2018 New Student Orientation - 
The week of January 22-26 2018 brought the start of a new school year for Southern Africa School of Theology - Main Campus (SAST - MC). It is always exciting when new students (and returning) come through the front gate and join the "family". New student orientation is a time to welcome and introduce the students to life at SAST - MC. (Please see pictures below).

We want to say a BIG thank you again for your partnership in helping train the future pastors and leaders of the church in South Africa!!

Please pray for the new students who have joined us as they adjust to the classroom and to life on campus. Also, pray for the faculty and staff as we invest in the lives of some awesome people.

Blessings,

Kirk and Marlene Spain

It has been a very busy time around the campus of the Southern Africa School of Theology (SAST), the Bible school we partner with here in South Africa. There have been many months & years of building and preparing for a time of celebration. Last Saturday, May 20th, over 400 former students, church leaders and guests from across South Africa came to celebrate the history & future as well as dedicate new buildings. Our theme is, ‘A proud history and a bright future’. The SAST campus has gone through some wonderful renovations with the completion of the Academic and Resource Center.

We want to say thank you to many of you who have helped make such a day possible through your giving, your coming and working and your praying.

Thank you for your partnership as we continue to help train the hope of South Africa.
 Trained leaders are the hope of Africa.

​It is hard to believe that we have been here for a couple of months already. It has been a good, busy time of adjusting to life in South Africa. We have been welcomed by a great team of missionaries and church leaders. 
Life has been full of a lot of new adventures, here are some highlights:

Getting set up in our new home and learning our way around Rustenburg.

Getting acquainted with the students, faculty, staff and classrooms of Global School of Theology – North West (GST-NW)

Attending a country wide ministers institute that included the ordination of 13 new IAG ministers. 

Meeting with church leaders

Visiting churches

Hosting guests visiting and teaching at GST-NW

Cheering on the South Africa rugby team in the Rugby World Cup

We are so very thankful to all of you who partner with us on a monthly basis. We count it an honor to be your representative in South Africa!

In our previous update, we mentioned that we were in a holding pattern waiting on some paperwork so that we could apply for our South Africa visas. 
We finally were able to apply for our visas last week and we were granted three-year South Africa visas. It has been an interesting process, but we praise the Lord all ended well.
Thank you for your prayers during this process!
So… we are finally on our way to South Africa and look forward to sending you our next update from Rustenburg!

If you have flown you possibly have had a time in your journey where you’ve had to circle in a holding pattern. This is usually due to circumstances beyond your control. That is where we are in our safari to South Africa.

We are ready to go but we are in a holding pattern waiting on paper work so that we can apply for our South Africa visas. There is a list of needed forms to apply, and we have been waiting on clearance forms to submit with our visa applications. 

Once all of our paper work is in we are required to submit our visa applications in person in Chicago, then wait for approval.

We are ready to land in South Africa and get settled but we also know God has ALL things in His control. In the meantime we will continue to prepare to leave when we can.

Thanks for your support and prayer!

Kirk and Marlene

A few weeks ago we had posted a prayer request for Global School of Theology – North West in South Africa (where we will be working) as they started a new school year.

We received some great news that they have 37 students for the first semester. Fifteen of them are NEW students with a call to be new church planters. 
We look forward to being on campus as soon as possible.

Marlene and I are excited that we only need $700 more of monthly commitments. That is only 14 people or churches at $50 a month to reach 100% and complete our safari to South Africa. AGAIN, we thank all of you who have helped us reach this point.

Prayer –Looking for 365 “Committed to Pray” partners to pray for us!
I remember as a Missionary Kid (MK) growing up and traveling with my parents (Jerry and Joy Spain) to missions services and having people take our family prayer card. I remember thinking, “why would anyone want my picture?”
Well, it wasn’t all about my picture was it? It was about the prayer for our family.

When Marlene and I visit churches that have supported our families for many years we tell them we are not just products of their financial faithfulness but more than that we are a product of their faithful prayer.

This is what Marlene and I are asking for our family…. Prayer support for our family as we embark on this safari to South Africa. We are true believers that prayer makes a HUGE difference in sustaining us in our ministry.

The prayer card –
These are not business cards or trading cards. Missionaries call them prayer cards because we ask that the card serve as a reminder to pray for our family. Please put it on your fridge (we have a number of prayer cards on our fridge), in your Bible or where you will you see it and say a prayer for us.

365 Committed Prayers
We are seeking 365 churches and or individuals who will make a specific commitment to pray for us on a regular basis.  We ask that you please indicate this by going to this webpage http://s1.ag.org/kirkmarlenespain  and clicking on the “Committed to Pray” link towards the bottom of the page.

Receiving one of our prayer cards -
If you do not have one of our prayer cards and want one, please click on this link www.kirkmarlenespain.com/contact that takes you to our contact page and fill in the form putting your physical mailing address in the “comment” box.
Please type in “Prayer Card” before your address.

Praise before prayer – We praise the Lord for reaching the 63% mark of our monthly financial commitment goal!! Thank you to those who have joined our financial support team in recent weeks!

Here are our current prayer requests:
Kirk & Marlene -
1. Protection for our immediate and extended family members. Seems our families have been under attack in recent months.
2. An extended family member who has received a discouraging physical report
3. Protection as we drive and fly to missions services.
4. Continued favor as we raise our monthly support.
5. Kealy -
That she will finish college strong and find a job in her field of study.
Kyle -
College life and protection while finishing up football season.