A Concerted Effort

So, I’m giving this blogging thing another try. I have come to own the fact that I will never be the pastor’s wife who artfully explains entire passages of scripture, details an extensive list of home projects that I have accomplished…all before lunch or poetically describe the many strange and yet wonderful things that my children do each day. BUT I do think that I could make more of an effort to keep my friends all over the world a little more ‘connected’ to our family and post pictures that only those same friends could appreciate.

In order to make my first post ‘back’ a little less verbose, I have decided to summarize some the last 6 months of our lives in bullet form…

Recently, our family has:

- Moved from Omaha, Nebraska (USA) to Cape Town, South Africa. We did this because JD took the job of Africa Director for the Acts 29 church planting network (www.acts29network.org)
- Found a house to live in, which we truly enjoy and found a car (no small feat, let me assure you)
- Welcomed a new member to our family six weeks later…this addition’s name is Sloane and she is now 5 months old
- (JD has) traveled back to the States, Uganda twice and is about to leave for Zambia in a few weeks
- We have celebrated Cohen’s second birthday…party to happen this weekend
- had a summer,(winter here) intern from Minneapolis, Minnesota live with us for almost three months (we just said goodbye last night)

Other than this, we have done a few trips around South Africa and generally worked on adjusting to life in a new home. Below, you can peruse some of our latest pictures of the kids…enjoy!

It’s like Cohen doesn’t realize that this face is a complete admission of guilt…

What I truly love about this shot is that it’s taken in the DEAD OF WINTER…man, we truly do live in paradise

Birthday Boy. Not sure if the ‘smile’ on Cohen’s face is as a result of the new basketball hoop he got for his birthday or because he’s seething inside at being made to wear his dad’s latest Ugandan purchase

My pretty…teething

Senkbile Scoop: June 2009

Urban 40

This month, JD was invited by the PJ Smyth, the lead pastor of God First Church in Johannesburg, to speak at the Urban 40 pastors’ conference. The conference was 40 hours focused on church planting in urban contexts, and JD was asked to speak, specifically on the topic of understanding culture and the art of contextualizing the gospel. JD was not only excited to share but also thankful for the opportunity to network with pastors all over South Africa.

Second Quarterly

The day after returning to Cape Town, JD hosted the second Acts 29 Quarterly luncheon. This month’s topic was “Preaching to the Heart,” and we were thankful to have Al Barth from Redeemer Church Planting Center in New York sharing with our local pastors. As with the first quarterly meeting, this proved to be a good time of fellowship with local pastors and a chance to network with and encourage each other in the work of church planting.

Upcoming Travel

The next few months JD will be traveling a fair bit. At the end of June, he leaves for a 10-day trip back to the States. He will be attending the A29 pastors’ retreat in Colorado and will be speaking at two A29 churches in Omaha. June 21 he will be at Core Community Church, and June 28 he will be back at our church Coram Deo.

Two weeks after returning from America, he will leave again for Uganda and will be joined by Jonathan Dodson (A29 pastor) and four others, visiting some local, rural villages and joining Gerald, a fellow A29 pastor, in his ministry in Kampala.

Welcome, Lacy!

This week, we had the privilege of welcoming our summer intern Lacy Barker. Lacy will be living with us until mid-August and will be getting a taste of ministry in South Africa, as well as traveling with JD to Uganda in July. Pray for us, that our family will be a blessing to Lacy, who has given up her summer vacation to expand her vision for church planting.

At Home

Our little Cohen continues to be an explosion of new words every day. Some of our favorites: jucks = ducks, chakchurs = tractors, bishees = fishies, and hairmo = remote. He is a true delight, and we never lack for evening entertainment when he is around.

Sloane is almost four months old and is a girgling, happy, smiling baby who can’t get enough of her dad. She is easy-going, soft, chubby, and just so precious. We just can’t imagine what life was like before she came along, and the poor girl is so smothered with hugs and kisses–especially from her brother. (Side note: Some of you won’t even recognize JD when you see him at the end of this month. He is a total softy these days; it’s ridiculous!)

Much love to each of you and thank you for your support of us…
The Senkbiles

Senkbile Scoop: April 2009

This week, we received this updated from JD and Michele Senkbile, who are LPC’s impact partners in South Africa and who work with Acts 29 International.

First Acts 29 Quarterly

This month, JD hosted his first Acts 29 Quarterly meeting, with local area pastors in Cape Town. This month’s topic was missional communities. JD was one of three presenters who spoke on the idea of missional communities and how to plan for multiplication within your missional community. All together, there were about 50 men and wives in attendance, representing churches from all over Cape Town. The feedback was good, and JD was encouraged to see so many local pastors eager to network with one another, crossing denominational lines.

Spotlight on Innocent

While in Kampala, Uganda, in January, JD was privileged to meet Innocent, a disciple of Gerald Mwede, an Acts 29 pastor in Kampala. Innocent is a former street kid who came to know Jesus and now has a heart to see the lives of other street children redeemed. Starting in his shack, Innocent began housing and feeding these children as best he could. Now, Innocent is able to rent a house that is a home to 45 children who would otherwise be on the streets of Kampala. With the limited resources available, Innocent tries to give these children food, clothing, a place to sleep, a chance at an education, and most importantly, the message of the gospel.

On the Home Front

We are much encouraged by how many of you have been praying for us in the last five weeks, as we welcomed our daughter Sloane into our family. Michele is enjoying the fact that there is another girl around the house, and each day that passes, Cohen grows more into his role as big brother. What started as an intense desire to wrestle with Sloane the minute she came home from the hospital has grown into more of understanding that gentle kisses on the forehead are more appropriate! (Although, we’re pretty sure he’s still waiting for the green light to throw down with her…)

The transition to two children was an interesting one for us, in a new home, and a new country, and we certainly felt the absence of some of our new-mommy-and-daddy community that we have enjoyed in Omaha. God has been good to us, though, and is refining us and our need to depend on him for joy. Those of you who send us your news–keep it up! We love hearing about your lives!

Much love,
JD, Michele, Cohen, and Sloane

Senkbiles Arrive Safely in Cape Town; Now Setting Up Home and Shop

LifePoint received this note from JD and Michele Senkbile, who are doing work with Acts 29 in Africa. We have brought the Senkbiles on as impact partners in 2009 and look forward to hearing more about their work. Here is their note:

Hello All!
We have finally arrived at our destination in Cape Town and have spent the last four days getting over jetlag and soaking up some of this gorgeous sun. Of course, it hasn’t been all fun and games–much of our time has also been spent trying to open a bank account, looking for a car, and learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road again.

We are blessed to have Michele’s parents in town, who have allowed us to ‘dump’ on them since arriving, filling their rooms with our luggage, clothing, and books that have arrived along with us. Cohen is loving every minute of getting to know his South African grandparents a little better and has made his first trip to the beach this weekend.

We have much to be thankful for already:

• Three boxes of books, which we shipped about three weeks ago, were here when we arrived in Cape Town–quite a miracle!
• Opening our bank account proved to be less stressful than anticipated and we are now able to purchase items and pay bills.
• Cohen continues to adjust well to a new schedule and has been sleeping through the night. In fact, he decided to cut two incisors yesterday–he must not have thought we had enough going on already!
• JD has already met with a potential church planter here in Cape Town and continues to receive emails and network with others who are involved and interested in the work of church planting here in South Africa.
• We think we may have found a car that we are able to purchase.

If you think of us this next week, here are a few things for which you can be praying:

• This next week, we will aggressively continue the hunt for a place to live. We would very much like to be set up with a home before JD leaves for Uganda on January 12 and before baby #2 arrives on February 24th.
• JD has a fair amount of preparation to do in order to be ready for three upcoming Acts 29 bootcamps in January and February (Uganda, Johannesburg and Cape Town). Please pray that amidst all the running around and setting up a home and life in Cape Town, that he will be able to devote the time that he needs to study.

We thank each of you for your role in us getting over to Cape Town; we feel blessed by the support that we have from each of you, as we figure out life in a new country.

More updates to come,
JD and Michele