Relationship matters: It does matter...

The last few days I have observed older people. I just saw a older couple, most probably on pension. They strolled along the bank of the Liesbeeck River in Rondebosch. This was so cute, them holding hands. Then just yesterday as I was driving a older man in a convertible red sports car pulled up next to me. He had some nice classical music playing, a bike on the back seat, sun glasses on his head and both arms resting on the steering wheel. a satisfying look on his face of contentment and achievement. These two moments should give a 30 plus guy hope! It should give young professionals the end picture of what life will be like after chasing bills, getting kids through school and running to one meeting or project after each other. The most important thing for me here is RELATIONSHIPS. For these older people to have reached these moments of happiness, they had to bare with people, they had to have patience, they had to have tolerance. They had to listen to others older than them. They had to make sure that their circle of influence was of the right mix to be able to reach the right results...

The work I do here at Scripture Union is about RELATIONSHIPS. It is about how I build relationships with volunteers, partners, churches and my personal supporters. It is about encouraging young leaders to make this central to their callings. It is amazing when you enter a classroom week after week and you see relationships growing between the leaders and the children. The exchange of hugs, smiles and laughter. When you work for Scripture Union it is those moments you live for. The sounds of happy kids and teens never loses its electricity! This is the world Scripture Union creates when we do camps, holiday clubs or when we create a enabling environment in a school set up.

At the heart of what we do is the simplicity of the Gospel. That is what Scripture Union has been doing for more than 80 years in South Africa, Introducing young South Africans to Jesus, the Bible and the Church. Its about introducing them to RELATIONSHIPS. Relationships with leaders and friends that most times last for a life time. Just on Sunday I heard a guy speak who have been a legendary SU leader and now is a pastor of a church in Kenilworth. I knew he was going to be funny, i knew he was going to grip the audience, i knew he was going to different and unique, I knew....Because SU grows these kinds of leaders.

The most important thing we do as Scripture Union is encouraging children, teens and young people to have the most important RELATIONSHIP in place and that is with Jesus Christ.

So for the last few months I have been studying and researching technical elements of SU. I even wrote a little thesis. Is this my best achievement since I last wrote to you>? Even spending hours and hours reading and writing???? NO! my best moment was the other day in Athwood Primary in Hanover Park. I take a group of leaders into this school on a weekly basis and we speak about life issues. We had the teen in grade 6 and 7 at St. Philip's Holiday Club. This was the first time we met after club. I felt God's Spirit in the classroom. Shared with them about this most important RELATIONSHIP. Many kids that morning lifted up their hands for prayer and I asked them to pray the sinners prayer. That is what we live for as a SU worker!

I am looking forward to Co-Ordinating the Mini Camp 2013. We have a very talented Directors team and are in the process of selecting a good team of leaders. This is such a popular camp that we already have 20 campers two months before the camp. The camp this year will be at Chrysalis Academy in Tokai, after being at Waddle Park/ Camp Faraway for more than 50 years! So this is going to be history in the making. We only have spaces for 80 kids grande 4 to 7.

I am wanting to get 5 kids per school I work in to this camp. The cost is R850. I work in 6 schools and that would be a whopping R25 000. So once again I am trusting God to make this happen. I would like to appeal to Young Professionals who have been campers and leaders on SU camps to sponsor a child to have the same experience and life changing moments, you had. If you would like to make a donation to get one of these 30 kids to camp you can do the following: 1. Write me an email or sms that you would like to sedrico@su.org.za or mobile: 0820718598 and then 2. Make a eft to Scripture Union Western Cape, Standard Bank Rondebosch, 025009, cheque account number 071401253 and use reference: 30Minicampers. I will then be able to follow up and how many sponsorships we getting anf how many of these kids I can get on camp.

I now share some pictures of the St. Philip's Holiday Club and the visit of a UK group to the SU projects I am involved in...

Thank you for supporting us as a family in the ministry. I value this relationship. Keep praying for us as we settle into our new life of home and the challenges that comes with new bills. I have faith that God is carrying us and will sustain us...Zacharie has been in hospital with Eczema but I thank God for her character and that she is a bubbly child. Sethe has done well in school again, reaching top sevens in all her subjects and received four awards for Art. Hazel has been healing from braking her ankle but we thank God that she is starting to move on that leg. I am ok, really praying that God will come through for us and that we will have enough for all our responsibilities and even in this transition I am challenged to give more. God's economy is indeed different, The more you give, the more God will honor His Word and give you the desires of your heart....

Shalom and may the Peace of our Lord be with you, always :)

Sedrico, Hazel, Sethe and Zacharie...