Above photograph from Carter Price.

Cottageville, South Carolina Report

The ministry in South Carolina continues to move forward in their walk with the Lord, attending Bible studies and services, and seeking to preach the Gospel as they go in the world. May the Lord continue to move through them to His glory. Remember the brethren in prayer, and perhaps pick up the phone and give someone you haven’t talked to in a while a call.

Ongoing events:

• Children’s Bible study continues every Friday morning at 10:45 a.m. Contact Maggie for more information at: (915) 246-6136 or Email Maggie
• Children’s PE takes place after children’s Bible study at 12:00 p.m. every Friday. If you'd like to know more about it, or to join in, please contact Angie (843) 860-8824 or Email Angie
• Sunday evening Bible studies are at 6 p.m. and any who are inclined to join together for a meal beforehand are welcome at 5 p.m.

People to contact: if you have questions about the ministry in South Carolina, how you can participate, here’s the list of who to get in touch with.

The South Carolina fellowship:

• Contact Carter: (303) 257-5470 or Email Carter 
• Contact Philip: (843) 217-2644 or Email Phillip

The music team and how you can be a part:

• Rose (803) 387-9910 or Email Rose 



Ministry opportunities in Lynchburg, SC, contact:

• James (706) 283-2688 or Email James 

Below photographs from Angie Perry

Grace Ranch Report

Grace Ranch continues to have much activity and is making progress on many fronts. We welcomed Karen back from a blessed month visiting with her children, Mel and David, and their families in upstate New York and Rhode Island.



Since Steve’s move to South Carolina Rick has occupied his office. April brought the transferring of the contents of Steve’s office to what was the ‘music room’ in the Chapel allowing Rick to create an office and broadcast studio in the now empty space. The process, accomplished predominantly by Sue with ‘a little help from her friends’, became the perfect opportunity for everything to get clean. Just a few finishing touches remain but both offices look great!

The renovation of the family cabin is next on the list and has already begun with new batteries installed for the solar system, paint colors chosen and a plan begun.

And, of course, the celebration of Ann’s 75^th birthday was made perfect by Carrie and Kim joining her for the week. It was the first time in many years that all four of her children were with her at that same time. It was a lovely week for all.

Please continue to keep Rick in prayer. He is scheduled for a second course of chemo on May 8^th and 9^th. His testimony continues to be unto God’s honor and glory, praise the Lord. May 8^th is also the date Karen will have surgery on her back. Please keep her in prayer.

Know you are welcome to come and visit Grace Ranch, we would love to see you.



For questions regarding the Grace Ranch, Texas fellowship:

Contact Rick: 

(928) 302-9078 or Email Rick 

Contact Robin:

(915) 307-0514 or Email Robin

A message from Brother Lawrence Tsimese

I will dedicate this edition of the Newsletter to my South Africa visit. It was an experience that I will continually savor and cherish in memory.

I set off from the Kotoka International Airport Accra, Ghana on the dawn of Monday, April 3^rd via Bole Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and finally landed at Oliver Tambo Airport, Johannesburg shortly after 8 p.m. My actual travel time was just over 11 hours; the rest of the timing was due to transit waiting time and different time zones – gaining and losing. Steve was on hand to receive me and take me home to their Midrand residence. Reception at home was super as Megan and all the kids were up at that late hour to welcome me. I really felt at home and at ease.

As you all know, Steve and Megan are planners and organizers par excellence. They were able (within that short time) to line up activities to ensure that I would enjoy and derive the maximum experience of the country for my two-week stay.

By the second day of my arrival, I was off with Steve to visit the Pilanesberg National Park where I viewed some wildlife at close range including elephants, zebras, blue wildebeests, giraffes, hippos, kudus, impalas, etc. We also observed some crocodiles in the water but not from close range. We missed the big cats that day.

Other tours included the Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Voortrekker Monument & Museum, Hector Pieterson Monument & Museum, and the Freedom Park in Pretoria. This opened me up to historical perspectives of the unique struggles for ‘freedom’ of the indigenous Zulus, Xhosas, and other local tribes, as well as that of the Afrikaans and the British settlers. There was so much to learn and appreciate.

Other places of interest I visited included the Pretoria Botanical Gardens, Chameleon Village African market at Hartbeespoort, Bus Stop 7 Open Market, and the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Our neighbor, the Roets' vegetable tunnels were not left out of the loop as my background in agriculture gravitated me to do the tour of their very impressive tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and other vegetable tunnels.

Lest I forget, there was also a drive through downtown Johannesburg where Megan showed and described to me the present condition in contrast to how it was 20 years ago.

I also visited a lot of Megan’s family and associates. Whilst their faces are still fresh in my mind, I cannot recollect all the names. All I know is that they are one big family. Megan’s Dad, John, her brothers, and stepmom came for dinner one evening and I got to know them better. Joan (Megan & Sue’s Mom) who had always insisted that unless she sees me in person I will always remain a figment of her imagination, visited for 2 nights after which she conceded that “Lawrence really exists”.

I would say that the most fun part of the trip was the exploration of the tunnels below 75 meters in the old Johannesburg at Gold Reef City, and the many different roller coaster rides. Mind you, my age did not permit me to do all the rides available as Joe, Sammy, Ruth and Abigail did. I enjoyed their company so much. God bless you guys for encouraging me to try 2 of the rides.

How time flies. It seemed to me like but a day. Before I knew it it was time to depart and head back to Ghana. The whole family saw me off to the last checkpoint in the airport. God Bless you all and many others who worked assiduously behind the scenes to make this trip a really memorable one for me.

South Africa Report

Autumn is coming in South Africa, but there’s no time for the Athertons to wind down with just over a week until they leave. The first weekend of April they returned to Midrand, where their trip started, and had opportunities to reconnect with people they’d seen before the round-the-country tour, meet several new folks, and very excitingly, had a wonderful 2-week visit with Lawrence that the Lord brought together in a manner only He can achieve.

Lawrence had his interview for a visa, got the visa and the flight in somewhat record timing, and went to the southern-most country of the continent for the first time ever. Steve spent time daily giving him a taste of life in South Africa from a variety of perspectives: black, white, rich, poor, plants, animals, etc. They visited museums like the Apartheid Museum and Voortrekker Monument, visited botanical gardens and the neighbor’s veggie tunnels, and took a tour of Soweto. When Megan asked Lawry about highlights, one he mentioned was Gold Reef City theme park where they spent a day. Read more about his trip in his report.

After Lawrence left, Joan joined the Athertons and they spent a week in and around the Kruger National Park, one of the most well-known game parks in the world. The Lord blessed them over and over with sightings of animals, some of which are very rare like the wild dogs and ground hornbill, and others that are hard to see like cheetah and leopard. They have been on the receiving end of warm hospitality and pray the Lord would bless those who’ve been so liberal in their blessings of them.

Please pray for South Africa and for the Athertons! They leave South Africa in on May 10th to head to the U.K. May the Lord direct their time and interactions to His glory and the benefit of all involved, sustaining them in Him in all ways. 

Steve can be contacted at: (802) 371-8220 or satherton@shalaw.com

Megan can be contacted at: (802) 485-8624 or matherton@shalaw.com

If you aren’t already receiving Megan’s daily newsletter on their trip and you would like to be on the email list, please email her directly.

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