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.

Time to listen!

So hello everyone! It's valentines day and to make nice with the girls here us guys bought them flowers and left them outside their rooms. It was a smash hit, they loved them. So at least we'll be on their good side for a little while. Make sure that you show some love to that special person in your life today!

So this past weekend to bring an end to our orientation we had a day of silence/solitude. It was a day to reflect on what God was doing in our hearts as we had been exploring and understanding culture, community, and ourselves. It was a little strange for me, because as most people know I like to talk! I started the day off not really being sure what to expect. I did some reading and some chores around the house, but in the evening God really started to speak. I spent some time in prayer in one of our garden on my favorite bench just asking God about all the things I had experienced. The main thing on my heart was how I had been going through these ups and downs of homesickness. It was just like God calmed me and told me it would be ok. The next day I woke up and I couldn't wait to see the people here in the community. Not just because I couldn't talk for a whole day, but because I actually missed them. For me that changed the whole dynamic of living here. It's finally starting to feel like home.

Some of the things that you experience when you go overseas for an extended period of time can't necessarily be avoided. Things like homesickness, culture shock, loneliness, these are all unavoidable. But it gives God the opportunity to speak into your life. My biggest problem coming over here was the thought that I'll have my sad moments leaving everyone in the states and then when I come here everything will be ok. God shattered that pride in my life and has been teaching me that sometimes it's not about avoiding these issues but trusting Him to pull me through. What a lesson it has been!

One thing I realized after all this time is that I haven't really introduced all the people I'm sharing my life with. You've seen pictures but you don't really know who they are. So, lets get to it.

From left to right:
Amanda Beam, Laura Wardrip, Some Guy, Kellie Laurson, Mariah Cocke,
Jody Thomas, Roger Saner

These are all of the apprentices that I will be with for the next year. They have quickly moved from strangers to friends, and hopefully by the end of the year I can consider them family. Together we will learn what it means to be community, the good, the bad, and the goofy picture takers (that means you Roger).

So as I said last time this week we have moved into the Listening posture. This means taking time to understand what it means to listen to God, the culture, and those closest to us. We are continuing to listen to God through practicing lent. We have a devotional written by CRM staff that we are using to facilitate. It has been amazing how each day, each scripture and each meditation has been so pertinent to what we are doing. If you want to join in on what we are doing just follow this link and you can have the devotionals sent straight to your email. I know lent has already started but I think that it would be worthwhile for anyone to read these devotionals.

Another thing is going and listening to local ministries and NGO's to hear about what they are doing here in Pretoria to make a difference. One ministry we have been to and we are going to get a chance next week to get more in depth with is called Tshwane Leadership Foundation (TLF). Their goal is to work with churches and communities for urban transformation. Some of the outreaches that they have are focused on are poverty, child prostitution, women in crisis, homelessness and street kids, advocacy on womens issues, AIDS/HIV outreach and so much more.

Another NGO that we will be checking out is called Tutela, which is a center for children ages 0-17 who, under the governments child care act have no where else to turn. They are cared for but are still in need of love and spiritual guidance because there simply aren't enough workers here to help. This was evident even when I called them to try and schedule a time where we could come in and meet the staff and work with the kids and they were too busy to talk.

Sometimes when I look around at even the little bit that we have been exposed to I wonder how I could even make a difference. There is so much need and so much hurt that I can't imagine being able to make a real difference. The truth is that only the love of Christ can make a real impact and we have to be obediant to do what we can when we can. Please be praying for us in this time of listening that God directs each one of us to the area of ministry that we can be most effective in and also the area where we feel most challenged and our unique abilities and personalities are being used.

So until next time I love you all and keep in touch! I know some people have emailed me and I just haven't had a chance to get back to you but I promise that each and every one will be returned!