ll be able to hear him online after the message is downloaded at http://www.nccb.co.za/

In other news: our work with JAM continues to be both challenging and fulfilling, Peter lost his third tooth, we will celebrate John David’s second birthday this month and we’re looking forward to springtime after the cold months in the Southern Hemisphere. We’re enjoying life and our hearts are very full of gratitude.

Thoughts from Paul

There is certainly a distinction between what we experienced in South Africa when we came in September ’08 and what we are experiencing today. When we visited last September we had a jam-packed, almost daily ministry itinerary with the feeling of constant action. After that we returned to the States for only a few months during which time we put our house up for sale, sold two cars and virtually everything we owned, organized our passports and visas for returning to South Africa all the while working night and day for our church. The intensity of it all in some ways was like a birthing process. Since then our return to South Africa has had maybe the most remarkable sense of peace and of being at home that I can recall. It is as though the “birth” of our life and purpose in this land has been accomplished. We find ourselves out of the canal and very much in our new place.

Though we are busy during the days with our work at JAM our lives as a whole carry a feeling of process and developing over time. It is as though we have entered a great land of inheritance, but must take it day by day and at the Lord’s time. We are not currently pursuing any ministry beyond what we do at JAM in leading weekly Devotions until we have our local covering identified. On that front we are excited about a ministerial network that we have connected with and very well could ask to take on a covering role with us. This church network has been successful in planting churches literally around the globe. Minda and I had dinner with one of the leaders in the network and his wife and are extremely impressed with their commitment to raise up leaders and send them to plant. In just the last nine months this man’s church has been responsible for 3 successful church plants! We have taken note at how much an affinity we feel with the vision and values of this network. We feel good about pursuing that relationship and will update if and when that becomes more formalized.

This period of lesser activity has been a much-needed and appreciated time as a family, building and loving our boys. We are so delighted in how much both of them have developed. Just this last month John David began walking, and hasn’t looked back since! His vocabulary seems to expand daily. Peter has made tremendous progress this year in several developmental areas. Minda and I have enjoyed time with him when he pulls his bible-for-kids book out and “preaches” everything he knows about God to us. “Giving is good…Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that is good…killing people is not good…”

Though the process thus far has been relatively slow, we know it will not last this way forever. Our hearts burn ablaze with a passion to minister God’s word to this people and build His Church in this land. In our spirit is the resounding witness of being where we are meant to be - a clean and thrilling feeling. Thank you all for being a part. We appreciate your love, support, prayers and relationship.

We're bundled up tonight in our house with heaters, listening to the howling wind outside. It's in the 40's! Yes, it gets cold in Africa!... South Africa, at least.

Have We Mentioned that We Love Being in South Africa?

Today is Election Day in South Africa. This is the fourth election in the 15-year history of the democratic “New South Africa”. Election Day means that it is a public holiday and so though we can’t vote we are enjoying a day off of work and school, spending time together as a family in this very interesting and beautiful city. Johannesburg is a sprawling megalopolis… increasingly merging with another major city, Pretoria. We mainly stick to the northern suburbs of “Joburg” (as the locals call it). We live in a countryside area near Ruimsig and Honeydew, Peter goes to school in Randpark Ridge and we often shop and attend church meetings in areas like Little Falls, Fourways, Bryanston and Sandton. These suburbs are unique in being fully developed and first world, but sprinkled with “informal settlements” where Africans who have come in from rural areas of the nation and other African nations to find work in the city dwell.

We have still not made a final decision on which local church we will plant ourselves in, but we do sense that God is directing our steps. We are continuing to attend the churches where we already have existing relationship with the leaders and we are meeting with them and getting to know them, allowing for opportunity for clarity to come and God-ordained connections to take place.

We are able to share the wonderful news that in March we entered into a lease-purchase contract on our house in Dublin! We had peace and confidence that we were to take the step of moving to Africa and beginning the work here even though our house had not yet sold. Well, it was on literally our first day of work here in February that an offer was made on our home!

We also finally have our own car! We were able to secure a very good deal on a Toyota Corolla Verso which is a very comfortable and roomy family car with two seats which flip up in the rear area for extra passenger room when needed, seating as many as seven. This is perfect for when Minda’s parents are in the country – or for when any of you visit us! It is a manual shift (as most cars in South Africa are). Paul loves this, but Minda has not yet ventured out beyond the JAM grounds as she is a bit anxious about driving on the other side of the car and the other side of the road AND shifting with her left hand!

We’ve already shared in previous blog entries about our jobs and the fulfillment we are experiencing in our roles as well as our daily life as a family. In addition to our jobs at JAM, we have been asked by Peter Pretorius to carry the responsibility and leadership of the weekly JAM Staff Chapel meetings. JAM has a Headquarters staff of about 100 individuals and we begin each week with an hour of prayer, worship and teaching from God’s Word. It is a great honor and a joy for us to coordinate this each week. Peter and Ann are out of town so often on their international travels, spreading awareness of the work of JAM. Their hearts are so toward their staff and they love to spend this Monday morning chapel hour with them when they are in Johannesburg, but they need someone to carry it for them and represent their heart when they are away. Because of our long-standing relationship and history with them it is easy for us to do this and to lead, upholding the vision God has given them and helping to cultivate and foster a spiritually healthy atmosphere at JAM. For the year we are focusing on and reinforcing the “Ideal JAM Culture Characteristics” which the leadership of JAM has listed in their 5-Year Strategic Plan. We are teaching on things like Effective Communication, Teachableness, Honesty, Integrity, Excellence, Compassion, Mentoring, Common Goals, etc. We also lead the prayer time and facilitate the worship. The chapel meetings take place in JAM’s state-of-the-art studio with theater seating, projectors, studio lighting and the weekly experience is captured on video cameras, edited and sent out to field offices for the rest of the JAM team to experience. We feel that the responsibility of JAM Chapel is one of the most significant tasks the Lord has given us at this time. Thank you for your prayers, that we will allow the Lord to enlarge us and increase us and give us His supply for this work.

Exciting things are happening for JAM! We have just been awarded the largest portion globally of this year’s USDA McGovern-Dole Grant funds! $29.3 million for our feeding programs in Angola and $7.5 million for Mozambique, enabling the feeding of hundreds of thousands! The JAM Team have been pressing and working at getting JAM awareness out there and our exposure has grown in leaps and bounds even in this one past year. God’s favor is truly with this organization as we express His compassionate heart in Africa.

Our boys are doing very well. They are growing and enjoying their MANY new friends! We’re so happy for them. Peter is developing in skills at school and steadily picking up the South African expressions and accent. John David has started walking and talking, his favorite words being “ball” and “car” – a true boy!

We think of individuals in the USA so often. You are a part of our lives and we carry you in our hearts as we do what we do here.

With love from Africa,
Paul and Minda

A Day in the Life of Modern Missionaries - thoughts from Minda

We’re up at 6:00 to have some prayer and study time and then at 7:15 Paul drives Peter to preschool. At 7:40, our nanny, Winnie arrives at our house to care for John David and I walk to the office so that I can get rolling before Peter P. comes in at 8:00.

In the office, I sit at a desk with two windows behind me, which I can look out of and see the same hills that I was so fond of as a teenager when my family lived and worked here 20 years ago. Some days I work with my windows open and enjoy the breeze and the sounds of the birds. But what’s happening inside the office is not so tranquil! Things are fast paced as I scurry around trying to juggle the constant inflow of information and requests for the CEO of this continually growing organization. Joint Aid Management has 700+ employees world-wide, operations in seven African nations and support offices in six countries in North America and Europe. Peter is also president of the gospel ministry, Jesus Alive Ministries, whose offices are housed adjacent to our property. All of the activity associated with all this plus the many requests for speaking engagements around the world and the boards that Peter serves on for other ministries and organizations and other non-profits he is assisting to get off the ground are constantly vying for Peter’s attention… and it all flows to me before making it to him! But this is what I signed up for and I love it. I love it because I love the work of God’s hands that we’re accomplishing. I love the privilege to be around and serve this man everyday whose heart beats with so much compassion and passion.

In the studio, Paul has just been part of the launch of our new website: http://www.jamint.com/ and is learning so much about web administration. He still has another month of training before he begins to function on his own and begins developing projects in conjunction with the website. Even the avenue of Facebook is being employed to generate interest and ultimately partnership in our programs.

Paul picks Peter up from school at 12:30 and brings him back to our house where they eat together and then I come home for an hour (1:00-2:00) while Winnie takes a break. I so enjoy that hour with the boys in the middle of the day. Then I’m back to work at 2:00 (the South Africans eat lunch at 1:00 so the afternoon part of the work day really goes quickly!).

Winnie lives adjacent to the mission base as her husband is one of the construction workers employed on base. She is such a blessing and a big part of the Lord’s provision for us here in South Africa. It is part of the culture here to have full-time help in your home. She was a must in order for us to be able to do what we came to do. In addition to being a gentle and loving care-giver to the boys, she assists me with taking care of our home. She’s always done with the chores by midday so that she can play all afternoon with the boys. The work that Winnie does affords us wonderful quality family time together once our working hours are completed.

The boys and Winnie visit with the other children and nannies on the base. There are quite a few families with children. Three other families have children the same ages as ours; one of those families is American. The boys have lots of friends!

At 5:00 we’re home – no commute! – and we enjoy the outdoors a bit with the boys and I make dinner, etc. We keep the front and back doors open. The fresh air here is so wonderful. The first thing I do each morning is open the bathroom and kitchen windows. There is no central air conditioning or heat, but it is amazing how comfortable we are with the natural air flow. We often eat dinner on our veranda where we have a table and enjoy the absolutely breathtaking sunsets. At 7:00 we bathe our thoroughly dirty boys, scrubbing black knees and feet and then we all sit on Peter’s bed together for “book-in-the-bed” and family prayer as we each take turns praying about whatever is on our hearts. We tuck them into their beds in their rooms and then Paul and I make a pot of African Rooibos herbal tea to enjoy together as we talk. We’ll catch up on emails, read, etc. and then we usually go to bed pretty early (for us)… 10:00 or so.

I still can’t believe we’re back in my beloved South Africa. I just want to pinch myself sometimes. We are so at peace. We’re at peace in our home, on this property, in our jobs, in our family. We’re experiencing such a stillness to just “be”. There is no sense of striving or reaching for something “out there”. We’re really enjoying just being “here”. I know this is a feeling that God will soon want to stir and enlarge as we come into the reasons why we are here. But it is so good to feel the confidence that we feel in where God has brought us to today.