Faith Like Potatoes

“A farmer moves his family to South Africa and suffers a series of seemingly insurmountable losses.  Through unlikely friendships and much needed divine intervention, he discovers his life’s true purpose and it sustains his unwavering belief in the power of faith.  A moving life journey of a man, who, like his potatoes, grows his faith, unseen until the harvest.”

Faith Like Potatoes.  Based on a true story.  Just like our story.

This is the description of a movie that we first saw while in Pemba, Mozambique in 2012.  Wouldn’t you know…….it sounds very similar to what our family is going through in this season of our own lives with our garden here in South Africa.

As we prepared to move to Mossel Bay 1 year ago, the Lord said seek land and a garden.  Check.

After much preparation of digging out grass, clearing rocks and tilling soil, Josh asked the Lord what to plant in our larger garden space.  Potatoes came to mind, even though seeds are difficult to find here.  He questioned the Lord and asked again.  The same answer remained.  A neighbor helped us out by locating some seed.  Approximately 400 hills of potato seeds planted.  Check.

Irrigation dilemma solved (not for lack of water) when Josh figured out how to maintain water pressure for the sprinklers.  Check.

We’ve been told the way we’re gardening won’t work here in South Africa, yet our garden has produced lavishly thus far.  We’ve been told that the soil isn’t right, yet we have some of the richest soil locals have seen around here.

Pull weeds.  Water.  Pull weeds.  Water.  Clear rocks in between.  Check.

We have watched with excitement and anticipation as our garden began to grow and produce beautiful crops.  We’ve been able to enjoy an abundance of cucumbers, lettuce, carrots and cabbage, the first of our harvest to be ready.



Then the porcupines arrived and arrived and arrived and arrived and arrived…..  I think you get the point.  These porcupines have been relentless in “killing, stealing and destroying” our crops.

The way our garden was doing so well, we’re guesstimating that our potato plants would have produced well over 3,000 potatoes, but the porcupines have shown up night after night after night for the past 2 months!  Here is a picture of what we’ve been able to harvest as of today.

Yes, that’s right, the porcupines have eaten or destroyed most of our potato harvest.  It’s the sad truth.  The porcupines are a problem.  Just imagine how many people could have been fed if the crops were protected!!  Josh bought a gun in hopes that he’d be able to eliminate this problem, but the porcupines have stopped showing up almost entirely at night while he’s outside waiting for them.  Once he comes inside, sometimes around 1-2am, they then decide to make their appearance.  BUT, he continues to hunt them without giving up!

It’s been a tough battle, especially for Josh, as he has worked very hard in getting our gardens up and running so that we can bless others whom are without food and meet the needs of our own family.  Today as he was outside working in the garden, he spent some time chatting with the Lord about our situation.

The question on his heart, “Why, Lord?  Why did you ask me to plant potatoes just so the porcupines could destroy them?”
The Lord began to tell him that planting potatoes was part of His plan but the porcupines were not.  The Lord has used this opportunity to teach Josh a valuable lesson about perseverance.  Many times Josh wanted to stay inside and sleep instead of hunt for porcupines, but he has allowed the Lord to grow him in patience, commitment and perseverance.  I am proud of him!  Even though his presence outside hasn’t stopped the porcupines, the Lord has done a deeper work in his heart.  The Lord then began to equate this situation with the work we’re doing here in South Africa and Sonskyn.  We may plant hundreds of seeds but only see a small harvest to begin with, sometimes because the enemy comes and steals the “intended” harvest or destroys seeds before growth occurs.  The Lord reminded him that the small harvest is just as important as the big.  He doesn’t measure quantity but quality.  He doesn’t measure sacrifice but obedience.

The Lord began showing him the different seasons and how we won’t/shouldn’t always be weeding, watering and harvesting.  There are times when more preparation is needed.  This is the season we’re in now.  Preparation.  God asked him and our family to work the next 7 consecutive days in the garden to prepare for planting again.  On the 7th day, God will tell us what to plant!

If you feel led to join with our efforts in feeding the hungry, specifically in Sonskyn Valley, a tax-deductible donation can be made online at www.Four18.org by designating funds for Feeding the Hungry– Mossel Bay, South Africa.  We will set aside these funds to build a fence around our garden space, costing around $1,000 US, as we know this is the long-term solution in protecting our crops from wildlife.

Bye Bye Car!

It’s been a great 11 months with this car, but today it was time for us to say goodbye to this beast mobile.

We were beyond blessed to have this car for much longer than expected – thank you to our dear friend, Mulder.  What was originally supposed to be 5 months turned into over 11!  For those of you that may not have been following along on our journey this past year, here’s a little snippet from a post I wrote back on February 8, 2015, when the Lord was leading us to move to Mossel Bay…….

February 8, 2015:
“Speaking of needs, we weren’t sure how we were going to get around Mossel Bay once we moved down there.  Right now we’re homeless, carless, jobless……..but rich in the sense that we are so fulfilled with living for Jesus and doing what the Lord’s asked us to do.  I think about the disciples and how they left their jobs, everything, to follow Jesus.  Our family has a lot of growing to do, in fact that will never end, and the Lord continues to teach us what’s important in this life and what things we can continue to let go of to follow Him.  A couple drove us to the police station, and on the way there they nonchalantly asked us if we needed a car once we go to Mossel Bay.  We told them yes.  Immediately the guy said we could have his car and use it however needed.  I honestly didn’t know if my ears had heard right or if he was serious….turns out he was!  He is leaving the country from March-July and said we can simply work out arrangements for when he needs it back after that time.  It’s a little car but big enough to squeeze our family into, and it gets around 45mpg and 600 miles per tank fill-up!!  And get this, he and a friend are driving to a conference which is located ½ way between Pretoria and Mossel Bay.  They leave on Wednesday and offered to drive the vehicle the rest of the way to Mossel Bay so that we could have it.  What?!?!  Our dilemma - how do we get the vehicle to Mossel Bay?  Problem solved!  They will arrive with the car next Sunday evening, and then we are taking care of their transportation back to Pretoria via the bus.  As I read in Acts about people selling their belongings to help others in need, I’ve seen that same generosity in this house we’ve been living in.  I am observing and learning a lot about giving without being stingy, and I’m not just talking about money here either.  You know the saying, “Me casa es su casa….”  Well, people here literally live that out.  They are so selfless and full of love for each other.  It’s not a sacrifice but a blessing for them to give to others with no reservation or hesitation.”

Current Day:
So, there you have it.  God came through back then and He will again!  We believe and trust the Lord to provide us with a new vehicle to continue on with the work here, specifically in Sonskyn.  We have such great peace about our situation and are excited to see what God is up to!  I wonder how He will fill this empty parking spot?!?! We'll be happy with anything, except maybe a cow, horse or donkey, haha! Just kidding!

In the meantime, we have been blessed with friends that have offered to help us with transportation or bring us food as needed.  In fact, some friends are bringing Edwin and Ronel (from Sonskyn) to the farm this weekend so they can celebrate their 2-year anniversary at the farm….that was their desire!  The Lord has put some great things on our hearts for this family, and we will be talking with them about those things this weekend.  We would appreciate your prayer covering as we step out in greater boldness and faith – that the Lord’s wisdom would be our guide always.

Ronel asked us to drive her to the hospital on Friday, February 26th for one of her final doctor’s appointments.  This is when she will find out when the baby is due – sometime in March.  She asked this of me before we knew we’d be without a car, so of course I said “yes” without hesitation!  AND I’m still not hesitating.  The Lord says to make our requests known to Him.  He knows our heart.  He knows our need of a vehicle.  I’m being specific in my prayers in asking him for a vehicle before this date because I want to honor my commitment, as it truly is from my heart that I want to help and bless this family.  When we first met Ronel, we also offered to drive her to the hospital when it’s time to deliver the baby.  After getting to know us more, she asked if we’d still be willing to do that.  Why, of course!  So, the Lord has a date to work with, haha!

If the Lord tugs on your heart to help contribute in any way to fulfill the work He is doing in South Africa, we would be very appreciative.  A tax-deductible donation can be made online at www.Four18.org by designating funds for Josh & Mindy Mason – Mossel Bay, South Africa.  Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

Our greatest desire - to be the hands and feet of Jesus where He has planted us today!

The Life & Death of Tyron

It is with great sadness that I am writing a blog announcing the death of my buddy and friend, TYRON.  He was no ordinary 11-year old boy.  He was special!

My heart was excited and anticipating our visit to Sonskyn Valley on Saturday, January 2nd.  I remember the drive.  Thinking about our friends, Edwin and Ronel, whom we hadn’t seen since Christmas Eve.  I couldn’t wait to give them hugs and smile and laugh with them!  I had been looking forward to a warm welcome from my buddy, Tyron.  He was always around or close by when our car pulled up into the township.  If he saw us driving down the street or parking our car, he’d come right over to us with a big smile on his face.  Yes, that contagious smile that I came to love and adore!

Leroy with his brother Tyron. Christmas Eve.

We thought this day was another ordinary, yet extraordinary, day of loving on children, but that particular day we arrived to some heartbreaking news.  We had parked our vehicle in the same spot we always do – across the street from the park at our friend, Eddie’s, house.  That way the children at Sonskyn would always know where to find us.  Last Saturday was no different.  As we parked our car, children saw us and came to gather around, but no Tyron was in sight.  In fact, many of the “normal” children were gone that day.  Sometimes we have food or sweets to hand out, which often times attracts the crowds, but today I didn’t feel like we were supposed to do that.  Our friend, Eddie, walked towards us and asked if we had heard the news about Tyron.  We said, “No.  What is it?”  He matter-of-factly said, “He’s dead.”  Josh questioned him to make sure he heard right, and again Eddie said, “Ya, Tyron died yesterday.”  Immediately tears were spilling down my face and I turned away to try and “be strong” in front of the many children gathered, but I felt like the Lord said to me that it was okay to show my emotions in front of the kids – that they needed to see how much Tyron was loved.  I was speechless and could only cry.  I could feel a respectful reverence surrounding me, and one girl came to give me a hug.  I just held her.

After the news sunk in, we went to go find Tyron’s parents: Martha and Andres.  We found them walking alongside the road.  They were in shock.  We knew this because Andres could barely speak English, but when we’ve spoken to him before he’s had no problem.  Sweet mama Martha was sad and angry.  At times she wanted to withdraw from us, but we were persistent in showering her with love.  What can you say to a mom when her 11-year old son has just died?  The truth – that Tyron was loved and is with Jesus now.  That he was special.  That it’s okay to be sad and angry.  That God loves her.  That she needs to turn to God and not alcohol during this time of mourning.  That God can give her strength.  As the tears flowed down her cheeks, we knew she was being touched by the Father’s love.

They went on to explain as best as they could to us in their broken English and state of shock that Tyron was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.  He had been vomiting profusely and had severe diarrhea.  She found him collapsed.  He passed away at 3pm on New Year’s Day.  There is an investigation being done as to the cause of his death.  It’s possible he was poisoned, but we do not know for sure at this point until the results of the autopsy are complete.  No one wants to celebrate the beginning of a new year with the death of a child, but I am praying and believing that God will use this situation for good to bring about an awakening in their hearts to turn their lives over to Jesus and begin a new life in Him!!  Not every death or situation is part of God’s plan, but He does know all and He will use every situation for good to those that know and love Him.

This I know, that Tryon is now perfectly healthy, whole and free of his down syndrome; that he no longer has to suffer physical, verbal and emotional abuse from those that were ignorant of his condition and did not understand or know how to love him; that he is happily rejoicing with angels in the presence of his Father in Heaven; and that he knew he was loved by his family and mine.  Christmas Day was the last time I saw Tyron alive.  The day prior we had delivered food and gifts to his family, and then they asked if we’d take them to church on Christmas Day.  These were the last words I remember speaking to him as he climbed out of our car, “I love you!  God loves you!”  He doesn’t speak or understand English, but he nodded as if he knew what I was saying.  I believe he did!

Leroy, Martha, Tyron & Andres. Going to church on Christmas Day.

Almost every time we left Sonskyn for our drive home, Tyron would be around us.  I would sit in the passenger seat and he would grab onto my hand and run (laughing hysterically) as Josh slowly drove away.  I never wanted to let go.  I wanted to bring him home with us.

Mindy & Tyron. Look at the mirror. :-)

I will miss my tickle wars with him and listening to him laugh freely at our silliness we shared together.  It was special.  He had a great sense of humor.  I will miss him running and jumping into my arms while we both spun around in circles full of giggles (yes, me wanting to throw up).  He was special. I will miss laughing as I muscled the strength to try and give him a piggyback ride, only to fall flat on my behind.  That boy was solid!  He was special.  I will miss our dance contests and weight lifting competitions with a simple stick that weighed only ounces, haha!  The theme, that boy was special!!

Our family began loving on people in Sonskyn Valley on July 15, 2015.  We met Tyron for the first time on August 15th when we provided tinfoil dinner meals for the children to eat in the park.  Tyron said it was “lekker”, which means “good” in Afrikaans.  My love for this child was instantaneous.  Every time we’d go to Sonskyn and see Tyron, I’d leave saying to Josh, “That boy blesses my heart!”  It was true.  I saw him for who he was.  Not a boy with Down Syndrome that is a lost cause and has no hope or contribution to this world.  No, I saw him as a normal boy that needed love and attention and to simply be seen for who he was – Tyron, a boy full of love, life and joy!  He was a light in my world and a joy to be around, even if we couldn’t speak each other’s languages.  We spoke the language of love from the heart!

This family has nothing.  It is our heart to love them as Jesus would and make the invisible God visible.  We only met Tyron’s parents 1 month ago on December 5th. After much praying and asking around as to where they lived, God finally introduced us to them for such a time as this!  God put it on our hearts to take care of Tyron’s funeral expenses so we are trusting that He will provide.  We have located a pastor that will conduct the funeral service and help us plan the arrangements.  There will be a viewing at their home on Friday, January 8th @ 8:30am. The burial will be immediately following.  If the Lord tugs on your heart to help contribute in any way, we would be very appreciative.  A tax-deductible donation can be made online at www.four18.org by designating funds for Josh & Mindy Mason – Mossel Bay, South Africa.  Thank you for your prayerful consideration.  I am printing off pictures of Tyron and his family to give to his parents.  I believe this will be a treasure to them, as they don’t have any pictures of him.  We are taking care of their youngest 3-year old boy, Leroy, for a few days at the farm.  He is a joy!!  We took the family to church yesterday after THEY asked us to.  God is up to something.  They were sober and in better spirits.  Thank you Jesus for your strength, comfort and peace!  The church body came together as family and prayed over them, even though it was the first time they had ever attended.  Now that’s the Kingdom of God in action here on earth!  Others spoke comfort to Martha, but her heart is still hurting and probably will for some time.  I showed her pictures of Tyron on my phone and her face lit up.  She took off with my phone to show others.  Priceless!  The seeds have been planted in her heart.

God gave me the words “restoring brokenness” as direction for our family in 2016.  What this means for us ………… loving others back to the Father, one family at a time!

Love Looks Like Something

Living amongst the poor has really opened up my heart to give more generously.  Before living in Africa, sometimes my thought process would take me to a place where I felt like I could only give to others when I had more than enough to give.  It’s easier to give when it doesn’t require any stretching or faith, right?!  Then I think about the poor widow in Mark 12:41-44.  While many rich people put in large amounts of money into the collection box, Jesus observed a poor widow drop 2 coins into the box.  It was everything she had. In the Lord’s eyes, this poor woman had given far more than all the other rich people put together even though her amount was smaller, because she gave out of a spirit of generosity.  All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford – she gave her all.  That is where I want to be!

Being out on the mission field overseas has been very stretching when it comes to finances, but it has also broken off the mindset that I can only bless others when I have excess.  I’ll touch more on that in a minute.  Mine and Josh’s heart is to have homes for abandoned children and to feed the poor, but on paper we barely have enough money to sustain our own family for the next couple of months.  We also recently found out that the owner of our car will be coming to get it on January 25th.  He has been so gracious to us, allowing us to keep his car much longer than expected, so we are truly grateful.  We are being placed in impossible situations where only God can get us through.

We fight to take captive every negative thought that would try to discourage us or get us to doubt why the Lord sent us here to Africa.  We cancel the lies of the enemy that tell us we’ll never have enough resources to do what God has put on our hearts to do.  If we listen to those lies, then the enemy wins.

So, rather than retreating to the old mindset, I am choosing to keep my mind and heart focused on the Lord and His promises.  In our family, I’m the budgeter and bill payer so when the enemy says, "You can't use your money to buy food for the poor. That is foolish. You need it for rent next month," I remind myself of the truths found in James 2:14-17.  It reads:

“What’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions?  That kind of faith can’t save anyone.  Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well,’ but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.  What good does that do?”

In visiting the townships, God has put people in our lives that have very little.  Their food for the day sometimes consists of nothing or porridge.  We were just informed the other day that one of the boys we minister to, Tyron, was seen scrounging for food out of the trash and a dog dish.  This is NOT right!  I cannot sit back and think, “Poor me.  We have little monthly support coming in; not enough to meet our needs.  What are we going to do?” when I see others who are far worse off than I am that have no hope.  No, I will NOT sit back and do nothing and ignore God’s word!

LOVE LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING!

A few weekends ago we invited a precious family from Sonskyn to come stay at the farm with us for the weekend.  You’re going to read about this family a lot, as the Lord has created a special place in our hearts for them.  Edwin and Ronel brought their 9-year old son, Renaldo, and 2 cousins with them.  They slept in the extra flat while the children slept in the main house with us.  They enjoyed healthy meals.  They enjoyed eating at a kitchen table.  They enjoyed taking a hot shower and would have probably even been happy with a cold one.  I don’t know of anyone that has a shower in Sonskyn.  They simply wash with a rag and water bucket, so washing in a shower is priceless.  These things might seem simple to you, but to this family they meant a great deal.  Edwin was diagnosed with TB and HIV about 2 years ago.  He is at a stage 4, which is the highest.  The virus has caused blindness in both eyes.  His wife led him to the Lord almost 2 years ago where he was freed of alcoholism.  She married him even after he became blind.  She has a heart of gold!  Edwin used to have a good job but can no longer work because of his eyes.  Ronel just started working again and is expecting a baby in March.  She also has TB, which often times leaves her tired.  Now, before I continue, some of you might be thinking, “Oh my goodness.  Don’t you know TB is highly contagious?”  I will respond with this, “How are we to show the love of God to others (the sick) if we’re afraid of what they have?!”  We pray and use wisdom in certain situations but are not going to stop loving the ones God places before us.

We’ve been able to bless this family with food and fresh produce from our garden.  After their weekend at our farm, Edwin had a check-up and the doctor said his numbers look great.  Edwin shared how we’d been feeding him healthy foods that will help to strengthen his immune system to fight off sickness.  The doctor said he was lucky to have people like us helping him.  Edwin gave all the glory to God and said it was God who has blessed him.  Edwin has such a humble heart.  We are praying for and believing for a miraculous healing in his body!  Please join us in prayer for that.

We also invited 6 boys to stay at the farm for a night.  That was great fun.  We enjoyed time down at the river, hanging out and watching movies together.  They, too, enjoyed fresh showers and eating well-rounded meals.  Josh was presented with a teaching opportunity on “what love looks like”.  One boy, in particular, gets picked on a lot.  It also seemed like he hadn’t eaten in days by the way he devoured his and others’ food.  In this culture, boys have learned to respond physically to each other (throwing punches).  It happened on a few occasions at the farm, but Josh put that to a stop quickly.  Seeds being planted.

Ronel lives out James 2:14-17 and Matthew 25:35-40.  Even when she has little to eat, she offers what she has to a sweet, little boy whom I’ve come to love named Tyron.  He is 11-years old with downs syndrome.

I’ve shared about him before.  He has a younger brother, 3-years old, named Leroy.  Their parents are alcoholics.  Tyron frequently begs for food and often smells from uncleanliness.  The week before last Josh invited their family to attend a Christmas church service with us in Groot Brak.  Andres, the husband, said he’d like to come.  We didn’t know if he was sincere, sober enough to remember or would actually show up.  On Christmas Eve we delivered some food and gifts to them.  It was great fun to see the excitement on Tyron’s face when he unwrapped his new ball.  Every time we come to Sonskyn he asks us for a ball.  Now he has his own!  Martha, the wife, asked me if we were still going to church the next day on Christmas.  I told her yes!  I was ecstatic that she was approaching me about it.  That showed me that her desire was there.  Josh made arrangements for us to meet in Sonskyn the next morning and ride the bus together.  When we showed up on Christmas Day, no one was home, but eventually Martha came walking down the street all dressed up and ready to go.  My heart soared!  She and her husband smelled of alcohol and had hangovers, but we still got to spend the day loving on them and their children.  During the church service, I sensed that the boys hadn’t slept well.  As I was holding Leroy, I prayed that if he was lacking rest, that the Lord would give him peace and rest and silence out any noise.  Immediately his eyes closed and he went right to sleep, yay God!  A simple prayer.  Of course, I took advantage of the situation and began to pour out blessings over his life in prayer and declarations!

We are believing that seeds were planted in this family – seeds of hope, love and truth.  We will be frequenting their house often.  One lady said we need to adopt the children – take them away from their parents.  My heart is that the parents will come to know the Lord and be set free from their addictions so they can take care of their own children.  We want to see the community of Sonskyn changed, one family at a time!

If the Lord places it on your heart to join efforts with us in blessing those in Sonskyn and throughout South Africa, a tax-deductible donation can be made online at www.Four18.org by designating funds for Josh & Mindy Mason – Mossel Bay, South Africa.  Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

Many people make life so complex, but it’s really quite simple – love God, love people!  Today, what are you going to do to make the simple gospel known to others?  Here is a quote from a story I read today, “The world has enough people that look the other way.  What the world needs is disciples of Jesus that can follow His teachings and live as He did.  When will YOU decide to become disciples?”

An Opportunity to Give - Christmas 2015

I am in the middle of writing another update on some things the Lord has been showing us about “restoring brokenness”, but in the meantime, there have been some families that have been highlighted to us at Sonskyn Valley that we’d like to bless this Christmas season.  Here is what we currently know about these families.

Family #1 – We met Edwin & Ronel about a month ago when her mother flagged Josh down in Sonskyn, introduced him to them and asked him to pray.  They both have TB and HIV.  The virus caused Edwin to become blind about 2 years ago.  His wife of almost 2 years, Ronel, led him to the Lord around this same time, and now they carry such joy!  They both have been freed of alcoholism and drugs, and we know God has a great plan for both of their lives.  Ronel has a 9-year old son, Renaldo, from a previous relationship, and she and Edwin are currently expecting a baby boy around March.  They live in meek conditions in a home that barely fits all of us in a room to pray.  They share one bed amongst all of them, and if they have enough food, will enjoy 2 meals a day…mostly consisting of plain maize (pap).  We love spending time with them and are enjoying getting to know them more.

Family #2 – We met the oldest child of this family on the first day our family went to Sonskyn back in July.  Tyron, a boy with downs syndrome, is such a pleasure to be around.  His silliness makes me laugh a lot.  We see him every time we go to Sonskyn, and it truly blesses my heart.  We know he doesn’t receive much affection, and many are actually quite abusive to him physically and verbally.  We have been told that Tyron begs for food most days because he isn’t cared for at home and both parents are severe alcoholics.  It is common for him to sleep in various different homes too.  He also has a younger brother, Leroy, whom I met a couple of weeks ago.  I’m guessing he is about 2-years old.  We had been praying for God to show us where this family lives, and He finally led us to their house this past week.  It is one of the worst conditions I’ve seen in Sonskyn – a small shack made of wooden slabs with gaps in between.  I now wonder about them when it rains.  I had the privilege of meeting their mother, Martha.  I understood most of her broken English and asked if we could come back to visit.  She said yes!

I don’t share their stories for you to think, “poor them” or to make you feel guilted into giving.  I share their stories because the Lord has created a special place in our hearts for these families, and we want to do our part in sharing our resources with those in need and provide you with an opportunity to do the same.  Proverbs 14:31 says, “Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who help the poor honor Him.”  In my study Bible it reads, "God has a special concern for the poor. He insists that people who have material goods should be generous with those who are needy. Providing for the poor is not just a suggestion in the Bible; it is a command that may require a change of attitude and heart."

You may be thinking, “Well, they got themselves into this situation by choices they’ve made.” While some of that may be true, we know that we are commanded to bring love and hope to a broken world.  Jesus is our hope, and we want to share Him in a tangible way through spoken truth, demonstrated love and meeting practical needs – as well as giving gifts to bring smiles to their faces.  We want them to know they are seen and they are loved by our Father in Heaven.  These children did not choose their family or circumstances, and the Lord has shown us that these children are the open door He’s provided us with to bring restoration to these broken families.  Praise God!

These are families that many would treat as outcasts, not give a second glance or simply treat as a lost cause, but that is not how God sees them.  These are families that need hope, that need love, that need truth, that need healing, that need a second chance.  I mean, if you think about it, we were all given a second chance through Jesus Christ.  Why not them?!

If the Lord places it on your heart to join efforts with us in blessing these families this Christmas, a tax-deductible donation can be made online at www.Four18.org by designating funds for Josh & Mindy Mason – Mossel Bay, South Africa.  We will share an update, post-Christmas, on what your generosity went towards in blessing these beautiful families. We will also bless other children as the Lord leads and provides.

Thank you so much for your prayerful consideration in reaching out to these families.  We are grateful and know they will be too!

Keep Doing What You're Doing

"Keep doing what you're doing," were the very words that came out of 2 strangers’ mouths as Josh and I walked the streets of Sonskyn Valley on October 31st.  This same day is when we announced the Gager’s decision to move back to America.  On a day that the enemy would have loved to turn sour, the Lord blessed us with such sweet gifts of encouragement and a strong release/freedom in the spirit as we loved on people in the township.  While walking through the neighborhood, a guy asked me to come over to where he was.  Josh wasn’t far from me so I found it strange that he was asking me and not Josh.  Anyhow, I walked up to the fence where he was standing on the other side.  He asked where we were from.  I told him America but that we live here now near 8 Bells.  He was excited about that.  Josh came up to join in on the conversation.  The guy said we seemed like “church” people.  The man asked what we do for work.  Josh told him we are missionaries from America.  He said we were the nicest white people he’s ever met and to keep doing what you're doing! We asked him his name.  It is Cristo.  As we were walking off, he excitedly said that now he gets to tell others that he’s met people from America!  So precious of the Lord to love on and encourage us through the very people we came to love on!  Josh and I both sensed a strong shift in the spirit that day and are so thankful to be a part of what the Lord wants to do in the hearts of His children (young and old) in Sonskyn.  In English it means “Sonshine”….a place where The Son will shine – how prophetic is that?!!

People have flagged us down on the streets to have us come and pray for them.  When surrounded by children, often times they will follow us to these homes to see what it’s all about.  We pray that these children, especially our own, learn through example what it looks like to love on “the least of these.”  One particular day when I was not present, Josh had a lady approach him and asked if he’d come to pray.  She led him to where her daughter and son-in-law lived.  They both have TB and HIV.  About 2 years ago the virus caused blindness in both of her son-in-law's eyes.  His name is Edwin and he is 30.  Surrounded by many children whom followed Josh to this home, he laid hands on Edwin and prayed for healing.  A week later on November 21st Josh’s parents and I were able to meet Edwin and his wife, Ronel.  That day we also found out she’s 5-months pregnant and has to take medicine in hopes to prevent the child from receiving the virus.  She is having a boy, and guess what they are thinking of naming him???  Joshua!  Through conversation and getting to know them more, we found out that she is able to see a doctor and will deliver the baby at a hospital, but they can't afford an ambulance for transportation so they need a way to and from the hospital.  Without hesitation we offered to help when it is time.  They don’t have much to eat so the following week we were able to take them some food and invited them out to the farm sometime when they’re feeling up to it.  One week later they took us up on  offer!  Yesterday Josh, Dad (Renn) and I met them at their home and then went to their church, while Mom (Marita) stayed home on the farm with the kids.  We were honored, once again, by the pastor (Duncan) when he chose to translate in English so that we would understand the message.  He even asked Josh to come up front and share a little bit of our story.  What a privilege!  Pastor Duncan’s message centered around 2 Corinthians 3:5-8.  The gist of it – we can all walk around with a Bible in our hands and talk the talk, but if Jesus isn’t coming out of us through our actions then something is wrong.  We then are not letting the true and living God shine through us, and today in this world, that is what people need……..a God that is alive through the Holy Spirit, not a church that is dead or only reaches the shallow end of His heart.

Josh, Mindy, Ronel, Edwin

After the church service we drove Edwin, Ronel and their 9-year old son, Renaldo, to our farm to share some meals with them and spend time getting to know them better.  Typing their testimony in words simply won’t do it justice, but I did get their permission to share a little bit of their story so you would know where they are coming from.  By the Lord’s love, mercy and grace, they came out of a life of alcoholism and drugs and have been running after God ever since!  They are filled with such joy and peace, even given their health and living conditions.  They trust in a God that is full of love and compassion and power and miracles.  Not one time did we hear them complain!  Not about their circumstances, not about their health, not about God, not about their enemies, not about how we do things differently in our culture, not about the food placed before them!  We all can learn from them!  Josh’s parents brought some American candy with them in their suitcases, so our friends got to experience American candy for the first time.  Their response……..it’s sweet!  This is SO true – American candy is much sweeter than African candy.  As we sat down at the kitchen table together to enjoy a meal, we found out this was the first for them as well….their first time eating a meal together as family at a table!
  
We were so blessed to have spent time with them and look forward to building a friendship with them.  We would be grateful for your prayers over this precious family.  Please pray for healing in their bodies and hearts where wounds may still be present.  Please pray protection over the baby that he will be born healthy and strong with no HIV.  Please pray that we will recognize the Lord’s heart for this family and how He wants us to serve them.  We know that the Lord has connected us with them for a specific purpose, and we are thrilled and honored to simply have the opportunity to love on them.

Alcoholism and drug addiction runs rampant amongst the adults in Sonskyn Valley, and even children are following in the adults’ footsteps because that’s all they know.  Not all, but many of these children come from very broken homes.  One particular boy, Tyron, who has downs syndrome, begs for food and sleeps in various homes because his parents are alcoholics and do not care for him.  It breaks my heart.  It’s children like these that I’d just like to kidnap and bring home with me!  This past Saturday while in Sonskyn, Josh, Josiah and I walked the streets handing out limunas (oranges).  We headed towards the Rugby field where a game was going on.  Many children gathered there.  One boy in particular took a liking to me.  As we were walking back towards our car, which was about 4 blocks away, the boy continued to follow me.  He kept stepping on pokey stickers with his bare feet, so I picked him up and carried him until we got to the sidewalk.  He had the most precious voice and kept speaking to me in Afrikaans.  Oh how I wish I knew Afrikaans!  My heart was instantly connected with this boy, but I didn’t know exactly why.  As we’re walking back to our car, I became concerned about this boy following us.  Thoughts of 'Who's supposed to be watching him? Where are his parents? Who is he with? Does anyone notice he's gone?' go through my mind.  It was difficult to drive away, but I had this sense that he knew where to go.  It’s common to see children, as little as 2, wandering the neighborhood streets by themselves.  That is the culture in this community.  The next day as we spent time with Edwin and Ronel at our farm, we discovered that the little
boy I was carrying turns out to be Tyron’s little brother! Something in my heart
quickened.  Tyron has a very special place in my heart. For the Lord to cross our paths with these 2 brothers, we know is no coincidence.  Lord, what are you up to?!

Tyron’s little brother.

Tyron

On November 17th Josh and I were able to fly to Johannesburg to meet his parents at the airport.  Matt Gager came to the farm to watch our kids while we were away.  What made this trip so exciting is that I surprised them by coming with Josh!!  They didn’t know I would be there with him.  Their journey couldn’t have gone any smoother.  They were able to get some rest on the planes and were blessed with amazing people to help load and unload their luggage and push their wheelchairs to where they needed to be.  They were over their jetlag in just a couple of days.  We’ve enjoyed spending time in worship with them and will begin doing a Bible study together soon.  The Gager family returned to Idaho, USA on November 23rd.  So, here’s to the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for us!

On the 1st of this month as I was spending quiet time with the Lord, He gave me two words – RESTORING BROKENNESS.  I will be expanding on this in my next blog post soon so stay tuned.

Today the Lord provided the means to buy an extra freezer, as tomorrow we will be taking our 25 chickens to get butchered.  The garden is coming along nicely.  We, along with our friends, Edwin and Ronel, enjoyed the first fruits from our labor with a nice salad (lettuce and cilantro from our garden).  Josh has been hard at work.  We have about 5-6 more rows of potatoes to plant.  Please pray that we can get the irrigation system figured out.

Some may think we have the mission field all figured out.  We don’t.  Some may think we received a bunch of training prior to coming here.  We didn’t.  What we did receive was a transformation of our hearts 3 years ago back in Pemba, Mozambique where our lives took a dramatic shift and we will never be the same SO LONG AS we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord.  We have no plan B, no backup to go back to America when things get tough, money is short, things don’t go as expected, we can’t see the fruits of our labor, etc.  South Africa is home for us now.  We know that opposition is going to come and doubt and discouragement will try to sneak its way in, but we are sticking to the Lord’s leading no matter what.  Yes, even if it goes against all logic or our own understanding.  The one thing we do have figured out is that God’s love looks like something and we’re ready to lay down our lives for that!  We are thankful for each of you and pray the Lord awakens your heart to greater measures of His love today!!  What does God’s love look like to you today?  Now, how can you release that love to someone else?!

Gager Family Moving Back to America

The title to this post pretty much says it all, the Gager family is moving back to America.  We have put a lot of time, prayer and discussion into how this announcement should be made to remain in unity and honor towards each other and avoid any misunderstandings or wrong assumptions to our readers and supporters.

As leaders, Josh and I have relentlessly pursued the Lord’s heart in how to move forward with the vision He gave us.  Even when there doesn’t seem to be much momentum in some areas and things shifted when we returned from America back in June, we know the Lord has been working behind the scenes to prepare us for the next steps AND WE’RE OKAY IN THE WAITING.  A word that He has given us on a few occasions is, “If you build it, they will come.”  Has He fully revealed to us what this means….no.  However, we know He has been faithful in the first two steps that He showed us – land and garden.  The rest will come one step at a time so long as we stay in obedience to His leading.

In life I’m sure we’ve all experienced, at one time or another, ourselves starting to get ahead of His timing or leading.  This is why it is so important to continually check in with the Lord on what He wants to show you or speak to you about.  When you get checks, concerns or red flags in your spirit, listen to them and invest time and prayer into hearing His heart in the matter.  This doesn’t mean become paralyzed and fearful that you’re going to get it wrong so you just do nothing or bail out when the going gets tough or things don’t go the way you expected, but His grace is sufficient when we do get it wrong and He is faithful to get us back on track as we listen to His voice and submit to His ways.  As you know in my last post, this is what we did with the realignment of Four18 Ministries and it becoming a “sending center for missionaries” and not our ministry title.  We hope our last blog post cleared that up for everyone.  We, along with other missionaries that feel called, will utilize Four18 Ministries to simply funnel secured, tax-deductible donations through.  Josh and Matt will both still remain on the Board of Directors at this time.  You will see that www.Four18.org has been updated to reflect these changes and is currently undergoing further modifications.  You can still donate to us directly through this site as the Lord leads you.  For a list of our current needs, updates, etc., we will be primarily posting these items on our personal blog site: Mason Family Missions

Josh and I feel we were sent to South Africa as pioneering missionaries.  This description I found best summarizes our thoughts.  Pioneers are people who prepare the way for others.  Being a pioneer means having a vision.  This means seeing beyond yourself to the possibilities in the world around you.  Pioneers can see opportunities where others may only see obstacles.  They see promise where others only see confusion or problems.  We believe the Lord has called us into a season of charting new territory as pioneering missionaries while we serve Him all across the nations (currently in South Africa).  We realize not everyone is called to pioneer or lead others in the same capacity.  That is why the body of Christ is so great – we’re all created uniquely with different giftings, skillsets and passions, and yet when we come together and work in unity, it’s absolutely beautiful what the Lord can do with these differences.

One thing that is strongly on our hearts as leaders is we want to be ones that empower people to follow their hearts and passions.  We’ve been discerning in our spirits for quite some time that something wasn’t right and asked the Gagers to pray about their commitment to our vision, collectively as a family, to see if it’s something they feel they want to be a part of during this time of their lives.  We made it clear that if their family isn’t in unity with being here it won't work.  It would not be healthy or wise for them to continue staying here divided.  We agreed on them spending 2 weeks in prayer to seek the Lord’s leading.  We wanted them to have peace in their hearts through this decision process, so we let them know that if they feel led to leave, we will bless them and honor their decision with no hard feelings.  After much prayer, discussion and counsel, we came to realize that we and the Gagers are in different seasons of our lives. Although we initially invited them to join us in South Africa thinking they would help co-lead this vision, it became clear in all of our hearts that the timing for that is not now.  Matt and Bree recently shared with us that they feel the Lord is leading them back to America.  Bree feels like the Lord gave her the choice, and she is choosing to return to America to be closer to family and help with needs there.  Matt feels like the Lord also confirmed with him that his family needed to return.  They plan to continue getting healed, better equipped and prepared for what God has for them next, but most importantly, they’ll be focusing on strengthening their family, marriage and relationship with the Lord.

Upon arriving in South Africa back in June, the Lord has been doing a mighty work in the hearts of the Gager family.  He has brought much healing and restoration in their hearts and is rebuilding a stronger foundation in their marriage and family.  It has been beautiful watching the transformation that has happened in such a short amount of time, and we are thankful to have been a part of their journey in this stage of their life.  We know that the Lord wants to continue healing and restoring other relationships in their lives, and we are anticipating a great outcome from this that will release them to walk in greater freedom!  The Lord has taught us many things during these past 5 months with the Gager family, and we believe we have grown in wisdom, love and honor during a time that the enemy wanted to kill, steal and destroy through division.

Prior to the Gagers moving to South Africa, we all spent some time together in McCall, Idaho at a cabin to bond and talk about things before our joint departure to South Africa.  We were blessed by our friends, Billy and Katherine, with this gift.  Some people from their church, whom we didn’t even know, came over to worship with us and pray over our families.  One of the words the Lord gave to the Gager family was, “God’s going to encounter you when you get there.  Your whole family – there’s going to be some kind of encounter.  Your family’s going to be blessed and touched because of that.  There’s an encounter that’s coming.  You have to “go” to have it.  You can warm up to it from here, but you can’t have it like you’re going to have it there in Africa.  It’s yours!”

The Gagers have received many God encounters while here in South Africa and to God be the glory!!  Matt had gotten a word from the Lord that this farm would be a place of healing and restoration.  The Lord also showed me that the healing and restoration was especially for Bree. That word became a reality for their family personally, and we are overjoyed with the continued work He is doing in their lives.

Josh and I appreciate your prayers as we continue to move forward here in South Africa.  Please pray that God would bring like-minded and like-hearted people that are 100% committed to serving the Lord here with us and that we would have greater wisdom and discernment on His timing for when to bring others here.

We bless Matt, Bree, Abby and Eric with honor, love, peace and joy as they continue their journey with the Lord whatever that may look like.  Please pray over their transition back to America and that others will be gentle and sensitive towards them and their decision to move back.  It was not an easy one, and not everyone will understand it.  Please pray that their hearts and time as family will be protected once they return and that people will honor their need to spend time away from others in order to process things with the Lord.  Please pray that their next steps will be made very clear to them and that no spirit of confusion or doubt will have its way in their lives.  Who knows, maybe one day they will be back in Africa.  We are thankful for their compassion in caring for the animals on the farm, for their helping hands with daily chores and preparing the land for crops, for their hearts to love on children at Sonskyn Valley and for their love and support towards our family.  They brought much laughter and fun to us, and we are grateful for their friendship!  Be sure to ask Bree about the lion she saw, haha!!  We love you Gager family and are cheering you on in the walk ahead of you!!