A 2022 draws to a close...
we want to send you warm greetings from Bethlehem, South Africa. Bethlehem is a great place to be at Christmas time!
Thank you for praying for our youth camp. It was from the 10th-14th of December and it was an amazing experience full of great memories for the students. On our 2nd and 3rd days of camp, we had torrential downpours and all the outside activities were postponed or cancelled. (I have an awesome video of the storm posted on my Facebook wall) Most of the tents the students were sleeping in were flooded as well and they had to sleep in the church. Day 3 we had the students do the G300 course in the rain since several of the obstacles were water ones and they would be wet anyway. They definitely got cold, but did so well! Our Miesha girl was SOOOOO nervous to do it, but had a great team of girls surrounding and encouraging her and she ended up doing everything! We were so proud of her and could see her growing in confidence. The color war, water fight and capture the flag were all postponed earlier in the week and we ended up combining them into one epic battle on our final morning of camp which happened to be a beautiful sunny day. More than just a camp full of memorable adventures, we wanted these students to connect to the heart of God and hear His messages filled with love for them. This definitely happened!! Many students shared of special connections they had with the Lord during worship and devotional times.
The worship times were extended and there were almost double the group discussion times together because we had so much extra time indoors – it was so good! Dan led a small group of young guys, I assisted a student leader as she led her group of gals, and Titus and Miesha were each in different groups. All had really amazing time with the Lord, learned a lot from the teachings, and left camp with more wisdom. Both of our kids have shown a greater interest in deepening their personal journeys with the Lord recently and as their parents, we are so thankful and blessed to see them growing.
MINISTRY UPDATE:
Dan’s freedom ministry called Align is continuing through the holiday season – many people experience extra stress or pressure during weeks before and after Christmas to relapse into prior coping behaviors. We had the group over for a braai (BBQ) this week and it was so great to relax with them and learn more of their stories. Dan spent time with a young man who checked himself into a rehab facility following – it is early days and we aren’t allowed contact, but we are thankful he reached out for professional help and we pray God will meet him during this time of searching and reflection. It seems a few more are interested in joining Align in the New Year and we are thankful for that.
Another man in Align has been estranged from his wife and kids for a year and a couple months ago, he had an incredible breakthrough in his thinking during a conversation with Dan. He was believing some things that weren’t true and once he had a deep revelation about how deeply he was loved by God, everything changed! He reached out to his wife and the Lord had softened her heart the same week!!! He is currently reconciling with his family and we pray the Lord will help them all heal and continue to grow.
Janell has been journeying with a woman who is in process of leaving a domestic abuse situation. We helped her get to a different location for the holidays and she now has a safe new place to move into when she returns. We are so thankful to the Lord for her safety and please join us in praying for her heart and mind to heal in the weeks and months to come.
We are so thankful to be here for this season and to be the hands and feet of Jesus to this community.
MIESHA AND TITUS NEWS:
Miesha recently turned 15 years old and has now passed up Janell in height. She is very creative and enjoys drawing, coloring, and water coloring. She took painting lessons this year and loved it! She enjoys reading and often finishes a book a day. She is growing in her baking skills and is peaceful and kind – an absolute delight. She has been attending the youth group this year and is doing well.
Titus is 13 now. He is also growing taller and his voice has deepened. He is always asking for extra engineering, science or STEM projects to do with his schooling. He loves riding his bike, doing archery, and building machines in his computer game. He is very interested in blade-smithing (making knives in a forge) and he and Dan are making a forge in our workshop. A couple days ago, he got a chance to blade smith at a friend’s forge and loved it. He and his friend Morne are often found in the workshop together building and fixing stuff. We are enjoying watching him explore all his diverse interests.
Both Miesha and Titus are happy to be finishing grade 8 and to be starting grade 9 in January. We will be starting our 10th year of homeschooling together and we will be doing a curriculum with a core of South African history, culture, and geography. We enjoyed Part A – the elementary school program – a couple years ago and we are all looking forward to the Part B for high schoolers. To be honest, the last couple years we tried an online schooling option and it didn’t work out so well. We are all looking forward to the “reset button” that another school year brings and we hope this next year will be smoother. It will require more time and investment from me as a facilitator and teacher, but I think it will be a good change for all of us. I decided to quit my job teaching English online for Chinese learners (we have SOOOO many issues with electricity and internet right now here in SA) and will have more time to invest with my own learners.
Wishing you blessings, joy, and immeasurable peace as we finish 2022 and begin another year.
With love from South Africa,
Dan, Janell, Miesha and Titus Hartley
Thanks for supporting us!
