The Website of Miah and Michelle Collins

To avoid any confusion while reading this post, this is Miah.
Arriving in South Africa at the beginning of summer takes a little bit of the sting out of having to leave family again! We have already had a few beautiful thunderstorms, rainbows, and sunsets. We said goodbye to Michelle’s parents and brother on November 1st and spend a day in London on our way back to Johannesburg. Our trip to the States was so great. Thanks to everyone who made time for us, let us stay in your spare room, and shared meals with us over the past 5 weeks. We were cautioned that going back to the States as missionaries can be tough because people struggle to know what to ask or to understand what you’re going through. But everybody asked really great questions and helped remind us why we are doing what we are doing.  We are so blessed to have y’all as friends and family and we were so encouraged by your lives. 
We were able to get around Texas (Houston, Austin, Dallas, and Kerrville) and also made a short trip to Indiana and Michigan. Sorry for those of you who didn’t get to see us, but you know you could always come visit us in South Africa!
It can be difficult having so many good friends in so many places around the world. And hanging out with good friends one evening every two years or so doesn’t quite satisfy! I found myself tired and discouraged at times, realizing that for many of these friends of mine, we will never live in the same area again or have the same relationship that we once had. But I have to be ok with that. Everybody who I have been close friends with over the years have enriched my life in significant ways, even if we can’t be as close as we were, saying goodbye to a place or a group of friends allows you to make new friends so that they too can impact your life. So saying goodbye is not a bad thing. I am so thankful to have crossed paths with my friends from Durban, West Michigan, Austin, and now Johannesburg among others.
Starting up work again has been interesting. You certainly fall out of the loop quickly when you are overseas. It looks like Michelle and I will be remaining in South Africa for the first few months of next year instead of going to Namibia as we had been planning. Our group is coming together quite nicely. We have 18 people being sent to us from around Africa next year, including people from countries who are sending their first students (Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania). The purpose for these guys is to take what they have learned from J-Life South Africa, contextualize the material, and return to their home countries and assist their country leaders in establishing a youth disciple-making movement in their homeland. Please pray for these students, that they would be able to raise a significant amount of support, and that they would all get their VISAs!
For those of you in the States, enjoy the college football bowl season for us and keep supporting your local Tex-Mex restaurant. For those in South Africa, keep your braai fires lit and your vuvuzela’s blowing because the World Cup is just around the corner.
Oh yes, and I got a pleasant surprise on my return to South Africa. I made it into the Comrades ultra-Marathon in May. It’s a 55 mile race and the world’s largest and greatest ultra marathon. Next year there will be 22,000 people making the trek from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, and I will be one of them.

Martin Luther King Jr. - Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.