May 1, 2008

Dear Fellow Laborers-

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;” Romans 8:14-15a 

The past few weeks have been very busy for us. There continue to be many opportunities to minister, and we are thankful God is choosing to continue to use us to reach the Deaf here. I mentioned before that Prince and I were looking for a place to hold our Bible study on the South side of the city. Of course our long term goal is to establish a church. We had a meeting just yesterday with the principal of Katlehong School for the Deaf. It was a very positive meeting, and the doors are open for us to use their building on Sundays, and also another day during the week when students will be in session. The Principal was insistent that we come and minister to the students. All we need to do now is to file a written request to use the building, which should be approved. Praise the Lord for answered prayer! 

Taxi prices have gone up due to the rising cost of petrol, and we have seen that affect the attendance on Sunday morning at BBCD in Chloorkop. One of our leaders pays 500 Rand a month just to come to church. This has strained the budgets of many of the members, but we know the Lord is faithful and will provide. The leadership is under current restructuring to best use people where they are located. Brother Robert from our church lives in an area with a high Deaf population. He is praying about starting a church closer to his home. He is currently traveling over an hour and thirty minutes one way. Will you join us in prayer for the Lord’s wisdom concerning his starting a church? 

My wife’s father came to visit us for ten days this past month, and it was truly a blessing. The girls had such a good time with him, and I don’t think his lap had a break his whole trip. We were able to bring him many places that we ourselves hadn’t seen, so it was a blessing in more ways than one. South Africa is truly a beautiful part of God’s creation. 

Sandile, the Deaf prisoner I’ve written about before really blessed me during our last visit. We spoke for a long while about God’s Word, and he understands that he is responsible to accept the consequences of his sin even though he is forgiven in Christ. When it was time to leave, he volunteered to pray. What a blessing it was to see his eagerness to speak with the Lord. Please continue to pray for him. 

Our daughter Kat turned six in April. She is growing up so fast. Right now she is battling with her first loose tooth. I think it could fall out any time, but she’s guarding it like a treasure. She’s a sweet blessing to us. 

Continue to pray for our Brother Michael Radebaugh who is still in prison. The lawyer in charge of his case feels confident that the evidence shows clearly he is innocent. Please continue to pray for his May 7th court date. We’re not sure what will happen, but we know the Lord is in all things, and has the power to free Michael and remove the barriers to the truth. We are praying God will continue to be glorified through Michael’s testimony, and lives will be touched by the transforming power of Jesus Christ. 

We want to emphasize again our thankfulness to you for your faithful prayers and support. It would literally be impossible for us to continue in the ministry without you. God is working through you to bless and encourage us daily. Thank you to those of you who e-mail, write or have told us you have committed to pray for our family on a daily basis. It is humbling and such a blessing. 

Your Servant for Jesus’ Sake,

Jimmy Tsoukalas