Wow. This week has been amazing. I will have to say that despite all the set backs that I wrote about last week the time in the res has been just a joy. But before I get into all of that, there is some other joyous news. I just found out that one of the girls on the trip had a USB converter for the memory card in my camera so finally what everyone has been waiting for...some pictures.
Devin,my ministry partner, and I
One of the Leaders from the second floor in Majuba, Aubrey
One of the Leaders from the3rd Floor of Majuba, Zwai
This is the Majuba Res Soccer Team, Sbu and Zwia are Coaches and Mpumi is playing for them. There is so much potential for sharing the gospel here. Pray for them!
The winning team for our Trivia night last Friday
N.J., a leader from the 3rd floor, working through some scripture memory verses.
If I get a chance I'll post some more later but Iwant to take a second to tell ya'll about the incredible week that se have been having. So despite the crazy schedule changes that we have had to endure because of of the exams (having to leave res at 6 instead of at 10), God has been really faithful to give us time around these guys. One of the best parts of being in a country where everyone doesn't have money just to throw around is that taking a guy to McDonalds means so much more then it does in the states. Devin and I have been able to take a couple of the leaders out with guys that they are ministrying to twice this week. Both of the guys that we have taken out who weren't christians we got to talk to alot about the lordship of Christ. That tends to be the real issue for most of the guys here, understanding that belief in Christ and allowing Him to have complete say in everything that you do are actually one in the same. Most people here know that Jesus hung on the cross for thier sins, but don't realize that a true belief in that face causes a true christian to consider him first in all that they do. I do believe that these guys, M.J. and Etu, are begining to realize that thier intellectual belief alone isn't actually christianity. The best part of it all is that they are both really close to the leaders here and are going to the JWC. Etu is on the Majuba Soccer team and M.J. and Sbu live in rooms right next to each other.This give me hope, knowing that even if we don't see them come to Christ while we are here, they are not getting dropped when we leave. Many of the leaders who are here say that the CCP had a huge impact on them but they became christians after last years team left.
Another really good thing was going to the refugee camp for the people from Zimbawia. It was really eye opening to the horrors of being dislocated. Even though the situation here is SOOO much less then it is in most places in Africa, seeing the strain that it puts on the social structure of the country is so devistating. We went saturday to help serve some food to the people at the camp in a section of town called Primrose. There are over 600 perminant residents at this camp and there are close to 2000 who will show up for the meals. So that puts 600 men, women and children living in what looked to be less then an acre of land. We weren't allowed to actually walk in the area where there were tents set up becuase there is some tention to outsiders. I played with some of the little boys who were around. One of them had gotten a water gun from some where and was having a blast shooting people (including myself). Our girls played some of the games that they had learned from the UJ girls with the teenage girls who where waiting on food. I got to talk to a man named Siemon from Zimbawa and his tentmate John from Mozambic. Siemon had walked 200k to get to Joburg because of how the ecomony back home is failing. He has 5 sons that he is putting through school and came to find work so that they could pay for thier school fees. For the first month that he was here he did well for himself, sending back what was needed by his boys. But he has been in the refugee camp for over 2 weeks now and can't find any work. He told me about how he felt like such a failure not being able to send anything back. He told me some of the strangest stories of escaping the police in Zimbawia and sleeping in the wilderness in SA on his journey down. It was all kind of short lived. We were told that some of the guys in the camp had started becoming violent and it was getting worse because they had been drinking. We were rushed back to our Kombi (van) and sent home. I makes me wonder what they do to protect the women and children that were there.
I guess that I will end by asking everyone to pray for South Africa, for the refugess, and for the students. I honestly believe that the only answer to any/all of the sufferring that I see (be it the crime and violence in a refugee camp or the aimlessness of living life solely for a degree and a good job) is answered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that everything will pass and just pray that none of this is pointless. If we are working for that which will only last us 80 to 90 years at the max we have failed.
