http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org Heather Beard - Adventures In Missions - Serving the Lord! en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:02:42 GMT 30 http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=highlight-video http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=highlight-video I have to apologize for not updating my blog hardly at all this summer.  My wonderful fiancee is great at updating his, and I guess I just have lived vicariously through him!  Check out this link to his latest blog as it has a video that both he and I put together a few weeks back.  It is a video that highlights both of our times in South Africa and England!  I hope it gives you a little glimpse into the people and lives that You helped touch this past year!  Thank you a Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=time-with-the-fam1 http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=time-with-the-fam1 Chad and I are having a great time in Dansville. It's been wonderful to be with my family and Chad is having a great time getting to know them. It's been so nice to sleep in, having mom take care of me and cook for me, and process the events of the past weeks and months.Yesterday, Chad and I went to Letchworth State Park. It is know as the "Grand Canyon of the East." It was beautiful and we had a nice time enjoying God's beautiful creation and each other's company. Here are a few pictures:T Sat, 31 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=committed-to-the-call http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=committed-to-the-call Dear Family, Friends and Faithful Supporters As my time has finished in Jeffreys Bay, and the completion of my first year with AIM, my life and ministry are at some important crossroads. Because you have been so faithful in your prayers and support of me, I wanted to share these changes with you and would appreciate your continued prayers. Jeffreys Bay Update This year has been great for all us as we have experienced both incredibly blessings and hardships. We've Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=arrived-safely http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=arrived-safely Well, Chad and I arrived safely into Georgia Friday night. While in Roswell over the weekend I managed to purchase my wedding dress, caught up a few friends, had a great visit to one of our supporting churches Dunwoody Baptist, registered at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond, and had a restful time staying with Kurt, Faith, and Shiver Giebel.We are now in Gainesville, GA staying with our good friends Don and Connie Rock. We have had two great marriage counseling sessions with Jeff and Kelly a Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=the-end http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=the-end Well the end is close in sight. I still can't believe that in two days I will no longer call Jeffreys Bay my home. It's been a challenging experience, and there is so much waiting for me at home, although it doesn't take away the sadness of leaving a group of people who you've invested into for the last eight months. It's been an incredible experience, one to not be forgotten. God has challenged me, stretched me and refined me once again. Last night we returned home from Cape Tow Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-carnival-and-last-supper http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-carnival-and-last-supper Before we left for Cape Town our students put on a couple huge events for the kids they work with. The Ithemba crew put together a carnival, where over 90 kids attended! Check out these pictures below. It was a crazy and fun time, a time where kids could be kids again! The Joshua Project team put together a last supper, to say the least with the kids they work with. It was a fun filled day with laughter, dancing, egg races and food! Check out these pics from the day. I am Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=update-on-the-baby http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=update-on-the-baby I just wanted to send a quick thank you for your prayers for the baby mentioned in one of my earlier blogs.  Our students went back last week to check up on it and good news abound.  They said that the mother was properly taking care of it and that it had even gained weight!  We have contacted a lady friend of ours here who said that she would make frequent visits to the home to continue checking up on the baby, whose name is Angel.  Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=where-to-go-from-here http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=where-to-go-from-here I sit here trying to think of how to even begin explaining the events of this last week. It was beautiful, heart breaking and everything in between. Our time here is closing, this last week being our last full week of ministry. And of course it ended up being one of the hardest for both me and our students. I cried, prayed, laughed and struggled right alongside the girls I have been meeting with every week for the last eight months. Monday was probably the roughest day of the Sun, 4 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=storms-river-mouth http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=storms-river-mouth South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I'm just sure of it. I have felt so blessed this year to have been able to explore and see another part of God's world, his handiwork and masterpiece. On Friday Katie, Melissa and I went to TsiTsikamma National Park and hiked Storms River Mouth. It was such a peaceful day, as God found me right where I was at. It was a perfect ending to a really hard week. Here are some pictures. Thank you for making this possible for Sun, 4 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=and-we-climb-on http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=and-we-climb-on This week has been a bit different than most weeks here in Jeffreys. Because our ministry sites are still closed for Easter Holiday, we had a bit more room in our schedule to really try and challenge the students this week. So we took advantage of the extra time and decided to structure our days around a couple spiritual disciplines that Richard Foster discusses in his book Celebration of Discipline. We focused on solitude, fasting, prayer and celebration. Each day has many testimonie Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=plan-b http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=plan-b Ok...so one of the quickest lessons you learn as a missionary is the importance of Plan B, because as always plans change.  We are no longer headed to Lesotho.  The day before we left we encountered more obstacles to our departure, we had a couple girls really sick, a spare tire on our van and another tire with a gash in it just to name the top two.  So yet again we called another leader meeting.  We talked about our options and decided that we would spend the afternoon prayi Sun, 6 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-little-r-and-r http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-little-r-and-r Well the time has finally come, tomorrow we are headed to Lesotho for our two week outreach. God granted us favor with the visa office in Port Elizabeth and our visa extension request was permitted. We will be working with a pastor called James in the mountainous region of Butha Buthe. I have heard that Lesotho is an absolutely breath taking country, so I am excited to experience another part of Africa. Please be in prayer for our team over the next couple of weeks, as we will be o Fri, 4 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=new-program-offered-by-aim http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=new-program-offered-by-aim This week AIM launched a new program.  Please pass on to people who you think could be interested.  Thank you! Blessings, Heather Community Life: training & apprenticeship for Christ-followers One year of growth, community, and ministry. We're excited to introduce a new opportunity that many of you will love. We're taking our best coaches and disciplers and matching them up for a year with our most passionate young people (up to age 31). At Adventures In Missions Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=change-in-plans http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=change-in-plans So today we were suppossed to be on our way to Lesotho, but the events that have unfolded this week prevented us from making our trip.  This week we were informed that our visa extension request had been denied.  It threw our leadership team into a crazy time of brainstorming ideas of how we can get that request granted so that our team would not have to go home a month early.  The Vias went down to the Home Affairs office to try and get our money back and by the end of their time Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-little-latebut-were-engaged http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-little-latebut-were-engaged So many of you know this already, well probably all of you know this already, but Chad and I are engaged! I dropped him off at the airport on Friday to return to England and it was possibly one of the hardest things I have had to do. His two week stay here in Jeffrey's was more than perfect and it just seems wrong to have to part yet again. We both know God has great things in store for our future together, and at this point that is what is getting me through these tough days of being Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=team-update1 http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=team-update1 Just another quick post to let you all know on a couple happenings with our team. Although the last weeks have been excellent with Chad here, we had the misfortune of losing one of our participants due to sickness. Her name is Raelynn Chambers, and she could use all the prayer she can get. She has undergone many tests and will continue to these next couple of weeks as the doctors try to figure out all that is going on in her. For the most part they have answers, and praise God they are no Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=cooking-time-with-emily http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=cooking-time-with-emily Our team partners with a church in the black township, Tokyo Sexwhale, called Ithemba. Ithemba in Xhosa means hope. Pastor Gundu and his wife Emily have recently just resigned from Ithemba and Gundu has taken a new pastoral job in a town a couple hours away. His wife, Emily and 2 children however are still here in Jeffrey's. Emily is a principal at a local adult school in the evenings and as a family are not in a position where she can leave her job as it is their only source of income. They hav Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=different-strategies-for-trying-to-build-up-a-team http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=different-strategies-for-trying-to-build-up-a-team So the last couple weeks our leadership team has faced this issue of what to do with a team of 15 who has made their team house a place to just live, a house where love is scarce, and encouraging words are no longer dripping off their tongues. We look at the potential of this team and our hearts break for the lack of true community. Because we know what true community fosters; it fosters love, it builds people up, it speaks truth into hearts and it allows people to just be themselves. So instead Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=shopping-day http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=shopping-day So something that I love about my job is doing the grocery shopping every Monday afternoon. It's weird for me to admit that that is something I love, especially since before this trip it was something that I hated to do. But it's become a ministry for my co leader Holly and I as God usually places people and opportunities in our path throughout the afternoon of shopping. Yesterday was probably my favorite day of shopping thus far. As we were leaving the house a couple kids from the township appe Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-beautiful-lady http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=a-beautiful-lady I wanted to continue to introduce you in further depth of what some of our students participate in. One of the ministries that they thoroughly enjoy is house visits. At the beginning of the semester we met up with a contact of ours named Auntie Matilda. If all of you could meet Auntie Matilda you would be eternally blessed. She is an amazing, passionate woman of God. She desires to see the face of God glorified in her own community. She spends her time taking care of those whose lives have been Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=jbay-take-2 http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=jbay-take-2 Well we are back into the swing of things here in JBay. It has felt so great to finally start again. Over the holiday I had a lot of time to think, pray and listen to God. There have been times in my life where I have been disappointed with God for putting me in places or situations that do not necessarily line up with my expectations, hopes or desires. My time here in JBay has been one of those experiences. Last semester was nothing of what I expected from my time in Africa. But I have come to Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=fun-run http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=fun-run Today our team had the opportunity to help with a local 5K put on by a Dutch couple to help raise awareness and donations for the Joshua Project. See a previous blog entry, http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/index.asp?filename=the-joshua-project . This is the second year that they have done this event. It costs 10 Rand to run the race, which is about $1.50 with all the proceeds going directly to the Joshua Project. This couple from Holland spend their holiday season in Jeffrey's spreading Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=one-wild-ride http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=one-wild-ride So hopefully this works, I have yet to figure out all the applications in the blogging world.  I just wanted to give you all a better picture of the Ostrich farm tour! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd-SM2A58-c Heather Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=here-i-am http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=here-i-am Dear Friends, Family and SupportersWhat a fantastic couple of months I have just had. Since my last blog, our team finished up a great first semester in JBay. We had our group debrief in George, a stop along the Garden Route which is a beautiful scenic drive along the coastline of the Eastern Cape. It was a great time of fellowship and relaxation, reflecting on what God has done and making plans for this semester for ourselves and ministry. We were able to do a lot of fun activities Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=the-joshua-project http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=the-joshua-project I thought I would take some time to describe a few of the ministries that our students have been pouring themselves into these past couple of months. They will continue working with them over the next couple of weeks and will pick back up with them when they return from their Christmas breaks in January. One that touches my heart deeply is a ministry called The Joshua Project. "The Joshua Project is a safe haven for vulnerable children and children living on the street to receive love, support, Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=our-home http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=our-home Friends and Family-  I first owe you all an apology for not updating my blog in a month.  So I am sorry about that, no excuses on my end.  But I wanted to introduce you to our beautiful home in Jeffrey's Bay! The Front of our House.  Yes you can see the ocean from the upstairs. We ordered 22 bean bag chairs for our community living room! Our Kitchen. Who doesn't love to wash dishes for 20 people? And of course...my favorite.... And more to come! Blessing to y Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=the-living-waters-of-jeffreys-bay http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=the-living-waters-of-jeffreys-bay There has been a common word that the Lord continues to speak to me through various means. Deep.he whispers it, he shouts it, he longs for me to go deeper. And it's not only me that he continues to beckon to the deep places. One of the privileges of my job with AIM is that I get to walk alongside a group of people searching for the deep parts of God. It truly is nothing short of an honor. I love hearing the ways that God is beckoning his children to Himself. It brings deep joy to my life and hea Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=beautiful-brokenness http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=beautiful-brokenness    The other day I asked the Lord to reveal my purpose here in South Africa. Why am I here Lord, what do you desire for me and out of me this year? His answer was one word, deep. As I journaled through that word, the Lord brought 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, "'What no eye has seen, no ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God". I c Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=its-always-a-process http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=its-always-a-process This last week we have been in JBay without a team.  Honestly its been really hard.   It's hard knowing that our team is growing and being challenged and we're not there to be a part of it.  It's hard not feeling purposeless here.  We go shopping almost everyday, of course strictly for house necessities.  Ok and maybe for a sweatshirt, which dont exist, because its freezing here!  We clean and have meetings all in the name of preparation.   Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=what-does-one-do-when-stuck-in-the-frankfurt-airport-for-14-hours http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/?filename=what-does-one-do-when-stuck-in-the-frankfurt-airport-for-14-hours Yes that's right our team spent 14 hours of our life in the Frankfurt airport waiting for our connecting flight to Johannesburg.  You whom have travelled through this airport may understand it's nickname which happens to be the armpit of the world.   I'd be lying if I said I didn't agree.                             &nb Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT