Nov 12, 2009 | Baby Photos, Stories
Hey guys and gals, sorry all’s been quiet on the blogging front for a few days. I’ve still been wrestling with a bit of ill health — secondary infection from what I discovered was actually the flu last week — but I’ve also been wrestling with a bit of a bad attitude, which made me decide it might be best to hush for a bit! We visited another church this past Sunday, and a lot was positive about the experience. It was really great to praise the Lord there, but some little ‘niggles’ kind of came my way and in the end the experience was rather spoilt. When you give place to offense, well Mr. Offense sure will take the place!
So anyway, I wrote a big long post discussing all my absolutely ingenious opinions about how Church could and should be better. Seriously, I basically solved all the world’s problems in one blog post. Then decided, hmm. Let’s let that one go. One must not think more highly of oneself (or one’s opinion) that one ought. Learning that in Job at the moment. If I’m honest I think I have a rather rotten attitude coming out of this blog post, and I don’t want to pass that along! Smiles and giggles and good cheer can be contagious, and so can nitpicking, bad attitudes and the general grump-grumps! Since I don’t want to infect you, dear reader, with a case of the general grump-grumps, I would rather just hush, or else simply say God is good! He is good, and we are trusting Him to direct our steps. And He is sovereign, and He is in control, and I don’t need to take on more of the world’s problems than He has assigned to me.
And, funny enough, after all our adventures, we are feeling His direction to settle down right where we started at the beginning, at the Every Nation Church in Somerset West. We have since discovered most churches don’t seem to have nurseries for kids under two, and that we are probably going to have to drive a wee ways to get to where we ought to be on a Sunday morning anyway, and that’s okay. Above all, we’re listening for the leading of the Lord, and His direction is our opportunity to obey! Â I am really excited about heading there again this Sunday.
PLUS, as soon as I get pictures together, I will tell you the delightful tale of how my dashing husband attempted to rescue a baby bird from the clutches of death! I hope tomorrow. In the meantime, I shall share a picture that will hopefully be smilingly contagious, of our Bear as an ice-cream Sunday. And once I have some encouraging things to say, they’ll be on their way to you!
Nov 7, 2009 | South Africa, Stories
After moving into our new place, we had a couple of minor issues that needed the attention of an electrician and a handyman. Fortunately, our letting agency sent over a nice gentleman who is both. He sorted out a broken light socket in the kitchen, and the next week was sent over again to work on the issue that the doors onto our balcony might be blown in at any moment. The southeaster, she was a blowin’.
We discovered in conversation that this gentleman is not just a handyman of note, he is also a Christian. On top of that lovely discovery, he shared about the way the Lord radically changed his life when he repented and came to faith, and his excellent story includes starting a church in a township nearby. Bonus! He was planning to visit the church in the township the following Sunday and we asked if we could come along. Or we may have been invited, I can’t remember.
At any rate.
Photo by Randy OHC @ flickr
We thought we might be able to organise a shoe distribution with the help of this church, perhaps in the not-too-distant future. And hey, we’re looking for a church to call home, why not explore all the possibilities? This was obviously the beginning of a bit of adventure for a small town gal from Washington, North Carolina.
I am not sure I can accurately describe my experience of briefly passing through the township to attend church there. It is like life is just unceasingly happening — you never know what you’re going to see next, and you might be surprised to find that the people who live there are just surprised as you. As Mr. Potato Head grumbled along through the dusty streets, we saw sights we expected: Mamas with their babies strapped to their backs with bath towels or blankets, people carrying heavy things on their heads, lots of children everywhere. We also saw the unexpected: seven or eight men had picked an entire shack up over their heads, and were moving it casually down a hill to whoknowswhere. Things were so crowded I wondered where they would find a place to set it down. I also wondered if this was an everyday occurrence, but when I saw other people watching and pointing with bewildered laughs and stares, I decided I was fortunate enough to witness something very special. People were dressed up for church and heading in the opposite direction so I wondered if we’d chosen the right church to visit! We kept following our handyman friend in the bakkie (truck) in front of us.
A few moments later, we found ourselves inside a small church building, cinder block, tin roof and plastic chairs. Most of the men sat on one side and women on the other, but we’d already been seated before we noticed. (Not that we would’ve moved.) The pastor was still sharing the Sunday School Teaching, about fasting, and in my ignorance for a moment I marveled at the encouragement that people who might not have a lot to eat should fast. We’d sat near the back where there were plenty of chairs, and we took up lots of space, four adults and the Bear. As the church filled up and filled up we gradually scooted together and were cozy and hot by the end of our time there.
The very enthusiastic worship was in a language I didn’t know. Most of the congregation are immigrants from Zimbabwe, so we’ve concluded it may have been Shona. (Unfortunately I didn’t have the words on a screen to try my best with this time!) These folks moved to South Africa in hopes of opportunities for a better life. I don’t know whether they feel like they’ve found what they’re looking for. They faced severe brutality recently during the xenophobia attacks that swept across SA. Our handyman friend provided refuge for dozens of people — they slept in his home and shed and garage during the crisis. Many of them now no longer stay in this township, since they left when things were dangerous, but they return for church week after week.
The enthusiasm the people showed for the things of God was inspiring. Sometimes people have different ways of doing things and it is hard for an outsider to look on without being critical. Pledges for the building fund were being shouted out, and people were clapping for those making their pledges. I found myself walking the tightrope of trying to stay above being critical during this bit…but I remembered some lessons from my international studies classes, and the conclusion I often came to, that it is really difficult for anyone who is not a part of a culture to accurately perceive it, because we are all wearing our own cultural lenses. And I suppose when churches back in the States have building fundraisers, those who give a lot often receive praise in one way or another.
The church had had an all-night prayer meeting the night before, and had gone home for an hour or two of sleep, to get something to eat, and then return for Sunday school. I wasn’t sure I could convince the Bear to behave long enough for us to stay through the service…and I admired the stamina of these folks, who didn’t look at all tired to me as they danced and sang and worshiped the Lord. I think I could learn a lot if I stuck around for a while.
Our handyman friend encouraged us to head out after we’d shared about our work with Samaritan’s Feet and Mark brought a word of encouragement to the church. I stood on stage beside him with the Bear and was embarrassed at how wiggly and wild he was being. If your kid’s used to a schedule… As we stood outside and said a few goodbyes before following our handyman friend out, one little girl came over for a hug. I picked her up and gave her a hug and a kiss, and my heart just pined with compassion that I am not sure how to channel.
As I reflect on the time I’ve spent with ‘the poor,’ in Zambia, in Mexico, and here in South Africa, I am constantly amazed at the joy and contentedness I see in so many faces. Obviously I am not speaking about those in abject poverty, or trying to ‘romanticise’ it — but those living in ways that ‘Westerners’ might consider ‘poor’ often have a remarkable joy. Perhaps it is because a lot of the ‘poor’ I’ve spent time with are Christians. It challenged me to remember something I heard recently: if you have more than 5 shirts in your closet, you are probably better off than 90% of the world’s population. (I can’t confirm this and am not sure I’m remembering it correctly!) But the point is — if you have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a place to live, you have a lot to be thankful for.
We drove out of the township and got some lunch at a nearby shopping mall, which kind of made my head spin. From poverty to wealth in 3 miles flat. There is so much more to say, that is difficult to put into words. Mother Teresa once said,
“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.â€
The opportunities to do small things with great love are where I am, and where you are. Even if it’s just for one person, I look forward to making a difference.
Nov 6, 2009 | Baby Photos
Hi Moms & Dads on both sides of the pond ! (and everyone else who loves our Bear)…
We thought you might enjoy a few shots of your favourite (for now, only) grandchild. We were on the beach outside our place the other day with our camera, and he was more than willing to be an adorable subject…as usual! So here’s our Bear on the Beach… enjoy!  We love and miss you!
He’s not so afraid of the sand anymore…
And he is no longer afraid to take off in his own direction at warp speed, either!
Lots of love from us in the southern sun! More to come soon!
Nov 5, 2009 | South Africa, Stories, The Good Word
I don’t know, dear reader, how close you are with your family. I would love to be closer with mine, in the metaphorical sense, but my distance from them, in the literal sense, sort of makes it difficult. I moved to Scotland in 2005, and then here to South Africa earlier this year, and though absence does make the heart grow fonder, the 7,000 odd miles I find myself away from home are quite a chasm when it comes to staying close. Thankfully we can still speak regularly through email and Facebook and on Skype, but ya know, it just ain’t the same sometimes!
Because of the distance I’ve made it a major priority to get home when possible…usually it worked out once in the summer when I could also meet with ministry partners and raise additional support, and again at Christmas, because it’s Christmas, and there’s no place in the world I’d rather be! After Mark and I married we decided we should alternate where we would be each year for Christmas. So our first Christmas was back in NC, and then the next year, for the first time in my life, I was not home in Washington, North Carolina at the same house I’d spent every Christmas since the day I was born. It was nice to be with Mark’s family in South Africa, but I really really missed my folks, my brother and sister, and the lovely life and light and spirit in the air that you find when you are home for Christmas.
This year, you’ll see if you’re following the narrative, should be a back-in-North-Carolina-for-Christmas year. And I sure do want it to be. Unfortunately, there is a strong possibility it might not be. I have to note here, that we have had the wonderful privilege of being at home a lot this year. Since we weren’t there last Christmas, we planned a trip early in the new year to see family and try to raise additional ministry support. And delightfully, last Christmas my sister got engaged, and we returned to NC in May to celebrate her wedding, which was an absolute joy. When we decided to move to South Africa, that meant we returned to the US a third time to meet with Samaritan’s Feet, discuss us coming on board with their ministry, and as always seems to be the case, to raise support again, while visiting family as well. Clearly, I cannot complain that I haven’t seen the fam a good bit this year.
At present we find ourselves in South Africa, and as you can imagine, the travels and the expenses of moving to a new country are fairly expensive. As a result, headin’ home for da holidays doesn’t seem financially feasible, or like a good stewardship decision. Yeah, we could probably juggle around finances and clear space on a credit card to make it possible, but we both feel like that’s the wrong move to make. There’d been a tiny whisper in the back of my mind telling me Christmas in the Carolinas might not happen this year… I’d been telling it to HUSH! But as we sat down and looked at the price of flights and our financial status at the moment, it became really clear that the right decision would be NOT to buy flights, and to wait and go sometime early next year, like hopefully when Rory and Sarah are getting married, which is also after my sister’s baby will be born so I’ll get to meet him/her too. (Yeah that was fast wasn’t it?) But dern, that is hard!
I cried a little. Okay a lot. But came to my senses and remembered that the Lord is good and that He can bring all these things together for good, even when they don’t look exactly how I would like for them to. I decided to press on to some quiet time with the Lord after a slightly weepy shower, and just continued along in my reading plan, which brought me to Exodus 14. And where might that be, you are wondering? Well, it’s the slice of history where Moses leads the Iraelites out of Egypt, and out of 400 years of slavery. I was hoping for the Lord to meet me in His Word — to give me a sense of His movement in the midst of my circumstances, and I stopped at verses 13 & 14.
“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. […] The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.â€
After reading this I thought — Okay, Lord, what is my deliverance? Should I be praying that something miraculous will happen that will enable us to head home for the holidays? Why doesn’t that feel right? Are you fighting for me? And as my prayer continued I began to realise that the Lord was fighting for me. He was not fighting for me to have my way — He was fighting for my heart, for me to realise that I should asking Him to lead me in His way, because His way is the best way. And I recognised in my heart, when I honestly took a look at it, that going home to see my family had become more important to me than listening to the Lord, and being where He wants me when He wants me.
It’s like the scene in Dumb and Dumber when Harry and Lloyd are going back and forth “Tag! You’re it…†“Tag… you’re it, quitsies!†“Tag, you’re it, stamped it!†“Tag you’re it, double stamped it!†and finally one of them sticks his fingers in his ears and says “Lalalalalala not listening! Lalalalalala†I think I might’ve been the one with my fingers in my ears…sort of sensing for a while the Lord’s desire for me to seek Him and His will, instead of chasing after my own.
What’s amazing is, the Lord orchestrated that tight spot — when the Israelites were facing the Red Sea in front of them, and the Egyptian army rolls up ready to take them by force, approaching faster and faster — to show His desire to be the Lord of His people, to demonstrate clearly that He desired their deliverance, and He would make a way for them. If they had a choice, they might not have chosen to cross the Red Sea. They might have chosen to take a different route, an easier route. But the route God chose for them — crossing the Red Sea — has been a pillar of faith for generations. Their children’s children’s children heard the stories about the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites, by their powerful and loving God.
In the same way, the Lord orchestrated a tight spot for me. I could choose to circumvent His will and get to North Carolina somewaysomehow, but the deliverance God provided for me, which I needed to walk in, was the deliverance from my desire to do what I want, at the expense of disobeying the Lord I’ve committed to serve, who loves me and knows what’s best for me. Our deliverance is often not the deliverance that provides us with everything we ever wanted, it’s the deliverance from the selfish and sinful nature, and the deliverance that helps us realise there is something better than our way — God’s way.
So, I’m hoping I’ve taken my fingers out of my ears, and stopped with my “lalalalalalanotlisteninglalala…†God has been too good to me for me not to trust Him when things aren’t going my way. I’d encourage you to look for God’s deliverance in your life today. I warn you — it may look different from what you expect. But from what I know of the goodness of God, He will work things out for your good, if you can love Him and walk His way.
Oct 27, 2009 | South Africa, Travel..ling Tuesdays
On my first visit to South Africa with Mark (the adventure when I met his parents for the first time and he asked me to marry him) we took a drive through a national reserve called Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in our rental car, and saw some really beautiful sights at our own leisurely pace. This is one of the reserves I spoke about in a previous post, where you can do a self-led game drive.
For some reason one of my favourite sightings is always of the mommy baboons with a baby baboon hanging on to them from their bellies. So schweet! Anyway, Mark took this shot of these rhinos sleeping during our drive around the reserve and it just captured the moment so well!
Yet another reason for you to start planning your trip to SA! There is so much to see!
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