I remember traveling through several States with the Waltmans. I had one of my most exciting rides of a lifetime. We stopped at every signpost welcoming us into a new State. We jumped and took epic shots with Denver, Amelia, Jenny and Jason. We stopped to dream too. One of the many dreams was the Library Dreams Project. I shared my vision and they immediately latched onto it. We explored various ways of realizing it. Grace Klein Community responded amazingly by opening up doors through community connections where I spoke and shared the need for a children’s library in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa, and to other corridors of Africa.

Several schools responded generously by donating hundreds and sometimes thousands of books. Anonymous donors rented out a storage unit to keep all incoming donations.

The following year I proposed to my beautiful friend (now wife) Prima while on my second mission and her first trip to the US. Our trip was funded by our friends through our partnership with Grace Klein Community. We met so many new people who have now become friends.

After four years, all the goods in the storage were shipped to South Africa. The shipping freight business was all new to us. Suffice to say that we faced many hurdles along the way. Prayer has been our best weapon. On Monday, May 15, 2017, I went with a team of LXP students to Port Elizabeth to load the donated goods, after all paperwork had been completed and the container was released. This was only possible because Grace Klein Community sent us $3,000 to clear all demurrage and Customs Depot charges. That makes in excess of $9,000 worth of financial contributions in this last phase of the project alone.

When we saw the quantity and quality of the donated items, we were speechless and amazed by what God has done. Everyone was so ecstatic and all of a sudden, we became so energetic that the enormous semi-truck did not intimidate us. In jubilant moves, we offloaded the truck singing songs of praise. Nothing could dishearten us in those few hours. Our joy was stronger than any other emotion.

We are humbled by grace so sufficient – unmerited favor shown by our Grace Klein Community. You have given so much and yet you continue to give more.

Since 2011, we have received ministry support spiritually, emotionally and financially. We have received emergency relief funds for West Africa projects, a ministry vehicle, travel expenses including air tickets, just to name a few. Grace Klein Community also sent us personal funds including pre and post-wedding costs.

And now we have received 12,000 books, an innumerable range of clothes for babies to adults, music instruments and equipment, computer equipment, and we are still unpacking! We are utterly shocked by your unrelenting generosity. We are filled with all exciting emotions and new-found hope to dream further. Our hearts are full of gratitude. Our despair has been shattered by authentic love exhibited in the expression of your unconditional love and encouragement yielded by entrusting us with such a huge task of stewarding God’s resources as well as to channel His blessings to the needy in society.

We would like to say thank you, times a million, to everyone that has made this project possible, from Alabama to Florida, Maryland to Michigan, Missouri to Arkansas and all the way to California, we will forever remain thankful to all prayer warriors and sponsors. There is absolutely no doubt that great leaders will be grown and nurtured through the Library and Music Academy at Beats and Books. Your gifts are rare pearls and diamonds whose true worth cannot be measured by devices nor by human brains. Their impact is eternal.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:3-6

Testimonies from Clothing Donations

“So we couldn’t resist giving out some goodies as needs came. This is what happened…

We have an LXP student camp approaching. Since it’s winter and some of the students didn’t have enough warm clothing, we decided to ask them to help themselves to some clothing. They were so unbelievably thankful.

One of our students has two kids and has had no steady income or support since she joined LXP. I asked her to pick out some clothes for her kids too. She selected two or so items. Then I asked her to take more. When I met George later, he told me that when she saw him she ran towards him shouting: “This God is for real! He has provided my kids with all winter and summer clothing. I don’t have to worry about buying stuff for the next two seasons!”

Yesterday I invited our two friends, who are from India, and their son, to get some clothing. So they came today. I asked them to feel free to pick clothing and shoes as they need. First of all, Sony told me that she has never had more than a pair of shoes and a pair of flip-flops in her entire life. She walked away with four pairs of shoes for herself. On top of that they took shoes for their son as well as clothing for their entire family of three. She said they are sorted for the next three years! Sony and Paul are servant leaders based in India where they share the gospel through a primary school they opened in a dangerous area. They are in South Africa for a 20 day vacation.

We can’t wait to hear more testimonies from people who will benefit from this colossal gift!”

“Freely you have received; freely give.” – Matthew 10:8

Next Level

When we informed the kids that we were not allowed to continue meeting from our usual venue of the last two years, they all had different reactions. The most beautiful of them all was to see them write and draw thank-you cards to the elderly ladies appreciating them for the time we were able to use their place. Now that’s radical. I was expecting them to be furious.

“And they that know your name will put their trust in you; for you Lord have not forsaken them that seek you.” – Psalm 9:10

We constantly fight from victory and it’s that stance that allows us to remain victors and not victims by the grace of our Lord. In our last update, we mentioned that we were booted out of our usual Beats and Books meeting place. We relentlessly pursued the “in-charge” of the little hall and finally, our battle culminated in a stakeholders’ meeting. With three other programs represented, Beats and Books was again under intense fire of unsolicited ambiguous disfavor. It was so immense I could sense an apparition in the room that most assuredly was stirring my colleagues from one of the represented organizations. “Why would anybody be so against us,” I asked myself. Then I recalled, when you partner with the Lord in redeeming His creation, principalities begin to rage against you. We do not fight flesh and blood.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12

Two weeks later, we are smiling, ear to ear. The rewards of knowing God and believing that He is able to do what He said He will do are immeasurable and so fulfilling. “Why do we do what we do?” As silly and as unwarranted that question may seem, I felt the necessity to ask myself (Cornie) and my wife. Yes, it’s enshrined in our vision, mission, and objectives, but we needed some introspection – some re-conviction and assurance that what we are doing is God-ordained and not just our whimsical ideas so ethereal and quickly diminishing. Yet today we could dine with our kindred at heart and spirit, and look at the canvas God has laid before us. Each one of us stroking the colorful intentionally dipped brushed, and paint away as if there is no noise in the background. With purpose intrinsic to our very existence and our calling, no wonder we cannot give up when little foxes begin to attack the vineyard.

We are thrilled to experience worshiping our Lord with Shaun (12 years old) on the guitar almost two-thirds his body-size, and Sima (14 years old) on the keyboard playing those keys swiftly like a pro at celebration where they were so unfamiliar to the people around them. Yet, I felt they could sense that they were one with the fellowship because we are the Body of Christ and they led our worship session this Sunday with a friend of ours. A Beats and Books initiative is to develop young musicians with a passion for worship.

Our hearts are full when we see Malik grasping basic arithmetic concepts and solving several problems instantly like a Math-maniac. Oh what delight when we hear the sounds of children trying out their first well-read words as a result of being introduced to phonics. It’s a totally new world to a child when they begin to read. What about that feeling of humility when a child’s attitude and behavior correct’s and the following days he’s the one confronting his friends about wrong behavior and keeping order?
Over the past few months, we have seen a rising interest in our ministry by locals. Besides Charne and Elizna teaching English and Math, we have had young volunteers coming from the Global Leadership Academy coming to serve alongside. It has been timely to receive such encouraging participation. For two hours every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we assist 20 to 30 kids, with Math, English, and music. There are only a few days when it’s just my wife and me reaching out to the kids.

Beats and Books is growing. It’s in metamorphosis. We are embracing every growth opportunity as time revolves. Just like our children, we are developing from caterpillars to butterflies. God isn’t finished with us yet. We see beauty in every season, even when it’s hard to have set apart time for family. There is always something to do with others in our community, but we are learning to prioritize and also be okay with saying “no” to good things so that we can grow us too; i.e. to spend time with each other and with the Lord in the quiet place. To that effect, we are glad to have a House Church that is able to hold us accountable. We are also thankful for any time we can have prayer and fellowship with our friends and family in the United States. You have no idea how we feel spurred on when we receive a hi from you. We want to maintain relationships beyond our visits stateside.

All in all, we are rejuvenated and so full of hope for this season. We feel empowered to continue going strong. We invite you to trust in the Lord for whatever you may be going through. We also invite you to connect with us and trust with us for miracles. Our biggest need at the moment is to get the books and some computers plus music equipment shipped to South Africa. Check back soon to read in detail about the current state of the Library Dreams Project. We want to know your needs as well. We always want to be a blessing to others and not a burden. Email us via info@beatsandbooks.org or find us on Facebook. We would like to keep in touch. Our greatest needs are spiritual and financial as we continue to serve . Please pray for us anytime God places us in your hearts. The journey is not easy, but it’s worth it. If you feel led to contribute financially, please share a one-time or monthly donation to help us on a personal level.

For those in the USA, checks can be mailed to Grace Klein Community, 1678 Montgomery Hwy #104, Birmingham, AL 35216 OR donate online HERE. Please write “Ngosa’s” on the memo line.

There are no words to express our gratitude. The last two months (February and March) have been drastically eventful. From surprising provision to faith-filled arsenal prayers…we have been in a valley of an incredible army. Before today, we would have simply said that it has felt like we are in a “valley of dry bones.” We would also have added that we’ve witnessed the “valley of the shadow of death.”

But we will be inexplicit about the distinctive events personal to the people close to us who must have the privilege of telling their own God-Stories. And I (Prima) will focus on telling our own. Well, the last time we wrote, we had just returned from Zambia and were quite drained (emotionally and physically) from helping to care-give for our Mother who had suffered a third stroke resulting in amnesia and loss of sight. Fast track two months on since February, we have been meeting our children who attend the Beats and Books programs 3 days a week until last week when we met hostility.

As some of you who have visited us may know, we met from a small hall measuring about 5 by 10 meters (16.4 by 32.8 feet) room in a community hall in the heart of the township. This was graciously offered to us for free last year when we were in dire need of a bigger facility to host our After-School and Music initiatives to the local children. It was a big move from meeting the 30-40 something kids in Gogo’s 3 by 3 square meters (9.8 by 9.8 square feet) little shack. But the complaints and opposition against us meeting the kids from this communal facility have intensified to the point of being withheld access to the premises by one of the local groups that meet there too. We are trusting that they will have a change in heart and see the value of what we bring to these children through the Love of Christ. And that they will accord this emergent generation a chance to re-write their future. How do you speak into the heart of an elderly person who chooses to see their Rights to social above the right for a child to have a decent educational support? What about their basic need to play and their desire to make music, it’s like trying to stop a butterfly in its erratic flight…or closing a chirping baby birds’ beak. We are the voice for the children, but for now when our plea seems unheard, all we hold onto is Hope in Christ and the faith that we will have the resources to purchase the building for the Library Dreams Project and Music Academy, which would secure a permanent meeting place for our Children.

„…all we hold onto is Hope in Christ and the faith that we will have the resources to purchase the building for the Library Dreams Project and Music Academy,.

So, if it was such a whirlwind of a time, what is there to be thankful for? Well, I have a new revelation on God’s Mercy. As I look around at the horrific and potentially questionable events surrounding us and the fellow Saints here, I see an army of God’s elect. I see those who have been called and chosen to live ordinary lives in extraordinary ways; To do common things uncommonly. The people opposing us are not wrong when they call our children rowdy and all sorts of names. They are not wrong because through eyes of limited vision, one can only see dry bones where lies a mighty army.

I still believe in our children. Today, I miss the 8 year-old who has been caught with a knife several times at our Ministry. *Sipho has a learning disorder and never turns up without causing disorder. But when you take the time to listen to the cry of his wounded heart, he is starving for love and acceptance. These children fight with one another, hurling stones and grabbing each other’s shirts in threat. They are not a brood of vipers! They are little children – the church of today and the founding fathers of tomorrow’s world. If forsaken and forgotten they have no hope, but to walk in the broken footsteps of bloodshed, discrimination and hostility. Of which I am thankful that the Lord is re-writing this Story, and we, you (yes, YOU dear one…reading this at this very moment) are already the link with which their Story is re-written. That’s the Mercy of God. In the midst of this chaos, our hearts have been so at rest. Our spirits are calm. We are doing cartwheels to worship our King in the midst of this chaos.

This year, we felt strongly that we needed to stay in Country (South Africa) to strengthen and oversee Ministry hands-on even more. In the last 3 years, we had the privilege of being invited to minister and raise support in the US towards the purchase of a building to house the Library and Music Academy for the children of Jeffreys Bay. This has had an effect on the momentum we built which needs to be revamped. We are currently brainstorming and believing for fresh support raising ideas as well as how to forge ahead with the Library Dreams Project. Please join us in prayer, will you?

*Name withheld to protect child’s identity.

Today we celebrated South African Youth Day. Commemorating the struggles and triumphs young people of South Africa experienced. On that day they sang songs of redemption from the iron fist of the apartheid regime. They believed that freedom was coming. Song played such a great role in pushing them forward and carrying baldness as they marched against persecution.

I was reminded of some struggles which compared to the one I shared above is so mini yet has potential to discourage us from the work God has called us to.
When there are victories to be shared, who wants to dwell on the opposing force?

We have quite a list of what we are thankful for. We prayed and longed for local involved. 

Here is a list of some successes.

1. The Worship Band is forming slowly but surely.
2. YWAM Jeffreys Bay has been so helpful in sending us volunteers from Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Sydney. Our partnership is strengthening too.
3. For the first time we got a donation solely mandated towards Admin! What a huge relief. We have in the past carried our ministry from our pockets. A loving couple came to our rescue and are willing to send more support after they see our report of how we are going to use this donated fund.
4. We met a lady who is so keen on championing some Corporate Social Responsibility gurus around the region for us.
5. We are sending our first successful student to Global Leadership Academy next year. We are beyond excited. We have tears of joy!
6. Two of our young members are tired of us not having enough space to do what we do and decided they will commence a fundraiser towards the purchase of a better place. Together with one of the girl’s Mom they started baking and cooking goodies for sell.

Who are we that He is mindful of us?

Life in Zambia

With just about a week left of our stay in Zambia, we moved house to spend a few days with Mum Cathy (Prima’s mother). Now that the therapy sessions for Mum Mary (Cornelius’ mother) were over, we tried to squeeze in visits with the people we hadn’t had a chance to meet while we were preoccupied. The few days with Mum Cathy were endearing. We spent our mornings helping Mum to fetch water for our daily use as there was no running water at the house. The lack of access to something as vital and basic a need as water reminded me to be thankful that I live in a house with running water.

„Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.“

Galatians 6:9

Since we arrived in Zambia, our daily bread was what everyone calls; load shedding. This is the average 8-10 hours that the power supply is cut off on a National grid, several suburbs at a time. As a result, in the 6 weeks we visited Zambia, we only had on average 21 hours a week of power supply. That’s less than a full day of power supply in a week!!! And that says a lot about the productivity of our Nation. Please kindly bear with us for being off the communication radar. The power supply and the erratic internet connections did little in aiding us to stay connected with the rest of the world during an already critical time. We try to live a simple life in South Africa. But the weeks spent in Zambia last Christmas, humbled us and gave us a deeper appreciation for where God has us at right now. When we mirror physical water and power to the spirit, it is true that we need Holy Spirit to quench our spiritual thirst. Holy Spirit also empowers us. The Lord showed me that this is the ministry we gave our family while in Zambia. We ate organic food, nutritious, traditional Zambian food (Cornelius’ favorite). In contrast to developed Countries, Organic food is the cheaper option in Zambia. So, we plucked juicy ripe mangoes from the trees and ate vegetables straight from the backyard garden or the market. The Lord is our sustenance. With not much upkeep money left after Medical bills and travel expenses, and a crippling Economy… we just trusted the Lord for continued provision. Wherever we visited, we just ate what He provided, however, He provided.

While in Zambia, we went to fellowship at my home church; MLFC (Miracle Life Family Church). We enjoyed the Sunday services and they encouraged and challenged us constantly. However, we also realized that we have a real lack and longing for community in Zambia (Lusaka). We often left church yearning for deeper connection but not having any solid relations with anyone to pursue. We are in Zambia so seldom that we have not had ample time to build relationships with people but our prayer is that God will bless us with godly relationships and a supportive community here too. I hope we can plug into something so that we can connect with that community every time we visit.

Gratitude

For our last night in Zambia, we took the 6-hour bus ride from the capital in Lusaka to Livingstone. In Livingstone, we spent the night with our dear friends the Mwanza’s (Hope and Musa). We got to briefly visit with Bruce, and Eyram (LXP Family and colleagues). We also dropped in to see my older sister and her family who just moved to Livingstone for work.
Lastly but not the least, we made a stop at Kwathu Children’s Home to send our love to Agrippa and Jeanette and the kids.
Although our visit to Zambia was entirely different from our projected itinerary, we have peace that we went and did what the Lord had us do as a couple. This was a hardcore adventure in many facets. Some moments were very lonely, some very precious and yet others were a near breaking point. But when I look at what the Lord has changed and grown in us through the time away, I just praise Him. By availing ourselves to help care for Mum, our family members who live with her could get some much-needed rest. In exchange, we had the privilege of loving on her in a way we don’t get to because we live so far away. This experience has given me a new found respect for our friends who have special needs children and family members. And of course I must add, these are things I deeply appreciated in retrospect. God has a way of solidifying the lessons for us when we sit in reflection rather than in the heat of the moment when we’re trying to keep ourselves from jumping out the purification furnace.

As soon as we landed in Johannesburg, we headed to our lovely friend’s home the Van der Merwe’s (Juanita and Wynand and Lian). They are our ‘transit angels’, gracefully hosting us when we are exiting and arriving in the country. They treated us to a day and 2 nights of baby laughter and authentic friendship. By the time we flew to Port Elizabeth the next day and arrived in Jeffrey Bay that evening, I had no idea what awaited us at home.
We spent the first week of being home, fumigating the house and camping out in our backyard. We were welcomed home by an army of COCKROACHES!!! For those of you who are yet to visit us, we live at an apartment complex, in a small gorgeous tourist town that gets over-crowded in December. Anyways, Praise the Lord we are pest free and are now trying to start settling back into our home.

I am thankful for Jesus and for all season friendships we have here. I’m thankful for prayer supporters; your faithful prayers carry us through it all. And for face time and Skype for far away friends who make time in their busy lives to connect. I am thankful for The Holy Spirit; our constant water and power supply. I am thankful for you taking the time to read our update.
I am grateful for my uncommon, often unsung hero; Cornelius. I give God glory for the gift of a man who is yielded to be shaped for the Masters Workmanship and Worship. I am blessed to be led by such a godly husband and such a humble, integrity-filled lifetime adventure partner.

Praises

• Friendships and Community in South Africa
• Local volunteers/open doors for Beats and Books

Prayers

• Rest and Renewal
• Ministry Fundraising
• Ministry kids School Fees
• Beats and Books opening on February 8
• Monthly personal financial support

Road trip to Zambia

It was barely a week since the LXP Graduation, my permit was due to expire in 3 days and we were in rush hour to close off the year and pack for our 30+ hour road trip to Zambia. The Lord was calming the rising frantic tide inside me, reminding me that a few days ago, He had just provided for our travels to Zambia and he was going to work all of these things out for our good because we love Him. So, on this Ngosa’s adventure, we spent 2 days traveling across 3 countries on a bus with no air-con.

We were frazzled to say the least, and yet God kept probing me to remain grateful. So I chose to focus on the truth He made it possible for us to exit South Africa before my permit expired. And we were going home to Zambia… There was a lot to be thankful for. Thank God for Cornelius who started us playing the ‘what can we be thankful for’ game each time one of us began focusing on the negatives.

We were frazzled to say the least, and yet God kept probing me to remain grateful. So I chose to focus on the truth He made it possible for us to exit South Africa before my permit expired. And we were going home to Zambia… There was a lot to be thankful for. Thank God for Cornelius who started us playing the ‘what can we be thankful for’ game each time one of us began focusing on the negatives. 

Prima’s South African Visa

Upon arrival in Zambia, we immediately got to work on my Visa and submitted my application in the first week. Five days after our Visa Application, we decided to go and check on the progress; (we had been asked to return after 10 working days). The Lord blessed us with a God-speed, 3-year Spouse VISA issued while I waited in line!!! As this was one of our objectives for visiting Zambia, it was so refreshing to get it so early in our visit. I was so cushioned by the Lord’s on-time faithful provision towards us. And we are so thankful to our friends who gave towards the VISA process and to everyone who has supported us in prayer throughout. This was a highlight!!!

„Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day. For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]! So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.“

Mum’s Health

We got the news 3 weeks before our LXP closure. Mum (Cornelius Mother) had a third stroke in 6 years which led to the loss of her sight as well as her memory. We dedicated our time in Zambia to caring for Mum. The Lord provided again for our needs, through generous friends who supported us. And it was a timely giving which assisted us to take care of Medical bills and travel costs to take her for daily therapy. Some days she had an understanding of what was happening and on other days, she couldn’t remember who we are. The dementia often got the best of her and on these days therapy was a battle or it had to be discontinued.

The emotional turmoil was the hardest to process for me. I watched Cornelius’ unwavering commitment to the daily routine. He spent at least 3 hours in traffic to and from Mum’s Therapy sessions daily. I didn’t hear him complain a single day. It was a hard time. A difficult and testing time for our marriage too. But I believe that the Lord taught us a lot of tenacity and resilience. You somehow learn when to wear your heart on your sleeve and experience healthy emotion. Then you learn when to let your heart stay inside you without ‘feeling’ everything towards the situation and especially for a young marriage.

As a young girl, I watched my parents tirelessly care for their extended family. I also recall vividly when my grandma was diagnosed with cervical cancer and how much my parents gave of themselves to attend to her needs. It seemed manageable. But it’s different when it’s your turn. Our Mum is only in her 60’s, so she is not an ‘old’ woman at all…But she is in delicate need. And that need, I have learned is not a burden to be dragged on our shoulders. It’s an opportunity to love, to share, to empathize, to be selfless, to give, to be compassionate, to laugh, to be united, to pray.

Family Christmas

This was our first Christmas in Zambia after our Wedding. We spent Christmas day with part of our family. My Mum Cathy, and my older brother and sister’s family made it to our Christmas lunch. As Nshima (a maize/cornmeal) is the staple food eaten twice a day in many homes, most Zambian families treat themselves to rice, pasta, potato salad/ coleslaw, and chicken or meat for this ‘special day’. So we had a very simple, yet absolutely special time sharing together.

2016 was celebrated with the Ngosa extended family at my parents in law. It was especially lovely to have Mum Mary being a part of this family gathering in the light laughter of treasured moments. What a blessing to just be there and spend time sharing a meal with our extended family. Many of them are striving to put food on the table daily in the midst of a drought (economic and literal). So we had a very simple, yet very special time sharing the Lords blessing together
It didn’t matter now that I had no gift for Cornelius and he had no gift for me. We had no gifts for anyone actually. But the best and most important gift was being able to share the Love of Christ with each other and everyone around us! Love and peace are what really matters after all.

Praises

• Timely Financial Provision
• Prima’s S.A Spouse Visa
• Time caring for Mum
• Time spent in Zambia with family and friends
• Safe Travel

Prayers

• Continued recovery for Mum’s Health

The Ngosa’s Visa Update

After our return from America in June, upon re-entry into South Africa, we both received different port of entry date stamps. Prima got 60 days while I (Cornelius) was given 30 days. Before my 30 days expired, God provided money for me to travel to Zambia for my Visa application while we decided that Prima would stay behind in South Africa to continue in ministry at LXP through Beats and Books.

It was a rigorous few weeks of waiting and trusting in the Lord to hold Beats and Books together while I was away. Prima juggled time between full time commitments at LXP and ministering single-handedly to our children at Beats and Books. All our students and staff, who co-lead with us, were away on an LXP outreach and Prima’s faith in the Father, leading her to serve without a ‘team,’ was tested greatly. It was a challenging yet growing time for both of us, especially being the first time we were apart since our wedding. But our family’s support and the prayers of our friends and ministry partners offered hope and strength.

I was gone for over 3 weeks and returned to South Africa with a valid 3-year volunteer visa! We are so thankful for God’s ways, although we can see the loss of momentum for Beats and Books. After being away for two months to fund-raise in America and an additional two months for visa requirements, we felt a great toll financially, emotionally, and physically to focus on the ministry work at hand.

Prima applied for her South African visa in-country. Upon my arrival, she was eligible to apply for a spouse visa which we began to process immediately. However, she was re-directed to travel back to our home country, Zambia, to apply for her visa. Application processing time in Zambia could be 10 days to 8 weeks. We opted to apply for an extension of her existing permit which allowed an additional three months. At this point of the process, we were under high pressure as I arrived back in South Africa as Prima’s 60 days were ending. She would be required to leave South Africa if the extension didn’t get approved. We waited 5 weeks…
God gave Prima a 3 month extension which was issued on her birthday on September 7, 2015!! The extension allowed her to remain in South Africa legally to complete the leadership year with our current students. Prima’s permit expires on December 7, 2015.
Last week through our friends and supporters, God again blessed us with money for our travel to Zambia! We will depart for Zambia on December 6, 2015. We hope to process her visa as soon as we are home and trust the process will be a smooth and successful one

House Fundraising Update

We would love to thank every individual, family, company and the churches who have carried us through the Library Dreams Project. We continue to trust the Lord for a breakthrough for the rest of the money required to purchase the building.
We received cancellation of our contract from the landlord’s lawyers stating non-compliance due to our lack of reaching our agreed upon date. The purchase amount was to be paid by 18th August 2015. By then, we had raised less than 10% of the total project cost.
The house was put back on the market and we lost the security of taking our time to fund-raise. Therefore, it’s on first-come-first-serve basis. We are in the process of brainstorming new ideas for raising funds. It has been difficult, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible to buy that house.
However, it gets better. There is hope. Our realtor recently called to inform us that the property owners are willing to sign with us again as they firmly believe in the Library Dreams Project and the vision we uphold. We need a miracle.
Will you trust with us for a miracle?

Primary School Opens doors for Music Lessons

We attend a local church called Global Community Church, birthed out of a non-profit organization. The church believes in exploring and investing in spheres of influence. In Jeffreys Bay, our little surfing town, here in South Africa, several initiatives have begun from our church community. One of these initiatives is Little Oaks Christian Learning Centre, a very young school that will expand to third grade in 2016.
The founder of Little Oaks invited Beats and Books to conduct music lessons for grades 1 and 2 classes. The school initially gave us 90 minutes to do this on Wednesdays. Through the children’s progress, the school decided to add Mondays and Fridays for music as well. We now have a total of 270 minutes! That’s 4.5 hours per week.
We teach fundamentals of music theory and practicals. A few children from these classes performed at the school’s closing event. We are thankful for the little strides Beats and Books is making in our community.

Professional Musicians Supporting Beats and Books

Michelle Ohlhoff, an independent freelance professional musician and Elizna Loots joined hands with us this year and have committed to next year. The two ladies add value to our ministry with the expertise and experience they bring as musicians and teachers.
Michelle has 25 years of experience in music. She contributes a blend of music training, theory knowledge and natural creativity which makes her a great composer and ministry partner. She offers tremendous support to Cornelius, consolidating his music theory knowledge and upgrading standards.
Elizna is a pianist with a sixth-grade rating in music and a professional math teacher. She has a passion for vulnerable children.

Sophakama Internship

For the last year, we’ve both had the privilege to attend a Children’s Ministry Internship course designed by a remarkable South African woman who attends church with us.
She has served as a missionary for over 20 years in Egypt and Israel. Evelyn Lotz, with a Masters Degree in Theology, led us through creative teachings in literacy, numeracy, art, music, and child counseling for early childhood development.
We have acquired new skills and insight to teach and minister to the children God brings to Beats and Books. We are also grateful that this uniquely designed course was given to us for FREE! We are excited to test and implement the Sophakama curriculum at Beats and Books. Sophakama is a Xhosa word which means “we will rise.”
We both completed the Sophakama Internship program this November. 

Praise Items and Prayer Requests

We are praising the Lord for:

1. Celebrating 10 years of LXP’s existence
2. Beats and Books kids performing music at LXP 2015 Graduation
3. Professional music/math teachers joining Beats & Books
4. Cornelius’ volunteer visa valid until 2018
5. Prima’s permit extension until December 7, 2015
6. Tickets to Zambia
7. Celebrating our First year of Marriage (November 15)
8. Our first Christmas together with our Zambian family
9. Our US visas valid until 2018
10. Library Dreams property owners willing to sign contract again
11. Completed one-year Sophakama Internship

Please join us in Prayer for:

1. Cornelius’ Mum’s health and Medical Expenses (her sight to be restored)
2. Prima’s South African visa
3. Visiting short-term missionaries/teams to serve at Beats and Books
4. Continued fundraising for Library Dreams Project
5. Monthly personal financial support
6. Monthly finances for ministry operations
7. Direction on signing a new contract for the purchase of the Library Dreams Project house

They sat in the back seat of the minibus, clenching each other like two peas in a pod. She had dressed them smartly in identical dresses. The rest of the bus was seated with older women from the community, all dressed very well. They had fancy hats and an array of headwear. On first glance, you would mistake this brightly clad bunch for a party bus. Somewhat the Mamas had quite an atmosphere of bliss. As my husband and I were picked up and welcomed in, the high-pitched lively voices chit chatted all the way.

It was after 6am. We would be driving about half an hour to a neighboring town where he grew up and was going to be buried. This would be my first attendance at a Xhosa funeral, so I knew nothing about the schedule and being African too, I obliviously assumed the culture was closely similar to ours.

I expected to be greeted with wailing and loud mourning as is the norm in some ‘African’ cultures. And at least, this is true of my experiences at some Zambian funerals. But it was quiet. We entered the funeral home where men and women immediately had their designated areas to cluster.

I sheepishly followed Gogo into a room where a group of women sat listening to another woman read from the Bible. The coffin lay at the front of the room close to my seat. At first, it appeared like she was a preacher. But it soon dawned on me that the women were all taking turns to share scripture, and speak about death, the deceased and whatever else they could. This was done by standing up and singing songs before and after each speaker.
I neither knew the songs nor fully understood what all the women were talking about. To say the least, my Xhosa language skills are still very minimal. My mind could only think of what the kids understood by all this. I longed to sit close to them. But someone had given them seats away from Gogo.

Suddenly, a woman who had traveled with me on the bus ushered me to the front of the room. The eyes in the room all fell on me. I searched around the room for the kids, as if to find some unknown courage in gazing onto their innocent faces. When the singing stopped, I walked to the front and shared from Psalm 71. I kindly asked her to translate what I shared, wrecked with nerves at being called upon to speak before these older women of someone I never knew, someone important to ‘our kids’ but whom they never knew. I was thankful for the gesture. I kept it short, encouraging them all to be united in supporting the raising of the two girls who had been left behind.

Up to now, the two girls were fidgeting around in their seats seemingly oblivious that we were at their father’s funeral. All I could think about was how we could at a later stage help them process what had happened. I could only trust that they would get through this well. But still, the question of how to walk through it with them bugged me. Sometimes, you meet young adults or grownups who have carried pain for years because they didn’t know how to deal with it properly. Or that no one around them could process things with them. I prayed that our kids would heal from this, that they would be thankful that they had a father, despite not knowing him well. And that they have a chance at life.

Gogo, as we call her, has been their guardian since they were barely 4 and 2. They are now 10 and 8. When we got the news of their fathers’ death, Gogo emotionally narrated to us how she first took the kids in. She spoke of their mother abandoning them with their father while they were still infants. She has never supported them or acknowledged their existence as her children since then. Their mother and father never married and besides being their biological mother, the girls neither know her or about her. After hearing this, it was not a surprise that she was not at their father’s funeral.

A teary-eyed Gogo had also told us of the scar on one of the girls’ nose from her flesh being torn as she carried her younger sister through a barbed wire fence on her back in desperate search of food. They were both under five, vulnerable and neglected.
Motherless at infancy, the older sister learnt early and quickly to survive their harsh reality and to parent her younger sister. Their heart-wrenching story is unfortunately often a common one here. And yet, something sparkles in their eyes that speaks a hope for every despair of their past. And this keeps the fire burning in us to be their voice and to seek resources on their behalf that will change their circumstances and help transform their lives in view of their cruel predicament.

What seemed like hours later, the body viewing happened and the kids were taken in line along with the adults who bade farewell to their father. The older sister came out crying; she fell into Gogo’s arms and then immediately paced over into my lap. Cornelius, Felix, the two girls and I sat there patiently listening as speaker after speaker spoke. The crowd stood up each time after every speaker and broke into song before the next person spoke. For the next few hours, she lay there as I held her. My heart was sad. Here was the ten-year old sister who neither knew her mother nor her father, and now she was meeting him in a coffin.

It was a bizarre sight. The younger girl sat next to me, trying to wipe her older sister’s tears. She, seemingly unaffected by this event, eating the snacks Gogo had packed for them. They both eventually fell asleep in our arms. Both tired from the long speeches and the scorching heat. I wondered if the younger girl fully understood what was occurring. How could she even connect emotionally because she never really knew the dead man as her father? I prayed that the difficult feelings of being the ‘strangers’ who were helping with the welfare of these kids would escape me. It was rather awkward when their father’s relatives came up to greet the kids and some to take pictures with them. The kids stood so aloof and almost tried to clinch onto us. My heart couldn’t help but hurt that the kids did not know them.

As per tradition, Cornelius led the children in the procession to grab some soil from a passing spade and throw in on top of the lowered coffin in the grave. They both peered at their father’s coffin as the grave was buried. Again I was struck by their innocence, and confused as to whether they interpreted the symbolism of what they had just done. Like two little lambs, they happily hopped away from the crowd with us as the funeral came to an end. I was grateful they had a chance to pay their last respects to their father as well as meet some of their aunts and uncles.

On the drive back home after 4pm that afternoon, I let the views of the mountainous landscape and fresh breeze seep into my soul. I was filled with peace and absolutely glad we came. It didn’t matter now that there had been no flowers on the grave, or even that there was clearly no bond between these children and their father’s family. What mattered was that we came to support Gogo and especially our kids.

Gogo Hester is a selfless woman bursting with love and compassion for these kids. She is their rightful guardian. And our ‘woman of peace’ as we like to refer to her. To know that the kids could experience the assurance that they are not alone, that they are loved in Gogo’s care, and with us, they ‘belong’ was enough.

I was extremely humbled to think that I am now the woman married to their ‘Father Cornie’ as all the kids fondly call him. And this exceptional woman we all call ‘Gogo’ (translated as granny but she is actually not at all that old)…is our partner in what we believe are truly God-inspired Dreams for children such as these two girls.

We dream of these gifted singers being disciples of Jesus and becoming spirit led worshippers. We dream of them having access to quality literacy, excelling in education and life. We dream of them having hope and a bright future. We dream of them being brilliant leaders in their community and positively influencing their peers. We dream of them impacting Nations and leaving a mark on their generation. Somewhere in those dreams, for the ones who are fatherless or have absent parents, we must trust that God will enable us and give us the capacity to joyfully pour our lives out in that regard too.

I am learning that Ministry is not necessarily ‘full-time or part-time’ as it is often defined. Ministry is complete obedience, whenever and however God calls. Sometimes He calls us to just experience Him in the mundane tasks of everyday life. He can also ask us to do some daring things to stretch our faith and grow our willingness to obey. Therefore, partial obedience is no obedience. I am thankful that making the choice to support our kids through such an unpredictable situation on a day which is typically our day of rest to teach me such a difficult and uncommon lesson. I am more determined now to do common things uncommonly.