ALUMNI PRAISE AND PRAYER
July 2012 Update
Maicol & Mandy Venter (2009)
There is an indescribable moment alluded to above. The seconds that feel like an eternity as you watch your team charging the goal with a clear open shot, you're sure they can't miss, and just as you let go of too high hopes in fear you'll be disappointed, he shoots, he makes it, its victory. The celebration and excitement leaves your adrenaline racing, your heart pumping, your smile and screams unrestrained. You hug strangers, you kiss your jersey, you leave the stadium singing the chants, waving the flag, and reminiscing in that moment of mere seconds. Seconds.
You notice the return address is from your top pick university and the seconds it takes you to tear open the envelope and scroll the endless chatter looking for your acceptance, seems unending.
The three short minutes in the bathroom that leave you blinking until your eyes seem dry as you’re deciphering whether there really are two lines, or maybe, you didn't read the directions for this pregnancy test correctly.
For some of us, it's the months that drag on as we endure grueling treatment plans and regimes that alter life as we know it and put every minute detail of normalcy on hold until the final results come and we learn, the cancer is in remission.
Who knows what victory you might be envisioning, but realize this, those seconds of victory are impossible without the relentless minutes, hours, days, months, or perhaps even years, of anticipation, perseverance, and dare I say, faith.
We've been so challenged in our faith walk through our short three married years together, yet we wouldn't erase one moment of heartache or difficulty. The sheer seconds and moments of awesome hope fulfilled
- totally, undeniably, worth it.
* August 8th we celebrate three years of marriage!
* If God allows it, in January we welcome our first baby and what a
thrill the first three months of pregnancy has been!
* Yesterday we celebrated the end to a long term struggle over our
car situation and we were able to have most of the money returned.
* Our church body is growing and we are seeing people deepening their
knowledge of faith in Christ as well as outstretching their arms in
service to each other and the community
We are in the midst of an amazing group of people at our church that we love and have loved on us so much. We are soaking in these moments of victory, of hope fulfilled and letting that be the wind in our sails to carry us onward.
Maicol is pursuing an opportunity to teach basketball in a club close to our home as he continues in an individual discipleship class and participates in various pastoral ministries at our church. Mandy has the opportunity to teach English in a daycare three days per week, and is leading a Brazilian girls bible study. We are laying down our roots and enjoying each step. You can continue to pray for our ministries in general and we would be happy to share with you specific requests in regards to the people we minister to if you request by personal email.
Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry, we could not persevere without the intercession of your prayers and the encouragement of your love.
By His Grace,
Maicol and Mandy Venter
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