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 THE FOLLOWING IS THE MOST RECENT UPDATE

EINFELDTS in South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

PO Box 1522, Kimberley 8300 ** www.einfeldtfamily.org ** 2 December 2007

To protect our ministry and those we work with, we ask that you do not post any of this information on the Internet or redistribute it without first getting written permission from us. Thank you.
 

Dear friends – prayer partners,

 TEEN TALK

We’ll probably decorate for Jesus’ birthday this week.  None of our family members will be here this year, but it looks like we may have some teens from the children’s homes spend part of the day with us – for dinner, perhaps carols and games.  School has ended for this school year, and some young people with whom we work (Lesedi, Anneline, Joyce, and George (a blind boy who was baptised) are all at summer camp this week.  It’s a Baptist camp that is organised the beginning of every December; two sessions with about 1,000 campers each.  Many of you will remember Joyce, of whom we spoke when we were in the US.  Joyce has continued to grow in the Lord, and God gave her the privilege of finding her brother, Sandile.  Sandile was planning to come to camp with her, but at the last minute their auntie said that he had other responsibilities.  Joyce was so disappointed, having hoped that Sandile would trust Christ during the camp.  We prayed together this week, and reminded her that God is still in control, that God can still find Sandile in Northwest Province and bring believers and the Gospel into his life, whether he goes to the camp or not.  PRAY for Sandile’s salvation. 

We’ve been asked by the youth leader of Kimberley Baptist if we would consider coming alongside the youth group as an older couple, not to be the youth leaders, but to help mentor or counsel the young people.  We have already formed a good relationship with several of the teens who attend from the children’s homes, and, at his request, we’ve started attending the youth Bible studies to get to know the others.  God is “growing up” some of the “babes in Christ”.  Recently, shy Lesedi told us he believes God wants him to be an evangelist.  No one would ever pick Lesedi out of a crowd.  He’s not a flashy individual.  God delights to use the ones the world sees as weak.  Lesedi, who wouldn’t even pray out loud during our Bible studies, a week ago gathered the other children of Thusong Children’s Centre, and preached to them.  We are told that it was a good and powerful message.  Anneline, who was baptised the same day as Lesedi, had been asked to give a testimony at the service when Lesedi preached.  She had said, “No way.  I am made fun of and persecuted enough for becoming a believer.  It will only be worse if I testify.”  But during the service, God worked in her heart and she stood of her own accord and told her friends that she knows that she will be laughed at and will be shunned by some for her faith, but she had read that Jesus had suffered, and if He was willing to do that for her, she was ready to do it for Him. 

Please keep praying for Monalisa.  She is in Eastern Cape visiting her family.  The other night she called us, in tears.  She has found that it’s not easy to try to reach out and love people [like her parents] who seem so stingy with love in return.  Her mother has told her she didn’t ever want her.  Her parents are upset with her for breaking up with her boyfriend, even though they’ve been told he was abusive to her.  They told her she should have kept using this boy to get the money she needed, no matter what she had to endure.  They’re not willing to part with money to help pay for any higher education.  Monalisa needed assurance that if it got too bad with her parents, she could always come home to Kimberley and be welcomed by us. 

 May each of you know Christ’s love and peace this Christmas time. 

 Because of HIS gift – Jesus,

 René and Sonia

mission:  Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc., PO Box 627, Longmont, CO 80502

sending church:  First Baptist Church, 39 E. Main Street, Randolph, NY 14772

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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EINFELDTS in South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

PO Box 1522, Kimberley 8300 ** www.einfeldtfamily.org ** 17 November 2007

 Newness

            Springtime brings about newness of life, and returning to Kimberley in the spring of the year gives us new opportunities along with news of those we’ve worked with in the past.  Even though our last letter had an “old and new” theme, we now have MORE new news.

 Newness of Life – Spiritually:

            Before we left for the US, we had been working with a number of young people from Thusong Children’s Centre.  Anneline and Lesedi were two that attended the Bible studies quite regularly.  Anneline was one of the “hardest” girls we had ever met, always coming up with new, off-the-wall questions just for the shock value they might bring, or disruption to the Bible study.  We began to see some change when she was attending our Life Skills classes on Monday afternoons.  A few cracks in the tough exterior began to appear.  She made an effort to begin anew by stopping her smoking habit; but without the Lord, she found it very difficult.  Lesedi faithfully attended not only the Bible studies at Thusong but also youth group and church services at Kimberley Baptist.  However, each time we or others would ask him about his relationship with the Lord, he would frankly say that he was not a believer and was not ready.  Our colleague Libbey continued to work with him while we were in the US.  Upon our return, we learnt that Lesedi had found new life in Christ, and was a candidate for baptism.  We also learnt that Anneline was a fairly new attendee at the Kimberley Baptist youth group, and was quite faithful.  Shortly after our return, she trusted Christ as Saviour with one of the leaders at the youth group.  The baptism for BOTH of them was held on November 4, and we rejoiced with tears to watch them and 3 other young people enter the waters of baptism, symbolising their new life in Christ.  [See photo of baptism below]

                        Another note about Lesedi: when he attended the Bible studies before, he would have to be asked a direct question to participate in discussion and he would never ask questions except perhaps privately after class.  He certainly would not attempt to pray at the studies.  On a recent Friday night we were going to pick up one teen from the youth group for counselling and help, and after speaking with the youth leaders, we went into the foyer to find this troubled teen with Lesedi.  Lesedi had initiated praying with her, asking God to show Himself strong in the troubles she was experiencing.  Now that’s a NEW Lesedi!  It’s so exciting to watch. 

 Old and new Life Skills opportunities:

            We have just finished up the Life Skills classes for this school year.  The students are writing exams this week and hope to pass to their new grades next year!  In the new year we will again be in one or two schools where we have been previously, but we have opportunities to be in at least two new schools.  One is a school where Libbey taught last year.  The other is an exciting opportunity to be in a new (to us) boarding school about 55 kilometres from Kimberley, where the Christian students themselves lead a Sunday worship service for their fellow students.  They also want to start a new Life Skills class amongst the younger Grade 7 or 8 students in the new school year.  Neo (her name means new) is the main student leader and is excited about our coming and teaching them to be teachers when the new year starts. 

                        We recently had the opportunity of teaching some new students in Grade 9 at one school we are not normally in, Emmanuel Upper Primary School.  Our three days there were hectic with 18 classes taught in three days, but it was made much smoother by the organisation and help of the school’s Grade 9 Life Skills coordinator, who is a believer.  We are so thankful for God putting His own children in some of these strategic places in some schools.  [See photo of Sonia with some of our students below]

                        When the new year arrives, we are going to need new small group leaders in at least two of the schools.  It seems to be getting harder to find believers who are available during school hours and willing to devote an hour of their time each week to help in the Life Skills classes.  PRAY with us for new ones to join us.  By the end of this year, one school was VERY short-staffed, with only one man hanging on, doing his best to keep the Life Skills programme going.  He was SOOOO happy to see us come back!

 A new life – and new difficulties:

            We told you in April before we left for the US about the new life that “Via” (not her real name) had found in Christ as she asked forgiveness for her sins.  Sadly, the effects of the old life still linger on.  BEFORE she received that new life, she had already become pregnant with her third child out of wedlock, and had already contracted HIV.  She is almost ready to deliver, and got a new shock this week: she has TB on top of the HIV.  Pray for the new life in her to be protected from the effects of the diseases.  Unfortunately, the pregnancy puts her at greater risk and makes her more susceptible to the effects of the other illnesses.  Pray not only for the safe physical growth of her baby, but for “Via’s” spiritual growth as well.  We’ve had several opportunities lately to help and counsel her.  She is responsive and desirous of growing spiritually. (It appears that one thing we may be doing more of in this new term is counselling and working with those infected or at least affected by HIV.  We recently took a few days’ training in HIV counselling and, in the new year we hope to take another new course that builds on the teaching of the first course.)

 New home:

            We are slowly getting settled into our new (to us) home here in Kimberley.  The house itself is NOT new, and does need some TLC.  We are still negotiating with the estate agent (realtor handling the rental contract) to make good their promise that we would have new carpet in one bedroom.  The owner already paid for carpet in our bedroom and it has a totally new look with a new paint job and the new carpet.  However, the former tenants were supposed to pay for the other bedroom carpet but instead the estate agent let them get away with just cleaning it and sprinkling some powder on it to mask the smell. (It didn’t work!)  Pray that we can get this solved soon so we can set up our guest room, thus moving the guest beds out of what is to be the new lending library/study room for young people.  We DO love having fruit trees in our yard: guava, lemon, orange, peach, and walnut along with seeing some unique and new to us exotic flowers. (For you flower buffs we have White Epiphyllum and Brugmansia Candida Double White or Angel’s Trumpet.)  Beautiful!  God is SO creative!  We MAY have a new “tenant” next school year, as there is one teen with whom we’ve been working that needs a place to stay but has very limited options.  We’ve worked out a plan for her to be able to stay in an extra room on this property on her way to transitioning from a high school girl to a newly emerging young adult.  PRAY that this will be a blessing to her, and that she will continue to grow in the Lord.  (She started her new life in Christ about a year and a half ago.)

 New friends and old:

            For our own spiritual enrichment and fellowship we have joined a Bible study group on Wednesday nights and are making new friends from the church we’ve been attending.  Next week, since René will be adding another new year to his life, we’ll take cake to share at the Bible study.  While we are very much enjoying these new friends, we have been making occasions to visit our old friends from the Florianville church.  The church still needs much prayer.  One, whom we’ve been several times to visit in hospital, is in particular need of prayer as it appears he is in renal failure.  “Uncle Colin” is ready to go to his new home in heaven whenever the Lord is ready to take him there, but it is difficult on the family (and his friends) to see him suffering with horrible shortness of breath, tubes going in and out, and general discomfort.  He does like it when we go and read Scripture to him, pray with him, or sing to him. 

 NEWs from The Pines

            Our colleagues, the Niehoffs, report that the new baby in Lois has not been adversely affected by the accident that required leg surgery and left her on crutches– praise the Lord that he/she continues to grow normally.  Also, pray about the hiring of a new house mother as one of the old ones, sadly, left for another job.  The children miss her greatly and don’t understand why that “mama” is no longer there.  Pray that whoever is found to be the new mama will see this as a long-term ministry and not just a job till something new comes along.  The children have already had enough disruption in their young lives. 

New contact details: For those of you who may wish to have them, our new contact details are: Postal address: PO Box 1522, Kimberley 8300, South Africa.  Home address: 2 Cawood Crescent, Verwoerd Park, Kimberley 8301.  (When our new guest room is finally set up, we’d LOVE to have you visit us!)  Since last term we have all new phone numbers: Home: 053.861.4900, René cell 072.812.2390.  Sonia cell: 078.846.0020.  (From the US you will have to drop the initial “0” and add 011.27 in order to get an international line and use South Africa’s country code.)

 We always love news from you, our friends, as well!  Please DO write.  But when you reply to this e-mail, PLEASE begin a new e-mail rather than just hitting the “Reply” button.  If you DO hit “Reply”, please take the time to REMOVE our letter from the bottom of yours.  All our news sent back to us again is not new to us.  We don’t need it all back again.  Thanks! 

 Enjoying the new challenges God has for us,

 René and Sonia Einfeldt

- - - - -

mission:  Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc., PO Box 627, Longmont, CO 80502
sending church:  First Baptist Church, 39 E. Main Street, Randolph, NY 14772

George, Lesedi, Anneline, Mohau, & Hester after baptism

Sonia with a few Grade 9 learners from Emmanuel UP School

Brugmansia candida Double White, or Angel’s Trumpet, found in our yard

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EINFELDTS in South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

**www.einfeldtfamily.org **  PO Box 1522, Kimberley 8300, South Africa** 17 October 2007 **

NEWS FLASH!  NEWS FLASH!  NEWS FLASH!

Dear friends and prayer partners,

We want you to know about some news we received yesterday so that you can PRAY for all concerned.  The news came by way of an e-mail from the parents of Brian and Lois Niehoff, our colleagues in Welkom.  Brian’s parents, Bob and Sue Niehoff, are representatives for Ambassadors in the Midwest.  Bob and Sue wrote:

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Dear Friends,
Lois Niehoff was in a serious accident on Saturday.  One of the children at The Pines got a hold of the twins’ [colleagues Kara and Katherine Bailey] car keys and turned the key on.  Cars in South Africa do not have safety features like US cars do and they are almost all manual transmissions.  When this boy turned the key on, the car started and took off, pinning Lois between the car and the building.  Fortunately, she only suffered a broken leg, just above the ankle and much bruising on her legs and back.  She had surgery on Saturday and is resting in a very good hospital in Welkom and receiving good care. 
Fortunately, there was a team from Saylorville Baptist Church in Iowa at The Pines and two of the team members are nurses and another member was trained in emergency response.  God had the right people there to help.
The team was preparing to attend a VBS type Bible club at Reholah (a housing "project") when the accident happened.  They were two hours late and the children were still waiting when they got there!  Praise the Lord, two of the children were saved that day and three more accepted Christ yesterday!  There were about 150 children in attendance.
Along with this accident they announced that Lois was 8 weeks pregnant.  The baby's health is a concern, but as of today the baby appears to be OK.  [Keep praying about this!]
Wow, what an emotional drama for the helpless parents here in the US!  We know that God will be honored and praised as a result of this incident.
 We ask for your prayers for Lois and the entire situation at The Pines.  Satan would love to discourage people as a result of this accident.  The staff and missionaries need our prayer and support during this time.  The team will be at The Pines for another week.
 Thanks for your prayers!

Robert & Susan Niehoff, Heartland Representatives
Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

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When we called Brian and Lois last evening, she had just returned from the hospital yesterday afternoon.  Apparently she is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.  She’ll be on crutches for 6 to 8 weeks.  Due to the pregnancy, she has not been able to take all the pain medication that she normally would have.  Pray for her healing, and continue to pray for the baby, that there will be no lasting trauma. 

 We praise God because it could have been SOOO much worse.  Brian told us that the steel security door that Lois had just come out of was completely torn off and twisted, and that the inner wooden door was knocked off of its hinges.  The building itself is SOLIDLY built and sustained no damage.  The same can NOT be said of Kara and Katherine’s car!!  The insurance company said they will not pay unless the girls press charges against the boy, but the police said they can’t press charges because he is underage. L  Your prayers are much appreciated.

 Another NEWS FLASH!!  Some of you asked about Anneline, a teen girl we had worked with last term.  We found out when we came back that Anneline has been attending regularly an excellent youth group at Kimberley Baptist Church and attends a youth Bible study at midweek.  Sonia found out while chatting with one of the youth workers that last Friday night as she and Anneline were talking, Anneline began to sob, and she ended up praying to receive Christ into her life!!  It has been exciting to see God gently bringing Anneline toward Himself -- from the tough girl with the rough exterior and questions at Bible study designed just to shock people, to more thoughtful questions, a crumbling of her "wall" of defense, and now opening her life to Christ.  PRAY for her spiritual growth.  Pressure from wrong friends is strong, and she is afraid of being very lonely. (She had seen how lonely Joyce was when she stood by herself against the wrong behaviour in that same children’s home.)  The situation in that children’s centre has quite deteriorated to the point that the management committee resigned, and the young people that come to the youth group are telling their youth leaders that there is NO discipline, that boys and girls get together in the bedrooms, that alcohol and drugs are openly on that campus now.  So Anneline NEEDS your prayers that she will be able to stand! 

 THANK YOU for your prayers! 

 Because of Christ’s love,

 Rene and Sonia

 PS -- Any of you who may have our work.co.za address, please DELETE it and use the einfeldtfamily address now, as we will not be using work.co.za after the 25th of this month.  Thank you!

Postal address: P.O. Box 1522, Kimberley 8300, South Africa
Home address: 2 Cawood Crescent, Verwoerd Park, Kimberley
Home phone (from US) 011.27.53.861.4900
Rene's mobile (from US) 011.27.72.81.22.390
Sonia's mobile (from US) 011.27.788.48.0020

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mission:  Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc., PO Box 627, Longmont, CO 80502

sending church:  First Baptist Church, 39 E. Main Street, Randolph, NY 14772

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 THE FOLLOWING IS A RECENT UPDATE - THE ONES ABOVE ARE MORE RECENT

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EINFELDTS in South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

PO Box 1522, Kimberley 8300 ** www.einfeldtfamily.org ** 14 October 2007

Dear praying friends (both OLD and NEW),

NEW SCHEDULE OF CLASSES!

We did indeed start teaching on 2 October, and have followed that with a few classes since then.  One school we are teaching some materials we’ve already taught, and another class we are teaching a brand new programme, so that takes a LOT of preparation.  We were warmly welcomed back by the students – but even more by the exhausted faithful ones who had taken our place and were VERY glad to see us come back!  We purposely set our schedule a little lighter this quarter, because a) most schools don’t want extra classes added 4^th term anyway, with exams starting earlier and earlier in the 4^th term, and b) to give ourselves time to settle in to a new house and get acquainted with neighbours, catch up with OLD FRIENDS (both adults and teens we had worked with) and accomplish projects that have had to be left “on the back burner” for several months.

NEW HOME!

We are happy to be back here in Kimberley – but THOUGHT we were coming back to springtime!  It is spring, but it’s been a COLD spring.  One lady we talked with last week said that she had not been as cold all winter as she was that day!  We HAVE had some warm days, and we look forward to more.  The lovely jacaranda trees are just starting to bloom in Kimberley! 

            Just as we told you the story of our car at the beginning of our time in the US, how God directed us to just the right one, the first and only one we looked at, we have a similar story to tell of our house!  We asked many to pray about the right house for us to rent once we got back.  The FIRST one we looked at, just from the outside, we both felt a lot of peace about, but when we got back to the estate agent (realtor handling the rental) she told us it was a mistake that it was listed as available from 1 October; it would not be ready till 1 November!  We were disappointed and began to look at other rentals – there just isn’t a lot available to rent here in Kimberley and what is here is rather expensive.  We kept coming back to think about this first home.  We thank God for OLD FRIENDS!  Aunty Grace Campher, a dear widow from the church we attended last term, had agreed to put us up in her home for a few days while we were house hunting.  When she heard about the house not being available till 1 November she insisted that we NOT be in a hurry to move out, since her home was ours as long as we needed.  So, we looked more seriously at the first house we had seen from the outside, while still looking at other homes for rent.  Then we learnt that the current tenants would be glad to move to their new house if someone would share this month’s rent.  This house was by far the LARGEST one with the most user-friendly space for our needs, but incredibly, had the LOWEST rent of any of the houses we looked at.  The estate agent, as well as the older man who lives in the flat on the same property and kind of “comes with the place”, told the owner that they were sure we were the RIGHT renters for this place.  But we were told that, as is normal in South Africa, the owner WOULD require the 10% escalation in rent clause after one year.  (What a system!  People’s salaries don’t go up by 10% each year, but rents usually do; thus by the end of the eighth year in a rental home, you would be paying over twice the rent you were at the beginning!)  However, we prayed about it, worked out a deal with the owner so he would keep the rent at the starting price, and signed a two-year contract.  Other OLD FRIENDS (well, not OLD, old, but we’ve known them for several years, and they are good friends!) were here in South Africa from the US, and agreed to come to Kimberley to help us move.  We could not have done it without them!  Thanks, Wes and Sharon, for all your sacrifice for us!  Thanks, Aunty Grace, for allowing all FOUR of us stay in your home!  We officially moved into 2 Cawood Crescent, Verwoerd Park, Kimberley on 10 October, our 375th “month-a-versary”.  Our co-ordinates on Google Earth are 28°44'30.49"S / 24°44'0.42"E.  We have a guest room so you can come visit us!!  We will continue picking up our mail at the post office, so “snail mail” can still be posted to PO Box 1522, Kimberley 8300. 

NEW CARPET!

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it is to us!  Even though we liked the NEW HOUSE which is really rather an OLD HOUSE, we had tried everything we knew to get the odours (smoke and animal urine) out of the carpet in the two back bedrooms.  To our surprise, after the inspector for the estate agent came to check the house again, she sent someone to measure for NEW CARPET for both back bedrooms!  Hooray!  We pray the carpet will be approved which will be an added, unexpected blessing.

NEW CHALLENGES!

We found out the first week we were back teaching at the Life Skills class for the children’s homes, that one of the guys who attends regularly, who had had quite a cynical attitude when we left, had recently come to saving faith in Christ!!  Eddie is obviously a changed young man.  However, after our first lesson taught, he apparently was very struck by some of the things we said in the lesson, and God used that to convict him, because he is still smoking dagga (marijuana) and on the way out he stopped our friend Brigitte (who has kept these classes going in our absence), and asked for prayer that he would be able to quit.  Please PRAY for Eddie! 

            Another young man in that class, Rodney, was clowning around and being rather disruptive, but you could tell he was listening, too.  We found out afterward that his family is in the midst of a crisis.  (It has apparently not been the best of homes for Rodney for awhile, which may explain why he is in a children’s home, but now seems worse as it looks like his parents are breaking up, and Rodney is taking it hard.)  Pray for Rodney, that he will turn to the Lord for comfort and security, no matter what happens in his family. 

            Also attending that Life Skills this week was Mona Lisa, whom we’ve introduced in our letters to you before.  We have some NEW INFORMATION about her.  We were VERY concerned to find out that she had had to move for yet a third time during this, her important matric (senior) year of high school.  She is living with her twin sister on their own.  It's a very unstable situation.  She was very “down” that day.  She gave us her cell phone number and address where she was living and when Sonia went to arrange to meet her, she found that Mona Lisa’s living situation really is quite deplorable, and that the owner said all her tenants must move by the end of this month, so she will need a fourth NEW PLACE to live to finish out the school year.  It’s been very difficult for Mona Lisa to keep up studies while trying to keep herself fed and clothes clean, and trying to encourage her sister to not go out drinking and clubbing.  Their own parents are definitely “absentee parents” and have not been concerned with the girls for years.  Sonia had a good opportunity to talk with Mona Lisa on Friday.  She is still following after the Lord, has not compromised, and apparently has a boyfriend who has been encouraging her when she gets discouraged and wants to quit praying or going to church.  We found out that HE has been paying for Mona Lisa’s rent and some food for them. Other friends at school will slip her some money to get something to eat there.  God does provide for His own!  We did question her at length about what the boyfriend has expected out of it, but she insists that he has not demanded anything and knows where she stands on staying pure till marriage.  We were thrilled to see that she is growing in the Lord, in spite of her challenging circumstances.  We are unable to have her come live here as much as we might be tempted, because our rental agreement states that only two people will live fulltime in the house, AND it’s across town from her school.  PRAY as we try to help her locate another place to live for the rest of this school year.  Mona Lisa is a good student and wants to go on for more education next year.  She has no idea how she will pay for it, though.  She’s thought about a computer course and trying to get a job to support herself.  We asked her what she thought about getting one year of Bible college, and her eyes lit up at the idea, but doesn’t know how that would be possible.  PRAY with us that if God would have her in one year of Bible college, HE would provide for that very clearly.  It was also a HUGE JOY to see a NEW FRIENDSHIP has formed and become very strong between Mona Lisa and Joyce in these months we’ve been gone.  We remember just before and even for a few weeks after their salvation, these girls really despised each other.  Now, they LOVE to be together and encourage and help each other. 

We are excited about all that God has for us in this NEW TERM of service for Him here in Kimberley.  We thank God for the OLD and NEW prayer and financial supporters He has given us.  Thanks for being a part of seeing young lives changed, one life at a time, here in Kimberley. 

Because HE cares, we care,

René and Sonia Einfeldt

 NEW home phone number: (from US) – 011.27.53.861.4900
NEW cell phone numbers: (from US) – René: 011.27.72.81.22.390; Sonia: 011.27.788.48.0020

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mission:  Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc., PO Box 627, Longmont, CO 80502

sending church:  First Baptist Church, 39 E. Main Street, Randolph, NY 14772

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 THE FOLLOWING IS A RECENT UPDATE - THE ONES ABOVE ARE MORE RECENT

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EINFELDTS back in South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

**www.einfeldtfamily.org** 26 September 2007

 Dear praying friends,

 We’re HERE!  Well, not in Kimberley yet, but we had safe flights to Dakar and Johannesburg and are spending the night on the farm of our friends north of Pretoria.  Our plan is to drive to Kimberley tomorrow. 

 The flight over was emptier than usual, and we were able to have two seats each on the first leg, and then on the second leg, one of us had two seats and one had three seats, so that we were able to stretch out a little.  All our bags arrived with us and we had no hassle with customs.  Our friend was waiting at the airport for us and another couple.  They will be helping with orphan care for six weeks.  We are tired, but nothing that a good night’s sleep in a comfy bed won’t solve!  Thank you for praying for our safety. 

 We will probably NOT be able to send another e-mail for a few days as we will be very busy looking for, and moving into, just the right house in the Kimberley area, for this second term of service there.  We will be staying in the home of an “Auntie” in Kimberley until we find other accommodations.

 We received word that Sonia’s Uncle Hollis passed away just before we left – Sonia was so sorry to not be able to gather with the family; we were just beginning to go over the Atlantic as the family gathered for calling hours, and the funeral was shortly after we landed in South Africa.  He loved the Lord and is now able to be with Him!  Pray for the family left behind. 

 Thank you for your prayers as we find a house and settle, and begin teaching on Tuesday, October 2nd! 

 Happy to be back,

René and Sonia

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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EINFELDTS from South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

**www.einfeldtfamily.org** 6 September 2007

  PRAISE THE LORD -- THEY’RE HERE!!!

 Dear friends and supporters,

 The long-awaited visas are now IN HAND!  Thank you for praying.  Rene called the South African Consulate General twice on Tuesday, but no one called him back.  Then he called and left another message yesterday morning.  At last, yesterday afternoon, a lady from the SACG Visa Section called and told Emily (our friend at whose house we have been staying), “The two passports with visas are ready for pickup!”  She informed them (again!) that we had sent a money order two weeks ago to have them sent (not picked up there!) overnight delivery to us, as per their request.  [They have called three times asking about money for postage -- after the first request, we sent it the same day.  We were told we would receive the passports the day after they got the money.  The second two times we told them it had long since been sent, and they said they would check into it right away.]  We pulled in the driveway just as they were on the phone, so Emily brought us the phone to talk directly to the lady.  She was very nice, went to check the mail registry, found that our money order had indeed arrived (but the receipt had not been placed in our file), and assured us that we would have our passports today.  We just received them.  So, praise the Lord with us, and thank you for praying! 

 On the countdown for our return,

 Rene and Sonia Einfeldt

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mission:  Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc., PO Box 627, Longmont, CO 80502

sending church:  First Baptist Church, 39 E. Main Street, Randolph, NY 14772

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EINFELDTS from South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

**www.einfeldtfamily.org** 3 September 2007

UPDATE on our e-UPDATE dated 23 August 2007

Dear Prayer Partners,

Here are a few PRAYER & PRAISE updates associated with our last letter:

1. We had asked you to pray for Joyce, for her family situation, since her parents left her at age 2, her granny didn’t want her by age 10, her granny died, then an aunt that we were not sure about whether she was a good influence, also died.  We asked you to pray that God would intervene in this young lady’s life.  God has.  When Joyce went to her aunt’s funeral, she discovered to her amazement quite a number of cousins that she didn’t know she had!  Some seemed very supportive of her, and one even lives in Kimberley!  She had also told us for 2 years that she knew she had a brother “somewhere” and would like to know him.  He was at the funeral also and so now Joyce is back in contact with him!  Continue to pray that Joyce will recognise God as her loving Heavenly Father, and that she will see more and more that He has her best interests at heart.  Ask God to help her to continue following after what His Word says.
2. We told you in general terms about our home.  It appears that we will not even be able to go into the home and clean or clear out the mess the other family left, or fix broken pipes before we leave, because the lawyer has been quite slow in serving the foreclosure papers.  KEEP PRAYING about this situation – thanks.
3. Libbey has returned safely to the U.S. and she is getting ready to report to the churches that supported her, as well as any others who had expressed interest in having her come.  We enjoyed over 4 hours of good fellowship with Libbey and her mom on Saturday evening.  Continue to pray for God’s direction for her future.
4. We received word about a young Zimbabwean believer, Walter.  He had worked with us as a helper in some Life Skills, and had helped Libbey with a youth group she taught.  He always was torn because he was trying to earn money for his wife and twin baby sons back in Zimbabwe (He was unable to find work in that poor country.) yet he wanted to be with his family more.  He was trying to obtain legal papers to move his family to South Africa but had been unable to get them.  He was making trips back and forth to take his family supplies– and on one of those trips, the car Walter was riding in crashed, and he was killed instantly.  Please pray for his wife Susan and their twin boys – for comfort as well as for provision for her needs now, with no husband to help support her.  We will definitely be feeling the loss of both Libbey and Walter in Kimberley!  Pray also that God will raise up more workers in Kimberley who are burdened to teach the young people.
5. VISAS!  We told you in our letter that the South African consulate said the visas were granted and ready, but they needed postage to send them back to us.  We sent that two Fridays ago, and thought our passports with the visas would be in our hands by now.  This past Friday the consulate called again and said René’s visa was ready but Sonia’s was not, because their machines broke and they had to write hers by hand, but it should be in the mail by early this week.  Later another lady called and said that they were all ready, and they were waiting for postage from us.  We told her we’d sent it a whole week before!  She said she would check on that.  Please PRAY that the visas and passports will VERY SOON be delivered to us!
6. We will appreciate your continued prayers for our miles yet to be travelled, as well as packing for our return. 

THANKS for praying!!  We appreciate your ministry to us through prayers!  Thank you for your partnership!

Because of Christ,

René and Sonia Einfeldt

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EINFELDTS from South Africa

Ambassadors International Ministries, Inc.

2933 Vollentine Road, Apt. 1, Randolph, NY 14772 ** www.einfeldtfamily.org** 1 July 2007

 Dear prayer partners,

            We’ve been back in the US for just two months now, and we have a little less than 3 months to go.  It’s going FAST in some ways…and SLOW in others.  Our first impressions of life back in the US are:

            1) “Sticker Shock” at the grocery stores from the price of fresh fruits and veggies.  We are looking forward to getting back to our South African “farmer’s market” store, Fruit & Veg City. 

            2) We’d better not stay here too long, because now we remember why South African ice cream is easier to resist than American ice cream.  Mmmm! 

            3) From Sonia: I am a bit “directionally challenged” and as a left-hander it always made good sense to me to be driving on the left side of the road in South Africa.  I am truly mixed up now that we’re back in the US, and many times head for the wrong side of the car to get in.  Happily, when I’ve been driving, I have NOT yet ended up on the wrong side of the road! 

 René and Sonia present: THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY!

 First, the UGLY:

            When we arrived in the US we found that the family who had bought our home in the US (with us as the banker) had got a better job offer elsewhere and just left, defaulting on house payments, as well as on utilities payments.  The electricity was shut off, the pipes burst, ruining the carpet in the house, and when they came back to get their belongings, finding the refrigerator and freezer off and the meat and other groceries spoilt, they just dumped it out on the floor and left.  Basically, the whole house was “trashed”.  The house is a far cry from the good condition in which they bought it.  The lawyer is starting foreclosure proceedings.  With our busy schedule, we do NOT really have time to deal with this.  PRAY for a good solution to this rather nasty situation. 

 Now, the BAD…which could be considered ugly:

            NEWS from SOUTH AFRICA:  There has been a teachers’ and nursing sisters’ strike – they’ve asked for a 12% increase in wages, to which the government responded by offering only a 6% increase, but giving the government ministers a 50% increase.  This did NOT sit well with the teachers and nursing sisters!  Classes have been cancelled and many strikes and protests all over South Africa.  Hospitals were already too short-staffed, and now we have heard of cases where patients died as a direct result of the nursing sisters walking out of their jobs and leaving the patients.

 More BAD…but not TOO bad:

           Our colleague Libbey reported that one day classes had to be suspended so the children could go out to play in the SNOW.  It didn’t last long, but it DOES get COLD in winter in South Africa.  Remember, there is no central heating in houses, and South Africa is the last African country before arriving at Antarctica!!  We guess snow is not bad, if you LIKE it –- but we didn’t mind at all NOT seeing the snow in Kimberley!

           Two of The Pines’ children were taken away by family members in Eastern Cape, and Social Services allowed them to keep the children.  While it is good if children can be reunited with extended family members, the way they went about it was hard for the children.  The little sister, due to many health problems, is still at The Pines.  She is improving under the care she is receiving there, but it is uncertain when Social Services will decide to return her to the family, who may not be able to meet her physical needs.  PRAY for this situation.

            We have set ourselves a hectic schedule and have been getting quite tired.  Please pray that God will continue to renew our strength day by day.  Pray for safe travels and alertness when driving.  Here’s our itinerary for the rest of the summer.  Last letter we gave you our travel plans up to today, July 1, our meeting at Kentwood Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, MI.  However, we’ve seen many more people, and had many individual showings of our presentation to supporters or prayer partners.  As of the end of June, we had shown our presentation 38 times, slept in 25 different beds, and, besides the meals eaten in churches and homes, we’ve eaten at 26 restaurants.  [Add 2 more presentations and 2 more restaurants today!]

 Our itinerary for your prayer calendar:

July 2 – home of our newest-appointed colleagues, Phil and Alana Carmichael in Allendale, MI

July 3 – home of family friend from Randolph, NY, in Indiana

July 4 – home of Sonia’s cousins in Kentucky

July 5 – home of former neighbours and church friends in Tennessee

July 6 – travel to Kurt’s home in Cheraw, SC

July 8 – Calvary Baptist Church, Cheraw, SC

            This week: Spend time with our 2 sons & daughter celebrating family birthdays & anniversary, + 2
            showers for Ryan and Rachel (Greenville, SC and Cheraw, SC).

July 15 – Kinsey Drive Baptist Church – Dalton, GA

            During this week we will be saying goodbye to Ryan and Rachel who will be headed back to Yaounde,        
            Cameroon, for one more year of teaching before they take a regular “furlough” in the US.

July 18 – Grace Bible Church, Moore, SC

July 20 – trip back North to Randolph, NY

July 22 – Calvary Baptist Church, Lockport, NY

July 24 – meet with individual supporters and friends in Rochester, NY area

July 25 – Seneca Falls, NY

July 29 – First Baptist Church – Mayville, NY

July 31 – Aug. 3 – time with friends celebrating our anniversaries, in Colorado

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August 4 – AIMI Board meeting, Longmont, CO

August 5 – see friends from Denver, CO area

August 6-10 – visit with individual supporters in Arizona

August 12 – AM: rare time in our home church; afternoon: FBC, Great Valley, NY; PM: FBC, Sherman, NY

August 19 – First Baptist Church, Corry, PA

August 26 – Sinclairville Baptist Church, Sinclairville, NY

August 29 – First Baptist Church, West Seneca, NY – Wed. – 7 p.m. service

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September 2 – last Sunday with our home church in Randolph, NY

September 4 – Sonia - Ladies’ meeting, Sinclairville, NY

September 9 – First Baptist Church, Canton, NY

September 16 – Grace Baptist Church, Norristown, PA

September 17-24 – visiting with friends and family as we head south to SC and GA

September 25 – God willing, and if visas are in order, leave from Atlanta, GA headed toward South Africa!

                        PRAY regarding speedy granting of our visas for the 3-year time we’ve requested. (Our colleagues Kara and Katherine Bailey have recently returned to South Africa.  They applied for a 3-year visa and were only granted 6-month visas.)  When we arrive in South Africa we will need to almost immediately head to Kimberley, because we must find a house, and start teaching again October 3.  PRAY about a suitable house in which to live in Kimberley.  PRAY for our ministries in the new term of service.

            We find that the name “furlough” is really a misnomer!  We are at times weary, finding that we probably won’t really take a REST till Christmas break after we return to South Africa.

 …AND…the GOOD!  J 

            Travels so far have gone very well.  Last letter we told you about the car we bought which we felt was God’s choice for us: it is running very well!  It’s been great to see many of our friends and relatives already, and we look forward to seeing many more before we finish this whirlwind tour of the States!

 AND FINALLY…the REALLY GOOD!!

 NEWS of the WEDDING!!!!!!

            God has given us a wonderful closeness with the Ekstrand family, and both families are thrilled at how God has worked in bringing our children, Ryan and Rachel, together.  We have reports from others in Yaounde of how they conducted their engagement time in a godly manner which was a testimony to their students.  We were also privileged to see the covenant that they had made with each other before God, as to how they would conduct their relationship throughout their engagement period, and it makes us righteously proud of them both.  Both families are so honoured that so MANY friends, especially missionary friends, and family members, gathered from ALL parts of the US and from Canada, to join us on the special day (June 29).  Ekstrands and we estimate that there were about 170 at the wedding. 

            Ryan and Rachel had done an outstanding job of planning their wedding and remembering details.  They wrote their own vows, based on Scripture.  Scripture was read in French, Sango, Lingala, and English, languages that were meaningful to them growing up in Africa, and the attendants’ outfits were made from African material.  God gave us BEAUTIFUL sunny (but not too hot or muggy) weather for the days of the rehearsal dinner and reception and the wedding.  We feel God was glorified in the union of Ryan and Rachel, our children, but more importantly, God’s children.  For those who CAN receive photos, we’re attaching a couple.  When the professional photos are released, we will try to make them available to you online.  THANK YOU for praying and praising God with us for this marriage! 

 Thanks for praying,

 Rene & Sonia                           Our Verizon Wireless phone while in USA:  678.634.4722

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 Attached pics:

1. Ryan and Rachel after wedding. 
2. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Einfeldt with Mr. and Mrs. René Einfeldt

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