planting, watering, and watching seeds grow

Last year, a summer team came to share the gospel with students on the UKZN campus. Through the Lord's sovereign plan, one of the girls that summer was led to share the love of Christ with a first year student named Slie. After several conversations and a growing relationship with her, Slie began to question her relationship with God for the very first time. She was invited to the summer camp at the end of the semester, similar to the one we had this past month. As she learned more about what it meant to be a follower of Christ, it wasn't long after that Slie dedicated her life to the LORD.

Five months ago, Ryan, Amanda and I came to Durban to continue and grow the ministry that was reignited last year. I met Slie one of the first days I set foot on campus and have been discipling her ever since. Last month, as I mentioned in the previous post, we held a camp for the students at the end of their semester. The camp was designed for new believers, those interested in being involved in our movement, and the students already involved. The camp was staff-coached and student-led to empower our student leaders to step up in the movement which we hope to be self-sustaining in the near future. The week before the camp, I helped give Slie direction to write a talk that she would give to the students during the camp. The first night of camp, Slie stood up and spoke about the power of God in her life. Students were deeply moved and encouraged to see a fellow student share about the transformation the Lord has done in her life.

I sat there in the audience watching her speak and felt deeply grateful for the Lord's sovereignty in this girl's life, as well as mine. A year ago, she didn't know Christ. But she attended the same camp last year because a young woman cared for the salvation of her soul and was faithful to plant the first seed. This year, God privileged me to water her seed and now, she is standing before a crowd of students proclaiming the truth of the gospel. Truly, the work of our Lord is magnificent and it is the greatest honor and privilege to be used as an instrument for His glory as He grows the seeds which He allows us to sow and water.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 says "I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow." The girl who did the planting, nor I who did the watering are not important. But my concern is not whether or not I'm important. Joy comes from the simple fact that God used me for His Kingdom! He used me for that which truly is important, which is the growth of Slie's spiritual life. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

When old is made new

My roommate vacuumed our flat the other day and as she proudly told me about the work she did, I couldn't help but to laugh at how excited she was. "Look at how good these lines look! Perfectly straight, parallel to one another..aren't you impressed??!" She was referring to the lines in the carpet. You know, the lines that the vacuum makes as you push it back and forth on the floor? Her over the top enthusiasm made me laugh, but I can't blame the girl for being excited about the transformation that vacuum lines made in our living room; prior to the cleaning she did, it looked awful! And anyway, aren't we all like that? Whether big or small, don't we all love seeing old things made new? A dirty carpet given clean vacuum lines, a cluttered desk re-organized, extreme makeovers, hurtful relationships reconciled, bad habits broken into a new lifestyle...the list can go on. But I think the reason why we love it so much is because transformation is a glimpse of the Gospel. God is constantly at work, transforming this world and the broken people in it, into what He originally intended it to be. This last month, God opened my eyes to see the beauty of the Gospel through the transformation of all things made new.

At the Ukukanya Life Care Center, we started the physical labor in reconstructing this abandoned building. I have never done such strenuous, intense, manual work before. Just to give you a visual of what the labor was actually like, you need to first understand that the materials we have available to us in the township are extremely limited. So unlike the hit TV series "Extreme Makeover Home Edition," where they have power washers, power tools, and fancy equipment..we make use of whatever is in front of us. We started on the tin roof where every inch was covered in rust. With 10 people, 20 hands, and a sheet of sand paper, we climbed on the roof and started to sand the rust with our bare hands. After two full days of sanding, we were ready to wash. We filled an old bucket of flour with dishwashing soap and water, and with three deteriorating mops we scrubbed the rooftop one panel at a time. If a mop handle broke, we attached a tree brach to the end and continued working. After mopping, we hosed the dirt away, but because water is so limited in the township we had to pray for the hose to even trickle water every afternoon. After mopping the center of each panel, there was still work to be done on the sides of each panel. So again, with 10 people, 20 hands, and 20 kitchen sponges, we used dish soap and mini square sponges to scrub the side panels of the roof until it was clean enough to paint on. Once the washing was complete, we were ready for primer and paint! It took us a full week to complete the entire roof. I remember as we were working on the last roof (there were three total), I stood with the hose in my hand, waiting for the water to start working again. Since it took quite a while, I decided to take a rest and lay on one of the roof panels. As I lay there with the African sun beaming on my face, my muscles ached, my back was sore, and my body felt weak. I was tired and exhausted, but as I lay on that tin roof looking up at the Africa sky and watching the clouds move with the wind, I felt the presence of the Lord surround me. What are you doing, my child? I felt Him ask. Why does God always ask us such simple questions? I never understand, but it's always the simple questions of the Lord that bring the most conviction. Well.. I thought to myself, I'm cleaning a roof. Of course God wanted me to see a lot more than that, so I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to listen to His voice. What was I doing? What did He want me to see? 

As I shut my eyes, I heard not the voice of my Father, but the voices of beautiful, innocent children playing in the field below me. I heard little boys and little girls, most of whom are orphans or soon to be orphaned by parents dying of AIDS. 

I heard the laughter of Zulu women and their powerful voices as they sang. I heard the suffering of countless gogo's (grandmothers) who hide behind their own strength as they care for their dying grandchildren. I heard a community crying for hope. I heard a nation pleading for God's intercession. And my heart was broken. You see, you are not just cleaning a roof. You are doing in small what I do in large, everyday. You are bringing transformation. This building once was new. It was built beautifully and with a purpose. But after time it was abandoned. It faced many storms and began to rust. The lack of care for this building shows in its cracked walls, broken windows, and trashed rooms. The people in this world are no different. The people who you are preparing these rooms for are no different. I have created each one beautifully and with a purpose, but they too have faced storms and suffering. But I have come to smooth away the rust. I have come to clean every inch of their hearts. I have come restore what was broken, heal what's been hurt, purify what's been defiled. I have come to restore, renew and redeem. 

As I sat on that tin roof in the African township of Inanda, I felt humbled by the privilege the Lord has given me to be used by Him to bring physical and spiritual transformation in this place. I stood up and looked out at the view in front of me, and saw God's power to bring renewal upon a broken and desolate land.

Also this month, we've had the opportunity to organize campus outreaches and share the gospel with crowds of students who were eager to listen at the University of Kwazulu-Natal. Within two weeks, nearly hundreds of students were reached with the gospel. Twenty-five students received Christ into their lives for the very first time and are being followed-up to grow in their spiritual walks as a new disciple. At the end of the school semester, we held a camp for all the students who were interested in joining our movement. Fifty attended. If you can remember the prayer letter I sent in early March, our Campus Crusade movement started with a faithful five. In a matter of three months, God has multiplied that number by ten through your faithful prayers, our obedience to labor, and the mighty work of His Spirit. Praise Him for using us together for the glory of His name and the expansion of His Kingdom! Though there are countless stories of the transformation He's done in the lives of these students, I want to share one that touched my heart deeply; the story of Rose. 

Rose is a first year student at UKZN. She lives with her brother and sister who treat with little respect. Rejected by her family and often pressured by her parents, she entered her freshman year with little hope for herself and her future. After school, she used to walk home and think about killing herself.  "I had nothing to live for..there was no purpose in my life," she explained. 

Rose had heard the gospel multiple times before, and the love that Christ had for her. But whenever God's name was mentioned, she ran away with an odd sense of fear that stirred within her. Just before the camp, Rose heard the gospel one more time. However, her heart was softened to the story of God's pursuit after her, and that day, she dedicated her life to the Lord.  "I've never felt so alive! It's like...this amazing feeling, I can't describe it! I just feel like a new person!" Seeing the joy of Rose in the way she smiles, in the way she speaks, and in the way she lives..you would never be able to tell that she once wanted to end her life. 

One thing I love about the work of God is that He not only moves on a grand scale among the nations and upon this earth, but He is deeply concerned about the individual lives and hearts of His people. In His grace, He brings transformation throughout the world. But more than anything, He is in the process of transforming each child of His into the glorious image of Himself. As I pray for the people of Africa and this nation as a whole, I pray that God will continue to transform my life with each breath I take. I'm seeing more and more that when our minds are transformed, our priorities change and we begin to see the world as God sees it. By God's grace, we should not remain as we are. But we should be clothed with compassion, abundant love, and joy in doing what is right before God. And so I pray, God, in your grace, transform the world. But begin with me, so that I can become an instrument for the transformation for which we pray. 

Spreading the Gospel

At the beginning of May, we had a group of 18 Americans come to be a part of the ministry here in South Africa with us. They stayed to partner with us at Ukukanya and on the UKZN campus for 6 weeks. It was such a blessing to have them here and to have extra hands reaching out, numerous lips to preach the Word, and more bodies to stand out on campus and make a difference in the lives of students. Being one of only three staff in Durban can often feel limiting to all that we want to do. Three people trying to reach out to thousands sometimes feels impossible. But God is good. And praise HIM for sending more workers into his fields! With the summer project, we were able to accomplish so much and spread the gospel to hundreds of students through multiple outreaches during the week. Here are some of the things we did:

Mental Toughness:

The majority of our students involved with Campus Crusade at UKZN are Sports Science majors. With their eagerness to share the gospel with their fellow classmates and faculty, we encouraged the idea and planned a Sports Science outreach. Amanda, my roommate, spoke in the gym on campus about "Mental Toughness." She used to be a black belt Tae Kwon Do instructor and shared a piece of her testimony with the sports science students about being tough in sports. It was amazing to see the students' eyes fixed on her and relating to her story in so many ways. "Yes, we need to be tough!" You could see the attitude in their faces as they proudly puffed their chests. But as Amanda carried on in her talk, she gradually began to reveal her understanding of her utter weakness. She explained to the students that her strength lasted her so long until she recognized the source of her strength came from the LORD. To be strong..to be tough..is ultimately to recognize your weakness and let God take control of your life. Students faces went from total self confidence to a deep understanding of being humbled. Amanda continued in her talk and began to share the gospel with these students and how the LORD completely changed her life. Afterwards, students stayed around eagerly waiting to discuss what they had heard. Some prayed to receive Christ, some re-dedicated their lives to Him, and some wanted to hold onto what they had heard and explore their spiritual lives for the very first time. Praise God.

Soularium Freeze Frame:

If you remember a while back, I explained an evangelistic tool called Soularium. To remind you, it is a set of 50 pictures that depict everyday life and emotions. As we show the pictures to the students we talk to, we ask questions to further our discussion and help them explore their spiritual life deeper. The questions are:

Which image describes your life right now..Why?

Which image do you WISH were a part of your life right now..Why?

Which image would you choose to describe God..Why?

Which image best describes what you've experienced spiritually..Why?

Which image best represents what you wish were true about your spiritual life or journey..Why?

When we use Soularium, we approach one, two, or three people and have a discussion with them in a more personal and private setting. It is extremely effective and allows us to really grow in our relationships with students on campus. SO, we decided to take the idea of Soularium and run with it on a much grander scale. What we did, was post all 50 pictures and the 5 questions onto poster board and displayed it in the main quad of the campus. Next to the posters, we set up a table with surveys to fill out answers to the five questions, information about campus crusade, and sign-ups to be a part of the movement. As students approached the poster of pictures in curiosity, they began to intently fill out the surveys. Staff and students in the movement stood around, available to those who had questions, those who wanted to discuss their answers further, and those who wanted to pray to receive Christ for the first time. In the middle of the quad, we acted out a few of the pictures to get the attention of others around us. 

One picture, is of a man with post-it notes all over his head. Anele, one of our student leaders, stood in the quad while his friend Sbu held the number of the corresponding picture next to him. One by one, students came up and yelled aloud different post-it notes and taped it to Anele's body. The post-it notes were things like "Failed exam," "Fight with parents," "Broke up with girlfriend," "Need scholarship money," etc. 

Another picture is of a guy dancing in the rain. One of the summer project students posed dancing with an umbrella while another held the number of the corresponding picture. As students passed by, they were drawn to our table and we were able to have hundreds of conversations with students about their spiritual life. It was such a success and an extremely fun way to evangelize with a little out-of-the-box thinking.

Think About It:

Every night at 8:00pm there is a South African reality TV show that is watched by every South African student, no matter who they are. When a student was first telling me about it, she said I was a complete alien for not knowing what she was talking about. In the Residence Halls, there is aTV room for students to watch movies, tv shows, relax, or just hang out. We decided to make most of the opportunity of having a large number of students in the TV room every night after the 8:00 show. So at 8:30, right after the show ended, we made an announcement for the students to stay and take part in watching a 10-12 minute Nooma Video. Nooma Videos are short videos made by Rob Bell, who is a pastor of a church in the States. He addresses many questions about faith and the Christian life. For three nights, we set up a big screen and played a different video for each night. The first video discussed sin in the world and in our lives. It talked about guilt and shame after doing something we know is wrong, but that there is a God who says there is nothing we could ever do to make Him love us less. The second video discussed suffering and the storms we face in life. It talked about walking through rainstorms and how sometimes we can't feel God is there, but He always is and promises to walk us through the storms in life. The third video discussed having a relationship with God and what it means to live in tune with the Creator of the Universe. After each video, we broke off into groups and led discussions with the students on a more personal level. It was amazing to see how willing they were to open up, how many questions they had about God, and how much the Lord allowed us to share the gospel through these videos. 

I really learned what it means to seize every opportunity to share the Good News with those around us. It really opens the doors for incredible ministry, and opens the hearts of so many souls. 

love feast

A "Love Feast" is a traditional Zulu feast to say "thank you." These past two months, we had a summer project from the mid-south of America come help us with the ministry. As they were ending their time, the Ukukanya staff prepared a "Love Feast" to thank them and properly say good-bye. We had...

Samp and Beans: a thick type of porridge made from coarsely ground corn (a staple in South Africa) mixed with beans.

Dombolo: big, round dumpling bread (each one the size of my head, no joke) that is used to soak all the juices left over from the chicken.

Sweet Potato: delicious! 

Amadumbe: another type of sweet potato cooked in their skin in the fire.

Beef Curry: dish of beef and vegetables cooked in a thick sauce of strong spices and served with rice.

Boerewors: huge spicy farmers sausage 

Zulu Salad: tomato, onion, green bell pepper, and HOT (really HOT) green chili! 

Cooked Spinach: fresh from the garden just planted outside

Tripe: also known as intestines (mmm..a delicacy)

Chicken Dust: fried chicken with seasoning (the seasoning is "dusted" on the chicken, hence the name)

Walkie Talkie: chicken feet and head (parts of the chicken that "walk and talk"). everything from nails, beak, and eyes are all still there for the FULL experience 

...and let me tell you, we had QUITE the experience.

a triple-braided cord

Zipo, Mdu, and Sbonele are three brothers who live in Inanda. Their mother died two years ago and their father has never been in the picture. Zipo is in third grade; he's the youngest. Mdu and Sbonele are in grade seven and eight respectively. These three brothers are the strongest, most purpose-driven, persevering, and hopeful kids I know. They live on their own in a little tin shack, caring for each other and trying to make it through one day at a time. Each morning they wake each other up, get ready, walk each other to school and come home. Their lives are simple yet their needs are great. Pastor Prince, who works with us at Ukukanya, visits the kids and checks up on them at school every now and then. The other day, Pastor Prince and I went to the boys' schools together. We spoke to the teachers to see how their performance and social interactions were going. My heart broke as each of the teachers expressed their concerns. "These boys cannot continue living on their own. They struggle to learn because nobody is at home to help with their homework. They come to school with dirty and wrinkled uniforms because nobody teaches them how to wash. They are failing their subjects. They have a hard time concentrating because they are so hungry. We try to help them as teachers, but it is no good if there is no help at home. They are our sweetest, most compassionate students. They try very hard..but they are still struggling." Each month, we deliver a food package to the three brothers to last them the whole month. We are trying our best to teach them life skills like washing clothes, bathing, cooking, and brushing their teeth. But the teachers are right. They need caretakers. Unfortunately, we can only do so much and legally things are very hard because these boys have no written identity. No birth certificate, no picture with their name, no record of their family...nothing. We went to a Social Services office the other day to help get these children on a waiting list for care. They are still in process, but please, please pray for God's sovereignty to reign over the situation. I barely know these boys, but I love them dearly. And I love them this much, I can't imagine the love our Father has for them. It may take a while, and it may be a rough road..but I know these boys will make it. As it says in Ecclesiastes, "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." God has made these brothers a triple-braided cord. They are young and may only have a little, but they are rich in faith. And I know the Lord's loving hand is holding onto them tightly and blessing their hearts abundantly. For it says, "Blessed are those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. And blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." O Lord, bless these three boys. For theirs, is the Kingdom of Heaven!

a different kind of help

As we are in the township of Inanda preparing for the Ukukanya AIDS hospice, we are often interrupted by the immediate needs of the community. With open gates each morning, we welcome anyone and everyone to come experience the love of God where we work. Although our hope is to finish repairing and putting together the building to open the hospice by September first, we simply refuse to ignore the daily emergencies, difficulties, and cries for help that walk into our center every day. Several times we were stopped in the middle of painting or cleaning, dropped our paint brushes and spent the rest of our afternoon with women, children, and families who desperately sought our help. 'Help' however, is not what I ever thought it would look like. At first, there was a sense of guilt for not helping in the way I wanted to. I wanted to do more for these people, but simply couldn't. There was only so much I could offer, so much I could provide, so much I could do. And none of it, I felt, made much of a difference. Their circumstances were the same..maybe slightly improved...but still the same. I had a hard time understanding how God wanted to use me and how I was supposed to help such helpless situations. 

A woman walked into our center one morning, knocking on the doors of the empty rooms as if she was looking for someone. "Sawubona, can we help you?" we asked. "I'm looking for someone," she replied. No one lives or works at this center except us, Penny and Pastor Prince. So we asked her again, thinking she was maybe lost. "I just need to talk to someone.." she said, as she continued knocking on the doors of vacant rooms. I sensed worry in her voice and saw desperation on her face. I put my kitchen sponge down and gently put my arm around her. "Are you okay?" I asked. And immediately, streams of tears came down her face. "No, I'm not," she cried. We grabbed a chair for her to sit on, and helped her to her seat. The three of us sat around her, still not even knowing her name, and just watched her cry. I began to rub her back and ask questions, assuring her that we were there to listen and comfort her, and help in whatever way we could. As she began to open up, we learned that her little tin house, her only shelter, was being invaded. As she was walking home earlier that morning, she came upon her door and saw all her belongings thrown out of the house. A man who claimed to be the owner of the place decided to 'move back in' after 6 years, and with no warning or consent, he came into her house and kicked her out before she even got home. Buyi is about 25 years old and lives with three children. Her family died years ago, except her sister who was her best friend. About two years ago, her sister passed away as well and left her with her three kids to care for. Buyi is now alone in the world, caring for her sister's three kids, and left no home. I wish I could've given her a place to stay, but I couldn't. I wish I could've offered her a new home and some money for her and the children to live off of, but I couldn't. I wish I could've done something to change her circumstance, but I simply couldn't. All I could do was sit there, rub her back, listen, cry with her, and pray. But as I said to her, "I wish I could do something more.." she stopped me from speaking any further. "I never imagined people like you coming to sit with me. I never thought someone would care enough to listen and even cry with my pain. And then to pray for me, I don't even know what to say. Thank you..that is enough." 

When we help, we think we have to fix. But to help, means to serve. And to serve..is to love. Loving isn't always fixing. Sometimes it's just lending an ear. Sometimes it's showing compassion. And sometimes...it's suffering alongside someone. To cry with this woman, to suffer with her in her moment of distress, to speak truth in her life, and to pray over her in the name of the LORD, was the best help I could give her. If Jesus was here, I feel like He would've done the same. 

We were able to direct her to the head of the township who will help her find housing. But please pray for Buyi and her three nephews. Though our immediate help seemed limited..I know through prayer we can continue to serve and love her as we trust God to do the rest. 

Out in the Wild

Ryan, Amanda and I went on a Safari at a game park called Tala in Durban. It was a smaller game park, so there were no cats. BUT, we saw amazing and beautiful other animals. Here are some of the pictures I took:

Mother and baby rhino

ostrich..terrifying

giraffe drinking water

the zebras were my favorite

me and amanda!