Deputation Halfway In

Deputation Halfway there - 6 weeks in

We are over halfway through our Home Assignment time.  Since our last post we have spoken in an additional 22 services, traveled an additional 2,500 miles/ 4,000 kilometers, and added a lot more hours in the car.  We have added Wisconsin and Minnesota to states we have been in.  We have listened to three audiobooks; which have helped the miles pass a little quicker. 

I have woken up on several occasions in the middle of the night and not been sure where we were or what state we were in.  Peter doesn’t always go into the car seat as willingly as he used too.  But he loves all the new people he is meeting and all the new toys he gets to play with in the various nurseries he has visited. 

 

I won’t lie, sometimes I don’t want to get out of the van when we get to the church.  But I always do and as soon as I do I am reminded of the privilege that we have.  Joe and I get to build bridges between two worlds.  We get to share the story of what God is doing on the Africa South Field and tell them what they are a part of.   For some the only way that they will ever see and experience the other side of the bridge is through our stories.  Our hope is that our stories will help inspire people to be more involved in what God is doing across the street and around the globe. 

Numbers aren’t everything but here our Home Assignments Stats so far. 

6,000 miles 9,600 kilometers

15 states

30 services

20 different beds

Countess connections with lots of people

I promised Joe close to 3 years ago that our lives together would be an adventure and so far it has. 

Until next time:  Remember as awesome as you are, you can’t fly and when you miss a step and land on the concrete while holding your son you are reminded of that fact.  Thankfully both mom and Peter were ok. 

Home Assignment Three Weeks In

We have had the privilege over the three weeks to be traveling and sharing the story of what God is doing on the Africa South Field. 

We have traveled close to  3,500 Miles/ 5,600 Kilometers, Peter has spent over 45 hours in his car seat, we have spoken at 7 churches, 1 home group, attended one pastor and spouses retreat, we have stayed in 6 homes, 1 hotel, 1 retreat center and 1 Nazarene Camp. We have driven through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.  We have been able to see old friends, and family and make some new friends.  We have shared the story of what God is doing on the Africa South Field and we have heard the story of what God is doing in the lives and ministries of our friends and partners.  God has protected, provided and sustained us and for that we are grateful, thankful and we are blessed. 

Peter is doing awesome.  His first cold turned into his first ear infection but other than that he has been our happy healthy baby boy, a baby boy who is crawling quickly toward being a toddler.  He is over 10 months old now.  He will stand for hours on end if we would let him.  He is now walking along furniture and as long as he has our hands or his hands on the next piece of furniture he will transition from one piece to the next.  He is eating more and more solid foods.  He loves his fruits and veggies.  And he is getting pretty good at feeding himself.  He loves to “talk/babble.”  He has been enjoying the baby swings in the various parks we have found nearby where we are staying. 

 

The next few weeks we will be spending some time in Michigan and we will be spending two weeks traveling in Wisconsin before heading to Indiana.  We are attempting to eat at a restaurant that starts with every letter of the alphabet during our travels.  Not real sure if we are going to get to cross the letter X off the list but we will have fun trying. 

Until Next Time Remember- You can only take it with you when you go if it actually makes it into the van…We have been leaving things behind throughout our travels….mostly Peter’s stuff.  We can’t seem to get him to keep up with his stuff yet (J) `

Coming Soon to a town near you

Coming soon to a city near you...

Almost as exciting as a IKEA moving into your city or as exciting as a getting a Dunkin Donuts or Jimmy John’s The Heath’s will be in the states and possibly in a city, town, or an interstate near you. 

The Heath’s will be making the transatlantic hop March 27^th and will be traveling around to various churches to share the story of what God is doing on the Africa South Field until July 7^th.  We would love to see you while we are stateside.  If will be in your area and you would like to meet up send us an email or a facebook message and let us know.   If you have any tips for traveling for three months with a one year old let us know.  J

Here is our schedule of where we will be sharing:

Sunday April 3^rd Centerpionte CotN Orlando, FL

Monday April 4^th Centerpionte Home Group Orlando, FL

Sunday April 10^th Richardson CotN Richardon, TX

Sunday AM April 17^th Crosspoint CotN Kansas City, MO

Sunday PM April 17^th Olathe Westside CotN Olathe, KS

Michigan District Tour

Tuesday April 19^th – Friday April 22^nd Michigan District Pastor’s and Spouse Retreat

Saturday April 23^rd Hillsdale CotNHillsdale, MI

Sunday AM April 24^th – Reading CotN Reading, MI

Sunday PM April 24^th Lansing/Woodview IGNITE Lansing, MI

April 25^th – April 29^th Dates open for Michigan District Tour

Saturday PM April 30^th Faith Promise at Sparta 1^st CotN; Sparta, MI

Sunday AM April 30^th Faith Promise at Sparta 1^st CotN; Sparta, MI

Wisconsin District Tour

Monday May 2^nd  Kenosha Family CotN Kenosha, WI

Tuesday May 3^rd Burlington CotN Burlington, WI

Wednesday May 4^th Racine Community Racine, WI

Thursday May 5^th South Milwaukee CotN Milwaukee, WI

Friday May 6^th Milwaukee First CotN Milwaukee, WI

Saturday  May 7^th West Bend CotN West Bend, WI

Sunday AM May 8^th Green Bay CotN Green Bay, WI

Sunday pm May 8^th Mattoon CotN Mattoon, WI

Monday May 9^th Antigo CotN Antigo, WI

Tuesday May 10^th Wheeler CotN Wheeler, WI

Wednesday May 11^th LaCrosse CotN LaCrosse, WI

Thursday May 12^th Tomah CotN Tomah, WI

Friday May 13^th Mauston CotN Mauston, WI

Saturday May 14^th Baraboo CotN Baraboo, WI

Sunday AM May 15^th Madison CotN Madison, WI

Sunday PM May 15^th Richland Center CotN Richland Center, WI

Wednesday May 18^th Tipton 1^st CotN Tipton, IN

Sunday AM May 22^nd Kokomo 1^st CotN Kokomo, IN

Sunday PM May 22^nd Logansport CotN Logansport, IN

Sunday May 29^th Franklin CotN Franklin, PA

Wednesday June 1^st Lutheran Church, Gaithersburg MD

Sunday June 5^th Ephrata CotN, Ephrata PA

Sunday June 12^th Tullahoma 1^st CofN Tullahoma, TN

Wednesday June 15^th – Friday June 17^th Training on Donor Giving Indianapolis, IN

North Carolina District Tour

Sunday June 19^th Cary Penny Road CotN Cary, NC

June 20^th and 21^st Open NC District Tour

Wednesday June 22^nd –Friday June 24^th NC District Assembly – Raleigh, NC

Sunday AM June 26^th – Plymouth CotN, Plymouth, NC

Sunday PM June 26^th Crystal Coast CotN, Morehead City, NC

Sunday, July 3^rd Havelock CotN Havelock, NC

We are excited to see friends and family and to make some new friends.   We hope to see you or hear from you during our time stateside! 

Thanks for your prayers and support.  We really do feel it and appreciate it! 

A Peter Post

Things I have learned since becoming a parent:

No one warns you about how hard it is to cut tiny little finger nails and toe nails.   Even if they would have told me it is not like there is a parenting class to prepare for it.  It is kind of like threading a needle in a hurricane during an earthquake.  Also no one told me how dirty their fingernails could get…you’d think the kid was digging in dirt 24/7. 

The first time you hurt your child and they bleed and cry it will break your heart and you’ll never want to do it again.  But those pesky fingernails just keep growing…

The looks of awe how cute your infant is, quickly turned to dread when you board an airplane with your (used to be) adorable infant.  Or people just avoid eye contact all together.

Our little man may not know how to talk, walk, or do much of anything else on his own yet but he sure know how to capture our hearts and the attention and love of most everyone around him. 

I never thought I would celebrate burps and poops as much as I have in the past 5 months.  I think I may need to remember that I once celebrated those monuments when he is a teenager and burping the alphabet at the dinner table. 

I think that somehow the weight of my child triples when I am trying to carry him in the car seat. 

Your child will wake up as soon as you sit down to a hot meal and he will need to be changed, feed, and/or soothed until that hot meal is cold but you won’t even care because when he smiles at you, suddenly all is right with the world.

We never knew what a blessing sleeping through the night was until we couldn’t do it anymore.  Thankfully for the most part that blessing has returned to our lives. 

Our little guy may be the best evangelistic tool we have.  We have been able to have more conversations and meet more people because of him.  His blond reddish hair and blue eyes are a big hit here. 

Since starting to teeth I think Peter has become a fountain of drool.  We are having a drought here is South Africa. I wish there was a way to bottle up all his drool and do something useful with it. 

It hard to believe that in less than half a year our little guy could change our world as much has he has, but we would not have it any other way.  We are so blessed to be his parents and we will try to always remember what a blessing he is and teach him to be a blessing to others. 

Joe and I have done a lot of stuff together but Peter is the best thing we have been a part of. 

Until next time: Your child learning to blow raspberries is super cute until they do it when they are eating.  Well it is still cute then…but it is just a bit messier. 

Catch the wave `

I tried surfing once and I sort of caught one wave.  Needless to say by that sentence I am better at surfing the internet than actual surfing.  I am more of a boogie boarder or body surfer when I get a chance to be at the ocean (which is not enough.)

Since arriving in South Africa, Joe and I have been able to catch a different kind of wave.  This wave is the movement of God across South Africa, the Africa South Field and the Region of Africa.  People all over this country, field and region are responding to God’s leading to step outside their comfort zone and be a part of the Great Commission.  It is awesome to be a part of this wave.

This past Saturday we were at a team meeting for the Gauteng W&W trip and this Sunday the team will be at our house for a Braai (cookout).   This team is lead by a South African and made up of South Africans (except for the three of us.)  The money raised for the trip has come from the pockets, wallets and bank accounts of Nazarene South African Churches and people.   The team will be going about 4 hours away to a nearby District to work on their District Center.  We will be painting the inside of the center, as well as building a play area outside for the children of the community.  We will also be doing outreach for the children, youth and adults of the community.  This trip happens from December 12^th-20^th. 

The week before that December 5^th-12^th we will be with a team from a Nazarene church in Durban.  There is a group of about 30 young people and a few adults who want to be a part of what God is doing in Swaziland South.  The team has been working hard to raise funds for the trip.  The team will be helping with a camp that is happening for Pastor’s kids on the District.  The team will also be delivering food hampers filled with food they have been collecting for people of the communities in Swaziland South District. 

On this coming Saturday Joe and I will be leading a training on missions at a church here in Johannesburg.  We will be talking about how people can catch the wave of God that is moving. 

What wave are you riding?  God is moving and working all around us everywhere we turn, in all corners of the globe.  The question is, are prepared to catch it.  You don’t have to have an expensive surfboard or be a surfing expert you just have to be willing and available. 

Until next time:  Long hair and babies who are learning they can grab things are a very painful mix.  Below is a picture of our little hair grabber… it's a good thing he is cute to make up for his mom’s baldness/hair always in a ponytail.