December, 2011:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

As I reflect on this past year I am truly amazed at the goodness of the Lord that has been shown to us who BELIEVE!

Provision to carry out the Lord’s vision everywhere my feet have tread! Though my home has been in South Africa the past 8 years, God has begun to enlarge my territory and take me into many nations. As I continued work in South Africa teaching English, running the After School Program, Church, and children’s home, God enlarged my territory even more! He brought volunteers and missionaries from around the world to accomplish His mission in the earth! So much has happened in so many countries this year, as the Lord has provided for the needs of those He puts before us. It was great to see fruit and transformation in areas I have visited over the years, and also to enter into new territories.

February was a month of seeing God’s hand stretching across the landscape of South Africa. Land was provided by a chief for a new Church in the mountainous region of Thabankhulu. I was able to visit the families of that village, give more than 20 kids school supplies, and provide food, clothes, and supplies to the Pastor and his family.

In March, I went to Zambia in Sub-Saharan Africa, to teach at a multi-Church gathering in Ndola, and met a lovely group of pastors truly "doers of the WORD" according to James 1:22. Many salvations and healings occurred during the conference. Pastors saw Church members rise up to new levels of FAITH, as people shared testimonies of physical healing and deliverance from witchcraft, the glory of God was revealed among us.

My heart was touched by one older Pastor and his wife, who are caring for over 80 orphans, feeding the poor through a community garden, and providing a two room school for orphans. As I looked around the barren classroom I knew God wanted the teachers and children to have supplies. I was thrilled to find a Muslim merchant selling school supplies eager to do business with me. God provided the funds just two days before I was scheduled to leave, and I was able to buy chalk, writing tablets, pens, pencils, books, and most importantly a large stock pile of food supplies to feed the kids!

In April the Lord took me and 7 German volunteers to Lesotho. After an amazing journey of driving more than 14 hours into the mountains, we arrived just before dark. A young man I have known from that village since 2005 came to greet me and explained he wanted to show me where the "new white people live". We walked to the next village over the mountain and into the valley and found a lovely South African family who arrived just 2 months earlier as missionaries to the area. We fellowshipped, prayed, and they shared the struggles they’ve encountered in starting a Church there. I encouraged them to build upon the musical gifting of the youth and embrace them through worship and prayer services.

In South Africa, Celia’s kids at the baby shelter are growing up into lovely toddlers and 4 kids are now school age! We now have many local ladies who are willing to take the children out for picnics and outings, so they get more individual attention. We praise God for His miracle of saving baby Charlotte’s life back in June when she almost died. Today she is a healthy and high functioning 2 year old! My first boy to arrive in 2005 at the Makhulong Children’s home near Pretoria, graduated high school, and started his own little shop this year!

The After School Program will be run by Michael Lancaster and missionaries from Goshen International in 2012, Praise the Lord! We now have more than 85 children attending the program daily. They enjoy activities, classes, play and receive their evening meal. Our new volunteers are assisting with more academic focused activities to help kids with math, English, and homework. Good news, we have been given permission to use the space next door! We hope to repair the old tin leaking roof and rotten wood floors next door on two classrooms that we want to use in the future. Estimated building cost for concrete slab, refurbishing interior, new roof and electricity will be about $5,800. Currently we only have one big class, which is the Church, and a small train container which is now our Learning Center.

The year was full of exciting divine appointments, provision, and God’s glory being made known among us!

I pray the Lord continue to allow me to support these projects and individuals as they serve with an attitude of, "My Upmost for His Highest!"

New Life Church - Welcomes Pastor Oscar

Our new Church home is great! Now that we have been here more than a year in this building we have grown in both Church attendance, up to 100 members, and the After School Program has 85-100 kids per day. Our recent expansion allows about 40 more chairs and space for ladies to cook and prepare food for the kids! Please pray for Pastor Oscar and his team as they labor among the Xhosa’s to bring more souls into God’s Kingdom. We are so blessed to have him accept the challenge and come from 10 years of successful ministry building a church in Thimbalethu. We welcome Pastor Oscar and his wife who are excited to take things to the next level!

  BEFORE and ….AFTER  

Last Opportunity for Giving in 2011, give online or mail a check TODAY, and we can still tax receipt you for this year!

Trusting God…He has never failed us yet!

Please help us, your prayers and support are needed to make this mission possible.

Abundant Blessings to the donors who gave so generously in 2011, I appreciate you so much!

Little Ones singing at Qolweni After School Program

"Let your LIGHT so SHINE before men, that they may SEE your GOOD works,

And GLORIFY your FATHER in Heaven!" Matthew 5:16

Live the SPIRIT Filled, ETERNAL LIFE, daily!

EMBRACE THE NEW in 2012!

Abundant Blessings,

Michelle

 

August, 2011:

Amazing Growth!

The After School Program now has 6-10 volunteers per day Praise the Lord! We now have more than 85 children attending the program daily. They enjoy activities, classes, play and receive their evening meal. Our new volunteers are assisting with more academic focused activities to help kids with math, English, and homework.   Good news, we have been given permission to use the space next door! We hope to repair the old tin leaking roof and rotten wood floors next door on two classrooms that we want to use in the future.   Estimated building cost for concrete slab, refurbishing interior, new roof and electricity will be about $5,800. Currently we only have one big class, which is the Church, and a small train container which is now our Learning Center. 

Celia’s House –Babies are growing up!

Jehovah Jireh, our provider! We now have new bunk beds, thanks to Belgian and local donors!  We still need 4 mattresses.  The shelter children now all ages 2-8 years old, had out grown the baby cots.  With 10 children in a 2 room house we have put two of the new bunk beds in the front room which is also the kitchen and living area.  God is so good because now the neighbor has offered to sell their 4 room house! Please pray, because the sale is pending, but we trust God we can expand the children’s home!      

                                       

And the People sang “REJOICE!”

We Love our New Church Building

Our new Church home is great! Now that we have been here more than a year in this building we have grown in both Church attendance, up to 100 members, and the After School Program has 85-100 kids per day.  Our recent expansion allows about 40 more chairs and space for ladies to cook and prepare food for the kids!  Please pray the Lord provide a way to get a long drop or enviro- toilet installed, as currently we have no toilet facilities.  We are so blessed to finally have electricity and new roof!  Next step renovate the two classrooms next door/

Trusting God in seasons of change: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Living by faith in Africa, gets easier with time. ..The Lord always PROVIDES! Hallelujah I am still able to drive the car that has been on loan to me, off and on for the past 3 years!  God is so good, I also was told I can remain in the garage apartment rent free!

For the past 8 months I have not written or sent newsletters.  My faith was challenged, while reading about George Mueller who was caring for over 1,000 orphans BY FAITH over 100 years ago.

He simply prayed and trusted God to move on his behalf.  I sensed God wanted to get my attention about how much He provides even when we do nothing.  You see then He truly gets all the glory, because it was GOD alone moving upon the hearts of those who give!  So this is the first Newsletter I have sent this year, and we have lacked nothing! 

Amazing how many things were given to us just on time too!  About 8 weeks ago a lady called me to her office to pick up several bags of old clothes, and shoes she had been collecting for our kids.  Winter has come now in South Africa, and night time July and August temps can be FREEZING! Realizing most of the kids needed shoes, socks, clothes, and jackets, I had thought about asking some local ladies to help me collect.  I had not seen this lady in over a year, and yet God had her busy gathering provision for His kids!  After buying additional supplies, and gathering more donations by the end of that week, we were able to give out 100 pairs of shoes, clothes, jackets, socks, and school uniform pieces-hallelujah!

Two weeks ago a wealthy South African Church gave us 51 blankets, and packets of soup they collected for the poor-that would be a blessing to our Qolweni Church members!  Friday we gave out 27 monthly food parcels to assist Qolweni families who live in shacks with no water, food, or electricity!

Trusting God…He has never failed us yet!

Please help us, your prayers and support are needed to make this mission possible here in South Africa. Abundant Blessings to the donors who gave so generously last month.
 

March, 2011:   

We have a Church group coming in July from Oklahoma of about 25 people! They will be here about 16 days hallelujah! things have been a bit tough, Pastor Marua's brother died last week. One of our village children was murdered by the parent, a boy near the school I teach in committed suicide yesterday, and seems like darkness just abounds.  I had a meeting with the German missionaries last night, we all feel strange, like what is going on, yet won't give up.  My kids in class, and at the ASP, are all ok, really the peace of God prevails here with them, but all around us, it is darkness. Pastor left for Thabankulu because the funeral is in a few days so I gave him R1200 about $200 and he will be back in about a month.
 

Feb., 2011:  All is well. I didn't have a car for the first 3 weeks back here, but I now have a 21 year old Mercedes that a lady in my Wed. prayer group has loaned me until I find a good car to buy.  Been looking but nothing really great around here for sale, so think I may need to check in larger towns.  Knysna has a couple of car lots, so may go look there.  I was thinking about getting a motor scooter if it was just me, because they are fuel efficient and very cheap $500 used! But then I can't take groceries to Celia or Church, can't transport kids, and basically I'd fail to meet many of my current obligations with food distribution, taxi services, and driving kids everywhere. 

We got our container/learning center sitting outside the Church now, and the guys have almost finished a new exterior wall on the church which gives us space for about 25 more chairs! Some challenges, well quite a few challenges since I got back but God has been faithful to lead me through. Many expenses for back to school clothes, 7 pairs of shoes, and supplies for over 75 kids.  I will pray about the car situation and see how the Lord leads. Shame my London volunteer left today but 2 new volunteers are coming tomorrow to help at the after school program! Look at how God works!

I am teaching 3 English classes this year at the Afrikaans school in Kurland village, because I wanted to help out the Americans who run the learning center here.  They have a missionary couple arriving in April that will take over, but needed me to fill the gap.  It is much better than the Xhosa school I taught in last year and the kids English is amazing! We are doing sentence structure, labeling verbs, adv., adjectives, and nouns! They really are advanced (ages 10-14 year olds) in these classes.

 

January 27, 2011, Qolweni, South Africa

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

This scripture was made REVELATION to us in QOLWENI this year as we TRUST in God. He provides all of our needs and His glory abounds. 

The evidence of His faithfulness: Highlights-by no means have I listed everything…so much to praise Him for!

• Over 70 BIBLES Given Out Praise GOD!

• Open Air Evangelism, Hospital Visits, More than 50 Salvations & 23 Baptisms!

• New Life Church 85-120 attending on Sundays

• Moved into rented old tavern for $50 per month, which is now our new Church building, & we received a new roof AND electricity thanks to some generous locals!

• Babies Home now has indoor bathroom, with a toilet, tub, and sink!

• Huge Food Donation from a South African company, helps us provide dry food goods to the Children’s Home, Babies Shelter, orphans, and poorest families in our community feeding over 450 people monthly

• After School Program Awarded a train container for 2011 that will serve as our library and learning Centre!

• Taught 150 kids Christian Life Skills & Bible Class for 12 week course on Character Development at local school

• Hosted 47 kids on a 3 Day camp, over 180 kids enjoyed outings, Day Camp, and Sunday school classes

• Adults in the area took part in several Bible classes offered throughout the year, and more than 30 completed an 18 hour video training course and began establishing evangelism teams for hospital, prison, door to door, and open air ministries.  The outreaches have brought new people to Christ and expanded God’s Kingdom.

• The Kids and I have begun a project with Animal Welfare to feed, flea dip, and care for starving dogs in our area

• All kids in our Babies Shelter tested HIV NEGATIVE-Miracles abound in our midst!

Testify to the Glory of The Lord: Be a living witness

Thulani, Winston, Siseko the lame shall walk! Thulani WAS paralyzed and laying in a hospital bed, we prayed for him and God healed him instantly! Winston walked with arm crutches for more than 10 years and at the end of his first Church service with us, God healed him completely and he now walks about 7km per day to work! Siseko had a terrible bone infection and surgery 2 years ago they put a steel rod on the exterior of his leg immobilizing his knee. His neighbor attends our little church and asked me to go pray for him at his shack. He began feeling stronger and walked to church several Sundays with his dog, and family.  Last week, the infection had cleared and he had surgery to remove the steel bar attaching his upper and lower leg bone. Praise God, he walked out of the hospital normal and healed! Hallelujah!

I was sick last year, with high fever after returning from Uganda, felt it could be Malaria, but when we tested my blood it came back negative-God healed me!

Two young ladies were healed from being bed ridden to active and attending Church! -HIV, TB must GO in Jesus Name!

Many sick among you, but God is ABLE to DO Exceedingly, Abundantly ABOVE! He is our Healer and Deliverer!

Babies Home, caring for orphans and vulnerable children

Back to school time! Our four oldest children (ages 3-8) at the babies’ shelter, are all attending school now, and loving it! We are excited to now have a monthly sponsor of the $16 school fees for each of them!  Preschool and elementary school have proven very exciting for the kids and we are trying to get them all school back packs, lunch boxes, clothes and shoes.  Please help us with even a small donation of $25 or more so we can get them well equipped for school!  Many of our Qolweni kids, who are among the poorest of the poor, are also in need of school uniforms and supplies.  Three kids received new school shoes last week. 

Orphan Care & Support

Masizame Children’s Home now has 28 resident children and the new bus driver is a lay preacher, PRAISE THE LORD! He and I spoke after church last week about doing youth services at the children’s home twice per month and building up a Children’s choir there in Kwanokuthula township.  We will also plan VBS during the school holidays and watch as God uses these kids to evangelize their community with praise and worship! 

After School Program and Feeding the Poor

God has provided for all of our needs, hallelujah!  More than 70 kids are registered now with our After School Program and we feed them at the end of the day.  Abundant blessings to the donors who gave so generously last month, and may God richly bless you.  Thank you for making this mission POSSIBLE!

On Friday, more than 75 kids at the after school program received little bags or cases with pens, crayons, rulers, glue, and pencils.  We have about 20 kids still in need of shoes, socks, or uniforms, but hope to get them soon.   Funny to watch how nothing goes to waste here, and at the end of the day every creature rejoices at the Lord’s provision!  As the kids eat their sandwiches and drop little crumbs of bread, chickens quickly scurry around eating every bit, both inside and outside the Church.  28 families received food parcels this month.   

God is so good! Chief gives land to build a NEW Church in the Eastern Cape!  

Our African Pastor, Marau has served faithfully for more than two and a half years here in Qolweni. He now feels God has opened a door for him to return to his homeland and start another Church for the Xhosa rural people.  We believe God will provide sponsors for this Church plant.  The anticipated building costs for a 75 seat completed block building Church will be approximately $10,000 USD.  If you, your Church, or organization would like to contribute toward the NEW CHURCH plant here in South Africa note “AFRICA: NEW CHURCH” on your donation or check please.

Abundant Blessings,

Michelle

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Michelle Smith has been on mission for our Lord since 2004.  

Please consider any way you can help by donations. Anything you can do to make a difference in the life of a child will be a blessing! Thank you for your urgent attention and support. 

Please feel free to contact me anytime. - Michelle Smith
E-Mail: Africa Dreams

  "Sowing Seeds of Hope and a Future" - Jer. 29:11