Sorry for the LinkedIn Spamming

Everyone,

Sorry for a mass spamming to any of you who received a "Linkedin" request ... I figured what the heck," let me check out the service".. and it spammed my address book. Very sorry for the confusion and the spam.

Jim

Important: Things Move Up a Notch

Greetings everyone,

 

It’s been a while since we’ve written regarding the property, as things have pretty much kept the status quo for the last 5 months. However, today things have taken a new step forward.

 

Up till now, the agreement that we have had with the owner in regards to the large 45+ acre property is that, in lieu of rent we would maintain and do reparations on the existing buildings. We have been doing this and made 3 of the 5 structures livable. All of this has been a verbal agreement, with no actual paperwork being done.

 

Today, the lawyer in charge of the property came to visit with us and talk about putting things into a more definite form – an actual contract/lease. During the conversation the lawyer revealed to us that:

1)       there has been an offer of R10 mil. (aprox $1.3 mil. USD) by another potential buyer

2)       The owner is still open to leasing to us for 2 – 3 years under the current agreement

3)       Likely, if the owner decided to sell (anytime during the lease), we would have to either counter the offer, or give up the property within a given time period

 

In response we shared the following with him

1)       We would like to buy the entire property (all 45+ acres)

2)       We would like a 5 year fixed agreement on the purchase. In other words, the owner would give us a full five years to come up with the purchase amount, during which he could not sell it out from underneath us.

3)       We would agree on certain projects over the next 5 years, that if we defaulted on purchasing, he would still have a benefit of our being here.

4)       If the owner did not agree to the above, we would maintain our current agreement and would still have right of first refusal

 

The lawyer (who is a very nice man) will be getting back to the owner with our suggestions and be hammering out a more permanent agreement soon.

 

I believe we can do it.

 

Our vision has grown significantly over the last 8 months and we are envisioning a large University of the Nations campus, which could house 300+ students per quarter to be trained in the areas of Primary Health Care, Biblical Studies, Arts, Media, and Discipleship training – very similar to the existing  UofN Kona. This goes along with our initial word from the Lord (on which we move here) that we are to see Swazis take their place in world missions. In a nation where the sole university isn’t even open ¾ of the year, I see this as an amazing opportunity.

 

Would you be praying for us? This Monday we will be having a day of prayer and fasting on the YWAM base for the property and God’s direction. We would appreciate your being part of some sort of prayer on behalf of YWAM Swaziland.

 

Prayer Points:

• That the conversation with the owner would go well and he would be willing to agree to a non-conventional offer.
• The lawyer would be able to open doors for us with the owner
• That the doors for talk and negotiation would stay open – that the owner would not sell to another, and interested parties would lose interest
• For Lisa and I as we will be taking a 2 day retreat in early April with the sole purpose of putting the larger 20 year vision onto paper
• Our ability to connect with people whom God would put on their hearts to invest substantially in the future of YWAM in Swaziland

 

In the meantime we are finishing up our current School of Biblical Studies (SBS) – a first for Swaziland(!), and have 2 DTSes planned for the remainder of the year. We are taking on new staff (and releasing some of the older ones to their own works), and are considering how to maintain the SBS and pioneer the biblical department for long-term sustainability and impact in the community.

 

 In short, we are continuing to expand. Please be praying for us that we could continue to grow here on Ukuthula Compton.

 

With blessings,

Jim & Lisa

 

 

Latest Breakthroughs

Greetings and love from Swaziland!

Been an exciting last few months here in Swaziland. Just a few of the
big things:

The Nave family (as you know) has officially moved to the new YWAM
property. It's been a challenge at times, but after the flooding
hot-water tank, the subsequent lack of water, and absence of phone
line, things have gone surprising well. :D Seriously though, its been
great for them being here and has allowed them to be more involved
with the DTS, especially in the evenings. And by the way... the
hot-water tank, and phone line issues have been sorted out.

While the water has continued to be a problem (see burst hot-water
tanks above), it seems to have come under control to some extent.
While we are still paying to have water delivered, our consumption has
leveled out and we've gotten into a reasonable routine. As well, our
neighbor has volunteered to give her well to us, which means that once
we install piping we should have an unending supply of water.T

However, arguably our biggest breakthrough has been that our Section
21 (Article of Association) has finally gone through! This means that,
after 2 years of waiting, we are officially a recognized organization
in the country of Swaziland! We can now open up a YWAM bank account,
legally own property, and sponsor students and staff for long-term
visas. We actually heard from our lawyer the day before the Naves
moved up to the new property - we felt that the timing was God's
encouragement to us that we are moving in the right direction.

More to come!

The Move

After a period of silence, due to lack of internet connectivity, we
are happy to share our launst news. Because we still do not have a
phone, and thus on internet, I am writing this on my phone. Please
forgive any typos. :)

i am happy to announce that the move went well and the Naves are
officially living at the YWAM base! It was definitely a stressful time
as there was so much to do, and still be completed with the house,
however everything sorted out and it was actually quite a smooth
transition.

We have made large strides with the electricity on the base (we have
hot water on the base for the first time) and even begun
re-construction on one of the battered houses.
We are still struggling with the water infrastructure, however it
seems that the solution might be just around the corner. Our neighbors
have just installed a large underground reservoirto collect rainwater
and so are wanting to give us their current waterhole. What this means
is that after some minimal installation we will have a self sustaining
water source filling our tanks daily. Praise God! Now we are just
waiting for the big rains so that our neighbors reservoir will fill
and we can officially take possession of the well.

The Beginning of Something New

I'm lying on the floor, in a completely empty house, writing this newsletter. It's kind of ironic; when we first moved into this house over 2 years ago this is where I began. There was no computer sans a small box which the monitor was on - I sat on the floor. It's funny how things tend to come full circle.

In October of 2006 our family packed our belongings (no small task) put them, along with ourselves, on a train to Johannesburg and began the trek into Swaziland. At that point we had no idea where we were going once in the country, no transport , and not sure of what the future held. We did however have friends in the north mountains of the country who had offered their home to us for a couple of days.

After our first 4 days in the country we borrowed a car and headed down to Mbabane to look for a house. Again, we had no idea where to look, and had the challenge that we needed to return to the mountains that evening toreturn the car. We didn't know when we would get another opportunity to come down to look.

After our first two visits to estate agents we were a bit discouraged in that we had been told there was nothing available (or what was available was too expensive). At this point, we looked in the paper again and realized that there was a three bedroom house near Mbabane which looked promising. We called the estate agent and made an appointment to meet him within 30 minutes.

As we pulled into the shared lot (there are 2 1/2 houses on the property) we immediately fell in love. First off was the view... wow! You could see all down the Malagwan and into Ezulwhene (the valley of heaven). Next: Lisa had prayed for two things in particular, a fireplace and a bathtub. Once inside we discovered that there was a fireplace, and not only one, but two bathtubs. The living room was spacious, the bedrooms well sized, and the neighbors friendly. We were flabbergasted.

However, we didnt want to presume that this was God's provision, and acknowledged that we might just be jumping at the first thing that came our way. We walked to the side of the house and prayed that if this was the house that the Lord had for us that the agent would drop the price by R200... without us asking he offered to drop it E300! Within 2 hours of coming to town, we entered into a lease agreement for where our family would stay.

For the last (near) 3 years, this has been our home - the only place that our son Michael has known. We have made friends, built tire swings, drawn cartoon animals on the walls, acquired animals, and grown as a family. It has been home. Today, the Lord has provided a new place for us. It is smaller... a little less certain... definitely quirkier. But it is God's provision. Our new child will be born there in November. We will remain a family. It will be our home.

Thank you for your prayers during this time. We are in awe of the wonderful things that the Lord has done through and for us. With the encouragement of what He has done, I am certain that there is greater things to come. Thank you for being a part of that.

With love,

Jim & Lisa

Fwd: YWAM Southern Africa

I thought I might forward on this newsletter about just a handful of the works that YWAM is doing in Southern Africa. Blessings! Jim **************** YWAM SOUTHTHERN AFRICA NEWS – 001   I am taken aback by the reach, the influence, and the expanse of it all – so many people, so many ministries so many hearts and lives being touched and being changed. This one is all over big, as it is wide - and you and I are a part of it!                                                                         Hello, my name is Christabel Lwiindi. I am a member of the Support and Service Team (SST) for the Youth With a Mission National Leadership Team. It is an initiative spear-headed by Stefaan, the National Director. Its purpose is to serve and support all the different bases within the region of Southern Africa . My role in the team is specifically communication – as in linking the different YWAM bases through exchanging of information. My prayer is that through this information exchange, our bases will be more attuned to each other thereby, know how to support and pray for each other in all ways possible.   As part of my portfolio I recently travelled on a tour of a total of six different YWAM bases. On them, I interacted and interfaced with YWAM staff and students, at times going out with them to their outreach stations. One after the other, I saw that YWAM Southern Africa was so much more than what I had known until now. I realized that you and I fellow YWAMer, are all a part of something bigger than ourselves.   Some of the ways YWAM is reaching Southern Africa base by base   Durban   YWAM Durban's Dignity Centre serves needy individuals and families who find themselves in challenging situations. Situations such as un-planned pregnancies, HIV/Aids infected and affected, women, children and families in crisis, counseling as well s mother and child after-birth care. The Dignity centre empowers them so their dignity may be restored.   Bethlehem   Sewing ministry that changes lives – single ladies with children are given skill that brings them income thereby changing lives, impacting their homes and communities.   Kruger Park   A home is so much more than four walls and a roof – it is a place to belong. YWAM Kruger Park 's Ten thousand homes is a movement of people committed to bringing hope and homes to orphans and vulnerable children of sub-Saharan Africa .   Johannesburg   Joseph Project's reach to the community in the inner city of Johannesburg is worth noticing. They champion young people, and grow them to take up roles as leaders.   This is just a peek-preview of what YWAM is doing in and around Southern Africa . From the Communications Desk of YWAM Southern Africa NLT, I am appealing for NEWS or anything of interest from your individual bases. I will further out it in the Newsletter such as this one which will be sent to everyone.   Thanks Christabel Communications Desk YWAM NLT

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The Last Day of Preparation

Today was another day in the line of days where we go up the mountain, down the mountain, up the mountain, and down the mountain, over and over again. Between picking up electricians, plumbers, visitor, and then taking them back down  - it was  very motor-vehicle sort of a day.

After 2 days of being without electricity, we ended up spending a lot to get an electrician to come and put in a new cable to the SEB (Swaziland Electricity Board) power box. It was dark by the time it was installed, and I actually had to drive our car outside the gate so we could get some light. After that was done, we went to SEB to inform them that the cable was ready, and to please do the finishing touches. Whilst they did not come out that night, around 10am today, they arrived and got the power back. Praise God!

The next thing that we have been dealing with is the water tank. It seems that we have a leak. In the last 4 days we have had 18,000 liters of water delivered... today we realized we are almost empty again. Ugh...  So now it is back in the morning to hook up another tank and hopefully that will work. Please be praying for this.

The great news is that we did manage to have some fun today with our new student, Mariana. We had a great family meal all together, and afterwards had a time of worship and then prayed over the entire house in anticipation of students arriving tomorrow.

Speaking of which tomorrow marks arrival day for all of our students! We will be picking the first one at 11:15 am, then at 1:00 pm, and the other will be arriving around 4 pm. Planning on having a big family night, and then come the morning DTS officially starts!

Blessings!