Exciting News From the Tip of Africa
The most exciting news of the trip so far is that not only has God allowed me to take part in some incredible ministry, but also Andrea and I are now engaged! Right before I left for the mission trip to Zambia I asked Mr. Hammond for his blessing to propose to Andrea and to my surprise he said, “Yes” (Well it was a much more in depth answer than that, but that was the gist of it). The conditions were that I was allowed to ask Andrea, but we weren’t allowed to make it public until I successfully completed the mission outreach to Loziland.
The next day, I went with Mrs. Hammond to buy the engagement ring. That afternoon Andrea and I had made plans to drive along the coast and see the tip of Africa (Cape Point). We made it to Cape Point about forty-five minutes before it closed and began the slow ascent up the steep hill where the lighthouse stands in perfect tranquility. We stopped many times along the way to enjoy the view and to record our adventure by taking photographs. Before reaching the top of the hill where the lighthouse stood, we paused at one of the lookouts. As the ocean lapped against the mighty shores of Africa, hundreds of feet below, Andrea and I took many pictures of the beautiful scene that lay before us. By then, many were beginning to leave and make their way back to the cars, and so the crowd dissipated, leaving behind a far more peaceful atmosphere.
Once we finally reached the lighthouse, we were both thrilled to have the place to ourselves! Although I wasn’t sure where exactly I was going to ask her to marry me, the thought began to run through my head, “this is the perfect opportunity to ask her.” At the tip of Africa, the continent Andrea and I desire to serve the Lord in for the rest of our lives, I finally mustered up enough courage to get down on one knee. I nervously asked her, as I pulled the ring out from behind my back, “Will you follow me as I seek to follow the Lord in Africa on the mission field and until the day we die?” At that point she began to sob and said, “Yes! I will marry you!”
I couldn’t have imagined it being more perfect than it was. I really am so blessed that God has placed such an amazing woman in my life, and that I, out of all the men in the entire world, get to marry her. The Lord is so good to us! I am excited to see how the next few months unfold as we prepare to get married in December in Cape Town, South Africa.
A Change of Plans
The Lord has recently closed the door for me to study in the states the next Semester at Phoenix Seminary but He also has opened up the door for me to stay on with Frontline Fellowship for another exciting new overland mission up to South Sudan. I have decided to stay on with Frontline until December and by the time you are reading this newsletter I have already embarked on the 11,000-mile trip to South Sudan (to give you an idea of the distance of the trip it is the equivalent of driving from Miami, Florida to Juno, Alaska with the pavement ending in Mississippi and having practically no nice facilities in route).
The Christian South Sudan recently celebrated its Independence from the oppressive, hostile, Islamic north. Now as the newly born country is striving to rebuild itself out of the ashes of a long civil war there is great need for discipleship training. Schools need Biblically based textbooks; churches need discipleship materials; pastors, as well as the average Christian, desperately need discipleship training and materials.
In addition to ministry in South Sudan there would be many opportunities to minister in countries on the way there and back. There especially is need of discipleship training in the communist country of Zimbabwe. Our goal is to encourage believers, give discipleship materials to Christians in need, and of course to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ everywhere we go along the way. This mission will be an incredible opportunity to take part in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord and discipling nations, as we will be ministering in nine different countries. However, as it stands now the funds are insufficient for us to be able to depart on this much-needed trip. But we serve the living God who is not short of wealth and we are confident that as we seek to further His Kingdom and to spread the Gospel to all the nations He will supply all of our needs (Matt. 28:18-20; Phil. 4:19).
So You’re Doing What Now?
Recently, we decided that it would work best with wedding plans, the mission trip and everything else for Andrea to stay on in Cape Town in order to plan the wedding with her mom and sister (Daniela). She will be taking a semester off at ACU to serve at Frontline Fellowship headquarters in Cape Town, to join her father on another mission trip, and to plan our wedding. She will be heading back to University in January.
Future Plans
I will no longer be going to Phoenix Seminary this fall semester (August) but will hopefully be attending in the Spring (January), Lord willing. Therefore, both of us will not be back to the States until late December and then we hope to both be getting started back with our degrees (she will be finishing her Bachelors in Communications at ACU and I will be starting a Masters in Leadership Development at Phoenix Seminary). Our dream is that through our studies God will further prepare us for the mission field. I hope to work with Frontline in the future training and equipping pastors in Africa to be able to disciple their own people, as it is most effective if the locals can minister to their own people. Andrea plans to be a journalist who can give factual reports of what is happening in different countries in Africa (as most of the news today has been distorted by the media). However, for now Andrea I are trusting the Lord for this next step and beyond that we will let Him lead us as we seek to follow Him.
In Christ,
Hunter
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