Category Archives: Prayer Request

Coffey Family December 2019 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests & Praise

  • Pray as we go forward with our third church plant in January 2020. One of our young couples will be heading up that work. Please pray for Khona and Iminathi. Khona has been a faithful worker and is currently enrolled in our Bible college, and his wife Iminathi is enrolled in our Bible Institute.
  • Our Teen Camp at Camp Rhino is from Dec. 10th-13th. We still need help sponsoring campers to offset expenses at $50 per camper for the week. We are preparing for 100 teen campers for this first camp of the summer season.
  • This past month our South Africa team was able to visit the countries of Kenya and Rwanda. God is doing great work in Kenya, but more still needs to be done. The need for reaching Rwanda really touched our hearts. We need more missionaries there. It is wide open and definitely a good place for someone to consider being a missionary. Pray for laborers.
“Hotel Rwanda” in Kigali, Rwanda
Khona and Iminathi’s wedding one year ago.

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • Over $15,000 came in to finish our girl dorms at Camp Rhino. We also had enough to update our electrical system and to start renovating an old structure for our auditorium space. We need about $6,000 for the roof on the building. We’ll be cutting it close but hope even it will be ready for camp.
  • We have secured property for the land we hope to use for our future medical clinic in Port Elizabeth, which we are also using for our 2nd church plant.
  • Katie Dilfer is here from Gospel Light Baptist Church Helena, AL to look at the possibility of maybe helping us start a Christian School. Pray for guidance in this area.
  • Regina Gordon has been serving as an intern for the last 6 months. She only has a few days left. Please pray for her as she returns to the States. She’s been a tremendous help to all the ministries during her time here.
New auditorium space for Camp Rhino – $6,000 needed for roof
Slab inside new auditorium is being laid

I hope all had a great Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. I’m especially thankful to you all for making it possible for us to serve here in South Africa. We are so blessed.

There is a special prayer request I would like to share. Pieta Struwig has served as head of maintenance and grounds here at Camp Rhino since January. We couldn’t have accomplished most of what has been built here at the camp without his help. He received news last week that he has cancer. This was surprising news for all of us. Pieta is only 40 years old and was saved last year at Grace Baptist Church where my cousin Kevin pastors.

Pieta pictured far right

As he starts Chemo this week, we are asking God for complete healing. Please pray. I’m not sure what we would do here at Camp Rhino without him. He’s been such an incredible help and blessing.

Also please don’t forget about teen camp, which is a week away. Pray for lives to be changed.

Coffey Family November 2019 Prayer Letter

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This past week, our teen discipleship meeting went in a different direction.  As we were starting our study, 3 men came into the home of the church members where we have been meeting and robbed us at gunpoint.  Thankfully, no one was hurt, but they did get away with my MacBook and iPhone along with my son, Luke’s iPhone and about $300. Pray we can replace some of these things ASAP.  My family keeps making fun of me for saying “Hey Siri” anticipating a response from my phone that I no longer have. I really do use my phone and computer in almost every part of our ministry though:)

Some of our teens

It’s hard to believe we only have 2 months left in 2019.  It amazes me that so much has taken place, yet I can be overwhelmed at times at how much more we have to do.  I can say through it all, we are having a fantastic time seeing God work.  What a privilege it is to be in the Lord’s work.  Thank you all for making that possible.

My Son Luke

Prayer Requests & Praise  

  • What we are calling our Christmas Camp is from Dec. 10th-13th.  We need help sponsoring campers to offset expenses at $50 per camper.   We are preparing for 100 teen campers for the first camp of the summer season. Click here to donate via PayPal.
  • Pray for many to come to Christ during year-two of Camp Rhino. 
  • 8 of our teens were with my son Luke and me when I was robbed this week along with 2 other faithful adults from our church.  Pray the Lord uses this in our lives to help us be more serious concerning eternity. 
  • We received great news this week regarding property for a possible medical clinic.  It looks like our district is going to give us a terrific piece of property to use for the clinic at a great price.  Please continue to pray as we go forward with the idea of starting our own full-time medical clinic here in South Africa.
Only a few weeks until our 2019 Teen Camp

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • We are short about $3,000 of the $20,000 needed to complete the new dorm-style cabins at Camp Rhino.   The roof is going on this week, but we still lack the doors and electrical systems. Please be praying as we also need to prepare the space we will be using for the main auditorium.
  • We just passed the one year anniversary of when we first purchased the property for Camp Rhino.  So far this year we’ve seen over 60 professions of faith through our camp events.  We’re praying and hoping for even greater results during this next year.
  • Contact me in you’re interested in a missions trip to South Africa. We would love to have you. You can join a group or bring your own. We are booked for groups for the Summer months of 2020 but have room for individuals and off months. We are also scheduling for 2021 and 2022. Come experience Camp Rhino for yourself.
  • It looks like we will be in the States next year for my oldest son’s wedding, probably from April to June. I will also be using that time to raise extra support to help with our current and future ministries. If you would like to have us in during that time please just let me know.
The roof is on our girl dorms

Coffey Family October 2019 Prayer Letter

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My heart is full, and ideas are flowing after the incredible medical clinic we had with Bradley Edmondson and his wonderful team with Medical Missions Outreach.  I can’t explain in enough words how much of a blessing they were during their stay.  

We saw over 2,000 patients come through the clinic and hear the Gospel and had over 250 people make professions of faith.  Pray as we consider our next steps.  I would love to have our own full-time clinic here with the help of MMO.  

Missionary Jeremy Hall assisting the dental team

I can’t thank them enough.  If you don’t support this ministry, I want to encourage you to find out more about them and maybe even have them come present in your church.  You won’t regret it.  I believe we will feel the impact of their ministry for a long time to come here in South Africa.  I love what they do and what they stand for. 

Vision Team

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • We are only short $6000 to finish the new dorm-style cabins at Camp Rhino.   We just lack the roof, doors, lights, and some of the labor costs. Please be praying as we also hope to start the main auditorium construction before our main camp season starts in December.     
  • I’m so proud of the team of South Africans we get to work with.  The people in our churches did an amazing job volunteering.  I was blown away by those who stepped up and shared the Gospel to hundreds of people during the 4-day clinic.  I literally saw them grow by leaps and bounds right before my eyes.
  • Christmas Camp is Dec. 10-13. Sponsors are needed.

Prayer Requests & Praise  

  • Contacts.  Pray as we follow up on the over 2000 contacts we made this past week with the medical clinic we did with MMO. 
  • Pray for the over 250 people who made professions of faith this week in our clinic. 
  • Pray for our Bible college and Bible institute students as they grow in the Word of God.  We need more people to give their lives to start churches and reach the lost.   
  • My wife Amy’s hearing is doing well.  We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.  She’s not at the 3-month mark, which is the final test, but everything seems to be going very well.   
  • Pray for our surrounding countries.  We need more missionaries in order to reach Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Swaziland. 
  • Pray as we consider obtaining property to one day start building our own full-time medical clinic here in South Africa. 

Coffey Family September 2019 Prayer Letter

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Prayer request and Praise

  • We started a new teen Sunday school class for 13 to 15-year-olds at New Life Baptist Church because of recent growth.  Our classes are growing and we had another teen trust Christ this past week.  Camp Rhino is really helping us attract more teens. 
  • Our Bible Institutes and Bible College classes are going well.  We have 18 taking Bible Institute Courses and 4 going full time at Bible College.  We are praying and hoping for more young people to surrender to full-time ministry.   
  • My wife Amy’s surgery appears to have gone very well.  The doctor was happy with the results at her first appointment after the surgery, but we really won’t know how much her hearing has improved until the 3-month mark.  
  • Please be in prayer for Wells Estates Baptist Church.  It’s a church our team has had to restart.  Pastor Sipho is leading a team from New Life to minister each week in the Wells Estate’s community.  They are doing good work.

Quick Updates and Reminders

  • We now have $11,800 committed of the $20,000 needed for new dorm-style cabins at Camp Rhino.   Please be praying for the rest we need as we also hope to start the main auditorium construction before our main camp season starting in December.     
  • We had a terrific summer (winter for us) season of mission teams here in South Africa.  We have already heard of three individuals surrendering to full-time missions who were part of the 4 trips.    
  • Medical Missions Outreach arrives in South Africa to start a 4-day clinic on Sept. 19th.

About 15 young guys from the ages of 12-16 have been coming faithfully to New Life Baptist Church the past couple of months.   Almost all of them first responded to the Gospel while attending Camp Rhino.  This is a trend we hope to see in all of our churches.

When we first started praying about starting Camp Rhino, this is what we had in mind.  A place that would aid in getting more young people plugged into our local churches.  We’re now beginning to see that take place.  

Our goal is to see more churches started through everything we do.  Pray as we labor to impact more young people with the Gospel.  The foundation is still being laid.  We pray many young people are raised up with the burden to follow our King’s command to get the Gospel to every creature.  We know that command was given in the context of Bible-preaching churches.  If they have a church, they have a chance. 

Coffey Family July 2019 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests & Praise  

  • We praise the Lord for the 10 teenagers who made professions of faith this past week at Camp Rhino.  Pastor Gary Bohman and Pastor Chase Rooks from Gospel Light Baptist Church in Helena, AL did a tremendous job preaching for us.  
  • Our mission team from Gospel Light aided in our VBS at Wells Estates Baptist Church as well. Over 30 children made professions of faith during their time here.  Many prayed and fasted for these meetings and I believe God truly blessed in a special way.  We have not seen results like these in quite some time.  
  • I want to thank all of you who prayed for me regarding my recovery with spinal meningitis.  I believe God answered your prayers.  My energy has returned and for the past two weeks I have felt terrific.  I can’t thank you enough for praying.  
  • Please continue to pray for my wife Amy as she will probably be having ear surgery on August 6th.  

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • Almost $4000 of the $20,000 needed came in this past month to help with our construction needs at Camp Rhino.  We are in great need for staff housing here at Camp Rhino, and we praise the Lord for the help that has come in. 
  • We are so grateful for the mission teams that have visited this year.  Newton Baptist Church and Gospel Light Baptist Church were a great blessing.  We are looking froward to having Worth Baptist Church and our home church, Vision Baptist Church in the next weeks to finish out the summer season.  Pray God works in their lives in a great way during their time here.    

June and July have been the months of salvations.  On top of the souls saved at Camp Rhino and VBS, we’ve had a few saved in our services at New Life Baptist Church.  

A couple of weeks ago a man trusted Christ as Savior, and the following week his teenage son got saved as well.  We also had two teenage girls follow the Lord in believers baptism.  

We hope to see this trend continue as we work to share the Gospel and disciple those who have made a decision to accept Christ.  

I would ask you to pray concerning a problem we have.  For the last several months a deaf teenage boy has been attending our church.  My son Luke lead him to the Lord using a  dry erase white board.  We are really in need of a deaf ministry.  Please pray we can work something out soon. 

Again, thank you all for your prayers and financial support.  We couldn’t do what we love if it wasn’t for your help.

Coffey Family June 2019 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests and Praise

  • Please be in prayer for my wife Amy.  She has lost about 50% of her hearing over the last couple of months.  This week we found out the cause and the solution of her hearing loss.  Amy needs to have surgery on both ears.  If the surgery is successful she would regain 90% of her hearing.  We’re trying to decide the best place for her to have surgery right now.  If we stay here in South Africa, the surgery would be in August.
  • Pray for our mission teams coming to South Africa this summer.  Pastors Aaron Smith and Scott Young just left, and we currently have Newton Baptist Church with us.  We will have three more teams in July.     
  • As many of you know, I had viral meningitis a few weeks back and had to be in the hospital for a few days.  The worse of it is over, but some of the side effects are lingering a bit more than I was expecting.  It’s nothing serious, but the main problem is that I get tired really easy and have little energy before the day is over.  Please pray I can get past this and be energized for the ministry ahead.  

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • My son Tyler is now in Argentina on his six month internship.  Pray he has a great and productive time in South America. 
  • We are in great need for staff housing here at Camp Rhino.  I need to raise about $20,000 in the next weeks to get us where we need to be.  Pray we can complete the facilities we need soon.   
  • Our hopes are to have at least one full week of camp in July.  If we can work out housing for our staff, that won’t be a problem.  If we can’t we will probably have a few camp days where we bus in the teens.   

New Life Baptist Church is going well.  We have four students currently enrolled in our Bible College and the church is maturing.  

Because of problems at one of  our sister churches, our pastoral team is spreading out to pastor both churches at the same time.  

Right after services at New Life, Pastor Sipho, Khona (assistant pastor in training), and Mvume (song leader) will be driving over to Wells Estates Baptist Church and starting services.  We will also hold midweek services at Wells Estates on Thursdays. 

We are planning to start Bible institute classes in both churches this year for the growth of both congregations.  Pray for our team as we continue to ministry and see both churches prosper.      

Thank you all for your prayers and financial support.  It’s an honor to serve our Savior in South Africa and to be able to partner with you all in the ministry.  

Coffey Family May 2019 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests & Praise  

  • Please be in prayer for my son Tyler.  He is finishing up his missionary training degree at the Our Generation Training Center in Alpharetta, GA.  His last step is a 6 month internship in Argentina, with Missionaries Patrick and Leslie Henry.  If you are interested in helping my son, any support can be sent to our board.
  • Please be in prayer for our upcoming Purity Conference at Camp Rhino which is an event held for our ladies.  We are expecting a good turn out from all our churches in PE.    
  • Please also be in prayer for our Youth Day at Camp Rhino where all teens from our PE churches will be coming to Camp Rhino from 9am to 4pm on Saturday, May 18th.  Pray for souls to be saved and lives surrendered to the ministry.

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • We are excited to announce that Camp Rhino is now 100% debt free.  All of our dorm buildings, pool, pavilion, kitchen, and house have completely been paid for.  We are progressing new construction only as money comes in.
  • A special $3000 donation was given this past month to help finish 3 rooms and possibly help build a small storage facility.  
  • We are soon starting our mission team season here in South Africa.  Our first group arrives here on May 29th and we have groups through the summer until August 1st.  We then have a medical team that will be here in September.  We are honored to host these teams and pray that the Lord does a great work through them and in them during their time.  Please be in prayer for these teams as they ministry in S. Africa.

This has been the most unusual month for my family.  About 2 weeks ago I started feeling ill.  It started out as a sinus infection and turned into viral meningitis. I was down for several days at home and then ended up being in the hospital for three nights.

I’m still a little out of it and now recovering at home, but my very first time to spend the night in a hospital was very strange and different, especially when they put me in the isolation ward.  


I want to thank all those that prayed for me.  I am overwhelmed by the amount of prayer support that people gave.  Seeing everyone who mentioned they were praying for me on Facebook was very humbling and life changing.  

I believe that it was a much more serious situation that was diffused by all the prayer support.   I’m not sure how I contracted the meningitis, but I am thankful for all your prayers. 

Coffey Family March 2019 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests & Praise  

  • Several teens over the last few weeks have trusted Christ at New Life Baptist Church and followed the Lord in believers baptism.  We have a few more getting baptized this week as well.  Please pray for their spiritual growth in the days to come.
  • We now have 5 students enrolled at our Bible school, Bay Baptist College which started on Feb. 27th.  Pray for these young men as they prepare for ministry. 
  • Please pray we can raise up more song leaders.  This is slowing down our efforts to start more churches a bit.  For example, one of our preachers is leading music at New Life and can’t really pull away to start a church until we can replace him.    
  • We are in need of storage space for Camp Rhino.  Pray we we raise the $5000 for our first storage space.  

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • On March 10th we started a new church called Fitches Corner Baptist Church not far from Camp Rhino.  We had 3 adults, 6 teens, and several kids in attendance.  Our Sunday AM service starts at 9am so we can still make it to New Life by 11am.   
  • Fitches Corner Baptist Church is the first of 3 churches we hope to see started before the end of the year.  Pray as we do more to reach SA with the Gospel. 
  • Tim & Destiny Kelly arrive April 10th to help full time here at Camp Rhino.  Tim & Destiny were here last year for a 6-month intership, and we are very excited about having them back here full time.  They are still in need of a bit more monthly support and set up fund.  Please pray they can get that raised ASAP.  

10 years ago this month, God brought Tyler Ellis and Chase Southard into our home.  What we thought was going to be a 6-month stay, ended up beign a liiiittle longer.  God changed our family and all of our lives that day.  My 11 and 9 year old distant 2nd cousins, became my two oldest sons.  What a blessing it has been to see both of them grow into young men who love the Lord.  They are both now training to be missionaries and Tyler is raising support to for his 6-month internship in Argentina, South America with missionaries Patrick and Leslie Henry.  

  • Tyler, Mark, and Chase

Would you consider supporting him during his time in Argentina.  It would be a great blessing to him and especially to his parents living on the other side of the world:).   Any support can be sent for him to our mission, Vision Baptist Missions.

Coffey Family 2019 February Prayer Letter

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Prayer Requests & Praise    

  • We praise the Lord for having paid off over $14,000 of the $17,000 debt we had from starting Camp Rhino.  We only have about $2500 more to pay off.  Please pray we can knock the rest out as soon as possible.  Thank you all who prayed and gave. 
  • Classes for Bay Baptist College at Camp  Rhino are delayed until Feb. 26th.  We’ve had a few students back out but plan to have at least 3 guys and 1 lady begin studying for full time ministry.   Please pray for this first group of students.
  • Our son Chase has settled in Bible College well at the Our Generation Training Center in Alpharetta, Ga.  Please continue to pray for him.  He’s having major car problems right now.  

Quick Updates & Reminders:

  • Several teenagers made professions of faith this past month at New Life Baptist Church.  During one Wednesday evening  service we had three girls and three boys trust Christ.  The very next week three more teen boys trusted Christ, and last Sunday morning two more teen boys trusted Christ.  
  • My son Luke, lead a deaf boy to Christ last week who started attending church after being at Camp Rhino’s teen camp.  Luke worked at building a friendship despite not knowing sign language.  He learned he reads English  and for an hour used a white board to explain the Gospel.  He and his friend  both trusted Christ. 
  • This past week we hosted a men’s breakast with over 45 people at Camp Rhino and we will be having a marriage retreat with more than 50 this coming Saturday.    Pastor Wayne Cofield, a.k.a. my father-in-law, is the guest speaker.
Luke and his deaf friend Athi
Men’s Prayer Breakfast at Camp Rhino

Visa request: Please pray as we are in the process of obtaining long terms visas to stay in South Africa. We have friends who have struggled with getting their visas renewed and have even seen families change fields because of visa problems in South Africa. 

Our family is trying a different route at obtaining a visa that would hopefully enable us to apply for permanent residency.  Once we have permananent residence, there really isn’t any fear of not being able to stay in the country.   

We are in need of raising $2400 to cover the cost of the visa applications for my wife and I.  Because of using all we had to get the camp started, we are a little low on funds.  Please pray we are able to get the money we need asap, so we can be finished with the visa process. 

Thankfully all 3 of our kids living in South Africa did received their Study Visas which was a big answer to prayer.  So worse case scenario, we can leave our kids here by themselves to do the ministry:). 

Fruits of Camp Rhino

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Kyle exclaimed, “I had the opportunity to lead one of my teenagers to the Lord. That’s the first time I’ve ever done that.  He really understood what being saved means. Seeing him saved brought me so much joy.”

Camp Rhino exist because we want to see young people reached for Christ, but also because we want to see young people better trained to do the work of the ministry.  Our first week of camp offered a tremendous opportunity for our young people to gain valuable ministry experience.

So far, I have heard from 5 of our counselors who said that during camp they had the opportunity to lead someone to Christ for their very first time.  Wow!  I was really surprised.  How exciting to see these young people see the Lord use them to change someone’s life.

Of course, we at Camp Rhino want to see people saved, but it is even more important that we see those who are saved, trained and equipped in such a way they are effectively able to share their faith.  We not only have kids being saved, we have young people who now have confidence and boldness to go after the lost.

My prayer is that many of these young people surrender to full time ministry and from these weeks of camp, we see an army of church planters and godly young ladies raised up for the work of the ministry.  As you pray and support the ministry please don’t forget about the impact that’s being made among those who are lost and without Christ.

I’m still in awe over what’s been done here at Camp Rhino.  Remember, we just purchased Camp Rhino on October 31st of this year!  That’s crazy!  Check out what was ready before Camp started on December 11th:

  1. Guys dorm with 12 sets of triple bunk beds
  2. Guys bath house with 5 showers, 5 toilets, and 4 sinks
  3. Girls dorm with 14 sets of triple bunk beds
  4. Girls bath house with 5 showers, 5 toilets, and 4 sinks
  5. Covered pavilion with picnic tables with seating for over 100 people
  6. Game room
  7. Gaga pit
  8. Human foosball court
  9. Soccer field
  10. Fully functional commercial kitchen
  11. and to top it off a full in-ground swimming pool.

It is pretty unbelievable, and we did this almost completely debt free.  Notice the word “almost”:)  Please be in prayer.  We are in debt for about $17,000.  Seeing that we have a full camp property and a house we can live in, $17,000 isn’t looking too bad right now.

We do want to get this paid off as soon as possible though.  Once this is paid off, all extra funds that come in for the camp will be able to go toward making Camp Rhino even better.  Please pray.