Life Lately

I am about a month late in writing the obligatory 2017 year in review blog.  I started writing it in my head but never got it “on paper” (electronically).  Then something happened and our lives changed again.  We received a call in the early morning hours of January 6^th that our boss, mentor, and friend passed away.  January was filled with helping the family in any way that we could as well as dealing with the other things that came up due to his untimely death.  

2017 was a year filled with loss both on a personal and ministry level.  There were times of sorrow, stress, uncertainty and difficulty.  There were also times of great fellowship, happiness, fulfillment and joy.  Our prayer for 2018 is that we will continue to grow in our love for God, each other and others around us and that we would take the many blessings that we receive and bless others. 

Below are a few of the things that happened in 2017 (and January 2018). 

2017 Plus January 2018 Review

1 Missionary Retreat Attended

2 Number of Trips to the US (One to be Commissioned; One for General Assembly)

3 Number of Funerals Attended due to the deaths of Leaders on our Field (2 Leaders in Lesotho and our Field Strategy Coordinator Rev Mashangu Maluleka)

4 Number of W&W teams hosted or a part of (Swaziland, Malawi, Botswana & Senegal)

5 Number that Peter always skips when he counts to 10. 

6 Number of Ordination Services that happened on our field. 

7 Weeks Joe traveled without Beth and Peter

8 Number of District Assemblies Joe attended with the Regional Director and Jurisdictional General Superintendent

9 Number of different vehicles driven this year

10 Friends that we said goodbye to that we had worked with and moved to US

11 Number of owies, bumps, bug bites, and bruises Peter gets in a typical day

12 Number of nights we stayed in our caravan

13 Number of times Peter says again or wants to repeat a story, book, or activity

14 Number of times we crossed borders into various countries for ministry

15 Number of times Peter said “No more bumps daddy” on our drive to Lesotho

16 Number of days we waited to fly back home to South Africa after we received our Work Visa

17 Number of trips taken to the airport in the month of October