I just watched "The Passion of the Christ" for the second time this month.
The first time I watched it, it moved me in a way I could never describe. Not only did I realize that I give myself a hard time when I don't deserve it as Christ died so that I wouldn't have to be condemned or shamed, but I also realized how real our God is. Jesus is real. God is real. Real human beings really put Jesus Christ of Nazareth to death. He really died and really rose again. Need I say more? I'm convicted by the fact that I seldom understand this. I hardly ever get it. Most of the time, when I talk about Christ or Christianity, it's as if it's some abstract thing. I had to ask myself, why does it become this way? Maybe it's the fact that we tell the story over and over again. Maybe it's the fact that we've thought about it so many times that we feel like we can't get anything new out of it. Maybe it's because we're far removed from it. I know why in my own life it becomes this way; it's up to you to figure it out for yourself.
After watching "The Passion" tonight, all I can think of is the conviction that I'm not doing the Gospel justice. I'm not living the way I should be. I will never measure up to all of the things that God has called me to. Perfection? Nope. A sinless life? Nope. These things are impossible... without God. What a humbling statement this is! Not only are we nothing without God, but He has to be a part of the equation! With Him I can live righteously. I can live a holy life pleasing to Him. I can be sanctified. I may never attain all of the things He has for me and become the man He sees me to be on this side of Heaven, but the good news is that that is okay. All I can do is seek Him with all I have. I can only give Him my best, picking myself up when I fall and striving towards the Kingdom.
We are called to live selflessly. We are called to love others and not expect anything back. We called to deny ourselves, to pick up our cross, and to follow Him. I will be the first to admit that I am consistently falling short of these things. I do the opposite of them on a daily basis.
Where do you stand? When you look into the eyes of the Savior, what do you see?
Are you being stagnant, or are you being sanctified?
Salvation. Sanctification. They're what Christ died for on this very day over two-thousand years ago.
This day that we call, "Good Friday".
Friday, March 29, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Best Is Yet to Come, Pt. 2
Sanibonani!
On Saturday we went to uShaka Marine World, which is like Sea World but with a bunch of water rides (maybe Sea World itself is like that; I haven't been in years so I can't remember). Me and many others watched a dolphin show, in which our friend Kaitlyn got to pet and kiss a dolphin (she'd won a dance-off to win that place) and our other friend Sarah got to feed one! When the show wasn't going on the camera would pan the crowd and focus on all the crazy people dancing or the presumed couples, telling them they had to kiss. Kaitlyn and our friend Luke ended up on the kiss cam though they're not even dating! It was pretty funny. They didn't kiss, though Chetan (also in our group) pretended to kiss him and the whole crowd applauded. The dolphin show as a whole was my highlight. I spent the rest of the day in the water park, which was tons of fun. Africa's tallest water slide is there, finding itself at 13 meters high (sorry, they use the metric system here). I went down it, and lemme tell ya--it was quite the bumpy ride! We also made human trains down some of the other water slides (the worker allowed us to do it, though it technically wasn't allowed) and a random stranger got caught in the middle of one of them. It was pretty funny.
On Tuesday we had home visits again, the hardest of which was another man with AIDS who has no one supporting him (there are many stigmas here against those with AIDS; they end up being outcasted) and hardly ever has food to take his medication with. We'd brought him some food, which he was very grateful for. We asked to pray for him, which he agreed to, but before that he sang us a part of a gospel song. Again, it moved us in such a deep way.
Yesterday was a public holiday so all of the service sites were closed. Because of this, we had our Community Engagement class again, which entailed a lot of reflecting on the time spent at our service sites thus far. Today we spent the morning at an HIV support group, a group of women that meet weekly to not only support each other but to rise above their circumstances and to live a life of joy and hope. We asked them questions about themselves, the support group, and so on while they asked us questions about ourselves. We learned a lot from them, such as the fact that stigmas cause much of the abandonment and isolation of those who are HIV positive. Many of them don't tell their families they are HIV positive for fear of this. Their strength amazed us though. We spent the rest of our time their playing with the kids, singing, and dancing; they'd even made us Zulu bread and soup for lunch! Today was undoubtedly a great day. It truly has been a blessing to be serving at RivLife and engaging with the community during the short time we've been there. I can't wait for the latter half of our service segment! (We're already six out of 12 days in... isn't that crazy?!)
It is now week nine of the semester; just a little past the halfway point of my time here. I'll be here just short of four months, which has seemed short in some ways, yet seemed so long in others!
Last Thursday (a week ago) we started at our service sites; 43 of us (that's all of us apart from the nursing students as they're on a different track) have been serving at four different sites: Walk in the Light, RivLife, Itemba, and Etimbeni (I may have spelled that last one wrong, hah). My group is at RivLife--short for "River of Life"--and there are 16 of us, who have been split into four groups of four. We are on a sort of rotation with what we're doing, which is nice as I enjoy change and having to stay on my toes.
On Thursday my team of four was at a creche (preschool) all day, which was quite the day! There are about 35 kids that go there every day, who are so full of energy, which is still an understatement. They climb all over you, hang on you, play with your hair, run around, sometimes fight each other, fight over you, and much, much more. They are great to be around though and we enjoyed our day at the creche, which was spent hanging out with them and loving on them. Sounds easy, but it's very exhausting.
On Friday we did home visits, which entailed going along with two social workers and a community caretaker and visiting many that live in the community that RivLife finds itself a part of. The social workers visit the residents, see what their problems are, and do whatever they can to help them. We visited a man with AIDS who doesn't have his medication due to the fact that his family pick it up for him and then sell it as drugs. I have never seen someone so weak and without hope; it definitely broke me. Another young woman was unable to get her ID card as her mother had passed away and her death certificate had not been signed; without proof of her mother's death, the government wouldn't let her get her ID (she needed her mother's consent). We also visited a "gogo", an old woman who was in a wheelchair and only had one leg. What amazed us about this woman, however, was the love she had for her children and grandchildren. She had a joy about her that you would not expect to see; she kept proclaiming how faithful and good God is. If this isn't an encouragement, I have no idea what is. After home visits we spent the rest of the day at the Drop-in Center, which is where all the older kids come and hang out after school. It's technically the same place as the creche, but they get a hot meal and all hang out together.
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| Kaitlyn petting a dolphin as a part of a dolphin show at uShaka Marine World |
On Saturday we went to uShaka Marine World, which is like Sea World but with a bunch of water rides (maybe Sea World itself is like that; I haven't been in years so I can't remember). Me and many others watched a dolphin show, in which our friend Kaitlyn got to pet and kiss a dolphin (she'd won a dance-off to win that place) and our other friend Sarah got to feed one! When the show wasn't going on the camera would pan the crowd and focus on all the crazy people dancing or the presumed couples, telling them they had to kiss. Kaitlyn and our friend Luke ended up on the kiss cam though they're not even dating! It was pretty funny. They didn't kiss, though Chetan (also in our group) pretended to kiss him and the whole crowd applauded. The dolphin show as a whole was my highlight. I spent the rest of the day in the water park, which was tons of fun. Africa's tallest water slide is there, finding itself at 13 meters high (sorry, they use the metric system here). I went down it, and lemme tell ya--it was quite the bumpy ride! We also made human trains down some of the other water slides (the worker allowed us to do it, though it technically wasn't allowed) and a random stranger got caught in the middle of one of them. It was pretty funny.
That night my biology class (or former class, I should say) went to our professor's house for dinner. We had warthog, which was quite delicious! I'd say it tasted like pork, though maybe it tasted more like chicken... maybe both?! Either way it was delicious!
On Sunday we did a thing called "Talking Drums", which is best explained as elementary school music class all over again. We got to play drums, maracas and other instruments for over an hour--it was a blast! Despite the fact that we all had much homework to do, we had a lot of fun.
On Monday my team did manual labor, spending the day in the blazing sun plowing and planting chili plants. The guy in charge said we'd done more than any other group from APU had ever done--booyah! It was actually one of my favorite days; I felt awesome once we were done. So therapeutic, yard work is! That night me and several others went to a jazz concert which ended up being a traveling high school group from Boston, Mass. They were pretty good!
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| Me with a bunch of kids at the creche |
On Tuesday we had home visits again, the hardest of which was another man with AIDS who has no one supporting him (there are many stigmas here against those with AIDS; they end up being outcasted) and hardly ever has food to take his medication with. We'd brought him some food, which he was very grateful for. We asked to pray for him, which he agreed to, but before that he sang us a part of a gospel song. Again, it moved us in such a deep way.
On Wednesday we spent the day with the gogos (old women), who make fabric products (curtains, skirts, etc.) and sell them to make a living. Stigmas are also present here against older women, so by working and making a living they are coming against those stigmas. The woman we mainly spent time with was Nombula (I think that's her name; it means "the rain" as it was raining when she was born), who runs a creche to keep children safe from abuse when their parents or caretakers are gone at work and also makes food to feed those in the community. We call her the Mother Theresa of South Africa. She made us Zulu bread (which is amazing, but even better freshly cooked!) and "fat cooks", which is Zulu bread fried in balls in oil (kinda like rolls). We were so blessed by her and I loved hearing all about her life. Can't wait to go visit her again, and hopefully help her out with her garden! (She asked if we could help her with it next time we visited.)
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| Sfundo and I |
Yesterday was a public holiday so all of the service sites were closed. Because of this, we had our Community Engagement class again, which entailed a lot of reflecting on the time spent at our service sites thus far. Today we spent the morning at an HIV support group, a group of women that meet weekly to not only support each other but to rise above their circumstances and to live a life of joy and hope. We asked them questions about themselves, the support group, and so on while they asked us questions about ourselves. We learned a lot from them, such as the fact that stigmas cause much of the abandonment and isolation of those who are HIV positive. Many of them don't tell their families they are HIV positive for fear of this. Their strength amazed us though. We spent the rest of our time their playing with the kids, singing, and dancing; they'd even made us Zulu bread and soup for lunch! Today was undoubtedly a great day. It truly has been a blessing to be serving at RivLife and engaging with the community during the short time we've been there. I can't wait for the latter half of our service segment! (We're already six out of 12 days in... isn't that crazy?!)
That's about it for now. In case you haven't heard, the deadline to send me mail has long passed since it won't get to me in time. We leave Pietermaritzburg for good (I can't believe it...I feel like we just got here!) in a little over two weeks, and international mail takes 2-4 weeks to arrive.
Thanks for following my adventures and praying for and supporting my team and I! I count each one of you as tremendous blessings in my life. :)
Take care,
Gary
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The Best Is Yet to Come, Pt. 1
It's a truth we have to remind ourselves of on a regular basis. It's not to say that things are necessarily unpleasant as they currently are; it simply means that there are always better things to look forward to. When we quit believing this, we get caught in a state of hopelessness and apathy; a place where we quit giving life all we've got and get stuck in a rut.
I must admit that I have been awful at blogging lately. Much has happened in the last several weeks since I blogged last. I guess I'm getting to a place where I want to be fully present and save the reflection for later, which is not usual for me considering how much I tend to self-reflect and externally process things. I'm coming to realize too though that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I've learned that there are a lot of things about my time here in South Africa (experiences, ways in which I'm challenged or changed, etc.) that I won't be able to process until I get home. And that's okay.
Finals two weeks ago went splendidly well; I got good grades in each of my classes, which was quite a relief. It's extremely difficult to try and do school work when you are surrounded by waterfalls, hiking trails, a game reserve, animals you don't get to see often (or at all) back home, and a 53-person community where something is always going on (i.e. soccer, rugby, movie nights). So finals ended about two weeks ago and we were all so stoked to be done (well, the nurses and Zulu students weren't done, but most of us were). Our sort of "spring break" was the rest of that week, which was a total blast!
Because it's somewhat difficult to take 53 students on a safari all at the same time, we were split into two groups where one would go on safari and the other would do other stuff back home, and then we would switch. I was on safari group #2 and am very grateful that it was so. My group had all the nursing students in it; a pretty rad bunch of people. They're a few years older than most of us so they are kind of like big sisters (and a big brother for the one male nursing major) to us.
On Tuesday night of that week something pretty radical happened to me. I attend a small group every Tuesday night with a bunch of college students, both from APU and from one of the churches that a lot of us go to. The message preached on was about destiny and God's plan for our lives, and in explaining how we can sometimes be disobedient to the things that God is calling us to do, the guy sharing gave the example of how he had felt led to pray for my foot (as I'd sprained it the week before and was on crutches) but ended up not doing it. When home group ended I was approached by a girl who asked to pray for my foot; I told her yes, and she did so, but nothing happened. A while later someone else approached me, asking if he could pray for my foot. I told him he could, and initially, nothing happened. The third time he prayed for my foot, however, I was overcome by the Holy Spirit and my foot started to tingle. I stood up, walked around, and even jumped on my foot with next-to-no pain! I was shaking, I was freaking out so much. I must admit, I've never been a direct part of a healing (whether praying for someone or being prayed for), so that only added to my freaking out. I ended up leaving home group that night without the need for crutches and haven't used them since. What a good God we serve!
On Wednesday, March 6, we went on the Karkloof Canopy Tour (zip-lining), which was lots of fun. One section of zipline had you going up to 50 mph; another was a straight drop and another took you over the entire canopy, giving you a view of the entire surrounding area. There were plenty of beautiful sights to be seen, that's for sure. We spent the rest of the day hanging out and had a movie night that night. We have a lot of those here, which I enjoy; I don't normally watch this many movies when I am home in the States.
On Thursday we went to Midmar Dam and spent the day playing volleyball, swimming, and had a brie (barbeque) dinner. It reminded me a lot of home, which is always refreshing.
Friday through Sunday of that week my group went on safari, meeting the other safari group only to swap places with them. We went on a drive that afternoon before dinner, though it was somewhat unpleasant due to the excessive heat and humidity. The vehicle I was in ran into a breeding herd of elephants and even got charged by one of them. They're very protective over their young, which makes sense considering they're in the womb for 22 months! We also saw many rhinos, giraffes, buffalo, impalas, and other creatures. To my surprise we ended up staying in luxurious tents, for lack of a better description. I didn't sleep much that first night due to the heat and humidity.
We drove around nearly the whole day Saturday, running into another breeding herd (getting charged again) and even ran into an elephant short of 10 feet away from us on our way to lunch. We turned a corner, I heard a gasp behind me, and next thing I knew to my left was an elephant right by us, charging our vehicle! Our driver, Reg (the director of our program), slowed down thinking that we saw something (which we definitely did!), but we shouted at him to keep driving and he sped off quickly, just in time for the elephant to miss us. It was a pretty traumatic experience. Hah. That same day we also saw a lioness (see the above picture), though she was a ways away. We were glad to have seen her though, 'cause we could have not seen her at all, and a safari without a lion sighting would just be tragic!
I slept much better the second night, considering the fact that that day (and night) it was cold, windy, and rainy. We drove around some more on Sunday, though not nearly as much as we had the previous days. We drove to a sort of lodge on the reserve where we had a delicious breakfast; I must say, we are pretty blessed in the things they do for us! All-in-all, safari was a great experience. Rhinos, giraffes, baboons, impalas, lions, elephants, and much more made the experience what it was. Check that one off the bucket list!
Last week we had our Community Engagement class from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Wednesday. The class itself was great but the length made it pretty difficult to sit through. I was really tired all last week too, having not slept on safari and staying up late for no good reason almost every night. Thursday we started at our service sites, which was the day we'd all been waiting for. I'm at a non-profit called RivLife (short for "River of Life") with 15 others from my team. We were split into four groups of four and would be alternating what we would be doing each day. But for that... I'll continue in the following post. :)
To be continued...
I must admit that I have been awful at blogging lately. Much has happened in the last several weeks since I blogged last. I guess I'm getting to a place where I want to be fully present and save the reflection for later, which is not usual for me considering how much I tend to self-reflect and externally process things. I'm coming to realize too though that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I've learned that there are a lot of things about my time here in South Africa (experiences, ways in which I'm challenged or changed, etc.) that I won't be able to process until I get home. And that's okay.
Finals two weeks ago went splendidly well; I got good grades in each of my classes, which was quite a relief. It's extremely difficult to try and do school work when you are surrounded by waterfalls, hiking trails, a game reserve, animals you don't get to see often (or at all) back home, and a 53-person community where something is always going on (i.e. soccer, rugby, movie nights). So finals ended about two weeks ago and we were all so stoked to be done (well, the nurses and Zulu students weren't done, but most of us were). Our sort of "spring break" was the rest of that week, which was a total blast!
Because it's somewhat difficult to take 53 students on a safari all at the same time, we were split into two groups where one would go on safari and the other would do other stuff back home, and then we would switch. I was on safari group #2 and am very grateful that it was so. My group had all the nursing students in it; a pretty rad bunch of people. They're a few years older than most of us so they are kind of like big sisters (and a big brother for the one male nursing major) to us.
On Tuesday night of that week something pretty radical happened to me. I attend a small group every Tuesday night with a bunch of college students, both from APU and from one of the churches that a lot of us go to. The message preached on was about destiny and God's plan for our lives, and in explaining how we can sometimes be disobedient to the things that God is calling us to do, the guy sharing gave the example of how he had felt led to pray for my foot (as I'd sprained it the week before and was on crutches) but ended up not doing it. When home group ended I was approached by a girl who asked to pray for my foot; I told her yes, and she did so, but nothing happened. A while later someone else approached me, asking if he could pray for my foot. I told him he could, and initially, nothing happened. The third time he prayed for my foot, however, I was overcome by the Holy Spirit and my foot started to tingle. I stood up, walked around, and even jumped on my foot with next-to-no pain! I was shaking, I was freaking out so much. I must admit, I've never been a direct part of a healing (whether praying for someone or being prayed for), so that only added to my freaking out. I ended up leaving home group that night without the need for crutches and haven't used them since. What a good God we serve!
On Wednesday, March 6, we went on the Karkloof Canopy Tour (zip-lining), which was lots of fun. One section of zipline had you going up to 50 mph; another was a straight drop and another took you over the entire canopy, giving you a view of the entire surrounding area. There were plenty of beautiful sights to be seen, that's for sure. We spent the rest of the day hanging out and had a movie night that night. We have a lot of those here, which I enjoy; I don't normally watch this many movies when I am home in the States.
On Thursday we went to Midmar Dam and spent the day playing volleyball, swimming, and had a brie (barbeque) dinner. It reminded me a lot of home, which is always refreshing.
Friday through Sunday of that week my group went on safari, meeting the other safari group only to swap places with them. We went on a drive that afternoon before dinner, though it was somewhat unpleasant due to the excessive heat and humidity. The vehicle I was in ran into a breeding herd of elephants and even got charged by one of them. They're very protective over their young, which makes sense considering they're in the womb for 22 months! We also saw many rhinos, giraffes, buffalo, impalas, and other creatures. To my surprise we ended up staying in luxurious tents, for lack of a better description. I didn't sleep much that first night due to the heat and humidity.
We drove around nearly the whole day Saturday, running into another breeding herd (getting charged again) and even ran into an elephant short of 10 feet away from us on our way to lunch. We turned a corner, I heard a gasp behind me, and next thing I knew to my left was an elephant right by us, charging our vehicle! Our driver, Reg (the director of our program), slowed down thinking that we saw something (which we definitely did!), but we shouted at him to keep driving and he sped off quickly, just in time for the elephant to miss us. It was a pretty traumatic experience. Hah. That same day we also saw a lioness (see the above picture), though she was a ways away. We were glad to have seen her though, 'cause we could have not seen her at all, and a safari without a lion sighting would just be tragic!
Last week we had our Community Engagement class from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Wednesday. The class itself was great but the length made it pretty difficult to sit through. I was really tired all last week too, having not slept on safari and staying up late for no good reason almost every night. Thursday we started at our service sites, which was the day we'd all been waiting for. I'm at a non-profit called RivLife (short for "River of Life") with 15 others from my team. We were split into four groups of four and would be alternating what we would be doing each day. But for that... I'll continue in the following post. :)
To be continued...
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Almost Done!
That's right! My intensive six-week class session is almost over. The class I'll miss the most is my Life & Teachings of Jesus (Bible) class as Reg (our director) is an amazing professor and an incredible man of God in general. He has so much wisdom to share; you end up learning so much during each and every class lecture. Good thing I'm a biblical studies major, eh?
Two weekends ago we got to relax the entire weekend, which was much needed. Not only were many others and I on the brink of the craziest week (academically), but we were getting burnt out from being busy all the time and not sleeping very much.
Last week was insane. On Monday I had a presentation and an exam in my biology class as well as a reflection paper due for Intercultural Communication, Tuesday I had a reflection paper due for Bible, Thursday I had a seminar presentation in Bible, and Friday I had two term papers due. Thursday night I pulled an all-nighter to finish my biology term paper, starting it around 9pm and finishing it at 6:30 the next morning. Although I was fried on Friday (haha--get it? Fried-day?) I had no regrets at all about staying up all night to do my paper. It meant that Friday night I got to relax and have fun, which I did!
On Friday night I visited a youth group in a township, a primarily Black community. NCF Church, the church I have been going to during my time here in South Africa, has many church plants in the area, and this location was one of those plants. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The youth were dancing during the entire time of worship; I'm not sure I've ever seen a group of people be so free! The sermon was great as well; the speaker spoke in English and Zulu interchangeably. Unfortunately we did not get to stay for very long afterwards but I would definitely love to go again if given the chance.
On Saturday we went to Drakensburg (a two-hour drive) to Giant's Castle where we went on a hike to see some cave paintings of the San Bushmen. The landscape was incredibly beautiful and on our hike back we stopped along the river to swim for a while. The current was so strong and parts of the river bed were so smooth that riding it was like an all-natural water slide!
Sunday was a homework day for me, which included watching "The Passion of the Christ" for my exegetical (Bible) paper. I have never been so moved by a movie in my entire life; if you haven't seen it, I strongly suggest seeing it. It presents Christ in a way that makes you realize how real our God is.
Academically, this week has been much easier than last. It is our last week of classes, with finals being the end of this week and early next week. After next Tuesday, we will be done with the majority of our classes (well, most of us anyways; the Zulu students and nursing majors have another four weeks), which I am so excited for!
Yesterday we went back to Drakensburg to the Drakensburg Boys Choir School to see their choir perform. They rank as the #1 boys choir in the entire world, having traveled internationally and winning numerous competitions. Their performance was incredible, to say the least. It's amazing to think that such young boys (many of whose voices haven't matured yet) have so much talent! If you haven't seen them before they have a performance every Wednesday at 3:30pm (South African time), which streams live on their website. Check 'em out!
On a personal level, things have been fantastic as of late. I am so at peace here, I am incredibly grateful for those I'm studying abroad with, and I can't wait for what's to come. Safari, a month at our service sites, and even more traveling (including bungee jumping and shark-cage diving!) await us.
Let's go.
Two weekends ago we got to relax the entire weekend, which was much needed. Not only were many others and I on the brink of the craziest week (academically), but we were getting burnt out from being busy all the time and not sleeping very much.
Last week was insane. On Monday I had a presentation and an exam in my biology class as well as a reflection paper due for Intercultural Communication, Tuesday I had a reflection paper due for Bible, Thursday I had a seminar presentation in Bible, and Friday I had two term papers due. Thursday night I pulled an all-nighter to finish my biology term paper, starting it around 9pm and finishing it at 6:30 the next morning. Although I was fried on Friday (haha--get it? Fried-day?) I had no regrets at all about staying up all night to do my paper. It meant that Friday night I got to relax and have fun, which I did!
On Friday night I visited a youth group in a township, a primarily Black community. NCF Church, the church I have been going to during my time here in South Africa, has many church plants in the area, and this location was one of those plants. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The youth were dancing during the entire time of worship; I'm not sure I've ever seen a group of people be so free! The sermon was great as well; the speaker spoke in English and Zulu interchangeably. Unfortunately we did not get to stay for very long afterwards but I would definitely love to go again if given the chance.
On Saturday we went to Drakensburg (a two-hour drive) to Giant's Castle where we went on a hike to see some cave paintings of the San Bushmen. The landscape was incredibly beautiful and on our hike back we stopped along the river to swim for a while. The current was so strong and parts of the river bed were so smooth that riding it was like an all-natural water slide!
Sunday was a homework day for me, which included watching "The Passion of the Christ" for my exegetical (Bible) paper. I have never been so moved by a movie in my entire life; if you haven't seen it, I strongly suggest seeing it. It presents Christ in a way that makes you realize how real our God is.
Academically, this week has been much easier than last. It is our last week of classes, with finals being the end of this week and early next week. After next Tuesday, we will be done with the majority of our classes (well, most of us anyways; the Zulu students and nursing majors have another four weeks), which I am so excited for!
Yesterday we went back to Drakensburg to the Drakensburg Boys Choir School to see their choir perform. They rank as the #1 boys choir in the entire world, having traveled internationally and winning numerous competitions. Their performance was incredible, to say the least. It's amazing to think that such young boys (many of whose voices haven't matured yet) have so much talent! If you haven't seen them before they have a performance every Wednesday at 3:30pm (South African time), which streams live on their website. Check 'em out!
On a personal level, things have been fantastic as of late. I am so at peace here, I am incredibly grateful for those I'm studying abroad with, and I can't wait for what's to come. Safari, a month at our service sites, and even more traveling (including bungee jumping and shark-cage diving!) await us.
Let's go.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Month One.
It has now been one month since I left the United States. One month prior to this moment exactly I was enduring the longest plane ride I have ever been on. Now that's just crazy.
The last couple of weeks have been a wild ride. College in and of itself feels extremely long as there is so much going on, all the time. It's no different here in Africa. A day feels like several and a week feels like a month. Time is a confusing concept.
Last weekend we went on a battlefields tour, traveling for hours in two buses (one a charter bus and one a "baby bus") to see various battlefields here in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the history of this beautiful country. Not only was there tension (war, etc.) between whites and blacks (Anglos/Boers and Zulus) but also amongst the whites (the Dutch whom were called "Boers" and the British). The picture above is a memorial that was set up for several British soldiers who died in the particular war that happened at that battlefield. Underneath the stones are the bones of several soldiers as the British had fled the area and couldn't retrieve their dead until days later.
Overall the weekend was a great one. We learned a lot and stayed at an aged hotel characterized by the wars that have happened here. Flags, spears, and other items decorated the entire building filling it richly with history. On Saturday night, the night we stayed at the hotel, we had an amazingly delicious three-course, buffet-style dinner. It was one of the best meals I've had while I've been here, that's for sure! After dinner, sipping on tea and coffee, all 53 of us gathered around Reg Codrington, our director, to ask him any and every question we could think of. The amount of wisdom and grace in that one man is mind-blowing. He is certainly one of the greatest men of God I have ever met.
This last week was a rough one. Everyone was exhausted after being gone all weekend and having been pretty busy in general. On Wednesday for my biology class we went to Treasure Beach: a rocky beach with an abundance of wildlife and "treasures" to be found. We got to swim in some of the rock pools and had a total blast. The Indian Ocean is so warm! (In case I haven't mentioned it before. :P)
On Thursday we visited a sangoma--a witch doctor. In the case of the one we visited he was more of an herbalist but a witch doctor nonetheless. He uses traditional medicine to heal those who come to him; he calls upon the ancestors for healing as well. Ancestral worship is a prominent part of many African religions; even within African Christian circles many of the practices surrounding the ancestors are still continued. Needless to say visiting the sangoma was an interesting experience; my mind continues to be opened every day.
On Friday we went to a Bible Institute and shared the entire day with them. Their chapel service was filled with plenty of worship and song; every transition had a song to fill its place. The worship "leaders" sat in the crowd and sang from their seats; how cool this was! They did a dance and sang some songs for us and we did the same for them; we taught them the Cupid Shuffle (dance) and sang "Bless the Lord (Son of Man)" for them. They certainly loved it!
The rest of our time was spent playing games and getting to know the students there. I met a man named Luzuko, a former pastor and current professor at the Institute. He had taught there from 1998 to 2005 and then left to do pastoral work for a number of years. He then returned to UBI (Union Bible Institute) in 2009 and has been teaching there ever since. He loves what he does, and as it turns out, has family in Washington State--small world! The games we played were plenty: relay races, bobbing for apples, tug-of-war, and soccer. Their soccer team had uniforms and cleats that they wore which was a lot more professional than any of us expected. Unfortunately we lost the soccer game but had a lot of fun playing with them! It was raining the whole time too so we were soaked by the end of it.
God has been doing so much in and around me over the last month that it's difficult to put it all into words. Feelings of loneliness were common during the first several weeks. I noticed within this last week that something shifted, however; I haven't felt lonely anymore and I feel that I've finally reached that point where I'm comfortable with everyone here. I've been able to be myself and not worry about holding back or being concerned about what others think; it's been so freeing! What I've had to remember about myself is that I take time to open up to people; I tend to be more observant and quiet at the beginning but open up as time goes on.
I've also had to remind myself to give myself a break. While I've been here the things I have been struggling with seem to be things that I haven't dealt with in years. The other day a friend and I had a great conversation and she made a really good point: "just because you're dealing with something here that you haven't dealt with in a long time doesn't mean your regressing. It's a completely new environment with a new group of people and the challenges are going to be different from what you deal with back home." There is a abundance of truth to that statement and it has relieved me of a great burden. I know more than anything that I want to keep moving forward and seek God in all things--my prayer is that my life reflects that pursuit. Not for me, but for Him. For His Kingdom.
Speaking of His Kingdom, the spiritual manifested in a profound way last night. We watched a documentary called "Furious Love"--a documentary where a guy went around the world in search of seeing God's love overcome the powers of darkness. It wasn't where he intentionally provoked demons or anything of that sort; he simply went to places where God was working. For example, the documentary starts off at a revival meeting in Tanzania. Several people (in the documentary) ended up getting possessed by demons and delivered by God through much prayer and His power. The documentary moved us in a prominent way; we ended up spending a lot of time in prayer, rebuking the powers of darkness and declaring God's victory over ourselves and this campus. We know that He has a lot of good things in store for us and we are ready to fight as soldiers of His army. I am so incredibly blessed to be a part of all of this and I cannot wait to see what is to come. It may not be easy, but God is on our side and that is all we need. He is all we need.
This is Africa. Month One.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Like Warm Waves Crashing on a Sandy Shore
I look around me and see the waves crashing on the shore. They're bigger than a lot of waves I have seen before; or maybe they just seem bigger because I'm in an unfamiliar place. Two flags mark off a 50-foot section of the shore, between which swimmers have to stay between (shark nets were in place not too far off the shore to keep sharks away). Because the oceans of South Africa, the Indian on the eastern shore and the Atlantic on the western shore, are home to the Great White Shark, swimmers have to be careful. Every few minutes the lifeguard blows his whistle for several minutes to get everyone back in between the flags. This section of shore is between two piers, one of which is closed and the other used by surfers. With surfboards in hand, they jump off the pier and head into the waves. Back on shore, although many are wearing traditional swimsuits, many are wearing normal articles of clothing.
The ocean is warm. It feels cool when I first get into it, but after a while it begins to feel too warm. With the ozone-free, South African sun beating down on me I'd almost rather be in waters as cold as the Pacific. But maybe not--playing in the ocean is a lot easier when the water is warmer. I look behind me and there are buildings everywhere. The beach is located in downtown Durban, an eastern port city in South Africa. I look around and take in the sun, the waves, the people, and everything else that surrounds me. I can't help but feel especially grateful for I do not deserve to be in a place like this. It's a wonder that God can bring someone so far in life. His power is endless and there is no limit to the things He can do. The beach reminds me of this.
Before we went to the beach we went to an indoor market, which was a sense overload. The smell of various spices filled the entire building. If you slow down even slightly as you walked through the market, merchants would be on you in an instant. "Would you like to try this on?" "This costs forty rand." "Where are you from?" Millions of questions are thrown at you. Being alone is out of the question; you're either with friends or merchants; or both.
The market we went to was the cheapest place to purchase souvenirs at in all of South Africa; what a buy! I won't say what I purchased for I don't want to ruin the surprise for those I got something for, but I got a lot for what I spent!
Today, February 2nd, marks four years since my dad passed away. And doing what I did today was the best thing I could have done. Being surrounded by 52 people who have shown so much love and support towards me as well as each other is a tremendous blessing. We did an activity last night called Cross the Line which told us a lot about each other. We want nothing but to support each other and seek God together--it truly is an amazing group! Needless to say today has been incredible and my cup has overflowed with joy and peace. God is too great to not be happy today! My dad is in Heaven and free from all pain and struggles; I could not be more grateful for it, considering that he is not on earth anymore. This is not to downplay grief or to say that it is not okay to be sad (because it is!) but rather to share how I have been feeling today. God's grace is more than enough.
We're venturing into our third week of classes next week, which means we are one-third of the way done with intensive classes (aside from our history class, which continues for a while longer).
I have felt a freedom here that is irrefutable; God has spoken some deep truths and as I said before our group has gotten tremendously closer over the last couple days. I am so grateful for them!
It is crazy to think that we are only two and a half weeks into our semester here--it feels like it has been over a month, at least! It is strange how quickly relationships happen here; we are also doing a lot every day so it makes one day seem like several. I like to say that college is like Narnia; time in college does not work the same as it does in the real world. Six months in the real world is like years in college. Or something like that.
And that concludes week two.
TIA
The ocean is warm. It feels cool when I first get into it, but after a while it begins to feel too warm. With the ozone-free, South African sun beating down on me I'd almost rather be in waters as cold as the Pacific. But maybe not--playing in the ocean is a lot easier when the water is warmer. I look behind me and there are buildings everywhere. The beach is located in downtown Durban, an eastern port city in South Africa. I look around and take in the sun, the waves, the people, and everything else that surrounds me. I can't help but feel especially grateful for I do not deserve to be in a place like this. It's a wonder that God can bring someone so far in life. His power is endless and there is no limit to the things He can do. The beach reminds me of this.
Before we went to the beach we went to an indoor market, which was a sense overload. The smell of various spices filled the entire building. If you slow down even slightly as you walked through the market, merchants would be on you in an instant. "Would you like to try this on?" "This costs forty rand." "Where are you from?" Millions of questions are thrown at you. Being alone is out of the question; you're either with friends or merchants; or both.
The market we went to was the cheapest place to purchase souvenirs at in all of South Africa; what a buy! I won't say what I purchased for I don't want to ruin the surprise for those I got something for, but I got a lot for what I spent!
Today, February 2nd, marks four years since my dad passed away. And doing what I did today was the best thing I could have done. Being surrounded by 52 people who have shown so much love and support towards me as well as each other is a tremendous blessing. We did an activity last night called Cross the Line which told us a lot about each other. We want nothing but to support each other and seek God together--it truly is an amazing group! Needless to say today has been incredible and my cup has overflowed with joy and peace. God is too great to not be happy today! My dad is in Heaven and free from all pain and struggles; I could not be more grateful for it, considering that he is not on earth anymore. This is not to downplay grief or to say that it is not okay to be sad (because it is!) but rather to share how I have been feeling today. God's grace is more than enough.
We're venturing into our third week of classes next week, which means we are one-third of the way done with intensive classes (aside from our history class, which continues for a while longer).
I have felt a freedom here that is irrefutable; God has spoken some deep truths and as I said before our group has gotten tremendously closer over the last couple days. I am so grateful for them!
It is crazy to think that we are only two and a half weeks into our semester here--it feels like it has been over a month, at least! It is strange how quickly relationships happen here; we are also doing a lot every day so it makes one day seem like several. I like to say that college is like Narnia; time in college does not work the same as it does in the real world. Six months in the real world is like years in college. Or something like that.
And that concludes week two.
TIA
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Chaos
Having been in Africa for almost two weeks now, I have had a lot on my mind these days. I feel like my worldview has expanded--become much more of a worldview, both literally and in the abstract sense--and I am very grateful for it.
Recently I have been reminded of the brokenness of this world, the struggles we go through as human beings, and the sense of hopelessness that we could easily feel if we try to take it all on by ourselves.
I have been reminded of the need for money, but more importantly, the need for God--Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides and "owns the cattle on a thousand hills." (Psalm 50:10)
I have been made more aware of the significance of social media in this generation; and although we can try to "get away from it all", in many ways, we cannot. It is something that will not go away and we will have to learn how to best deal with it and use it in a way that is beneficial.
I have been made more aware of the negative effect your emotions can have on you--and that you should not be ruled by them for they can be extremely misleading. For example, you may feel alone, but are you really alone?
There's plenty more that has been going through my mind over these last couple of weeks; it would be impossible for me to put it it all into words. The good thing is that I do not have to. God knows it all and is in control of all things. He will reveal to me what needs to be revealed, let me wrestle through what I need to wrestle with, and lead me to the people and experiences that He wants to use to shape me into the man He wants me to be.
Whatever you may be going through, be encouraged. Remember that there is a big world out there, and that in light of God and eternity, there are a lot of things that may not matter after all. Of course, there is a balance to this as there is with anything. God does care about the little things. But beyond that, He wants the best for you. Trust that that is true, because it is.
He has overcome.
Through Him, we have overcome.
We. Can. Overcome.
Recently I have been reminded of the brokenness of this world, the struggles we go through as human beings, and the sense of hopelessness that we could easily feel if we try to take it all on by ourselves.
I have been reminded of the need for money, but more importantly, the need for God--Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides and "owns the cattle on a thousand hills." (Psalm 50:10)
I have been made more aware of the significance of social media in this generation; and although we can try to "get away from it all", in many ways, we cannot. It is something that will not go away and we will have to learn how to best deal with it and use it in a way that is beneficial.
I have been made more aware of the negative effect your emotions can have on you--and that you should not be ruled by them for they can be extremely misleading. For example, you may feel alone, but are you really alone?
There's plenty more that has been going through my mind over these last couple of weeks; it would be impossible for me to put it it all into words. The good thing is that I do not have to. God knows it all and is in control of all things. He will reveal to me what needs to be revealed, let me wrestle through what I need to wrestle with, and lead me to the people and experiences that He wants to use to shape me into the man He wants me to be.
Whatever you may be going through, be encouraged. Remember that there is a big world out there, and that in light of God and eternity, there are a lot of things that may not matter after all. Of course, there is a balance to this as there is with anything. God does care about the little things. But beyond that, He wants the best for you. Trust that that is true, because it is.
He has overcome.
Through Him, we have overcome.
We. Can. Overcome.
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