A Week Gone By...

Limited time, yet again! 

On Saturday we had a great time resting.  We went to Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, the bay with the penguins (where we saw a seal attack and devour a penguin).  Actually when I think about it -- there wasn't much resting!

On Sunday we headed into Masi again and had many good encounters.  Speaking from my own team of 3, we met one older woman wanting to start a house church in her home and another man who accepted Jesus into his life for the first time ever.  We also held a baptism ceremony, Africa style, that afternoon.  Look for video as soon as we get back to the states!

Today we went out again and saw the Lord move in many different ways.  It was harder today, but good.  We saw one woman healed of shoulder and ear problems.  She was so excited that she turned around and prayed for her sister who had recently suffered a stroke.  We met many more interested in hearing about Jesus and seriously weighing the call...

Please continue to pray for our team.  Some of our team mates are experiencing sickness (flu and stomach problems are the most common); it's not discouraging us though!  God is still moving in amazing way!

In Christ --

Brandon

Masi = awesome!

After several days in Masi, things are going great. This is a more
personal post from Juli, because Brandon is doing the general team
posts. I have met with a young mother (age 17) named Doreen every day
we've been in Masi. She is eager to talk about Jesus and read the
Bible that Cherrie and I gave her. She loves the Lord and has seen his
power in her life, but also believes in other spirits and follows some
ancestor worship. Please pray for her and her husband and her son,
Swanson. We will meet with them again Sunday morning and talk more
about Jesus (and how he's the only way and wants no other gods before
him). I love Doreen and although she's incredibly impoverished, she
just glows when she talks about Jesus.
  Also, today we saw several healings. I walked around with Cherrie,
Will, Andrew and Kelly and we met a family who believe in Jesus. We
prayed for two older women to be healed of arm and foot pain and they
were both healed after an awesome prayer time when the Holy Spirit was
so evident. One woman kept waving her arms around, showing that she
was all better. It was incredible!
-- Juli

South Africa Nights

Another couple of days have passed and we are developing a rhythm of life while we are here. 
 
We get up daily, have breakfast and individual quiet times and then go into Masi as a team (both Norman and Kansas City folks).  There we have a group prayer/praise/devotional time that generally last from 10ish to 11ish (we are on Africa time after all).  Then we go out into the wetlands, where the poorest of the poor live, to share the Gospel and pray with people.
 
We've already in just a couple of days seen God do many amazing things.  On my group's first day out, we prayed for an older lady with severe stomach and leg problems and she was healed.  Today, a man's leg was healed (he hadn't been able to walk normally in a long time and now can dance and run without the use of a cane!).  And we have more stories of how the Gospel is changing people's lives in real ways.  Where once there was no hope, now they know hope. 
 
Keep praying for us!  We need and covet your prayers!
 
Tomorrow is a day of rest so pray that God would restore our weary bodies and unite us as a team!
And pray that Jesus' kingdom would be made known in this place!
 
Grace and peace to all of you!
 
Brandon

South Africa Adventures

We arrived safely and without any problems! Thank you so much for your prayers!  There weren't any troubles like last year -- everyone is in the country and safe!  

We had our first meeting in Masi today and it was great!  We toured townships and then went into Masi for a few hours of prayer and praise by the wetlands.  It was an awesome time and had many local Masi-ians come and join us.  

I can't write much more now due to time constraints but know that we covet your prayers.  People are still jetlagging and are tired but are excited to see what the Lord is doing.  

When we have more time to write, we'll update again!

Much love from Cape Town, South Africa!

Brandon+Juli

South Africa Here We Go!

Hello Everyone!

 This is a quick update and prayer list that we'll use to communicate (hopefully every few days!) while we are in Cape Town, South Africa!

 If you weren't aware -- Julianna and I are leading a team of 16 other people from Norman Community Church there to plant churches and see the Kingdom of God break through among people that know no hope. We leave tomorrow (Sunday!) at 7:15am to do this!

 We are all super excited and would like to invite all of you to be praying for our team.

 Specifically:

 * Pray that God would provide safety as we travel and cross international borders.
* Pray that our team would not only be excited but also passionate about what God is doing in Cape Town.
* Pray that God would prepare even now the hearts of the people we'll be meeting.
* Pray that we'd keep attune to the presence of the Holy Spirit and have the courage (and faith!) to move in the directions He calls us.
* Pray that our team would be united with one another and with the All Nations staff and the Kansas City team we are meeting up with in Cape Town.
* Pray that Juli and I as leaders would stay attune to God's desires for our team.

 We'd personally like to thank all of you for your support of our team. We'll get another email out to everyone letting them know that we have arrived safely once we get there. Thanks again for your love -- support -- prayers.

 In Christ,

 Brandon Jones

 PS. Feel free to forward and note that these emails will be posted at http://mbjones.posterous.com as well!