USA: Photo update

Thought I'd upload a couple of our pics from the last couple of days that never made it into the Blogs: (they're in totally random order)


Mands @ thermopolis hot springs.










Kids above the minerals deposited by the hot springs...








the Rocky Mountains viewed from "Western frontiers" a ministry of YWAM







on our way to Wyoming we came across this mountain view... one of many impressive landscapes.









A crow evangelist from the Reservations...

















The group that helped build the orphinage
















Leon playing Rythm section in the crow worship team.








so how do you keep a whole wack load of kids busy during a Thanksgiving dinner speach time??

















Pretty Eagle Point... named after the indian chief burried there. Chief Pretty Eagle.














Two pretty girls @ Pretty Eagle Point

USA: How much wood would a wood chuck chuck?

It all depends on how much time he has! ;-)

It's unbelievable how much has happened in these last couple of days....

We headed off to Col. Springs and had an awesome time of ministry there @ Gary Blacks home cell. The Lord led me to preach on "growing up" and then the Lord moved in a most prophetic way. It was an awesome blessing. A couple of the peeps prophesied over Mandz and I... very cool stuff BUT nothing regarding location. :-)

While we were there we got to see a place called "Valley of the gods". Amazing landscape with these huge outcrops of Red and White rocks. The next day we got to see "big" snow as we ascended a mountain peak nearby that's over 14000 feet above sea level. (That's a couple of thousand meters... most of you have phones that can convert that ;-))

We came back to Denver only to rush off to Montana where we spent the entire weekend ministering to the Native American Crows.

When we arrived a couple of the local Pastors invited us to join them in a "Sweat" (That's sweat as in perspire!!!) What they do is place you in a tiny weeny little dome made originally from animal hide but now made with army canvas ;-) They place 8 of you in it along with a whole pile of glowing red hot rocks... that in itself is way way hot but they make it worse they then proceed to close the door so you're in pitch black darkness then they pour water on those there rocks and bath you in steam... I was able to last all of 15 mins... they lasted nearly an hour. While in there you're breathing pure team. your nasal cavity is burning your skin is burning and EVERYTHING is sweating profusely!! Did I mention that you had to get in there with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on?? Oh yeah!! they corrupted me... I was in a tent with eight naked Christians talking about life the universe and everything... quite intense. (In the unsaved arena they use a drug called Peyote which induces "visions" - It's an hallucinogenic. I'm kinda glad they were Christians.)

Our Purpose for being there was to help build an orphanage for the crow children who are left to their own devices...

We as a family had a very significant first Thanksgiving in that:

1stly they asked me to share with them about Culture and the Gospel... man god showed me some really cool stuff - Look here for the notes.

2dly we practiced it the same way the original pilgrims did... with the Natives (they object to being called Indians). It was very special.

On our way back we were told to head on down to "Yellowstone National Park" the one where "Old Faithful" is. We ended up staying in Wyoming State in a town called Matseersee. Population 300 'n somein'... What a God moment!!!

We stayed at the YWAM base called Western Frontiers - previously Cowboys with a Mission (CWAM) and we met two amazing peeps in the form or Mister Dave and Miss Molly with their 2 kids Brooklyn and Joshua.

It turned out that Yellowstone was snowed under & we couldn't get in so we went to Thermopolis and soaked in the World's Largest Hot springs. We were aalso able to see the Bison feeding grounds. What awesome animals... it's a good thing their horns aren't bigger. Their heads would fall off with all that weight.

The next day Dave took us on an out ride on REAL cowboy horses with authentic cowboy saddles... what an amazing experience!

We tore ourselves away from them not wanting to ever leave there and headed back to Denver where we spent the actual thanksgiving day at an inner city outreach that fed the homeless and gave them a concert. Mandz and I were asked to sing an African song with the band... so Jabulani came to the fore... Yip. It sounded pretty cool accompanied by a croup of truly pro Muso's...

God is moving in this country in a strange way... I still haven't been able to put my finger on it??

Getting people to sign up for Hope in Africa is proving to be a little more challenging than we anticipated. But if this is a God thing then God will build the house because as y'all know, "Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers labour in vain".

USA: COLORADO

We have finally arrived in Colorado. I had mixed feelings about arriving in Colorado, as this is the moment of figuring out what God placed in our hearts years ago regarding this State and our connection with it. My fears were "what if we arrive and nothing great happens?" or "what if God wants us to leave SA, our precious family and friends (and animals) to plant/lead/work along side a church here?" REAL FEARS!

Ronnie Morris met us at the airport and we spent a few days with him and Marcella. Ronnie & Marcella Morris are the Directors of KingsKids (YWAM for younger kids) Denver and they are keen to bring the kids out to us on outreach in White River. They warmly welcomed us into their home and provided us with a car to use as long as we need to - what a tremendous blessing. Ronnie is an ex-Rancher and treated us to a steak BBQ, he bought all the different steak cuts for us to try and gave us a quick lesson in a "steak-out".

We joined Ronnie at a christian school in Aurora where they had the YWAM Western Frontiers (Cowboys) talking to the kids about YWAM. They did dramas and music and came to practically work on the school building to finish off some maintenance issues that the school needed help with. The school has asked Lee and I to speak to their high school about Hope In Africa on the 10/12/08.

We met up with Jude and Cindy DelHierro and stayed a few days with them. We got to see our first real snow at their home. Beautiful to wake up in the morning and see the snow falling - the girls rushed outside in their new "snow clothes" (these were generously donated to us by friends in Atlanta) to play in it. Jude & Cindy are the couple that Iain & Sue with Ethnie & Malcolm arranged for us to meet in White River briefly and who invited us to Colorado to see what their ministry (Confluence Ministries) is all about. (p.s. Jude is a song writer and has written many songs that we sing in worship e.g. More Love More Power). We joined them on an outreach at a school in the area to provide all the little Hispanic kids from this school, who are from very poor areas, with a new pair of shoes each. We sized and shoed hundreds of little kids with new shoes that were organized by a ministry called Little Feet. What a joy to see those little faces light up when they each received a pair of really cool new shoes.

Jude has asked Lee & I to help him with worship this Sunday am at Bethany Evangelical Free Church in Littleton, we are looking forward to a great time of worship and to be playing/singing with some awesome musicians!

We met with some of the NCMI guys who have planted churches in Denver and they have extended hands of friendship. We have been invited to spend Christmas with Scott & Rene Ainslie (South Africans who have planted in Denver) who have also offered us a place to stay when we need it and we are house sitting in December for Marlin & Charlotte Bender who run a relating NCMI church in Denver (we met this couple in Atlanta at the conference).

Jude & Cindy blessed us with tickets to a basketball game on Sunday night i.e. Denver Nuggets vz. Minnesota Timberwolves. Well, when in Rome do as the Romans!!

We took the girls to the Children's Museum in Denver which is a kids paradise. It is a tactile environment with loads of fun things to interact with, the girls had a ball. Presently, we are housesitting for Dave Dennis in Lakewood. Dave has a house on a little lake with loads of space for the kids to play. We have been away from home now for about 1 month and are missing all of you lots and lots. The US is very different, Amanda personally enjoyed the UK more AND we are curious to see what our connection with Colorado will be.

USA: 4th Leg of our Trip: Fri 7/11- Sun 9/11

What an amazing weekend.

Pat & Bee were awesome hosts and really spoiled us rotten!

On Friday we just chilled at home. Saturday, after our first all american football match - played by knee-highs - we spent the rest of the day at the Atlanta Aquarium... Truthfully... It was nice... but the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the sea ;-p

The Beluga whales were awesome!! What beautiful creatures. The debate always comes up if these facilities are necessary? Well if it wasn't for this facility, I'd never have gotten to see these magnificent creatures in real life...

Sunday, after attending a satelight branch of 6000 peeps a church in Atalanta whose size is itself more than 10 000 peeps we spent the rest of the day at a dam fly fishing and just chilling. It was great!!

We left early Monday morning to denver. And after traveling more than three hours we only took 1 hour to get there. This time traveling is awsome :-D

USA: 3rd Leg of our Trip - Mon 3/11 to Friday 7/11

After 10 hours of flying it only took us four hours to get to the States from the UK... go Figure?? ;-)

WOW!

Francois Botes - A prophet who runs a church in Germany started this week by seeing a dream of a 5 pistoned motor engine dissected. One of the pistons shafts that connected it to the crank shaft was broken... He interpreted it to say that the prophet was disjointed from the rest of the 5 fold and that God wanted to fix this. And BOY did He fix it.

Mandz and myself were blessed out of our sox. AND the girlz were even blessed to participate in a children's leadership school where they were taught how to hear God. You need to ask them all about it

We ordered the DVDs so if you're keen we'd love to share them with y'all when we get back!

Now we're off to house sit a house Bee organized. We're leaving on Monday to... Drum Roll...

COLORADO!!!!! Tadaaa.

UK: 2nd Leg of our Trip - Sun 2/11

	Pete allowed us graciously to share our vision of Hope in Africa. It was a gr8 service on the Primary and secondary realms of existence. The Primary being the Spiritual and the secondary being the physical.
	Lunch was awesome! A typical English roast with horse radish and apple sauce. Man it was better than Christmas.
	The train ride brought us back to reality as it was JAM PACKED. a 2 hour train trip that you don't have place to sit is not a joke. We at least the kids found their little nook.

UK: 2nd Leg of our Trip - Sat 1/11

Today we went to Cadbury World in Bournville 3 miles from Birmingham. This really was an amazing experience. Cadbury world was started 140 years ago by the Cadbury family who were Quakers. Their vision for community upliftment and their love for God brought about the town of Bournville that still exists today and this is the town that produces dark chocolate. I really was moved by this whole thing, what a legacy to have something that you started in faith continue 140 years after your death, that can only happen if your foundations are right! Wow, being in a chocolate factory and eating chocolate until you feel ill from the sweetness is quite an experience. It was so well done inside and covered the story of chocolate in such an interesting and engaging manner. Alythia and Talitha had so much fun in the chocolate factory, they were smiling from ear to ear.

UK: Second Leg of our Trip - Fri 31/10

James Bond is a real disappointment!

What a gr8 day we had yesterday. Pete & Jan took us to the animal park where we saw a whole lot of strange goat looking sheep and other animals such as Lemurs etc.

We had a walk through a local park there where the girl's were the piped piper of geese... they had the whole flock following them. It was quite a sight really!!









We then had a Barn-Dance at Pete's church... I know the hardest part about barn dancing is telling your folks you're queer, but it really was a LOT of fun. We need to try it back home someday :)

John, Pete's son - Debbie's Bruva, took me to see the new release of 007. The MAN with the gadgets... well let's just say if they're trying to wean us good ol' fashioned James roadies off of him slowly, they're getting it right!!