We are ministering with Pinelands Methodist Church, a church in the wider body of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. Tim and Leslie are both involved in youth ministry, which includes Sunday School. Tim is "Youth and Mission Pastor" and preaches often for Pinelands Methodist services. It is a great church and we enjoy being co-laborers with them in spreading the Gospel.

Our desire is to see young people radically transformed and committed to worshipping and serving Christ both locally and globally. The "DV8" ministry team-the high school youth ministry at Pinelands Methodist--has as its purpose statement: "to develop young people to passionately follow Jesus with unshakeable faith, bringing change to the world around them." We try to do this through 3 specific times: Monthly Friday night meetings offer an opportunity for high school students to gather and have fun together, as well grow spiritually through the messages that are presented. DV8 Sunday is a discussion based Sunday morning gathering that seeks to discuss issues that impact young people and their walk with Christ. Then we have a number of weekly study groups that tackle small group discipleship-how do I grow in my faith? God is growing and stretching all of us as we seek to lift him up in Pinelands. We also oversee DV8 Frenzy, which is aimed at young people in Grades 5-7. This group meets every other week for fun, food, fellowship and teaching. We are responsible for the Sunday School program which is designed to provide biblical teaching to children from the ages of 4 to 13.

Tim is Project Manager of "Phambili nge Themba"-"going forward with hope," and this is the mission arm of Pinelands Methodist. "Phambili" is focused mainly in Langa, a township in Cape Town, that borders Pinelands and has within its borders a shack community called "Joe Slovo." Our work there has many facets, including ministering to HIV/AIDS orphans and providing them food, teaching "Life at the Crossroads," (a biblically based life orientation class for Grade 8 learners), and overseeing the Zanokhanyo Job Readiness Training Course and Resource Centre. Poverty is intense and pervasive, so we feel it is essential to help people develop the foundation they need to be able to access earning opportunities. "Phambili" is affiliated with "Learn to Earn," a training and skills development organization that provides participants "a hand up, not a handout." Their guidance is critical as we seek God's leading in Phambili's future. For further information, please see www.phambilingethemba.org.za, www.zanokhanyo.co.za, and www.learntoearn.org.za. In addition, we have been involved in assisting the Barcelona Baptist Church and Children's Centre since 2009. This is a ministry run by Pastor Julius Bonani and his wife Irene. They currently care for 21 orphaned and/or abandoned children in a very poor informal settlement.

Tim received a Bachelor of Science degree in Pastoral Ministries from Liberty Baptist College (now Liberty University), attended Law School at Wayne State University School of Law and was self-employed in property development prior to the family move to South Africa in 2003.He completed and BA Honours (Theology) degree in 2008 and an MA (Theology) in 2010 from the University of Pretoria. Leslie was graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College and obtained Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master's degrees from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She was employed at Virginia Tech prior to moving to South Africa. Their two sons, James (17) and William (14), are students at the American International School of Cape Town.