Heath Family Update - Transition ahead.

There is a saying that “things never turn out quite the way you plan them in your head.”  Well 2020 turned out nothing like we planned it in our head.  When we boarded the plane in South Africa to fly to the USA at the end of February we fully expected to be returning to our home and ministries at the beginning of June.  Little did we know how the COVID-19 virus would change our world and our lives.  The USA started shutting down and then South Africa closed its borders and our wait began.  Passports and Visas, which can already be quite the task to obtain suddenly became impossible to even apply for.  As weeks turned into months and the months are a month shy of turning into a year, we waited, we watched, we prayed, and we have continued to fulfill our roles as much as we could from a distance.   Throughout the time of waiting God has been faithful, He has provided a place to stay, food on the table, a vehicle to drive, time with our immediate family, extended family, adopted family and our church families.  We have made amazing memories during these days.  

 

God has also been working and moving in our lives.  Recently we began to feel more and more unsettled.  Whenever we have been asked how long we would stay in South Africa our answer has always been until God leads us somewhere else.  There has never been a time limit.  However we began to sense that God was leading us to stay and to find ministries and community here in the United States.  We talked about it, prayed about it, talked and prayed some more and then agreed we would apply for an Associate Pastor positions that I saw that I felt might be a good fit and see how God lead.  That position did not end up working out but we were overwhelmed with a peace that only God could give about transitioning away from South Africa to the US.  After more prayer and conversation we decided to start the process of transitioning back to the states and notifying our ministry leaders and colleagues in South Africa and in the Global Church.  

 

We are sadden to be stepping away from our home and ministry since 2014.  We do not have any clear answers of where or when we will be transitioning and we still have more questions than answers but we continue to feel an overwhelming sense of peace that could only come from God in continuing on this new path.  At some point we will travel back to South Africa to pack up and sell our things as well as to be able to greet our friends and ministry partners.  We continue to apply for Associate Pastor positions in the areas of Discipleship, Connections, Community/Small Groups, Mentoring, or Outreach.  We do not know where God will lead but we know that He is walking with us and preparing the way for us.  

 

Please pray with us as we make this transition and seek to follow where God is leading us.  Pray that we have wisdom, discernment and patience.  For those in the Nazarene Church, let us know if your church is looking for an Associate Pastor in Discipleship, Connections, Community/Small Groups, Mentoring, or Outreach.  Pray for Peter as he makes this transition and has lots of questions that we have no answers to.  We know that God will lead us and provide for us, as He has already done in so many ways. 

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your love and support over our time as missionaries.  We have been blessed to cross paths with so many wonderful people.  Thank you for being a part of our lives and ministries.