USA Update

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the end of summer in the USA, I know I am! I just wanted to send a final update, as I said I would, about my decisions for this fall. Then I promise, no more African updates ;)

A couple weeks ago, I found out unfortunately that after a long, LONG waiting list process, I did not get accepted to Duke. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed, frustrated, and shaken because I really felt that was where I was going to be and why I had come back from Cape Town. So I responded by doing what I thought best at the time...feeling sorry for myself. After a worthless day of that, I decided maybe it was actually better to not be upset with God, realize that it happened for a specific purpose, and to figure out my next step.

Never having felt fully convinced that Fuller was the place for me right now, I opened myself up to other possibilities. I considered going back to South Africa, but everything about leaving had felt so right and gone so smoothly that I really felt it would be a step backwards and not forwards. Then out of nowhere, Colorado became a real possibility for me. Since I've been home, I have been attending a church called Redemption City which was just started by a South African who felt called here. As I've been going, I've been blown away by so many people who were leading churches around the world and the USA and have felt called to my backyard in Westminister, Colorado with a heart to bless the city. Now all they are missing are local people from the area with that same heart. I began to look back in old notebooks and had written down back in April, while in Cape Town, that God had whispered to me some things about getting involved with this church. (Which I had ignored at the time of course, because I was going to Duke! haha)

To make a long story short, I saw this as a unique opportunity to be a part of something in Colorado and felt it was where God is leading me for now. It's a great chance to learn from a lot of guys who have tons of ministry experience and have a great heart for the Lord. So I'm going to be joining this church and I have deferred my acceptance to Fuller until January. It will give me time also to decide if seminary is the right fit for me. This will mean that I will be living at home for now and looking for work in an unfriendly economy, which will take some getting used to, but I feel that this is where God wants me for now and for that I'm willing to humble myself and be obedient to His call...be it Africa or Arvada.

I am excited for more time with my family, my friends in CO, and to see what God does in my time here. Please pray for God to accomplish everything that He wants in and through me in this season in Colorado. Thanks for all your love, support and prayers over the years! Love, Ryan

Myanmar and Home

Hello From Colorado,

I just got back to Denver with my family yesterday after a lot of traveling and flying. It feels really good to be home with my parents and I can sense that it is the right time for me to be back in the US and moving onto the next season in my life. I'm enjoying it here and am excited about going back to school, although I'm STILL waiting to hear back from Duke. I'm still hopeful though as I am trusting God to open the door there and provide for the costs of it all. (Prayers for that would be really appreciated).

Between the last update I sent however we were able to venture into the beautiful country of Myanmar. We really had to trust God from arrival into the country as we arrived with just enough money to cover the cost of our visas. Upon using our last bit of cash, we entered the country only to find out there are no ATMs in the entire country! Thankfully however we found out that there were about 4 hotels where if you were a guest you could also withdraw money from a credit card and were able to go to one of those hotels. We withdrew a limited amount of money and so we had to be very watchful of how we were spending the rest of our time in the country.

Our time in Myanmar was great. Despite the oppressive government, the country is beautiful, the people are really friendly and hospitable, and the food was amazing. We spent most of our time in a city called Pyin Oo Lwin at an orphanage called St. Matthew's. During those days, we spent our times with the kids there, we taught English, music, and led some of the devotion times where we able to share what Jesus has done in our own lives. The days we had there were very fun and all the staff at the orphanage were incredibly kind and humble. And while I enjoyed our time in the country, I was ready by the end to be on my way home.

This is probably one of my final updates considering my African experience has come to a close. I will send an update when I know my next step 100%. But thank you all for reading, supporting, and praying over the past few years, I really appreciate it. Love - Ryan

India/Bangladesh

Hi Everybody,

In my last update, I told you I was on my way to India. Now India has come and gone and we are already in our second stop in Bangladesh. A group of 6 friends from Cape Town headed to Delhi, India together at the beginning of the month, for the main purpose that we felt God had called us to go there.

In Delhi, we spent time with some local people and some international people from a church there. It was great to spend some time there and see some of what God is doing there. We also were able to visit the cities of Jaipur, Agra (Taj Mahal!), Varanasi, and Darjeeling. India and it's cities are such intense places. They are busy, crowded with people who stare intensely at foreigners, very hot, and noisy (with lots of cars honking). As compared to other places I have visited, I did not really connect with or enjoy most of the places themselves. However I did know that we were supposed to be there.

Once we arrived in Darjeeling, it felt like a different world to me. It is a hill town at the base of the Himalayas full of people who descend from Nepal and Tibet. It was cooler, quieter, and much more beautiful. I felt so at peace and really loved it there. Looking back on our time in India, we saw God do many things. We were able to build relationships and witness about our own experiences with Jesus, to about 20 people who had never really heard about Him before. One man named Das who we met on an overnight train was healed of a headache, experienced a touch of God through prayer and accepted the Lord into His life. We were also able to pray with others and encourage pastors and local workers who were a bit discouraged with their work in India.

After India, 4 of our group headed back to South Africa. 2 of us have continued onto Bangladesh and Myanmar. In Bangladesh we are currently staying with a nice American missionary couple who are hosting us as we visit The Grameen Bank in the capital of Dhaka. The Grameen Bank is showing us some of what they do here as they have been a big inspiration to the microfinance work we started in Cape Town. They are essentially a bank for the poor and are providing business, home, and education loan to millions of the poorest of the poor in Bangladesh. Its very cool to see their work and the impact they're having. Dhaka is yet another huge city (about 20 million), and is similar to Indian cities, except the standard of living is lower here and there are fewer foreigners and much less English. We leave for Myanmar on the 19th.

Please pray for any seeds planted in the people we've met to grow, and for us to continue to connect with God, be aware of what He's doing and be open to Him. Thanks, and I'm getting excited to be back in the US soon and be closer to you all! Love, ryan

Off to The East

Hello Everyone,

The day has finally come. My amazing, longer than expected, stay in Cape Town is drawing to a close as I am getting on the plane later today. The past weeks have been filled with wrapping up my life here, saying many goodbyes, and preparing for the next step. As I have said my goodbyes, there has been some sadness, but mostly gratitude. I've just been overwhelmed with thankfulness for this experience, for all the people that have been put in my life here, and for the goodness and faithfulness of my God who has given me this gift of the past 2 1/2 years here.

I've also been so thankful for all of you back home who have faithfully supported me and made this all become a reality with your prayers, encouragement, and finances. Since the time God called me to Cape Town, the entire experience has been a gift. You all back at home have been a gift, everyone here has been a gift, and I feel so humbled that God would give me so much blessing in my time in Africa. As I've been leaving communities for the last time and giving last hugs, I've also felt an incredible peace that this is the right time to leave. I believe that God has accomplished everything He wanted to in me, and pretty much everything He wanted me to accomplish has been done.

I've been reflecting on what's shifted in my own life; how much I've grown and changed. God has touched me here, mainly through many amazing lives. I've seen and been a part of things that I never thought were possible, and yet God has shown me that He does indeed still work miracles. I've thought about all the time I've been able to spend with young lives here and how much we've given to each other. I've thought about how a microfinance project started that I had no intention to start when coming here; and now has great potential with the local staff running it and The Department of Trade and Industry coming alongside to help it take off to greater heights. I've thought about other projects that I've been able to be involved with and now see those taking off. I've thought about the church community I've found and how we've spent so much time encouraging and affecting each others lives. And I'm mostly just amazed at how it is all God. He has orchestrated all of these things, set these things in motion, and shown me the blessing and adventure of following Jesus. So thank you, because not a single one of these things would have been possible without your support.

As I've told you, my friends and I are heading to India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar today. We have felt God calling us there for awhile now. When I get back in August I will be attending either Fuller (in LA) where I have been accepted or Duke University, which is my top choice, but where I'm currently on the waiting list. If you have been sending financial support to Arvada Covenant Church, I would ask that you would discontinue sending there, as the account was open for me only as long as I was in Africa. I am also trusting God for finances to study. Obviously there is no pressure, but if you feel led in anyway to help contribute to my theological education, you may send checks (with "Seminary" on the memo line) to my parent's home address in Colorado which is:
9920 W. 86th Place, Arvada, CO 80005.

So all I can really say is thank you. I am excited for what God has ahead for us in Asia this month. Please pray that we are able to discern God's voice, let Him lead the trip, and walk in the power and love He has given us as His children. I will keep you updated as much as possible on the trip as to what's happening, and I will continue to pray for you all. Love, Ryan

May

Hi Everybody,

Thanks to those of you who continue reading my blog. I really appreciate it. I know, it's gone on quite a bit longer than my original plan of coming to Africa for 1 year. But God has His own plans, much better plans than what we can dream up. Having said that, I feel like I've gained a bit of clarity on my future. I have decided that I will be leaving Cape Town at the end of June. I believe it's God leading me on, and that almost everything has been accomplished here that was supposed to be.

Funny enough I am STILL waiting to hear back from the schools I've applied to, but I feel confident that God has spoken to me about getting into one of them and that now is the right time to move on. As a part of that, since last year, I have felt God putting the countries of India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar on my heart. His pointing to these countries has intensified this year and has also caught the heart of a few of my Cape Town friends. We're not quite sure yet what God has in store for us there, but we are certain that He has told us to go there for July. So we will be leaving June 29th for those countries and seeing what God has planned there. We have made some contacts there and will backpack our way around, before leaving to return to The USA on Aug 1st!

It's all starting to set in that I'm actually leaving after such a long time here, but I feel at peace that this is the right time. It will be sad in some way as the next few weeks will just be a matter of wrapping up my life in Cape Town, saying goodbye to friends, and finishing out an amazing few years here. I couldn't have asked for a more full, diverse, and amazing experience than what I've received here. Because nothing is definite with school yet, I am basically walking in faith that this is the right thing and that the door will open. So please pray for 1) My transition time 2) Our trip to Asia 3) The door to open to school. Thanks for reading and praying.
Love -Ryan

March/April

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. Here is another update after me delaying in posting something. I apologize for that. I was hoping to have more of a concrete update about my future after my last blog, but unfortunately I dont have anything to update. I am still waiting to hear back from the schools I applied to, although in my heart I am still feeling that is where God is leading me. There will be an update as soon as I hear anything regarding schools and my future.

This whole process has humbled me in realizing that it is God who holds the key to our lives and our futures. When I have done all I can, the future is out of my hands and I must just wait, it is difficult because I would like to be the one in control. The days I just let go and trust, I feel peaceful about whats ahead. The days I want to grab the reigns and map out every detail, my heart turns anxious. So your continued prayers for patience, direction, and the right open doors are appreciated as I continue to wait.

In the meantime, I've still been working and enjoying life in Cape Town. With Africa Jam we are still continuing with all our programs and had a couple of day camps for children in the past couple of weeks. We are still working to get our business loan project off the ground this year, distribute loans to people in the community, and seek funding for future years of the work.

Life at home is still amazing. Coming home every evening to 8 amazing people is such a blessing. We've been constantly having guests come through our home for dinners or as a place to sleep for the night. We've even seen a few people come to know the Lord for the first time in the past few weeks as well. Life in our church is healthy and vibrant as well. It will be difficult to leave here if that is what's planned. Thank you for your continued prayers for my future and for the loan project (for things to run smoothly and for funding for future years to come through). I miss you all and it may not be too too long before I am back within Verizon coverage and am better able to keep in touch with you. We'll just wait and see ;) Peace
Ryan

Feb

Hello Friends,

I thought it was a good time for another update from Cape Town. I have been working a lot lately, especially at setting up The IGP (Income Generation Project) for 2010. I have been feeling renewed with the work and passionate about what's happening.

I have hired one local guy (Jason) who just recently graduated from the University of Cape Town to be our Branch Manager and we have been training/interviewing applicants from the Khayelitsha community to be our Loan Officers. One or two of them will be on board with us by next week and we will be beginning our process for marketing in the community to those who want to start businesses to provide for their families. We are also seeking more funding for the project to provide for what we want to do this year (25 business loans) but I am excited about some doors that are opening for us.

Part of the reason I've been working so hard is to establish ongoing foundations that would last even if I were to leave. Over the past year, I have been feeling the Lord leading me to apply to seminary in the States. So I have applied and am waiting on acceptance and financial aid responses from several schools. If I were accepted and felt that it was the right thing, I would start sometime in Aug/Sept. I am not 100% certain what is going to happen at this point, but I would really appreciate your prayers for direction and provision in this time.

Thanks for all your continuing support and prayers. Please also pray for the ongoing work in Khayelitsha. Loyiso our co-worker has ventured out to start some Africa Jam work in another province in the Eastern Cape. He has left the after school program in the capable hands of some great young leaders, but please pray for the youth in this time of transition and for Loyiso and his work. Thanks! ryan