We are so thankful for each one of you – your prayers, your messages, and your support are an encouragement to us. You truly are our partners in this ministry. Many of you prayed for our family when we were expecting our baby boy, and we are thrilled to introduce to you Peter Samuel Makwakwa. Our lives have changed drastically in the last two and a half months but our mission remains the same – to shine the light of Christ in some of the darkest of places.

Peter joined our family on December 18, 2019. We praise God for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby. We know that this is only by God’s grace. My mom was with us for most of Peter’s first month and was a huge help, as you can imagine. I have been home with Peter for the last couple months. Our plan is that I will stay home with him until he has a few more immunizations, and then we will go to Oshoek together as a family, and we are excited for that. Xolani goes to Oshoek every other week. Peter and I are happy to release him because we know that he brings Christ to those we love (and God loves infinitely more) there. The weeks that Xolani is home with us, he visits the communities close by. For the most part, I have enjoyed this transition to motherhood. We know that Jesus loves children, and that He often invested in just one person at a time, and it helps me when I see motherhood that way. Of course that doesn’t mean that it is easy, but I pray that our home will be a place where Christ dwells and that Peter will feel safe and loved here and grow to know Christ and His love.

When I first came to South Africa, I was struck by all the challenges of our children here in community. These challenges are present from birth. For many of them, their parents have passed away, and many more have been abandoned by their parents and left in the care of other relatives. You all know that we work with a ministry that feeds children and provides access to education and healthcare for children, but it is so much more than that. We have been called to bring Christ and his love to children who have been orphaned or abandoned. It is a huge responsibility, and one that is much more difficult than providing a plate of food, but we trust that God’s name is being glorified. A 16-year old girl close to our family gave birth to a baby boy just a few weeks after Peter was born. She went back to school almost immediately and her mom now takes care of the baby. The dad is not in the picture. The baby’s grandmother loves him, but the fact remains that he won’t have a healthy bond with either of his parents. We have a responsibility to this girl and her son to be the hands and feet of Jesus to her. The hope we bring is our hope in Christ – that in showing His love to her and her son, they will know him and they will experience his healing in their lives.

I can’t help but compare Peter to this baby boy and the many other children we know and love. We are thankful that Peter has been blessed with so much. By having a present mother and a present father, Peter already has so much more than the children God has called us to. Many of the children we serve don’t have identification, which means they will have limited access to schools, clinics, travel, and much more throughout their lives. By merely having a birth certificate, Peter has access to so much more than our children here. On top of that, many sleep on the floor of cold mud houses, making it difficult for them to maintain good hygiene. Often a baby’s mother might not have good nutrition, and then you can see it in the baby’s growth. Some of us are born with everything at our fingertips, and others are born with everything stacked against them. This is one of those things that I won’t understand until I am in Heaven. But rather than try to make sense of it, I choose to be thankful. There is nothing good in any of us. There is nothing we have done to bring us to where we are. Peter will grow up playing with children who have much less than he does. I smile when I think of him being friends with this little boy. We pray that he will not see any difference between them. We pray that he will have a thankful heart and always remember God’s grace. Of course, I can type this now but still forget over and over how bless I am and complain way too much. I need this reminder far too often. Let’s be thankful!

We have another choice too – a choice to use the gifts God has given us for His kingdom or not. Peter instructs us to be faithful stewards of God’s grace. I should probably take this and be excited to use gifts for his glory, but instead it really convicts me and even makes me nervous. Jesus said that “everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” When I list things we have been blessed with, I realize that a LOT will be required of us. Please pray for us in this. We know that God has sent us here and we know that He has more for us to do. Pray that he will show us, and please pray that we will follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Also pray that we would lean on God for everything, that we would know that it is only by his Spirit that anything can happen. It is only by remaining in Christ that we can bear fruit, but even though we know this, we still try to do things in our own strength. When Xolani and I look back on last year, we can see specific times where we tried to do things in our own strength and where there was no fruit. It is our prayer this year that we would daily remember our weakness and daily ask the Holy Spirit to be in us and that we would just be his vessels.

I could do a whole post on why we named our son Peter Samuel, but for now I’ll just say that we pray that little Peter will come to know the grace and forgiveness of Christ the same way the Apostle Peter did. We pray that he would be sensitive when he sins the same way Peter was. And we pray that God will fill him with his Holy Spirit and use him for His kingdom. Thank you for praying for us and for little Peter. We love you all.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land.”

As I shared with you on Wednesday, I was expecting Thursday to be a tough day for me. And it was – for so many reasons. The boys had to come face to face with their abuser and I had to face an old friend who has hurt so many of us. I should have been angry and wanting to fight, but when I saw him, the only thing I saw was sadness. I saw my responsibility to pray for him, as well as to pray for justice for the boys. We serve a wonderful God – a God who is faithful, full of mercy and grace, a God of justice. We may not always understand how to reconcile these characteristics but that’s okay because we don’t trust in ourselves; we trust in a faithful, merciful, and just God. Thank you sincerely for your messages of support and prayers, both on here and via WhatsApp. Sara and I were very encouraged. We never feel alone as we continue to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves, for those who are oppressed and have no voice (Proverbs 31:8). Your prayers mean the world to us. At the moment, the plan is to pick up the trial again in April. We will keep you updated.

To update on another prayer request, we are so thankful that it has rained all week. We are starting to see rivers where there was just a little standing water. We see some green. People can now plow their fields! Thank you so much for standing with us in prayer for rain. We continue to pray for more rain to fill the dams, for the rivers to flow again, and for people’s fields to yield a harvest.

Luke 9:23 – “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'”

This is an update from us on one particular issue, as well as a plea for your prayers on our behalf. Tomorrow, I will be standing in court on behalf of three boys who were abused repeatedly by a close family relative. Sara and I were very close to their mother who passed away last November after a long illness. She was young and left three sons. She was a care worker in one of our communities and a friend to us. (Some of you who have come on teams met her, and all of you would have met her sons.) We visited her often in the months leading up to her death. One numerous occasions, she asked us to continue to love and care for her children after she was gone. We had walked with her for a number of years and she had come to know Christ. Now she is with our Father in Heaven.

After her death, a close relative of theirs went to live with the boys in order to take care of them. He was a friend of hers, and also a friend of ours. We had known him for about a year and we trusted him. We had hopes for him. Xolani invested time in him. In February, the boys told us that he had been abusing them since he moved in, and even earlier when their mom was sick. We didn’t want to believe it but there were a number of factors that led us to believe that it was true. We were fearful at the time but we knew that we had to fight for justice and go to the police. Often, communities and families want to hide things like this. They want to deal with it themselves and pretend nothing has happened. But we knew that God wanted us to stand up for the boys, His children. So we did. This has been a long process, and now the trial has begun. I have been called on to testify in court tomorrow.

When we think of discipleship, we often mix it with teaching, but it’s actually so much more. Of course our greatest example is Jesus, who took 12 ordinary men and invested so much of his time and energy in them. They often misunderstood him, they often thought of themselves and not him, one betrayed him, one denied him, some didn’t trust him. Discipleship is costly. Discipleship is about doing life together. It is a deep investment in someone, especially when that person could very well fail or hurt you. It is about being devoted to prayer for the person you are discipling. It is about sharing honestly with one another, and being accountable to one another. We see this often in the early church and the apostles. Accountability was important – a tough example of the importance of accountability is Ananias and Sapphira. Acts is filled with rich teachings of fellowship, which is a basis of discipleship.

If I could choose, I would choose not go to court. Well, if I am being honest, I would choose that this never would have happened, but especially that it would not have been done by a friend of mine. This man is someone I trusted, someone I invested time in, someone I hoped for, someone I prayed for, someone I had committed to. Even today I pray that he will have a repentant heart tomorrow even though he hasn’t shown one this whole time. As I think about my relationship with him, I question myself and wonder if it was really true discipleship. When we decide to commit to people, we need to remember that it will cost us. I think it is part of taking up our cross daily. Look at Jesus’ disciples, how they hurt him, and even us how he gives and gives and gives to us and how often we turn our backs on him or deny him. Discipling others can bear fruit or it can hurt us, probably both. We know that the harvest is plenty but the workers are few. Our cross is sometimes heavy but it is always worth it. Tomorrow I will be face to face with this man, and I know that I have to speak out against him for the sake of God’s children.

Please pray that the truth with come out. Pray for a change of heart for this man. Please pray for the boys. Please pray for peace in my heart. Please pray for God’s peace to reign in the whole situation. We serve a God who is both just and full of mercy. Please pray for both of those characteristics to shine through tomorrow. We are so thankful for God’s sovereignty and that is where we place our trust.

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.” I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

As I sat in Oshoek at our care center in the middle of a hot day, I heard some noise from behind our building. It was children as young as 2 up to age 8 laughing and singing. I thought to myself how wonderful this was. Their praise was life-giving and such encouragement in this dry season. Many people are worried about the rains being late and what they will do if they are unable to plow and plant. The wells and rivers, their source of water, were dry. For many of our families, if they miss planting season, there is no plan B. We spent that morning visiting families who are in need, and spent part of the afternoon meeting with the community people to pray for rains and share in some of their struggles. We dug deep into scripture and pleaded with God for breakthrough.

I listened to the children singing and laughing behind our small building made of mud and sticks. I got up to find a new spot with shade. As I walked around the building, I was surprised to see Sara surrounded by kids, playing and singing. Language wasn’t a barrier because everything was centered around Christ. She was almost 8 months pregnant, in the heat in a tough place. My amazing wife gave herself up to be there to bring Jesus’ hope. I was filled with thanks to know that God gave me a partner like her to walk this journey with. Before I knew it, a few more women joined, and suddenly there was life and hope and joy as they played. We had rain the following day! It has rained a few times since and now people are preparing their fields. We pray and trust God for a good harvest.

What a wonderful friend we have in Jesus! When we come humbly before Him, He hears our prayers. We only need to have faith like a child. We are so thankful to God that he chose us to be vessels and to carry his message. We have cried this year upon losing a couple of our children, and we have celebrated breakthroughs and victories at other times. More than anything, we are thankful for souls that have come to know Christ, and that is our biggest prayer looking forward, to bring souls to Christ. May each of us never give up in shining the light of Christ in this dark world, to make Jesus known, and our lives a testimony to His faithfulness. Let us not live for ourselves, but for Christ. Be joyful in hope, faithful in prayer, and share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Happy Thanksgiving!

With love, Xolani and Sara

1 Thessalonians 5:24 “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

How often have we heard that we should be confident in God’s faithfulness and how we should put our faith in Him alone? It sounds easy when all is well. Paul tells us in Romans to “be joyful in Hope and patient in affliction,” but in our human nature we think we know better and we try to do things our way. It is only after our way fails that we remember our Father who is faithful. We thank God that even when we lack faith, He remains faithful. Sara and I are excited about the coming of our little boy in December. In April, I had the privilege to go to Mozambique. It was in the weeks following Cyclone Idai that devastated villages. While I was there, God was so near. Looking around and sitting with grandmothers and mothers and fathers who had lost everything, God spoke to me about his faithfulness and the hope I have in Him that remains constant no matter what is going on around me. At that same time, I sent Sara a message telling her that I had had a vision of us visiting the US and she was obviously pregnant. We were praying about starting a family but we were worrying about timing. and the world was telling us about all the things we had to worry about if we are to get pregnant, but God doesn’t operate that way. Deep in Mozambique I was in the middle of so much heartbreak, and He was so kind to talk to me and show me that vision. He said, “See how faithful I am. When I call you to go and you obey, this I have promised, I will do for you.” When God spoke to me at that time, we were already pregnant but we didn’t know it.

While Xolani was in Mozambique, there were a couple days that I had an uneasiness in my spirit. I found myself reading the book of Jonah. I knew immediately that the uneasiness was due to a worry about the depth of God’s call over our lives. I was worried that it would be tough and that I would want to run away from it to something easier. As I read, I saw God’s mercy to Jonah in not letting him run away. My dad once said that Jonah being in the big fish was the best thing that ever could have happened to him. God gave me such comfort and showed me that His mercy would always surround me and he wouldn’t let me run away. I know that He will hold me and be near to me when He asks me to do something difficult. He is faithful to those He calls.

God was speaking the same message to both me and Sara – that He has called us and He is faithful. We trusted in His promise. It was such a gift for us to hear the Holy Spirit, and for me to have that vision of Sara being pregnant while the prayer was already answered! God was showing us that He is true to His word. He always keeps His promises. We tend to worry, but since that time we have had peace. In the months following, we have faced difficult situations in our work. People we love are going through incredibly difficult times, and we have been called to love and serve them through these times. We have experienced loss and grief. But we have such peace in being here and knowing that this is God’s plan for us.

We just returned from the US, where Xolani’s vision was played out. Sara was obviously pregnant while we were there. We pray Sara’s mom’s prayer for our little boy – that His heart will be tender toward the things of God and the voice of God. We are so thankful that we can trust in His promises, and we are so thankful for the ministry that He has given us with Hands at Work.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Amen!

“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace in this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16 : 31-33

On Sundays, we pause to anticipate the coming of Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. #40Days2019 #Handsatwork

Join us in prayer for the communities in which we work in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, which were affected by Cyclone Idai and are still being affected by floods. Pray for our children and families who have lost their homes, their harvest, and in some cases, the lives of family members. Pray for the other thousands that are out of our reach but still affected.

Psalm 103 “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”

As I watch Sara and Nozi together, I am filled with joy in the knowledge that His grace and mercy are true each day. It is by His grace that we are able to celebrate Nozipho’s birthday as family and friends. Our prayer is that she will find Jesus as her Lord and Savior and that she will not lose her way. We pray that she will know our Lord, full of Grace and mercy. We pray that she will play her part in growing His kingdom. We are all called to this ministry.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

As Xolani and I think about this year, we are filled with excitement and some nervousness. Last year held highs and lows for us regarding the places and individuals we serve. None of us knows what 2019 holds, but our Father knows. And he has promised to strengthen us, help us, and to uphold us. We trust him. We miss you and are praying for you.

22 The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, 23 Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.