Jeremiah's stories

For the most part on the blog, it is me, missy sharing things i have experienced,
or feel
or am going through

but i want to share a few interrelated stories of Jeremiah's.
so it is in 2nd person... i'll make sure he confirms the details:)
someone (i think it was brad?) met Walter at the petrol (gas) station
less than a KM from our house
Walter is a 25 year old Xhosa speaking South African
who comes from the Eastern Cape.
He wanted to speak about Jesus...
He was curious!
His fiance had been trying to get him to go to a sunday service
at a large church
for years.
He had no interest.
So Brad, Jeremiah, Jonathan, and Willie
went to meet him.
to be his friend.
Conversations about Jesus,
initiated by Walter often became a topic of conversation.
One day, Brad, Jonathan, and Willie were prayer walking and met
a man named Joseph.

Joseph is 62.
(beyond the average life-span for African men)
He had a bad car acident years ago that left him un able to stand straight.
he was in constant pain.
so the three of them
prayed a simple prayer
That God would heal Him physically.
Jospeh, unbeknownst to this crew
was also a struggling alcoholic, and chain smoker.
the group left, not sure if they had accomplished anything
besides brightening an old mans day,
left encouraged.
later that week, visiting Joseph to see how he was,
they discovered he had been healed!
HEALED!
He also stopped drinking and smoking..
because it didnt feel right
He had no more pain, and could stand straight
over the next weeks, jospehs marriage improved.
Walter, Jeremiah and the other 3 started meeting with Joseph and his family.
A Simple church was formed.
The guys felt compelled to help Joseph and his family
b/c they had no money and they couldn't find work.
the passage of scripture that they felt to follow was
Isaiah 58.
Jeremiah and Jonathan spoke to walter about
Jesus teachings.
they recalled the scriptures that say
"don't let the right had see what the left hand is doing"
so they all pitched money to buy Josephs family food.
walter gave the most.
and they decided to have a friend of walter's
who Joseph didn't know
drop the food off
the next day , during house church
Joseph was telling them about this miracle!
and how at the moment the food came,
Lulama had just gone, with no success,
to ask the neighbor for money to buy food.
they had NONE!
Walter was trying to hide his joy, and act normal.
They continue to meet.
they reach out to the neighbors around them.
and on Saturday, November 15
they all got baptized.




it was moving.
Joseph dedicated his 8 and 10 year old Kids

And Told Jesus, he will follow Him.
Baptism, for us ,
feels like a culmination
seeing people we journey with, through all of lifes struggles, not only spiritual,
allow Jesus to be the one who meets their needs.
that He is the one they trust in
the one they HOPE in
the one the LOVE.
not us.
now they make disciples, and we pray they baptise others.
and pray for healing in others lives.,



this is one story of Simple church, and real community.
reaching out the broken and hurting people who GOd so desperatly wants to touch. He desperatly wants them to feel His love in a tangable way