The YOYL family is growing!

Hello to our family and friends!

I want to apologize for the silence. We have been so busy in the past month, but busy with really great things!

First of all, since our last update, we have two new students on the Year of Your Life team. We are now a “family” of 10! We have had a couple of inquiries this week as well, so we have decided that this is the last week for people to join our team if they are really serious about it. We have one new girl, Amy, and one new guy, Kyle who have both just finished with grade 12.

We have been continuing sports and extra homework help at the primary school a bit, but most of the extra murals finished at the end of February. We have continued to go one or two days a week to help some of the teachers with admin. Piet is very excited to start coaching soccer this month at the primary school! Following up from my last blog about the two kids who passed away from the school, we have seen a closeness form within teachers and students. We have seen teachers seeking answers and some even ending up at our church. I think the initial fear has finally worn off and the school is back into the normal routine again. And also because of the events that have happened, we have really noticed a strong sense of trust within the school and our team.

In March, our team was involved in two big events. The first was a worship festival that had different bands coming to play during the course of the weekend. The second event was an abstinence evening called “The Silver Ring Thing” for youth. A few different churches and high schools were invited to attend. We put on several dramas and had three different speakers. At the end of the night, those who were serious had the opportunity to purchase a purity ring and made the commitment to stay pure until marriage. The evening was a huge success! Roughly 15 people committed their lives to the Lord, and almost the ENTIRE room stood up to make the commitment to purity!

In our skills training for the month, we’ve been learning about servant leadership. We were able to visit a software and stationary company called Ingenuit. The owner is a part of our church and he shared with us his journey to making the company a success and how he runs his company with godly and Biblical principles. We will also be visiting Refilwe in a few weeks (where Piet and I used to do ministry), again to find out how the organization is run on godly principles.

After our big events in March, we were blessed with a trip to the Vaal River for a day of rest. Our pastor took us out on his boat and we all went tubing and had a braai and a nice day of fellowship as a team!

Last week, the students took their first exam in theology. The theology is through the South African Theological Seminary, but administered by the pastors and by us; the course is called Crossroads. At the end of the year, the students will have completed their first year of theology giving them a total of 40 credits. With these credits they are able to continue on to get a degree if they so choose.

As if we are not busy enough, we are in the middle of holiday club this week. It is a sports related theme, but we are bridging the gap to make spiritual connections as well. The kids have been learning about endurance and finishing strong. Myself and Charne (one of our students) have been teaching cheerleading and surprisingly the boys actually like it! Piet and Gareth (also YOYL student) are the soccer coaches. Besides these sports there is also basketball and relay races. Piet also doubles as the nutty Willy-Wonka-look-alike MC.  The kids are having an absolute blast and I can see that the leaders are clearly enjoying themselves as well!

We will be applying for Piet’s USA visa within a month or two. We have total confidence that it will be granted. Unfortunately, the USA is very strict about who is let into the country so any hesitation could lead to a denial of the application. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Please pray for Piet’s visa
-My South African spouse visa (I have been waiting for more than 8 months, when it was supposed to have taken 2 months). I need this visa to be able to cross the border when we go on our mission trip in June.
-For our awesome students! That they would take in every moment.
-For our marriage, that God would continuously strengthen us and make us one

We love you all and our so thankful for your thoughts and prayers!!

With peace love and joy,

The Bakers

In the midst of tragedy...

I am sitting here and writing this with a heavy heart and tired eyes after a very long and draining day. But first let me back up a bit.

Our team has been helping in a local primary school for the past three weeks now. We have helped with a few swimming galas (competitions) and we have been helping with extra classes after school as well as sports coaching (swimming and cricket). The team agrees that one of the most special parts of ministering at the school is connecting with the teachers on a personal basis. We have enjoyed so much being able to assist in their classrooms and getting to share our stories as well about why we have joined the Year of Your Life program. They have also asked many questions about our church and trying to wrap their heads around our whole belief system.

Jump forward to one week ago, last week Thursday. We arrived in the teacher’s lounge ready to cover math books, which has been our assignment for many weeks now. The teachers came in one by one with tears in their eyes. We then learned that a boy in grade 5 (age 10) named Tyler had passed away that morning from crones disease.  We knew that at that time we needed to be extra supportive and gentle. We also learned that the memorial service would be held at our church.

Tuesday and yesterday two girls from our team and I helped Tyler’s teacher prepare a poster board of pictures and notes to Tyler from his classmates.

Today was the memorial service. As we were preparing for the day and for the service, we sadly learned that yet ANOTHER child, also in grade 5, had passed away this morning. She stopped breathing after swimming class; exactly a week after Tyler. Understandably the teachers were a wreck. Everyone is scared and paranoid. We will be helping with the preparations of the second memorial service as well.

At that moment we decided that we need to claim that ground for Jesus Christ. One day next week we want to stop our program and join in unity to cover the campus in prayer.

Won’t you join us in praying for these two families that have experienced loss as well as plead the blood of JESUS over the students and teachers that remain?

We believe with all our hearts that it is God’s perfect timing for us to be in this particular school. We see evidence of God at work in the midst of tragedy.

Sold Out to Serve

Good day friends,

At the moment our house is silent. The only sound that can be heard is my own sniffling and sneezing, and that of my husband in the next room.

We hope and pray that all is well in whatever part of the world you find yourself in today. The first month of the year is nearly over, yet I’m sure it’s been a significant one.

Our “Year of Your Life” program has gotten off to a great start. In the second week of January, we went away with our 4 students for an orientation week filled with team building games and preparing our hearts for a year full of service to the Lord. We were blessed to be given a camp ground free of charge, with some of our food sponsored as well!

Shortly after our opening week, we gained a 5^th student. The five students (4 girls and 1 guy)

are between the ages of 18 and 22 and have a heart for giving back to the Lord. They have incredible attitudes and have given 101%. They have great ideas and we know that God brought them under our care for a specific purpose. For God to work IN them and THROUGH them.

The year is heavily focused on children’s ministry in our church as they are the future of our country and our world. Statistics show that if a child does not receive Christ in their lives by the age of 14, the chances of salvation later in life are marginal. The team serves in children’s church, weekly kids club, and the youth group.

The second of three “branches” of our ministry is to the local schools. Beginning next week, we will be involved in sports coaching and after school tutoring with primary school kids. Because these extra mural activities haven’t begun yet, we have been availing ourselves to help the teachers in whatever way possible for the time being. We spent the whole of last week covering text books for math students.

The third branch we are giving a great effort into is reaching out to our surrounding community. Community life in South Africa is so different from that of America, or even of SA several years ago. Every house has securely gated and barred itself in, away from the outside world. The realities of crime have made this absolutely necessary, but in the same way, have kept potential friends out as well. The students themselves have come up with creative ideas to connect with our neighbors and see the need for consistent prayer walks. We have plans to revamp a public park just across the road from our church in a few months as well as other outreach initiatives to bring people together.

Here are a few highlighted events of the months to come that we will either be planning or helping to execute: Wonder Women’s Tea (for all ladies 13 and up), Dad’s and Lad’s event, Silver Ring Thing (abstinence program for teens), and Engulfed Music Festival.

Blessings to you as YOU TOO make a difference in the lives of those around you.   

All our love,

The Bakers

Hello 2012!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Welcome to 2012!!

Our dear friends and family, we are so excited and blessed to be entering this brand new year full of God’s blessings!

We pray that each one of you had a blessed holiday season spent with family and loved ones and that you have reflected on things past, things to come, as well as the love of Christ which holds us together.

We have just returned from 10 days in Port Elizabeth, my previous home. We and 2 of our friends from church traveled the 12+ hours and spent many days on the beach and catching up with old friends. It was very relaxing and a nice time to completely recharge. While away, we celebrated one year of marriage! It has definitely flown by and we are thankful for each other and this year.

We have made of point this holiday to reflect on the year gone by and have seen just how challenging it has been, but with it, we have seen the immense work of God in our lives. The month of July was particularly hard for us as we had a lot of frustrating things happen. Piet’s visa to the USA was denied, my South African visitor’s visa was due to expire and I was within days of being deported, we were scammed in the purchase of our first car, we were facing the normal challenges of the first year of marriage, and we weren’t fulfilled in the ministry we were in. I personally felt I would crumble to pieces if things didn’t turn around quickly. It was not long after, that we saw the undeniable hand of God in our lives when we were able to buy a new reliable car, we found ourselves in a new ministry, and we bought our first home together. I can also very confidently say that we have never been happier in our marriage as we are right now. The first year is a bit rough! (They don’t tell you those things when you are getting into it!!) But we have pulled through and we feel confident that we have grown leaps and bounds in knowing one another and growing in the Lord together.

YOYL 2012 Team! (with 2 missing)

Tomorrow it is back to ministry for us, and in a few short days we will begin our orientation with our four YOYL (Year of Your Life) students!! We have been blessed with four days of free accommodation for team building and getting to know our new team for the year. We are more than excited. Again, we have seen God’s favour over our ministry as we have been preparing over the last three months. The doors of the community and our local schools have opened up to us, and the finances have been pouring in. When our office closed for Christmas a few weeks ago, we had already raised 2/3 of the money needed for the year.

We have constantly seen the “fingerprints” of God over the past year. We urge you, our friends, to continue searching for those undeniable occasions (not coincidences!) of God moving in the lives of you and yours. 2012, Bring it on!

Blessings to you,

The Bakers

Focusing on the Ultimate Heavenly Goal (by Piet Bakers)

I’m so challenged how Jesus kept the ultimate objective and passed it on to the disciples and to us today us as a church (His people).

The Life of Jesus

When we look at the character of Jesus and his life on earth we see someone that came with a mission and a purpose.  He was sent by God to save -- that’s why we call him Saviour!

His mission was to accomplish the following:

His Mission	Scripture
-          To be equipped and prepared by studying the law -          To equip the Saints for good works (Serve) and ministry -          To share the Gospel with no compromise                    -           To fulfil the prophesy given by the Lord to Isaiah	-  Luke 2:46-47  - Matthew 20:28 - Mark 4 :1-2 - Isaiah 61

Jesus was a faithful man due to the accomplishment of his mission (John 17:4) “I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.”  When I read this passage I asked myself, what will help me to utter the same words that Jesus spoke? What rings in my heart is passion and focusing on the ultimate God-given mission. With all the happenings in this world it makes the focusing process difficult, but nevertheless God has told us through his Word not to worry (Matthew 6: 20-36). This does not mean that everyone must leave their job and go for full-time ministry. You can do ministry and equip within your working environment. I call that true outreach. If we remain in Him, He will remain in us.

What is His desire?

In His prayer in John 17 He mentions these words, "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.’’

Jesus desires that you and I should be in Him just as He is in the Father, meaning have a deep relationship with him. He doesn’t just want us only but he wants everyone, even those who will believe through our words (the gospel which we utter).  I believe if we can make these three things a priority share the gospel, equip the saints (mentorship), and serve the world will be different. This is not something to be done in full time ministry only; it is applicable in our work place as well. We shouldn’t be a religion but we must show the world that it is a lifestyle. For something to be a lifestyle it needs to be applied through a day by day standard of living.

The Ultimate God given mission is still the same as when it was given to Jesus, disciples, our forefathers and us today. Nothing has changed except the fact that the world has wooed us with money, power, fame and materials have become our ultimate mission. These things must not replace Jesus or else we should come back to the drawing board. The reason I am sharing this blog with you is because I want to remind us that wherever we are God has placed us there for the purpose of His glory. He gives us our heart desires so that we can make him known.

Brothers, sisters, and family in Christ, let us focus on the Father’s mission. As Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.  Do not conform yourselves to this age (some translations say “the patterns of this world”) but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

                

Remain on the ultimate God-given mission because our life has a purpose in this world.



Rembrandt's "Woman Taken in Adultery"



With Love

The Bakers

A Childlike Faith

We can really learn a lot from children. They are funny and so completely honest that it keeps us humble.

As the Year of Your Life staff prepare for next year, we have already begun serving at Kid’s Club on Friday’s and Children’s Church Sunday mornings. The kids are bright and excited about their faith and just as honest as ever. Sunday morning was no exception.

The teachers in children’s ministry have done a really great job to build a strong foundation with the kids teaching them at such a young age how to worship and how to pray. Many kids come forward to pray or the day or pray for the offering. It is music to my heart and helps me (Leah) to connect with God that much more.

Children’s church has green shirts on sale each week that they encourage the kids to buy and wear when they come for church or kid’s club. One little boy’s prayer the other morning was just too cute:                 Dear Lord, please help us to wear our green shirts ever day!
We cracked up…it was too sweet. But, another little boy’s prayer just cut to the core of my being:

Please bless all the poor people who stand at the streets and beg. Please, God,
give them warm shelter, food to eat, and help them to know You.

We can learn so much from these innocent little ones. Their faith is precious, new, exciting, honest and so genuine. If you tell them Jesus will heal their broken leg, there is no doubt in them. They teach us to believe we can move mountains. God created them this way. He created everyone this way, but often life gets in the way. We forget the innocence of our youth. We would do well to listen to their advice. They see faith as active and powerful. How are we doing as a Church? Are we praying for the poor? Are we reaching out to them? Are we making sure that they have HOPE in the only one able to give it? “Silver and Gold I do not have, but what I have I give you” (Acts 3:6). We have the living God in us. Are we giving it away?

Sometimes people make excuses that children are too young to understand Bible stories or moral lessons or can’t memorize Scripture. But clearly they are wise beyond their years! They are soaking up what we teach them; both good and bad. Never doubt the faith or the prayer of a small child. “For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Luke 18:16)”

Next blog title:  Focusing on the ultimate Heavenly Goal!

Lately I (Piet) have been challenged regarding keeping the ultimate objective which Jesus kept till the end. Our ultimate goal or objective determines our productivity in ministering the Gospel. I believe we were born for a purpose and that purpose is to be used to bring glory to our Father in Heaven.

Stay tuned!!

Prayer Request: Wisdom for leading YOYL, Funding and fundraising for YOYL 

Only through HIS love,

The Bakers 

Malibongwe!

Dear friends,

I couldn't think of a title for this blog, but as I'm sitting here, the church band is rehearsing the song entitled "Malibongwe". I wish you could hear how beautiful it sounds with people singing from all different races. Blacks, whites and coloured in harmony. The Zulu word Malibongwe means "Let Him be praised".

I must first apologize (or apologise) for the silence. Piet and I have been having such an awesome month that we have forgotten to sit down and write about it. We have been going non-stop and have hardly even had a chance to enjoy our new house.



Family Photo at Shangan Village



  

September 19^th we started our new ministry at the Barn
September 26^th we moved into our new house
October 1^st my parents arrived
October 2-6^th Kruger National Park
October 7-14^th Drakensburg
October 17^th Parents left
October 18^th Back to ministry




Zip Lining in beautiful Drakensburg!

 We had a really great visit with my parents for two weeks! It went by so quick that we felt sad sending them back to America. We spent four days searching for the Big 5, and another week in the mountains playing lots of Bingo!

So now here we are back to work and preparing for next year’s Year of Your Life program. Our application deadline is less than a week away so we are just praying that God will bring us the right people into our program.



Besides being in the office to prepare for YOYL, we are keeping busy as Piet has joined the church worship band, we are regularly attending our “Committed Couples” cell group, and involved in all 3 church services on a Sunday, and not to mention trying to run an olive business on the side. So we are definitely not bored! Recently we were able to give a bit of support to a choir group here in South Africa from some of the profits from the business.



What a handsome man I married!!!



Halloween is next week. It’s funny because all the years that I (Leah) lived in America, Halloween never seemed like a huge deal to me. I grew up thinking that as long as I didn’t dress up like a witch or a ghost Halloween is a perfectly acceptable holiday. I've recently been seeing many photos from the US on Facebook of pumpkins, Halloween costumes, and decorated homes. It reminds me that it's so different here, especially in a country that has witchdoctors and practices animism. Since moving to South Africa, my perspective has changed quite a lot and I've seen the dangers of celebrating Halloween. All of the local churches here have “Celebration of Life” services on or around Halloween to discourage participate.

That being said, our church is having a Celebration of Life service this Sunday night with the theme of “I’m so Glad I’ve Found YOU”. We are walking in the spirit of praise and celebration and life.

In other news, I’ve had a few requests for our newest address. You can send mail to the church at:

                Piet and Leah Bakers
                The Barn Christian Fellowship
                PO Box 635
                Bromhof 2154
                South Africa

Have a blessed week friends and family!

Sending our love from Africa!

The Bakers