Leadership Academy interns Sing for Mitch

While in hospital our Children's Cup Global Leadership Academy Interns and Students got together to give Mitch a special gift.  They sang his favorite song.  We watched over and over and wiped away alot of tears.  Wanted to share it with you too.  We pray it will touch your soul the way it has ours-and give you a feel for how amazing these students and this program are!

3 years

Reflecting today on how awesome God is, and how great that He choose us to
do what we do in Africa! Then, as we finished a video shoot for a promo
video for Cup we see what a difference 3 years has made. Side by side
stills of video shoots this time of year in Africa 2010,2011,2012.
Children's Cup has been good to me. @Jesus Christ has been GREAT to me!

God is so good, He's so good to me!

"Heaven"

Adrian Plass recorded the below reading with his calm and smooth lightly English accented voice years ago.  We found it today when going through some of our music.  Oh what a great word picture.  We so often cling to what we are comfortable and complacent with, yet I find myself pondering too; what will Heaven be like?  I am sure that unborn babies are afraid of the world they are about to enter, perhaps it will be that drastic or even more so.  The bible makes it sound like a beautiful wonderland.  No more sorrows, tears, pain.  Thousands of years of praising.  I think Music is close to God’s Heart:

 

When I’m in heaven,
tell me there’ll be kites to fly;
the kind they say you can control,
although I never did for long.
The kind that spin and spin and spin and spin,
and sulk and dive and die,
and rise again and spin again,
and dive and die and rise up yet again.
I love those kites.

When I’m in heaven,
tell me there’ll be seasons when the colors fly;
poppies splashing flame through dying yellow, living green,
and autumns burning sadness
that has always made me cry...
the things that have to end.
For winter fires that blaze like captive suns,
but look so cold when the morning comes.
I do love the way the seasons change.

When I’m in heaven,
tell me there will be peace, at last.
That in some meadow filled with sunshine,
filled with buttercups and filled with friends,
You will chew a straw,
and fill us in on how things really are.

And, if there is some harm in laying earthly hope at heaven’s door, all in this saying so,
well, have mercy on my foolishness, dear Lord.
I love this world you made.
It’s all I know

 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow"...you know, when you lie flat in a hospital bed for 5 months, you can ONLY Look Up!  Hi friends(mitch here), things are going well.  Battling a little kidney infection(i think my kidney is little, I actually dont know how big it is, but I speak to it like I would a child)and putting together plans to return to the USA in just a month. 

WOW, i am amazed how fast 2+years in the field have flown by.  Some have asked, so i will tells ya(said with a sweet southern accent for flair)-YES, we are and will be returning to Africa after the surgeries are completed(mid February 2013).  We LOVE these people, and are excited to get back to full health and run this race to one day finish strong!  I have a Dr.'s appointment in South Africa in 3 weeks to change the tube that goes into my back and through my kidney(called a nephrostomy), then at the end of October we will meet with the USA surgical team in South Carolina nad set the plan for January 4th(our new D Day).  Would sure prefer NOT to have all of the complications and errors we experienced with my surgeries here in Africa, but(this is hard to say); I would not change it!  I have experienced death which resulted in a deeper life in Christ than I ever thought imaginable.  Though I  did not realize it at the time(I went 2 months and could not/would not talk to God)-HE was still talking to me.  "He never let go".  Countless nights and without my knowledge, Char was putting earphones on me and turning on the Christian playlist on the ipod.  "He never let go!"  Today, I cling to the same result and promise that God honored in Job's life(for our non Christian friends-this is a dude in the bible that was wicked sick and attacked)- that ended in an expansion of Job's influence in those around him.  His territory grew, and the opportunity to impact others grew.  I know this; GOD is always on the move, and I  desire to be in sync with Him. 

Can I just offer you a simple word of encouragement today?  NO matter what you are going through, no matter how difficult, how confusing, how painful, how sad..HE has not forgotten about you, and (from experience)He wants to help you through it.  Trust me, when you come out of the fire, on the other side-you may just have a brighter shine!

 

USA Return trip Schedule- We would LOVE to see YOU

We would love to connect with you, below are the dates of our return trip to the USA.  We will try to do an “Open house” sort of thing in Rapid City-as we do not want to offend folks if we can not see you individually in the short window we have.  That way-if you would like to see us, there will be a convenient time for us all to be together and fellowship. 

We appreciate your understanding that the priority of our return is for the remaining surgeries, to see family, connect with churches and friends that have been instrumental in the ministry and in our medical care.

13Nov-15Nov	Kansas City/Iola KS
20Nov-4Dec	Rapid City SD
4dec-2jan	Beach ND/Dickinson ND
3jan-23Jan	Spartanburg SC-first round of surgeries
23jan-27jan	**Baton Rouge LA
28jan-30jan	**Colorado Springs Co
31jan-18feb	Spartanburg SC-final surgery
Feb 18 2013	Home to africa
	**pending first round of surgeries results

MUCH LOVE, we are thrilled to have the amount of time we have been given to see family and friends.  The Children’s Cup ministry has been incredibly accommodating and has referenced on numerous occasions the importance of our health, healing and connecting.