July Update
Friends & Family,
We are so happy to let you know that at a little over four weeks in, our experience in South Africa has been even better than we could’ve imagined it to be!
We have been amazed at the intentionality of our leaders! The way they have structured the school, the topics on which they are teaching, and the quality of the teaching have exceeded our expectations. We know beyond a doubt that we are in the right place.We are excited to share with you what we’ve been doing and what God has been doing in us.
What we’ve been up to..
We are both doing well! We have had some sickness (Adam had a pretty nasty cold and Kayla caught a stomach bug) but we are doing great now both physically and emotionally! We spend most of our day in class learning from leaders of Iris from all over the world. In the afternoons we have small groups, one on one discipleship or community outreach, depending on the day. On Friday nights we have ‘family fun night’. On weekends we often go to the mall to buy snacks and to connect to WiFi.
Two weekends ago we had the opportunity to go on an overnight outreach to a nearby squatter village. Squatter villages are pieces of land where people have camped long enough (24 hours without being removed) to give them “squatter rights”. Due to the lax laws surrounding squatters rights there are many areas in South Africa that have become squatter villages.The living conditions are poor and have no electricity or plumbing. We spent our time there sharing about Jesus, praying for the sick and listening to many people’s stories. We got to pray for a sweet older man named Thomas who had asthma (We could hear his difficulty in breathing) after praying, his breathing became totally normal! Many people were touched by Jesus and it was a blessing to witness and be a part of all that He was doing.
In the morning on Sunday we had a church service for the community and another for a group of about 15 kids. During the first service the Holy Spirit prompted Kayla to share about how we must get off the throne of our heart and let Jesus be the king of our lives to experience true a relationship with him. People responded to it and we were able to pray for several people afterwards. It was an incredible time of putting into practice what we've been talking about in class!
What we've been learning..
The term ‘counting the cost’ sums up most of what we have been learning the past four weeks. We’ve come face to face with the realities of giving ourselves to a life of missions. We pray and cry as we lay everything (desires, comforts, family, friends and security) down simply because we love Jesus so much that He is worth whatever He asks of us. We are learning to trust that Jesus really will provide all that we need and to believe that he IS all that we need.
We feel joy and excitement as we dream with God about what the next 20+ years will look like as we pursue him and the dreams he has put in our hearts. We know we are coming closer to what He has for us next. Slowly but surely he keeps dropping hints and clues and challenging us to dream bigger and bigger.
This second half of the school will have a more practical focus in teaching and particularly in making plans and connections for what will happen after the school. We are meeting with our school leaders soon to get some ideas and wisdom about our next steps. We appreciate your prayers for wisdom and hearing God clearly as we step into this. We are so excited!
F U N F A C T S
Kayla's new favorite drink is a Red Cappuccino. Made with Rooibos tea, which is very popular here in South Africa, it's made just like a traditional Cappuccino but its tea, and its amazing!
Did you know that a group of Giraffes is called a tower?
Our School is located at Iris Footprints, a base here in Johannesburg, SA. The base is home to about 30 kids and many staff as well as horses, bunnies, chickens, and lots of dogs and cats. Needless to say there is always something exciting going on!
With Love,
Adam and Kayla Coupe
Sons and Daughters International
"Joy is the serious business of Heaven." - C.S. Lewis