I have not blogged for a long time! The past three weeks have been crazy. I have been so busy. After I left Pietermariztburg our group of 52 drove along the coast of South Africa, called the Garden Route. We drove from PMB to Capetown. We spent each night in a different city. We stopped in East London, Port Elizabeth, and George. Each place we stopped in was different from the last. South Africa is truly a unique country. It is so diverse. The beauty, the people, the landscape is all so different. During our drive we went from sprawling fields of green, to large villages, to mountains, to areas of desert. I am still so amazed at how different this country is. Each area has soemthign so unique about it. I love South Africa. As we were driving I was just blown away at the beauty of south Africa and how blessed I am to be able to see so much of the country that has captured my heart. As we were driving I was overwhelmed at the situation I am in. I am half way around the world, in an incredibly beautiful country, rich with culture, and I am blessed enough to see the entire country and experience things that the citizens of this country will never have the opportunity to experience. The more time I am here in this country, the more I have realized how deeply moved I am by the people of the country. It has During our garden route drive we were able to do a few different things. One day we did these adventure caves which as crazy. We crawled through caves. It sounds kind of lame, but it was really cool. After the caves we went to an ostrich farm. Random, yes, but also fun. We were able to ride the ostriches. I am quite positive that they are one of the ugliest creatures on this planet. Along the way we were able to go bungee jumping. We went bungee jumping off the highest bridge in the world. I loved it, absolutely loved it. It was crazy. By far one of the coolest experiences I have had. The bridge overlooks these beautiful mountains and the ocean. The jump itself is about 7 seconds of free fall. It was so much fun. I would love to do it again.
I have spent the last week at the Bible Institue of South Africa. It is about a twenty or thirty minute drive, or 45 minute train ride, into the heart of Capetown. It is in a city called Kalk Bay. It is a little beach town. I love it. It kind of reminds me of home. It is absolutely beautiful. Our campus overlooks the ocean and the mountains. Every morning I run on the beach while the sunrises. I love it. Our group has been split in half, so while half of us have been here at the Bible Institute, the other half of the group has been living with homestays in a nearby coloured community called Ocean View. I will be switching over to Ocean View this evening and staying with my host family, Clive and Lucy for a week, then we will all meet up again as a group and spend two nights together in capetown before the group flies home to the states and I fly back to PMB. This part of the semester has been interesting. I have loved the freedom and being in capetown. The city is beautiful and I am beyond blessed to be able to see the things I have been seeing and experience a whole new side of south Africa, but I miss Haniville. I miss my friends in Haniville. I find myself constantly thinking about the people there and the relationships I have formed. Being at BI though has given me a lot more time to just unwind and really examine why I am in South Africa. I had a really interesting talk with Njabulo the other day. I called to check in on him and see how he was doing and we ended up talking for an hour or so about Haniville and the reason I am going back. he asked my opinion of South Africa and I asked him his opinion of APU students in Haniville. He told me that the people of Haniville can very easily tell when people are there to truly get to know the people, or when people are there to take pictures, build a house and cross it off their list. That hurt my heart. Njabulo was passionate about this. He explained that the people of Haniville are not just something to be observed, which I completely agree with. It made me think a lot. I have really been wrestling with God’s plan for this summer and what his purpose is of bringing me back to South Africa and placing me in Haniville for the next three months. I am confused. As I was talking to Jay about Haniville I told him that I see a lot of hope within his community and a lot of the people I have met have so much truth and joy within them. He told me he didn’t see this, that he is ready to get out of Haniville and that he himself does not see the hope. It made me think. Who am I to come into this community and try to encourage the youth to be the leaders of Haniville and stick around when that is the last place they want to be? I have no idea the pain and the struggles that come from living within a township. I have been praying earnestly that God will reveal to me where my role is with this. I have been praying for wisdom. I do not know whether or not I am supposed to be encouraging individuals to rise up as leaders in Haniville or help them find a way to leave Haniville. I have been praying for divine intervention and for the holy spirit to truly guide my time there. During. our conversations a lot of my prayers were answered in different ways. I have been praying that God will convict my heart of things that are not of him and I realized that lot of the things I had planned for this summer, were my plans, I had not consulted God, I had not prayed for his guidance. I was really convicted of this and humbled. I really sat and thought about what this summer is about. I realized that I need to continue to put God at the center and give each day to him. I want my time in Haniville to be used for his glorification and praise. I need to be reminded and humbled, day after day, that my life is not my own, my time, my plans are not my own, they are HIS. I pray that I will be able to give each day to him while I am in south Africa and put my trust in him. His plans are so perfect and beautiful, far greater than anything that I could try to think up. I am praying that my time here will not be my own, but that it will be his. I am praying for divine appointments, for wisdom, for trust and for God to really just reveal his plan and purpose of my time in Haniville. One of my biggest prayers is that the Holy Spirit will be the guiding force of my time here. Another thing I have been struggling with is what difference does it make? What is my time in haniville actually doing? It is worth it? I have to continue to remind myself that God has brought me here for a very specific reason and I need to trust in that. Sometimes I get so confused. I have been convicted lately of this idea of loving my neighbor and what it should look like in my life. I have a hard time with this concept because for me I have an intense love for South Africa, and for the impoverished people of this community. I have grown to deeply love and care about Africa. My passion for this country is only growing my the day, but is it wrong or pointless for me to spend all my time here, when there are people in my own house in America, on my own street hurting just as badly, just in different ways? I am confused, to say the least.
During my time in cape town I have been reading a lot more. I just finished a book called khayelitsha. It is a story of a white south Africa living in a black township in the heart of capetwon. This story is beautiful. I loved the book. It is all about his experiences as a white man in a township and the journey that it led him on. During his time in the township he was forced to confront his own racial prejudices face to face and also learned a big lesson in community and genuine friendship. I feel like these are things that I am also discovering. I have been looking at my heart a lot lately and doing a lot of thinking. The way that south Africa works and the way they approach race has made me do a lot of self examination. I have been looking at my own prejudices. As the writer of the book described his time in Khayelitsha and the impact it had on his life, I was moved to tears over and over again. The words he used to describe the love he ahd and the way the community had treated him overhwlemd me because it describes the way I feel about haniville. I can see myself living here, in south Africa, in a township and being completely content. The toehr day I as talking to sihle and he asked me when I was coming home, I told him august 1st, because that is hwen my flight to America is, and he said, no allie home to haniville. I am blessed to be able to say I have another home in South Africa. Haniville is quickly becoming my second home. It is shaping me more and more each day and the people there are becoming more and more like family as I am able to deepen relatonships.
On Wednesday we went to Langa township. Langa is the oldest township. It is predominately Xhosa. Our group went on a tour of langa. I was so frustrated and angry that “township tours” actually exist and that APU was taking part of this. Yet I went, and I actually had a good time. We went to this place called Mzoli’s Meats for lunch. It is a place where rich and poor, black and white, South African and foreigner meet and share a meal. It was a beautiful image of the growth that is going on within South Africa and the reconciliation that is possible. One thng that I never get used to in South Africa is the contrast that exists within this country. Even within Langa, a township, there were very distinct contrasts. We walked through a neighborhood called Beverly hills, which was really nice, then across the street was the informal settlement where the immigrants live. I was amazed at this. I was also forced to think about the impact that American culture has had on life in south Africa.
On Thursday our group went to Robben Island, where Mandela and hundreds of other freedom fighters were imprisoned for years as political prisoners during the struggle against apartheid. Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years during apartheid. When he came out he easily could have created a civil war, yet he came out asking for peace and reconciliation. The story of Mandela and South Africa is one of the most beautiful stories in history, in my opinion. I have no idea how any human being could come out of prison after nearly thirty years with open arms, ready to forgive and move forwards towards peace and forgiveness. I feel so privileged and blessed to be able to see a place like Robben island. It holds so much history and so much beauty.
Yesterday our group hiked up table mountain. It was hard. Oh my goodness that is nature’s ultimate stairmaster. I am so sore today. Table mountain is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It is a 360 view of capetown. I love it up there. Once again, South Africa’s beauty never ceases to amaze me.
Everywhere we go in south Africa there is a giant buzz about 2010, the world cup. It is crazy here, understandably. As the nation gears up for the world cup, I cant help but feel a little bit discouraged by the things that are happening around world cup. There are buildings being built in front of shantytowns to hide the squatter camps. There are thousands of dollars being poured into things to make the nation look beautiful, while hiding places where, in my opinion, the beauty actually lies. I hate that the government is spending money on hiding the problems instead of fixing it. It enrages me. As world cup hype grows I am also aware of all the danger that lies within 2010. The children of south Africa are now a huge target for child slavery. Prostitution has been legalized. Human trafficking is going to go through the roof here. It hurts my heart, deeply hurts my heart, to think of the things that are going to happen this summer in South Africa.
I leave for homestays tonight. I am so excited. I am excited to be living within a coloured community and get to spend time with a family. My prayer is that I will really be able to listen and engage with them. I have so much to learn about south Africa. I want to hear more about the things that shape everyday life here. After my homestay I will be heading back to Haniville. I cant wait for may 5th, when I get to go home!
II Corinthians 5:
Heavenly dwelling.
"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
the last two weeks in pietermariztburg
Matthew 5
The Beatitudes
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"the way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things. The blessed ones who possess the kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing. These are the 'poor in spirit.' They have reached an inward state paralleling the outward circumstances of the common beggar in the streets of Jerusalem. that is what the word poor as Christ used it actually means. These blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things ... though free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all thing, theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
A.W. Tozer
These past two weeks have been a crazy whirlwind. we are finishing up our time at AE. i leave tomorrow morning at 5 am for capetown. We are driving the Garden Route from here to Capetown and will be stopping each night in a new city. I am blessed to be able to see so much of South Africa. My love for this country is only growing.
i spent the last five days on safari and in a zulu village.
the couple of days leading up the safari were a bit more difficult though. we had our final days at walk in the light and spent friday, saturday and sunday with the senior youth. We spent the whole week finishing Mandla's house. We did not completely finish it, but we got close. We worked at walk in the light on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then had a debriefing day on Thursday, then Friday was our "study day" for our finals on Saturday. Saturday was finals, then Sunday was Easter. We left Monday morning at 530 for the safari. Good Friday was my favorite day in South Africa so far. I went to Haniville with tanya, Jon, and our friend's mom. We went to show Lauren's mom Haniville and Jon is working on a photo book about Haniville so he needed to go get some more pictures of the township before we leave PMB. it was the four of us Americans and the four senior youth boys. we spent the day walking through haniville and just hanging out with one another. we stopped by Mandla's and prayed and vistited for a while. as we walked, i felt at home. i felt at ease. It was the first time that i felt like i was finally able to see haniville in a different way. i was not surrounded by 20 other white americans, which i loved, dont get me wrong, it is just a different type of experience. while we were walking around the township i was able to have a great conversation with Njabulo about God. one of the things that i have learned over and over again here is that the one thing that truly can bridge any gap, and bring people together is God. We are two very different people, from completely different backgrounds. we have different joys, different struggles, yet we are bonded together as brother and sister in the name of Jesus. i am still continually so amazed by this. each day.
The senior youth continue to amaze me. They spent thursday through sunday together, praying and fasting. they all spent the night at the house of walk in the light from thursday until sunday. they are so committed to the church, to their relationship with God, and to one another. they truly are a body of christ, united under his name, and they are visible acting as his hands and feet to their neighbors. i have said this so many times before in this blog, but they are truly teaching me so much about the Kingdom of God. i am continually challenged and humbled by their love and commitment. they have chosen to follow Jesus, and they will give up anything in order to seek him more earnestly. It was cool to be able to meet the youth where they are and see them in their element. Njabulo took us to his house, where we met his whole family. i loved it. i loved every minute of that day. i am so excited for the next four months. as i was walking around haniville, i felt at home. i felt at peace. i know that sounds super cheesy but it really is how i feel. my love for this place grows more and more each day. it is surprising me. one thing that i was overwhelmed by in haniville on friday though was the alcohol. there was so much alcohol that day. it was 3 in the afternoon and i feel like every home i passed there were people out front drinking, and drunk people passing us on the streets. alcoholism is such a huge problem in haniville. it has such a strong hold on so many families. there were bottles laying around everywhere on the street.
there is so much more i want to know about haniville, and so much more i have to learn. i want to be able to truly hear from the community the root problems in that township. i am so interested in life in haniville. i want to hear more about it. i want to hear what it was like to grow up there. i want to know the joys and struggles of the township. i am so excited to continue to learn more and more about this place as my time here continues.
On Saturday we took our exams. i am officially done with my isiZulu class. praise the lord.
Sunday was easter! it was an incredible day. we went to walk in the light church. most of church was in Zulu but it didnt matter. it was just a minor detail. i feel like i saw and felt the spirit moving more in that church then i usually do in an english speaking church. worship was incredible. you could see the genuine hearts of worship among the congregation. of course, there was a lot of dancing. dancing up and down the isles, dancing in the front of the church, lots of clapping and cheering. i loved it. there is so much life in south africa. it is so vibrant. The God that i love and i seek out, and the God that meets me where i am, does the same for the people in that church. there is nothing that God does not transcend.
Sthembileh
she is one of the senior youth. she is incredible. She speaks a lot at church. she spoke on sunday. she was speaking so much truth, she was a vessel of God's words. she is 18 years old. she lost both her parents a couple years ago. she moved to haniville after that. she is going to college right now. she has a lot of big dreams. God is going to use her in incredible ways. when she speaks, people listen. she is genuinely seeking God, each day. she has chosen to live her life by his standards. She is living for his kingdom. i am so amazed by her. She speaks truth everytime she talks.
she planned the entire easter weekend services. she is an incredible woman. i love spending time with her. she spoke shortly about our time together. i didnt realize that they cared for our group of students the way that they did. she said it perfect when she said, we were all able to come together in the name of jesus and love one another, regardless of any other circumstances. i was so touched by her.
After church Sthembileh, Sipho, Sihle, Snash, Njabulo, and Tash came back to AE for the day. it was a good day. it was our last day with the senior youth. we spent the day just hanging out. when we said goodbye, it was really hard. everyone was crying. i guess i had not realized how deep the friendships we all had formed with one another really were until that night. it was a lot of emotions. watching them say goodbye to everyone made my heart hurt. i am really starting to resent short term missions. i am ready to move her. i am ready to really start ministry in the place that God has called me to. i just wish it would happen sooner. hah i am having a hard time finding patience and trusting that God's timing is better than my own.
We spent all of last week on a safari and in a rural zulu village. the past week was crazy. our group split up because we are too large. half of us went to safari and half went to the village, then we switched half way through. i went to safari first. it was so much fun. i just love being in this country. it was so nice to be able to get away and just hang out with everyone. i have grown to love each individual on this semester so much. we just have fun together. one of my favorite parts of the safari was the drive to the safari. it was a five hour drive. i love car rides. i have spent more time in buses this past semester then in my entire life, yet i am growing quite fond of long drives. i love seeing how different south africa is. it truly is one of the most captivating places. i was sick on safari with a bad head cold and cough, but other than that, it was a great couple of days. while we were on safari the other group got really sick in the Zulu village. 20 out of 27 of that group got sick. a few were hospitalized. When we switched groups, we were all extremely hesitant to go into the village, but it turned out good. I really enjoyed it actually. i think that i would eventually love to spend some time in a village. we stayed in mud huts with the local people. it was great. we spent the first night there zulu dancing. In the Zulu culture there is a specific dance that they do. They throw their leg up and slam it down on the ground. youtube zulu dancing and see it. hah. i love that song and dance is such an integral part of life here in SA. it is a part of everything. while the ladies were cooking, they sang, as we sat around the fireplace, we sang as a group. we offered a song as a thank you to them for dancing. it is incredible to see how alive the people of South Africa are. my favorite part of the night though was the stars. they were unreal. i have never seen that many stars before. i am amazed at my creator. last week, on Good Friday, i went for a run early in the morning, and on my way back from this huge hill i stopped and looked at the trees. they were swaying, line by line, in perfect rhythm. I was taken aback by this for a good 20 minutes. i was humbled. i felt like i was watching creation cry out to its creator. creation was praising him. it was unlike anything i have experienced before. i feel like i am experiencing God in so many new ways here. I am seeing him work in the smallest ways.
(brandon hook photography)
I really loved being in the village though. despite the fact that we were all scared we were going to get sick the whole time, it was really nice to be away from the business and really get to experience the Zulu culture. The next day we took a hike with a local medicine man up through the mountains. he showed us all of the different trees and plants that the Zulu people have been using as medication for generations and generations. We hiked to another village, where we spent some time with the local ladies who were doing beadwork. Beadwork is very popular in Zulu culture. After that we hiked back down to our village and relaxed for a couple hours. After that we learned a little bit about the fighting part of zulu culture. The Zulus are very big on fighting. they are known as warriors. from a young age, the boys are taught how to fight. they handed us swords and shields made out of plants. then told us to fight. it was a hilarious hour.
the next day we woke up and had breakfast then we built another mud hut. to be honest, i was not super excited about this. building those huts are hard work. it takes a lot of energy. we worked on that for an hour and half then showered and left. out showers were fun. they were just a curtain with this pully bucket thing that dumped out water on us. it was quite the adventure.
we leave tomorrow morning at 6 for our journey to capetown. we will be driving for 5 days. we are stopping along the major coastal cities on our way. on tuesday i will be going bungee jumping and then adventure cave diving. i wont have internet until next week.
The Beatitudes
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"the way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things. The blessed ones who possess the kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing. These are the 'poor in spirit.' They have reached an inward state paralleling the outward circumstances of the common beggar in the streets of Jerusalem. that is what the word poor as Christ used it actually means. These blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things ... though free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all thing, theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
A.W. Tozer
These past two weeks have been a crazy whirlwind. we are finishing up our time at AE. i leave tomorrow morning at 5 am for capetown. We are driving the Garden Route from here to Capetown and will be stopping each night in a new city. I am blessed to be able to see so much of South Africa. My love for this country is only growing.
i spent the last five days on safari and in a zulu village.
the couple of days leading up the safari were a bit more difficult though. we had our final days at walk in the light and spent friday, saturday and sunday with the senior youth. We spent the whole week finishing Mandla's house. We did not completely finish it, but we got close. We worked at walk in the light on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then had a debriefing day on Thursday, then Friday was our "study day" for our finals on Saturday. Saturday was finals, then Sunday was Easter. We left Monday morning at 530 for the safari. Good Friday was my favorite day in South Africa so far. I went to Haniville with tanya, Jon, and our friend's mom. We went to show Lauren's mom Haniville and Jon is working on a photo book about Haniville so he needed to go get some more pictures of the township before we leave PMB. it was the four of us Americans and the four senior youth boys. we spent the day walking through haniville and just hanging out with one another. we stopped by Mandla's and prayed and vistited for a while. as we walked, i felt at home. i felt at ease. It was the first time that i felt like i was finally able to see haniville in a different way. i was not surrounded by 20 other white americans, which i loved, dont get me wrong, it is just a different type of experience. while we were walking around the township i was able to have a great conversation with Njabulo about God. one of the things that i have learned over and over again here is that the one thing that truly can bridge any gap, and bring people together is God. We are two very different people, from completely different backgrounds. we have different joys, different struggles, yet we are bonded together as brother and sister in the name of Jesus. i am still continually so amazed by this. each day.
The senior youth continue to amaze me. They spent thursday through sunday together, praying and fasting. they all spent the night at the house of walk in the light from thursday until sunday. they are so committed to the church, to their relationship with God, and to one another. they truly are a body of christ, united under his name, and they are visible acting as his hands and feet to their neighbors. i have said this so many times before in this blog, but they are truly teaching me so much about the Kingdom of God. i am continually challenged and humbled by their love and commitment. they have chosen to follow Jesus, and they will give up anything in order to seek him more earnestly. It was cool to be able to meet the youth where they are and see them in their element. Njabulo took us to his house, where we met his whole family. i loved it. i loved every minute of that day. i am so excited for the next four months. as i was walking around haniville, i felt at home. i felt at peace. i know that sounds super cheesy but it really is how i feel. my love for this place grows more and more each day. it is surprising me. one thing that i was overwhelmed by in haniville on friday though was the alcohol. there was so much alcohol that day. it was 3 in the afternoon and i feel like every home i passed there were people out front drinking, and drunk people passing us on the streets. alcoholism is such a huge problem in haniville. it has such a strong hold on so many families. there were bottles laying around everywhere on the street.
there is so much more i want to know about haniville, and so much more i have to learn. i want to be able to truly hear from the community the root problems in that township. i am so interested in life in haniville. i want to hear more about it. i want to hear what it was like to grow up there. i want to know the joys and struggles of the township. i am so excited to continue to learn more and more about this place as my time here continues.
On Saturday we took our exams. i am officially done with my isiZulu class. praise the lord.
Sunday was easter! it was an incredible day. we went to walk in the light church. most of church was in Zulu but it didnt matter. it was just a minor detail. i feel like i saw and felt the spirit moving more in that church then i usually do in an english speaking church. worship was incredible. you could see the genuine hearts of worship among the congregation. of course, there was a lot of dancing. dancing up and down the isles, dancing in the front of the church, lots of clapping and cheering. i loved it. there is so much life in south africa. it is so vibrant. The God that i love and i seek out, and the God that meets me where i am, does the same for the people in that church. there is nothing that God does not transcend.
Sthembileh
she is one of the senior youth. she is incredible. She speaks a lot at church. she spoke on sunday. she was speaking so much truth, she was a vessel of God's words. she is 18 years old. she lost both her parents a couple years ago. she moved to haniville after that. she is going to college right now. she has a lot of big dreams. God is going to use her in incredible ways. when she speaks, people listen. she is genuinely seeking God, each day. she has chosen to live her life by his standards. She is living for his kingdom. i am so amazed by her. She speaks truth everytime she talks.
she planned the entire easter weekend services. she is an incredible woman. i love spending time with her. she spoke shortly about our time together. i didnt realize that they cared for our group of students the way that they did. she said it perfect when she said, we were all able to come together in the name of jesus and love one another, regardless of any other circumstances. i was so touched by her.
After church Sthembileh, Sipho, Sihle, Snash, Njabulo, and Tash came back to AE for the day. it was a good day. it was our last day with the senior youth. we spent the day just hanging out. when we said goodbye, it was really hard. everyone was crying. i guess i had not realized how deep the friendships we all had formed with one another really were until that night. it was a lot of emotions. watching them say goodbye to everyone made my heart hurt. i am really starting to resent short term missions. i am ready to move her. i am ready to really start ministry in the place that God has called me to. i just wish it would happen sooner. hah i am having a hard time finding patience and trusting that God's timing is better than my own.
We spent all of last week on a safari and in a rural zulu village. the past week was crazy. our group split up because we are too large. half of us went to safari and half went to the village, then we switched half way through. i went to safari first. it was so much fun. i just love being in this country. it was so nice to be able to get away and just hang out with everyone. i have grown to love each individual on this semester so much. we just have fun together. one of my favorite parts of the safari was the drive to the safari. it was a five hour drive. i love car rides. i have spent more time in buses this past semester then in my entire life, yet i am growing quite fond of long drives. i love seeing how different south africa is. it truly is one of the most captivating places. i was sick on safari with a bad head cold and cough, but other than that, it was a great couple of days. while we were on safari the other group got really sick in the Zulu village. 20 out of 27 of that group got sick. a few were hospitalized. When we switched groups, we were all extremely hesitant to go into the village, but it turned out good. I really enjoyed it actually. i think that i would eventually love to spend some time in a village. we stayed in mud huts with the local people. it was great. we spent the first night there zulu dancing. In the Zulu culture there is a specific dance that they do. They throw their leg up and slam it down on the ground. youtube zulu dancing and see it. hah. i love that song and dance is such an integral part of life here in SA. it is a part of everything. while the ladies were cooking, they sang, as we sat around the fireplace, we sang as a group. we offered a song as a thank you to them for dancing. it is incredible to see how alive the people of South Africa are. my favorite part of the night though was the stars. they were unreal. i have never seen that many stars before. i am amazed at my creator. last week, on Good Friday, i went for a run early in the morning, and on my way back from this huge hill i stopped and looked at the trees. they were swaying, line by line, in perfect rhythm. I was taken aback by this for a good 20 minutes. i was humbled. i felt like i was watching creation cry out to its creator. creation was praising him. it was unlike anything i have experienced before. i feel like i am experiencing God in so many new ways here. I am seeing him work in the smallest ways.
(brandon hook photography)
I really loved being in the village though. despite the fact that we were all scared we were going to get sick the whole time, it was really nice to be away from the business and really get to experience the Zulu culture. The next day we took a hike with a local medicine man up through the mountains. he showed us all of the different trees and plants that the Zulu people have been using as medication for generations and generations. We hiked to another village, where we spent some time with the local ladies who were doing beadwork. Beadwork is very popular in Zulu culture. After that we hiked back down to our village and relaxed for a couple hours. After that we learned a little bit about the fighting part of zulu culture. The Zulus are very big on fighting. they are known as warriors. from a young age, the boys are taught how to fight. they handed us swords and shields made out of plants. then told us to fight. it was a hilarious hour.
the next day we woke up and had breakfast then we built another mud hut. to be honest, i was not super excited about this. building those huts are hard work. it takes a lot of energy. we worked on that for an hour and half then showered and left. out showers were fun. they were just a curtain with this pully bucket thing that dumped out water on us. it was quite the adventure.
we leave tomorrow morning at 6 for our journey to capetown. we will be driving for 5 days. we are stopping along the major coastal cities on our way. on tuesday i will be going bungee jumping and then adventure cave diving. i wont have internet until next week.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Matthew 5
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
this week we finished the service sites part of our semester. we ended on wednesday by taking communion at walk in the light as a group. Walk in the light has a separate piece of property across the street from the main property. This land overlooks all of pietermariztburg. it can be seen from anywhere in the city. it touches the township of haniville. Bruce has set up a trust with the land. the land is for the people of Haniville. he has a vision for this land. Eventually, if God wills it, it will be turned into a community center. God has so clearly anointed walk in the light. it is his ministry. that is his land. i am praying for continued divine appointments for the people of haniville. i pray that the spirit will continue to move across the township. as we stood on the hill and prayed over haniville as a group i was overwhelmed with the hope that Jesus has promised us. he promises restoration, healing and strength. he is in haniville. he was there long before i ever arrived and he will continue to be there. He has equipped Neels, Bruce and Phindile to do his work in unimaginable ways. God is so clearly the center of Walk in the Light.
Mandla
Mandla is HIV positive and has TB. Two years ago he was stabbed in the back by his daughter's boyfriend, and since then he has been paralyzed. For the past week and a half, our group of 24 have been working on building him a new house. Mandla is an incredible man. his story is a story of forgiveness. he still lives with his daughter. he is not bitter towards her at all, even though her boyfriend is the man that took away his mobility, his freedom. he has chosen to forgive her and to love her.
this is mandla's older house. we added on to this one because it faced the wrong way. the door of mandla's old house faced the weather ... when it rained his house would. we added on a whole other house in front of this.
playing with mud :)
part of the process of building a house like Mandla's is digging up the dirt, then making mud. we started by clearing the front yard, then using all this dirt to make the mud that eventually covered the walls. in order to create mud, we made big holes then added water and mixed. we mixed the mud by getting barefoot and stomping around in the mud. we had a lot of fun making the mud, clearly ...
Senior Youth:
i have so much fun with them. i feel like i have moved past just seeing the youth on weekdays and just spending time with them because they are at my service sites. they are my friends. i would hang out with them regardless of location, regardless of circumstances. this week tanya and i gave them journals before we left. we put in different bible verses, notes and pictures for the four boys (sihle, tash, njabulo, and snash). As we were making these journals, i was taken aback by how deeply i have grown to care for them. i have grown to really enjoy their company. they have become good friends. we pray for each other and with one another. we laugh. we hang out. it has been such a surprise. i did not anticipate growing so close with them so quickly. i am humbled by their friendship with one another. i humbled by their hope and their willingness to continually find God in every situation.. they listen earnestly to the voice of God and they respond to it. i am going to miss them while i am gone the next 5 weeks in capetown! i cherish my time with them.
senior youth girls
senior youth bonfire.
last friday we met with the senior youth again. we came together and talked about the things that are holding us back from truly experiencing God's love, the burdens, the pain, the people we have yet to forgive, the strongholds in our life. We all wrote them down, then came together and burned them together in the fire, then worshipped and sang with one another. it was a great night. there was no difference between the APU students and the walk in the light youth. we were a group of senior youth. we sang in zulu and english. we prayed in zulu and english. God transcends all barriers. i am so amazed at these youth and their stories. their strength and perseverance continually surprises me and challenges me.
Sihle
i have blogged about him before. i am thankful for him. i am thankful that he is in my life. his story is incredible. i have never met anyone that is more of a testament to faith and hope. Sihle's dad died when he was 7, and his mom died when he was 13. After that he moved in with his older sister and brother in Haniville. He stayed there for a bit, but they always told him that he was a nuisance and that they didnt want him. one night his sister locked him out of the house. it was raining. he had no where to go. that night he slept in the toliet outside. as he told me this, he couldnt look me in the eye. i could see the pain in him. after that he moved in with his grandma. Because Sihle lost both his parents, he received a grant from the government. His grandma took that grant money to build an extra house. While he lived with his grandma, she would cosntantly watch him and monitor his actions. he was only aloud a certain amount of food. he said he hated living there, he would invite friends over but would not even be able to offer them a glass of juice. his grandma was constantly telling him that he was a bad kid, that no one else would ever want him, that he was lucky she was around. eventually Sihle got sick of it, and moved in with his aunt and cousins. The same sort of situation happened at his aunts house. we was shown no love, constantly told that he was unwanted. His aunt moved into a new home, and did not invite sihle to join. that left him completely alone. he has no one. he moved in with his best friend, njabulo and his family. Njabulo gives Sihle half of all of his meals. they share a bed, they have become brothers. my heart breaks for sihle. he has never been shown real love. he does not know what the love of a family should look like. he has only been told that he is not worthy of love, that he is not good enough. the other day i was helping him fill out an application and there was a line that said, who is your parent/guardian...he turned to me and said, allie i dont have either. what am i supposed to say for that? no 19 year old should ever have to say that. no one should ever be alone like that in the world. the thing that has transformed me the most and challenged me the most is sihle's attitude towards this. he keeps telling me that God has a plan, that his suffering is not for nothing. he chooses to believe that God's love is bigger and will overcome his pain. i dont understand how he can choose joy each day. he is an incredible man of God. each and every day i am amazed at who he is and i thank God for putting him in my life. the other day we were talking and he said, "i have come to realize that God is creating a new family for me, he put you in my life allie as my sister, and njabulo is now my brother." i am privileged to know him. if you get the chance, just lift him up in prayer. pray for opportunities. i have no doubt that God is shaping him in this way for a very specific reason. he has an incredibly beautiful plan for Sihle's life.
njabulo and tash
Njabulo is a joy. his name in zulu means happiness. he brings so much joy everywhere he goes. he is 19 years old. his mom works at walk in the light in the fields. Njabulo is a natural leader. people listen when he talks. he has so much potential. his friendship and loyalty towards sihle has humbled me. he gives everything he has to his friends, and he does it all for the glory and praise of our Father. he has taught me a lot about being a light, and shining for God. i am always laughing when Njabulo is around.
Tash:
Tash is a singer. he is so wise. he has taught me about what it means to sit and listen. he is a deep thinker. sometimes while we are all talking i can tell that he just escapes into his head. i am proud of the man that he is. he was telling me a little bit about his life and he was saying that everyday is a struggle for him. he grew up without a father. he adores his mother. he says that it is only because of her that he is doing something with his life. he was explaining to me how hard it was for him to learn what it meant to respect others because he never had the man figure in his life. this is the story for so many south africans.
last week i had a very interesting conversation with some of the boys about relationships. there is a very sad outlook on relationships within haniville. as i was talking to the boys about the relationships in their life, they explained to me that they are dating girls because they do not cheat on them, and they dont ask for things. that to them is a catch. that is what they expect. that hurt my heart. they have no idea what they deserve. they do not love the way it was intended. there is such a twisted idea of love here. there is a huge fear of being alone as well. there are deep insecurities within many of the south african communities.
Sipho:
sipho is an incredible woman of God. i am amazed at her story and at her joy. she is 18 years old. she lives in Haniville. Her mom died when she was 16. Her dad died years ago, but she never really knew him. She lives with her older sister, 2 younger syblings, and 2 orphans her mother took in while she was still alive. Sipho devotes all of her time to these kids. she is the mother of the house. she is 18 years old. she is still a child herself. when i was asking her about her daily routine, she said that she woke up, got the kids ready for school, did the laundry, if there was food, she would cook it for the kids, if not, then they would wait for tomorrow for food. she said this so nonchalantly. "if there is food." my heart sank. i have never had to question where my next meal will come from. i am amazed at the woman of God that Sipho is. she is beautiful. she has an incredible mind. she wants to go to university and study business but she has no money. Money is what is stopping her from her dreams. i have heard so many stories like this one, yet they still break my heart. i am amazed at the hope and the faith that these senior youth choose. they choose to see God in their circumstances. I am so excited to spend more time with Sipho. She is so full of life and joy.
Snash
he is one of a kind. Snash speaks the least English, but i have found that i have learned the most from him and his actions. He doesnt need to talk much. He is a light. I see Jesus in him. He earnestly seeks out God. he strives to imitate Christ daily. He grew up in the more rural areas of south africa. his dad died when he was 2. He moved to Haniville in 2005, which is when he begun to attend walk in the light. i have learned alot by watching snash and the way he treats the people around him. he always makes himself available to his neighbor, he always puts others ahead of himself. the other day we had been working all day at Mandla's house and he didnt have any lunch, so i gave him an extra muffin. he didnt take it for himself. he split it up into 12 or 13 small pieces and passed it out to all of the children. i have countless stories like that about snash.
i have been learning more and more about the power that lies within each of us. God has created us with a plan and a purpose. our heart, our brokeness, our pain is a beautiful thing when used for his glory. our stories are his testament of grace, faithfulness, hope, and love. the people of haniville have reminded me of the sovereignty of our creator. i am continually so amazed at the ways God works within and through his children.
some pictures from the last week and a half...
as we built mandla's house, the kids would come by and help out.
Felicia and Sane
Phindille and I. one of the most incredible woman i know
Durban. i just love each of these girls
l
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
this week we finished the service sites part of our semester. we ended on wednesday by taking communion at walk in the light as a group. Walk in the light has a separate piece of property across the street from the main property. This land overlooks all of pietermariztburg. it can be seen from anywhere in the city. it touches the township of haniville. Bruce has set up a trust with the land. the land is for the people of Haniville. he has a vision for this land. Eventually, if God wills it, it will be turned into a community center. God has so clearly anointed walk in the light. it is his ministry. that is his land. i am praying for continued divine appointments for the people of haniville. i pray that the spirit will continue to move across the township. as we stood on the hill and prayed over haniville as a group i was overwhelmed with the hope that Jesus has promised us. he promises restoration, healing and strength. he is in haniville. he was there long before i ever arrived and he will continue to be there. He has equipped Neels, Bruce and Phindile to do his work in unimaginable ways. God is so clearly the center of Walk in the Light.
Mandla
Mandla is HIV positive and has TB. Two years ago he was stabbed in the back by his daughter's boyfriend, and since then he has been paralyzed. For the past week and a half, our group of 24 have been working on building him a new house. Mandla is an incredible man. his story is a story of forgiveness. he still lives with his daughter. he is not bitter towards her at all, even though her boyfriend is the man that took away his mobility, his freedom. he has chosen to forgive her and to love her.
this is mandla's older house. we added on to this one because it faced the wrong way. the door of mandla's old house faced the weather ... when it rained his house would. we added on a whole other house in front of this.
playing with mud :)
part of the process of building a house like Mandla's is digging up the dirt, then making mud. we started by clearing the front yard, then using all this dirt to make the mud that eventually covered the walls. in order to create mud, we made big holes then added water and mixed. we mixed the mud by getting barefoot and stomping around in the mud. we had a lot of fun making the mud, clearly ...
Senior Youth:
i have so much fun with them. i feel like i have moved past just seeing the youth on weekdays and just spending time with them because they are at my service sites. they are my friends. i would hang out with them regardless of location, regardless of circumstances. this week tanya and i gave them journals before we left. we put in different bible verses, notes and pictures for the four boys (sihle, tash, njabulo, and snash). As we were making these journals, i was taken aback by how deeply i have grown to care for them. i have grown to really enjoy their company. they have become good friends. we pray for each other and with one another. we laugh. we hang out. it has been such a surprise. i did not anticipate growing so close with them so quickly. i am humbled by their friendship with one another. i humbled by their hope and their willingness to continually find God in every situation.. they listen earnestly to the voice of God and they respond to it. i am going to miss them while i am gone the next 5 weeks in capetown! i cherish my time with them.
senior youth girls
senior youth bonfire.
last friday we met with the senior youth again. we came together and talked about the things that are holding us back from truly experiencing God's love, the burdens, the pain, the people we have yet to forgive, the strongholds in our life. We all wrote them down, then came together and burned them together in the fire, then worshipped and sang with one another. it was a great night. there was no difference between the APU students and the walk in the light youth. we were a group of senior youth. we sang in zulu and english. we prayed in zulu and english. God transcends all barriers. i am so amazed at these youth and their stories. their strength and perseverance continually surprises me and challenges me.
Sihle
i have blogged about him before. i am thankful for him. i am thankful that he is in my life. his story is incredible. i have never met anyone that is more of a testament to faith and hope. Sihle's dad died when he was 7, and his mom died when he was 13. After that he moved in with his older sister and brother in Haniville. He stayed there for a bit, but they always told him that he was a nuisance and that they didnt want him. one night his sister locked him out of the house. it was raining. he had no where to go. that night he slept in the toliet outside. as he told me this, he couldnt look me in the eye. i could see the pain in him. after that he moved in with his grandma. Because Sihle lost both his parents, he received a grant from the government. His grandma took that grant money to build an extra house. While he lived with his grandma, she would cosntantly watch him and monitor his actions. he was only aloud a certain amount of food. he said he hated living there, he would invite friends over but would not even be able to offer them a glass of juice. his grandma was constantly telling him that he was a bad kid, that no one else would ever want him, that he was lucky she was around. eventually Sihle got sick of it, and moved in with his aunt and cousins. The same sort of situation happened at his aunts house. we was shown no love, constantly told that he was unwanted. His aunt moved into a new home, and did not invite sihle to join. that left him completely alone. he has no one. he moved in with his best friend, njabulo and his family. Njabulo gives Sihle half of all of his meals. they share a bed, they have become brothers. my heart breaks for sihle. he has never been shown real love. he does not know what the love of a family should look like. he has only been told that he is not worthy of love, that he is not good enough. the other day i was helping him fill out an application and there was a line that said, who is your parent/guardian...he turned to me and said, allie i dont have either. what am i supposed to say for that? no 19 year old should ever have to say that. no one should ever be alone like that in the world. the thing that has transformed me the most and challenged me the most is sihle's attitude towards this. he keeps telling me that God has a plan, that his suffering is not for nothing. he chooses to believe that God's love is bigger and will overcome his pain. i dont understand how he can choose joy each day. he is an incredible man of God. each and every day i am amazed at who he is and i thank God for putting him in my life. the other day we were talking and he said, "i have come to realize that God is creating a new family for me, he put you in my life allie as my sister, and njabulo is now my brother." i am privileged to know him. if you get the chance, just lift him up in prayer. pray for opportunities. i have no doubt that God is shaping him in this way for a very specific reason. he has an incredibly beautiful plan for Sihle's life.
njabulo and tash
Njabulo is a joy. his name in zulu means happiness. he brings so much joy everywhere he goes. he is 19 years old. his mom works at walk in the light in the fields. Njabulo is a natural leader. people listen when he talks. he has so much potential. his friendship and loyalty towards sihle has humbled me. he gives everything he has to his friends, and he does it all for the glory and praise of our Father. he has taught me a lot about being a light, and shining for God. i am always laughing when Njabulo is around.
Tash:
Tash is a singer. he is so wise. he has taught me about what it means to sit and listen. he is a deep thinker. sometimes while we are all talking i can tell that he just escapes into his head. i am proud of the man that he is. he was telling me a little bit about his life and he was saying that everyday is a struggle for him. he grew up without a father. he adores his mother. he says that it is only because of her that he is doing something with his life. he was explaining to me how hard it was for him to learn what it meant to respect others because he never had the man figure in his life. this is the story for so many south africans.
last week i had a very interesting conversation with some of the boys about relationships. there is a very sad outlook on relationships within haniville. as i was talking to the boys about the relationships in their life, they explained to me that they are dating girls because they do not cheat on them, and they dont ask for things. that to them is a catch. that is what they expect. that hurt my heart. they have no idea what they deserve. they do not love the way it was intended. there is such a twisted idea of love here. there is a huge fear of being alone as well. there are deep insecurities within many of the south african communities.
Sipho:
sipho is an incredible woman of God. i am amazed at her story and at her joy. she is 18 years old. she lives in Haniville. Her mom died when she was 16. Her dad died years ago, but she never really knew him. She lives with her older sister, 2 younger syblings, and 2 orphans her mother took in while she was still alive. Sipho devotes all of her time to these kids. she is the mother of the house. she is 18 years old. she is still a child herself. when i was asking her about her daily routine, she said that she woke up, got the kids ready for school, did the laundry, if there was food, she would cook it for the kids, if not, then they would wait for tomorrow for food. she said this so nonchalantly. "if there is food." my heart sank. i have never had to question where my next meal will come from. i am amazed at the woman of God that Sipho is. she is beautiful. she has an incredible mind. she wants to go to university and study business but she has no money. Money is what is stopping her from her dreams. i have heard so many stories like this one, yet they still break my heart. i am amazed at the hope and the faith that these senior youth choose. they choose to see God in their circumstances. I am so excited to spend more time with Sipho. She is so full of life and joy.
Snash
he is one of a kind. Snash speaks the least English, but i have found that i have learned the most from him and his actions. He doesnt need to talk much. He is a light. I see Jesus in him. He earnestly seeks out God. he strives to imitate Christ daily. He grew up in the more rural areas of south africa. his dad died when he was 2. He moved to Haniville in 2005, which is when he begun to attend walk in the light. i have learned alot by watching snash and the way he treats the people around him. he always makes himself available to his neighbor, he always puts others ahead of himself. the other day we had been working all day at Mandla's house and he didnt have any lunch, so i gave him an extra muffin. he didnt take it for himself. he split it up into 12 or 13 small pieces and passed it out to all of the children. i have countless stories like that about snash.
i have been learning more and more about the power that lies within each of us. God has created us with a plan and a purpose. our heart, our brokeness, our pain is a beautiful thing when used for his glory. our stories are his testament of grace, faithfulness, hope, and love. the people of haniville have reminded me of the sovereignty of our creator. i am continually so amazed at the ways God works within and through his children.
some pictures from the last week and a half...
as we built mandla's house, the kids would come by and help out.
Felicia and Sane
Phindille and I. one of the most incredible woman i know
Durban. i just love each of these girls
l
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
promise of restoration
jeremiah 32:37-41
I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul."
Jeremiah 33:
While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
.... I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
" 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'
"This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying,
"Give thanks to the LORD Almighty,
for the LORD is good;
his love endures forever."
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.
I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul."
Jeremiah 33:
While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
.... I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
" 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'
"This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying,
"Give thanks to the LORD Almighty,
for the LORD is good;
his love endures forever."
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
every emotion you could think of in a week.
it has been about a week since i last blogged, but it feels like forever here. i feel like each day holds an incredible lesson to be learned, and i have been learnig a lot this week. I dont even know where to start about this week. it was our second full week at walk in the light. we have been digging out in the fields with about 12 women that work here at walk in the light. we are clearing out some land to make into a garden that people from the community can come and plant their own vegetables. We are also creating an irrigation system that runs through the field so that the women do not have to come each day and water all the vegetables by hand. let me tell you, it has been hard work. i have no idea how these women do this each and every day. all of us were sore all week from the work. we have had so much fun though together. i am blessed to be serving side by side by individuals who are teaching me so much more about life and about the way that God works through people so uniquely. Each day feels like a week at walk in the light, and i love it. i am amazed at how quickly my passion for walk in the light has been growing. each day i am learning more and more about Haniville and with that knowledge, my love and passion for the individuals i am living with is growing. i wake up each morning so excited to get back to the place that has stolen my heart.
part of our community engagement course is about building up the community and equipping them with different tools to do so. we have been meeting with the group of ladies that work at walk in the light every tuesday and thursday. this week we had our first two meetings with them. we did this thing called the river of life, which is where each person draws a river and writes their highs and lows and life. it was overwhelming to hear their stories. there is a lot of pain within haniville, and within these women's stories. hearing the pain and the heartache that so many of these women have gone through made me angry, it made me frustrated and pissed off, then it brought me to a deep sadness for the brokeness that surrounds our world. our time with them was so blessed though. the holy spirit was guiding us through those meetings. we were able to sing and dance a bit with the women, which was incredible. everytime they sing i get chills. In the Zulu community dance is a big part of every day life. they have this dance, which is called zulu dancing, and you basically lift your leg up real high then slam it down. that description is not doing it justice. obvibously they do all of this with incredible rhythm (granted, rhythm is second nature to most individuals of the community.) As i was listening to them sing i was once again just overwhelmed, but this time i was overwhelmed at the power of the Holy Spirit. God transcends every barrier that should separate people. we could not understand what was being said, but we were all worshiping the same God. God transcended the cultural, economic, racial and language barrier, and he has been doing that every time as we enter into Haniville. We played signs with the women, which was so much fun. we all had a blast. there was so much laughter. joy filled that place. One thing that really humbled me and encouraged me was that during the river of life we talked about the joy and struggles of haniville. every single women said that they have found joy through the things bruce has done for their community and for their own families. every one of them praised Bruce and the things he does for Haniville. One man has impacted countless lives in that community. He has so clearly listened to the call on his life and has obeyed that calling. He has brought more joy and hope than i could have ever imagined that one individual could do. i am so humbled by Bruce and the way he runs his ministry. i have never once heard him brag, complain, show pride,give himself praise. nothing. it is always about God and about haniville. he is incredible. he has shown me what a true humble servant of God looks like and what one man can do for his neighbors.
one of my favorite parts about my time at walk in the light over the last 2 weeks has been the senior youth. i was talking to my friend tanya last night and we were both saying that we truly do love them, and we have no idea why God has placed such an intense love on our hearts for them, but it is there. i find myself in constant prayer over them. The growth that has occurred in so many of them since the last time i was here is incredible. they are a beautiful group of students. their inner strength amazes me. each of them is so beautifully made in God's image. a lot of them have been going to walk in the light since they were much younger. they have grown up together. they are like a little family. they know one another inside and out, they have been the support for one another through hard times that most of them do not receive at home. their stories are so incredibly beautiful. God is working them. The strength that they show is unreal. each one of them has been through things that no human should experience. A lot of them have buried parents. Some are watching their younger siblings and are in charge of the house. Some of them have never experienced the love of a father. Despite these things that could so easily make them bitter, they choose joy, they have chosen to press on and love through the hard stuff. i have been blessed to just be able to come into this community and just observe the love that is within it. i am amazed. i am encouraged. i am humbled. each day 5 of the senior youth boys have been coming to walk in the light and helping us out with translating and working. I am growing so fond of each of them. Snesh, tash, njabulo, alfred and sihle are quickly becoming friends. i would consider them friends. i love that. i enjoy spending time with each of them.
every friday night we meet with the highschool/young adult group. this week we met again and it was great. my desire to get to know them grows more and more each day. i am constantly amazed at the passion God has put on my heart for them. alfred preached on friday to us on friday about relationships. then i shared a few bible verses and some thoughts about dreaming big and embracing the gifts God has equipped us with. after that we split into smaller groups to talk about what our gifts are and our dreams. i had alfred, njabulo, tash, sindi and sambile in my group. it was really cool to hear the dreams and aspirations the youth have. we were able to talk a little bit about the things that were holding them back. each one of them brought up finances. that broke my heart. i have been so blessed. when i dream dreams they hardly seem out of my reach. i know that with enough work, i can accomplish them. i have been given opportunities that these kids only dream of, and it is all based on the fact that i was born into a family of privilege. it is such a weird thing to feel, knowing that my own wealth is something that i did not choose but is something that has shaped so much of my life.
meet tanya and snesh. they are both great. snesh marches to the beat of his own drum and i love it.
we play games alot on fridays.
njabulo and tash playing soccer.
i have really enjoyed spending time with each one of the senior youth. on Saturday we brought all of them over to AE for the day. We played soccer, slip'n'slided and then had a braii (bbq). i had so much fun. we were all able to just hang out with each other. real friendships are being formed. God truly does transcend all barriers. walls are being broken down. the growth i have seen in the senior youth from the last time i was here is unbelievable. last time i was at WITL it was almost impossible to get all of the senior youth to fully engage. This time, they are the ones initiating and actively engaging in the activities. i am seeing the seeds that past semesters have planted now being sown. i am thankful to be here and be able to see the transformation that has occurred and that is still happening each day. i am really excited to spend my summer here getting to know each of them better.
nosipho and i.
slip n slide
some of the beautiful girls from the senior youth...
i have been so blessed by friends here. i am thankful for the people i am surrounded by daily and the ways in which God is challenging me through them.
i am learning alot more about the Holy Spirit and what it means to pray boldly in the spirit and allow the Spirit to guide me. it has been transformational. i dont even know how to explain this, i probably will later on, once i process it more. i feel much more equipped though when i enter into Haniville. i know that i am being guided, i know that i am being used as an instrument and my words are not my own. i am experiencing a joy that i have not felt before. on friday ten of us walked through Haniville with Phindile and did home visits. We visited 8 different homes. each home was full of pain and hurt, both physical and mental. it was a lot and it was heavy. we visited a couple different homes where the people could not physically move because of the toll HIV has had on their bodies. as i was walking through haniville and as i visited these homes, i was overwhelmed by the presence of the holy spirit. i felt the presence of the holy spirit in the homes we visited in. i was able to speak boldly in truth. i felt equipped with the tools that God has promised us with. Ephesians 6. despite the hurt that i saw, i was joyful. i have never experienced that joy amidst the hurt before. i saw God shining through, i saw the redemption that was going on in some of those homes. even amidst the pain, God's light was shining through so brightly.
i had a hard day last wednesday. one of the little boys i knew from last summer came to the youth program. i think he is around 9 years old. Both of his parents died of AIDS and he is also HIV positive. last year i knew that he was hiv positive but i couldnt tell by looking at him. i saw him on wednesday and he is visibly so sick. he is tiny now. he has sores all over his head. i dont know how to process this. honestly, i am angry about it. i am angry that children have to suffer for no reason. i am enraged that this disease is destroying an entire community. i am frustrated that this cycle of HIV doesnt seem to have an end. i was thinking about the funerals i will attend this summer. how many of them will be children? how many of these children will bury their parents this year? i am overwhelmed. i have no idea what to think, or how to process any of this.
i am praying that i will purely be a vessel. I have no wisdom or words of encouragement to offer most of the people of Haniville. all i can do is offer to sit in the ashes with them.
ephesians 3
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints...
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love ...
we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
habakkuk 1:5
"Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe, even if you were told."
part of our community engagement course is about building up the community and equipping them with different tools to do so. we have been meeting with the group of ladies that work at walk in the light every tuesday and thursday. this week we had our first two meetings with them. we did this thing called the river of life, which is where each person draws a river and writes their highs and lows and life. it was overwhelming to hear their stories. there is a lot of pain within haniville, and within these women's stories. hearing the pain and the heartache that so many of these women have gone through made me angry, it made me frustrated and pissed off, then it brought me to a deep sadness for the brokeness that surrounds our world. our time with them was so blessed though. the holy spirit was guiding us through those meetings. we were able to sing and dance a bit with the women, which was incredible. everytime they sing i get chills. In the Zulu community dance is a big part of every day life. they have this dance, which is called zulu dancing, and you basically lift your leg up real high then slam it down. that description is not doing it justice. obvibously they do all of this with incredible rhythm (granted, rhythm is second nature to most individuals of the community.) As i was listening to them sing i was once again just overwhelmed, but this time i was overwhelmed at the power of the Holy Spirit. God transcends every barrier that should separate people. we could not understand what was being said, but we were all worshiping the same God. God transcended the cultural, economic, racial and language barrier, and he has been doing that every time as we enter into Haniville. We played signs with the women, which was so much fun. we all had a blast. there was so much laughter. joy filled that place. One thing that really humbled me and encouraged me was that during the river of life we talked about the joy and struggles of haniville. every single women said that they have found joy through the things bruce has done for their community and for their own families. every one of them praised Bruce and the things he does for Haniville. One man has impacted countless lives in that community. He has so clearly listened to the call on his life and has obeyed that calling. He has brought more joy and hope than i could have ever imagined that one individual could do. i am so humbled by Bruce and the way he runs his ministry. i have never once heard him brag, complain, show pride,give himself praise. nothing. it is always about God and about haniville. he is incredible. he has shown me what a true humble servant of God looks like and what one man can do for his neighbors.
one of my favorite parts about my time at walk in the light over the last 2 weeks has been the senior youth. i was talking to my friend tanya last night and we were both saying that we truly do love them, and we have no idea why God has placed such an intense love on our hearts for them, but it is there. i find myself in constant prayer over them. The growth that has occurred in so many of them since the last time i was here is incredible. they are a beautiful group of students. their inner strength amazes me. each of them is so beautifully made in God's image. a lot of them have been going to walk in the light since they were much younger. they have grown up together. they are like a little family. they know one another inside and out, they have been the support for one another through hard times that most of them do not receive at home. their stories are so incredibly beautiful. God is working them. The strength that they show is unreal. each one of them has been through things that no human should experience. A lot of them have buried parents. Some are watching their younger siblings and are in charge of the house. Some of them have never experienced the love of a father. Despite these things that could so easily make them bitter, they choose joy, they have chosen to press on and love through the hard stuff. i have been blessed to just be able to come into this community and just observe the love that is within it. i am amazed. i am encouraged. i am humbled. each day 5 of the senior youth boys have been coming to walk in the light and helping us out with translating and working. I am growing so fond of each of them. Snesh, tash, njabulo, alfred and sihle are quickly becoming friends. i would consider them friends. i love that. i enjoy spending time with each of them.
every friday night we meet with the highschool/young adult group. this week we met again and it was great. my desire to get to know them grows more and more each day. i am constantly amazed at the passion God has put on my heart for them. alfred preached on friday to us on friday about relationships. then i shared a few bible verses and some thoughts about dreaming big and embracing the gifts God has equipped us with. after that we split into smaller groups to talk about what our gifts are and our dreams. i had alfred, njabulo, tash, sindi and sambile in my group. it was really cool to hear the dreams and aspirations the youth have. we were able to talk a little bit about the things that were holding them back. each one of them brought up finances. that broke my heart. i have been so blessed. when i dream dreams they hardly seem out of my reach. i know that with enough work, i can accomplish them. i have been given opportunities that these kids only dream of, and it is all based on the fact that i was born into a family of privilege. it is such a weird thing to feel, knowing that my own wealth is something that i did not choose but is something that has shaped so much of my life.
meet tanya and snesh. they are both great. snesh marches to the beat of his own drum and i love it.
we play games alot on fridays.
njabulo and tash playing soccer.
i have really enjoyed spending time with each one of the senior youth. on Saturday we brought all of them over to AE for the day. We played soccer, slip'n'slided and then had a braii (bbq). i had so much fun. we were all able to just hang out with each other. real friendships are being formed. God truly does transcend all barriers. walls are being broken down. the growth i have seen in the senior youth from the last time i was here is unbelievable. last time i was at WITL it was almost impossible to get all of the senior youth to fully engage. This time, they are the ones initiating and actively engaging in the activities. i am seeing the seeds that past semesters have planted now being sown. i am thankful to be here and be able to see the transformation that has occurred and that is still happening each day. i am really excited to spend my summer here getting to know each of them better.
nosipho and i.
slip n slide
some of the beautiful girls from the senior youth...
i have been so blessed by friends here. i am thankful for the people i am surrounded by daily and the ways in which God is challenging me through them.
i am learning alot more about the Holy Spirit and what it means to pray boldly in the spirit and allow the Spirit to guide me. it has been transformational. i dont even know how to explain this, i probably will later on, once i process it more. i feel much more equipped though when i enter into Haniville. i know that i am being guided, i know that i am being used as an instrument and my words are not my own. i am experiencing a joy that i have not felt before. on friday ten of us walked through Haniville with Phindile and did home visits. We visited 8 different homes. each home was full of pain and hurt, both physical and mental. it was a lot and it was heavy. we visited a couple different homes where the people could not physically move because of the toll HIV has had on their bodies. as i was walking through haniville and as i visited these homes, i was overwhelmed by the presence of the holy spirit. i felt the presence of the holy spirit in the homes we visited in. i was able to speak boldly in truth. i felt equipped with the tools that God has promised us with. Ephesians 6. despite the hurt that i saw, i was joyful. i have never experienced that joy amidst the hurt before. i saw God shining through, i saw the redemption that was going on in some of those homes. even amidst the pain, God's light was shining through so brightly.
i had a hard day last wednesday. one of the little boys i knew from last summer came to the youth program. i think he is around 9 years old. Both of his parents died of AIDS and he is also HIV positive. last year i knew that he was hiv positive but i couldnt tell by looking at him. i saw him on wednesday and he is visibly so sick. he is tiny now. he has sores all over his head. i dont know how to process this. honestly, i am angry about it. i am angry that children have to suffer for no reason. i am enraged that this disease is destroying an entire community. i am frustrated that this cycle of HIV doesnt seem to have an end. i was thinking about the funerals i will attend this summer. how many of them will be children? how many of these children will bury their parents this year? i am overwhelmed. i have no idea what to think, or how to process any of this.
i am praying that i will purely be a vessel. I have no wisdom or words of encouragement to offer most of the people of Haniville. all i can do is offer to sit in the ashes with them.
ephesians 3
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints...
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love ...
we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
habakkuk 1:5
"Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe, even if you were told."
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