Goodbyes

Whoever invented "goodbyes" needs to be drug behind a pickup for a while then shot.

Seriously, I hate goodbyes. One of the older "papas" here named Shane told me when he left for farther north in Africa that "the kingdom is small" meaning that we'll see each other again (providing I don't join All Nations.) My great-grandmother used to say that in Heaven everyone lives next door to each other. I'd sooner not wait till the other side of eternity to spend more time with some people though.

Is it weird that I read my mom's blog? I had some vague trepidation when she told me (all proud of herself and excited) that she had had someone help her start her own blog. It was kinda similar to the feeling I got when "old" people started joining facebook. Which, lemme take a second to say that yes, my mom and I ARE friends on fb and she's behaved herself very well thus far. I see some poor fools who made the mistake of friending their mom and getting nothing but spam and TMI comments on every last dang post and picture they put up. Poor fools.
Ok, all that to say that my mom has something interesting to say about goodbyes here: http://lovefromaustin.blogspot.com/2011/01/joy-like-swords_2320.html

Ok. So. I'm all graduated from CPx and praying about joining All Nations and spending a year to 3 in Cape Town or just coming home for good. My immediate future in to visit friends farther north in Africa and else where for the next few months. Get excited. I'll keep you updated on all that. I leave here on Friday (in two days) to go to my first stop and will tell you more about it when I get there.

I would love prayer for ending my time in Cape Town well, safe travel and health. So, thank you.

Photos?

Ok, photo update and stuff!
We're in the middle of group debriefing and it's exciting to hear all the stories coming back. Especially of our teams meeting Muslims and they having dreams of Jesus. Good times. So, I thought I'd give you a look into where I was and who I was around.
I'm still praying about long term plans and scrambling to get short term trips in place. Will update as I get more done.

We start our day in OV eating together as a team

This is the house we based operations, ate and prayed in OV

This is where most of the team lived, about 10 minute drive from OV

A typical shot of OV minus people, government housing and streets

Some of the team and some of the guys we are invested in in OV

Some of our team meeting with the local government discussing abuse issues

A buddy of mine at his home

At the girl's camp doing a group activity

The same girls a week later. Seriously I almost didn't recognize them, they're so changed!

The view from the top of Table Mountain

Brief

We're on the final lap here in South Africa. One more week on outreach. One week for debrief. Then some traveling around. And then I'm still praying about what comes next.

This will be a brief entry I guess. I'm chilling out at Africa House right now. Had a late lunch with the one and only Floyd McClung to get some answers to stuff rolling around in my head. Took a taxi to close to the house and walked the rest of the way to hang out, take advantage of the internet to update some stuff and blog.

There's a team Okra, er, Oklahoma here and they're resting after a busy day playing "big booty." Crazy kids.

We took the ten toughest OV high school girls to a camp last weekend. I spent the time cooking, deejaying and other such logisticals happen. The women on our team and AN staff really invested in the girls. They talked straight about sex and drugs and what have you, I tried to stay out of it, particularly when they talked about sex, I was busy in the kitchen anyway. God provided more money for the camp then we could use really. It was awesome. We had amazing food every meal and a lot of it. The ladies put together gift bags with girly things like skin care and stuff, a nice journal, a nice Bible, pens and highlighters. They had a super girly night where women served and did the girl's nails and gave them facial masks and gave them good shoulder and back massages. One of them decided to follow Jesus over the weekend which was pretty cool.

Yesterday we saw them in kind of a follow up visit. I hardly recognized them. Their eyes and faces had changed. They had changed. We were blown away by the changes in the decisions they were making and the things they were doing with their time. While we met we "storied" about Jesus. Meaning that we took a Bible story and acted it out using everyone. The team ladies and girls prayed for each other and talked about life. The girls said that they were interested in going back to church. We asked "well, what is church?" They said "well, a building right?" Then a light bulb went on for them, they realized they just did church; that they were the church. That was really cool to see.

So, for yall that prayed and gave to the camp, thank you. There was fruit and there is continuing fruit with them, thank you. They are coming to understand that it doesn't matter how much crap they have done or been through, Jesus is actively pursuing them regardless. If these girls can come to a realization of the love God has for them then anyone can receive it too.

Believe me.