The "DRIVE" to the finish ...

WOW.

So much is happening now that Marcel has his visa, we move out of our London home THIS WEEKEND and in just over a month, leave for Angola. Yes--we'll be gone the first week of October if everything goes as planned!

And while we pack, ship, organize, purge, say goodbyes, and get excited for hellos, we want to invite you into one final campaign for an item we will most definitely need to purchase in Angola:

A MINISTRY VEHICLE.

This is a vehicle that we as a family will use to actively participate in the work of MAF in Lubango and around Angola. This is a vehicle that will keep us safe travelling to and from the airport/hangar each day, the school, and around town. This vehicle will be a blessing and a lifeline to our family.

The vehicle we are looking to purchase is already being used by another missionary family in Lubango. As they leave the field in December, we have offered to purchase their Toyota Hilux pick-up truck as they are offering it to us at an extraordinary price. We are very excited by this arrangement, as it not only gives us the comfort of knowing the history of our vehicle, but they have equipped this vehicle with many extra safety features for a family with children to travel in the less-than-ideal conditions we may run into in Angola (eg. extra fuel tanks, extra battery, etc. for long, very rural travel).

Unfortunately, a good, used vehicle with high safety standards does not come cheap in Angola ... and the options to import a used car or buy "an old junker" are limited, pricey, or just plain dangerous.

So, with all that being said, we are looking for your help to raise the $38,000 USD we need to purchase the vehicle. We KNOW this is a steep cost by North American standards, but after a lot of discussion, discernment, and prayer, we feel that purchasing a BETTER vehicle NOW will save us from having to fundraise again in a few years, save us from costly vehicle repairs, and potentially save our lives. We want to be able to view this vehicle as a blessing to bless others.

If this is something you feel you can contribute to, pray about it. We want you to feel at peace about it. We appreciate any help we can get to make this big purchase! And if you are led to give, you can make an online, in-person, or mail in donation, the same way you would with any donation for our ministry, but with one little addendum: please put the code "V95C" in a note or on the memo line of your cheque, as this directs it towards our ministry vehicle fund. Without this code, or a note specifying it goes towards the vehicle, we cannot use it towards that fund. You can give online here: https://mafc.org/missionarypages/boers/

A real road near Lubango! (This is a nice road ... by the way ... many are not this nice.)

Musings from a shed ... from the desk (iPad) of Marcel

Aug 13, 2015

I am at WIRED 2015 right now, currently locked in the canoe equipment shed, and it's probably the first time in a while where I actually can't do anything but just wait. This time, the waiting means for a group of 60 jr highs to find a key to unlock this shed so I can get out. Yes, I am literally locked in here with a bag of chips, chocolate covered coffee beans, a bottle of water, and my iPad. As Dave sets off fireworks, I figured this was good time to write a few simple notes. 

1. Camp is exhausting, but in the best way possible. It's fun, tiring, and when you sleep, you sleep reeeeeal good. When you mix that with the notice that September will be a month of travelling to Washington - Munich - France - Toronto - Windhoek - Angola, you are going to feel overwhelmed. 

2. When you're overwhelmed, it's okay to vent, cry, and whatever else you have do. You will also be able to count on your friends to help you through. I realize through this process, I will be overwhelmed many times. Jesus is faithful and will not leave me to fend for myself.

3. The word of God is true and living (as Pastor Travis has been speaking on this week. Romans 8:18 hit me this week - "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." No matter how hard this week, the next two months, next 4 years, will be, it will always be worth it when compared to the glory of Christ.

I can't wait to see what the next little while brings, and the experiences that will come with it. I know that there is a lot to give up, but a whole lot more to gain. For now, I don't even mind how long it takes for those kids to find that key to get me out of this shed. This solitary confinement (if I can call it that) has been worth it.

Prayer Update: Moving, health, and vehicle

Hi All!

This is just a quick little update, especially for those of you that keep us in your prayers!

Moving: We are currently looking up the best ways to move some of our stuff over to Africa, and also, we are moving out of our London house at the end of August! We are excited to move in with Kelly's parents, and for Erie to take over our house with some housemates! We may be trying to get rid of things (either for sale or for free--eg. books, some furniture, etc.) and we are also open to suggestions if anyone has ever moved overseas before ... what to bring, what not to bring!

Departure: We still have no definite departure date, though that will likely be determined in the next week or two. Please pray that God will work out all of the details!

Ethan: Please pray for Ethan's health. He is a happy, healthy, and strong baby (weighing in already at 18 lbs!!!!), but some regular blood work revealed some concerns regarding his ability to fight off infections. For now, it is just something to be monitored, but please pray that this will not pose problems to moving overseas, and that God will keep him in good health!

Vehicle: Thank you to those who have already donated to our ministry vehicle fund ... we haven't even started a campaign yet! Wow! After a lot of thought, prayer, and discussion, Marcel and I determined that we would like to invest in a good ministry vehicle--one that is reliable and safe for the conditions that we may encounter in Angola. Our hope is that by purchasing a good ministry vehicle NOW, we won't have to buy another one for many years. Though MAF uses airplanes for much of the work done in Angola, a vehicle is necessary for our family to commute around the city/country, to and from work, and participate in various opportunities to minister with those around us. We are currently looking to purchase the vehicle from another missionary family coming out of the field in Angola. If you would like to donate towards our ministry vehicle fund, please make sure to indicate V95C with your donation. You can donate here, by the way: https://mafc.org/missionarypages/boers/

Thank you so much to all of those who have been praying for us continuously! We are so so grateful for the prayer ... and how God works through it!