FROM OLD TEAMATE JB WHO IS ON THE KENYA TEAM ( JB IS FROM ALASKA) when you read his blog you can get a glimpse of what ministry time was like when I was there in SOUTH AFRICA and at ESKOM my favorite place to go. love aubs
Well, it seems like it has been a long week, and I’m not sure why. The last few weeks have gone by pretty fast, which is good and bad in its own way. This week however, I am going to have to start with Saturday. We had our day off, and started off at the cruddy internet shop in Ifafi (the power goes off there a lot because one of the townships nearby, Eskom, steals the power somehow). So we went there and it worked well enough, then we went to the Dam Market (haha… missionary humor…) there’s a lake not too far away that has a dam, and the cultural market, hence we went to the dam market, dam restaurants, etc. I have a fun time there; the 100 people there at the market seem to know all of us now. I am known as Pastor Dread Man. I had a good conversation with one the locals, about how I can have dreads, and at the same time can be a Christian. I think he got it; I just talked about how it’s about the heart. I also got offered “leaves”. Yeah, the market is fun.
Sunday, amazing day. We were supposed to go to an Afrikaans church which is more youth centered, but our leaders felt that we were supposed to stay back. Church was pretty good, Deeni, the lady that owns Alabanza, talked to us about having joy in our lives, and living it out as though we have joy (cuz we do, even if it is buried pretty far down…) We prayed over a few of our teammates that Christ would touch their lives and restore the joy, and I can testify for 2 of my teammates that this whole week nothing has gotten them down, every morning they wake up as though they have the joy of the Lord. We also had some baptisms. 2 of them actually, one of my teammates, Abby decided that it was time for her to declare her allegiance of Christ to the world. Also awesomely enough, my buddy Tylo, who has come and ministered with us a few times and always comes to Alabanza church was baptized. It made for a pretty sweet afternoon.
Abby’s Baptism
Tylo Baptized by Themba
Monday I’m trying to remember exactly what happened. I remember our morning session was awesome. Since we are divided up in our teams, we are basically leading our morning sessions. After quiet time, we come back together and have a time of worship, that one of us leads. Monday morning, Luke led it and his form of worship was painting, so we spent about an hour painting on the back of some big tarps that came out really awesome. Oh yeah we also go to start our testimonies again. So each day this week 2 of my teammates have been sharing their testimonies so we can get a better idea of who each of us are and how God has moved in our lives before coming here and how he got us here.
Just an awesome picture of me… Cuz I am that shallow
Ministry was good. I went back to A-Ville. We met up with Lydia, whose husband was there, which was really good to finally meet him, and we sat down and talked with both of them, read some scripture to them and prayed for them, and then walked over to Serena’s house. She was in an okay state. She allowed us to sit down with her and read Psalms to her and get to know her a little more. After that we walked up to Joshua’s house to say hello to him and check on him and make sure he was doing okay. He wasn’t home at first, so we walked up to another house, the lady who lives there got to know Michelle on our team, and hadn’t been able to visit for a week so we went up to her house and drank soda with her and her brother. It was a good time. Then we went and talked with Joshua for a bit, and spoke some more truth to him, and got some more of his questions answered and I think he’s starting to trust us more, which is great but we only have 2 more days of ministry. We walked around a bit more and stopped at 2 different chrechés (official way of spelling it I found out, still sounds like Cresh) and sang some songs with the kids before going back home. It was a pretty excellent day.
Me at the Chreche
Tuesday…I honestly do not remember what happened. It can’t be that important otherwise I would remember it, not that it wasn’t good, it was just so average that I can’t remember. I do remember this was the first day that we went swimming in our pool. Oh man it was good. When it’s about 85-90 outside and sunny with no clouds, it makes for a good after ministry activity.
Wednesday, I had an excellent morning. We had Themba teach. Themba, I can’t remember if I’ve told you about him, he and his wife Mary are permanent missionaries here that have adopted 2 African kids, Busi (7 or 8) and Nandu (2 or 3). Themba is just an excellent man of God. He is very keen on the locals here in Safrica, I think he makes friends with everyone he meets here and can remember their name even the guys at the gas station that fill up the car. But he started preaching on Doctrine and Acts of the Holy Spirit. It was such a great discussion and teaching that we almost skipped lunch but eventually had it, but decided to pass on ministry to keep getting poured into. He preached for about 8 hours that day. It was great, he eventually got to the 6 elementary principals found in Hebrews 6. It was just good to get poured into like that; we haven’t really had anything that deep or moving since the beginning of AIM. We also went swimming again that evening after everything.
Thursday, we had Themba come back and teach some more to us, but did go out to ministry. I decided to stay at the chreché that we have really been pouring into. It is the one Mama Martha does. So, Melissa and I stayed at the chreché and helped Mama Martha take care of the 20 or so kids. * We also just got help Martha relax a bit which is nice for her, and I got to play with a bunch of awesome kids. (The pictures make up for lack of blogging on this day, or the whole week). I also gave my testimony Thursday nite, which was good for my teammates to get to know a little more of me.
Me at the Creche
Creche Kids
Friday, we started out looking a for a pastor that Michael and Michelle had met Thursday who is actually from Kenya, but decided that God called him to A-Ville to start a church, which he has and is growing. So we went and met up with him. His name is Pastor Peter or Pastor Petros. He came with us and walked around and helped us pray and sit with people. We first went to Serena’s house, where Michelle, Luke and I stayed and sat and talked with her, while Michael and Peter went to some of Michael’s friend’s houses to introduce them to Peter. Meanwhile the 3 of us had an amazing time with Serena. It really broke my heart to be with her. She is in much pain. She has all kinds of sores in her mouth and throat which doesn’t allow her to eat and drinking water hurts her enough. So she was in a pretty terrible state. She was feeling very hopeless, but by God’s grace we spoke truth to her, prayed some of the Psalms with her, and just sat and mourned with her. But after praying for her and just loving her, when we took off (about an hour later) she seemed to have peace about her, and although her sores were still there, she’s going to the doctor’s tomorrow. So please keep her in your prayers, she is really pressed on my heart, and I am really praying that God will restore her completely, to where she is dancing in the streets and singing praises, living out Psalm 150. I took a picture with her wanting you guys to know whom I was talking about, and when I told her that my friends, family, and church family were going to be praying for her, she got really excited. So I hope her face gets burned into your heart, and you will lift her up. 
Serena and I on Friday
After seeing Serena we went to one of Pastor Peter’s church member’s house. A very nice lady named Hannah, who has a son named Johannes (29) who is paralyzed from the waist down from a car accident. We sat with him and got to know him a bit, then prayed for him. Then sat down with Hannah and had juice and cookies, and talked with her and got to know her story a bit. It was a pretty good day. Then we went ahead and walked back to the chreché and played with the kids for the few remaining minutes.
Prayer Requests: My teammate Joie decided to leave Friday, to go back home and get some things worked out there with family members and financial situations, so if you could keep her in your prayers that would be amazing.
My other team member Nicole is going to head home Tuesday to be with her family for Thanksgiving and spend precious time with them that they all need, so a safe flight for her, and good family time, pray that God comforts them in their time together.
Our Swazi-team is coming back on Tuesday or Wednesday, so pray for safe driving, and no problems at the border crossing.
Continued prayer for Serena, George, Sam, Lydia, Safrica in general, and our team.
I love you guys. I hope that your Thanksgiving is a blessed time for you to remember why you can give thanks, and all the things that you are thankful for. I know for me, being here in Safrica has taught me to be so much more thankful for what God has allowed me to have. Grace, Faith, Salvation.
God Bless. Give me an update next week how Thanksgiving was for you, what you ate, who you were with, etc.
Team Special K
First Row: Me, Michael, Abby
Second Row: Carrie, Melissa, Luke
Third Row: Chelsea, Teressa
Fourth Row: Michelle, Amber, Tessa
Fifth Row: Denise, Nicole
Sixth Row: Allison, Joie
