Cape Town Newsletter

Dear Partners of the Gospel;
King David penned these wonderful words for us in Psalm 37:1-3). "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass". As Christians, brethren we have nothing to fear, nothing to be envious about. As long as we continue to trust in the Lord, and live out that trust through obedience, all will be well with and for us. Marvellous words of encouragement as we face the struggles and hardships of life. Remember that Jesus said; "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28).
Conversion:
April 11th. was a day of joy and celebration as Junaid Louw chose that day on which to obey the gospel of Christ and become a child of God. Junaid is a very bright and friendly young man. We are so pleased that he is now a member of the Atlantis Church of Christ. [see pictures below]
On Thursday evening May 6th. Kelsi Wagner made her decision to become a child of God. Kelsi’s aunt Emily and cousin Nicole are Christians and faithful members of the Atlantis congregation. [see pictures below]
New Crime Statistics:
These are the last crime statistics for South Africa. Since April 27, 1994; the day freedom came to South Africa there have been well over 300,000 murders. That averages out to 60 murders a day for 16 years. The rest of the world has 5 murders for every 100,000 in population. South Africa has 38 murders for every 100,000 in population. This news was released on Freedom Day Tuesday April 27th., 2010. On May 4th. the National police commissioner General Bheki Cele made the statement that there are well over 10,000 police officers in jail here in South Africa. I am not sure how that would compare with other countries of comparable size, but it seems very high to me.
Amazing History:
April 25th. was an historical date of sorts for that was the first Sunday that I was unable to preach in Atlantis due to illness in Thirty-two years. I missed one other time in 1992 due to being in the hospital with kidney stones. These are feats that I will undoubtedly be unable to repeat. God has blessed me with good health all these years on the mission field and I am so terribly thankful for that.
Our Youth:
Under Ricardo & Jessica’s guidance and leadership, our youth held a Camp Out at our building on April 26th. & 27th. This was held during our recent Freedom Day holiday. From the reports that I have received from the youth, as well as from Ricardo & Jessica, the event was a success. Our youth are benefiting greatly from Ricardo and Jessica working with them.
Wedding:
April 3rd. it was my privilege to perform the marriage ceremony of Arthur Isaacs and Esme Adams. We have known Arthur and his family since he was a youngster. [see pictures below]
Blessings:
Sally and I were blessed to have one of our nieces from California come over for a visit. It was nice spending some time with her now that she is an adult. It was a pleasure taking her places and sharing the sights and sounds of Cape Town and the surrounding area with her. Jamie even had the opportunity to spend a few days in the hospital while here: kidney stones. Jamie enjoyed herself and took over one thousand digital pictures. Lots of memories and scrape booking. [see picture above]
Loving Life:
It was confirmed last week that Sally has Celebella Ataxia, a genetic disease that runs in her family. This disease effects her speech, walk, and stability on her feet. Sally is experiencing the effects of this disease, but not in a manner that hinders her in any way. One never knows what obstacles or opportunities will come our way, so we simply love life and continue to live in a God pleasing way doing the good works that God has ordained that we should be doing. Perfection await us in heaven, for now we just press on to the goal.
Words of Thanks:
Although we probably do not express it enough, Sally and I do greatly appreciate your love , friendship, and support. We are also thankful for your prayers and E-mails. We appreciate your concern for lost souls, and your love for the Lord.

Your Missionaries in Cape Town;
Raymond & Sally Leonard