September 28

Pic 1 and 2- Taken yesterday afternoon in the township of Masiphumele.

I must be having writer’s block because I have no idea what to write. But well, I guess you have to be a writer to have writer’s block…so since I’m no writer, I’ll just tell you what’s on my mind and some random events from the week…

Monday was National Heritage Day…and National Braai Day…so we celebrated this fine day by going to a braai and watching the final in the international cricket competition (no, I’m not talking about the bug). And by the way…trying to figure out cricket is not the easiest thing for me ☺ (but then again, I’ve never really been one to catch on to things quickly). Oh yes…how could I forget that Zana got bitten by a one-eyed dog…she’s pretty disturbed…keeps asking, “What does this mean?” If you have any insight into what it means to be bitten by a one-eyed dog, please let me know so that I can pass it on to her.

Tuesday…back to work…I spent the morning at the hospital with the LHCC social worker and a client who needed emergency care…and if you’re wondering, waiting in doctor’s offices is not just a US thing, it’s all over the world ☺

Wednesday was a great day because there was a special kid’s event that Zana, Nat, and I went to in Capricorn. Volunteers from the Navy came to play games with the kids and to run the club for the afternoon. There were about 70 kids there, all running around barefooted in a sandy area filled with broken glass, trash, rocks, and who knows what!! I cringe when I think of all the disease and infection that they could be getting…it kind of feels like a disaster waiting to happen. But I have to remember too that a lot of these thought come from my norm of not walking around barefooted all the time. If I grew up here, I might be doing the same thing. I asked one of the Life Skills Educators about this and she said that sometimes she thinks that it is just more comfortable for them to walk around barefooted…it’s just what they are used to…because they have to have shoes to go to school anyway. Other times she says, she thinks it may be because they don’t have shoes. Her conclusion is that it may be a little more of the latter than the former. I hope this is the case. May God use their calloused and beautiful feet to spread the good news of the gospel to their family, community, and country…

A part of the festivities of the club that day was a dance contest…so yes…these little kids were rocking out to the latest songs with a pretty heavy techno beat. My observations of this “dance contest” have led me to the conclusion that white people really CAN’T dance.

Today is Thursday and once again, I got locked in the flat (I feel the need to explain how this can happen…well, you have to lock the door from the outside and the inside…so if the door is locked from the outside and you don’t have a key inside to unlock it, guess what? You’re LOCKD IN…) Nat saved the day by climbing out of the window!!

It’s now Thursday night and 24 hours from now I am going to be waiting at the Cape Town Airport for my mom to arrive in Cape Town!!!!!!!!! Words cannot express how excited I am for her and my aunt Jane to get here!! I am dying to share my world here with them and for them experience some of the things that God has so graciously allowed me to experience here in my temporary Cape Town home ☺ I just can’t wait to hug my mom’s neck!!

This week, these are the things on my mind…and I realize that if you’re still reading, you either like me a lot ☺ or you are related to me ☺. Anyway, I’m sitting here listening to Shane and Shane’s song “Hearts of Servants.” These lines are gripping me at the moment and the prayer of my heart. “…put within us tenderness…release from us our selfishness that we’d consider them better...we are Yours, give use hearts of servants…”

Zana read this passage from Romans 15 this week and it has been rolling around in my head…(I’ve highlighted the phrases that have stuck with me…)

“Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?" That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us.” (The Message).

Lord, may I not be consumed by living a life of convenience, but one of service and selflessness.

So, it seems to me that God is trying to teach me a little about servant hood and also revealing a lot of what is in my heart (which is selfishness). It also seems to me that I don’t so much have writer’s block after all ☺

Talk with you soon…

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

Please pray for...

1. The children of Sutherland, Masiphumele, Ocean View, Capricorn, Red Hill, and Muizenberg- They are vulnerable to all sorts of evil and abuse (evil and darkness pervade these areas). Pray for God’s protection and blessings on their lives and that He would raise these children up to someday be men and women who live for Him alone- and bring transformation to their communties.

2. The homeless men and women of Muizenberg- That they will bring Christ all of their guilt and shame, and fully receive His love and mercy.

3. The patients of the Health Care Center- That God will bring spiritual, physical, and emotional healing during their stay at LHCC. Also, that He would give them the strength and determination to live a healthy lifestyle when they return home.

4. That I will serve the people of Cape Town and Living Hope with a joyful and cheerful heart!

5. That I will be obedient and sensitive to the voice of God in my life, and move as His Spirit leads.

Thursday...I think summer might be here :)

Just wanted to give ya'll a quick shout out from CT!! I think summer may be here...after the unusually long winter (I'm so glad I happened to be here for that) Weather predictions are never quite right here, but when people who have lived in CT all their life say that summer has most likely arrived... I choose to believe them (because weather.com hasn't proven to be too reliable :) We actually went to the beach after work one day and I was wearing a tank top!! My thoughts...I can definitley get used to LIVING on the beach!!

On Wednesday, I spent most of my day with a social work intern named Sheralyn. She asked me to join her in looking for a couple of men who had been regulars at the LHCC center for the homeless. These men had been given some money by LHCC to travel to get some government papers so that they could begin a job that had been secured for them by a LHCC staff member. Unfortunately on the way, one of the men bought booze for a friend, then felt so guilty about what he'd done that he used the rest on alcohol for himself. These 2 men felt a lot of guilt for what they had done and did not want to come back to LHCC because of the deep shame they felt. We were searching to tell them that they we want them to come back to LHCC, and they will be accepted there.

We searched for a couple of hours, going to all the different beaches and liquor stores that the homeless hang out at. I just want you to know that there are homeless people EVERYWHERE here (they are drunk, high, bored, and unemployed). It seems like quite the hopeless situation. As we searched and asked around all I could think about was the prodigal son and the one lost sheep that was sought out by the shepherd. Also, I had just read in Neh. 9 an account of God's faithfulness to Isreal despite their repeated pattern of disobedience. What a picture of God's people (Sheralyn and LHCC) extending His love, mercy, and grace to someone who has made a mistake and gone astray- but inviting him back in. Then I thought, "That's me...I'm the one who has taken what has been given (grace), squandered it, and made a complete mess of things...yet God in His great mercy has sought me out and found me in my sin." Praise the Lord for His great love...we can't keep Him from pursuing us!!

The stories that I hear here are absolutely astounding and humbling. Like the Health Care Center patient that I talked to today that has just found out last month that she is HIV positive. The only way she can figure she got it is from her "naughty" husband, who never told her of his HIV status. He hung himself on Christmas day 3 years ago. She knows that he did this because he had just learned his HIV status, but didn't tell her...his wife! And when I asked her how she felt about this, she said, "What can I do...I can't talk to him...only the Lord can." Wow!! I'm not sure that I'd react in the same way...humbling...

Yesterday I left the lights on in Katie, she died, and I had to call a mechanic. I felt pretty stupid. Let's hope I don't make a mistake like that again. Then, I had a haircut...and I'll just say that I should have known better than to get my haircut in a foreign country. We are happily washing our dishes in the kitchen sink now! Monday is another public holiday (what adventures await!!) I love The Office, we are in the middle of Season 2 and all three of us LOVE Jim!! I was told that I was "fat" today...which is acutally a compliment here...talk about a cultural difference :)

I'm so excited because my mom and aunt are coming to visit next week!! I can hardly wait!!! They'll be here in 8 days!! Pray for a safe journey and jet lag mercies :)

Weather today...hot for a couple of hours!!

Pic 1- Group today...Seated- Jessica, Paul, Belinda, and I'm not sure what his name is, but he's precious and from Angola :). Standing- Nomsuela, Yolanda, and Dina.

I found out today that Freddie (see blog below) passed away. No more pain for him…He is now in God’s presence!!

I also wanted to update you on a patient that I had asked for prayers for in my August update…Mark. He prayed to receive Christ yesterday!! And today, he was release to go home. He’s had an exciting couple of days! He told me that said he has been at Living Hope for 49 days. He has been there since I first started there, so I am sad to see his familiar face go, but so happy that he is finally going home! Pray that Mark would develop a hunger for Christ and a desire to know Him through His Word. Pray that he would become part of a body of believers that can encourage him in his new faith, and that he will make wise choices and take care of his physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

Today I had a group with a couple of the patients and the carers from the Health Care Center. Every week, the carers come to join the group (I’m not sure if it’s out of boredom or what ☺). I think that it’s great for them to join because it allows them to talk freely and do something fun! They are very open to sharing and today talked a lot about the recent deaths that have happened at the hospice. Three people have passed away in the past couple of days. These carers are the ones that are with they dying in the end because often times the family lives too far away to be by the patient’s side…or worse, there is no family to be with them. Although, this is hard and sad for the carers, it is a wonderful privilege for them to comfort and love on the patients in their final days. These women (and men) have great strength and such a love for their job and their patients. I felt so blessed to get to sit and listen to them talk about the feelings that they experience and the God that is their strength. Please pray for the carers of the hospice that God will continue to strengthen them as they care for the sick and dying.

Hmmm…what else to tell you…I haven’t been driving on the wrong side of the road lately (Mom and Dad you can breathe now ☺) and we are still washing dishes in the tub!! Things have taken a little longer with the plumbing than we’d like, but we’re patient…at least we are really trying to be ☺. See pic (I'm not sure why it's sideways and don't have the time to fix it...I hope you understand :)...this is Zana washing the dishes...





Another fun thing to let you know is that we have developed our own workout program that we like to call “Butt Busters.” What does this entail…I’m sure that you’re dying to know!! Well, it’s me, Zana, and Nat running in place, doing jumping jacks, kicking, doing crunches, push-ups, and tons of other crazy exercises- for a total of 30 minutes. And this goes without saying, but…we look SO COOL doing “Butt Busters!! We blast the music and sweat like you wouldn’t believe!! I’m sure that they people in the flat below just love us…maybe we should ask them to come join…

Oh blog titles...you make my brain hurt...

Pic 1- This is my South African mom...her name is Deb, and she is the cook here at the Health Care Center. She is precious and passionate about talking with patients here about the hope of Christ.

Pic 2- This is Deb's daughter Tonya and Tonya's daughter Kiara. Tonya also works as a cook at the Health Care Centre. This pic was taken a couple of weeks ago, when we had Sunday lunch at Tonya's house- with Deb and the rest of their family. It was so much fun!! What a blessing to be invited into someone's home and laugh and talk together!! We had a blast!!


Some of the many feelings that I’ve felt this week (well actually last week)…

THANKFUL…1. That being obedient to God is such fun!! I know that sounds incredibly corny, but I can’t even believe that God called me to such a wonderful place…to share life with wonderful friends, to build relationships with new people, and to experience and see God in new ways!!! 2. That I have been provided with a way to be able to serve in several different areas of Cape Town and LHCC, because He provided me with transportation and mobility to get to these places. 3. That they weather is finally starting to warm up!! Spring is here and I’m chomping at the bit to get out my capris and summer skirts—pray for warm weather ☺

FRUSTRATED…1. I got locked IN the flat 2 times this week. 2. Katie died on us on Wednesday morning. 3. Having a few plumbing issues in the flat---can’t get water to go down the drain in our kitchen, and South African Drano has not been too helpful. On Saturday morning, Zana resorted to washing the dishes in the bathtub. 3. Friday morning…once again, I was locked IN the flat 10 minutes before I had to be at a meeting that I was leading. I had no airtime on my phone, so couldn’t call out or text message…and being such a quick thinker (umm…please note the sarcasm in my voice ☺) I decided that my only option was to climb out the bathroom window. Picture this…me crawling out of a 1 ½ ft x 2 ft window. I’m sure the men out working in the yard got a good laugh out of my legs dangling out of the window. (By the way, when I arrived at my meeting no one was even there yet…this is what we call “African time.”- translation- “time” has a completely new meaning on this continent.) 4. On Friday I totally “lost my edge” with my South African driving skills and had the hardest time remembering what side of the road to drive on. I definitely turned into the wrong lane and a car was coming straight toward me honking (or as the South Africans say, “hooting.”). Fortunately, there was no one in the other lane so I could move out of the way fast and turn left. Needless to say, my heart about beat out of my chest in that moment!! And now, after telling this…the prayers from home for my safety on the road are probably quadrupling!! Don't worry, I'll get "the edge" back :)

I could go on about the frustrating things that happened on Friday, but I’ll spare you all the needless details…and if you know me, you know that that is a big deal for me because I pretty much thrive on giving ALL the details!! (right Mom?). Next feeling…

HUMBLED…In the middle of my frustrating day on Friday, I had an experience that put everything into perspective and that I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life. It pretty much made me realize that all of my frustrations or problems are needless and petty.

A nurse came in and asked Natalie and I if we’d like to pray with a patient who is terminally ill and probably does not have long to live. He has tongue cancer and had been at the HCU a few weeks ago and was transferred to another hospital. He was sent back to Living Hope to spend his remaining days there.

It was a moving experience to hear Natalie pray for this sweet man named Freddie. I knew I would not be able to hold it together to pray for him as I was a little emotional already and can pretty much cry at the drop of a hat anyway ☺ After the prayer, Freddie said to us, “God is still good…” Wow!!!

After praying, he asked us to read the Bible to him. I finished up 2 Corinthians, then continued on into Galatians. It was a pretty powerful and humbling experience to read from God’s Word to a dying man. His Word is pretty much the only thing that matters when you are at the end of your life. We are pretty good and jumbling life up with all sorts of complications, but at the end of it all nothing else matters but God and us.

Freddie was obviously a believer by the way he listened, looked, and “uh-huhed” as I read. He was constantly agreeing with the words of Truth that I was reading. How can you be in that situation and not be moved to tears when you read….”I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

At this point, I was really kind of choking up as I read. You know when you are really trying hard to hold it together…but failing miserably and your face and voice are all contorted? Yeah well that was me ☺ He could see me struggling and held up his hand and said, “It’s ok.” I interpreted that as, “It’s ok, don't cry for me because I’m about to go home.”

How wonderful that I got to be apart of some of the final days of a man’s life and read the eternal and unchangeable Word of God to him. I wonder what it’s like to know that in a short while you’ll be seeing your Savior with your own eyes, and that the cares and pains of the world are about to fade completely.

I know that I’ll remember that moment with Freddie for a long time…

So these thoughts kind of some up a week of life of LB. I could write so much more, but then you’d be bored to tears ☺

Oh yes…well another highlight of the week (last week) was when my dad e-mailed to let me know of a small miracle that had occurred last Saturday…Vandy won...Alabama won…and UT lost…ALL IN ONE DAY!! Now that’s a good day!!

Sutherland

Pics 1, 2, 3- The beautiful children of Sutherland!!!!!! I have so many great pics of the kids, I wish I could publish them all...these are a few of my favorites. Pic 3- This is Jamie- she quickly took my heart...we danced in the streets together- I wonder what her life is like...

This past weekend I had the incredible experience of getting to go on a mission trip…sounds kind of funny, since I’m pretty much on a 5-month mission trip!! I guess it’s a mission trip within a mission trip ☺ I left last Friday morning and I went with 7 others- Natalie, Zana, and others who work with LHCC. We traveled about 4 hours north of Cape Town to a tiny and frigid little town called Sutherland. (If you’re interested in a little international trivia…Sutherland is the home of the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere…the South African Large Telescope, or SALT. Don’t be intimidated by the high-tech name ☺)

Because Sutherland is far inland, in the Northern Cape, it has completely different weather than Cape Town. I’m not kidding when I say it was FREEZING!!! I’m pretty sure that the thermometer did reach the freezing mark!! It was kind of like spending the weekend in a refrigerator, or maybe even a freezer!! I kid you not that I slept in 3 shirts, a fleece, 3 pairs of socks, pants, 3 blankets, and a sleeping bag and I was still cold!! Not really the Africa that we are accustomed to thinking about, right? We stayed in a school, ate all our meals there, etc. Zana described the hallway of the school to be like in the movie, “The Shining,” hmmm…that made for some frightening walks down the hall!!

Anyway, the trip was absolutely great…we were there to come alongside a sweet and quiet man named Pastor Lofti, our goal was to do some community outreach. A little bit about Sutherland…it is not an area of too much crime, but there are severe problems of alcohol and unemployment (75% unemployment rate).

On Friday night, we attended a rally at the church, and one of our trip members preached. The church meets in a school…Pastor Lofti is the pastor, worship leader, set up and tear down team! Their keyboard sits on an ironing board- innovative, right? Saturday morning, I helped with a few others to have some kids activities. We started off with about 15 kids, then they just kept coming and coming until we had 90+!! We were there with the next generation of Sutherland, speaking the gospel and singing Father Abraham!! They are precious children, full of smiles, and longing for hugs and attention. Probably the most powerful moment of the weekend for me happened during the Saturday night service when Pastor Lofti prayed a prayer of blessing and protection over the children. It was a beautiful sight to see the pastor and an elder with their hands stretched toward the children asking the Lord to surround them with angels and to protect them from the evil of alcoholism and abuse. All the while the children are looking around, laughing, and so innocently unaware of the intercession that was coming before their Father on their behalf. Pray that God would raise up these children to be God fearing and obedient men and women of the Lord, and that God would bring transformation to Sutherland through their lives.

During each service I was delighted at the freedom of worship that this body of believers has. I am not sure that I have ever experienced such genuinely joyful worship. They dance, run around, sing, and shout all for the glory of God. It was really exciting (and maybe even a little confusing at times ☺- by the way, their first language is Afrikaanz, which is a combination of Dutch and German- spoken by Colored people in SA)

Another highlight of the trip was on Friday night…Des, our leader, took us outside of the town to look at the stars. Oh my word…I cannot even describe the beauty of the African sky that I saw that night. It really seemed like I could reach out and touch the stars, and there were more of them than I have ever seen in my life. It made me feel pretty small…and God seem pretty HUGE!!

I’m so thankful for having been given the opportunity to go on a mission trip within an mission trip!! Pray for Sutherland, Pastor Lofti and his family- I am praying Isaiah 61:11 for this community- that righteousness and praise would sprout up all over the place and that the gospel message will rush through the streets like wildfire.

As I reflect back on this weekend, I think what I’ll remember most is the beautiful African sky, the freezing cold weather, the “large” telescope, and the children who have stolen my heart forever (especially sweet little Jamie- see pic 3 above).