Celebrating Milestones

July 1, 2026

What a special time this has been! It is such a joy to be back in America as our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, while at the same time, our ministry is celebrating 25 years of serving the people of South Africa. I don't spend much time looking backward, but every now and then it is good to pause and thank God for His faithfulness and to reflect on how far He has brought us.

America certainly has its problems, but after traveling to more than 70 countries, I still believe there is no better place to call home. I feel incredibly blessed to have been born in America and to have lived during such an amazing period of history. People often ask me if I have witnessed miracles during my years as a missionary in Africa. My answer is always yes. But the truth is, I have witnessed even more miracles here in America. The incredible advances in medicine throughout my career continue to amaze me, and the changes I have seen in transportation and communication during my 80-plus years have been nothing short of remarkable. We truly have much to be thankful for.

One of the highlights of this summer is having our son, Dustin, and his wife, Alex, back in America to celebrate the Fourth of July. It has been many years since Dustin has been here for Independence Day, which was always one of his favorite holidays growing up. He especially loved fireworks! This trip also has an important purpose, as he will be completing additional flight training toward earning his instrument rating in South Africa. At the same time, our airplane is receiving significant upgrades to its GPS and safety systems that will make our ministry flights even safer and more effective.

This past month, many of our staff members and I attended annual conferences of the Global Methodist Church. We are deeply encouraged that both the Upper Midwest and Florida Conferences have chosen our ministry in South Africa as one of their primary mission partnerships. The Upper Midwest Conference alone recently raised $168,000 to fund 13 new water wells. That is an incredible blessing! To date, we have drilled 117 wells, and with God's help we hope to reach 150 by the end of this year. We are also building exciting new partnerships with Global Methodist churches in Africa and in the United States to expand community outreach, beginning with our child-feeding ministry.

Life isn't all meetings and ministry, however. I have also been enjoying the outstanding bike trail system throughout the Des Moines metro area. My goal is to ride 50 miles a day, and most days I actually accomplish it. Some might call it an obsession, but I prefer to think of it as a healthy one! I recently purchased a German-made electric-assist recumbent trike and am having fun learning its unique features. Over the years I have owned seven ICE trikes from Great Britain and have loved every one of them. Now I am conducting my own little international comparison to decide whether the British or the Germans build the better trike. The verdict is still pending!

Another unexpected blessing has been becoming involved with Urban Bike Food Ministry. Every Thursday evening, about 75 volunteers gather to prepare and deliver meals to people experiencing homelessness along the Des Moines bike trails. It is a wonderful ministry that combines two things I love—cycling and serving others. It has been a privilege to become part of this caring community.

Later this summer we are looking forward to spending time in Colorado with our daughter and granddaughter. We are planning to travel by train through the Rocky Mountains, which promises to be a memorable adventure. Although these days I bike much better than I hike, I am still looking forward to enjoying some of the beautiful trails in Rocky Mountain National Park.

As always, I would appreciate your continued prayers for our feeding program. This ministry has weighed heavily on my heart for more than a year. Last year we faced serious challenges with delays at the ports that prevented food containers from entering South Africa. I believe those problems have finally been resolved, and we are thankful for that answer to prayer.

Unfortunately, we are now facing a different challenge. The amount of food we are receiving from Meals from the Heartland and Convoy of Hope has declined significantly. Just two years ago we expected to receive 28 shipping containers each year—enough to provide approximately seven million meals for children in South Africa. This year we will likely receive only about 10 containers. As a result, we have had to reduce the number of children in our feeding program from 50,000 to 25,000.

Looking ahead, we know the long-term answer is to produce and purchase more food within Africa itself. We are making progress toward that goal, but it is happening more slowly than I would like. Please pray that God will continue to open doors as we develop sustainable sources of food while also providing additional opportunities to import meals from the United States.

Thank you for standing with us through your prayers, encouragement, and faithful support. Whether you pray, give financially, or volunteer with organizations like Meals from the Heartland, you are making a real difference in the lives of thousands of children and families. We could not do this work without you.

May God richly bless you and your family as you celebrate our nation's birthday and give thanks for His many blessings.