24Feb/100
Joyful Abondonment
Hi everyone! We just wanted to share with you an amazing testimony that has happened to us over the last 6 months.
We were planning on having a small wedding when we first thought of our wedding but we then felt that God was calling us to have a big wedding and to celebrate and to know that he will provide everything that we need. We took a step of faith and believed that God was speaking to us and we planned for a wedding that was beyond all that we could achieve by ourselves. When it came to 4 weeks before I left for South Africa we still didn’t have enough money. However, in those 4 weeks money came and we had enough to pay for the wedding. Unfortunately we had to go into our honeymoon fund so we couldn’t plan anything for a honeymoon. But then on the day before the wedding our pastor told us that he might be able to get us into one of the best hotels in Durban for 2 nights for a third of the price! It was amazing. During our time on our honeymoon, we didn’t know where we were going to stay once it was over, but on the last night we got a call saying that a place is free for us and we can move in whenever we want. Just days before we also received a gift that would pay for our rent for a few months and also Candice’s visa for England. So we then moved into our apartment just a few days after the honeymoon. We stayed there for a few month and then came the time to apply for Candice’s visa. It was going to be really hard and we knew that. We prayed and fasted and seeked God’s will. We applied for the visa at the end of January and we were told that it could take up to 10 days to get it back. It was dispatched Monday and sent back on Wednesday and Candice got the visa!!!!!! It was totally incredible! People were fasting and praying with us all over the world and we really felt God telling us to ask people to do this and that sometimes the blessings comes through others. Once she got her visa we then needed to get her ticket. We had no money so we prayed and asked God what He wants us to do. We remembered that when we got our wedding rings in October the money hadn’t come out of my account. We went and told them explaining that we believe in Jesus and we don’t want to steal from you. They looked into everything and said that they had received the money, however my bank still say nothing has gone out of my account. This was a true miracle and now with this money we bought Candice’s ticket to England! So now we can both come on the same flight!!! – march 16th! Cant wait to see all of you guys!
We really wanted this story to encourage you. God really does answer prayers and fasting can also be a tool. We want to encourage you to also tell people your reuests if you feel God is leading you! Don’t keep things to yourself! Let people stand by you and with you! Please let us know if there is anything that we can pray for you about. Even if you don’t believe in Jesus or prayer. There’s power in our fellowship!!!
Be encouraged friends in whatever circumstance you face in life! We have a heavenly Father who knows our needs and doesn’t just answer our prayers because it his “job”, he does it because he loves to give good gifts and is just waiting for us to pray and bring ourselves to Him in joyful abandonment.
2Feb/100
Update
Dear friends we really wanted to give you an update on the news of Friday.
The day went well. We had a person who was meant to drive us but he was actually really late and we thought that we weren’t going to make the appointment but thank God he knew his way and we got to the place on time. Unfortunately they would only allow Candice into the room and I had to stay outside, Candice went in with the peace of God and we prayed hard. She submitted everything and towards the end I was allowed in because I had to sign something. Everything was there that was meant to and we prayed so much over everything that we wrote. Candice is meant to find out in 5 to 10 working days the result of her application and it is being hand delivered to our house. They day was so strange. It reminded us both of doing our exams and the gut feeling that you have before they open the door and you walk to your seat. However, something was different, there was a real sense of God’s Spirit and we just felt at peace. We know that it was because of all your prayers and we really wanted you to know how much of an impact they had. When we walked out of the building where the visa place was, we didn’t felt feel uneasy or scared, we felt peace and a great weight taken off our shoulders. Its difficult to explain, again, its like an exam – when you finish it and you walk out knowing that you did all you could do and its not in your hands anymore. Your prayers mean more to us than you’ll ever know. There is so much power in prayer and I think sometimes we aren’t aware that God searches for those to pray! Why? Because God wants to do mighty acts and miricles but he chooses to work through us and it is by praying that God hears us and then acts. Your prayers had so much power and we want to encourage and thank you for taking the time to thinking and interceding for us. So......now we are back at the YWAM base and things are a bit more easier now. Jack is helping with the layout of the monthly newsletter and working on the website and Candice is participating in an outreach to a local township and now that we finally have this weight of the visa off our shoulders we can concentrate on serving and doing what we came to do. I’m hoping to do some art now, im not sure if ill have enough for an exhibition but I have a real passion and desire to create something. We are both getting to know people at base alot more now and there were a bunch of new students who arrived at the beginning of January who are doing Discipleship Training School and it has been a joy a privilege to stay up late night chatting with them, sharing life stories, reading the bible, talking and debating etc. We will be doing this from now on until we leave for England.
We do ask that if you could all still think and pray for us through these 5 – 10 days we would really appreciate it, even though we are over the worst we are not “out of the woods” yet. We trust in God for this visa and we know that your prayers have so much power and we want to thank you and just ask that if you remember us, keep praying!
Thank you so so much!!!!!!
Take care and we’ll keep you updated
Ps – if you feel like you heard God give a word or anything for us while you were raying please email it to us – every word of God is nourishment to our spirits and souls,
God bless you all richly!
Jack and Candice
13Sep/090
news update
Candice and I would like to share with you what’s been happening over the last month and a bit and especially some really important prayer requests. It’s been really great to chat with some of you over facebook but we have so much to tell that it’s great to incorporate it into this letter. We did write a newsletter a while ago but unfortunately we couldn’t get it out to everyone so we would like to briefly talk about what we have done over the last year. We both just came back from staffing a Discipleship Training School in Switzerland where we both co- lead an outreach to different countries. Candice co-lead an outreach to India and I co-lead one to Madagascar. We both had an amazing time and really learnt alot about ourselves and each other. During this time we got engaged and also had a vision of what we want to do in the future. I have a strong desire to still use art in the mission field and Candice had a vision of setting up an orphanage. We are still seeking God for direction and clarity but we hope to do some counselling schools within YWAM to help us as we want to possibly go in to that in our future. Is it all something we are praying about. We hope to do a School of Biblical Studies in September 2010 in Muzemburg South Africa. We really want to dive deeper into God’s word and really experience His nature and character and we learn about His Word.
Jack:
The last few months have been quite packed. Since coming back from Switzerland I’ve had a job delivering leaflets and also back again as a support worker, working with adults with learning difficulties which I really enjoy. I found time to work on my art and refine my skills which has been so refreshing for me and also spending time with God and studying the Bible which has really became my lifeline especially over these last months. I’ve also been studying allot for my book especially spiritual warfare. Im currently reading 4 books at once but its challenged and impacted me so much and also God has revealed through this how art can be used in so many areas of Christianity (such as spiritual warfare, intercession etc). I have no idea how long it is going to take because God just keeps giving me more to study and more to write about but I love it and it really has challenged me especially as I study the meanings and origins of the language and context of the books of the Bible. In relation to my art I have now have several cards created and I’m trying to sell them to some book stores and churches. I have also been doing something else which is really important with my art but ill leave that until the end of the letter. I have been to more churches with my art which has been received really well, worked with art in local communities and also helped at a art seminar at a large Christian even called “New Wine” which is held every year in England; my main responsibility was to encourage younger people to try art and learn that they can express themselves this way in worship, it was great to see many youth have fun with paint and colour and see God work through their hands and hearts. I have also been given the great opportunity of leading worship at my church which has been amazing; I know I’ve had experience in this area through YWAM but it’s great to do it in my own church, I love leading worship and leading others into God’s presence as well.
• Reception decoration, flowers,
Dishes, plates, cutlery, cake, food – R12, 000...£900
• Tables -R1000....£75
• Wedding dress, shoes, hair, make up, jeweler etc – R 4000....£300
• Rings- R4000....£300
• Suit- R2128....£160
• Bridesmaids and flower girl dresses- R3000...£225
• Video and photographer- R2000...£150
• Church R1000...£75
Jacks flight – R8925...£670
Total =
R38,053...£2855...$4654...€3909
.
Remaining =
R15,500...£1162...$1900...€1349
Candice:
I have had a very interesting few months. Since being back in South Africa we have been praying together about what our next step should be. For Jack we believed that God was calling him into work and also art, for me however, we believe we both heard that I should join the local YWAM base (YWAM Durban) and work there as staff. It was a big step and not something we decided half heartidly. We prayed and I applied and to our great joy not only did they accept me but they also said that they had been praying for more staff and specifically someone for the kitchen (which is the area I now work). God is so good eh? So I have been there for the last 2 months. I also have many opportunities to work in other areas of ministry that the base do such as women’s meeting and feeding the homeless and children’s ministry. It has been so rewarding to do this and especially in my home city. I have also had the opportunity to attend some of the lectures and it is great to be back in YWAM. The weeks have flown by and I seem to always be busy with cooking and keeping the kitchen in order and also arranging wedding plans. It has been incredible to experience how God has been working in my life especially over these last few months. I’m quite near home so I still get to visit my family but I live at the base. God has spoken to me in so many ways. I’m is currently living off support and trusting in God to provide each month. The new DTS has been going for a few weeks now. I’m also doing everything for the wedding. So far, we don’t have all the finances for the wedding but we are trusting in God. Some fantastic things have been happening though. We have been given a gift’s of £430, £30, £50, and also £200 from jack’s church. But not only that, we prayed not just for finances but that God would provide everything we need and an aunt contacted me about 4 weeks ago who does wedding planning etc and has offered to do the catering, deco, cutlery, plates, dishes flowers, make my wedding dress, desserts as well as wedding cake all for a quarter of the price we originally budgeted for. Originally the cost was R38,053 and now including Jacks wages for this month and September we have only R15,500 (£1162) to go! Isn’t God amazing! He is so faithful and Jack and I are learning and growing to know so much about ourselves and most importantly about our heavenly Father. The wedding is still alot to think about and can take up alot of our thoughts which is sometimes very tiring physically and emotionally so we would both appreciate prayer for that.
We both can now talk over skype which has put alot of stress away so that has been great. We pray before we say goodbye and we also try and worship with each other which is always great. We are really excited about the future and what it holds, we have read many stories about people like George Muller and Reinhard Bonnke and we really have an eagerness to see God work through us to reach out to people of different ages, ethnicities, gender, language, background etc and see the glory of God revealed through the power of Jesus’ name and the desires He’s placing on our hearts
There are so many prayer requests right now for us as listed on the side. The wedding is a huge event for us and we need many things specifically finances. I have set up a pay pal on my website so it wont charge you to send anything to us. We would greatly appreciate anything, no matter how small, everything adds up and if everyone who receives this newsletter could give £3 it would pay for my flight with some money left over. We have experienced being on the mission field and know how great it is to have people supporting us through prayer and intercession and just how important it is so if you would like to be part of that and pray for us and like to be updated with how things are going, please contact us and we’ll keep you updated via our newsletters (that will be every month). To also raise money for our wedding I am doing some more art and selling the originals for a cheap cost. If you think you might be interested in buying any of them just contact me. Again, we would greatly appreciate your prayers, we know that not everyone can always remember to pray for us, but if God reminds you sometime when you are praying please pray for our requests and that we’ll see God move in our finances and also in our lives as we face marriage. We are so ready for this but it also hard being so far away and then going into mission for our future,
Thankyou so much for taking the time to read this
Jack and Candice
Gallery