Who We Are

Ahhh… Africa. It’s become our home, and ministry here is an adventure, ever shifting, ever growing, ever challenging.

A Brief Outline of OUR South African History
2007 – Arrive in Africa to serve in the township of Masiphumelele
  • Kevin is asked by a local, Nceba, to coach a Masi basketball team. A basketball ministry is born which turns into a house church.
  • Tonya falls pregnant and gets to be sick for nine months! 'Saving the world' would have to wait.
  • We get the great opportunity to come alongside Floyd McClung as he begins All Nations.
  • Asher was born Sept. 2007, and Chesney starts Grade 1.
2008​
  • Kevin continues discipling young men through basketball and house churches.
  • Short-term outreach teams start coming to Masi, which Kevin facilitates in partnership with locals.
  • Tonya establishes a teen and women's small group in Masiphumelele, with Asher in tow, and assists in launching Baby Safe (an alternative to tragic "baby dumping".  Our Baby Safe has led to many successful adoptions!)
  • Tonya writes Traffick Proof, and Justice ACTS – a counter-human trafficking organization - is born.
2009
  • Justice ACTs grows far faster than expected, expanding from prevention, to sex worker outreach, to investigation, to legislation, to media… etc. (Whew.)
  • The first YWAM Masi Team is established with Kevin as the leader.
  • The first person from Masiphumelele completes a Discipleship Training School and joins YWAM as a missionary.
2010​
Picture
Filming a Traffick Proof Training DVD
  • Justice ACTs rolls out a prevention campaign across the Nation of South Africa on human-trafficking in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. (And, get interviewed on ESPN... Go figure!)
  • Justice Acts is invited to co-write proposed legislation which eventually is included in a comprehensive counter-human trafficking law for the nation which will create task forces and funding to fight human trafficking at a government level. (Tonya is basically working herself out of a job.)
  • Kevin shoulders a larger part of our home life, but continues to pour into key young men in Masi, watching them become leaders and missionaries, realizing he’s working himself out of a job too.​ But, that's okay, as we've learned that Africans reach Africa best.
2011​
  • A new believer from “the island that must not be named” pitches up at our door saying he’s in need of asylum. Kevin’s focus shifts to refugees from this unreached people group.
  • The S-CAPE Home Safe House opens its doors to survivors of human-trafficking and sexual exploitation under the leadership of the Justice Acts co-founder, Miryam Danam.
  • Tonya goes to Uganda with Justice Acts colleague, Kimberly Brune, to assist an Albino woman seeking asylum. The woman was nearly killed by traffickers who wanted to sell her skeleton to witch doctors on the black market. (Yes, that’s all true.)
  • Tonya begins to step back from leading Justice ACTs, while at the same time Asher is diagnosed with some significant developmental issues.
  • Chesney is just awesome, excelling in everything… from dance, to singing, to drama and school.
2012​
  • An “island which must not be named” house is purchased in Masi, full of asylum seekers Kevin is discipling. (Fun fact: The wood donated from a movie set with Denzel Washington.)
  • Kevin opens a shop in Masi to assist these refugees in becoming self-sustaining.
  • The Jesus House is purchased in Masi and a long-time prayer is answered to see this home go from the hands of a drug dealer to a place of love and light where local ministry flows into the community.
  • Justice Acts International is fully established, led by Tonya’s colleagues, Kimberly and Oliver Brune… launching work in New Zealand, Thailand, and Moldova.
  • Tonya shifts gears and begins working toward her Master’s in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship and strategizing Asher’s therapy.
  • Chesney's dance teachers offer her scholarships so she can take classes 5 days per week. (We feel like her chauffeurs! )
2013​
  • Kevin and a local complete the first worship album, ever, sung in the local language of “the island which must not be named”, which was secretly distributed there and everywhere their dialect is spoken. He continues to disciple young African men and refugees.
  • The first short-term team goes from here to “the island that must not be named”.
  • Tonya is finding her way as founder, lending support to the ministries born out of Justice ACTs and adoring her studies.
  • Asher has made astounding progress with various therapies… the push is still on.
  • Chesney continues to be awesome. She’s 13!!
2014​
  • Chesney begins high school and Asher, Kindergarten.
  • Kevin leads worship for Nations to Nations in Cambodia.
  • Kevin leads the first Sound of the Nations 8 week music camp with his South African co-leaders, Billy and MJ… and a new team and ministry is born.
  • Tonya continues with her studies, teaching, and supporting Justice ACTs and S-CAPE Home.
  • Tonya goes to Malawi to train Traffick Proof presenters and teach on justice.
2015
  • Tonya graduates with a Masters in Christian Spiritual Formation and Discipleship!
  • We take a 6-week outreach as a family to lead the Sound of the Nations music camp in Battambang, Cambodia!
  • Kevin and African co-leaders lead a Cape Town Sound of the Nations 6-week music camp and produce the first Sound of the Nations (student and staff) CD.
  • One of our music camp students becomes the first woman Masi to complete a Discipleship Training School!
  • Kevin's disciple "M" from  “the island that must be named” completes a DTS & joins YWAM staff to become the first missionary from his nation!
  • Justice Acts International begins working in France, and S-Cape Home breaks ground on its new 4-bedroom extension.
  • Asher takes up cricket, and we don’t know the rules. He also likes to be read science books for bedtime.
​2016​
  • Sound of the Nations leads a 3 week music camp in Kochi, India. Ches joins in as a student. 
  • Chesney does a 1 month dance outreach in Brazil!
  • Tonya joins the Faculty Staff Team for the next Master’s in Christian Formation and Discipleship, using her skills of teaching, tutoring, editing for a new class of 21 ministry leaders and disciplers across the world. (She also enrolls in a year-long course on Girardian Mimetic Theory!)
  • Chesney switches to homeschooling and finds herself much happier.
  • Asher is formally diagnosed with ADHD, mildly on the spectrum and moderate hearing loss, and a VERY high I.Q.! He gets a hearing aid, meds, and his social and school life improve drastically. We take a deep breath. 
  • Justice Acts France is established and S-CAPE Home is growing their staff. 
​2017
  • Kevin and co-founders run a Sound of the Nations 6-month Discipleship Training School (DTS) with outreaches to Mauritius & Reunion Islands.
  • Sound of the Nations also runs a month long music camp in Madagascar with S. African and Malagasy staff... along with the DTS outreach students. Ches leads a dance workshop, and Asher greets EVERYONE he sees in French and Malagasy.
  • Tonya continues to staff the Masters degree program and has increasing opportunities to write, speak & teach.
​2018​
  • Kevin and Tonya celebrate 25 years of marriage!!!!!!!
  • The Sound of the Nations African leaders run a second DTS with outreaches in Brazil and Malawi. 
  • Sound of the Nations Band leads worship for the largest global YWAM gathering to date in Thailand, for some members from challenged South African communities, it's their first time out of the country!
  • Tonya continues to teach & is part of the emerging Centre for Spiritual Formation. She’s also begins training to become an Enneagram practitioner.
  • Reports of Traffick Proof being used in various places across the globe continue. We estimate over 100,000 lives have been "Trafficked Proofed."
  • Asher joins a young conservationist club.
  • Chesney’s life-long best friend passes away, making this hardest year ever, for all of us. (He was such a large part of our home and lives.) Yet, she graduates high school and is awarded a 3-year professional dance training scholarship with JazzArt, South Africa's oldest contemporary dance company. 
2019​
  • Our disciple "M" from the Island-That-Must-Not-Be-Named is recruited by WyCliffe and awarded a scholarship for a Master's in Bible Translation. His goal... to translate the entire New Testament into his tribal language!
  • A 2nd disciple, "H", from Island-That-Must-Not-Be-Named ​completes his Discipleship Training School and English as a 2nd language course.  His plan is to come to Cape Town to continue intensive discipleship and training. Kevin also assists in rebuilding homes on the island that were destroyed by a cyclone.
  • Tonya is on the leadership team of a 5 month training school on peacemaking and restorative justice. She also continues her enneagram training and begins coaching, as well as leading a contemplative small groups for local leaders.
  • Kevin and Tonya staff (not lead) a 6 month discipleship training school. Their heart is to walk alongside its female African leader with the goal of seeing her succeed.
  • In Masi, Kevin becomes overseer of the Jesus House and offers his expertise to Clever Kids, a holistic tutoring program that walks with kids from kindergarten to graduation. His discipleship of young men also continues.
  • Justice Acts has new life as a new leader steps in to continue the vision.
  • Chesney begins her rigorous dance training program. (8 hours per day/5 days per week... and loves it.)
  • Asher starts a private school and is like a new kid. He excels at math and basketball and makes a best friend. So many years of prayers are answered. Thank you to so many who are giving toward tuition.
2020 - COVID 19 ARRIVED AND EVERYTHING CHANGED - South Africa faces a nation wide humanitarian crisis of hunger and our ministry focus shifts to feeding the poor....
  • What began with food parcels for families, ended up becoming a network of soup kitchens run out of our Jesus House by us, other NGO's and in partnership with local heroes. At one point, together, we were feeding 5000 kids per week in Masiphumelele. The Soup Kitchen we personally oversaw, fed  300 children 4 days per week for the majority of the year.  We also resourced Mamma Edith, who cooked for 150 children 3x per week out of her own little home. As the lockdown lifted, fewer soup kitchens were needed. But, we've continued to resource several. Also, food parcels continue on to families, refugees, etc. 
  • We saw an actual miracle of God multiplying 5 food parcels into 6 when an unexpected refugee showed up during our organizing and distributing them! (We have the receipts to prove it! Look at pic below.)
  • A fire raged through the poor section of Masi, leaving 4000+ folks homeless, including the families of 20 children in the Jesus House Clever Kids tutoring program. Kevin oversaw refurbishing their new shacks. $10,000 dollars was raised, mattresses, cook stoves, etc. were bought!
  • Tonya was part of producing a 2 week webinar with 200 international participants on racial reconciliation and discipleship. One of our guest speakers is Dr. Martin Luther King's colleagues! She also began training to become a certified Spiritual Director (and continues enneagram training, coaching, and working with the Master's program). 
  • Kevin went to the The Island Which Must Not Be Named with our disciple "M" who is from there. The goal was to relational, to meet with "M's" village elders. They requested: A well. A clean water project was born.
  • Chesney continued dance online for a portion of the year; important shows were canceled, necessary training was lost. But, she grew into an amazing vegan cook and produced some incredible dance videos.  
  • Asher grew soooo much! He now towers over Tonya and Chesney! And, we all agree digi-school is the worst.

2021

  • We're still feeding kids through African led soup kitchens and providing school lunches for kids in communities that regularly face food scarcity. Food parcels and vouchers continue on for the neediest of the needy. Total: 6000 meals served each month! (Thank you funders, truly.)​
  • Delayed for over a year by Covid and closed borders, our 2nd disciple, from the Island-That-Must-Not-Be-Named FINALLY makes it to Cape Town to be mentored by Kevin and fellow islander, "M". "H" is the 2nd missionary ever from that nation!
  • Tonya graduates and becomes a Spiritual Director! She takes on directees who are staff from a her safe house and local leaders from challenged communities.
  • After 8 years with the Master's program: overseeing curriculum formation, teaching, tutoring and grading... it's time move on and pursue her passions of being a retreat leader, spiritual director, enneagram coach & training in restorative justice.
  • The family hits some Visa renewal challenges when our accepted paperwork is hijacked enroute to be processed, but we eventually got approved. We even make it back to the USA for family reunion AND a reunion with our former youth group students.
  • Asher creates a small basketball club at school... coached by Kevin & Nceba (who was part of Kev's original Masi basketball house church a decade ago)!
  • Chesney continues her dance training. Live shows are still rare due to Covid, but she gets to dance on TV and perform JazzArt's "season"! She adores being back on stage.
  • We all get Covid-19 for Christmas. Omicron variant. (Baby, it's Covid INSIDE!)
2022
  • We're still resourcing local heroes to run 4 soup kitchens in Masi, Ocean View and Capricorn, feeding 1200 kids per week. Food vouchers and parcels were delivered to 4 challenged communities, feeding 125 per week. Food vouchers were also given out monthly to 10 African missionary families struggling with food scarcity.  Additionally, we adopted a school full of undocumented Zimbabwean refugee kids... that's 200 more lunches each day! (Thank you funders!) ​
  • Fires swept through Masi (again). We were part of the response to refurbish the kitchens of a dozen families.
  • Tonya leads a 3 month Love Thy Neighborhood School on restorative justice and peacemaking, adding her expertise in contemplative prayer and spiritual direction. She also leads two enneagram small groups, a Clever Kids staff bible study, and contemplative meditative prayer sessions for survivors of human trafficking in S-Cape Home.
  • Kevin is trained as a facilitator and brings Support Raising Solutions Seminars to Cape Town and Durban to equip African leaders to fund their ministries and better support their families. Being a fundraising coach becomes a larger part of his role because we really do believe that Africans reach Africa best.
  • "H" (our disciple from the-island-that-must-not-be-named) releases a worship album in his language, for his people! It's only the 2nd worship album ever produced in that language. (Kevin created the 1st!) Kevin makes a trip to the island with clean water well experts and finds out this project is going to be MUCH bigger, MORE expensive and require far more EXPERTISE than anticipated. But, we feel we are to see it through...
  • Tonya's Traffick Proof manual gets its next edit and is being rolled out in America as Justice Acts Portland is launched!
  • Asher joined Kevin on a pastoral visit to a team in a rural South African village. The team was led by our disciple "H" from the-island-that-must-not-be-named! They had a great adventure and lots of tribal food.
  • Kevin turns 50!
  • Chesney graduates from the 3.5 year JazzArt dance program and is asked to join the professional company! Her life-long dream of being a professional dancer has come true!!!! Congrats Ches!

2023... Goodness is underway! Stay Tuned...