Finally in Africa!

Above- In Mamelodi with Pastor Vincent

Finally we are able to update. With many miles under our wings we are safely in South Africa. To attempt to try and touch on everything would be ridiculous but here is a brainstorm of highlights in a nutshell;
1. Annie got pooped on by a bird,
2. Ants LOVE our kitchen,
3. Language lesson; Umfundisi means pastor in Zulu. Maumfundisi means pastor’s wife in Zulu.
4. Gas is $5.80 a gallon…and we drive a 12 person diesel bus …but movies are only $3.75
5. We painted our house as the bright orange color was causing me to gag every time I walked in.
6. We love our team members and have not killed each other yet. Check out their blog www.mamelodistories.org for great updates and stunning photos. And check out Dave’s blog who is with the team for 2 weeks.
7. There are less than 660 days before the World Cup comes to South Africa.
8. The Powerhouse Church is a vibrant body of believers whom have made us feel so welcome and loved.
9. As we find our feet in the township it has been more encouraging and personally challenging then I could explain in words. To be honest we are feeling joyfully overwhelmed. The best way to attempt to explain it is by sharing an excerpt from Annie’s journal:


Today, I fear the Lord. For I met with his sons, and did not see myself in them.

We drove out to Temba to visit Pastor Philip at Ebenezer Bible Church. At Ebenezer we met Nthapeleng (Thapi), a young pastor. Sharp, critical thinker. speaks with understanding about the needs and weaknesses of the African church; he said, "we are all about saving souls, saving souls, but have no administration, and so it all collapses...Until the church can run efficiently, the impact it can have on the community will be minimal." What a weakness to have! Oh, that the church in America could struggle a bit more with this one!... He longs to get some workshops on church administration in the area.
We asked Thapi if he is a full time pastor. He said he does feel called to full time ministry. He quit his job and was a pastor full time for a year and a half, until he could no longer feed his family, and so now he does both. He pastors a small church in Mandela Village, and works in construction. What a heart he has, it poured out of him as we spoke. That if you don't have God, there is "no life, and no warmth in you. You become stiff and can't move without God's warmth. Life is un-livable." And the way these pastors work together, and know each other! They say about their community, "this is my side, i must pray for all of these, that is your side, you must pray for all of those. what do you need from me? how can i help you? and can you help me with this and that?" ...Why does this seem so foreign to me? Isn’t this how it should work? Mustn’t we be strategic about our work in the Lord?

Then Vincent took us to a place on the outskirts of Mamelodi, this small dust-plot with a few trees. Here, a pastor named Isaac is pouring out his life. We meant just to go see the place, but Pastor Isaac was there. He couldn't stop pouring, and he broke my heart. I hope I never recover from this break. We hardly stepped out of the car and he was at our sides, still in his tie from work. Whether because we're American, and that implies connection and possibility, or because he simply can't ever stop himself, no matter the company (i suspect both are true) He started sharing the vision God has cast for him. He said God has filled him with passion for the elderly, and he needs to build an old-age home next to the church. Many in South Africa have no patience for the older generation, as they are quite set in their ways of ancestral worship, and are very closed off to the gospel (i've heard other pastors write them off, say we need to focus on the youth). Isaac says, the devil cannot have them. He says if they must die, they will die knowing Jesus. He says in this part of the township, they don't send ambulances. So he must get some vans donated, and setup a call center, and go to pick people up when there are emergencies. And the hospitals send people home too early, so he must go to the hospitals and tell them, "let's work together, give me a ledger of who you had to send home, and my church will go and care for them." and he must build a hospice on this land for the sick, so he can feed them, because the old people don't take their pills if they have no food to take them with. and when they have food with which to take their pills, and when they feel they are loved, then their bodies will heal.
And i knew as this man spoke, that when he dies, Jesus will know him. Jesus will welcome him home, a tired and beloved brother, whose work is done.




The beginning of a computer lab at Pastor Isaacs' church


The church is the size of a small house, built of cinderblocks, with a corrugated metal roof. on the floor are a few carpet remnants, that must have been found somewhere along the road. they aren't just dirty, they're covered in actual gravel. So tomorrow (saturday) the youth will come out, and he and the youth will clean the carpets so that the elderly don't have breathing troubles during service on Sunday.

We asked him, is he a full time pastor? He said he also has a job (apologetically!) and as if to explain, he said, "when God has blessed me with work, i must take it. I must keep this work, so that i can use my salary to build the church into what it needs to be. I must keep giving and building for now."

But why are these brothers so tired? why are they doing the work of 10 men on their own? This family is broken. This family of God, it is not working as it should.
What will God say to us?

And whenever we leave them, they pronounce such blessings on us! they pray for us in such a way! Isaac said, "if more Americans like you could come! all we'll have to worry about then, will be natural disasters that we can't prevent. these manmade problems could be gone as they ought to be!" ...and he said it with hope. he honestly did. more hope, i'm afraid, than i have at this time.

Whenever Vincent tells us of some issue at the church, some problem, he always says, "so then we started praying. We fasted and prayed for one week." or, "that was a real problem, so we fasted 21 days, and prayed in the church everyday." And then God shows up, teaches them something. When the church's computer school kept getting broken into, they fasted and prayed. The problems stopped, and he said that God spoke to them, "you are too selfish. people outside of the church are hurting. they are robbed and broken. now you have tasted what they know, and you can minister to them."

And, God forgive me, all I can see in my mind are the countless church meetings spent on milk. How do we entertain the youth better at youth group? is it yet time to re-paint the sanctuary? are the seats comfortable enough? how do we raise money for new ones? are we honoring people's time, keeping services and meetings short enough, so that we know they will feel comfortable showing up? What about honoring God's time? We can't even take 30 minutes to worship him before hearing his word. why would he show up to really teach, fill, and bless us? we haven't even the time to receive these things from him! what must he think of us? Oh God. Today I fear God. Today I am afraid. Are we the ones who will cry out to him, and will he know us?