Life for Team McComas 2017 started out with a huge blessing. We are still smiling at how God brought Cian into our family almost a year ago. He will be one in 8 days. Thinking back to how tired I was and how unsure his delivery seemed I am thankful to be enjoying a different kind of summer this year.
We have seen growth in new members, the Lord working in peoples lives, and God moving in our own hearts and family.
We had some pretty special visitors who came at such a perfect time, that God clearly ordained. And a very dear supporting church pastor and his wife who were such a blessing to our family.
We celebrated one year in our home. This allowed us to open it to whomever God brought and for however long. It also has allowed us the ability to not have to focus on moving and has provided much needed “settling in” time for the kids.
We ministered through our first Leadership Camp at the Waldorf School. Such a fun week that we cannot wait to do again this year!
Our MV Kids children put on what I would contend was one of the best Christmas plays ever. My Mom was designing costumes left and right and adapted quickly to the ever changing cast of characters and arriving children. It was short, shared the hope Jesus who came, was comical with 40 kids not always knowing what was going on, and more! While we have enjoyed the break this last month we look forward to getting things going soon when school starts up.
We welcomed Mom and Dad to the team. While they are in no way new to the ministry here they are new to “the farm” and life in Hermanus (My Dad and Pepper have really bonded). We are thankful for their partnership here and for Papaw and Nana being close by.
Every three years all of the South Africa ABWE team get together for a time of refreshment, encouragement, and learning. It was a great time hosting the group here in Hermanus. To be honest it was a long, exhausting week because our family had a horrible stomach flu but it was still good to see people we don’t normally get to see. We are a part of a wonderful group of men and women who serve all over South Africa.
We saw our kids grow in many ways. Finnegan finished his first year at primary school, Aislinn really took off in her swimming and is loving it, Maeve finally started talking and we are seeing her personality come through, and Cian becomes less and less of a baby each month. We have seen them grow in their understanding of God and life around them.
We have been overwhelmingly blessed this last year and any challenges we face seem infinitely smaller than the obstacles to daily life encountered by the vast majority of people in our reach.
I suppose we struggled with the same questions we face most years. Also question that will be following us into 2018. There are so many needs and so many opportunities to be serving. How do you decide what to do and how often to do it? How many nights of the week should Wade be out of the house? Am I needed more at home? Is it okay to take opportunities serving in the community? Are we investing more effort in discipleship of other people than we are our own kids? Are we growing or floundering in our own walk with the Lord? This is just a slice of the conversational pie between Wade and myself. And we continue to ask that God would show us the things He already has planned out for us. Praying that our hearts would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. We have also walked through life this year with people who are hurting. And with friends who are hurting friends. It hurts and is exhausting and we feel it.
We look forward to what God has in store for 2018. We know of some new ministries on the horizon that are very exciting. But we also sense that we don’t really know what this year looks like. Please pray with us that God would continue to guide us and that we would be faithful in each task he gives us. And that our desire would more for Him than for anything else.
Thanks for sticking with this LONG update!
Love from Team McComas
Wade, Tara, Finnegan, Aislinn, Maeve, and Cian
A Christmas Update Typed on the Olivetti
Team McComas 