Dear Family & Friends,
It's been over one week since my last email. Our team has been in Transkei (also known as the Eastern Cape) doing evangelism and teaching work for an entire week.
The people who live in Khayelitsha have traditionally moved here from the Eastern Cape to find better living opportunities, so we went out there to see what life is like there. It was a very long bus ride, approximately 14 hours. After getting off the bus, we met with two of the local pastors--Mama Silvia and Masakane--who then packed us into a taxi to drive an hour out to the place we were staying--Gulandoda. When I say "packed" into a taxi, I mean we were packed. The taxi was a little truck with a canopy out back. Three people (including the driver) sat in the front, and the team (five people) sat in the back. Our luggage was fastened on the roof of the canopy and the miscellaneous groceries we had bought for the week were thrown in to the back along with the people. David's guitar rested in the pile somewhere. While it wasn't so bad driving around in the city, once we hit the coutryside, the gravel road did not make for a comfortable ride--but we had a lot of fun bouncing around in the back of the truck with groceries at our feet and a guitar floating around in the "stuff" somewhere. We also occasionally peered out back to make sure our luggage hadn't fallen off the roof of the taxi.
Upon arriving at our host's house, we were given a great welcome. The kids came running out to help us move stuff to our rooms and the family members invited us to tea after we'd gotten settled in. Our hosts lived in a mud-brick hut with thatched roofs (covered with tin to provide shielding from the rain) and fairly poor ventilation. They had built another little hut to its side for the mission teams that drop by. There isn't much of a toilet or bathroom--you basically do all you need to do outdoors. The view from the house was gorgeous, however, overlooking a valley of dry, golden grass spackled with a couple lonely trees. On the other side of the valley was a set of mesas, dotted with villages and more of the wonderful, golden grass. Behind us, a forest rose up into the mountains that overlooked the house. It was almost like living in Yosemite, except less green--more gold. The sunsets from the house were even more magnificent, with the sun falling behind the mountains and filling the golden valley with a light shade of fire orange and then pink and dark red. We happened to arrive aroud the time of a full moon, so the nighttimes were equally beautiful and well-lit. Our flashlights came into very little use. Even though it seemed so beautiful, the valley was very dry and the area was in the middle of a winter drought--so fires in the valley were fairly common.
During our time there, we had the same schedule every day. We'd wake up aroud 7am, have morning devotions with Mama Silvia, Masakane, and our host family. Then we'd hike out to the nearby villages with our translators (Beauty and Andiswa) and visit various huts. Afternoon would roll around and we'd have an amazing lunch (they made very good food for us), rest a little, walk up to the church that sat behind the house and teach a short Sunday school for the children. Then, come 6 pm, we'd have a nighttime service, eat dinner, and call it wraps for the day.
On the day we arrived, we kept the schedule light and only held a midday Sunday school for the children. We told them the story of Jesus and Zaccheus and made a craft related to the story and sang songs. The plan for the week was to tell various stories about Jesus and end with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. We told them the story of Jesus and Zaccheus, Jesus feeding the 5000, Jesus calming the storm, Jesus washes his disciples feet, and Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Each Sunday school lesson had a craft attached to it, and the kids were always very excited to do the crafts. They were even more excited to sing the songs and even stayed after Sunday school just to sing with David on the guitar!
We had arrived on Tuesday and kept the day very light, adjusting to the environment (learning to go to the bathroom outside, etc. ;-) ) and taking in the view as well as our hosts' hospitality. They had food ready on time and were very happy to serve us in any way possible. On Wednesday, Beth finally arrived from the United States and our six-man team was at last five-man full. We were also blessed with the presence of another translator--Andiswa--who had kindly taken a week off from her summer break to help us out. She goes to school in the US on a South Africa scholarship.
On Wednesday, we started our evangelism in Gulandoda and visited various huts. Beth and I traveled on a team with Beauty, our translator, and Mama Silvia. We had time to visit two huts, both with single moms, taking care of their children. The visit to the first hut struck me the hardest. The mom lived with her daughter and mother--so a family of three generations under one roof. Her husband had recently left her, her daughter was having stomach pains (and they feared pregnancy), and the grandmother was too weak to walk. She had to take care of the house and the family by herself. I didn't know where to start, but I explained why we were in her village and offered words from Scripture to comfort her (from 1 Corinthians 1 and Psalm 23). She told us that no one in the village had bothered to take care of her or see how she was doing; they mostly ignored her--and this was the first time anyone had bothered to see how she was. Mama Silvia talked to her briefly, and she and her family gave their life to Christ on the spot. I left her with a Xhosa Bible that day, hoping that it might offer some comfort and peace. We visited her again before we left and found that she was doing much better (the grandmother had gone out for a walk!)--for that, I praise God.
The other days of evangelism eventually took their toll on me, especially as I began to feel less and less prepared--that since arriving in South Africa I have been thrust about left and right without a sense of direction. We would never know what was planned for us the next day until the day of--and sometimes, we'd find out only hours beforehand. Every missionary is in a hurry to get from A to B (driving in excess of 120 km/h--90mph) and none of our tasks would be very well-defined. We'd be told to evangelize, but not told how or even informed of the situation of the people. Instead, we'd be told to trust in the power of God and His Word to speak to the people. While I don't doubt that God is strong in my weakness, I wonder if there's such a thing as irresponsible missions--where "trust God" becomes the excuse to be unprepared in various circumstances. Eventually, doing evangelism in Gulandoda for a week without having an ounce of knowledge about the people that live there, their culture, and their lifestyle, I had to wonder if our work was "For the Kingdom" at all. I'm struggling with human responsibility and God's sovereignty.
Well, I just accidentally wiped my email (and Gmail only saved up to here :( ), so I will cut it short here and hopefully fill you all in later. But the short of it is that there was a brush fire on Thursday and the guys helped put it out (it was a lot of fun!), Friday we had freak winds and rain, and Saturday we had wind and dust--so, all in all, during our stay in Gulandoda, we had experienced all the elements!
I will leave you with a short lists of prayer requests:
* David and I head back to the States in a couple days. Please pray for safe travels.
* The team's been pushed pretty hard, and we're all sick. Pray for our health.
* And pray for me as I wrestled with the concept of evangelism and God's role as well as ours in it.
I hope you are all well, and I miss you all,
Eric Chu.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
South Africa: Pressed for Time
Dear Family and Friends,
I am pressed for time and must attempt to summarize the past couple days as quickly as I can, since we're sitting in an Internet cafe, and I'm trying to save money. ;-) (Even though I'm not really paying for it.)
When I last sent an update, we had finished putting in poles for a fence around a preschool in Khayelitsha. I don't think I did justice to the whole endeavor, but I will try to in this email. On Wednesday, Carl Erickson arrived from the States and was immediately whisked away to the preschool. Meanwhile, David, Panayiota, and I had just gotten up at the mission house and were ready to throw on our backpacks and finish up the fencing work. One of the missionaries with us suddenly yelled for David and me, we ran outside (David wisely put on his shoes, and I ran outside in my socks) to see him pushing a car, trying to get it started. (By the way, I've learned a great deal about cars here, because the missionaries use old, run-down manual transmission vehicles and do what they can with them--including driving at speeds of approximately 100 mph. Apparently, for the missionaries here, time in the car is wasted time. My American sensibilities tell me, "Well, if we don't get there in one piece, what *can* we do anyway?") We push it down a hill. Nothing. We push it down another hill. Still nothing. And before I know it, I'm running along in my socks and pushing this car to the mechanic. And my white socks are now plastered in black--asphalt, dirt, rubber, whatever stuff is on the ground on the roads here. Mom, I'll clean it up before you see it. ;)
Anyway, because of the little car problem, we end up being late and Carl's been waiting a couple hours. But when we finally all meet up, it's a grand ol' Stanford reunion as we're all happy to see each other once again. But we're quickly thrown in the fray once again. At this point, David and I have gotten good at mixing cement and making concrete to use to keep the poles stuck in the sand (if you're ever thinking about remodeling your house and need some concrete--David and I will do it for free. ;) ). It's an awful lot of fun, and Carl heartily joins in the fun proclaiming to us all, "I love manual labor!" At the end of the day, we've got rock-solid fence posts planted in the sand around the preschool and have begun to string the actual fence around the posts--but, alas, we don't quite finish. We decide to return on Thursday and finish up the job.
For the rest of the day, we spent some time evangelizing in another part of Khayelitsha. Simon (our German friend) and I decided to go without a translator and try evangelizing in English. We were mostly rejected by the locals, but it gave me a taste of just how easily language divides people. With a translator, the locals were much more inclined to talk to us. But we did manage to talk to a couple of men. They asked us to pray for them--for their safety. It never really struck me just how deeply the men here fear for their lives. If they're not looking for jobs, they're looking out for their backs. While it's fairly safe in the daytime, at night, Khayelitsha is fairly dangerous. The government reports that, on average, roughly 2 people die (are murdered?) a day in Khayelitsha. For those concerned about my safety, just know that we're usually there in the daytime and in a large group. Besides, God protects us. ;-)
On Thursday, we spend the morning helping out at a soup kitchen one of the ladies started up. It wasn't quite what I expected. I thought we'd go and serve some food; instead, we ended up being part of a worship session. The African people here are so passionate in their worship! When one song rolls to a close, someone will start another song; and maybe someone else will dance. And whenever I think the singing's finally ended, a new song will start. There are plenty of requests for English songs, and David quickly exhausts his repertoire. But we all have a jolly good time singing songs and praying for a good hour or two--quite different from the more rigid structure of worship in the States. Here, most everything is spontaneous--except combustion. ;)
In the afternoon, we head to the preschool and finish up the fence, reinforcing it with some wire and taking the time to admire our work. We also hold a mini-Sunday school for the kids, telling them the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3?) as well as making crafts with the kids. There were over 50 little kids there--believe me, it was chaotic. I think we all have a new found appreciation for preschool and elementary school teachers. Oh--and to add to the chaos--we decide to hand out snacks to the kids. Trying to create order out of chaos without understanding very much Xhosa beyond "Hello" and "Thank you" is quite the challenge. David resorted to his foreign language knowledge base (the part of his brain where he stores information about every other language except English) and started yelling, "Aqui!" (Spanish for "Here!") to get the children to stay put. Needless to say, the rest of us had a good laugh.
On a more serious note, I have to wonder if we're really helping with the kids. It's hard for us to communicate to them precisely why we're there (they see us more like giant playthings) and when it comes to candy, there are a hundred little voices chanting, "Gimme my snacks. Gimme my snacks." And while we'd like to please the kids, do we not spoil them just a little by acquiescing to their demands? I was also frustrated with our inability to set some ground rules with the children. While we were playing outside, a couple of the boys got into a fist fight. One of them ended up with a swollen bump on his head and cried out loud--very loud. I took them aside and scolded them in English (thankfully, our translator--Beauty--was there to translate); but, in reality, I was more frustrated with our irresponsibility, which was more a result of an inability to communicate more than anything. Granted, the children respond to any provocation mostly by fighting and pushing (since they don't know any better), but I wonder if our work here, while good, isn't completely thought out at times. Or maybe I'm just too used to the "way things are done" back in the US.
Thursday night, we dropped by another Bible study for a soccer team. Panayiota shared her testimony to the group, and Carl shared a couple verses from the Bible. And that wrapped our Thursday.
On Friday, we were scheduled to play soccer with the teams, but it burst out raining in the skies. We kept things light on Friday, reinforcing one of the other preschools (there's like 28 of them in Khayelitsha) with tires filled with sand. We use old tires to build a sort of support structure around the building and fill it with sand to keep the sand from blowing away. Again, Carl spoke our thoughts: "I love manual labor!"
For the remainder of the day, we stayed indoors, painting at yet *another* preschool. We decorated the inside with giant flowers and grass and butterflies and fish and ocean waves and numbers and letters and shapes and rainbows and all happy things that make children fly when sprinkled with pixie dust. Because of the rain, the soccer game was canceled, and we took our time creating a fabulous work of art indoors. Carl might have dumped a bucket of golden paint all over himself, but we all had a good laugh out of it. Panayiota might have painted the nicest butterfly. I might've put paint on my foot to make footprints on a wall. And David, well, let's say that I'm grateful that he can at least use a paint brush to paint the wall instead of himself. ;-) All in all, Friday was restful, even though it was full of manual labor.
Come Saturday, we had the busiest schedule by far. Splitting into two teams (Panayiota and I, David and Carl), we went to help with some of the Sunday schools in Khayelitsha, singing songs with the kids and telling Bible stories. Panayiota and I had a smaller group of kids than the ones we worked with on Thursday. I took a couple videos of them (hopefully we can upload them in the future) singing songs and playing games. They're so full of energy! I'm used to shy, Asian kids that hide behind tables and chairs--not quite used to the African kids that dance like there is no tomorrow. If you think a recent Stanford engineering graduate is "young and hip," then even I--the young and hip--couldn't keep up with the moves those kids were showing! It was fun!
(And now I'm running even shorter on time, so I'm going to blaze through the rest of this....)
For the rest of Saturday, we joined in a netball tournament and shared some testimonies at a youth group service. (Told ya, I'm running short on time ;-) ). We also did some more evangelism.
Over dinner on Saturday, Pastor Ohm shared with us a bit. He'd been sharing every day after dinner, but the sharing on Saturday struck me a bit--probably because it is so close in time to today, so I remember it--but also because a part of me disagreed with what he had to say. We talked about the Christian's potential to reach many people; but the angle Pastor Ohm took rubbed me the wrong way. I think, in general, I am tired of people telling me, "You're special! You can make a difference in the world!" It's not because I don't believe them, but it's because it fuels too much of my ego. Mission work suddenly becomes *my* work; our success suddenly becomes *my* success. I'm sure Pastor Ohm had good intentions in encouraging us and reminding us that we have the opportunity to reach many, many people--but I too easily steal God's work and treat His Kingdom as mine. And, especially in the US, I too often thinking I'm more important than I really am.
Well, to keep the email short, I'll sum up today.
We went to one of the local churches to share what we were doing in the area and to encouarge them to get involved with African Leadership. The pastor invited us over to his house to have lunch, and we had a grand old time. We then headed to Table Mountain to look out around the area. We also threw a frisbee off the top to see how far it could go. :-D
My apologies for the email cut short, but here is a list of things to continue prayer for.
* We are headed to Transkei tomorrow to do evangelism and play with the kids. Pray for our relationship with the community there.
* Pray for the trip to Transkei tomorrow. It's a car trip that's over 12 hours long.
* Pray for the safety of Beth and Andrea's arrival. Beth will meet us in Transkei on Tuesday.
* Pray for my heart and mind as I wrestle with the issues of missions and the missionary attitude--and also as I wrestle with some of my past experiences with "missionaries" in Taiwan (I wish I had time to explain, but I'm sorry, I don't).
One of these days, I will sit down and organize these thoughts into something more coherent instead of a time-limited stream-of-consciousness.
Miss you all,
Eric Chu.
I am pressed for time and must attempt to summarize the past couple days as quickly as I can, since we're sitting in an Internet cafe, and I'm trying to save money. ;-) (Even though I'm not really paying for it.)
When I last sent an update, we had finished putting in poles for a fence around a preschool in Khayelitsha. I don't think I did justice to the whole endeavor, but I will try to in this email. On Wednesday, Carl Erickson arrived from the States and was immediately whisked away to the preschool. Meanwhile, David, Panayiota, and I had just gotten up at the mission house and were ready to throw on our backpacks and finish up the fencing work. One of the missionaries with us suddenly yelled for David and me, we ran outside (David wisely put on his shoes, and I ran outside in my socks) to see him pushing a car, trying to get it started. (By the way, I've learned a great deal about cars here, because the missionaries use old, run-down manual transmission vehicles and do what they can with them--including driving at speeds of approximately 100 mph. Apparently, for the missionaries here, time in the car is wasted time. My American sensibilities tell me, "Well, if we don't get there in one piece, what *can* we do anyway?") We push it down a hill. Nothing. We push it down another hill. Still nothing. And before I know it, I'm running along in my socks and pushing this car to the mechanic. And my white socks are now plastered in black--asphalt, dirt, rubber, whatever stuff is on the ground on the roads here. Mom, I'll clean it up before you see it. ;)
Anyway, because of the little car problem, we end up being late and Carl's been waiting a couple hours. But when we finally all meet up, it's a grand ol' Stanford reunion as we're all happy to see each other once again. But we're quickly thrown in the fray once again. At this point, David and I have gotten good at mixing cement and making concrete to use to keep the poles stuck in the sand (if you're ever thinking about remodeling your house and need some concrete--David and I will do it for free. ;) ). It's an awful lot of fun, and Carl heartily joins in the fun proclaiming to us all, "I love manual labor!" At the end of the day, we've got rock-solid fence posts planted in the sand around the preschool and have begun to string the actual fence around the posts--but, alas, we don't quite finish. We decide to return on Thursday and finish up the job.
For the rest of the day, we spent some time evangelizing in another part of Khayelitsha. Simon (our German friend) and I decided to go without a translator and try evangelizing in English. We were mostly rejected by the locals, but it gave me a taste of just how easily language divides people. With a translator, the locals were much more inclined to talk to us. But we did manage to talk to a couple of men. They asked us to pray for them--for their safety. It never really struck me just how deeply the men here fear for their lives. If they're not looking for jobs, they're looking out for their backs. While it's fairly safe in the daytime, at night, Khayelitsha is fairly dangerous. The government reports that, on average, roughly 2 people die (are murdered?) a day in Khayelitsha. For those concerned about my safety, just know that we're usually there in the daytime and in a large group. Besides, God protects us. ;-)
On Thursday, we spend the morning helping out at a soup kitchen one of the ladies started up. It wasn't quite what I expected. I thought we'd go and serve some food; instead, we ended up being part of a worship session. The African people here are so passionate in their worship! When one song rolls to a close, someone will start another song; and maybe someone else will dance. And whenever I think the singing's finally ended, a new song will start. There are plenty of requests for English songs, and David quickly exhausts his repertoire. But we all have a jolly good time singing songs and praying for a good hour or two--quite different from the more rigid structure of worship in the States. Here, most everything is spontaneous--except combustion. ;)
In the afternoon, we head to the preschool and finish up the fence, reinforcing it with some wire and taking the time to admire our work. We also hold a mini-Sunday school for the kids, telling them the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3?) as well as making crafts with the kids. There were over 50 little kids there--believe me, it was chaotic. I think we all have a new found appreciation for preschool and elementary school teachers. Oh--and to add to the chaos--we decide to hand out snacks to the kids. Trying to create order out of chaos without understanding very much Xhosa beyond "Hello" and "Thank you" is quite the challenge. David resorted to his foreign language knowledge base (the part of his brain where he stores information about every other language except English) and started yelling, "Aqui!" (Spanish for "Here!") to get the children to stay put. Needless to say, the rest of us had a good laugh.
On a more serious note, I have to wonder if we're really helping with the kids. It's hard for us to communicate to them precisely why we're there (they see us more like giant playthings) and when it comes to candy, there are a hundred little voices chanting, "Gimme my snacks. Gimme my snacks." And while we'd like to please the kids, do we not spoil them just a little by acquiescing to their demands? I was also frustrated with our inability to set some ground rules with the children. While we were playing outside, a couple of the boys got into a fist fight. One of them ended up with a swollen bump on his head and cried out loud--very loud. I took them aside and scolded them in English (thankfully, our translator--Beauty--was there to translate); but, in reality, I was more frustrated with our irresponsibility, which was more a result of an inability to communicate more than anything. Granted, the children respond to any provocation mostly by fighting and pushing (since they don't know any better), but I wonder if our work here, while good, isn't completely thought out at times. Or maybe I'm just too used to the "way things are done" back in the US.
Thursday night, we dropped by another Bible study for a soccer team. Panayiota shared her testimony to the group, and Carl shared a couple verses from the Bible. And that wrapped our Thursday.
On Friday, we were scheduled to play soccer with the teams, but it burst out raining in the skies. We kept things light on Friday, reinforcing one of the other preschools (there's like 28 of them in Khayelitsha) with tires filled with sand. We use old tires to build a sort of support structure around the building and fill it with sand to keep the sand from blowing away. Again, Carl spoke our thoughts: "I love manual labor!"
For the remainder of the day, we stayed indoors, painting at yet *another* preschool. We decorated the inside with giant flowers and grass and butterflies and fish and ocean waves and numbers and letters and shapes and rainbows and all happy things that make children fly when sprinkled with pixie dust. Because of the rain, the soccer game was canceled, and we took our time creating a fabulous work of art indoors. Carl might have dumped a bucket of golden paint all over himself, but we all had a good laugh out of it. Panayiota might have painted the nicest butterfly. I might've put paint on my foot to make footprints on a wall. And David, well, let's say that I'm grateful that he can at least use a paint brush to paint the wall instead of himself. ;-) All in all, Friday was restful, even though it was full of manual labor.
Come Saturday, we had the busiest schedule by far. Splitting into two teams (Panayiota and I, David and Carl), we went to help with some of the Sunday schools in Khayelitsha, singing songs with the kids and telling Bible stories. Panayiota and I had a smaller group of kids than the ones we worked with on Thursday. I took a couple videos of them (hopefully we can upload them in the future) singing songs and playing games. They're so full of energy! I'm used to shy, Asian kids that hide behind tables and chairs--not quite used to the African kids that dance like there is no tomorrow. If you think a recent Stanford engineering graduate is "young and hip," then even I--the young and hip--couldn't keep up with the moves those kids were showing! It was fun!
(And now I'm running even shorter on time, so I'm going to blaze through the rest of this....)
For the rest of Saturday, we joined in a netball tournament and shared some testimonies at a youth group service. (Told ya, I'm running short on time ;-) ). We also did some more evangelism.
Over dinner on Saturday, Pastor Ohm shared with us a bit. He'd been sharing every day after dinner, but the sharing on Saturday struck me a bit--probably because it is so close in time to today, so I remember it--but also because a part of me disagreed with what he had to say. We talked about the Christian's potential to reach many people; but the angle Pastor Ohm took rubbed me the wrong way. I think, in general, I am tired of people telling me, "You're special! You can make a difference in the world!" It's not because I don't believe them, but it's because it fuels too much of my ego. Mission work suddenly becomes *my* work; our success suddenly becomes *my* success. I'm sure Pastor Ohm had good intentions in encouraging us and reminding us that we have the opportunity to reach many, many people--but I too easily steal God's work and treat His Kingdom as mine. And, especially in the US, I too often thinking I'm more important than I really am.
Well, to keep the email short, I'll sum up today.
We went to one of the local churches to share what we were doing in the area and to encouarge them to get involved with African Leadership. The pastor invited us over to his house to have lunch, and we had a grand old time. We then headed to Table Mountain to look out around the area. We also threw a frisbee off the top to see how far it could go. :-D
My apologies for the email cut short, but here is a list of things to continue prayer for.
* We are headed to Transkei tomorrow to do evangelism and play with the kids. Pray for our relationship with the community there.
* Pray for the trip to Transkei tomorrow. It's a car trip that's over 12 hours long.
* Pray for the safety of Beth and Andrea's arrival. Beth will meet us in Transkei on Tuesday.
* Pray for my heart and mind as I wrestle with the issues of missions and the missionary attitude--and also as I wrestle with some of my past experiences with "missionaries" in Taiwan (I wish I had time to explain, but I'm sorry, I don't).
One of these days, I will sit down and organize these thoughts into something more coherent instead of a time-limited stream-of-consciousness.
Miss you all,
Eric Chu.
South Africa: Not Even a Week
Dear Friends and Family,
I've been in South Africa (Cape Town, to be exact) for a little over two days now. David and I flew in together, and Pastor Ohm, Simon, and Angela picked us up from the airport. Angela is one of the long-term missionaries living in the mission house. She came from Brazil and has been here since February. Simon flew down to South Africa from Germany specifically to help lead the Stanford team and our work here. For the past two days, Simon, David, and I have been working closely together with the people in Khayelitsha. Before going into details, let me say, again, just how wonderful and sweet it is to be able to work with people from, literally, all over the world. Simon has built a great friendship with David and me over the past couple days.
Once David and I arrived safely at the mission house in Cape Town Sunday night, we met another team of short-term missionaries from Canada. They're either from Vancouver or Toronto. There are so many teams from Canada that I cannot keep them straight! Anyhow, this group of high-school students was headed to Transkei (another town about 12 hours away by car) the next day. So we took the best opportunity to talk to them and hear their experience so far. Afterwards, with over 24 hours worth of traveling under my belt, I was glad to lay my back down on a bed and call it a night and slept soundly that night.
Come Monday morning, we were taken to the local Bible college, where the local staff of African Leadership met for early morning devotions and to share prayer requests. We were then whisked away to a local preschool. I imagined the usual American preschool with the nice playground, pristine facilities, and all the jazz we think children need. But when we got there, the building blew my mind away. It was built out of metal sheets, nailed to wooden boards for support. The wooden boards were planted firmly in the ground. There were no lights; no running water. The preschool was one giant room--a giant shade made of metal, if you want to call it that. The walls were painted by amateurs (by the kids and other short-term missionaries, I suppose). And, to top it all off, the structure sat in the sand. Apparently, the entire town of Khayelitsha is a sandy beach. Try building a town that houses over 1 million people on that kind of soil! I think it's a feat of engineering, but maybe it's just from sheer force of will. So, here I am, first day in South Africa, inside a preschool that's a far cry from the American preschool standing on a structure sitting atop a sand dune--whatever happened to building on the rock, right? And yet the little children were so happy that day! David led them in a couple rounds of song and told them a Bible story. I was caught completely off-guard, thinking that Monday would be orientation; but, instead, we were thrown in the fray. The children here are so precious and so innocent! Maybe it's not the building that makes the preschool, but the children inside that make it the preschool.
Later that day, David and I got a glimpse of the other side of life for these kids. We went with one of the local pastors to visit his aunt. This lady raised a couple children single-handedly, and her son was her treasure. She was telling us the story of how he cooked soup for her. When he found that the soup wasn't as flavorful as he had liked, he left the house to go and buy more meat for the soup. But then he never came back. He was murdered on his way home; her neighbors had come to inform her that her son was lying, covered in his own blood, out on the street. She was the one to go outside and, as the authorities came to take away his body, close his eyes and close his mouth. It was a heart-wrenching story to listen to. It is hard enough for a mother or father to see their children pass away; I can only imagine the grief of a parent when his or her child is murdered in the streets. And to be the one to close his eyes and shut his mouth--to be only minutes away from the killing. It is almost evil in its rawest incarnation.
And I was asked to pray for this woman. Needless to say, I was at a loss for words.
Khayelitsha is not a town with many opportunities for the little kids who go to preschool here. What awaits them after education and adolescence is a life of crime, drugs, and premarital sex. Their families are often single-mother families; their houses are little shacks made out of metal; their streets are made of sand; their toilets are communal, shared with their neighbors; their water, in a touch of grace, is the cleanest in the area--but they have to pump it themselves. The little kids are just as innocent (maybe even more innocent!) than the children in the United States; but without the opportunities afforded to us, their lives are cut short from their potential. The disparity between the rich and poor sickens me. And, yet, it is so hard to love the poor and the less fortunate! The white South Africans here drive around in BMWs, Benz's, and Audi's--and not one of them sets foot in the poor, black neighborhood. Though apartheid is over, the damage it has done will take much longer to undo.
The vision of African Leadership is to exact change on a small scale--starting with the children, giving them opportunities for education (with the preschool) and keeping the adolescents off the streets by giving them a place to play soccer or netball (netball is a cross between ultimate frisbee and basketball). Through these avenues, the Gospel will be preached to the youngsters, who then take Christ into their homes. And slowly, but surely, as an entire generation is transformed, the nation will be, too.
On Tuesday, Panayiota, another member of team, flew in safely, and we picked her up from the airport. We spent the day digging holes for fence posts to protect one of the preschools in Khayelitsha. The children were excited to see us working and joined in with the work. At the end of the day, we had brand, spanking-new fence posts solidly planted in the sand. For those who have been to Palo Duro, imagine that kind of work, but repeated 10+ times. :-D I had great fun digging.
This evening, I had the opportunity to share a short part of my testimony with the boys that are part of the soccer ministry here. I told them about Daniel from Tien-Wei. He's a blind and deaf boy in Taiwan who has profoundly affected me and some of my closest friends because, despite the reality of who he is--blind, deaf, disabled--he burns with a bright passion for Christ. I spend my life seared by my own pride, trying to make people know me--but Daniel shared Christ to everyone he came in contact with. I encouraged the boys here--that even if they may think their lives are going nowhere--they can change the world with a passion for Christ and for God's Kingdom. David shared a short message from Matthew about worrying, and our translator, the boy's Bible study leader, gave an altar call at the end. Many of the boys came to Christ then.
Please pray for them.
* Pray for the young boys of Khayelitsha, who have accepted Christ, that they may shine brightly in this community--that even though the town is built on sand, these boys may be the generation of solid rock the community needs.
* Pray for the young children (the preschoolers) here who don't have the plethora of "American" opportunities and their families. Pray for their salvation and the role they will play in God's Kingdom.
* Thank God for the safe travels of Panayiota--her flight was delayed on the way here.
* Continue to pray for safe travels--Carl's flight was delayed as well, but he is currently on the plane.
* Pray for the rest of our work here, as the team finishes building the fence and as we continue to interact with the youth here.
* Finally, please pray for the old lady whose son was murdered. I don't know how to pray for her, but I trust the Holy Spirit does. ;)
I miss you all very dearly,
Eric.
PS. I hope this email isn't sitting in the spam-box again. :-D
I've been in South Africa (Cape Town, to be exact) for a little over two days now. David and I flew in together, and Pastor Ohm, Simon, and Angela picked us up from the airport. Angela is one of the long-term missionaries living in the mission house. She came from Brazil and has been here since February. Simon flew down to South Africa from Germany specifically to help lead the Stanford team and our work here. For the past two days, Simon, David, and I have been working closely together with the people in Khayelitsha. Before going into details, let me say, again, just how wonderful and sweet it is to be able to work with people from, literally, all over the world. Simon has built a great friendship with David and me over the past couple days.
Once David and I arrived safely at the mission house in Cape Town Sunday night, we met another team of short-term missionaries from Canada. They're either from Vancouver or Toronto. There are so many teams from Canada that I cannot keep them straight! Anyhow, this group of high-school students was headed to Transkei (another town about 12 hours away by car) the next day. So we took the best opportunity to talk to them and hear their experience so far. Afterwards, with over 24 hours worth of traveling under my belt, I was glad to lay my back down on a bed and call it a night and slept soundly that night.
Come Monday morning, we were taken to the local Bible college, where the local staff of African Leadership met for early morning devotions and to share prayer requests. We were then whisked away to a local preschool. I imagined the usual American preschool with the nice playground, pristine facilities, and all the jazz we think children need. But when we got there, the building blew my mind away. It was built out of metal sheets, nailed to wooden boards for support. The wooden boards were planted firmly in the ground. There were no lights; no running water. The preschool was one giant room--a giant shade made of metal, if you want to call it that. The walls were painted by amateurs (by the kids and other short-term missionaries, I suppose). And, to top it all off, the structure sat in the sand. Apparently, the entire town of Khayelitsha is a sandy beach. Try building a town that houses over 1 million people on that kind of soil! I think it's a feat of engineering, but maybe it's just from sheer force of will. So, here I am, first day in South Africa, inside a preschool that's a far cry from the American preschool standing on a structure sitting atop a sand dune--whatever happened to building on the rock, right? And yet the little children were so happy that day! David led them in a couple rounds of song and told them a Bible story. I was caught completely off-guard, thinking that Monday would be orientation; but, instead, we were thrown in the fray. The children here are so precious and so innocent! Maybe it's not the building that makes the preschool, but the children inside that make it the preschool.
Later that day, David and I got a glimpse of the other side of life for these kids. We went with one of the local pastors to visit his aunt. This lady raised a couple children single-handedly, and her son was her treasure. She was telling us the story of how he cooked soup for her. When he found that the soup wasn't as flavorful as he had liked, he left the house to go and buy more meat for the soup. But then he never came back. He was murdered on his way home; her neighbors had come to inform her that her son was lying, covered in his own blood, out on the street. She was the one to go outside and, as the authorities came to take away his body, close his eyes and close his mouth. It was a heart-wrenching story to listen to. It is hard enough for a mother or father to see their children pass away; I can only imagine the grief of a parent when his or her child is murdered in the streets. And to be the one to close his eyes and shut his mouth--to be only minutes away from the killing. It is almost evil in its rawest incarnation.
And I was asked to pray for this woman. Needless to say, I was at a loss for words.
Khayelitsha is not a town with many opportunities for the little kids who go to preschool here. What awaits them after education and adolescence is a life of crime, drugs, and premarital sex. Their families are often single-mother families; their houses are little shacks made out of metal; their streets are made of sand; their toilets are communal, shared with their neighbors; their water, in a touch of grace, is the cleanest in the area--but they have to pump it themselves. The little kids are just as innocent (maybe even more innocent!) than the children in the United States; but without the opportunities afforded to us, their lives are cut short from their potential. The disparity between the rich and poor sickens me. And, yet, it is so hard to love the poor and the less fortunate! The white South Africans here drive around in BMWs, Benz's, and Audi's--and not one of them sets foot in the poor, black neighborhood. Though apartheid is over, the damage it has done will take much longer to undo.
The vision of African Leadership is to exact change on a small scale--starting with the children, giving them opportunities for education (with the preschool) and keeping the adolescents off the streets by giving them a place to play soccer or netball (netball is a cross between ultimate frisbee and basketball). Through these avenues, the Gospel will be preached to the youngsters, who then take Christ into their homes. And slowly, but surely, as an entire generation is transformed, the nation will be, too.
On Tuesday, Panayiota, another member of team, flew in safely, and we picked her up from the airport. We spent the day digging holes for fence posts to protect one of the preschools in Khayelitsha. The children were excited to see us working and joined in with the work. At the end of the day, we had brand, spanking-new fence posts solidly planted in the sand. For those who have been to Palo Duro, imagine that kind of work, but repeated 10+ times. :-D I had great fun digging.
This evening, I had the opportunity to share a short part of my testimony with the boys that are part of the soccer ministry here. I told them about Daniel from Tien-Wei. He's a blind and deaf boy in Taiwan who has profoundly affected me and some of my closest friends because, despite the reality of who he is--blind, deaf, disabled--he burns with a bright passion for Christ. I spend my life seared by my own pride, trying to make people know me--but Daniel shared Christ to everyone he came in contact with. I encouraged the boys here--that even if they may think their lives are going nowhere--they can change the world with a passion for Christ and for God's Kingdom. David shared a short message from Matthew about worrying, and our translator, the boy's Bible study leader, gave an altar call at the end. Many of the boys came to Christ then.
Please pray for them.
* Pray for the young boys of Khayelitsha, who have accepted Christ, that they may shine brightly in this community--that even though the town is built on sand, these boys may be the generation of solid rock the community needs.
* Pray for the young children (the preschoolers) here who don't have the plethora of "American" opportunities and their families. Pray for their salvation and the role they will play in God's Kingdom.
* Thank God for the safe travels of Panayiota--her flight was delayed on the way here.
* Continue to pray for safe travels--Carl's flight was delayed as well, but he is currently on the plane.
* Pray for the rest of our work here, as the team finishes building the fence and as we continue to interact with the youth here.
* Finally, please pray for the old lady whose son was murdered. I don't know how to pray for her, but I trust the Holy Spirit does. ;)
I miss you all very dearly,
Eric.
PS. I hope this email isn't sitting in the spam-box again. :-D
It's Go Time!
Dear Friends and Family,
I leave for San Francisco airport in a couple hours to snooze a bit in the airport and catch a very early morning flight to New York, where I will meet up with David Scudder. We'll be flying out to South Africa together, meeting the rest of the team there, and beginning our work. Of course, it would be a mistake to think that the Kingdom work begins there, when it's started here all along. We've each been individually preparing arts and crafts material as well as trying our hand at basic Xhosa phrases. I'll admit that I haven't committed most of them to memory, so I'm sure I'll learn a good deal more when I'm in South Africa.
Am I excited to be going? Sure, but I'm certainly apprehensive as well, as I feel ill-prepared in many ways.
The past couple weeks, in addition to preparing for South Africa, I've been trying to get into the groove of full-time work and the life of a post-graduate. For those of you who have been on that path, you know what it's like--and for those who are looking forward to it, well, let's just say that there is much to learn. It's like being a freshman in college all over again. Granted, the first day's excitement takes me back to the first day of school, but the excitement wears off when the rubber meets the road, as I try very, very, very hard to put on the best act I've done so far--and play the part of an adult. The responsibilities are many, the expectations burdensome, and the confusion is endless--not to mention they never had a "New Adult Orientation" for me. ;-)
When my family moved to Taiwan, the transition from American culture to Chinese culture was rough; but the transition from high school to Stanford was even more turbulent. And I suspect that this transition won't be any easier, given that I've grown too comfortable with academia and I have a distinct dislike of dealing with the sundry minutiae of life. (Just because I'm an engineer doesn't mean I like details :-D). Not to mention that I still don't know what I want to do (when I grow up ;-) ). But I try and recall those who have come before me into adulthood and their silent rites of passage--unnoticed, unwritten; and those that struggled to gain a foothold or waited the proverbial forty years to fulfill their dreams. Some have slogged it out with sheer willpower, others with brainpower and hard work; still maybe more "got lucky" and managed to meet the right people. God has been faithful with each one of them--from my parents, to my parents' friends, to my friends' parents--and, while I continue to play the actor, wondering if enough acting will make it reality, I am wholly convinced that God remains faithful as He says in His word.
So when people ask me if I'm ready for South Africa, I'd have to say, "Sure, but only because God is faithful." I'm utterly ill-prepared, swamped by the thoughts of growing up, sometimes haunted by missteps I've made along the way, and definitely in the wrong frame of mind to be of use to any earthly king. But I'm not the king and I don't call the shots, so I'm going. God is stretching my faith and challenging my life--and it's not as easy as it seems on TV ;-). Growing up and missions isn't something I can handle on my own; it must be done with the support of community. And I would not be going to South Africa without your support (likewise, I doubt I'd grow up without your support ;-) ). I know you're cheering me on; we are in this journey together.
If you have some time this week, please pray for the following.
(1) My friend David Scudder will be leading the team when we're in South Africa. Pray for his discernment in sticky situations, wisdom with leadership, and eloquence with the good news.
(2) The team is flying in to South Africa on different days. Please pray for the safety of our travels; I often take long, international flights for granted, but our safety is the mercy of God.
(3) It's winter in South Africa (for those that are curious, Wikipedia has a nice article about seasons), and I'm not sure how California weather has spoiled us. Pray for our physical health and that, whether sick or healthy, the Gospel could be shown through us.
(4) Since we're in a different culture and learning a different language, pray for humility and persistence in learning the culture and language.
(5) As I've mentioned, I'm extremely distracted with the usual post-graduation thoughts and the "what am I doing with my life" phase. Pray for trust in God's sovereign hand and hardship to stretch my understanding of Him.
(6) And, lastly, pray that the team would have fun! Too often we think of missions as a "duty" that we forget that there is joy involved as well; I'm far too guilty of this myself. ;)
I hope that each of you are doing well, whether on the East Coast, the West Coast, the deep South, the Midwest, Canada, Taiwan, or maybe China. This mission is truly a global endeavor. Send me an email update, I'd love to hear from you individually.
Finally, our team has set up a blog at http://sajourneys.blogspot.com/. Depending on our Internet access, we may update it with pictures. ;)
For the Kingdom,
Eric Chu.
I leave for San Francisco airport in a couple hours to snooze a bit in the airport and catch a very early morning flight to New York, where I will meet up with David Scudder. We'll be flying out to South Africa together, meeting the rest of the team there, and beginning our work. Of course, it would be a mistake to think that the Kingdom work begins there, when it's started here all along. We've each been individually preparing arts and crafts material as well as trying our hand at basic Xhosa phrases. I'll admit that I haven't committed most of them to memory, so I'm sure I'll learn a good deal more when I'm in South Africa.
Am I excited to be going? Sure, but I'm certainly apprehensive as well, as I feel ill-prepared in many ways.
The past couple weeks, in addition to preparing for South Africa, I've been trying to get into the groove of full-time work and the life of a post-graduate. For those of you who have been on that path, you know what it's like--and for those who are looking forward to it, well, let's just say that there is much to learn. It's like being a freshman in college all over again. Granted, the first day's excitement takes me back to the first day of school, but the excitement wears off when the rubber meets the road, as I try very, very, very hard to put on the best act I've done so far--and play the part of an adult. The responsibilities are many, the expectations burdensome, and the confusion is endless--not to mention they never had a "New Adult Orientation" for me. ;-)
When my family moved to Taiwan, the transition from American culture to Chinese culture was rough; but the transition from high school to Stanford was even more turbulent. And I suspect that this transition won't be any easier, given that I've grown too comfortable with academia and I have a distinct dislike of dealing with the sundry minutiae of life. (Just because I'm an engineer doesn't mean I like details :-D). Not to mention that I still don't know what I want to do (when I grow up ;-) ). But I try and recall those who have come before me into adulthood and their silent rites of passage--unnoticed, unwritten; and those that struggled to gain a foothold or waited the proverbial forty years to fulfill their dreams. Some have slogged it out with sheer willpower, others with brainpower and hard work; still maybe more "got lucky" and managed to meet the right people. God has been faithful with each one of them--from my parents, to my parents' friends, to my friends' parents--and, while I continue to play the actor, wondering if enough acting will make it reality, I am wholly convinced that God remains faithful as He says in His word.
So when people ask me if I'm ready for South Africa, I'd have to say, "Sure, but only because God is faithful." I'm utterly ill-prepared, swamped by the thoughts of growing up, sometimes haunted by missteps I've made along the way, and definitely in the wrong frame of mind to be of use to any earthly king. But I'm not the king and I don't call the shots, so I'm going. God is stretching my faith and challenging my life--and it's not as easy as it seems on TV ;-). Growing up and missions isn't something I can handle on my own; it must be done with the support of community. And I would not be going to South Africa without your support (likewise, I doubt I'd grow up without your support ;-) ). I know you're cheering me on; we are in this journey together.
If you have some time this week, please pray for the following.
(1) My friend David Scudder will be leading the team when we're in South Africa. Pray for his discernment in sticky situations, wisdom with leadership, and eloquence with the good news.
(2) The team is flying in to South Africa on different days. Please pray for the safety of our travels; I often take long, international flights for granted, but our safety is the mercy of God.
(3) It's winter in South Africa (for those that are curious, Wikipedia has a nice article about seasons), and I'm not sure how California weather has spoiled us. Pray for our physical health and that, whether sick or healthy, the Gospel could be shown through us.
(4) Since we're in a different culture and learning a different language, pray for humility and persistence in learning the culture and language.
(5) As I've mentioned, I'm extremely distracted with the usual post-graduation thoughts and the "what am I doing with my life" phase. Pray for trust in God's sovereign hand and hardship to stretch my understanding of Him.
(6) And, lastly, pray that the team would have fun! Too often we think of missions as a "duty" that we forget that there is joy involved as well; I'm far too guilty of this myself. ;)
I hope that each of you are doing well, whether on the East Coast, the West Coast, the deep South, the Midwest, Canada, Taiwan, or maybe China. This mission is truly a global endeavor. Send me an email update, I'd love to hear from you individually.
Finally, our team has set up a blog at http://sajourneys.blogspot.com/. Depending on our Internet access, we may update it with pictures. ;)
For the Kingdom,
Eric Chu.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Back From The Deep South
Hello friends,
I am now back in America, safe and sound from all the travels. And now I'd like to fill you all in on the rest of my time in South Africa.
After spending the first week in Khayelitsha, we got on the overnight bus for a 14-hour ride to the rural region of Transkei. Arriving at our bus stop, we were then piled into the back of a truck with all our luggage and groceries for the week (Eric was literally buried in food) and set out for Gulandoda, the small village, where we were based. It wasn't until we had almost arrived at our destination that I realized we were staying at the same house where I had stayed last year - it was really fun seeing the Qotoyi family again and being incredibly blessed by their hospitality. And adding to the fun, our fifth team member, Beth Wilkins, arrived while were in Gulandoda, joining us with Andiswa, a local translator who is studying social work at university in the States.
Our days in Gulandoda soon found a regular rhythm. In the mornings, we would walk "over the hill" (the all-encompassing term for distance in Transkei) to another village, where we would visit homes - meeting families, reading with them from Scripture, and praying for them. In the afternoons, a flock of kids would converge on the small hillside church, and we would hold Sunday School with songs (always with lots of dancing), crafts, and Bible stories from the life of Jesus. Then, each evening we would have a service in the church. I was struck in these services by the focus on testimony - they place great importance on proclaiming to each other how God had worked and is working in their lives.
Our most exciting moment in Transkei came unexpectedly one night when we saw a fire break out on the hill, and we soon realized it was burning the fields of the Tata we were staying with. (Tata is the Xhosa word for Father or Mister). The Tata ran out with boys and we quickly followed, grabbing blankets and sacks and dashing off toward the hill of fire, dipping our blankets in a stream as we crossed over. Following the Tata's lead, we began to beat the fire into the ground with our blankets, extinguishing it bit by bit. Stroke after stroke, praying to God to cut back the wind, slowly the ring of fire began to die. Eventually, the Tata called us in - enough - his fields were safe, and there was no more we could do, but the fire raged on, carried by the wind far across the valley.
Returning to Cape Town, we finally connected with our last team member, Andrea Romero. Together, we visited two excellent ministries which partner with African Leadership: Learn to Earn and Living Hope. Learn to Earn provides job training and job placement in Khayelitsha. In a place where unemployment is at 80%, this is a huge opportunity for ministry. As one staff member there told us, each job found affects not only the worker but also the 7 or more family members dependent on that worker for resources. Living Hope provides medical care and counseling for people with AIDS. They put a lot of effort into privacy - though South Africa has a very high percentage of people with AIDS, it is still highly stigmatized. The government subsidizes ARVs (drugs to control the effects of AIDS), but people will not take them because of the stigma attached. It was cool to see the power of God's people working in their different gifts for his Kingdom. Pursuing God's Kingdom is a varied task, and all of the ministries we encountered bring it to bear in a different way: African Leadership through evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training; Learn to Earn through job training and fighting poverty; and Living Hope through caring for the sick and dying.
The trip came to an end in a rush. Our last day, we visited one of the local high schools, where once a week, African Leadership takes over all six classes of freshman Life Skills and teaches on different character traits. We taught on Obedience, using Simon Says and the stories of Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac, and Jesus' obedience to death. After playing guitar and singing my voice out with the students during lunch hour, Eric and I hugged the team goodbye and got on a plane for the long journey home.
Overall, it was great being back in South Africa, seeing again people that I loved and the ways that God is working. It was a very different experience than last year - the two weeks went very fast, and helping to lead the team made the trip a much harder experience as I wrestled with my own prides and insecurities about that. But God was good to us, and he refreshed my desire to live for his Kingdom, to trust in his promise that I am his son, a son of the King, and he offers me the joy of participating in the work of my Father. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). I look forward to trying to live this out God's Kingdom in Maryland this fall.
If you're still reading, thank you! And thank you all for your prayers and your notes! If you want to keep reading, check out the stories from the other team members at http://sajourneys.blogspot.com. I encourage you to keep Pastor Ohm and African Leadership in your prayers - if you would like to receive Pastor Ohm's prayer letter, let me know, and I can add you to his list. If you would like to get more involved in any of the ministries in South Africa, I encourage you to check out their websites (and feel free to send me questions): African Leadership ( www.africanleadership.org.za), Learn to Earn (www.learntoearn.co.za), and Living Hope (http://www.livinghope.co.za ).
And now, for the Kingdom!
David
I am now back in America, safe and sound from all the travels. And now I'd like to fill you all in on the rest of my time in South Africa.
After spending the first week in Khayelitsha, we got on the overnight bus for a 14-hour ride to the rural region of Transkei. Arriving at our bus stop, we were then piled into the back of a truck with all our luggage and groceries for the week (Eric was literally buried in food) and set out for Gulandoda, the small village, where we were based. It wasn't until we had almost arrived at our destination that I realized we were staying at the same house where I had stayed last year - it was really fun seeing the Qotoyi family again and being incredibly blessed by their hospitality. And adding to the fun, our fifth team member, Beth Wilkins, arrived while were in Gulandoda, joining us with Andiswa, a local translator who is studying social work at university in the States.
Our days in Gulandoda soon found a regular rhythm. In the mornings, we would walk "over the hill" (the all-encompassing term for distance in Transkei) to another village, where we would visit homes - meeting families, reading with them from Scripture, and praying for them. In the afternoons, a flock of kids would converge on the small hillside church, and we would hold Sunday School with songs (always with lots of dancing), crafts, and Bible stories from the life of Jesus. Then, each evening we would have a service in the church. I was struck in these services by the focus on testimony - they place great importance on proclaiming to each other how God had worked and is working in their lives.
Our most exciting moment in Transkei came unexpectedly one night when we saw a fire break out on the hill, and we soon realized it was burning the fields of the Tata we were staying with. (Tata is the Xhosa word for Father or Mister). The Tata ran out with boys and we quickly followed, grabbing blankets and sacks and dashing off toward the hill of fire, dipping our blankets in a stream as we crossed over. Following the Tata's lead, we began to beat the fire into the ground with our blankets, extinguishing it bit by bit. Stroke after stroke, praying to God to cut back the wind, slowly the ring of fire began to die. Eventually, the Tata called us in - enough - his fields were safe, and there was no more we could do, but the fire raged on, carried by the wind far across the valley.
Returning to Cape Town, we finally connected with our last team member, Andrea Romero. Together, we visited two excellent ministries which partner with African Leadership: Learn to Earn and Living Hope. Learn to Earn provides job training and job placement in Khayelitsha. In a place where unemployment is at 80%, this is a huge opportunity for ministry. As one staff member there told us, each job found affects not only the worker but also the 7 or more family members dependent on that worker for resources. Living Hope provides medical care and counseling for people with AIDS. They put a lot of effort into privacy - though South Africa has a very high percentage of people with AIDS, it is still highly stigmatized. The government subsidizes ARVs (drugs to control the effects of AIDS), but people will not take them because of the stigma attached. It was cool to see the power of God's people working in their different gifts for his Kingdom. Pursuing God's Kingdom is a varied task, and all of the ministries we encountered bring it to bear in a different way: African Leadership through evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training; Learn to Earn through job training and fighting poverty; and Living Hope through caring for the sick and dying.
The trip came to an end in a rush. Our last day, we visited one of the local high schools, where once a week, African Leadership takes over all six classes of freshman Life Skills and teaches on different character traits. We taught on Obedience, using Simon Says and the stories of Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac, and Jesus' obedience to death. After playing guitar and singing my voice out with the students during lunch hour, Eric and I hugged the team goodbye and got on a plane for the long journey home.
Overall, it was great being back in South Africa, seeing again people that I loved and the ways that God is working. It was a very different experience than last year - the two weeks went very fast, and helping to lead the team made the trip a much harder experience as I wrestled with my own prides and insecurities about that. But God was good to us, and he refreshed my desire to live for his Kingdom, to trust in his promise that I am his son, a son of the King, and he offers me the joy of participating in the work of my Father. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). I look forward to trying to live this out God's Kingdom in Maryland this fall.
If you're still reading, thank you! And thank you all for your prayers and your notes! If you want to keep reading, check out the stories from the other team members at http://sajourneys.blogspot.com. I encourage you to keep Pastor Ohm and African Leadership in your prayers - if you would like to receive Pastor Ohm's prayer letter, let me know, and I can add you to his list. If you would like to get more involved in any of the ministries in South Africa, I encourage you to check out their websites (and feel free to send me questions): African Leadership ( www.africanleadership.org.za), Learn to Earn (www.learntoearn.co.za), and Living Hope (http://www.livinghope.co.za ).
And now, for the Kingdom!
David
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Halfway there
Greetings!
In my last post I talked about becoming a bit ill before my planned departure last Saturday and the events and reflections that ensued. I healed very promptly and have had no problems with the illness, but since I now find myself in London Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, clearly things did not go "to schedule."
After waiting in Chicago for a while, everyone on my flight found out that it was cancelled for the day, because of a mechanical failure. The best I could rebook was a Thursday departure. So, "Alas, five less days, this is almost what happened anyway," was what I thought. Then I called the airline on Sunday night, and they had a ticket leaving on Monday - so I took it.
This all took a good deal of figuring out schedules and organizing, but after taking care of my illness, I had settled a bit more into not worrying and simply letting myself arrive in Cape Town when God will have me arrive. Things do seem to go on his schedule. Not worrying doesn't mean that I forget what I'm trying to do and how to go about it, but it does mean that I do it by turning to God's strength.
For the Kingdom,
Carl
In my last post I talked about becoming a bit ill before my planned departure last Saturday and the events and reflections that ensued. I healed very promptly and have had no problems with the illness, but since I now find myself in London Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, clearly things did not go "to schedule."
After waiting in Chicago for a while, everyone on my flight found out that it was cancelled for the day, because of a mechanical failure. The best I could rebook was a Thursday departure. So, "Alas, five less days, this is almost what happened anyway," was what I thought. Then I called the airline on Sunday night, and they had a ticket leaving on Monday - so I took it.
This all took a good deal of figuring out schedules and organizing, but after taking care of my illness, I had settled a bit more into not worrying and simply letting myself arrive in Cape Town when God will have me arrive. Things do seem to go on his schedule. Not worrying doesn't mean that I forget what I'm trying to do and how to go about it, but it does mean that I do it by turning to God's strength.
For the Kingdom,
Carl
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Which master am I serving, again?
Wow, the day is finally here. I'm mostly packed, looking forward to a good night's rest and a new day when I'll hop on the plane to Cape Town. Things have been a bit hectic in the last day, and so I don't have my email list put together (thus I'm writing here first). But it has been a blessing and I would like to share it with you.
Graduation and times since have been a blast: wonderful times with family, from going from this to that graduation activity with my parents and brother to spending time at the house that my dad's cousin built in the northern California redwoods. After that I spent some time hanging around the Stanford area while house-sitting, seeing friends that I might not have otherwise seen because of the rush of the end of the year. Now it's the end of two weeks back home in Wisconsin, where I've enjoyed the 4th of July festivities on our block, caught up with high school friends in Madison, and rested in the comfort of home.
That's all quite a mouthful, right? Lots of fun stuff - but the danger is that it can just be stuff, and the light of how God is active in it can become dim to my eyes.
Jesus was speaking about money when he told us that "No servant can serve two masters," but I've found in those words a lesson that includes a warning about becoming a slave to the pursuit of wealth, but goes a good deal farther. These words point to the continuous danger of neglecting our duty of singular dedication to God. Many masters in this world demand our dedication, and even those unambiguously good creations of God, human friendship, for example, can descend under the weight of sin to becoming masters to us, usurping the place of God. Then how much more can human creations become our masters!
This morning, I was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Enduring the symptoms was a concerning event, but it was certainly not painful or dramatic. However, it put these plans to do work in South Africa into question. For a while, it seemed that I should change my ticket; then not. Finally a rosy prognosis appeared, and I started packing for tomorrow's flight.
In the time when I thought that I would leave this Wednesday instead of tomorrow, I was thinking about what to do. "Wow, I won't be rushed to send out a first prayer email... I'll sit back and get some reading done... I can pray more deeply in preparation for my travels." Later, after reaching the conclusion that I should leave tomorrow, I was packing relatively hurriedly because of the lost time from the doctors appointments and extra tests. Back to the normal, faster pace. And then I realized that I have fallen into serving a poor master, the desire to fill my life with activities and live in terms of the interesting instead of the sacred. Don't get me wrong: my times relaxing in northern California or enjoying meals with friends weren't unworthy things to do with the life God has given me. But I saw a bit more clearly that the busyness of the last few months became in some ways a cruel master, and partially took the place of the joy that God gave me in doing all of those things.
And so I am ready - because I trust that God will make me ready - to step into what I have described to some, lately, as a bit of a void. I don't know what things will look like, except that some things aren't like here, and I don't know what precisely I will be doing day to day. But I trust that it is worthy. I recognize the need for God to grow me in his ways, and am blessed to have this time to directly serve the one master. I hope to gain eyes to see in South Africa the ways that God has blessed me in the past few weeks and in my time in South Africa, and to carry these things into the future.
Sounds a lot like it's all about me, eh? Well, there are two things that I ask God's blessing upon in this journey: me, and the world as I encounter it in South Africa. But now, one half of this is a void to me. I look forward to describing it to you! Because the Kingdom of God emerges out of the encounter between the gospel and the world.
Here's a quick list of stuff that you can pray for in light of all this:
- For consistent healing of my ailment;
- For the blessings in experiences of yet unknown culture to overcome the challenges in these experiences;
- For my heart to serve God and His Kingdom during this time;
- And for the Kingdom to remain within me after I return.
For the Kingdom,
Carl
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