What a great day to wrap up a great week! Today was much cooler than the past few days.  We started out by checking out the Living Hope arts and crafts center. Many of us bought gifts made by locals.  After Living Hope we were able to learn about  the apartheid when we visited the District 6 museum in downtown Cape Town. Our next stop was planned for Robben Island. Unfortunately, the water was too choppy for the ferry so we decided to hangout at the waterfront and see the sight from Signal Hill.  We ended our day with dinner at the Toad with Al, Mzo, Phyllis, Kendra, and the Tallys.

This week has truly been amazing. God is doing great things here in Cape Town and we are privileged to be apart of it. We start our journey home tomorrow! Can’t wait to see everyone!

Blessings.

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa, Uncategorized by Sarah Roberts No Comments

Overlooking Red Hill

Today wrapped our time in Red Hill. Today was a good day. It was mostly marked by the usual suspects—a strange morning, although good time to do home visitation and meet people and hear their stories; construction delays only to be overcome by our triumphant and very capable team of Americans and locals; crafts and snacks for adults, with the occasional, “why aren’t you in school?” conversation with random children; kids’ club in what is, to us, a too-hot room with children who have to be uncomfortable but never mention it. It was over 100 yesterday, in the 90s today. In unventilated, non-insulated space…HOT.

Today ended with a community-wide celebration. It was really the culmination of a great week. I would expect there were around 200 people present, but it was difficult to count. We had the chance to tell the community of Red Hill why we come and how we pray for them between the times we visit them. We also had the chance to celebrate through song in the African style—loud, powerful, moving. It was an important time, and finally a few things began to come together for me.

In the same way that today was good, today was hard. I continue to come to terms with the disparity across the world. I hate it. I have not resolved not to understand it, and I think I am closer to it today than I was yesterday. As we all pray for God to bless this community, these families, and I remind myself that my “idea” of blessing is probably not exactly God’s idea, I confess that sometimes I feel it is an empty prayer. It’s totally my problem. I want God to want the same things for Red Hill that I do. Obviously He is not wrong. I am okay with being wrong. But I still hate it. Then I am confronted with people experiencing inescapable joy. It’s harder to tell in the U.S., at least initially, but when someone lives under the light of Christ, you can just tell. If they know Him, people in Red Hill wear Jesus well. Joy exudes! Joy doesn’t exude much in the U.S., and sadly, probably not from me all that much—at least not nearly enough.

I got to talk for a few minutes with one of my favorite Red Hill residents, Phillis, who also works for Living Hope as a support group leader for HIV+ people, while we (and by we, I mean she) made drinks for our community celebration. Phillis is one of the sweetest women. I have no idea how old she is…I am guessing close to 50…I hope African women are not offended by guesses at their age…and Phillis inspired me with her simple words. She speaks decent English. I met her young nephew, who is now living with her. His father, her brother, is positive. She is about to take in her sister’s child as well. Her sister is positive, too, and is sick. Phillis wants to bring her to Red Hill so she can receive adequate treatment, medication and care that she cannot get so easily where she currently lives in the Eastern Cape. Phillis’ other sibling died in June of HIV-related illness. She was relating all of this to me while she was using a teacup to pour water from a bucket into a 2-liter container half-filled with ice in order to chill it briefly, all just before pouring it into a 20-liter storage container to create this orangey drink. One teacup at a time. Slow. Spilling some from time to time. Just telling her story. To Phillis, it was just another part of her day. I kept thinking, “Surely, there is a way to do this better, faster, easier.” No doubt there was/is. But not to Phillis, and not to Red Hill. No complaints. No complaints either as their permanent port-a-johns that serve as the community’s restrooms were serviced today and the pungent smell wafted throughout the village all day. No complaints as the dogs nipped at people’s heels all day or fought under their feet. If you know me, you know how much I love dogs. I was done with a dog after today.

You need to know a brief history of Red Hill: Under Apartheid, non-whites were not allowed to be seen in the cities after dark. Due to many working in the city and trying to get out and get somewhere before dark, lest they be arrested, someone had to find a solution. A local farmer offered his land to the city as a temporary settlement for these non-whites, and somewhere around 1978, Red Hill was born. That temporary settlement still lives over 30 years later, working on its third generation of inhabitants. The number of homes in the settlement are fixed, so it can’t grow much except for people born into existing homes. Port-a-johns still serve as restrooms; electricity and water are available, although both are communal in nature. There are no permanent structures in Red Hill, and most homes are built of 2X4s, tin, some plastic, and newspaper. Yet there is joy.

1 Peter 2:9-12 (NLT): But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

Corrie ten Boom said a lot that I love. I never do quote mash-ups, but these are worth standing together today:

“Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.”

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.”

I think and hope I have learned a lot from today and from Red Hill. I love my life, but I know my home is temporary. This is my temporary home (insert country music lyric here). Red Hill, for good or for bad, has figured this out. And I am thankful for that reminder today.

Tomorrow we contextualize. We’ll visit the District 6 Museum and Robben Island. To learn more about why these matter to us today and why they matter to Red Hill, Google. We’re also taking Phillis, et al, to dinner.

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa, UncategorizedTags: 1 Peter 2, Carrie Underwood, Red Hill | by Brent Hutchinson No Comments

My vocation is constuuction and yesterday is perhaps the most stressful day I have ever had on a job. At least the morning was. 

All at the same time my attention was divided by the engineer and the project manager and the crane operator and the toilet delivery guys and the city health department guy and the noise of the crane and the local help in two different languages and our team (a TRUE pleasure to work with by the way) and the almost complete disintegration of the very clinic we are trying to fix and the ever present but  unsually forceful Cape Town wind and….

At the end of the day, the children.

A little child about the size of my son Elijah, three and a half, complete with snotty nose, came out of nowhere and gave me a hug.  I was squatting down on the vacated jobsite and the child came and gave me a hug and rubbed my beard the same way Elijah does.

The day melted away and I was reminded once more of why I come here, of how we approach God, of how He approaches us, and the fact that no matter where we are or what we are, or what we do in life,

We  are Always His children.

Matthew 18:3-5  “…unless you become like children…”

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa, Uncategorized by ethannokes No Comments

Well…we have had another great day in Cape Town!  The beauty of this city is truly breathtaking!  I am constantly reminded of God’s grace, beauty, power and majesty just by being outside.

Today we spent our first day in the Red Hill community.  Part of our team had the opportunity to walk around Red Hill and become familiar with the area and meet some of its residents; while the rest of our team began revitalizing a clinic to get it up to code so that it can reopen soon.  I really enjoyed walking through Red Hill and talking with her people, inviting them to join us in the afternoon for some craft activities.  Many women came in the afternoon to make lip gloss and decorate journals.  They seemed to have a really good time, and we enjoyed building relationships with them.

My favorite part of the day, however, was helping out with Kids Club.  Mzo, who works with the children of Red Hill is incredible.  I loved seeing how the Lord is so evidently working through Mzo, it was clear through his seemingly never ending patience, grace and energy.  I was encouraged to see how respected and loved he is by the children, since he has a great influence on their lives.  Mzo is part of great Kingdom work, and I’m thankful for this chance to be a part of it!

My time in Red Hill today has touched me and challenged me in ways I didn’t expect.  God is so good and faithful!  I am so expectant and hopeful for how He continues to change hearts and lives in Red Hill!  We had a great time today, and we are all looking forward to the rest of our week in Red Hill!

You can pray for us this week as we build relationships with children and adults and as we support Mzo in his ongoing ministry in Red Hill.  Thanks so much!

Jaclyn James

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa by jaclynjames No Comments

Another beautiful day here in Cape Town! We are SO excited about our first day in Red Hill tomorrow and that our team is now complete as Devon and Sarah Roberts safely arrived late last night– thankful they arrived safely. We are ready to get into Red Hill tomorrow and have made sure the hair for the craft puppets is cut, the journals packed and the Bible story rehearsed; we are pumped.

All in all, much of our day has been a day of perspective. As we anticipate all that will happen tomorrow in Red Hill through the kids club, health testing and construction, we have been reminded today about the vast disparity of South Africa today. Rarely do you see such poverty and wealth co-existing so geographically close as here in Cape Town. Much of our day today was spent building relationships and catching some more sights of this incredible city of Cape Town. Yet, the reminders that all of Cape Town is not affluent are all around us.

Please pray for our team tomorrow as we seek to love unconditionally, serve unselfishly and make a difference in the community of Red Hill.

Posted in Missions, SA 2010Tags: South Africa | by Jason Hale No Comments

It is really good to be back in South Africa. Our team is doing great and has worked hard in the first couple of days since we arrived. Today afforded us the chance to explore a little of the local scenery, something I strongly believe helps mission teams become more connected to the country and her people for long term investment and service. Today did not disappoint!

We started the day by riding a cable car to the top of Table Mountain. This is the primary vista anyone sees when they research Cape Town on Google. It provides a stunning 360 view of the city, Robben Island in the distance, and the ocean, as far as the eye can see. We explored Company’s Garden, home to the South African Parliament, several national museums, and the former home of the President (who lives in the city for 1/2 of the year). We spent some time in Green Market Square, which is a local artisan market. Many of our people learned to bargain for the first time! After some time in a very cold but beautiful ocean (right outside our windows), our day has just wrapped by debriefing yesterday’s fantastic retreat and looking ahead to tomorrow, our first day visiting Red Hill.

You are reading this and thinking that it sounds like a dream of a day…what kind of work are they doing anyway?! It has been a great day. Our team is really great and enjoys being together. The scenery is not lost on us–God’s creation speaks to us, inspires us. Many of the people we worked with yesterday and will spend time with this week will never be able to go to the top of Table Mountain or enter the gates of Kirstenbosch Gardens–they couldn’t…wouldn’t…afford the minimal entry fee. Money is too precious to pay out for things like this. It costs more to eat a bagel and drink coffee at Panera than to do what we’ve done the last couple of days.

We’ve been very challenged by God’s word about the poor as we’ve prepared for this experience. Salvation belongs to God…he uses us to usher it sometimes, but it is entirely His. What’s ours? We are responsible to act on behalf of the poor. Followers of Christ don’t have a choice! So how in the world can I/we make a difference when MOST of the world lives incredibly minimally while practically everyone I know (except for many of my friends in South Africa) live in the top 10% of the world’s wealthiest people?

Perhaps our challenge this evening will challenge all of us to engage in ways we should…in ways we must:

This gospel that we have been given–the whole gospel–is God’s vision for a new way of living. It inaugurates the reality of God dwelling within us, His followers, no longer in a temple in Jerusalem. It calls for us to join Him in saving the world that He loves so much. The power of this gospel was announced by Jesus in a synangogue in Nazareth, when He made an audacious claim–and an outrageous promise that the good news would be preached to the poor and that justice would be restored. The poor would be helped by the rich; the powerful would protect the powerless; the hated would be loved; the brokenhearted would be comforted; the oppressed would be liberated; the downtrodden would be lifted up. God’s kingdom was going to begin on earth through the changed lives of His followers, and its hallmarks would be forgiveness, love, compassion, justice, and mercy. There would be no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female–all would be equal in God’s eyes. This was the essence of the good news of the gospel, the whole gospel.

The Hole in Our Gospel, Richard Stearns, p. 276

Looking forward to sharing more soon…

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa by Brent Hutchinson No Comments

Wow, what a day we’ve all had! Today was our Life Skills Educator retreat day. Life Skills Educators are the ones that are in the thick of everything, everyday. Today, we wanted them to have a day of reflection, renewal and just plain fun. We all met this morning (47 of us in all!) and headed to Kirstenbosch Gardens. We broke into teams and went out into the oldest and most beautiful botanical gardens in South Africa. We had our first “session” and got to truly meet our teams on a personal level.  After lunch we went over to Pine-lands Baptist church and had amazing worship. It is so awesome to hear all of our voices worshiping our father together, no matter where you come from. We had a Mega Relay and it was awesome. So much fun! We ended our wonderful day together at the Team House having a Braai. (South African barbecue) By the end of the day I was amazed at how close we all were with all of the LSE. It was like we had known everyone for much longer. They are such great people and they love the Lord.

I was reminded looking at them, of our own community. They are right there everyday and have such a heart for what they do. They could turn their head, like many others and do nothing but instead they are letting God use them in amazing ways. If we truly open ourselves to God and his work in our community, middle TN, what would that look like?

Please pray for the teams as they go and work. Their work is hard and much is expected of them. Many shared how stressed they were with the amount of work, but they know that God is right there with them.

Danielle Hupp

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa by daniellebunner No Comments

It’s a miracle that I even got to come here.

If I were anywhere else besides Rolling Hills then I have no doubt that I would not be here, in South Africa, at this moment. I’m not really someone who really felt called to go overseas on mission–and that was something I struggled with for a long time because Christians were supposed to go. But I know now that the Lord was working something in me so when it was time for me to really go somewhere, I would know the desire was from him.

I remember sitting in the back of the movie theater on my first Sunday and listening to Jeff talk about missions. I knew then that I would go somewhere–of course, South Africa was not what I imagined. There have been lots of obstacles in coming, mostly doubt and money, but even through that I knew I would be here. I’ve been here less than 24 hours and I know that something big is happening around me. I’m lucky enough to be part of it–even for 2 weeks.

I’ll start by saying this place is beautiful. Everything about it is beautiful: the people, the scenery, the ministry done here, the language that I don’t understand. There’s something about it all that speaks to me and makes my spirit very excited.

Today we took a tour of Living Hope and all the ministries that they are part of. Through this organization so many lives are changed. This is what it looks like to see a need and meet it. It’s something that you hear all about and so rarely see put into action. Living Hope is a ministry that gives people who have HIV/AIDS a chance to fully live by offering free health services and teaching life skills to people who just need to make money to survive. If that wasn’t enough, they also feed the homeless and give them a place to store their belongings–all while telling them about who Christ. We got to see how these ministries work today.

For me, what they do is so amazing. Over the last 4 years of my life the Lord has developed these ”causes”  that I’m passionate about,  which all worked together in getting me here. Unbeknownst to me, Living Hope is more involved in my passions than even I knew. But the Lord knew. Walking around today seeing what I’ve seen, it is possible that all these seemingly different passions can work together–especially when it’s the Lord who’s instilling them and directing them. That is encouraging and exciting.

We also got to play with the kids at the Educare Center. All the kids that come are from a township called Masiphumelele (pronounced like mas-e-poo-ma-lay-lee, which I only add because I’m one of those people who would keep trying to figure it out). Masi is one major township that Living Hope ministers in. When we walked into their classroom today, they were learning how to brush their teeth. They sang us some songs, which was too precious for words, and asked us a couple questions. Then we sang “Jesus Loves Me” together before we went outside.

They were full of energy. They ran, climbed on slides, climbed on us, and loved taking pictures. I don’t remember how to say any of their names but their faces and kisses and hugs are permanently embedded in my memory. There was one little girl who braided my hair while I was holding her. We all left there hot and tired with sore shoulders and huge smiles. 

I’m really excited to see what else we get to experience. If today is any indication, it’s going to be an incredible trip. Please continue to pray for us.

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa by daniellebunner No Comments

We arrived safe and sound at the Team House an hour ago.  All of our flights went great (even the bug spray they spray up and down the aisles before you can leave  Senegal wasn’t that bad!).  It’s getting quiet at the house as everyone is getting ready for a much needed night’s sleep.  Thanks to all those praying for our trip here!  Please pray for sweet sleep tonight so we can hit the ground running in the morning.  Good night from South Africa!

Posted in Missions, SA 2010, South Africa by leslicrawford No Comments

We’re getting so close!

We are 22 hours into our travels, and so far so good! Everyone’s through security and waiting in the Johannesburg airport for our connecting flight to Cape Town.

Plus, our flight from DC to Jo-burg included an I Love the 80′s moment when we recognized Joanna Kerns, the mother from “Growing Pains”, sitting in first class! We had to talk Brent down from approaching her and asking her to show us that smile again…

Looking forward to sleep in 4 short hours!

Posted in Missions, SA 2010Tags: South Africa | by markahlberg No Comments