All indications are that 2009 is starting out with a big bang for our teams in South Africa despite the financial challenges brought on by the world wide financial crisis.  As promised in last month's newsletter we will have an update from Zodwa about the progress being made in Soshanguve.  We also have an update for the three teams in Richards Bay but first an update on the three summer mission trips going to South Africa and Kenya.

We have a team of about ten people lead by Paul Hickey leaving from Boston in June to team up with John Tempelhoff and his team in Durban to continue the Smart Choices program in Durban and the surrounding townships.

We have a team of four to six people lead by Curtis and Rhonda Brownell from California to team up with Pastor Moses, wife Margaret, and nursing sister Freda in Katale, Kenya.  Part of their activities will be training teams to teach the Smart Choices AIDS prevention program at schools, in clinics and possibly also prisons.  This is the first Beacon of Hope trip to a country other than South Africa.

We have a team of six lead by Glynn Smith leaving from California in August to team up again with Derrick Manqele and the teams from the tri-city area of Richards Bay, Empangeni and eSikhawini.

There is still space on all of these teams if anyone would like to participate but time is getting short.  It is time to take the leap now if you want to go on one of these trips this year.

For more details about all of these trips visit the Beacon of Hope web site.

God's richest blessing,