Back in the blogosphere

It has been a significant time since I did an update. Apologies for the die-hard blog readers who have been waiting for the next entry!

Over the past couple of months, we have journeyed a long way, yet at the same time we haven't left Cape Town (except for one weekend away). It might seem cliché for us to think about our life being made up of seasons; but recently it's been so clearly defined as a time to press in and serve locally. We knew 2011 would be a tough year, and it has proven itself to be. Taking over running the communications team for YWAM in Africa for me and major changes in the team for Becky has meant that, for stability purposes we needed to stay here. For me (Pete) that has been essential. I took over a team which was, to say the least, shaky on each individual's commitment to the vision. Buy-in for vision is so important, especially when 100 per cent of your staff are volunteers. YWAM is known for its transient nature and I knew to be able to be effective I needed to ensure that I was there and committed to serving the team on the ground.

After four months of heads-down, desk-based work, establishing funds for the ongoing work, meetings and team building, we were ready to start planning. It was such a clear mark of the 'change in season' this week when we met in one of the staff houses to put together a strategy for the next twelve months. Having gone through a really tough few months - at times without enough to pay the electricity bill, let alone the rent - it was so refreshing to start thinking about where we were going and how we could 'get out there' and start building on what the team has done over the past 9 years, since it was established.

At the moment, though dealing with a couple of issues regarding fundraising and finances, we are excited about the possibility of two Africa trips before we visit the UK for Christmas. Becky is planning to go to Nigeria to attend an anti-trafficking conference; I am planning to go overland to Harare, Zimbabwe (2-3 day drive) for a meeting of all the YWAM leaders and staff across the South Central Africa region (incl. Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania). We'll keep you updated and informed.