Family
We are so thankful for our marriage. We remain committed to one another as best friends and partners in all things. We give thanks that our parents are generally in good health and strength, though both of our moms have struggled with various issues in the last year. Dad Langley will be retiring from CCC in October of 2023, and we will just have to wait and see and trust what the next chapter holds for the church and for us as CCC missionaries. We are grateful for the opportunity to visit with a lot of family this year, including the opportunity to and invest in some family on this side of the ocean over the next few years (John & Kirsten & Co., who moved to Botswana in August).
We also started attending a new church midway through the year which has been a highlight of the year and a tremendous blessing. It has provided new opportunities for us to serve in music ministry, a creative outlet which we have greatly missed, as well as to be invested in and supported by a loving and passionate fellowship of believers.
Ministry
Our small group and one-on-one Bible studies continue to be a highlight for us. We are seeing the fruit of taking the time to go slower and deeper with key individuals. There have been sorrows as we have watched some drift into apathy or outright rejection of the truth, but also great joys as we watch young faith blossom into maturity and deeper love for Jesus. Jessica started teaching a weekly Bible lesson at a preschool which grew into an additional Bible study with the teachers, one of whom is Zionist and one who is Shembe.
Stephen continues to support Sipho Mfusi and his team by teaching at Pietermaritzburg and Estcourt ZEBS. Sipho is a wise, competent, godly leader, and we are so grateful for his friendship. However, he is chronically overworked, and we even find ourselves stretched thin as we try to support him and help provide coverage in his areas of need. He desperately needs additional partners, especially at Estcourt. In Pietermaritzburg, we thank God, things are running great, with or without us. Sipho has developed a strong teaching team, and we are able to step in and support as needed, but they don’t even miss a beat if we aren’t there. We praise God for how he has grown and strengthened this school over the last few years.
We are thankful for the opportunity to continue our graduate studies at Western Seminary. Jessica plans to graduate in August of 2023, and Stephen in December. Maintaining a full course load at the same time as full-time ministry has not been easy, and while we’re enjoying our studies, we’re also looking forward to finishing.
We were deeply disappointed to hear back from Bible Project that their isiZulu localization is once again a no. It seems final this time. However, they are open to us taking on the localization ourselves as a grass-roots effort.
We were able to finish developing one of our own resources, the “Story of the Bible” curriculum, and begin workshopping it in our small group Bible studies. It has been well-received so far and we are excited to continue using it, refining it, and developing similar resources.
We hosted a team from CCC, which overall was a very encouraging experience. Hosting teams is something we both enjoy and look forwards to bridging gaps for others in the future.
Our support dropped in 2019–2020 and has not come back up. We are struggling financially, especially as we have not been able to get the financial aid we hoped for at seminary (although Jessica was awarded a substantial scholarship, Stephen’s aid has not been sufficient). We hope that we will be able to raise some additional support during our furlough in 2023, which we plan to take some time between June and October (pending our visa renewal).
We were unexpectedly informed that we will need to move out of our house in July or December at the latest. This is a prayer and practical need for us in 2023, particularly as we plan for the other logistical elements of the year with home assignment and ministry.
