September Update
Hello Reader!
Winter is melting into spring this side, warmer days are coming as I watch the pictures of pumpkin spice lattes fill up my Instagram feed.
We have several life and ministry updates below!
The first thing is that we bought a house! My parents graciously gave us a part of our inheritance early so that we would be able to invest in a property that suits our ministry and life needs. It has an office for me, a garage for Venesch’s woodworking, and a spare bedroom for you! This blessing is overwhelming and wonderful and I am so thankful to have a family that invests in our life and ministry!
Because it is an older house it needs some construction and paint, so I am so glad to have a handyman husband. We will send more pictures with before and afters to show our progress as it comes.
Also, earlier this year I applied for a renewal of my visa to live in South Africa. It is supposed to take 4-6 weeks, but it has been nine months and I have had no response due to COVID. My visa expires at the end of the month, but on the advice of my lawyer and with a lot of faith, I have decided to stay in South Africa while I wait. Please pray that my visa is granted by the end of September!
The White Orange Journey is growing again! We will be holding our first online class at the end of October. I have resisted this move because of the connection that comes from in-person learning. However, having my own experience learning online through my master’s program, I believe that growth and learning can happen through online connections as well. I am looking forward to this new challenge and seeing the outreach of trauma care.
As we are reaching out to make new connections in South Africa, I would ask you if you can reach out to your community and connect me with your people who are interested in partnering with us for the ministry. As we are unable to come back to America at this point to raise more money, we need you to help us spread the word. If you have contacts or a church or a small group who would be willing to hear about what we do or how they can make a global impact, please get in touch!
I am also teaching a Sexual Health class with our ministry partners at Grace2Learn. I started this class with trepidation, but these teens are are smart and thoughtful and the conversations we have every week are so meaningful. We have discussed ethics, values, body parts, and all types of intimacy. Having these conversations is one of the best parts of my week!
{This is a pic of the guys’ discussion group- they were defining “What is femininity?” while the girls defined “What is masculinity?” that they presented to the group. This led to a great discussion on gender roles, values, and culture.}
Thank you for all of the prayer and support you give to us and our people in South Africa.
Love,
Autumn & Venesch