I can’t believe it is June already. We have been staying quite close to home. The cost of fuel keeps going up and the Rands we get for our dollars keeps going down!!

We did go to Eshowe in May. We visited one of the churches that is quite far out of town. The group was small, but the service was good.

We have attended the Umzumbe church quite a lot over the past few weeks. At times we become quite discouraged because the church seems to be stagnant. For the past couple of years we have been praying for the young ladies in the congregation. Many of them have made some bad choices in their lives and we have been praying that God would help them get back on track. On Sunday morning one of these young ladies came forward at the end of the service. The leader asked Michael to speak to her. She told him that she wanted to recommit her life to the Lord. After Michael and she had spoken, the leader asked another lady and me to come and pray for her. The tears of joy ran down my cheeks as I prayed for her to remain faithful to God. I have found some devotional materials to give to her and we will do follow-up with her. Praise the Lord!

The family is doing quite well. Both Erin and Chayah have been sick recently – just colds and flu. They both go to the same day care center and I think they picked it up there. Since their parents had to go to work, Grandpa and Grandma baby-sat. We managed fine, but have decided we want to have them sometime when they aren’t sick!

Dawn is getting very anxious for her new arrival. The doctor has moved her due date from mid-July to near the end of June. Schools close for the term break on June 24 and she is hoping to finish the term.

Diane is still doing a lot of traveling. She hasn’t decided what she is going to do next year yet. She can’t keep the job she has after the baby comes. Diane and John are looking for a new place to live. Their landlords have sold the house where their apartment is and they have to move by the end of July.

Michael saw the heart specialist today for a six-month check-up and the news was not so good. Recently our GP took him off his cholesterol medication because he was having headaches – and that is a known side-effect. The headaches have continued and the specialist was not happy to hear that he isn’t on the medication. He wants Michael to see neurologist in Durban as soon as possible to try to determine the cause of the headaches. We would ask you to pray for the specialists and for Michael during this time.

Winter has arrived and we are in the midst of some pretty cold weather with rain. There is snow in the mountains and the weather forecast indicates more of the same for the next few days. We just add layers and appreciate the car that has a really good heater! Hopefully, we can also have a fire in the fireplace soon.

Our sons-in-law came last Saturday and cut down a big tree in our yard. It was a nice, productive avocado tree a few years ago, but it had quit producing and was dying. We now have a big pile of fire wood – some of which needs to be made into smaller pieces to fit the fireplace – and a very open area in the yard!

Caryl and Michael

It is hard to believe that January is already gone!!

   We have had a lot of rain over the past two months. It made getting the lawns mowed impossible. Finally the rain stopped and the sun came out - which made the grass grow extremely quickly. Michael and S’phiwe, the high school boy we hire to help with maintenance at Umzumbe Bible Institute, have been kept busy trying to get the grass under control again.

   We went to Eshowe in January. We worshipped at the church in the area near town because the roads were too muddy to travel to the distant churches. At a meeting after the service, the men agreed that Michael should be allowed to have Power of Attorney for the elder whose health is not very good. We stayed an extra night in Eshowe so Michael and Brother Zulu could go to the bank to make the arrangements. The bank said that Michael could not have Power of Attorney, but could be added as a signatory if the other signatory agreed. Michael phoned him and he agreed to come to the bank. He was in town buying supplies and Michael offered to transport him and his goods home after they finished at the bank. Now if anything happens to Brother Zulu, Michael and the other elder will be able to conduct business for the churches there.

   Schools have reopened for the 2011 school year. We have gone back to the high school so Michael can lead them in devotions and prayers on Tuesdays before school starts. He also visited the Magog Primary School. We plan to hold the grade 7 youth camp again this year, but the group will be much smaller. There are only 38 students in grade 7 this year. For the past few years we have had from 60 to 70 students. The principal also asked for computer instruction and help with other subjects for her students.

   The day care center is open and there are 16 children registered. The teacher is not trained, but she is very willing to learn so we are trying to help and advise her. Another young lady has joined the staff as an aid. Fortunately, her English is better than the teacher’s English so she serves as an interpreter for us. We are hoping to have a meeting with the Department of Social Welfare and parents and interested community members this coming week. If we can get things in order, there should be some financial aid from the government for the day care center.

   We decided to have a security company install a security system at Umzumbe Bible Institute. Since it was installed we have not had any burglaries in that building. We did get a call in the middle of the night one night to say the alarm had gone off. Fortunately, when we arrived the next morning there had not been a burglary. Apparently, a gecko (lizard) or large insect had triggered the alarm. S’phiwe reports to us each night after he has made sure the lights are on and the doors and windows are secure.

   Please pray for Mom Stanley. We got a call from the nursing home this morning to say that she was not well. They requested antibiotics for her. We saw her briefly this afternoon and her breathing is very labored.

Caryl and Michael

We just returned from our trip to the Eastern Cape. The trip to Sada is about 400 miles each way. We traveled down on Friday and Michael spent all of Saturday in meetings. He finally got to meet the chairman of the Church of Christ Mission finance committee. We were very impressed with him. He has handled financial records well and we also met his family who were very nice. The President, Secretary, and Deputy Secretary of the Church of Christ Mission were also there and they really were able to handle a lot of business. We stayed two nights with a member of the church and they treated us very well.

   On Sunday we attended a church service in a small church near Queenstown. The minister is a graduate of South African Bible Institute. After lunch we started home and stayed the night in Mthatha so we didn’t have to drive home in the dark. South Africa roads are extremely dangerous and that area is particularly bad at night.

   The KwaZuluNatal youth camp started yesterday. Michael has gone up to Hammarsdale today to participate in the teaching there. I am catching up at home. He will come home tonight and then we will both go up tomorrow. We will stay through Friday morning and then go on to Eshowe for our monthly visit there. Michael will meet with the elders on Friday afternoon and Saturday and we will attend church there on Sunday.

   The other news from South Africa is the FIFA World Cup which is taking place now. Soccer is the subject of the day! All of the games are televised and aired on radio. Even those of us who know nothing about soccer are getting caught up in the excitement. Praise the Lord that so far there have been no major problems. Pray for continued peace and security during the next 3 ½ weeks.

   The family is doing well. The schools have closed early for the mid-year holidays because of the World Cup. That means that Dawn, Rebecca and Gabriella are enjoying some time off. Diane and John are busy getting the last things organized for their wedding on the 17^th of July. They have found an apartment and Diane is in the process of moving there.

   Praise the Lord for a successful trip to the Eastern Cape and for progress made on the finances! Pray for the youth camps which are taking place in KwaZuluNatal and other parts of South Africa this week.

Caryl and Michael

Time is flying by and we will be retuning to South Africa soon. Our departure date is 15 February. Between now and then we will still visit two churches in South Dakota and I will speak for a ladies’ group in Minnesota.

   We have had a good furlough. We have traveled safely and enjoyed our visits with churches in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Minnesota. We have renewed old friendships and made new ones.

   About two weeks ago we decided to send a crate back to South Africa. We didn’t originally plan to do that, so we have not been collecting items along the way as we usually do. In the end we decided that we needed to get some heavy parts to repair some equipment in South Africa and we needed to replace some old items. Since we are sending a crate, we decided to also get some books for the ministers and some communion trays and cups, which are not readily available in South Africa. We have put a bit of pressure on the Christian book store to get the items in time for us to get them and get the crate packed and shipped before we leave. Any contributions toward paying for the books, equipment or shipping would be appreciated. Check should be made out to South Africa Church of Christ Mission and sent to P. O. Box 18531 Minneapolis, MN 55418-0531.

   We are looking forward to getting back to South Africa. It will be good to be in our own home and to see our family again. Sean, our son-in-law, went to Umzumbe Bible Institute recently and there has been more vandalism and destruction on the campus. We are planning to do some repairs and then re-establish our out-reach program to the youth in the community. Pray that we will get good cooperation from the church and schools in the area.

   Pray for us as we finish up our speaking schedule and as we pack and get ready to leave. Pray especially for good weather over the next 2 weeks so we can make the necessary trips to the churches. Pray for safety as we travel back home on February 15 and 16.

Caryl and Michael

We have visited some churches over the past few weeks. It has been really nice to see so many friends and supporters. Now we are into the Christmas season and most churches are having special programs. We have been able to attend some of them and have really enjoyed that. We are also spending quite a bit of time with Diane while she is in the USA for a few weeks.
Dawn and JP celebrated Chayah's first birthday this week. We were really sorry not to be able to be in South Africa for that. The school year ended early in December so she is now at home being a full-time mommy, which she really enjoys.
Dawn has not been able to share a lot about the problems at her school as it is under investigation. She applied for teaching jobs for next year at two schools and was very disappointed when she did not get either one. Today we learned that a teacher resigned from one of those schools and she has been offered the position. She is really excited about that. Thank you to all who prayed for her and for those who wrote and encouraged her. It means a lot to us.
Dina and Sean are both working and the girls are out of school for this year. They seem to have worked out a solution for caring for the girls, but I wish we could be there to help take care of them. Dina will be taking some time off from her nursing position next year as she is expecting a baby in February.We are hoping that we will arrive back in time to be there for the new arrival.
We will be speaking at churches in Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Minnesota during January and February. Our plan is to leave for South Africa in mid-February. Pray for us as we travel and for the work in South Africa. We know that there will be a lot of work to do in regard to the position of treasurer. Also we will be involved with the churches in KwaZulu Natal and with the work in the schools.
We wish you all a blessed Christmas. May all of our celebrations truly honor Christ.
Michael and Caryl

   It is Friday evening and we have just returned from the Conference business meeting. Actually, there have been business meetings everyday. However, today they dealt with the most serious issues. First they gave the financial report. It is the first real meaningful financial report in about 7 years. Several people worked day and night during the past few days to get it done and there are still problems, but it is a real step of progress.

   The elections for the Executive Committee of the Church of Christ Mission were held late this afternoon. Michael was nominated for President (chairman), but the incumbent president (Elijah Gontsana) won by a large majority. The deputy president is a man who served as chairman of many of the meetings this week and seems to be very capable. The incumbent secretary was re-elected - also by a majority. The deputy secretary is a man who takes copious notes so will probably also be able to do his job well. Michael and two other men - one the incumbent treasurer and another who has been involved in the finances of the Church - were nominated for treasurer. Michael won a majority of those votes and the previous treasurer hardly got any votes! The Director of Building and Evangelism is a young minister in whom we have a lot of confidence. The Executive Committee consists of these men and representatives of the six areas of South Africa. It looks like these will be men who will work well together. One of the comments Michael said he heard often as the church people congratulated the new Committee, was “We trust you.” Praise the Lord for that. Thank you for all the prayers you have prayed over the past few days. We really believe that God’s hand was in the elections. Pray now that these men will do the jobs they have been chosen to do. Pray especially for Michael. There is a lot of work to do and some of it will be very difficult.

   Michael will be teaching his lesson tomorrow (Saturday) morning. After the church service on Sunday we will drive back to Kimberley to visit a friend before returning home on Monday. Pray for us and all the other people who will be traveling back to our homes over the next few days.

   We were not able to send this out on Friday night as planned. In fact, we are now home after a long day on the road.

   Saturday did not go as planned. They reorganized the schedule so the Farewell Service for Alice Fishback could be on Saturday morning because some of the people left for their homes on Saturday afternoon. Then the Executive Committee had meetings for most of Saturday afternoon. In the end Michael taught his class in the evening. There were about 80 people there and several commented on the good lesson. One man said that Michael should teach his class on the first day of Conference when more people are there.

   Pray for us. We have a busy week ahead as we take care of business and prepare for our return to the United States next Monday. Hopefully, we will also be able to spend some time with the family here before we leave.

Michael and Caryl

We would like to ask you to pray for us specially this month. After much prayer and thought we decided to return to South Africa for the annual church conference, a gathering of church members from all over the country. Pray that some major decisions will be made and some of the on-going problems can be resolved at this year’s conference.

   There are some people who want Michael to be elected as treasurer at this year’s elections. Financial issues constitute a major part of the problem. Pray for God’s Will to be done in regard to this matter.

   Pray for us – for wisdom and guidance as we meet with the church members and church leaders. We really do not know what to expect.

   This week we will be preparing to leave for South Africa. We will fly out early on Thursday morning and arrive in Johannesburg South Africa on Friday evening – after 19 hours on planes and 8 hours waiting to change planes in Atlanta. We will stay overnight in Johannesburg and fly to Durban on Saturday. Dawn, JP and Chayah will meet us at the airport. Unfortunately, Dina and her family will leave early on Saturday morning to visit Sean’s parents for a week and Diane will be busy with something for work.

   After a week at home we will travel across South Africa to attend the annual church conference. After the conference we will return home to spend a few days with our children and grandchildren before returning to the United States to continue our furlough.

Michael and Caryl

  It has been a really busy month.

   We arrived in the United States on the 14^th July. We went to stay with my younger sister and brother-in-law in the Minneapolis St. Paul area. I ended up going for some emergency medical care the night after we arrived. I had done something to my back and was in a lot of pain. Fortunately, it didn’t last long after I got some medication. Then I got a bad sore throat. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to feel normal again! Now I am fine and Michael made the transition from South Africa to the United States without any problems.

  For the first week we didn’t have a car, so we either walked or took my sister and brother-in-law to work so we could use their car. Fortunately, by the second week, we were able to buy a 2000 Buick Le Sabre. We have been very happy with our purchase.

   During the first few weeks we were involved in a lot of family activities. My extended family had a reunion so we were able to see some cousins we haven’t seen for many years. Michael’s sister also came from South Africa in July so all four of the siblings were able to be on one side of the ocean, which doesn’t happen very often. We were all able to be at Michael’s nephew’s wedding. The four siblings and three spouses went on a short vacation to Chicago and we really enjoyed our sight-seeing which included a dinner cruise. Michael and I rushed home from Chicago to participate in the Stillwater Minnesota Relay for Life. My older sister organized two teams so we really enjoyed that and were able to raise money for cancer research.

   From there we went to my sister’s house to wash clothes and pack so we could begin a month-long trip to Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. We will be returning to Minnesota at the beginning of September. We traveled to a Stanley family reunion in Pennsylvania, where the Minnesota ancestors came from in the mid-1800’s.

   We have spoken at one church and visited one church in Minnesota, visited a family from one of our supporting churches in Wisconsin, spoken at one church and visited another church in Ohio, and spoken at two churches in Illinois and one church in Oklahoma. We are on our way to Nebraska to visit two of our supporting churches. As we travel from place to place we are visiting friends and family.

   In addition to our church visits over the next few weeks, we will also be making preparations to return to South Africa. Originally we had planned to return to South Africa in September, but realized that we would not be able to visit many of our supporting churches by then, so we decided to stay until February. However, the annual church conference in South Africa is at the end of September and beginning of October and Michael feels that he needs to be there for the conference. We are praying that some major decisions will be made. So we will be returning to South Africa for a few weeks in September and October. We also found out that if we are out of South Africa for 183 days during the tax year, we are not subject to South Africa income tax – which is quite a lot of money.

   We have been keeping contact with the family in South Africa by email and text messages. Technology is certainly great for us!!

   We are looking forward to seeing many of you over the next few months. Please pray for safety for us as we travel. Also pray for our trip to South Africa and especially for the annual church conference and for the decisions that will be made there.

Michael and Caryl

As I mentioned in the last email, it was the anniversary of Mac’s death on June 9. Diane invited the family and a few friends to a special service at Oribi Bible Camp. Her minister led a short time of memories and prayer time and then Diane scattered Mac’s ashes from the top of the water tank stand – a favorite place of Mac’s. The three nieces released gold helium-filled balloons at the same time. After a time of meditation, we all went to Debbie (Michael’s sister) and Lynton Neethling’s for soup and fellowship. It was a special time and another milestone for Diane.

   The 7^th of June marked our 40^th wedding anniversary, but we were all busy so the day went almost unnoticed. Michael and I went to a church service where the people from one of the older congregations in this area are starting a new church. They meet in a hut now, but have land and are hoping to build soon. After church we went to Diane’s and all of our children were there so we enjoyed a short visit with them.

   Michael traveled to Kimberley in mid-June to attend the South African Bible Institute Board of Governors meeting and the annual general meeting. (I was not able to go as I had agreed to do a doughnut demonstration at a women’s meeting.)

   At the end of June we made our monthly trip to Eshowe. Originally Michael planned to attend a men’s meeting on Saturday, but it was postponed. We went up on Friday night and he attended a funeral on Saturday. The place where we usually stay was already full, so we stayed in a new place this time. It is outside of town and is very quiet. (They don’t even have a tv!) I was there by myself on Saturday, but I kept busy. Michael had cut wood to make a new sign for the church, so I sanded and painted the undercoat on it. Now the church will have to take it to a sign-writer to complete it.

   A lot of our time is being taken up with getting ready to return to the United States in a few days. Our grandchildren are on vacation and our daughter, Dina, is on night duty so we have the children for a few days. We are still trying to work out if their presence is a help or a hindrance to our travel preparations. We have found a single man who is a Christian to stay in the house. We will store our vehicles and leave the Umzumbe Bible Institute property in the care of the Umzumbe Church. Fortunately, right now it is winter and our dry season so the grass and weeds won’t be growing very fast. We moved a few things out of the buildings yesterday because we are worried about burglaries.

   Just before we leave South Africa, we will go away for a couple of days with all of our children and grandchildren. We are not going far, but we will all be able to stay together so we are really looking forward to that. Our plan is to play games, visit and just relax together. We just need to be sure the overseas suitcases are packed first! Pray that we will have a good (and productive) week.

   Looking forward to seeing many of you over the next few months.

Caryl and Michael

Where did May go? I missed sending out a message for the whole month.

For most of April we spent a lot of time at Umzumbe Bible Institute. We had decided to have the Magog grade 7 Life Skills camp at the beginning of May, so we allowed those who wanted to work their way to camp to come after school to pull weeds, cut grass and work on the road. There was great excitement when they had finished and the bus came to take them to Oribi Bible Camp for four days.

Scripture Union helped us organize and run the camp. It was a great camp. Michael was very busy as he presented some of the sessions and also worked with one small group of boys. Mr. Nala, a teacher, helped with Michael's group. Last year he wasn't even sure he wanted to accompany the students; this year he participated in everything and commented to Michael about how much he appreciated the camp! Michael also led the hike one day. They have the students take a sack lunch and walk out into the nature reserve. I was the chief cook which involved being in the kitchen for about 15 hours each day to prepare meals for about 65 people. I had 2 or 3 helpers, but still had to take the major responsibility. We both came home quite exhausted.

Recently two of the Scripture Union girls started running a girls' friendship group at Magog for grade 6 and 7 girls. They meet each Tuesday after school for games, refreshments and a Bible story. We are hoping to be able to find a young man who would be willing to do a boys' friendship group. The boys are feeling quite left out.

Michael has attended a couple of committee meetings with a group of people from the churches in KwaZuluNatal over the past two months. They are discussing the future of the churches in our province and trying to solve some of the problems in the churches. He has also been dealing with some disagreements between the elders in the Eshowe churches, where we visit once each month. He has made some extra trips there and stayed longer on the weekends. Pray for continued wisdom for him as he deals with these men.

In mid-May we decided to make a trip to George. Michael offered help sort out some of the financial problems in the national church. We decided to travel by Greyhound bus. It took us 18 hours each way to make the trip.(If we had driven, we would have spent two days and one night on the road each way.) While we were in George, we stayed with fellow-missionaries, Pete, Fran and Denzil Laughren. We had a very good visit with them. Michael went to see the treasurer one day, but he refused the help. That was very frustrating for Michael.

Dina,who is a registered nurse in the private hospital maternity ward, has had to go onto night duty for a few months. As a wife and mother it is a difficult transition, but she didn't have a choice. The rest of her family is doing fine.

Diane is not looking forward to next week as it will be the anniversary of Mac's death. Please pray for her. She has been very busy at work and is feeling quite exhausted. She has organized two programs with her new job as national training coordinator of Scripture Union and she really enjoyed that. Pray that Scripture Union will be able to find a regional director to replace her as she is now doing both jobs.

On April 19, Dawn and JP had a special service to dedicate themselves to raise Chayah in a way that honors God. Their cell group stood with them during the ceremony. The minister spoke and then Michael prayed for Chayah, Dawn and JP. JP's family came from Empangeni and the family gathered at our home after church for a meal and photo session. It was great fun!

We are beginning to get things ready to be away from our home for two months. We will be flying to the United States on July 13. We are scheduled to return to South Africa in September, but that could be extended.

Sorry about the delay in getting word off to you. Will try to do better in the future.

Caryl and Michael

It seems that I completely missed out an up-date from us in March. My apologies.

   We visited the children who were injured in the accident several times. The girl had a broken arm, but no other injuries. She was released from the hospital in less than a week – in time to attend the funeral of the girl who was killed. The boy was in Port Shepstone Hospital for about 4 weeks and then he was moved to Durban for reconstructive surgery.

   We attended the annual Ministers’ Week in Barberton at the beginning of March. Michael preached one day and I led a Bible study for the ladies on two days. The theme for the week was “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Messages and lessons included responsibilities of husbands, wives and parents. We were very impressed with the preparation and presentation done by the ministers. We also enjoyed the fellowship. Unfortunately, there are still problems in the executive committee. Continue to pray for a revival in the lives of those leaders.

   From March 23 until April 3 Michael and I taught at the South African Bible Institute in Kimberley. Michael had one student in the first year class (Christian Decision Making) and I had three students in the second/third year class (Establishing a Sunday School). We provided lunch for the students nearly every day while we were there. They welcomed the food, but that is not the whole story. When we arrived the kitchen was filthy and it was overrun with ants. We bribed them into cleaning up with the threat that there would be no food if the kitchen was dirty.

   While we were in Kimberley we stayed with Michael’s friend, Roy, and visited with Steve and Brenda Caulley, fellow missionaries. The weather was quite nice while we were there. Kimberley can be extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in winter (especially since there is no central heating in the houses.) This was a good time of year to be there.

   Now we are getting ready for the special services that will be held this weekend in Gingindlovu – nearly 100 miles from here. We will go up on Friday morning. During the day the men from the various churches will preach on the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross. Michael has been asked to teach a combined class for men and women and I am to bring a lesson for the women. That will be on Saturday. There will be a service on Sunday and then we will return home.

   The family is all well. Rebecca and Gabriella have finished the first term of school at their new school and they are very happy there. They are having a short break now and Dina and Sean are both working, so the girls have come to stay for a couple of days. Dawn is getting ready for school as she will be returning to her teaching job in mid-April. Chayah will have to go to a day-care center. Chayah is growing and beginning to charm us all with her smile! Diane is almost finished with the sewing for the wedding on Sunday. I went to her house a couple of times and helped cut and pin bridesmaids’ dresses. The bridesmaids’ dresses are all done except one hem. The bride’s dress still needs a hem and some beading, but will definitely be done. It has been pretty stressful, but she is doing an absolutely beautiful job!

   We enjoy getting responses from you. It’s always good to hear what you are doing. Pray for the meetings this weekend and we will be thinking of all of you as you celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Caryl and Michael