Penetrating Through

A few nights ago, I came home a little past 10:00 and had forgotten to leave at least one of the lights in the house on. My roommate left in a hurry that weekend and left a lot of her stuff lying in the middle of the floor that I wasn't prepared for. Walking into the house, I think I bruised myself five times in five different places. The house was pitch black and I literally couldn't even see my own hand in front of me. The light in the garage is seriously the brightest light next to the sun, and I was able to turn that one on when I got home. So before stumbling over another step, I cracked the door open to the garage to let some light through the house so I can find some switches. The darkness immediately fled and was just enough for me to find my way to my room to put my bags down. When I came back into the living room, the space was much brighter as the door had swung open a little wider without me noticing. A couple hours went by until I decided to get ready for bed at midnight. But when I went to turn off the lights in the living room and hallway, I realized I had never turned them on. The light from the garage that shone through that little crack in the door, literally transformed my house from pitch-black into bright as day. One small light through one small crack, made a world of a difference. I share this with you, not to brag about my super bright garage light bulb (although I'm quite impressed with it). But to share with you what God was speaking to me that night. Living in a world, and specifically being in a country where AIDS, violence, death, poverty, witchcraft, sorcery, hopelessness and fear reside, there is a darkness that covers the land. But being in a country where God's light is present, I have hope for the darkness to flee. It's encouraging to know that God calls me to be a light in this world, and though I might just be a crack in the dark, as more people join in prayer, support, and faith, the crack soon becomes an open door where God's light penetrates every room, every corner, every nation, and pierces every heart. Already, God's light is penetrating through the darkness, and I praise Him for opening my eyes to see it.

Ukukhanya Life Care Center:

Since coming to Durban and leaving the ministry at BEAM Africa to the rest of our team in Pretoria, we have prayed for God to provide us with another opportunity to serve the practical and physical needs of Africa. Of course God's plans are so much greater than ours, as He not only provided us with a place to work but an opportunity to launch the Ukukhanya Life Care Center as the very first AIDS hospice in the Ntuzuma township. Ukukhanya means "light in the darkness" and comes from John 1:5 where it reads "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it." An abandoned one story building with 12 rooms and a huge lot, Ukukhanya welcomes the cries of the community with its open and rusted gates. The Life Care Center was started by Penny, an American woman from Kansas whose husband died of AIDS in 1993, and Pastor Prince, a 25 year old passionate Christ follower who has been preaching the gospel in churches since age 15. The story of how this woman from Kansas met this township preacher is incredible as God so clearly paved the pathway for their divine friendship and purposeful partnership to start this ministry. The vision they have is to show the love of Jesus to people affected by AIDS and to spread the Gospel by providing physical, emotional and spiritual support. The prayer behind the vision is to provide home-based care for those in need and to be the hands, feet, and eyes of Jesus to help and find the sick. Practically what we want to do is develop a hospice, as right now we only have an abandoned building turned into an office and kitchen with 12 vacant rooms of dust, dirt, broken windows and a few mice. But with some paint work, some bleach, a lot of manual labor and a covering of prayer, we want to turn this desolate piece of land into a place where people can be loved, kept clean, and die or live in dignity. Some will come to just get stabilized and others will pass here peacefully. We will love them, nurture them, and care for them through home-based care workers who we need to find and hire to do 24/7 care. We will offer nutrition and network with area hospitals, clinics and volunteer doctors for the medical care of the patients. 

Our other prayer is for the children. One of the biggest problems is that family members will die of AIDS and millions of children will be left behind with no where to go and no one to turn to. We want to have a plan of action to offer monthly food parcels to children and families waiting for grants. We also hope to start a program where an "Auntie" can go and check on children living on their own and bring them in for fellowship. They will help with homework, life skills (like washing clothes and bathing), and a hot meal and prayer. Outside of the 12 rooms, there is an old patch of cornstalk. The plants are dead and weeds have taken over. But soon it will be dug and re-patched into a mini soccer field and playground where children can enjoy themselves during visitation of family members. The vision is BIG, but God is already moving. Though the rooms aren't yet available, Ukukhanya's open gates have welcomed so many children, sick mothers, tired gogo's (grandmothers), and sick babies whom we have been able to care and provide for already. Two weeks ago, Penny received a phone call administered by the hand of God, from a man who offered to donate 24 beds, side tables, and a few dressers. There is a lot of work to be done, but God has given me a vision for this place that I am so excited to be a part of. 

Slie and Zethu:

There are two women in our movement, Slie and Zethu, whom I've mentioned a few times before. Amanda and I have been doing a bible study with these girls on a weekly basis and building them up in their faith in hopes to see them sent out to reach others. The four of us have been meeting once a week for the past two months and have recently felt the Lord calling us to split. Instead of meeting as four, Amanda and I would disciple one girl each and lead them in leading others. When we first presented the idea to the girls, they were hesitant to break the community we had built with the four of us together. But after asking them to pray about it, we joined again the following week to hear their thoughts. "I don't want to split, but this campus needs Jesus and that's more important. That's the point, you see. We must split to reach more people. I want to see God moving and He will do that best if we each go out," was Zethu's response. Slie looked at me and with a smile said, "I am nervous, but I hope that God can use me. I know so many friends and classmates who I want to share God's love with. I hope He can use me." A couple days later, Slie and Zethu both separately and individually spoke to their professors asking permission to hand out a survey during class to 150 students to see who wanted to be in a bible study. Eagerly they came back with names of girls, some they know and some they've never met, to share the Gospel with. Their enthusiasm for the Gospel continually amazes and challenges me. Slie is a Business major which is one of the top majors and most competitive at their school. Every Business student who I've talked to is in the major purely for the money. There is very little enjoyment, very little attention to ethics, and very little care for what their future will bring outside of material gain. Zethu is a Physics major and daily surrounded by students and professors who impart their atheistic views upon her. Textbooks, lectures, and exams shout against her and the thousands of other Science students on campus, against the faith in a Creator God. But no matter how dark the campus and the classrooms may be, I am encouraged to know that Slie and Zethu are light bearers unafraid to shine. Through Zethu's survey in class, 54 of her classmates indicated their desire to be contacted for a Bible study, more information, or a desire to know God personally. Praise the Lord..His light is shining.

the campus Prayer Room:

Because prayer is such a vital part of seeing the hand of God move and yet it's so easily and often overlooked, I wanted to start a prayer room on campus for anyone and everyone to come to. Since we can't have a permanent room for every day of the week, I reserved a small classroom on campus as "the prayer room" every Tuesday from 1-4 pm. I was so excited to get a room on campus because it usually takes weeks if not months to reserve a room. But God provided this 20-seater classroom in the middle of campus the very next day that I requested it. Being on the creative side and having teacher-like tendencies, I wanted this room to look welcoming, organized, peaceful, and intimate. So before officially opening it for prayer, I went into the room one afternoon to check out the size, the set-up, and begin to brainstorm my vision for what it would look like. As I opened the door, I uncomfortably walked in on a couple tucked in the corner of the room making out. 

One thing about this campus is that sexual behavior, pornography, and inappropriate displays of affection are very common. Although it's disturbing to witness, it breaks my heart deeply. Girls are hungry for attention and young men lack self-control, yet their is no conviction. Apparently, this room I reserved for prayer, I later learned was a room used by many couples on campus during breaks between classes. God clearly had a plan. The following week, I opened the prayer room and set it up for the first time as I envisioned. From 1-4 I just sat and prayed. A couple students from our movement came in from time to time and occasionally a new face would peek in to see if the classroom was empty, shocked to see it set up for prayer. Though not many students came in the first day, I felt God's presence heavily resting upon that room. I prayed for the campus, the students, the professors and different majors. I prayed for the dorms and student housing. I prayed for those who knew the Lord and those who didn't. I prayed for the couples on campus and for God to lead them to this room where He could bring conviction, grace, and abundant love. And as I prayed, God gave me this picture of this little room containing His glorious presence and light, that would soon shine throughout the campus. Every time a prayer was lifted, the light would get brighter and brighter. Every person who enters the room will enter into God's presence and walk out radiating it unto others. I pray this room will become a sacred place for prayers to be lifted and heard..and for God's glory to shine brighter every day because of it. 

Isaiah 58 says "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon." I am humbled to know that God has given me a piece of His light to shine in this world. I am encouraged to know that by feeding the hungry and helping those in trouble allows that light to shine. I am challenged to see how many physically and spiritually hungry people there really are in this world and how much darkness truly does exist. But I am strengthened in knowing that light scatters darkness. I am deeply moved to see light penetrating through this country in countless ways already. And I am hopeful to see it one day saturate this earth.

Thank you for helping me shine God's light here in Africa. May you continue to shine it wherever you are, and wherever you go...every day.