Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Be still...
I have a tendency to worry to much about what the future holds. I like to know what I am going to be doing and what path I need to take. Even when I knew that I would be coming to South Africa I couldn't help but wonder what I would be doing after that, and that was months ago. About a week or so ago I struggled with that and as I was walking around the complex I couldn't but wonder what I would be doing after this. Would I go to grad school, get a job, what would I get my master's in all these things running around in my head. As I walked I was reminded of the verse "Be still and know that I am God" Pslam 46:10. The path before me has been laid and God has it under control and He has guided me in the past and will continue to lead me and I just have to be patience and trust in Him. I shouldn't spend so much time worrying about the future that I forget the present. I have been given this amazing oppurtunity to work here and I can't waste it. God has a plan and a purpose for my life and I have to stay focused on him and live a life the is honoring to Him. It is in those quiet moments that God sometimes speaks the loudest to us. This is not to say that I don't still worry about the future but I know and believe that God has me on the correct path and He will guide me through life.
Friday, August 27, 2010
outreach
So are finally getting a schedule for the coming weeks which is awesome. We will be working with a local orphanage with kids that have HIV and AIDS as well as going to a school and helping them as well. The orphanage where we will be working has a hospic and while some of these kids will return to their families other will not. We will go back next week and really get a grasp of what we will be doing and which group of kids we will be working with. Talking to the woman at the orphanage I was reminded how we as people supporting these places want to only send toys when in reality they need money for food and clothing and things for the kids. The woman told us how they have an overstock of toys but last month they were praying that the Lord would provide money for food and things but businesses would send money for certain things like buidlings. It was a good reminder for myself when I heard that.
When we go to the school we will be helping teachers and kids with work. Those few months in the spring of tutoring have come in handy. The school houses the kids monday through friday and then they go back to their homes on the weekend. As a private school they are able to teach the kids about Christ. The school is small and underfunded but it is their goal to help these kids further their education and see them go on to high school. I am looking forward to working more with them and continuing to work with the youth at church.
We have been here a short time but we can already see God working. We will be joining a group of people in our apartment complex for a weekly time of prayer and we were able to join them last night. It was amazing to be welcomed into their home and just pray with them and get to know them. I am again so thankful for this oppurtunity to be here and work with all these people. Thank you again for your continued prayers and support. Pray that we all stay healthy and that we would be part of the right outreach, the one God wants us at and not where we would like to be. I am learning that my idea of where I thought I would like to work and where GOd would have me are two different things. Coming into this I wanted to work with older high schoolers maybe young adults but have found the middle school age/early high school to be where I am at. I've been able to see in the past week how God had been preparing me for the work that we will be doing. For all those times that I thought I was just taking a job to stay busy before i left or the different trails God has lead me through He was shaping me and preparing me for this. Even those times when I disliked hospic (not the people, Kim was great, but what it ultimitaly ment) I never thought that one day I would be working with them, even for a short time. Thanks again for the prayers!
When we go to the school we will be helping teachers and kids with work. Those few months in the spring of tutoring have come in handy. The school houses the kids monday through friday and then they go back to their homes on the weekend. As a private school they are able to teach the kids about Christ. The school is small and underfunded but it is their goal to help these kids further their education and see them go on to high school. I am looking forward to working more with them and continuing to work with the youth at church.
We have been here a short time but we can already see God working. We will be joining a group of people in our apartment complex for a weekly time of prayer and we were able to join them last night. It was amazing to be welcomed into their home and just pray with them and get to know them. I am again so thankful for this oppurtunity to be here and work with all these people. Thank you again for your continued prayers and support. Pray that we all stay healthy and that we would be part of the right outreach, the one God wants us at and not where we would like to be. I am learning that my idea of where I thought I would like to work and where GOd would have me are two different things. Coming into this I wanted to work with older high schoolers maybe young adults but have found the middle school age/early high school to be where I am at. I've been able to see in the past week how God had been preparing me for the work that we will be doing. For all those times that I thought I was just taking a job to stay busy before i left or the different trails God has lead me through He was shaping me and preparing me for this. Even those times when I disliked hospic (not the people, Kim was great, but what it ultimitaly ment) I never thought that one day I would be working with them, even for a short time. Thanks again for the prayers!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
week 2 update
This past week has been a busy but great week, one filled with some frustration and fun. We knew that while we were here in the city that we would have some things similar to that in the states but we learned that the internet here is not that reliable and that we are still in africa. That was the first trully frustrating day here for both of us as we were looking forward to talking to our families and then unable to because of the internet. We were finally able to talk to them after going to a whole new location. We have internet access once a week. But so far that has been the only truly frustrating day so far, and I know that there are probally more to come but we will deal with those as they come.
I learned a new sport (squash) this week and how fun that is. Courtney hadn't been feeling well so we took her to the doctor and thankfully it wasn't anything to be concerned about, but she is still getting over whatever it is that she has, so if you could just pray that she would get healthy and stay healthy. That night we went to cell group where a group of young adults from the church that meets for bible study. It is a very welcoming group and I loved how they aren't afraid to go deep into different questions and it was just a different type of study than I had been to and I can tell that it is going to be a challenging group which is great. I had worried before coming here about us pouring out into the people we would be working with and then us not getting poured back into but that quickly vanished once we had gone to a church service and bible study.
This week we have had a few meetings mainly with people from the church and just learning more about the different outreaches we may be working with.We've been spending time around the complex and trying to talk to neighbors and one day I did run into a neighbor that we had previously met and had a short conversation with him. We met up with some people from the church that night to go bowling and just hung out and got to know them some more. Alot of what our job is deals with building relationships with people and we do have some people that go to our church that live in the complex so we are able to meet some people through them.
We met up with another team that works across town and got to hear about what they were doing and what there jobs are. There is a strike going on with some of the teachers so they haven't had school for a few days which has not only affected the students but also those working in those schools. Friday night is youth night and we got to go to our first youth night. It was about 40-50 students from grade 7 to some who have graduated. Youth are pretty much the same across the globe. I really enjoyed the kids in grades 7-10 and will probally be working with them mostly. That night all the youth met together for a lesson. Their friday nights are primairly focused on the youth that are unreached, so the majority of them are unbeleivers and have come with friends or through word of mouth. Sunday morning is more focused on those who are saved and part of the church. I really like how they focus on the unreached on fridays. I noticed that they don't hold back, the leaders aren't afraid to talk about sticky topics, they don't try to sugar coat things which I think is a good thing. Life and God isn't always peachy and I think sometimes we in the church try to avoid those topics that may cause convtroversy and you need to talk about it and you can you just have to word it in a way that is appropriate for that age group.I am excited to get to know these kids better and having an american accent helps, since people are curious to why we are here and who we are when they hear that we aren't from south africa.
Saturday we spent the day going to a breakfast at the church, hanging out with a friend of our supervisors and got introduce to south african rugby. They are serious about their rugby and I will say it was alot of fun to watch and while this sport is rough and they take alot of hard hits it really is truely a team sport.
Sunday we went to church and we split up as courtney went with the younger grade school kids and I went back with the youth. These kids are learning about different people through out time that made an impact for the faith. Some of the people they have/will be talking about I have heard of but the one today I had not. I can't think of the mans name but it was back in the time of ceasar and they talked about how even when he was on trail and about to be pursecutted he never renounced God. I can tell that by working with the youth and hearing the messages given to them that I am going to be learning so many things, which is amazing.
This week has flown by which makes not only myself but also courtney a little sad as we are realizing how fast the next few months are going to go by. This truely is a great country and it still has its problems like any other country but what country is perfect. Everyone at the church has been so friendly and hospitable and it has made our transition here so much easier then what I was expecting. We are getting a new team member this week so we are getting ready for that and just pray that we all will work well together and that she will fit in nicely with everyone here. We are going to check out a local school, orphange, and rehab center this week to see about possibly working at one of them as well. Thanks again for your continue support and prayers. Continue to pray for us as we work within the community and our apartment complex, and that God would use us to reach these people and that we would stay focused on Him and not on ourselves. Also pray that doors would be opened for us as well. I am looking forward to see what God is going to do in these next months.
I learned a new sport (squash) this week and how fun that is. Courtney hadn't been feeling well so we took her to the doctor and thankfully it wasn't anything to be concerned about, but she is still getting over whatever it is that she has, so if you could just pray that she would get healthy and stay healthy. That night we went to cell group where a group of young adults from the church that meets for bible study. It is a very welcoming group and I loved how they aren't afraid to go deep into different questions and it was just a different type of study than I had been to and I can tell that it is going to be a challenging group which is great. I had worried before coming here about us pouring out into the people we would be working with and then us not getting poured back into but that quickly vanished once we had gone to a church service and bible study.
This week we have had a few meetings mainly with people from the church and just learning more about the different outreaches we may be working with.We've been spending time around the complex and trying to talk to neighbors and one day I did run into a neighbor that we had previously met and had a short conversation with him. We met up with some people from the church that night to go bowling and just hung out and got to know them some more. Alot of what our job is deals with building relationships with people and we do have some people that go to our church that live in the complex so we are able to meet some people through them.
We met up with another team that works across town and got to hear about what they were doing and what there jobs are. There is a strike going on with some of the teachers so they haven't had school for a few days which has not only affected the students but also those working in those schools. Friday night is youth night and we got to go to our first youth night. It was about 40-50 students from grade 7 to some who have graduated. Youth are pretty much the same across the globe. I really enjoyed the kids in grades 7-10 and will probally be working with them mostly. That night all the youth met together for a lesson. Their friday nights are primairly focused on the youth that are unreached, so the majority of them are unbeleivers and have come with friends or through word of mouth. Sunday morning is more focused on those who are saved and part of the church. I really like how they focus on the unreached on fridays. I noticed that they don't hold back, the leaders aren't afraid to talk about sticky topics, they don't try to sugar coat things which I think is a good thing. Life and God isn't always peachy and I think sometimes we in the church try to avoid those topics that may cause convtroversy and you need to talk about it and you can you just have to word it in a way that is appropriate for that age group.I am excited to get to know these kids better and having an american accent helps, since people are curious to why we are here and who we are when they hear that we aren't from south africa.
Saturday we spent the day going to a breakfast at the church, hanging out with a friend of our supervisors and got introduce to south african rugby. They are serious about their rugby and I will say it was alot of fun to watch and while this sport is rough and they take alot of hard hits it really is truely a team sport.
Sunday we went to church and we split up as courtney went with the younger grade school kids and I went back with the youth. These kids are learning about different people through out time that made an impact for the faith. Some of the people they have/will be talking about I have heard of but the one today I had not. I can't think of the mans name but it was back in the time of ceasar and they talked about how even when he was on trail and about to be pursecutted he never renounced God. I can tell that by working with the youth and hearing the messages given to them that I am going to be learning so many things, which is amazing.
This week has flown by which makes not only myself but also courtney a little sad as we are realizing how fast the next few months are going to go by. This truely is a great country and it still has its problems like any other country but what country is perfect. Everyone at the church has been so friendly and hospitable and it has made our transition here so much easier then what I was expecting. We are getting a new team member this week so we are getting ready for that and just pray that we all will work well together and that she will fit in nicely with everyone here. We are going to check out a local school, orphange, and rehab center this week to see about possibly working at one of them as well. Thanks again for your continue support and prayers. Continue to pray for us as we work within the community and our apartment complex, and that God would use us to reach these people and that we would stay focused on Him and not on ourselves. Also pray that doors would be opened for us as well. I am looking forward to see what God is going to do in these next months.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Jo'burg
Three flights and two countries later we arrived in Jo'burg. I am excited to finally be here. As we drove out of the airport toward our home for the next four months we got a glimpse of the area. They are still decorated from the world cup with flags lining the street lamps down the highway. This is an industrial city and at certain points doesn't look like "africa", although we did go to an area that was more "african" and less "western". While it may look similar to the states it is definitely very different. I had a bit of culture shock coming here and going to buy groceries was overwhelming and a sensory overload. It has a bit of a european feel to it and they drive on the opposite side of the road, making it confussing at times.
We have mainly been getting settled in the past few days but have started to work some. We worked with a local church on saturday morning where they were holding a clinic but do to the location and the fact that people aren't big on going to churches they didn't have anyone show up, but we were able to talk to some of the congregation there. We took the long way back home and were able to see a different part of the city and passed through a lower income housing area and passed a couple mosques and hindu mosque all within a few square miles. Saturday was the day that I first saw the difference between the wealthy and non wealthy. As we were driving down the highway we passed a slum which was about a mile long and streched back but then right across the highway there was a subdivision (i would say middle class). There is a line between the rich and not so rich.
This is a city full of diversity. We have diversity in the states but this diversity is different. There are people here from other parts of Africa, Europe, India, and Australia. So when we go out you can just sit and listen and see the different cultures that make up this city. And for those wondering I have seen three McDonald's and about twelve KFC"s. They like KFC over mcdonalds here.
We have been walking around our complex trying to meet some of the neighbors but people don't really come out of their house, but those that we have met have been friendly. We will be meeting with a woman in the complex weekly with her and some others so we will be able to meet some other neighbors that way. It is finding different ways to reach people in the complex that is going to be a challenge. We are going to join a pilates class to meet some people.
We went to the local church we will be working with and I think it is going to be amazing. They have so many different outreaches that we can get invovled in besides helping with the youth. We will be checking out those in the next few days. THe main thing we will be doing for the rest of the week is getting to see the different ministries and continuing to find ways to get involved.
Continue to pray for us as we continue to find ways to reach people. Also just for safety not only for us but for the other teams across africa.
We have mainly been getting settled in the past few days but have started to work some. We worked with a local church on saturday morning where they were holding a clinic but do to the location and the fact that people aren't big on going to churches they didn't have anyone show up, but we were able to talk to some of the congregation there. We took the long way back home and were able to see a different part of the city and passed through a lower income housing area and passed a couple mosques and hindu mosque all within a few square miles. Saturday was the day that I first saw the difference between the wealthy and non wealthy. As we were driving down the highway we passed a slum which was about a mile long and streched back but then right across the highway there was a subdivision (i would say middle class). There is a line between the rich and not so rich.
This is a city full of diversity. We have diversity in the states but this diversity is different. There are people here from other parts of Africa, Europe, India, and Australia. So when we go out you can just sit and listen and see the different cultures that make up this city. And for those wondering I have seen three McDonald's and about twelve KFC"s. They like KFC over mcdonalds here.
We have been walking around our complex trying to meet some of the neighbors but people don't really come out of their house, but those that we have met have been friendly. We will be meeting with a woman in the complex weekly with her and some others so we will be able to meet some other neighbors that way. It is finding different ways to reach people in the complex that is going to be a challenge. We are going to join a pilates class to meet some people.
We went to the local church we will be working with and I think it is going to be amazing. They have so many different outreaches that we can get invovled in besides helping with the youth. We will be checking out those in the next few days. THe main thing we will be doing for the rest of the week is getting to see the different ministries and continuing to find ways to get involved.
Continue to pray for us as we continue to find ways to reach people. Also just for safety not only for us but for the other teams across africa.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Rain
As i type this it is rainy like crazy. I had come up the hill to use the internet and am now stuck and waiting for the rain to stop. Its rained like this another day and it seems to stop after 30 minutes, so we are just waiting it out. All though with this rain it means that the river will be flooded for longer and there are places already that have been flooded out just in this past week and a half. The teams are starting to split off and go their own directions and in a few days we will be in the city. I am looking forward to leaving and just seeing what God has planned for us there.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Sunday
This morning we had the oppurtunity to go to a local church. We split up into groups and set out. I was with a girl who is working with a different mission organization and went to a church abotu 10 minutes away. The flow of the church service was pretty similar to the one at home with it starting off with worship, prayer and then the sermon. The only big difference was that when people prayed they would all pray at once and outloud. There was a guest speaker today from south america so he spoke portgagues and then someone translated it into french for the church and the girl we were with translated it into english. After church I met a few people from VA who were all from the same church and were serving for different lengths. Again people have varying reactions to where I tell them i am going. THe city will definitely be a challenge and in some aspects harder to reach people there.
We went to an english service tonight and it was odd seeing so many english speaking people in one room. We may see two other english speaking people during the day on the compound and then no one outside of it. It was a great time of worship and a great sersom on the day of rest and working hard and taking time to rest and reflect. We went out to eat, we've been making dinner and lunch at the house everyday so it was a nice break to eat meat and something other than rice. It was also a great time to chat and get to know the girls more. These girls are such great encouragement. I am also learning tha they are just as clueless when it comes to what they are doing after this as I am and even some people I talked to this morning at the other church weren't sure what they were doing either when they returned. I must admit it may me feel better and just that even though we all have no idea what we will do in the winter that God still has it under control.
Orientation is coming to a close and I must admit that I am ready for that. I'm not looking forward to the two days of travel but I am looking forward to being in the city. Being here has definitely taught me things and teaching me see people for who they are and not by how they live or where they live or the economic status. I am glad that we came here before we went to the city and I am preparing for another culture shock as well. It is hard to put into words all that has happened here and I will try to put pics up when I get better internet axcess but it has been a long week but one that has been worth it. Thanks for the support. love you!
We went to an english service tonight and it was odd seeing so many english speaking people in one room. We may see two other english speaking people during the day on the compound and then no one outside of it. It was a great time of worship and a great sersom on the day of rest and working hard and taking time to rest and reflect. We went out to eat, we've been making dinner and lunch at the house everyday so it was a nice break to eat meat and something other than rice. It was also a great time to chat and get to know the girls more. These girls are such great encouragement. I am also learning tha they are just as clueless when it comes to what they are doing after this as I am and even some people I talked to this morning at the other church weren't sure what they were doing either when they returned. I must admit it may me feel better and just that even though we all have no idea what we will do in the winter that God still has it under control.
Orientation is coming to a close and I must admit that I am ready for that. I'm not looking forward to the two days of travel but I am looking forward to being in the city. Being here has definitely taught me things and teaching me see people for who they are and not by how they live or where they live or the economic status. I am glad that we came here before we went to the city and I am preparing for another culture shock as well. It is hard to put into words all that has happened here and I will try to put pics up when I get better internet axcess but it has been a long week but one that has been worth it. Thanks for the support. love you!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
past few days and overnight with family
Orientation has been going well and jetlag has finally left. We are learning different things about culture and about sharing the gospel. Last night (Friday) we broke up into teams and got to spend the night with an african family. The family we stayed with didn't speak any english and we didn't speak their language so that made for some fun times of trying to communicate with gestures and body language. We got a tour of the village and people stared at us as we walked by but it was fun. We entertained the kids with paper and pens and made some paper airplanes and boats out of paper which was fun. We did alot of sitting and watching, which was amazing to just be able to see into the lives of these people and how their culture is. We were able to see men going to the call of prayer and we could hear it as well, we saw the woman we were staying with do laundry and take care of her kids and saw how she cooked. They live in a two room house that is connected to another families house inside a wall. We slept inside and I must say I felt totally safe there. It could be in part because we were behind a wall and the husband was sleeping outside in front of the door gaurding it, but we did hear lots of donkeys and others wierd noises It was a humbling experience to say the least and we did have a good time and this family was so nice and hospitable to two strangers who didn't speak their language.
We have a few more days here at orientation and then will be flying to Jo'burg. I must say I am looking forward to finally being there and getting started. Thank you again for your prayers it means so much to me and I ask that you would also keep the other six teams in your prayers as well. They will be in west africa in different villages.
We have a few more days here at orientation and then will be flying to Jo'burg. I must say I am looking forward to finally being there and getting started. Thank you again for your prayers it means so much to me and I ask that you would also keep the other six teams in your prayers as well. They will be in west africa in different villages.
We Made It!!!
We made it to west africa! I must say it was an adventure in itself. Everyone working in Africa met at JFK and we ended running into each other some in charollete and other at the airport or while waiting to get boarding passes. From JFK we had a long flight to Casablanca, which consisted of screaming children and some not so nice flight attendents (we all agreed on that). We had a thriteen hour layover in Casablanca and they had arranged for us to go to a hotel for the day to sleep and stuff. Well the directions were not clear and we spent two hours in the airport tring to find the office to tell us which hotel to go to and once we found that we drove about 45 minutes to our hotel. We were all thankful that we were able to sleep and shower. We decided to go to this market about three blocks away from the hotel. Needless to say it wasn't the most fun adventure. Lack of sleep mixed with huge crowds and people staring at you for being white doesn't make for much fun. A group of us didn't stay long at the market. Where we were was definitely not a toursist location but where people actually live and we had no knowledge of the language. We boarded our plane and finally took off at 2 in the morning and I was able to take a decent nap. We landed in west africa and went to our orientaion location where we were able to take a nap and rest before starting orientation. Day one was pretty easy we went over basic things and all were in bed by 8pm. Day two jetlag really hit me and I was barely able to stay awake when a local pastor was talking with us. The afternoon nap definitly help.
Where we are staying for orientation is a very poor country. People make about 200 dollars a year. When we were driving we passed homes made out of straw and thatched roofs and tarps but we also passed some houses that were made of mud and concrete. Trash litters the road and ground and people walk freely and we have found the lines on the road and stoplight are complety optional and really have no use. Our compound is nice and we are staying near the american embassy and another embassy. It is dry looking here with browns and tans colors making up the landscaping but it is the rainy season so it is humid. This is more of a conservative culture so all skirts must go to your ankles and you must wear short sleaves. This is defintily different then where I am going to be working in but a good experience. This is country that is 99% muslim.
We are taking turns going to the market and pharmacy to learn how to get things. The market was bigger then the last one I went to and was much more crowded and definitely more cars. Venders flooded the market selling potatos, vegatabes, shoes, spices and a whole lot of other things. Of course being white the vendors try to sell you everything thinking that because we are white we are rich. We are learnign to barter and later in the week will have to go and buy something from the market with little help from our translator. I will say it was a little overwhelming going to the market, maybe for the amount of people there or the massive amoutns of flies, and the smell is something different. I must admitt that my attitude so far hasn't been the best. I am ready to be at my final location and it is hard when they are telling us things and then specifying that it probally won't relate to us in jo'burg. I think the whole traveling process being frustrating and being jetlaged has really taken a toll and I did have a better attitude today after getting a whole nights sleep. I am trying to keep an open mind and positive attitude as we continue orientation and I think the more sleep I get and getting on a sleep pattern will help. Plus someone is here during orientation for a few days that knows more about what I will be doing and the area we will be working in so I am really looking foward to that. Thank you so much for your prayers during our travels and while we are here. I am looking forward to being in jo'burg and the oppurtunities that we will have there.
Where we are staying for orientation is a very poor country. People make about 200 dollars a year. When we were driving we passed homes made out of straw and thatched roofs and tarps but we also passed some houses that were made of mud and concrete. Trash litters the road and ground and people walk freely and we have found the lines on the road and stoplight are complety optional and really have no use. Our compound is nice and we are staying near the american embassy and another embassy. It is dry looking here with browns and tans colors making up the landscaping but it is the rainy season so it is humid. This is more of a conservative culture so all skirts must go to your ankles and you must wear short sleaves. This is defintily different then where I am going to be working in but a good experience. This is country that is 99% muslim.
We are taking turns going to the market and pharmacy to learn how to get things. The market was bigger then the last one I went to and was much more crowded and definitely more cars. Venders flooded the market selling potatos, vegatabes, shoes, spices and a whole lot of other things. Of course being white the vendors try to sell you everything thinking that because we are white we are rich. We are learnign to barter and later in the week will have to go and buy something from the market with little help from our translator. I will say it was a little overwhelming going to the market, maybe for the amount of people there or the massive amoutns of flies, and the smell is something different. I must admitt that my attitude so far hasn't been the best. I am ready to be at my final location and it is hard when they are telling us things and then specifying that it probally won't relate to us in jo'burg. I think the whole traveling process being frustrating and being jetlaged has really taken a toll and I did have a better attitude today after getting a whole nights sleep. I am trying to keep an open mind and positive attitude as we continue orientation and I think the more sleep I get and getting on a sleep pattern will help. Plus someone is here during orientation for a few days that knows more about what I will be doing and the area we will be working in so I am really looking foward to that. Thank you so much for your prayers during our travels and while we are here. I am looking forward to being in jo'burg and the oppurtunities that we will have there.
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