Autumn 2013 Update

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Cape Town, South Africa





















Dear friends,

Our first proper update in a while - sorry for the delay! We hope this finds you well. Right now it's Spring here and the weather is slowly warming up, while for you it's Autumn and getting colder - crazy!

We have settled into our room here on the YWAM base in Muizenberg, Cape Town. We are living in a house with around 80 students (attending 3 different schools) which makes things a bit hectic and loud, but we are very thankful for our own room and own shower! It's been a real joy getting to know everyone here. Our school alone has 16 nations represented! Naoko is the first ever Japanese student at the base.

We could write a lot about South Africa, but we'll keep this brief. Please send us an email to know more! South Africa is an interesting mix of many different cultures. Some places are very European, while others are what you would think as being African. There is also a stark divide between the rich and the poor. The poverty here has led to a really high crime rate. We live in a relatively safe European-style beach area, while down the road is a poor township, dense with people living in shacks. The only thing we've noticed that they have in common is they love braai (South African BBQ)! We've eaten Ostrich at the base and have seen chicken feet in a township. Yum!

We are now on our 6th week of lectures here on the DTS. There have been a lot of good teaching, and are praying that God will help us to apply what we're learning! We are also involved in 2 local outreaches. We join a ministry called Justice Acts where we talk with prostitutes on the street at night. And we go into a local township called Masiphumelele to help create a community garden as well as get to know local people and share the love of God.

As part of our DTS, there is an overseas outreach from December until February. We will be on the Turkey team, and Gary will be co-leading! We had no idea we'd be going out of SA so we don't have winter clothing! But we really feel God is pulling us toward the Middle East and are looking forward to what God has in store.

Thank you for reading this long update! And thank you for your support. We could not be here without you. Please continue to pray for us! And please send us your prayer requests too. It's a real joy to partner with you in prayer.

Love,
Gary & Naoko



Prayer points:
- thank God for providing for our financial needs!
- thank God for keeping us safe & healthy!

- that we would continue to learn & grow
- that God will guide our preparation for Turkey
- that God would guide our steps after DTS                                     

--

お久しぶりです！すっかりご無沙汰してしまいましたが、皆さまいかがお過ごしですか？
だんだん寒くなってきている日本とは反対で、南半球のこちらは春です。もうすぐ１１月というのに、夏に向けて気温が上昇中という何とも不思議な感覚です！

一ヶ月がたち、ケープタウンの海沿いの町MuizenbergにあるYWAMの学生寮での生活にもすっかり慣れました。ここには３つのプログラムに参加している総勢８０人が暮らしているので賑やかで騒々しいこともありますが、私たち夫婦にはシャワー付きの寝室が与えられているので快適な生活に感謝しています！何しろ国際色豊かな場所で、私たちが参加しているDTS(弟子訓練学校)だけでも、１６カ国以上からメンバーが集まっています。私（菜穂子）はYWAMケープタウン史上初めての日本人だそうです。

南アフリカは多様性あふれる国で、多くの民族や言語（公用語が１１カ国語！）が混在しています。まるでヨーロッパを思わせるような雰囲気の町もあれば、いかにもアフリカ〜！という地域もあります。何よりも、恐ろしいほどの貧富の差が目につきます。私たちが暮らすMuizenbergは主に白人が暮らす裕福なビーチタウンですが、すぐ近くにはまるでスラムのような貧しい（主に黒人・有色人種が暮らす）地区があります。全国民の唯一の共通点は、みんなお肉が大好きで、どこに行ってもBraaiというバーベキューがもくもく煙を出している・・・といったところでしょうか。私たちの寮では、ダチョウのお肉がしばしば夕食の献立に出てきます！

現在はDTS講義期間の６週目に入ったところです。信仰生活が大きく変えられるような、聖書にもとづいたとても充実した学びをさせていただいています。また、週に２回地元地域での奉仕活動もしています。一つ目はJustice Acts というミニストリーで、みんなで夜道を祈りながら歩き、そこで出会う売春婦に話しかける活動です。２つ目は近くの貧困地区に出かけていき、農作業の手伝いや住民との交流を通じての伝道活動です。毎日が忙しく、とても充実しています！

DTSの後半（１２月中旬〜２月中旬）は海外派遣で、私たちはトルコに渡航予定です。YWAMでの活動経験があるギャリーは、トルコチームのリーダーの一人として奉仕することになりました。以前から主は私たちに中東地域への思いを与えて下さっているので、トルコでの時間を通してどのような導きが待っているのか、とても楽しみです。（まさか必要になるとは思わず、冬服はすべてイギリスに置いてきてしまいましたが・・・！汗）

そんな感じで、私たちは元気に生活しています＾＾

ここまで読んでくださり、ありがとうございました。みなさまの祈りと応援が、私たちの日々の支えであり糧です。
私たちにもお祈りできることなどあれば、いつでもご連絡ください！このような大切なお交わりを与えてくださった主に、心から感謝しています。

みなさまお一人おひとりの上に、今日も主の豊かな恵みと平安がありますように。


ケープタウンより感謝をこめて

なおこ＆ギャリー                
      


お祈りポイント：

ー経済的な備えへの感謝
ー健康と安全が守られていることへの感謝

ーこれからの学びと成長のために
ートルコ渡航に向けての準備のために
ーDTS卒業後の進路が示されるように

お祈りいただけたら嬉しいです＾＾                                     

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