May I Brag?

May I brag for a moment? Not about me. About my wife and kids. We are in the full on throes of transition as a family. We fly out for good on September 25. We have started our goodbyes, we are having many "lasts" and we are thinking and talking much about what's ahead. And it's not all easy or fun. Some of the emotions we are experiencing are hard.

But, what about all the practical things too? Lots to strategize about...

• Do we sell or ship?
• Throw away or give away?
• Do we try to get a container or just liquidate big things?
• What must we keep with us for our last few months in Cape Town?
• What must we take to America for our furlough?
• What can we send ahead to Tanzania?
• And how can we do this most cost effectively?

On Wednesday of this week, Davis and I will head up to Kenya for a training I will be teaching at. The following Wednesday, Tricia and Lily will meet us. Then, we will head to Tanzania for 10 days of prayer, scouting, exploring and paving the way for our transition. Several dear friends will be joining us. 7 of us in total. 7 passengers = 14 total pieces of baggage. With some clever space sharing, it left us 10 bags to pack in. Plus the 3 I have already taken up to Tanzania in March and BOOM! We did it!

Everything that this crazy, international family wants to take from South Africa to Tanzania for our next season of life and ministry has fit into 13 suitcases!  And they are all packed (see pic)! Tricia knows exactly what she needs and what we want. She knows what toys the kids treasure and which ones they don't. She knows what they can't part with and what can be waiting for them there. Which clothes we need, and what we don't. We have packed towels and bath rugs. Curtains and sheets. Blankets and pillows. Knives and our favorite mugs. Tupperware and serving utensils. Did I say that Tricia is amazing? She knows what she will need for the baby that is better to get in South Africa (instead of America), bought it used for less here and it's packed. A portable high chair and a breast pump. Onesies and clothes. Our favorite books are packed. Oh, and she did all this pregnant and not feeling well.

And the kids....they have been so flexible and engaged. Davis was champ saying goodbye to his legos. And Lily keeps running up to us with her teddy bears saying "guys, this can go to Tanzania!" So precious.

I am just so proud of this tribe. They are BRAVE! They are adventurous. And they release the things of this world for the things of the kingdom. I'm just so proud.

But alas, our house is bare, empty and cold. But we chose to look on the bright side....our last few months here will be focussed on PEOPLE...and our packing for the states will be oh so easy.

Hearing God about Transition

Our family has recently walked through a process of hearing God lead us into a transition for a move to another country (Tanzania). It's our second international move. Here are some of the more practical things we are learning. 1. Plant your heart where you are now! It's totally frustrating for you, and disheartening for those around you, when you let your heart, mind and speech drift into a season and place you aren't in yet! Bloom where you're planted until the day you fly away.

2. Bend your ear to God's voice. The key is to listen, more than to look. There's a difference. Our hearts follow our eyes, feet and mouth. Just listen at first. God often starts the transition process through whispers. When you're hearing consistent whispers in the same direction, you're likely on the road to transition.

3. Don't blow things out of proportion...you're not that important. Ok, you ARE important, but often we make a much bigger deal out of moving on than God or others do. He moves his kids around. Transition is natural and it's not the end of the world if its your turn. Relax and enjoy. Give yourself permission to keep walking ahead.

4. Let your planning follow the "cloud." Why not lay out your top 3-4 Good/God ideas for the future on the table. Don't limit your options to only one place at first. You may regret it later. If you're gonna make a big move, put some competitive ideas on the list of where you end up. Dream! And then follow the cloud of God's peace. Where does the peace rest? Now, make the call. State it.

5. Now, test it with an open hand in a small circle. This looks quite simple. Go to people that love you and clearly walk in step with God's heart and say something like: "We have listened and tracked with God's leading and we sense he is saying ____! Do you sense we are hearing from God? We don't want to miss Him." Then, listen to them and God some more over a period of weeks. Perhaps this will lead to a few adjustments. That's ok and probably a good thing.

6. Proclaim it with clarity to the larger circles. Announce the leading of the Lord with joy and grace! Start the practical planning. And take your time with the transition. It's almost always unnecessary to rush processes like these.

Big News from the Kaye Family

Major things have been happening in our loves over the last few months. Below is the letter we sent to all of our supporters a few weeks ago. Now, we thought it was time to go even more "public" with our news. Read the news below! ----------------------

In the same way that Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi, we write to you and say that “we thank our God every time we remember you. In all our prayers for all of you, we always pray with joy because of our partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it to the day of Jesus Christ."

We write to you with lots of joy and excitement in our hearts.

First of all, we are excited about what is fresh on the horizon for the next several months. Tricia is 3 weeks (now 5) into Home Schooling Davis, and they are doing fantastic. We are doing so well as a family…feeling healthy, close and alive. Saturday we start our 5th CPx! 21 leaders (now 25) from 7 nations will be landing here Saturday (they are here). For the next 5 months, we are committed to pouring our lives into them to see them grow in passion for Church planting and making disciples of Jesus among the lost.

Amidst all of this action, we carry in our hearts a deep sense of relief and excitement. Relief because after having been actively asking the Lord his heart and will for us regarding our future as a family, God has spoken. Excitement over what He has said.

So, what is the big news?

We are moving!

We are in our 5th and final year in Cape Town! We sense that this INCREDIBLE season is to come to a close at the end of September. Even though we will leave with some sadness because we have loved and been loved, we have heard from God that our time in Cape Town is coming to an end.

So, what’s next? That is the question we held before the lord as we considered multiple possibilities of missions fruitfulness around the world. Above all and through all, we cannot escape the clear sense that the Lord has prepared us and highlighted for us East Africa. Our time on this great continent is not over! We are already deeply invested into Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda...with growing passion for several other nations in East and the Horn of Africa. The dream in our hearts is to coach and mobilize leaders and churches in East Africa to make disciples of Jesus among the lost. So much vision is growing in our hearts. We cannot wait to share more.

Where will we live? We will decide in July when we travel to East Africa as a family. We are leaning into Tanzania, with Kenya still on the table. We will dedicate the first season of time there to learning Swahili and acclimation as cultural learners.

Here's the timeline: We will leave Cape Town the end of September and return to the USA where will take an extended home leave as a family (5-6 months). Our family is very excited about times of deep connection in the states during this time and looking forward to mobilizing many to join into what the Lord is doing in East Africa. We will likely return to the field in March 2016.

Would you send us your thoughts? And your questions? But more importantly, your prayer and continued support? We do not take for granted the sacrifice of so many of you in keeping us placed where the Lord has sent us.

We cherish you and would LOVE to hear from you as we listen to the voice of the Lord in this transition!

Thanks for journeying with us as a family!

Noah, Tricia, Davis and Lily

On our way to the USA

This past weekend, we graduated 34 CPx students and this morning we welcomed 20 of them as Full Time Staff at All Nations to serve with us in Cape Town. Most of them will now start the process of being prepared to be sent to various nations to make Jesus known. We are thrilled for what has happened in their lives, but glad it is over! Hard, rewarding work. And the Lamb is Worthy! Jesus is always worthy! Now, our family (all 4 of us) departs Thursday for America and arrives Friday afternoon, July 4th in Washington DC! We are getting very excited! As we prayed, we felt that the theme of this trip is "deepening relationships!" The longer we are gone from our sending network, the more important it becomes to cherish each hour with you. We hope we get to see as many of you as possible. Please reach out to us. We love you and would thank the Lord for any time we get with you.

Here are some of our plans (Please note that we still have two open Sundays to speak in churches! Hint, hint.):

• July 4: Arrive in USA
• July 5: Family!
• July 6: Capital Christian Fellowship (speaking and connecting)
• July 6-21: Noah attending CPx Training in Kansas City, MO (you near there?). Tricia and the kids with family and friends in MD and NY.
• July 21-28: Maryland (family, friends, fundraising)
• **Sunday, July 27: Still available to speak in a church. Invitations welcomed.**
• July 29-31: Lancaster, Pennsylvania (You near there?)
• August 1-12: Maryland (family, friends, fundraising)
• **Sunday, August 3: Still available to speak in a church. Invitations welcomed.**
• August 5: Discipleship Roundtable Gathering (9am-3pm, Capital Christian Fellowship in Lanham, MD)
• August 10: Capital Christian Fellowship (Sending and Partners Reception)
• August 12: Fly back to Africa

Would you support us in prayer over these next weeks?

For strength and grace in travel and transition as a family...

For open doors for meetings, groups, churches, business people to share our mission with...

For favor in raising new financial supporters and increase from current donors...

For precious people-time to deepen relationships with family and friends...

For humility and passion to tell the stories of what the Lord is doing in Africa and around the world...

Thank you for your prayers and love! Thank you for your friendship.

Noah, Tricia, Davis and Lily

Hospitality vs. Entertaining

Tricia and I host many people in our home. This week alone we have had 7 people sleeping in our home and another 15 through for meals and company at various levels. It is just a big part of our life. So, through the years we have learned how to grow in true hospitality. We care a lot less about impressing people now than we used to. If you visit us, we want to love your heart, not impress your eyes or your palate. I read this on the Resurgence Blog and thought it was so good! I adjusted it a bit and am reposting it. Perhaps you too will enjoy it.

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Often when we talk about hospitality, we think of “entertaining.” But entertaining has little to do with real hospitality if the goal is to impress others rather than to serve. How do you know if you are being hospitable or just entertaining?

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Lev. 19:34)

What are the first thoughts that come to mind when you think about hospitality?

Is it freshly folded towels and breakfast buffets at hotels, or a fancy dinner that you’ve prepared in your home for your closest friends?

Though these may be expressions of hospitality, they don’t really get to the heart of hospitality. True hospitality is sacrificial, uncomfortable, and does not seek to impress others. Hospitality flows from a hospitable heart. It is more about your open heart and home, not your impressive entertaining skills.

True hospitality is sacrificial, uncomfortable, and does not seek to impress others. Hospitality is when we provide for the needs of others by giving of ourselves—even something as simple as our attention in a warm conversation.

What is biblical hospitality?

In the Bible, the original Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia, which means love of strangers (Rom. 12:13). Hospitality is also framed as a means of honoring and loving God by meeting the needs of the poor (Prov. 14:31).

Biblical hospitality is:

• To be practiced without grumbling, complaining or thought of reward (1 Pet. 4:9).
• Literally, “a love for strangers” (Heb. 13:1–2)
• Treating fellow believers (Rom. 12:3; 1 Tim. 3:2), widows, orphans (1 Tim. 5:1–16), unbelievers (Luke 5:29), the poor and needy (Luke 14:12–14), missionaries (Matt. 10:9–11; Luke 10:5–16), foreigners, immigrants, refugees (Gen. 18:1–22), and even enemies (Rom. 12:20) as if they were your very own family.
• Helping the poor with no expectation of repayment (Prov. 19:17).
• Meeting the basic needs of others. (e.g., preparing food, providing lodging, giving physical protection, sharing material possessions, and encouraging and sharing the love of Jesus.

Often when we talk about hospitality, we think of “entertaining.” But entertaining has little to do with real hospitality. Secular entertaining is a terrible bondage. Its source is human pride. Demanding perfection, fostering the urge to impress, it is a rigorous taskmaster that enslaves. In contrast, scriptural hospitality is a freedom that liberates.

Entertaining says, “I want to impress you with my beautiful home, my clever decorating, my gourmet cooking.” Hospitality, however, seeks to minister. It says, “This home is not mine. It is truly a gift from my Master. I am his servant, and I use it as he desires.”

Biblical hospitality is the outpouring of mercy and grace to others without expectation for reciprocation.

As we prepare our homes for hosting a dinner, we also can prepare our hearts to serve those who enter. As Karen Mains writes, “Hospitality does not try to impress, but to serve.”

How do you know if you are being hospitable or just entertaining? Here are some great indicators....

• Entertaining: I want to look good
• Hospitality: I want Jesus to look good
• Entertaining: Emphasis on food or outer appearance
• Hospitality: Emphasis on the hearts of those in your home
• Entertaining: Preoccupied or apologetic about messes
• Hospitality: Humbled by the mess and can still serve
• Goal of Entertaining: To impress
• Goa of Hospitality: To serve

Obama vs. Jesus

Yesterday, President Obama visited our little valley here south of Cape Town. It was quite the event. As Americans raising our kids overseas, we take each opportunity we get to help the kids have a little info about the place their parents grew up. So, we ran around all day and got to see Obama land and drive past us--5 feet from us...and he waved at us! Pretty cool! However, a particular discussion took place between Davis and I. Davis is (a wise) 6 years old. When he saw the amount of army vehicles, guards, police, security, secret service, guns, and general protection for Obama, he was so confused.

"Daddy, why are they doing all of this? Who would want to hurt Obama? Why are they protecting him so much? Other people are do not get protected like this!"

I tried to explain how important Obama was and how he was one of the most powerful people in the world. He still did not get it and actually seemed bothered.

I went in for the kill. This had "teaching moment" written all over it.  I told him, "Son, what you are seeing today is a clear example of the difference between the Kingdoms on the earth that people build and the Kingdom that Jesus is building. In the world's kingdoms, we protect our lives and take the lives of others. In God's kingdom we give our lives and protect others. Today, Obama is being protected so no one harms him. But our best example is Jesus. Instead of being guarded because of his importance, He gave his life away and died on a cross for us. His kingdom is so different and so special."

This morning, I read him this:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

It was just a clear moment to see how these things we think are "normal" just are not "biblical."

Obama vs. Jesus. Kingdom of the world or Kingdom of God?

Bullet update of our trip so far...

• We have been back in the USA since Friday morning. So far, so great! Warm welcomes and gracious visits all around. Our family really rolled out the red carpet for us!
• We are still jetlagged.  It is lasting longer than it usually does this time. Not sure why. I have been up at 2:30am, 3:45am and then today 4:15am. Guess things are moving in the right direction. Davis joined me at 4:30 again this morning.
• Yesterday, we were at our home church and it was a PARTY!!! They welcomed us like pros. I dare someone to find a more supportive home church and spiritual family than Capital Christian Fellowship.
• Want to hear something cool? We got almost 1/4 of our needed additional support in ONE HOUR yesterday morning at our home church! People showed up and GOD showed off!
• Today is all about the 4 of us reconnecting. Family day. With a little Walmart and Target action. ;-)
• Tomorrow is all about Visas for three more years. We go to DC and submit all our hard work and paperwork to the SA Embassy. Pray for favor.
• Wednesday we head to the shore with my entire family for a 4 day thanksgiving vacation in a holiday house that sleeps all 18 of us! We will need tranquilizers and have a BLAST!

Remembering when we left...looking ahead...

On the evening of January 11, 2011 I uploaded the video below. The next morning our family set out for Africa. 22 months later, we are heading back to visit family, with our season of living overseas far from over. These last two years have rocked our worlds and changed our lives forever. We are so excited for what is yet before us in spreading the glory of Jesus to the nations!

Video: Kaye Family in Africa

Here is a general overview from Tricia and I about our work in Africa. Thank you for your partnership!!

Guilt ≠ Change

Confession: After almost 10 years of marriage, I still fail at it plenty! 

Now that this is out of the way, let me share openly (with Tricia's blessing) something I've learned from the Lord through our marriage witin the last few months.

Guilt does not bring change! Condemnation will not breed transformation. Beating yourself up will not lift you out. Guilt may help you make a change for a day or a week, but it will be a cover up, not a real repair. Feelings of condemnation and failure can be inspiring-- for all the worng reasons-- and none of the changes you make will really last-- not if guilt was their motivation. 

Let me prove my point with some transparency about my own life. I cannot count how many times Tricia (my wife) has let me know that I was not making her feel like my priority. She has found many ways to say it through the years, but it always comes back to the same things-- I want to feel like the most important relationship in your life, Noah! I want you to SHOW me that what you SAY about me is true." If I have heard it once, I have heard it 300 times. 

My reaction almost every time: I feel like a loser and a terrible husband. I feel guilty...becuase I am.  She is right. And out of my feelings of regret and sorrow, I launch a campaign to DO better. 

It never lasted. Becuase guilt ≠ change. 

A few months ago, while laying in bed it was : "Noah, I want to feel like number one to you after Jesus AND I really want you to lead me more spiritualy. You seem to be able to lead everyone else spiritually.  What about me?"  Now, stop here!  This was the exact place where, for the last 10 years, guilt would enter the scene.  Not this time. There was some pain.  It would be hard for anyone to hear this from their spouse. But something wild happened....

I felt LOVE! I felt Jesus loving on me. I felt him accepting me.  I sensed him hugging me. I heard him speaking to my heart and saying..."I love you, Noah, and the best motivation for change is love for me. When you love your wife, you love me." It was a powerful moment!  And it was one my first real tastes of love-motivated change. 

Since that night, things are different.  God's love for me is inspiring me to love Tricia more. The love and acceptance of Jesus is the engine that is propelling me ahead these days.  Not guilt! And it has felt WAY different and WAY more lasting than anytime before.

Guilt ≠ Change! 

Our Cheesy House Church

Thruthfully, even though we moved across the world in part to explore simple/organic/house church stuff, I always had a bit of a skeptics eye. I mean, I spent 30 years in real church.  Ya know, the legitimate kind with all the bells a whistles a church should have. So, the idea of 5 or 10 people sitting in a living room being a church was a tad awkward to me.  A tad weird.  A little cheesy.

Well, off we went and here we are.  We are starting Discovery Bible Studies, planting simple churches and our family is a part of a house church with other staff and families at All Nations. 

Let me tell you a little about our cheesy house church:

• There are about 7 adults, 7 kids. 
• We meet weekly.
• We change the time and location just about every week.  It is mobile and flexible. 
• We talk and text almost daily.
• We swim, play, eat, travel, shop and hike together.
• We are in intentional discipling relationships with each other. 
• We give each other rides and share our cars.
• We confess and cry together. 
• We wacth each other's kids. 
• We pray for each other.
• We are talking about doing a vacation together. 
• We prohecy over each other.
• We speak God's heart for each other over one another. 
• We will spend two hours loving on one person if that is the Lord's agenda for the night.
• No one is in charge.  No one is the leader.
• But somehow every time, Jesus uses someone different to lead us.
• Our kids are incolved in some special way every time we meet. 2 weeks back we acted out a story in the Bible. Last week we made prayer houses over each kid one by one and prayed and prophecied over them. They only last about 15 minutes. Then we release them to go "fellowship" kids style.
• We talk, dream and live mission.
• We warn and caution each other.
• We worship together. 
• We share the Lord's supper.  The kids too.
• We anoint each other with oil.  The kids too. 
• It is different every week.
• Jesus is clearly and boldly the head.
• We eat.
• We eat.
• And we eat. 

So, that is some of what our cheesy house church is all about. Our cheesy house church is one of the most meaninful community experiences I have ever had in my life. I am officially a fan of cheesy house churches. 

Coming to America!

Last week we sent this news to our partners and supporters. I thought we would go ahead and tell the rest of the world too. Exciting things! Here are some excerpts of the letter we sent out:

After hearing from the Lord on it as a family, seeking counsel from our leaders and our Missionary Support Team, we have decided that Noah and Davis will make a trip to America together in May!

Purpose of the trip: FUNDRAISING, meeting with Pastors and churches, speaking and sharing what we are learning, and strengthening the realtionship with our partners in ministry. And of course, it will be precious to see family and friends. Oh, and did I mention Fundraising (priority time and energy will go to current and potential donors)?

Dates of Trip: May 15 through June 4.

Why Davis? 1) Daddy does not prefer to travel alone, 2) Mommy does not prefer to keep two kids by herself when one of them is an infant, 3) There are a few people in America that would like some quality time with a certain 5 year old, and 4) after much prayer and waiting, Jesus paid for Davis's plane ticket through some special gifts!

Already looking forward to being with our home congregation, Capital Christian Fellowsip on Sunday, May 20th! It will be neat to be back home after 17 months on the feild!

While Tricia and Lily would love to come, we believe that it is right that they do not. Lord willing, we will be in the USA as a family in November and December as was originally planned.

With anticipation, 

Noah, Tricia, Davis and Lily

Our Week...Filming

This is a pretty cool week.  We have guests visiting us from America.  Their names are Nathaniel and Aletheia Elliott. The crazy thing is that we actually never met this couple until they landed here Friday night. We have skyped and emailed in preparation for this trip, but never me tin person. Aletheia has a heart for justice, Nathaniel has major gifts and a degree in film making and they are both in love with Jesus and Africa. The Lord put a desire in their hearts to come here to South Africa to film our story and the stoires of others here in Masi. This is such a special gift to us. This morning we filmed five hours of footage in Masi. Soon, we will be releasing some videos and photos (pic above is from today). We are thanking God for this chance to share what the Lord is up to.

(Video below was their promo video for this trip.)

Discipled by a 4 year old?

Last night I had a meaningful moment with a man I have been disciping.  He is an African Brother who has spent quality time in our home. He said this:

I love your son, David (cannot seem to get that it is DAVIS). He has taught me a lot. There are several times that I have watched him tell you the truth about something naughty that he did even though he was afraid you might be mad. When I watched him do this, it really taught me that I need to stop lying and being so afraid of protecting myself. I must have the integrity he has to admit that I was wrong. I have also seen him at bedtime, and he is so commited to prayer.  He cannot go to bed without prayer time.  That also helped me see the importance of prayer in my life. He was only 4 years old when I saw these things, but he taught me a lot. I have never learned from a kid before.

Am I proud of my son? Yes! Am I bragging on him? Yes. But, I am not doing so to make Tricia and I look good, but to prove a few points:

1. The young can disciple and impact the old
2. People are always watching when you model integrity and commitment to Jesus
3. 4 year old kids can make a difference
4. We should train our kids in the way of the Lord as young as they can hear and obey

I encouraged Davis with this story this morning so that he knew his life was making a difference. That led us into an awesome talk about sin nature, so this afternoon we studied Genesis 3 together and saw that when people do wrong, they:

1. Hide
2. Lie
3. Blame

Davis shared how he feels tempted to do that sometimes too and then ratted on a friend at school who lied to the teacher today to protect himself.

I am learning a LOT about discipleship in my relationship with my son.

Are you discipling your kids?  It is YOUR job, not the the job of their Sunday School teacher. 

Kids Prayer Strategy

I stumbled upon something too cool not to share.

We pray with Davis every night when we put him to bed. It is a great thing to do and I am thankful for it.  However, lately I have been kinda unimpressed with the routine...same thing every night. Same basic words, same basic prayer, same basic mechanics. Might be ok for some, but not for me.  I want Davis to learn to express his heart to Jesus out of sincerity, not habit. I want to teach him early to pray with passion and intentionality. 

So, about a week ago I old him that we were going to take turns praying, alternating back and forth, kind of like popcorn popping back and forth...and that we would pray for whatever Jesus brought to our hearts.  

We did! And it was super special.  Now, every night, we employ our new popcorn prayer strategy.

• I prayed for Mom.
• He prayed for sister.
• I prayed for Family.
• He prayed for Masi.
• I prayed thanks for the day.
• He prayed safety for tomorrow. 
• On
• And on
• And on

It is totally rad to hear my son pray like this and it has significantly increased the value of our prayer times together.  I feel like we have stumbled upon a fairly good prayer strategy. I encourage you to try it a few times with your kids (or adults) and see what happens.

The Miracle of the Shoes

My Mom and Sister are here with us in South Africa now...and how thrilled we are!  Let me tell you a quick story.

As they prepared to come, they felt that the Lord wanted them to gather and bring shoes for the kids in Masiphumelele where we serve. Masi is a very poor community and many of the kids have either very worn shoes or no shoes at all. They asked on Facebook and ended up gathering and bringing 55 pair of sandles, shoes or flip flops. This morning we were discussing the best way to begin distributing them to the kids in Masi...

This evening while we were eating dinner, the doorbell rang. When I went to open the door there were 8 kids standing there.  They had walked to our home...from Masi, which is about a 45 minute walk...6 of the 8 were barefoot...the other two had shoes that were so badly worn, they would have been better off barefoot. 

Immediately we knew what this meant.  These were the first kids that God had prepared to recieve the shoes that Mom and Selah brought. And we did not even make it into them...they came to us!!

Here is the way felt from it all. These shoes were a prophetic sign.  I know, I know, they are shoes.  But before, you think I am cooky spiritual, listen: When God asks you to do sometning, do it!  Obey him. Then, he will acknowledge your obedience thank you for it and give you your next assignment, your next chance to show him you love him with your obedience. 

Today Mom won, Selah won, we won, the kids won and God won, because he gets all the glory. 

I love my wife more than my kids

Lily, our daughter, and second child was born one week ago today. There are a lot of things I am feeling and learning already.  But, allow me to share the one strongest feelings I have had since Lily arrived.

Last Saturday, just after the birth (less than 15 minutes), I told Tricia and her Doctor that this experience has only increased my love for my wife. Listen, I LOVE my kids...with a type of love I have never felt. But, when you have spent 13 years of love and almost 10 years of marriage with a woman you've been through thick and thin with, and she is now giving you your second child, you REALLY LOVE A WOMAN!  My first response to Lily's birth was a deeper love for Tricia, my wife for life!!

She has been faithful.  She has been honoring. She is full of inegrity and honesty. She has followed Jesus radically. She is a woman of noble character.  She believes in me more than anyone on the planet. She serves our home. She sacrifices for all 3 of us. After Jesus, she is my everything.

Growing up, when my Mom would upset one of us kids, we would go to Dad, who, though he administered most of the spankings, was typically softer than Mom. While trying to get Dad to side with us, he would ALWAYS say "your Mother was here long before you and she will be here long after you"! That stuck with me and it formed me.  

Look, I love these kids with crazy love.  But not like I love their Mother.  She is top, my gem, my angel. Has been since 1999 and will be until y'all attend my funeral or we attend hers. 

While you will not find a Bible verse to say this is how it must be, you will find many that suggest that this is how it should be. God never asked you to love your kids like Christ loves the church or to become one flesh with them, did he? (Genesis 2:24 & Ephesian 5:31-33)

PS- I know this easier for Dads to say than Moms. I will leave you to  think through that.  

Davis Introduces Lily

Welcome Lily Raelynn!

This blog post is dedicated to the most beautiful, little, sweet, precious, white African-Ameican baby in the entire Republic of South Africa!

Tricia, Davis and I are thrilled to anounce the arrival of our sweet daughter, Lily Raelynn Kaye.  

Date: Saturday, January 7th, 2012 (EXACTLY 5 years after Davis- get ready for some MAJOR birthday partying January 7th, 2013)

Location: Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa

Time: 2:14pm

Weight: 6lb, 7oz

Length: 18.5in

Lily's name is spiritually significant...it means beauty and purity-- indicative of her future.  We belive that the Lord has great plans for Lily.  She will be a radical, Holy Spirit led, Jesus lover.

Lily's name is also practically significant in that she is our "Lily of the Valley"-- we live in the Fish Hoek Valley of Cape Town.

She is a miracle and an answer to prayer and prophetic words over our family. Read about it HERE when we announced our pregnancy.

Join us in praying for Lily's life-- that it would shine for Jesus.

Reasons to Rejoice

Merry Christmas!

You know, I guess there would be lots of things to complain about today-- about how we feel being 8,000 miles away from our family on Christmas day.  About how so many of our traditions just cannot happen this year.  Or about how I am sweating when I wish it was snowing.

But, instead, I want to tell you some reasons I am rejoicing today.

1. Five Christmases ago, Trica and I sat and wept in our living room because we felt so ready for kids and a family. Today, we had an exciting and sweet (almost) 5 year old with us and a little baby girl kicking her Mommy's belly excited to come out and join us. We are rejoicing. 
2. For the last 30 Christmases, I am not sure I thought much about the poor and the untouchables.  Today, we are living among and near many poor, sick and less fortunate friends who are a special part of our heart, life and family.  Our lives are less about us this Christmas than they have ever been before.  Davis even chose a few Christmas gifts that he just recieved today--that he wants to give away to some boys in Masi-- and he already knows who they are going to.  We will deliver them later.  We rejoice in this.
3. Last week, we had the privilege of providing leadership for a massive Chritsmas party in Masiphumelele that impacted hundreds of poor children. They received lavish love like they likely have not all year. It was so neat to bless these kids and to see the Lord open the door for a local hotel chain to fund the whole thing. We rejoice about this. (See pic)
4. Last night, I had the honor of providing leadership for a Christmas Eve gathering at the All Nations campus here in Cape Town. We sang. We worshipped. We told Jesus why we are so glad he came. We shared. We listened. We ate. It was sweet.  Sweet to experience Emmanuel, God with us.  And sweet to feel the love in the air. We rejoice that we get to be a part of such a brilliant community of faith. (see pic of candlelighting)
5. Though we are far from family, Jesus has done what he promised us.  Not only do we have the technology to make things way easier (see pic of us skyping the family yesterday), but he has blessed us ten times, even a hundred times for our faithfulness. We were with many friends yesterday.  Many more today. I promise you, we have no shortage of loving relationships in our lives. In addition, Tricia and I just agreed that we have both seen more growth in our lives this year than ever before! God is moving and we are rejoicing. 

We hope that you take a moment and name some of the many reasons you have to rejoice- regardless of your situation. 

Merry Christmas from our hearts to yours.  We love you.

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