Faithful Through Every Season

March 27, 2026

Faithful in Every Season

Spring and Easter are approaching in America, while Fall is settling in here in South Africa. Beth and I have truly enjoyed our time here and feel that much has been accomplished over these past few months.

Last night, as I was emotionally preparing to leave this land that I love, I sat in my “prayer closet”—the hot tub—looking up at the beautiful African night sky and reflecting on all that God is doing in my life. I am deeply thankful for the ministry He has entrusted to us. While it is always encouraging to celebrate the good things happening here, it is also difficult to remember the children we were feeding a year ago and had to temporarily stop supporting due to import challenges. I continually remind myself to focus on the victories and not become discouraged by the reality that we cannot help everyone.

Highlights from the Past 3 Months

In January, we hosted 34 team members, including Fr. Ray’s annual group, Hy-Vee and their media team, and representatives from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Eric Hanson and his cameraman were also part of this team. They produced a 40-minute documentary that aired on KCCI during prime time in February. This documentary has already been viewed by thousands and has been a tremendous blessing to our mission. We’ve seen a significant increase in people inquiring about joining future trips, as well as many new donors asking how they can support our work. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

We also hosted three additional short-term mission teams this season. One of my favorite aspects of ministry in Africa is watching friends from the U.S. experience what God is doing here. It’s a joy to see them take in the beauty of the landscape, the wildlife, and the culture—and to notice what captures their attention through their cameras. My favorite moments, though, are spent around the campfire under a sky full of stars, listening to how God is working in their hearts.

When Teams Aren’t Here, the Work Continues

People often ask what we do when teams are not with us. The answer is: plenty. Dustin and Alexandra do an incredible job managing the day-to-day operations of the ministry and overseeing our 40 staff members. Dustin, in particular, leads our well-drilling operations and construction projects, which range from building toilets to constructing new churches.

At the same time, we are managing our pilot feeding program at Del Cramer, where we serve approximately 15,000 children in surrounding communities. Coordinating this along with 10 additional feeding hubs across Southern Africa can feel overwhelming at times—but with God’s help, we continue to move forward.

I’ve also been spending time supporting our pastors with the administrative and business side of church leadership, as well as working on our farm. Being on the farm brings back fond memories of helping on my uncle’s farm as a teenager—hard work, but some of my most cherished experiences.

Recently, I’ve been working with Pastor Jonathan to plan a new church plant in a nearby village that currently has no church. Our vision is to begin with a traditional tent revival, similar to those I remember from my childhood in America.

On the agricultural side, I’ve been in discussions with a government-run agricultural college about becoming an official training site. Our farmer, Johanney, is an excellent teacher, and the plan is to host 10–20 students at a time for several weeks. This partnership would allow us to receive a training fee, provide valuable hands-on education, and benefit from additional help in our fields. From the beginning, our vision for the farm has been to support our feeding program while also serving as a training and research facility. Currently, the farm helps supply food for the 15,000 children served through the Del Cramer Children’s Campus.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve also had the privilege of working with Dr. Angela DeHamer, a hospitalist at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines and a professor at Des Moines University, on two meaningful projects. The first is the egg research project I started over two years ago. We are now gaining traction with several family practice professors at a medical school in Pretoria who share our enthusiasm.The second project involves mentoring two 10th-grade students from Johanney’s church as they write research papers on food insecurity. Their goal is to present their work at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town. This has not been without challenges—these students had never even used a computer before, yet they are competing with peers from well-resourced schools. Despite these obstacles, they have produced impressive work. They will present in June, and if they place among the top two students in South Africa, they may have the opportunity to travel to Iowa to present at the World Food Prize in October.

Prayer Request
Please pray for our Spring Gala on April 9th—that it would be successful and provide the funding needed to expand our feeding programs and reach even more children.