Coffey Family February Prayer Letter

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I met yesterday with a man from our church whom I have been discipling in regular Bible studies for over two years. I spoke with him about filling in while I am in the States for a few weeks. He, along with three other men, will take over my preaching and teaching slots while I am away from March 23 to May 11.

Seeing the growth in these men over the past couple of years has been one of the most encouraging parts of our ministry. Replacing ourselves with South African leadership is key to a healthy transition. I do not plan to be gone long, but I am thankful God is raising up others to do the work of the ministry. Please pray as we seek to see many more trained through Lighthouse Baptist Church.

Pray for Mpumelelo, Mnoneleli, Khaya, and Mhlanguli as they step in while I am away. (3 of the 4 are pictured here with my grandson Liam and his parents:))

The Bible Institutes in Kenya and Uganda that we supplied with materials are doing well. Most of the year’s materials have already been printed and delivered. I hope to travel to Kenya in the coming months to visit some of the 200-plus churches and eight Bible Institutes. 

In July, my son Luke and his family will move to Colombia, South America for a six-month internship to finish his bachelor’s degree in missions training through Vision School of Missions. It is exciting to see this stage of his training. He is raising support for this internship. If you would like to invest in this part of his training, I would be very grateful. Support can be sent through our mission board, Vision Baptist Missions, marked for Luke Coffey.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We will be traveling to the U.S. for seven weeks, from March 23 to May 11, to attend the annual orientation for new missionaries with Vision Baptist Missions. If you would like me to report back or present our ministry during that time, please let me know. While in the U.S., I will also be seeking to raise additional ministry support, especially for Camp Rhino.
  • Please pray for the six students currently in our Xhosa language school here in South Africa. Pray that they learn the language well so they can minister more effectively to the Xhosa people: Tim, Jessica, Jordan, Katie, Ashley, and Madison.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • The first Camp Rhino staff apartment is almost finished, and we hope to begin construction on the next two soon. We still need $12,000 to complete this project. Please pray that we can raise this amount soon so it will improve living space for our staff and open more space for campers.
  • Several students from our church began a new year of Bible college this week. Across all our churches, there are many new and returning students. Please pray they have a strong and fruitful year. Also pray for the Pastors and other teachers. 
Luke Coffey Internship To ColombiaDownload
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Coffey Family January 2025 Prayer Letter

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Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Thank you to all who gave special Christmas offerings this year. Those funds were a great help in covering our junior and teen camp expenses at Camp Rhino.

We were also blessed to receive a shipment of 1,600 Bibles, thanks to Direct Line Ministries and Pastor Tom Green. We will be giving a Bible to each of the high school seniors from Rocklands High School who attended Camp Rhino this past year. In addition, we are planning several school outreaches where Bibles will also be distributed, a blessing to our churches.

We have recently taken on the responsibility of providing printed materials for eight Bible Institutes that serve over 230 churches in Uganda and Kenya. I will be sharing more updates about this ministry soon, but we are excited to be part of training church planters in two additional African countries. These institutes were started through the ministry of Missionary Randy Stirewalt, who went home to be with the Lord a few years ago. I have been in contact with Pastor Thomas Alute, who now leads this ministry, for many years, and I count it an honor to partner with him to further reach Kenya and Uganda with the gospel.

This month, we are also highlighting two more children at our youth home who still need sponsors. Baphumzi and Phumlani are 13-year-old twin brothers. Their sister, Sisipho, was the first child in our youth home and was tragically shot and killed in 2024. The twins are doing well at our Christian school and love being involved in the music ministry. We need to raise $125 per month for each of them to help cover their expenses.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We will also be traveling back to the U.S. for seven weeks, from March 23 to May 11, to attend the annual orientation for new missionaries with Vision Baptist Missions. If you would like me to report back or present our ministry during that time, please let me know. While in the U.S., I will also be seeking to raise additional ministry support.
  • Please also pray for Burkina Faso. At this time, visas for Americans have been shut down, and missionary families are uncertain about whether they will be able to return or remain in the country.
  • We saw at least 25 young people come to Christ during our summer camps in December. Please pray for their spiritual growth, and pray that many more will be saved through the ministry of Camp Rhino.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Missionaries Tim and Jessica Johnson have arrived in South Africa. Tim first came on a mission trip over two years ago, and now his family has returned full-time. It is encouraging to see how the Lord works.
  • We are currently building three new apartments for our staff and campers at Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home. We still need an additional $12,000 to complete this project. Please pray that we can raise this amount soon so it will open up more space for campers.
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Coffey Family December 2025 Prayer Letter

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We are in the middle of our Summer Teen Camp, also known as Christmas Camp, and we are so thankful to have Dan and Amy Brooks with us this week helping lead the camp. They serve with Camps Abroad and The Wilds in Brevard, North Carolina. Dan and Amy were here for our very first camp in December 2018 to help us launch Camp Rhino, and it has been a tremendous blessing to have them back—both to speak to our campers and to help us evaluate how we can continue improving our camps.

We are always evaluating how we can use this ministry more effectively to help people know Christ and to better assist our local churches here in South Africa. If you would ever like to come and be a part of our camps, we would love to have you. We especially appreciate it when our supporting churches send representatives to help in both the camp and youth home ministries. Currently, we have a young girl, Dixi Branham, helping during our teen and junior camps. She’s from Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, TN.

We still need sponsors for several campers for both our teen and junior camps if you are interested in helping. The cost is approximately $60 per camper. We currently have 88 campers for teen camp and expect over 100 campers for junior camp.

This month, we are also highlighting two more children who still need sponsors at our youth home. I mentioned them in my last prayer letter as well: Lhoza (12) and her younger brother Lulo (4). Both have been part of the Rhino Youth Home for over a year and are now thriving at our Christian school, Bay Baptist Academy.

Prayer Request & Praise

  • Continue praying for the Seniors of Rocklands High School who were here at Camp Rhino for a month.  We are doing followup with them and hope to get as many as we can plugged into our team of churches.  
  • Pray for Lighthouse Baptist Church.  We’ve seen good growth and want it to continue. 
  • Pray for Fellowship Baptist Church and the great folks there. The Sullivans will be back this next week to take back over the church. We’re excited to have them back in the country.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Missionaries Tim and Jessica Johnson will be arriving on the field in just a few days after completing their deputation to raise support to serve as full-time missionaries here in South Africa. We are very excited to have them in our city for at least the next year.
  • We are in the process of building 3 new apartments for our staff and campers at Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home. $10,000 was given, which will help us complete the first apartment. We’ll need another $12,000 for the remaining two. Pray we can raise this amount before our summer camp season in December that will enable us have ample space. 
  • We will also be traveling back to the US for 7 weeks, March 23–May 11, to attend the annual orientation for new missionaries with Vision Baptist Missions. If you would like me to present our ministry or give an update please let me know. During this time, I will also be seeking to raise additional support for our camp and youth home ministries.
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Coffey Family November 2025 Prayer Letter

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We had the joy of baptizing two men and one teenager this past Sunday at Lighthouse Baptist Church! The church is growing, and we’ll soon begin construction on a new church auditorium. This new space will be a great blessing to our children’s ministries, as they will be able to use the current building for their classes and activities.

We’re excited to share that two of our youth home children have recently been sponsored (Lupawu & Siya)— and we’re incredibly grateful! This month, we’re highlighting two more children who still need sponsors: Lhoza (12) and her younger brother Lulo (4). Both have been part of the Rhino Youth Home for over a year and are now thriving at Bay Baptist Academy.

When we launched the youth home, our focus was on providing love, stability, and discipleship. But we haven’t always communicated the ongoing financial needs of this ministry clearly — and we’re working to change that.

Rocklands High School, a public school about 15 minutes from Camp Rhino, has once again rented our facilities for a full month for their senior class to prepare for final exams. This gives us the amazing opportunity to hold a service with the students every evening.

For this special month, Pastor Steve Hall and his wife Deb—dear friends of mine from Hope Baptist Church in Fairfield, OH—have come to preach/teach to the students each night. So far, 15 teenagers have trusted Christ as their Savior!

The Halls have also been a tremendous blessing to our churches, Christian school, and Bible college during their visit.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Continue praying for the Seniors of Rocklands High School.  The majority of the students here are lost with many being trapped in false ancestry worship.  
  • During the week I’m currently leading five Bible studies , and now others from our church are beginning to lead as well. Please pray that we can reach more lost people with sound Bible teaching, and that our church members will be faithful to step up and teach the Word so that many more can hear the Gospel and be saved.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Missionaries Kevin and Corli Hall are returning to South Africa this month.  We’re excited about having them back after their furlough.  Their oldest son Clark is staying in the States.  Please keep him in your prayers as he is getting married in May. 
  • We are in the process of building three new apartments for our staff and campers at Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home. $10,000 was given toward this project, which will help us complete the first apartment. We’ll need another $12,000 for the remaining two. Pray we can raise this amount before our summer camp season in December that will enable us have ample space. 
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Coffey Family October 2025 Prayer Letter

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God has greatly blessed Lighthouse Baptist Church these past few weeks. Our men are stepping up and getting more involved in ministry. Four men are now leading their own Bible studies and serving faithfully during our services. It’s been encouraging to see their growth and commitment.

This past week, I was asked to oversee another church while a missionary is out of the country, so I’ll now be working with both Lighthouse Baptist and Fellowship Baptist Church. I can only do this because of the help of our faithful men. Please pray that the Lord blesses both ministries as we serve Him together.

This week Camp Rhino will host another Soccer and Netball Tournament, with over 300 people expected to attend. Teams from our churches across Port Elizabeth will be competing. Pray that many will hear and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

With the death of Charlie Kirk, I’m reminded about how little time we have to make an impact in this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I also realize even more how important it is to boldly preach the Gospel to the lost in the public square.  Would you pray that we would have more boldness in preaching the clear Gospel of Jesus Christ?  So many are lost but need the truth.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We took in two new children at the Rhino Youth Home this past month. Please pray for 11-year-old Lupawo and his 7-year-old sister, Siya. Also, pray that we can raise sponsors for each of them to help cover their monthly expenses of $125.
  • We now have nine children in our care at the Youth Home. Pray that the Lord works in their hearts and that we’re able to raise up more house parents for this ministry.
  • Please also pray for Dallas and Ashley Brown, missionaries in Burkina Faso. They are currently on furlough in the States, raising awareness for West Africa. Pray for their safety as they travel and that God will use them to help recruit more missionaries to Africa.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • We are in the process of building three new apartments for our staff and campers at Camp Rhino and the Rhino Youth Home. $10,000 was given toward this project, which will help us complete the first apartment. We’ll need another $12,000 for the remaining two. Pray we can raise this amount before our summer camp season in December.
  • We were planning to build two new girl dorms, but finishing these apartments for our staff will open up additional space we can use for camper dorms—and it’s about $10,000 less expensive. We still plan to build the new dorms, but it’s not as urgent as before.
  • Tim and Jessica Johnson are almost finished with deputation and are scheduled to arrive in South Africa in December.
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Rhino Youth Home Update & A Special Thanks

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This past week, we were blessed with two new children at the Rhino Youth Home, Lupawo (11) and his half-sister Siya (7). They have been faithfully attending Soweto Baptist Church for years with their grandmother and are also students at Bay Baptist Academy. Tragically, both of their mothers were killed by their boyfriends, leaving their grandmother to raise them.

The area where they lived has always been high risk, but recent events have made it even more dangerous. Amy and I have known for a couple of years that these children would likely come to the Youth Home, but we didn’t realize it would happen so soon.

Please pray for a smooth transition for these two precious children. Our prayer is that the Lord will use us to raise them up to do great things for Him. Also, pray for our finances, we need to raise at least $125 per month per child to help cover the costs of their care.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have helped make the Rhino Youth Home and Camp Rhino possible. We could not have done this without your support.

During our final weeks in the States before returning in May, three churches went above and beyond in their generosity: Eastern Avenue Baptist Church in St. Cloud, FL, Oakwood Baptist Church in Anderson, SC, and Bethel Baptist Church in Richmond Hill, GA. God used them in a special way to provide for building projects that still needed to be completed.

I also want to thank Bethel Baptist Church for the special offering they sent this past month. At times when we’re not sure where the funds will come from, it has been amazing to watch God provide through these churches and many others like them at just the right time.

Coffey Family August 2025 Prayer Letter

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We were honored to host a mission team from North Life Baptist Church in Wooster, OH, this month. They were a great blessing to our churches and missionaries. We are praying that the Lord continues working in their hearts, and we hope that God will call missionaries from this wonderful group of young people (and a few older ones too 😊). During their time here, they were able to minister at Camp Rhino during a soccer tournament, two public primary schools, Bay Baptist Academy, and six of our churches in Port Elizabeth.  

This month, Camp Rhino will host a men’s retreat for all our churches. Pray that lost men will hear the Gospel and be saved, and that our faithful men will be challenged and strengthened in their walk with the Lord. Our goal is for this event to build up and unite all our churches.

We were blessed to have our daughter Emilee visit for two weeks, along with family friend Darci Snode, daughter of our General Director. Darci joined Emilee for her Senior Trip, and it was an honor to host them both.

If you are interested in joining us in South Africa on a mission trip or internship, we would love to have you!

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We praise the Lord that during our recent soccer tournament, three people trusted Christ as their Savior! One of them was a painter who has done a lot of work at Camp Rhino. Please pray that these new believers will grow strong in their faith.
  • Our next soccer tournament is scheduled for October. Please pray that many more will hear the Gospel and come to Christ.
  • Pray also for Pastor Mvume, the South African pastor working alongside us. He is planning to get married in the coming months, and we are asking the Lord to guide and provide for him as he prepares for this new season of life.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Camp Rhino continues to be a tremendous outlet for evangelism here in Port Elizabeth. Please pray that we can keep improving the facilities so we can host more groups and reach more people with the Gospel. Our desire is to see the camp eventually become self-sustaining, covering its own expenses. To reach that point, more building projects and improvements are still needed. 
  • We are praying for the remaining funds to come in so we can move forward with construction that would allow us to house 22 additional young ladies. At present, about 65% of the needed funds have been raised.
  • We also have a vision to build an auditorium/lodge at Camp Rhino that would serve as housing for couples and provide a meeting space for around 300 people. Our plans include a 60’ x 60’ building that would be a tremendous tool for ministry, conferences, and retreats. Please pray with us for God’s provision and direction in this project.
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Coffey Family July 2025 Prayer Letter

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We started off July with our Winter Teen and Junior Mini-Camps at Camp Rhino. Many young people made professions of faith, and we all enjoyed a wonderful time during our short winter break. Please pray these young people will impact their communities with the Gospel as they return home and get involved in their local churches. 

At the end of Junior Camp, I had the opportunity to travel with our camp program director, Litha, and one of our interns from the States, Asher Smith, to help at a teen camp in Botswana with Dan Brooks & Camps Abroad. Dan and his team were instrumental in helping Camp Rhino get started. We were there to assist Missionaries Mike and Cindy Haley as they launched their first teen camp at their beautiful retreat and camp property, Grace Oasis.

As soon as I returned from Botswana, I jumped back into my Bible studies with the men of Lighthouse Baptist Church. Our church family is making great progress in spiritual maturity, and their burden to reach the community is growing. I would appreciate your prayers for one of our men, Mnoneleli, who recently lost his job. Please pray that he will soon find the right employment to provide for his family.   

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • I want to thank everyone who has been praying for my wife. Amy received encouraging news from the doctors—her optic nerve damage appears to be a one-time event and is not connected to MS or any other neurological disease. This is a wonderful answer to prayer!
  • Amy flew out yesterday to be with her mom, who is undergoing neck and spinal surgery. Please pray for her as she travels, and pray that her mom has a successful surgery and smooth recovery. Amy plans to be gone for about 10 days, so also keep Addi and me in your prayers as we’re holding things down without her. 🙂
  • A group from North Life Baptist Church in Wooster, OH is arriving here on July 23rd for their missions trip. Please pray that the Lord works in the hearts of this group—and that at least one would surrender their life to serve on the mission field.
  • Please also pray for Camp Rhino Zambia. We believe the Lord is leading us to expand the ministry there, and we need His direction, wisdom, and provision for this exciting new endeavor.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • While we were in the States, we were able to raise funds for one of the two girls’ dorms we hope to build. Please pray that the remaining funds will come in so we can move forward with construction.
  • We also have a vision to build a new lodge at Camp Rhino to house couples and include a meeting space for approximately 300 people. This facility will be a major asset for the long-term impact and sustainability of Camp Rhino.
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Coffey Family June 2025 Prayer Letter

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Not long after returning to South Africa, I traveled to neighboring Mozambique to visit two of our missionary families. The Clowers have now been there for over a year, and Josh and Morgan Barton recently arrived with their twin babies. It was encouraging to see both families thriving in different stages of ministry.

The following week, I traveled to Zambia to visit my missionary friend, Mario Genada, and to scout out more of the country. Both Mozambique and Zambia are wide open for ministry, and I’m praying the Lord will raise up many more laborers for these needy fields. While in Zambia, I had the privilege of preaching at a wonderful church in Lusaka, the capital. 

Please join me in praying that the Lord would open doors for us to purchase property for a second Camp Rhino, which we plan to establish in Zambia with the help of Brother Genada. I truly believe the Lord has been preparing us over the years to take what has been built in South Africa and replicate the Camp Rhino ministry in other African nations. We hope to break ground for Camp Rhino in Livingstone, Zambia, very soon.  

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • We recently held our first Gospel Crusade in a small town about an hour outside our city. A team made up of members from five churches we fellowship with came together to reach this community with the Gospel. We’re excited to continue hosting these evangelistic services with the goal of reaching more small towns in our region and, Lord willing, planting churches there.   
  • Please pray for Lighthouse Baptist Church. We’re seeing encouraging spiritual growth in our members and attendees through faithful preaching of God’s Word and weekly Bible studies.
  • Continue to pray for the Sullivan’s as they are in the States, recovering from their recent kidnapping ordeal. They plan to return to SA for a few weeks in July.
  • Also, pray for Asher Smith, an intern serving with us for two months. If you or someone you know is interested in an internship opportunity in South Africa, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Quick Updates & Needs

  • Amy and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on June 24th. I am truly blessed to have such a loving and godly wife. It’s been a tremendous privilege to serve the Lord together in ministry all these years. 
  • While we were in the States, we were able to raise funds for one of the two girls’ dorms we are hoping to build. Please pray that the remaining funds will come in so we can move forward with construction. 
  • In recent months, several groups have been renting out our camp facilities during times when we’re not using them for our own programs. We believe this will help make the camp more self-sustaining. Our goal is to replicate this model with the other Camp Rhinos we hope to launch in the future.  
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Coffey Family Prayer Letter May 2025

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We are back home in South Africa! It has been a blessing to return to Camp Rhino and our church family, though leaving our grandson behind was difficult.

The past few weeks have been incredibly eventful. Please continue praying for the Sullivan family as they spend time in the States. We are still rejoicing over how the Lord miraculously rescued Josh.

My wife Amy returned from South Africa just in time for her MRI, which ended up being canceled. Thankfully, with help from our friends, Pastor Michael Plowman and one of his church members, we were able to schedule another MRI within three days (the original had taken four weeks). Praise the Lord, the results came back clear with no signs of MS. However, there is still optic nerve damage, which our general practitioner believes it may be caused by some kind of virus and may return or may never return.  Please continue praying as we seek clear answers and try to connect with a good ophthalmologist here in South Africa.

Not to be outdone, I also ended up in the ER early one morning during our VBM orientation and discovered I had a kidney stone. On April 26th, I had to return to the ER with a fever and low kidney function, and they wouldn’t release me. Instead of preaching the next day as planned, I was having a kidney stone removed via laser surgery.

Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Please continue to pray for the Sullivan family as they are back in the States, recovering from the kidnapping experience. They plan to return to South Africa in July for a few weeks and are preparing to move back long-term after Thanksgiving.
  • Pray for answers concerning Amy’s health. We’re asking the Lord to help us find a good eye doctor who can walk with us through this process.   
  • Pray for the young people in the Rhino Youth Home. I’m praying the Lord will use them in a great way.  Two of our graduates live on campus and are doing well.   One is attending Bible college and the other is working full time here at the camp and plans to start community college soon. 

Quick Updates & Needs

  • While we were in the States, Camp Rhino hosted several groups and a few camps. I’m grateful for the team the Lord has brought together over the years. They’re doing a terrific job even in our absence.
  • Next weekend, we will be hosting a Women’s Retreat at Camp Rhino.
  • We were also able to reschedule the soccer ⚽️ and netball tournament that had previously been canceled. It is now set for July. Please pray that many teens will come to Christ through this big event. 
  • Because of what happened to Josh, several groups understandably chose to reschedule their mission trips for a later time. However, we still have two groups planning to come, one in July and another in October. Please be praying that God will do a great work during their time here.
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