Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
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'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 |
Saturday, June 11, 2011
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.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Aaaand we're back
Sorry about the break in posting if you're following, I haven't had much internet access till recently.
I kinda had a nice little spiel all worked out and pre-written to be copied and pasted here but it's not what I want to put down. So I'll give you bullet points on it then move on.
We're past half way done in outreach phase. The theme that God has given us that we have been operating under is justice. (For great justice, lol.) We're working with a long term mindset even if some of us will go home in a month. We are looking for houses in Ocean View to buy and turn into safe houses for abused women and children. Abuse is pandemic here and there are precious few safe houses in all of the greater Cape Town metro area. God has a good plan for OV. We are working with high schoolers, druggies, drunks, homeless, gangsters and killers. All my favorites.
This has been some of the hardest 5 weeks of my life. I feel reminded of what someone said a couple of months ago in class: don't ask for a miracle when God is asking for a commitment. I'm learning to be committed to where I am, what I'm doing and the people around me on a whole new level. Some of the stuff that happens here in OV is overwhelming. It will take nothing short of God breaking in and bringing change supernaturally in some ways and things. You look at all the injustice and addiction and dependence and abuse and poverty and lies and bad mindsets and religiousness and corruption and just want to give up.
In a way we should. In a way we must.
We must stop trying to do things ourselves. We let God do it. We partner with him, if you will. That's the only way anything will last, is if we hear a vision from Him and do it with Him.
It's about where your hope is. I'm being shown that too. If we think that different relief programs or organizations or (influential) people will solve our problems then we're in trouble. Yes God uses those things, yes those things are good but frankly if God's not going to use it or bless it and use a different approach then it's pointless. In light of that we must do what God is doing. We trust what God has in store. We trust God. We partner with him. I think trust (in God) is a choice accompanied with an action. James 2:20, faith without action is useless. To give an example. There are 220 churches in Ocean View. Two hundred and twenty for a community of 30,000 people. OV is not a big place, there's practically a church on every corner. But for that demographic there's a ridiculous amount of crime, violence and addiction. Odd. The thing is none of these 220 churches are working in the community. There's no one going out to hang out with the drunks. No First Church of the Drunks overcoming and discovering God together. There's no one out in the big, trashed out field hanging out with the drugs and arms dealers. On Sunday mornings a 3 hour church service is had about how God is great and we trust Him and so on and so forth but nothing is changing in a positive way outside. From my understanding all the churches just bicker with each other over doctrine that, in the long run doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme. If we believe in God and put our faith in Him there must be trust in God and for that there must be love for God, I believe. Because we love God and have faith in Him then we have hope (in some amount) in Him. We cannot be touched by the love of God and not catch His vision for other people. So we have hope in Him for those other people. Reminds me about that verse about faith, hope and love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 and as cross reference, 1 Thessalonians 1:3.
If we love God why do we hide that? If we know God loves other people why do we hide that? Living for Christ means we should be ready to live with a bad reputation for God. Imagine that. First Church of the Drunks. First Church of the Prostitutes. Let it be.
I kinda had a nice little spiel all worked out and pre-written to be copied and pasted here but it's not what I want to put down. So I'll give you bullet points on it then move on.
We're past half way done in outreach phase. The theme that God has given us that we have been operating under is justice. (For great justice, lol.) We're working with a long term mindset even if some of us will go home in a month. We are looking for houses in Ocean View to buy and turn into safe houses for abused women and children. Abuse is pandemic here and there are precious few safe houses in all of the greater Cape Town metro area. God has a good plan for OV. We are working with high schoolers, druggies, drunks, homeless, gangsters and killers. All my favorites.
This has been some of the hardest 5 weeks of my life. I feel reminded of what someone said a couple of months ago in class: don't ask for a miracle when God is asking for a commitment. I'm learning to be committed to where I am, what I'm doing and the people around me on a whole new level. Some of the stuff that happens here in OV is overwhelming. It will take nothing short of God breaking in and bringing change supernaturally in some ways and things. You look at all the injustice and addiction and dependence and abuse and poverty and lies and bad mindsets and religiousness and corruption and just want to give up.
In a way we should. In a way we must.
We must stop trying to do things ourselves. We let God do it. We partner with him, if you will. That's the only way anything will last, is if we hear a vision from Him and do it with Him.
It's about where your hope is. I'm being shown that too. If we think that different relief programs or organizations or (influential) people will solve our problems then we're in trouble. Yes God uses those things, yes those things are good but frankly if God's not going to use it or bless it and use a different approach then it's pointless. In light of that we must do what God is doing. We trust what God has in store. We trust God. We partner with him. I think trust (in God) is a choice accompanied with an action. James 2:20, faith without action is useless. To give an example. There are 220 churches in Ocean View. Two hundred and twenty for a community of 30,000 people. OV is not a big place, there's practically a church on every corner. But for that demographic there's a ridiculous amount of crime, violence and addiction. Odd. The thing is none of these 220 churches are working in the community. There's no one going out to hang out with the drunks. No First Church of the Drunks overcoming and discovering God together. There's no one out in the big, trashed out field hanging out with the drugs and arms dealers. On Sunday mornings a 3 hour church service is had about how God is great and we trust Him and so on and so forth but nothing is changing in a positive way outside. From my understanding all the churches just bicker with each other over doctrine that, in the long run doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme. If we believe in God and put our faith in Him there must be trust in God and for that there must be love for God, I believe. Because we love God and have faith in Him then we have hope (in some amount) in Him. We cannot be touched by the love of God and not catch His vision for other people. So we have hope in Him for those other people. Reminds me about that verse about faith, hope and love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 and as cross reference, 1 Thessalonians 1:3.
If we love God why do we hide that? If we know God loves other people why do we hide that? Living for Christ means we should be ready to live with a bad reputation for God. Imagine that. First Church of the Drunks. First Church of the Prostitutes. Let it be.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Howdy.
We have came to the end of lecture phase of CPx. I keep rubbing my head and neck like I have whiplash. The last three months went very quickly. This week is all prep for the individual teams dispersing to different places of outreach. First aid training, communication coaching, leadership classes, team strategy and bonding meetings are the order of the day...week. We have where we are going to be staying as a team all worked out but it's a matter of when we will be able to move in there. It's a house in Cape Town not too far from where we will be loving on people. The teams will be departing on or around the 25th and 26th this month. We may not be able to move into the house until May 1st. We'll see, no big deal, we'll get there sooner or later.
I've noticed something interesting things in recent months. Thought I'd talk it out here.
I'm sure this will be no revelation to you, my good reader but it has been highlighted to me. The people who "make it" in ministry or leadership or fill-in-the-blank really are the people who are teachable; they are willing to learn and change. Often that means knowing what it is to be obedient to authority. That also seems to mean that these people receive correction of a bad attitude etc well. I don't mean that they have to like discipline and correction but they....accept the words given as motivated by and given in love. If love is not at the heart of what is being spoken but what is being spoken is non the less true they see it as a chance to grow in both giving grace for the offended party and correcting and (where applicable) apologizing for what where they were wrong. (Hope there's enough qualifiers in that sentence.)
People who refuse to be taught don't make it. They don't get to where they want to be even if they've the finest intentions. And they wonder why. It really hurts me to see people insist on they're own way of doing things or thinking when they are being (lovingly) told and retold that the way they are going is not good. *I would like to take a time out and state that I am speaking of Christ followers when I speak of people being corrected and doing the confronting.*
It is my assertion that this is pride. Pride mixed with ignorance perhaps. Well, pride, ignorance and stubbornness maybe.
Papa Floyd talked to the men about humility this past Sunday. I loved it. He spoke on it from the context of the life of King David. In general Papa Floyd said that humility: -is a door way to healing, -the greatest of virtues, -frees us from bitterness, -goes against instinctive "flesh" nature, -allows us to see God's perspective on things among other things. I David Floyd made four points on humility. 1) It was in humility that David learned to forgive, 2) In humility David learned to repent, 3) He learned to repent and 4) in humility David learned true freedom. David forgave Saul for trying to kill him. Think about it, the anointed future king of Israel forgiving the current king trying to kill him, humility. He wouldn't even kill Saul when he had the perfect opportunity. He did cut the edge of the king's cloak and was convicted over even that. Floyd said "how often have I not 'killed' someone but 'cut some of their cloak off' just to show this person 'see how close I got to you' and then had to repent about it?" I realized I've done the same thing. In humility David repented of the mess he made with Bathsheba and her husband. That was dieing to self to be sure. David was not proud to ask God why He let his son die and removed him from power for a season due to his big fail with Bathsheba - he mourned (in humility.) David loved the law of God. Not in a weird "religious" way but he loved it because it was freedom to him. Floyd used Psalm 19 and 119 as examples. Remember Jesus had not come, lived, died and rose again yet so there was only "the law" and sacrifice to atone for sin and David was committed to it.
This brings me to my big point. Love is what it is all about and it goes hand in hand with obedience and humility. You can't have obedience without love, John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments (Jesus speaking, NLT.) And there must be humility - a laying down of your own ideas/rights/etc - somewhere in the mix if you are to obey someone or something. So, it seems to me that humility is a love response. We put ourselves aside to serve our friends, our mates because we love them. 1 John 2:4-5 If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. (NLT)
This brings me to an interesting conclusion that I've been kicking around in my head completely separately the last week or so. And that is this: obedience to the voice of God no matter the cost. "Yes" no matter the cost. I know that Christians always want to be obedient to God and so on and so forth but sometimes we end that commitment when the call deviates from the American Dream. I'm not satisfied with that. I've known too many people, seen too many people, hear too many stories, been with too many speakers here at CPx and felt the consuming love of God too much to not respond. Pride destroys people, humility brings them to good places, people and situations. Let it be said of me that I didn't have a pride problem, I did what God said, served people and loved God and others.
Another long blog devoid of any photos. I'll see what I can do for next time. I'm excited about this week, I may be able to have a sit down with Floyd to bounce ideas off of him about Japan!
We have came to the end of lecture phase of CPx. I keep rubbing my head and neck like I have whiplash. The last three months went very quickly. This week is all prep for the individual teams dispersing to different places of outreach. First aid training, communication coaching, leadership classes, team strategy and bonding meetings are the order of the day...week. We have where we are going to be staying as a team all worked out but it's a matter of when we will be able to move in there. It's a house in Cape Town not too far from where we will be loving on people. The teams will be departing on or around the 25th and 26th this month. We may not be able to move into the house until May 1st. We'll see, no big deal, we'll get there sooner or later.
I've noticed something interesting things in recent months. Thought I'd talk it out here.
I'm sure this will be no revelation to you, my good reader but it has been highlighted to me. The people who "make it" in ministry or leadership or fill-in-the-blank really are the people who are teachable; they are willing to learn and change. Often that means knowing what it is to be obedient to authority. That also seems to mean that these people receive correction of a bad attitude etc well. I don't mean that they have to like discipline and correction but they....accept the words given as motivated by and given in love. If love is not at the heart of what is being spoken but what is being spoken is non the less true they see it as a chance to grow in both giving grace for the offended party and correcting and (where applicable) apologizing for what where they were wrong. (Hope there's enough qualifiers in that sentence.)
People who refuse to be taught don't make it. They don't get to where they want to be even if they've the finest intentions. And they wonder why. It really hurts me to see people insist on they're own way of doing things or thinking when they are being (lovingly) told and retold that the way they are going is not good. *I would like to take a time out and state that I am speaking of Christ followers when I speak of people being corrected and doing the confronting.*
It is my assertion that this is pride. Pride mixed with ignorance perhaps. Well, pride, ignorance and stubbornness maybe.
Papa Floyd talked to the men about humility this past Sunday. I loved it. He spoke on it from the context of the life of King David. In general Papa Floyd said that humility: -is a door way to healing, -the greatest of virtues, -frees us from bitterness, -goes against instinctive "flesh" nature, -allows us to see God's perspective on things among other things. I David Floyd made four points on humility. 1) It was in humility that David learned to forgive, 2) In humility David learned to repent, 3) He learned to repent and 4) in humility David learned true freedom. David forgave Saul for trying to kill him. Think about it, the anointed future king of Israel forgiving the current king trying to kill him, humility. He wouldn't even kill Saul when he had the perfect opportunity. He did cut the edge of the king's cloak and was convicted over even that. Floyd said "how often have I not 'killed' someone but 'cut some of their cloak off' just to show this person 'see how close I got to you' and then had to repent about it?" I realized I've done the same thing. In humility David repented of the mess he made with Bathsheba and her husband. That was dieing to self to be sure. David was not proud to ask God why He let his son die and removed him from power for a season due to his big fail with Bathsheba - he mourned (in humility.) David loved the law of God. Not in a weird "religious" way but he loved it because it was freedom to him. Floyd used Psalm 19 and 119 as examples. Remember Jesus had not come, lived, died and rose again yet so there was only "the law" and sacrifice to atone for sin and David was committed to it.
This brings me to my big point. Love is what it is all about and it goes hand in hand with obedience and humility. You can't have obedience without love, John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments (Jesus speaking, NLT.) And there must be humility - a laying down of your own ideas/rights/etc - somewhere in the mix if you are to obey someone or something. So, it seems to me that humility is a love response. We put ourselves aside to serve our friends, our mates because we love them. 1 John 2:4-5 If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. (NLT)
This brings me to an interesting conclusion that I've been kicking around in my head completely separately the last week or so. And that is this: obedience to the voice of God no matter the cost. "Yes" no matter the cost. I know that Christians always want to be obedient to God and so on and so forth but sometimes we end that commitment when the call deviates from the American Dream. I'm not satisfied with that. I've known too many people, seen too many people, hear too many stories, been with too many speakers here at CPx and felt the consuming love of God too much to not respond. Pride destroys people, humility brings them to good places, people and situations. Let it be said of me that I didn't have a pride problem, I did what God said, served people and loved God and others.
Another long blog devoid of any photos. I'll see what I can do for next time. I'm excited about this week, I may be able to have a sit down with Floyd to bounce ideas off of him about Japan!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)