March 2010
Sawubona!
Carol and Mark at one of many weddings
Contact Details
53 Bertha St, Sophia Town, South
Africa, 2092
Email; mcgrieve@cms.org.au or
mark_grieve@hotmail.com
Praise Points
Please thank God for a wonder-
ful holiday and the time it gave
us with family and friends.
Please thank God for the many
new people and families that
have come to church. Pray that
they will stay and grow with the
church.
Prayer Points
Please pray for South African
leaders that they may show in-
tegrity and service to the peo-
ple. There has been a real lack
of respect for the president and
other ANC leaders due to sex-
ual misconduct and financial
swindling.
For our church to continue to
build a community where race
and economic barriers are done
away with.
For new musicians and chil-
dren’s workers at church.
For our annual family camp on
the 9th-11th of April
For Carol and I as we seek to
head the church in the right
direction. Please also pray that
we can find an assistant Pastor
to come on staff and get the
giving to a level of being able
to appoint Him.
Hello from South Africa
A newsletter from Mark and Carol Grieve, missionaries
with CMS in Johannesburg, South Africa.
fore suspicion and fear of
Believing is other races but a great diver-
sity in socio economic
Belonging classes. Its easy to fill your
The importance of bible studies and social times
with people who are like you
Community
and are comfortable and en-
The recent Big Brother epi- joyable to be with. But such
sode in Britain had the title exclusivity is not in line with
“Hell, lies in Others” It made God’s mandate.
me think of Elaine in an Epi-
sode of Sinfeld where she I fully believe God is glori-
said, “People! There the fied in diversity. Where we
worst.” A recent article in can show that having differ-
our local Paper had the head- ent colour skin, different cul-
lines, “Hell is people from tural customs and different
other places.” lamenting the pay checks does not mean we
crowds at Durban’s beaches. need to worship in different
Well going through the book places.
of Acts at the moment it As much as I long for the
seems that the bible has a country and quiet, I am re-
very different picture on peo- minded that God is a city
ple. Last month I preached dweller. His Kingdom will
on Acts 2 where we are told be a city full of people. And
that everyone was together so I too must work on my
and shared all things in com- love for others. ( Heb 12:22,
mon. That no one went with- Rev 21:2) Hell is not other
out. That everyday they met people it’s the absence of
together in the temple to pray them.
and worship God. And we
are told these people came
from 15 different regions
throughout the Roman Em-
pire.
One of our great frustrations
is trying to build a genuine
community amongst our peo-
ple. We are fighting not only A baby shower held at our house.
years of Apartheid, and there-
 We are praying that it will not The boys have settled well
This term we have started upset the tight community we into school and are busy with
with several events to build have formed nor turn our few their little lives. They go to
our community. We still families away but rather be a soccer training twice a week
firmly believe that our best wonderful blessing to our and kids club one day a week.
strategy for church growth is community. They still love their DS and
hospitality in the home. We TV but are starting to enjoy
had our first community day cricket out the back and soc-
at the end of February. We On the Home cer as well.
played games and had a BBQ
at the church. The attendance
Front Carol and I have started the
was pretty disappointing, Over January we spent 3 1/2 process to adopt. We have
though those who came really weeks back in Australia. It been to the first main inter-
enjoyed themselves. was a wonderful time to catch view and started filling out
We also had a picnic last up with family and friends. the forms and getting our po-
week in the park. We had a great two weeks in lice clearance records. We
Forster with the extended are hoping by mid year to be
Church overall has been en- family as well. ready. We even bought a cot
couraging with many new the other day and are both
people coming in. We have This year Carol has resumed very excited. The boys are
started a marriage seminar for her correspondence studies also looking forward to get-
all our young workers who with the Australian Counsel- ting a little sister.
are getting ready for mar- ing institute. She hopes to
riage. 5 couples are attending finish it in early 2012.
that course.

There has been lots to be

thankful for with several of
our more needy folk getting
real answers to prayer. John
has found a place to stay, and
Jacky looks like getting her
job back with the Police de-
partment. Elizabeth also has
gotten a job at KFC, (though
she may be retrenched at the
end of this month).

At the end of this term it

looks like we may be getting
an influx of students from
Campus Outreach. We are
expecting 25 but since our
adult church is about 80 it Our family holiday at Forster. Relaxing and beautiful
could upset the dynamics.

“..Whatever you did for the If you would like to sup-

least of these brothers of mine, port us through prayer,
you did for me.” finance or pastoral care
Matthew 25:40