March Against Xenophobia

Today was Africa Day, a day to celebrate the forming of the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union, or AU). Normally it's a day to celebrate African independence and pride, but today was different. Africans here in South Africa decided that it was time to take a stand against Xenophobic attacks happening right here in our province. Zimbabweans, Congolese, Malawians, Mozambicans, and more have been subject to violence in the name of fear and hatred. On this day they decided to march, and we marched with them. In the past I've really wondered what a march could accomplish. I know that even America's history is marked with different marches for independence, rights, and freedom. But in this day and age, is that effective anymore? Well, I still don't have the answers to that, but to see the hope in peoples faces, to hear the songs for freedom, to march along side Africans in their hope for a better future, this is something I see as worth it. So Brian, Doug, Mariah, Manasseh (a friend from Zimbabwe), and myself went out. These are the pictures from this time. It was an amazing time, even when the rain hit. We sang, we danced, and we created hope for the future.
















At the end of the March there were a few speeches. One given by a woman who traveled down for this march from Zimbabwe. She spoke of many marches being had up there, and every time being beaten and sometimes imprisoned for the hope they have for a new nation. After several more speakers, one of the youth from Zimbabwe read a letter written to President Mbeki (the South African president). In essence, the letter stated that what has been happening to foreigners in South Africa was unacceptable and that whatever the government is doing to help is simply not enough. It also spoke about the South African governments lack of involvement in the political situation in Zimbabwe and how this country needs to help to step in and mediate for a better outcome. They listed the hopes and demands of the people, most of which I couldn't really hear over the crowd and through the rain. In the end the document was signed by several of the leaders of organizations present for the march and handed over to the Presidents aid who promised that it would make it into his hands. We finished the day singing the South African National Anthem (well, they sang, I listened). It was a good day and a hopeful day.






Here are a couple of videos from the march. Possibly more to come!

Zim Refugees

So this post is just a series of pictures that I took while visiting with the Zimbabwe refugees. As a community we've been really taking a focus on the situation here in South Africa. With all of the Xenophobic attacks and personal interaction with Zimbabweans it has touched each of our hearts in a different way. In spending time with the people and hearing their stories I get to witness an opportunity. An opportunity we have and an opportunity to see God work in an amazing way. I hope these pictures and stories give you a window into that.

Kids playing amongst the rubble, somewhat ignorant of their situation they still have smiles on their face.

This is one of the areas that people sleep in. It's coming on winter here in South Africa which means really cold nights, so this is the best refuge they have.

This day the local Muslim community came out to provide a meal. They've been extremely helpful and have given a lot of time and energy to the crisis.

This was a choir from a local church that showed up to sing for the refugees. It was a beautiful time of song and dance. Once I figure out how to compress videos I'll throw a few up here!

These are just some of the children living in the shelter. The bottom one is named Prince and when I was holding him he was very insistent about kissing me on the nose!

A favorite pastime here at the shelter, checkers! There are a few rules that are indigenous to South Africa that I'm not to sure of yet, but I think I'll get the hang of it some day. Jody bought them this set when we saw they were playing with bottle caps on a drawn out board. They are also amazing at chess!

These are just pictures that take a look around where they are living. They are trying to make the best of it, cleaning up areas and setting up "rooms" with tires and large pieces of trash.

One of my friends, Andrew, took a trip to Zimbabwe not to long ago and put together a field report (this is a link to a blog which has a link to the report) which I think that everyone should read. It is showing the violence that is happening to the people of Zimbabwe as well as the hope that people still have for this once great nation. There is a warning on the other blog, but I'll just tell you that the pictures there are not easy to look at. This is the reality of what evil can do.

This is my sick face...

So this week is the last week of our submerging posture. Our final big assignment was to go for three days (Tuesday - Thursday) to stay with people that we've made friends with. Since Jody and I had been spending so much time with the Zimbabwe refugees, it seemed natural that we would go and stay with them. So we made the plans, figured it out as best we could, talked to the people there, decided what we were going to do about food, pretty much everything, right?

Well Sunday morning we had planned on going to church, but when I woke up something was wrong. I had quite a bad sore throat. I spent the whole day trying to chill, feel better, but by Monday it got really bad. By the time Tuesday came around, a full on flu hit me and there was no way I was going anywhere. You see, to stay with the refugees meant to stay out in the elements. Its not like super freezing cold or anything, but cold enough to where it just wasn't wise to stay out there in my condition. I hoped that maybe it would improve so that I could come out and stay the next night, but no such luck. Tonight is the last night of the assignment and here I am at home, still sick. I've improved, but still not a good idea to go and sleep outside all night. On top of that, the last thing I want to do is to get someone out there sick where they have enough to deal with as is.

So I guess my problem is, why now?!? Why couldn't this have happened like a week earlier? A week later? Why when I have such an opportunity do I have to get sick at the most inopportune time? My tendency in this situation is to get down on myself, as if I could have predicted or stopped myself from getting sick, and to think that I'm useless, or that I'm not pleasing God by just sitting around the house being sick. I should be out there! Sometimes I wondered if I should have just gone out there, sacrificed my body, trusted God with my health and done it anyways. Just when I was really starting to give myself a guilt trip this verse came to mind:

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16,17

Just like He's been telling me this whole year, He speaks to me again and says that He loves my heart. Doing this assignment isn't going to make God love me more. Sure it's a good idea and probably would have been a life changing experience, but it wouldn't have made God anymore pleased with me than he already is. I wonder when I'll learn that? It will probably be a lifelong process of understanding, messing up, falling at His feet, gaining new understanding, messing up again, repeat cycle.

Father, break my heart...

Come Lord Jesus, Come

So I'm sitting here listening to one of the other apprentices play piano in the next room. He's playing this worship song that I think is called Come Lord Jesus, Come, and that's the chorus. Just repeating that over and over, come Lord Jesus, come. It's beautiful.

A lot of things have been weighing heavy on my heart. Petty things that don't really make that much of a difference. It seems to distract me from what God is calling me to do. Instead of hearing people I'm drifting off into my own thoughts.

Today I spent several hours just hearing from the Zim refugees, hearing more stories of hurt. One man told us today that he would rather die than continue to struggle, but because of his faith in God he wouldn't take his own life. He's been struggling for 11 years now. He says that he doesn't want to be rich, he just wants to be able to have a home and feed his wife and daughter. That shouldn't be a dream, that should be a reality for everyone in this world. To eat, to have shelter, to be able to provide a home for your family, to be treated like a human being.

What have they done?
One man's decisions has created this.
Come, Lord Jesus, come...

It kind of puts my problems in perspective. It's not that I should ignore my heart, God holds it in His hand. But He hold theirs too, so maybe I should care more about what God thinks of my heart. I'm learning more and more about what matters most and I hope I'm on to something.

Ah, he's singing this song just now...

Your thoughts are higher than mine
Your words are deeper than mine
Your love is stronger than mine
This is no sacrifice, this is my life...

May that be true of my life.