Building without Delay
Over the past two weeks, $15, 600 came in to help with the building of New Life Baptist Church. This has enabled us to continue building without any major delays. We are grateful to those who gave, and want to thank the Lord for bringing the funds in so quickly. We are hoping and feel pretty certain, with these funds, we will be able to complete the first phase of the building. This first phase will give us space for our first auditorium, 4 Sunday school classes, two bathrooms, and also supply housing for my assistant. I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed by the sacrificial giving of God’s people with this project.
February 2015 Update
Dear Pastor and Friends,
The most exciting thing that took place since our last updated happened just a few days ago. My wife was able to witness, in Xhosa, to the lady who watches our kids during the day, Mama Khunjuzwa. After two week of going over salvation, Mama K was born again! She is a 51 year old lady who has attended church all of her life, and from her own testimony, never heard a clear presentation of the gospel until now. Please pray for Rebekah and her as they continue with some foundational lessons. Pray that she will come to our church and begin to get grounded in the word and connected with other believers.
Our Pastor, Wayne Cofield and his wife were with us for two weeks last month. During his stay he preached and taught 18 different times. One of those times was at a street soccer evangelistic out-reach we started in our church parking lot. There was an incredible turn out for our first weekend. Around 150-175 youth, and young men showed up. Pastor Cofield preached the first message and 6 young men made professions of faith. We are looking forward to using this to draw the attention of many more and share the gospel.
This is the foundation, slab and beginning of the walls for New Life Baptist Church. I can’t tell you how excited we are to see this progressing. Individuals and churches have given generously to make this happen. We were recently given $3,600 from our home church to begin building the walls. Since then, another individual has given close to $10,000! Hopefully our teammates, Mark Coffey and Sipho Bonga, will be meeting in this building within two months. God is faithful and has provided for His work!
Future Events and Prayer Requests:
- We are planning now for our first ever pastors retreat. We have a location and dates, May 17-19. Please begin to pray with us that this would be a profitable time for our team.
- Also, planning has begun for our first youth camp. We’ve separated a camp for Dec 6-12. We are hoping to have 136 campers (and no more b/c there is no more space). If you would be interested in helping a camper make it to camp, the cost will be R700.00 or $65 per person for the week.
- Please continue to pray for us with language learning.
Thanks again for all you do and may God bless you richly!
Sincerely,
Jeremy and Rebekah Hall
New Life Building from Start to Present
January 2015 Coffey Family Prayer Letter
The quote for building materials for all the walls on the first floor of New Life Baptist Church comes out to 48,790 rand which is about $4,435. This will be the cost once we have the foundation completed, which will include a single garage-size basement.
For months, I have been mentioning this church, and our desire to start building as soon as possible. The day to start building has come and gone. The footers and most of the foundation wall is complete. The wait is over.
This will be the first church for me to pastor here in South Africa. Pray for me and Pastor Sipho Bonga as we work to start this church in the coming weeks. Originally, Pastor Sipho was going to start this church on his own, but for now he wants to come on as my helper to give his family a little time to adjust. As time goes on, and I’m able to be be involved in more church plants, we plan for Sipho’s role to change quite a bit.
The foundation, unfortunately, is costing more than we originally planned because of the layout of the land. We don’t have the final number for the first floor, but it looks like it will be closer to $15,000 to have everything roughed in. This is close to $7000 more than we had initially planned. More details to come.
Prayer Request
- Amy and I as we continue learning the Xhosa language.
- The building of New Life Baptist- We are hoping to have all the building quotes by next week for the first floor.
- Possible church plant in 2015- East London, South Africa- popultation over 700,000. One of the pastors on our team moved there this past month.
Needs
- $4,435 – Materials for the first floor walls
- Approx. $2500-Finishing the foundation
- Electricity hook-up will be around $600.
More Highlights
- It was great having Amy’s parents here for 2 weeks. My father-in-law, Pastor Wayne Cofield, preached or taught 18 times during his stay. I don’t think you could call this his vacation.
- 6 Saved at the first Soccer outreach day.
- 6 Saved at the last men’s meeting at Wells Estates.
- We had our first pastor’s fellowship where Pastor Cofield focused on the faith of Moses. It was a great start to our monthly meetings.
Financial Tips for Interns and Missionaries
Financial Tips for Interns and Missionaries
Banks: You will need to check out which bank you want to use prior to arriving on the field. ATM fees, extra charges and lower exchange rate are things that will dip into your monthly support. ALL banks charge something. Several claim they don’t, but they do. Some are better at hiding it than others. Some shave points off the exchange rate (without mentioning it), some charge 1% others charge 3% or higher. Some have extra ATM fees, while others reimburse ATM fees. I recently had to change banks from our small town bank because they could no longer afford what they had initially promised. I mention that because, if banks promise something that seems to good to be true, expect it to change. Enjoy it while you can, but policies change and they are in the business to make money.
Personally, I believe it’s best to find a bank that is set up to service missionaries and their needs from the get go. Find one that has been in the business for years. Expect to pay something.
My personal recommendation (at this moment) is ECCU (Evangelical Christian Credit Union).
Exchange rates: If you’ve spent anytime overseas you know the exchange rate on your money fluctuates. For smaller things this is not normally an issue, but if you are making larger purchases it can really make a difference. I have found that it is normally better to exchange/ withdraw money on Tuesday-Thursday, or, at least that has been the norm in Peru and now South Africa. The exchange rate seems to go down over the weekend and then pick back up in the middle of the week.
In some countries (Peru for example) you would receive a better exchange rate on the street than in a Bank. In other countries you wont have an option. The only currency you’ll have the option of pulling out of the ATM is their currency. When that’s the case you will learn by looking at your statements which bank gives the best exchange rate to withdraw money. If possible never exchange money at the airport.
Credit Cards: I do not promote debt! Dave Ramsey would have a conniption, and normally I would agree with him. Though, I have found that the right credit cards give you the best exchange rate. Also, they allow you to make payments to them electronically which allows you to not have to withdraw money or do any transaction on the field (besides the purchase) which allows for others to get a cut.
If you chose this option, you must find a truly international card. Unlike the banks, there are several of these out there. One that is international, that I used for years, and would not recommend is AMEX. The reason I would not recommend them is that there are several countries that do not accept this card. Stick to a Visa or Mastercard, Visa having the priority over those two.
Personal recommendation (at this moment) is Capital One Venture Visa.
Cash: Many of your purchases will have to be made with cash. There are a couple of risks associated with cash: One, though not very common, is counterfeit notes. Foreigners make a good target to unload bad bills. The other problem with cash is the risk that comes with carrying it. It’s not advisable to have large sums of cash. In some cases there is no option. In those instances, if possible, take a friend along with you for withdraws and payments.
December 2014 Update from South Africa
Dear Pastor and Friends,
Another year is come and gone. It’s now that C.T. Studd’s words ring loudest in my ears; “Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
We are still attending and serving at Madiba Bay Baptist Church. It is awesome to see all that the Lord is doing there through Kevin and his guys. Last month we celebrated family day which was a big success; 177 in attendance. Two adults trusted Christ that day; just last week there were another two. The Lord has been using the preaching every week to see someone come to Christ!
It’s summer here now and holiday has begun which normally affects attendances tremendously. We have several evangelist outreaches planned to counter the affect of holiday. One that you can be praying with us about is a Saturday youth soccer league. We are turning the church parking lot at Madiba into a fulbito (soccer on concrete, something we played in Peru a lot) court. We plan to play soccer, preach, and hopefully build some relationships with new people and get them in church.
Last week we met with a contractor to get a quote on the building in Kwadwesi. Kwadwesi is a more developed part of town and a simple shack will not be permitted in the area. It will require a building much like one in the states. We are still awaiting his services, but hopefully in the next few weeks we will break ground and begin the foundation for New Life Baptist Church. We have had several individuals and churches give to this project already and we are extremely grateful! Because of those donations, the land and building plans are in order. A specific, urgent need I would like to ask you to pray with us about is the water and sewer hookup ($600+/-). We will keep you updated on the progress.
Come January 15th Rebekah and I will have been in language school one year. We are hoping to be finished with our classes in another 6 months. My personal prayer and desire is to be able to start a church in September. We have come a long way, now able to have short conversations, but we still have a long way to go. Please continue to pray with us that this language foundation is laid firm and well. We are convinced that this time will pay dividends for years to come.
I say this every letter and honestly do not know how to express it adequately except for to say it again, thank you! God is using you guys to help us accomplish what we believe He wants done here in South Africa. The gospel is being preached and souls are being saved. Please know, as you think about this year coming to an end, that you are storing up small treasures in Heaven here in South Africa. THANK YOU!
More Prayer Requests:
- The Our Generation Summit will be next week in Gatlinburg, TN. Pray the Lord will use this event to raise up new laborers
- The King and Underwood families as they are on deputation to come as church planters here to South Africa
- Our Pastor and wife, Wayne and Connie Cofield, as they come for a visit next month
Love in Christ,
Jeremy and Rebekah Hall
Coffey Family December Prayer Letter
Our family hopes everyone had a terrific Christmas and want to wish everyone a happy new year. We are thankful for your involvement that allows us to do the work of the ministry. It’s hard to believe 2014 is coming to an end, but we are excited about what is before us. As we look back, there are things we could have done better, but are thankful for opportunities to make changes and improvements in every area of ministry.
As we look ahead to 2015, we pray the Lord allows us to participate in many church planting endeavors that we were hoping for in 2014. There are a couple of young preachers that are close to stepping out. I know God can use them in a great way to see His kingdom advance.
We have now been in South Africa about a year and a half. The time has passed quickly and it’s a reminder that there is a lot to do and little time to do it in. The labor that has gone on in Madiba Bay Baptist Church, Wells Estates Baptist Church, and Servants of Christ Baptist Church is just the beginning. So much more has to be done to reach the million and more people here in Port Elizabeth, and the countless others in Southern Africa.
Pray for open doors and boldness as we seek to please Him in advancing the Gospel.
Prayer Request
- Amy and I as we continue learning the Xhosa language.
- For the two singles pastors to find good wives and for the three married pastors to have strong marriages that will impact future generations.
- Stephen Underwood and Jason King families that are on deputation for South Africa.
More Highlights
- A builder is giving us an estimate on laying the foundation for New Life Baptist Church this week. The waiting to start building seems to be coming to an end.
- Amy and kids are doing great.
- Plans have been made for our first pastors fellowships, teen camps, couples retreats, and pastors school this coming year. Please keep these events in your prayers as we hope to see maturity and involvement increase.
Needs
- $600 for the water and sewer hook-ups for New Life Baptist.
- Approx. $6500 needed to build the first building phase for New Life Baptist Church. $3800 has come in so far.
Ministry Wisdom
My Director, Jeff Bush, just sent out some great notes from a class that my Pastor, Austin Gardner, was teaching at the Our Generation Training Center.
The notes were a great challenge to me, especially where I am in ministry right now.
I hope they will help you as they did me.
Key to Making it in Ministry:
Developing a habit of not quitting.
The majority of people start serving God, start deputation, start learning a language, etc., but the majority of people quit.
You do not have to be talented, but if you just keep it up, you will make it.
Many start memorizing, reading, doing things but don’t finish. Most are excited about starting but quit. Someone who supposedly cannot, will end up being able to, if he continues… keep plodding on.
Just keep at it, be faithful and consistent. You can find excuses to not finish.
Fruit will come if you just keep going instead of stopping and quitting.
The turtle and rabbit – rabbit had all ability but the turtle wins the race. Your talent will make you lose. People with talent many times lose.
Life as an Intern (Beth Staley’s personal testimony)
Beth Staley’s personal testimony about her internship here in South Africa.
Life as an Intern
The thought of internships don’t usually bring about happy thoughts. No one gets overly excited about being an intern. It usually has a negative connotation to it that means you will be a slave to basically everyone for this period of your life, or at least until the new guy shows up. If you watch TV shows, you know that the interns are the ones who really don’t do anything besides get coffee and get yelled at while they mess everything up.Thankfully, I can say that my internship to South Africa wasn’t like that at all, although I did have to use my new ability to drive a stick shift to chauffeur MK’s around. You’d be surprised at how many ways there are to get lost in a city like PE.
Life as an intern in South Africa is great. And by great, I mean it will be the most productive, challenging, growing, and fun period of your life if you have the right attitude. I personally loved every second of it, and it wasn’t even the exciting things that I loved the most. Sure, jumping (or being thrown) off the highest bungy bridge in the world is one of the coolest experiences ever, although it’s is close tie with shark diving and seeing great whites right in front of you. Yes, the sound of my voice was incredibly similar to that of a two year old when I rode the ostrich, and having the background of your phone be a selfie with a rhinoceros is pretty cool. Add in all the beautiful scenery, the gorgeous beach and stunning mountains, minus the ever-constant wind, and you have a pretty exciting place to visit. However, more than all of the excitement and adventure that went on while I was down here, if you asked me what my favorite part of South Africa was, I would not say any of those.
First, I would say that spending time with the missionary families was one of my favorite parts. I learned so much from them all, both by what they said and by their example. If you are considering going on a missions trip, South Africa has some of the best missionaries in the world. You will fall in love with the families there, and even with the chaos that ensues of having twelve kids running around everywhere. If you’re a girl, Amy, Bekah, and Corli are some of the sweetest, wisest missionary wives that I know, and going to South Africa is like getting three blessings in one, because you can learn different things from all three of them. I went to South Africa as an intern and gained life-long friends in the process.
My next favorite thing was the fact that I had an abundance of opportunities to be actively involved in the ministry in South Africa. Not only did I get to see the beginning stages of a ministry that I believe God is going to do great things with, but I also had the opportunity to take part in it. There wasn’t a week that went by where I had nothing to do. Whether it was working on formatting the Xhosa Bible for the Logos program, designing postcards, assembling packets of invitations to pass out, going on visitation, teaching at young ladies meetings, singing specials or teaching Sunday School, there was never a lack of things to do. I’m sure if there was, the same missionaries mentioned above would have thought of something to keep me occupied. 
There is also a great opportunity to use the internship to grow personally. I always had a book to read and write a report about, which was not necessarily ministry, but it helped me in my own personal, spiritual growth. I learned the importance of discipline in the little things in life. Language school helped me to realize the challenges of learning a new language and how to go about it, and teaching the young ladies helped me to get over speaking to groups. Experiencing a minute form of culture shock helped me to realize what I made fun of people for when they visited Peru is not actually all that fun. Practically, I learned a lot about cooking when I had to cook a meal every week for a family of eight. I learned how to drive a stick shift, and how to get lost while doing so. I learned that beauty without a bathroom is vain, especially when you are driving down a beautiful road that lasts forever.
Most of all, I learned that sometimes God puts you in a place that was so right that all you can do is thank Him for it. For me, South Africa was that place, and it will always have a special place in my heart, even though I am banned from returning at the moment because of visa issues. I am so thankful to Him for putting me in South Africa, for providing for me, and for surrounding me with just the people I needed to help me grow. Maybe South Africa is that place for you too, and I encourage you to go and see how you can be involved in the ministry there. You never know what God could do!