Jeremiah and Missy

boys

2011-08-02T16:33:00.001+02:00

3 boys got baptized Saturday! –
We struggle to really know if people want to get baptized because they want to add another assurance that they will end up in heaven, or if they really want to follow Jesus. These boys< especially one of them, have really sought Jesus. They are all vulnerable and some orphans. Jeremiah has really been giving to them, really trying to instill in them servant humility.
When they wanted to get baptized, well Jeremiah took it very seriously. (He does this when it comes to these kinds of things, and I really appreciate it about him). So he (with Mike, Zambian team member) asked them what it meant to them, what they understood about it. Well they got it. This was only a statement that from here on in, they want to follow Jesus. One thing they boys often say is “they want Jesus to help them stop fighting.” This is something they pray about for themselves, and for others in their village. That people would stop fighting.
We had a celebration planned to surround these boys with love and prayers. Well at first about 30 kids showed up, that’s it, no adults, only kids and us. So we decided to worship, and believe this is who God brought us, so we would go with it. We sang and danced and prayed. At one point Joseph, standing next to Jeremiah, was getting bugged by a kid who well, tends to bug everyone, and he started to get annoyed, and Jeremiah reeled him in put his arm around him and said “remember” and Joseph, only in a way he can, put his hand on his head, and shook his head, and laughed. “Oh yea, oh yea” Watching this happen from across the circle, I was so blessed. Just a tender gentle reminder, and Joseph’s response. Joseph is also the boy who last week chose to get out of the truck, and walk the mile home so a bunch of women and kids could ride instead. Jeremiah had invited him along, but told him how proud he was of this gesture.
These are boys who have had to fight to survive. Joseph is an orphan he stays with his grandmother who also takes care of 8 other orphans. His uncle who was like a father recently died. He has been used, and maltreated. The only explanation for his actions, in my mind at least, is God’s spirit, gentle love and discipleship, prayer, and a tender heart. God has big plans for this boy who has had to grow up to fast. Pray for his heart and mind. Pray that baptism would truly be a new beginning, for him and all the boys.

Zambia so far

2011-06-28T10:05:00.000+02:00

Monday, June 27, 2011

We have been adjusting- life here is not really in a rhythm yet though. We got broken into last week Dan’s computer and IPod were stolen, the 4 of us decided to move out – we were planning on moving out in a week any way. so we are at the team house where we were last summer. There is a team mostly from South Africa coming on wed. so we will be spending much of the next 2 weeks camping in the village – I promise to take pictures. We will be helping host them, debrief and just be with them. So we are preparing for this! It will be fun.
We are trying to spread our wings and network with people here who work with vulnerable women and children. We have a meeting – Lord willing – tomorrow with the social worker who works for the Government social welfare department. We want to ask her more questions about their system for placing abandoned children. And we are praying about approaching the topic of international adoption, praying through our steps. We believe God is moving so we want to be sensitive to his speaking and his timing. We spent a little time with her last week and she said that yes babies get abandoned and the orphanages are over full. So we are breaching what our role in this will be. How our orphan home will play into taking these kid, and what God has for their lives.
We have 2 children who we have custody over – as an organization. They are staying with a mama in the village who is thinking about becoming the full time mama. The little girl is 4 and cant walk or talk. She has major disabilities and needs full time therapy and special care. We are looking for a better place for her in the area, but we felt no choice but to get her out of the situation she was in. So pray for these two. 9 year old boy and 4 year old girl. Our role here will be in Orphan care, and we will see what all that means, but look forward to the challenge and pleasure of working with the most vulnerable.
The boys have been such a joy for Jeremiah. He described to me last Thursday night when they had a leadership meeting with leaders in the village. Mukela and big Joseph worship and prayed fervently! Oh what a joy to say these boys have grown closer to Jesus instead of falling away. Thank you for all who have prayed for them over the last year, continue to pray for God’s calling in their lives that they would get healing in their lives and walk with dignity in knowing that they are children of God and He has a big and beautiful plan for their lives.

noon day sun

2010-07-23T19:32:00.002+02:00

“Commit your ways to the Lord,
trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
The justice of your cause like the noon day sun!”
Psalm 37:5-6

We have been brainstorming for the future, and trying to tie up things that could have an end. So it feels good! We took the boys to school to get them registered. Oh wow! You would have thought they just got into Harvard! They were so excited. There are 5 boys who work in the garden and then will sell the produce to make some money to put towards school. The guidance counselor at the school is very educated. (it is a very rural school, so you can never be certain) he has such a heart for the most vulnerable. He is soft spoken and really cares. He asked them each their age, why they left school, what grade they were in. 3 of the boys who are 15 will be in 3rd grade, and 2 of the boys, one who is 12 one who is 15 will be in 4th grade. They didn’t care; they were just excited to go back. Then he took us to a village close by where a lady sews uniforms, so they all got measured, oh wow, what a joy! It was just such a wonderful feeling to see this happening. But we know that the reality is: they will struggle, even in these low grades. Mike who works with us is committing to keeping them accountable with the gardens, and tutoring them on Saturday. We believe they can be next leaders, with discipleship and responsibility given to them! With people who believe they are worth so much by their side to encourage them!

Tuesday we went to talk to their guardians about the gardens and school. We found Michael’s sister who has 2 young kids of her own. She told us Michael told her he was gardening, but she didn’t believe him. But she said she would make sure He goes to school, even if his mom didn’t. Sitting there with her and a few kids around, and Michael in the background – I just got this wave of realization. These kids have nothing, no one believes that we would see them as worthy to invest in, worthy enough to give a small plot of land, some seeds and our time to help them plant a garden to. Sadness just overwhelmed me. But also the feeling of where else could we be?! I Thank God for the honor of loving His Kids.

We are brainstorming about how to identify vulnerable kids, and how to identify and respond to abuse. We are seeing that God must bring us Contentious people in the villages who commit to caring for the needs of the vulnerable, who will identify family problems, and not give in to fear of what others will think or say. People we can train in how to council children though grief and abuse issues. People who will be a safe place. So pray that God brings these people who will stand up for the rights of the poor and need, who will hold people accountable and bring what is done in darkness to light.

These are also pictures of the orphan home! It is coming along quickly and will be done in a few weeks!

PS Jeremiah and I went out on the river in wooden homemade canoes. We were in separate canoes, and we stayed right along the shoreline, we weren’t in rapids at all! But wow that was scary enough! We are going to have to work up courage if we are going to become real fishermen! (and fisherwoman!)

2010-07-18T16:01:00.002+02:00

A Promise of Restoration
Isaiah 4:2
“In that day the Branch of the Lord
will be beautiful and glorious;
the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory
of all who survive in Israel”

The justice that is lacking, the mercy that has not yet come to be, the times of jealousy, anger, pride and arrogance will fall away. The Lion will lie with the lamb.
This is our prayer for these villages. That the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, that He will reach out his branch and restore what is broken to wholeness.

Meeting with the headmen from the village was eye opening. Not many acknowledge the ill treatment of orphans or even children in their own community. – although we know it exists. The meeting over all was a success – I suppose – the headmen agreed that they had a need for an orphan home, so the social welfare social worker can now God willing, write up her recommendation letter and put us one step closer to getting liscenced. But it left a sour taste in our mouths. It was difficult to get them to acknowledge their need to help the problem of orphans in their own villages. They all kept putting it back on us. Asking “but what are you going to do fo us!?” and we would ask them in return what can you do for them? How can we partner, what are some ways we can help these children get into school through ways they can help in the communities? (gardens, basket making, chicken business etc) and they insisted on bringing up all the issues with these ideas (where do they sell their veggies? Monkeys eat their gardens, marketing their produsts is a problem… yet the head man of Singanga village, where we are located has made a very successful garden business dispite all these problems.
We have adopted the policy of wanting them to show initiative in a project before we assist them. But when it comes to orphans, we want them to see it as their own problem. When a child is orphaned, it them puts more pressure on his or her relatives to care for him. It creates a worse quality of life for everyone involved. Now we have old grannies caring for 5 – 10 children! So we are trying to get them to understand we do not have the answers, if they don’t have ownership of the project, it will fail. But it has been years of having NGO’s and foreigners hand them money and their own solutions instead of empowering them to solve their own community problems.

This is what we face. There seems no easy answer. Creating a childrens home is one small answer, because we believe that investing in a few vulnerable, rasing them up as leaders will in turn affect the country and continent, but this isn’t the answer for most. So our question remains, how can we empower those who will stay in their current situations? How do we do justice? How do we defend the rights of the orphan an widow?

Giving them tools to denfend themselves, with no infrastructure to support their cries seems to defeat the purpose. If a child is being sexually abused, and tells someone, they will then be looked at by the community as ruining the family name, and will not be welcome back most likely. So they must be willing to give up their family (no matter how loose this term is) and home. With the rates of abuse in the rural areas, this it is impossible to support and house them all! So where do we turn!?
Please pray with us. This issue will only get louder, and we need to be educated and trained to meet these growing needs.

Update

2010-07-09T18:55:00.005+02:00

this picture is of a chicken run (the little houses in the back ground, and fishing nets (the tall things in the front)
kids carrying water from the river
a hut in the village with laundry on the line
girls carrying their dishes to the river to wash them.

The boys are doing great. It is going to be so difficult to leave them. We are praying for a way for what is going on with them to not depend on us. We gave them as a prize for attending English classes a comic book of the life of Jesus. Jeremiah has been teaching them the stories according to the pictures and they have memorized it! (In Lozi, their language). It is so inspiring! They are asking deep questions about how to hear God, how God and Jesus are related. Yesterday Dan gave them a plot of land to garden. We had Collard greens already started so they go to transplant them and now must keep them alive and in about 2 weeks they will be able to sell it! We have worked out that we will account for the money they make and we can put it towards something they need. They all agreed that they want to go to school! A new term starts end of August!

Pray for favor with the headmen of the 9 villages in the chiefdom the property is in. (9 is only the ½ villages that are closest to us) Thursday July 15 we have a meeting with them to ask for their support of the children’s home. This is an important part of helping them, all the villages around, to take ownership of the project. We are also attempting to get the social worker form social well fare to this meeting because she must talk to people in the villages to find out if they want the home before she will write a letter of approval. This letter is needed to get licensed as a home that cares for orphans and vulnerable children. The social worker has been nice but is very hard to catch, we go down to her office about 4 ties a week just to try to find her and tell her about the meeting, we only found her once. So pray God opens doors and give us favor in the governments eyes.

We also must get licensed with Department of Societies, to become a licensed children’s home. And when we went there (a miracle we found it, it is a little unmarked in a courtyard of other offices, a room with papers just everywhere, no computer) she gave us the forms we needed to fill out, and the amount we need to pay to become registered, but she informed us she had no receipts and that she didn’t know when the office in Lusaka would send it.

Jeremiah has been selected for scholarships, but he must have an interview next week Friday over the phone/Skype so pray the connection works and that the committee gives him the scholarship.

It seems like many things lately have been coming up, as far as logistics having to do with importing the vehicle (tax free) and catches that we are all (especially Dan) spending hours on working out. In Africa nothing happens smoothly, but it can be frustrating and exhausting. But we are excited about the ways God is pouring into the people’s lives here, the projects He is building through support like yours! People wanting to come, and ideas about small businesses and gardening and building techniques and fishing techniques. For these we are so excited and grateful! We have such hope for these villages, to go make disciples of even more rural villages in their own country and continent. To give them a kingdom perspective. But we are pushing through so many barriers. Thank you so your love support and prayers!

2010-07-04T15:10:00.005+02:00

flying home made kites!
God was Amazed
Isaiah 59:15-21
The Lord looked and was displeased to find there was no justice.
He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed.
So He Himself stepped in to save them with His strong arm, and His justice sustained Him.
He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed Himself in a robe of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of divine passion.
He will repay His enemy for their evil deeds His fury will fall on His foes.
He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.
In the west people will respect the name of the Lord, in the east, they will glorify Him.
For He will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the Lord.
“The redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins.” Says the Lord.
“And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord, “my spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord have spoken!”

God was amazed that no one helped the oppressed! Aren’t these amazing words?! Our heart is that we can be God’s strong arm in flesh. That we would model after our ultimate servant leader to fight for the rights of the poor and needy, and speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves! But what does this practically mean?

By creating this project from the ground up, our heart is to empower. Empower; this seems a simple enough word, but what practically does this mean to you?
Seriously – what would you do when you see children who look like they have never bathed, they are not in school, they wear the same clothes every time you see them and they always seem hungry. What would your response be?
Would you
A: raise enough money (from the west) to feed them every time you go out to the village?
B: Give them a new wardrobe out of your own closet?
C: teach them, give them pencils and notebooks?
D: something else?
This is the hardest thing we face. Are any of these empowering them? What does God’s justice look like? Do these feed into the mindset that missionaries and aid workers have created for years- African’s dependency on the west, on white people. They express through their words and attitudes that they believe “white people are richer, and must be smarter, and have what we, poor Africans need. We need to ask them (westerners) to give us things to meet our needs.” This may sound harsh but anyone who has ever worked tirelessly in a developing world; even just Africa knows this is often the case. And every day we seek God in how to face it and respond to it.
How do we EMPOWER them?
Our policy has become, teach them to thrive in their gardening skills, even the 15-year-old boys. They can gain pride in what they accomplish by growing and selling crops to allow them enough money to go to school. We have them memorize scripture (a passage from a psalm) before we give them a bible. We want them to value what they are given, to work and in response take care of the things they are given.
We do teach the boys English, that is what we can give them out of ourselves, our time and energy and love, but instead of buying them a work book (something that defines them as a student like the other kids who go to school) we had them make it with paper we provided, second hand card board and a leaf made into a binding. They loved it because they made it with their own hands! When they come ten times (in about 2 weeks) we will give them a small prize that they earned by attending class! This is what we are learning gives them pride, and combats the mentality that they need us. We want to teach them to inspire each other, disciple each other, lead their own Bible studies, and practice English with each other.
Wow it is hard, but to us it is so important that they grow into Zambians who see they can change their destiny, that they can be leaders, and stand for things they believe in even when they then become “different”. Please pray for us, pray for them. That we would walk this fine line according to God’s best for these beautiful people.

Kingdom culture

2010-06-26T15:16:00.004+02:00

changing a totally blown out tire int he African Bush!

a shot of a town here, i love the colors!

A Village in the bush
Kingdom Culture
Jeremiah said to me this morning “ wow! It is such a privilege to be in these boys’ lives! To be discipling them and loving them! They are the children God holds closest to His heart and He entrusted us with them. We need to pray to be good stewards…”
Loving these boys: their culture has thought them to be part of the crowd, to not seek being an individual, or to admit their personal struggles. The strength of this is that they really think as a community, they think as a group, “My brother or friend is just as important as I am” we have seen how this can cause them (anyone in the community) to avoid getting ahead because they will be seen as not thinking of the community as a whole (my story about the man who stopped gardening), but I think in it’s pure form this mentality is from God. But we also see how the culture we have been brought up in can serve them as well. We have always been encouraged to think for ourselves, to be creative problem solvers, the get up and keep going when we fall. Being different is good.
We are realizing the encouraging them to be individuals, yet also playing off the strength of their culture; togetherness and the group mentality, is how they will grow the most. This is the kingdom mindset; we want to create a kingdom culture in their lives, and in ours. We can learn from each other.

Mike (a Zambian who we live with and is on our team), Jeremiah and I began Pebbles and Stones with the group of boys we have been teaching English to. This is a wonderful curriculum that emphasizes teaching children how to hear God’s voice and respond to Him. We were not sure what to expect this being the first time. These boys are so hungry for attention and to learn. They are like little sponges just eating up things we/God offers them. Because they have little education, and have had such little stimulation through out their lives, and the culture they come from, it feels like extra effort to get them thinking for themselves. Jeremiah told the story of Jehoshaphat in 2nd chronicles 20, and how he had to pray and ask God for help. They then got their own pen and paper to journal. What a beautiful site; all of them finding their own little rock to sit on and to journal. When we gathered back to talk about what God had said to them, and what they had drawn, most of them repeated the story that Jeremiah had told them. But as we asked more questions many of their fears came out. One boy told us he is shaken awake at night by something (a sprit) and He gets afraid. Many said they were afraid of death. It was hard for them to share their thoughts, but we were so encouraged by how they were beginning to open up. We stood and prayed for the person next to us. It felt like we could finally see into their lives. Having mike there to interpret opened up a whole new world fro Jeremiah and I to really begin to understand their worlds.
We saw a real leader emerge, Mukaela. We went and visited his family after, and found out he is a true double orphan. He lives with his grandma and sister who has a baby of her own. During Pebbles and Stones he shared and helped prod the other boys. He said to us “I want to be a child of God” and we never used this language with him! He can’t read or write (either in his own language or English). So how do we push him into leadership?! Jeremiah saw a picture while he was praying this morning of Mukaela leading Pebbles and Stones with other kids.
Through discipleship, learning Bible stories, and through hearing from God. We pray and believe that specifically 5 of these boys will become leaders in their communities, have a heart for orphans like themselves (3 other have lost their father, and sometimes live with the grandmother and sometimes with their mother), really share Jesus, what they are learning from God, and this will become simple reproducible churches where ever they go. That they would get a vision to see Zambians rural villages reached. We have Faith God will teach them to read over time, and to speak English

2010-06-20T10:01:00.001+02:00

just wanted to share a few picks and where we are.
today we (all 9 of us 3 interns, 4 staff and us) are heading off for a few days to visit other orphan homes and maybe see a game park!

Life here is exciting, messy, frustrating, it is causing us to see things in new and different ways, it is pushing us to ask questions and find search God’s heart on things that seemed unimportant before. But over all, here we are.

We have been here over a month now, and time seems to be flying by. The orphan home is beginning to lay its foundations on the property that God has given. We are taking steps, slowly but in the right direction, to seeing the whole project licensed and supported by Zambian Social Welfare. This includes having a school, and clinic someday. The ground work we are doing will God willing incorporate the entire vision so we will have freedom to build and start them as God leads us with out going through this struggle again.
We are learning what it means to be social workers (although we are not technically that) in a developing nation where we face corruption and an entirely different protocol than anything we have been exposed to. Yet here all our work seems to matter so much more. The need and the exhaustive desperation in the people speaks to the fact that God’s heart if for them, for the weak, the small, the oppressed and forgotten.
We are heading to an orphan village ministry tomorrow, to learn from them, listen to God, and dream and brainstorm with all of us here about what God is leading us into in the next stages of the Children’s (orphan) Home He is building.

walls

2010-06-14T15:48:00.003+02:00

on top of vic falls, see the spray

jeremiah on the zambezi river

little girl caring for her baby brother

?teacher jeremiah

We are continuing with teaching the boys in the village how to speak / write English. We are still working on getting through the alphabet, writing and sounds. They are so far behind, but every time they get it (like sounding out a word) oh, it feels like such an accomplishment! It is a great feeling. There are 5 that never go to school and a few others who sometimes do (cant really figure it out to be honest with you). But on Saturday we had the ones who never got to school make a note book out of paper and cardboard and a stripped palm leaf tied through the holes we punched to hold it all together. They were so proud to have a notebook of their own like the other school kids. It was really fun.

We had a celebration with all the people who we are in relationship with and who are in bible studies / house churches. We want them together to share what God is doing in their lives. Up until this day we have been feeling an increasing battle against the witchcraft in the village. It is such a strong hold. I have never experienced the oppression like we feel here. People who have given their lives to Christ, who even are on their own sharing with far out villages and starting bible studies there, they still fall back on consulting a witch doctor when things feel out of their control. It is so deeply engrained in them that the witch doctor can make things better in their lives. When in reality they make them so much poorer in ever sense of the word. They must pay the witch doctors large amounts of money, and then more often than not the witch doctor tells them that one of their family members (mother father sister brother) has put a curse on them. So they begin hating their relative they believe has put the curse on them. Sometimes this ends up with the person even killing their parents who they believe put the curse on them.

Another example of the walls we face here. A man started a garden in the village about 3 years ago. It was going great, he was able to sell it, and feed his family. But he began to notice that his neighbors were getting jealous, talking about him behind his back. He became so afraid that they would put accurse on him that he stopped his gardens, let it all go. And until now, finding Jesus to be bigger then his fears or curses, he has started planting again. But the pressure from the village to not gain individual wealth is so strong, we pray he continues to succeed and enjoy God’s blessings in his life.

Fighting in the spiritual really is a daily battle.
Today in intercession for the village God laid on my heart Isaiah 2 – calling them to turn and repent and to care for the oppressed, and the orphan and He would make them white as snow. To stop offering sacrifices to other Gods. Also for the people we are working with in the government to start up the orphan home that they would also stop serving God’s of money and corruption and stand on behalf of the oppressed stand orphan to help assist and advocate for our orphan home instead of expecting bribes.
Pray with us, there are walls that come up against us, But God has given us this land, and we are claiming it for Him. But the people must also humble themselves, turn from their ways and follow Him, and He will heal their land.

Boys

2010-06-06T17:45:00.002+02:00

Elvis is in the orange shorts offering me the head of a pigeon that they just killed. Mukala and Joseph are both looking to see if I will receive this great gift!

There is a group of 5-8 boys who are always around. The property where the base will be - the orphan/children’s home, the gardens our homes a school – is in the middle of villages. But these particular boys, all around the age of 15, although most of them look more like 10 years old and have had very little schooling. Some only went through grade 1. But they are always together, a natural group. They have little responsibilities at home; many of them are OVC’s (Orphan and Vulnerable children). At this age the girls are the ones who take up responsibilities in the home, caring for the children, cooking, etc. so we see much more of the teenage boys.
The 2 activities they do on a regular basis are hunt birds (or other small animals) with their homemade slingshots, or play soccer with a homemade ball. Jeremiah has been going on their little hunting expeditions, just being with them, forming relationships with them. They are so hungry to be loved and approved of. They wear the same clothes everyday; I know some of them have never had a bath. They roam around all day looking for something, anything to do.
At this point you should be asking, why are they around all day? They do not attend school. The closest school is 4 miles away, and they would need to provide school fees that they don’t have. Some only went through grade 1. Communicating with them is getting easier. One of the boys, who went through grade 4, can understand a bit of English, so he attempts to translate. These boys were just so strongly on both of our hearts; they have such beautiful smiles and laughs. They are always teasing and laughing. We asked if they would want to learn English, they all were very enthused about it, so we began!
I am not an English teacher… no not at all! But wow, when you have a heart to see someone succeed you just want to equip them in the best way possible! So we have done 2 classes so far. We have a white board to write on, and we now have paper for them to practice writing one. We sit in the dirt, under a tree. They are very worried about keeping the paper clean, and writing the letters perfectly. We have taught them to write A – I. but they will need much more practice to remember how they look, the sound they make etc. we are working on short vowel sounds, and body parts, and sounding out words. It has been beautiful to see their minds being activated, and we already communicate better even outside of class! I read them the story (a simple version in a picture book) of Baby Jesus Birth, and gave them words to listen for before hand. As I read, I began to realize this is the story of these boys life, born among animals, in a village. He was a king living in a stable, visited by very rich men. All along God had a plan for His life as He ahs for theirs. (I had this translated to they could understand what we see in them and believe God has for them.
Pray for them
Joseph and Mukala, and Elvis, and Joseph (#2) and Eugene, and Michael.
God has plucked them out. We want to see them raised up, and sent out to reach their own people! These are Orphans who are part of Gods army!!

following

2010-06-01T19:26:00.001+02:00

Following
6/1/2010

God calls each of us to something that gives us great satisfaction. Something that fills our hearts cry, that echo’s in our deepest being – this is what I am created for. There is one thing for all of us that is the same: to worship Jesus; deeply fulfilling, what we do everything for. Giving our lives for Him, being reckless in how we run to Him and follow him. This I what we were all created for.
Go one step beneath that: He has given us each personal missions, a personal heart cry. There are specific things mandated in the word about what All followers of Jesus must do, but then there are the specifics, the path He leads each individual’s life on.
God gives us each separate passions and journeys we must follow. And how blessed we are when we are walking along and we begin to recognize others who are walking the same path. We join together to become stronger, to learn from each other, to work together and find support from.
This is the call I am talking about now – the call to a mission.
J and My specific call to mission are to the vulnerable, the weak, and the orphan. God does say over and over in scripture that this call is for all followers of Jesus, but it can look different for different people. Some are called to college students, who will equip so many others in the ways of Jesus. Some are called to love and serve Jesus in their own community, to teach, support and send out those who will go to the world. Some are called to investigate and up root evil and corruption that for too long has oppressed God’s children – through implementing justice, and standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Lawyers who can represent; doctors who can heal and fix; pilots who can fly to remote places, mothers who raise up Godly children who change the world. Orphans who become warriors for God’s kingdom, who can travel and love those in tribes and languages that are remote.
The list goes on and on. We are not presumptuous enough to believe that our calling is any better than anyone else’s. God inspires us and lets His peace rest on us when we are in the exact place He wants us, where He can mold and shape us, where He can use our lives to be the greatest witness possible, even if that means through the ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom.
We are here.
The weight of forfeiting out own culture and comforts weighs heavy on us. But this weight is bearable because of the deep Peace we feel. The deep sense of fulfillment from God that fulfills what we (j & I) were created for: to uphold the cause of the pour and needy, to hear and soothe the cry of the orphan. This has always felt like a very illusive dream and calling. We have done practical things, but it has always felt like we were just touching it through intercession and crying out to God on their behalf. Through starting a program that was carried on and expanded by others. But now, it feels like God is using us in longer term, practical ways. He is fulfilling His calling on our life.
During the last few weeks, we began to remember and recount the places we have been and the words God has spoken. The times we have shared and spoken about the dreams God has given us, specifically for the orphan. I remember one time, a few years ago, speaking in front of church and sharing our heart for Africa’s orphans, “that they are an army, blank slates that God has prepared for those who will walk with them, parent them and raise up to follow Jesus.” At the time we passionately believed what we spoke, and now we are putting it into practice! What a gift! God is fulfilling those prophetic words He gave us. He is putting things before us and He has prepared us just as He prepared Esther.
In Esther chapter 4:12 –
Mordecai says to Esther who has been put in the position of Queen by God “Do not think that because you are in the kings house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your family will perish. And who knows that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?”
Esther was an Orphan.
And these words strike me deep. If I remain silent, and do nothing, relief will come for these children, but I will perish because of my awareness of the problem, and saying and doing nothing. The awareness of my calling… I can not deny it, no matter how hard things get, how many obstacles are put in my path, if I don’t try, and die doing so, then my life is only worth salvation for myself and those few around me. God will not abandon those who follow Him, but what if I was put on this earth, for such a time as this? For deliverance of my people, for the specific calling God has on my life. My people are the one’s He has called me to. These orphans and vulnerable children in Kazungula territory, and the world beyond. God is faithful to show us each step. For the next few years it is to these children I am impressed upon to serve and my own people. God will move us from there, to show us where He is expanding our calling and our people to, but this is now. And we will walk in this way, trusting to be made from stones into soft sand along the way. Ground to nothing, so our lives are no longer our own. It is painful and hard. But where else could we go? Can I deny it?

fit

2010-05-26T14:48:00.002+02:00

Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do good.
Seek Justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of Orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.”

We feel called to advocate for the poor and the orphans. Our role will shfit and change. This summer we will focus on networking, communicating, fact finding and implementing everything that has to do with orphans, and fostering them in the children’s home we are building. We will research the possibilities for adoption and attempt to make contact with individuals who have greater wisdom than us in this area.
We are praying for women and men in the villages who are already aware of the needs of the orphans and vulnerable. A couple who can be a house-mother and father in the first children’s home. Someone who already can identify the needyest children and orphans in their community.
We are praying about where the children should come from – the immediate villages surrounding the property, or ones father out. People in these villages are for the most part all related. We are trying to discern if taking the children from these viallges into the children’s home will be realistic. My feeling is that God will bring children from many places, near and far, who need to be cared for, loved, and who He wants raised up to be warriors for His kingdom.
We know there will be road blocks and pot holes along the way. we will make mistakes, but this is Gods dream, and He loves the broken, weak things of this world. He uses them to shame the rich, and the wise.
Being with the children and young teens in the village is such a pleasure. Some speak little English, some speak more. They are all so thirsty for love and attention. These kids never got read to. It is just a shame. If they go to school (which isn’t most of thme) they know more. But opening up a picture book with them, even if they are 14 or 30, they are just enthralled. Stories are such a huge part of their culture. I think of how kids are kids, no matter where they are from, or who is raising them, they love books! They love to be taught, to have their minds opened up to things that they have not heard before.
People in these villages are thirsty. It is a thirst that I pray will not easily be quenched. Sometimes it seems they (especially the adults) so easily sink back into doing what they have always done, and what their parents have done and their grandparents before them. They just sit and don’t strive to make anything better for themselves. They accept that this is their fate, and nothing they can do can change it. But this is a LIE! And we see their minds begin to be challenged and stretched, but we pray it doesn’t stop there, we pray for real, lasting change in every area of their lives.

village

2010-05-23T16:32:00.004+02:00

We live in town and drive to the village (about an hour each way). It is ½ tar road, and ½ dirt road full of ruts. It is quite an adventure. Being in the village is a very special thing. There are about 14 villages with in this chiefdom. There are about 7 within walking distance. 4 of which are very close to where the property All Nations/Loves Door (Dan and Regina) have purchased. This is where the first orphan home is being constructed. Right now the workers are making the bricks, then begins the construction of the actual structure. Then the man who does the thatch roof comes in. it is quite a process. It is very exciting to be here while it is happening!

It is amazing the amount of work that can be done here! Just to name a one thing:
Micro Businesses – there are huge opportunities with the villagers to assist them in small businesses. They have ideas, but we do not have the manpower to train and help maintain what they attempt to begin. Dan was just speaking about this morning a model where 5 to 10 people, who all have different business plans, get a loan together. They each start their respective businesses, they each week they each put a percent of their earnings to pay off the loan. Well if one business starts to struggle, or the person gets lazy, there is peer pressure to continue because the others take up the slack on the payments, which of course they do not want to do. This model takes the weight off us (missionaries) and puts the responsibility on the local people. We can train and assist, and problem shoot, but we are not carrying the weight. This is why up until now the small loads they have tried to give out to one or two people to start small businesses have not really succeeded. First of all the people here working in the villages have so much on their plates and they cannot keep up with the individuals who the loans are given to.
Who will come? Who will research and implement these ideas here in the villages we are working in Zambia?

Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do good.
Seek Justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of Orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.”

ZAMBIA!!

2010-05-17T16:14:00.001+02:00

HI! we are in Zambia until mid august! here is part of our journey and things God is doing here. we are excited to share with you and for you to know that you can be a huge part of the work here! if you are interested, please let us know!
blessings!
Missy and Jeremiah

Hardware and orphans

Getting into the white truck, we adjust our perspective from that of the white westerner to becoming part of the developing world. Memories come rushing back of the time we were here before, and the many places we have been that feel like the small African town of Livingstone. 5 of us are in the car as we drive down the dusty road, our house is just a minute from town. We drop Regina and Kara off at the corner and continue to ride with Dan to the hardware store. We drive a half-mile down the road, turn onto a side street, and pull off in front of a very poorly marked store. Dan has searched out all the hardware stores in town. He has been busy here, in the last 6 months, finding his way around, making friends with people in stores where he spends much of his time. Today he is buying yards and yards of 1.5inch plastic pipe. He brought back a water pump from that states. He needs this pipe to transport water from the river the where the men are working.

The property is in a village about an hour from town. It is on the Zambezi River and is the future of All Nations life here in Livingstone. There is an outreach group (with CPx) that live in the village 5 days a week. The set up tents on the property. The workers are busy building a fence around the entire property. This is mainly for security. The villagers are worried about Dan and Regina’s things being stolen. They do not even want them to leave the water pump there over night. So by building a simple fence they hope to deter any would be thieves. Which is understandable, because at this point there is only one small structure on the property, which acts as a shed, but not everything can fit in this shed. The water pump will aid the workers in building the fence by allowing them to more readily have water to mix their cement.

As we leave the hardware store, 20 minutes later. The workers in their blue jump suits, were in back searching for the correct pipe. It only took about 3 different men looking to find it. It is too large to fit in the back of the truck, so we bungee it to the top. Of cause we forget about it, and pick up a few tree branches as we drive along to our other stops.

This is the life of building and gathering supplies to create the vision God is fulfilling in this village.

This fence will precede the commencement of the building of the first orphan home. This home will be the prototype for all that follow, in this village, and in many other villages and, countries. I will share that vision in the next installment. We are passionate about filling this home and gaining enough funds to build it. The goal is that is self-sustaining, and would only require start up costs, and an emergency fund for the first year.

home

2009-02-10T21:33:00.003+02:00

We are back in the States. we have been here for about 6 weeks now.
we have so enjoyed being with family and friends and reconnecting with the church.
there are so many people really living out the gospel
everywhere we look, people are being Jesus where ever they are.
it is exciting!
we are moving to Minnesota - St.paul / Minneapolis.
we are planing on finishing our degree's here.
both of us want to go into Social Work.
we also hope to do simple church - here!
we cant wait to connect with people who are doing it here
and praying and living life with people who want more of Jesus.
Our hearts still long For Africa,
and we will go back in the not so distant future
but for now, we areexcited for what God has for us here...
Pray that HE will open the right doors and put people in our path who he wants us to live life with and love others with.
we are open and excited to find out what he has.
if you are interested in joining us here... let us know!
HOME
is here now, but it will not be here forever.
over seas- from America-- that will be our home again - soon.

streets

2008-12-20T15:18:00.003+02:00

Sitting on the floor
with people dancing and eating all around us
i met Modise
he is an 11 year old African Boy.
He loves to play,
loves to wrestle
loves sweets...
He is very small for his age--
im sure due to malnutrition
He had a hole down the middle of his pants
his collar boes were sticking out.
he ravenously ate the chips and fruit on his plate.
he chatted with me as best as he could
(english is not his first language)
but mostly just smiled at me and nodded his head.
i put my arm around him and enjoyed the joyous scene around us.
He pulled a few worn candies out of his pocket and offered me one.
then he gave his friend sitting next to him the other.

Modise has no parent or guardian living in his home.
his 14 year old sister Ermy looks after him.
His uncle will check in on him once in a while.
he is an orphan.
he is Beautiful.

Walking down a busy street
in the heart of Cape Town
8pm on friday night
a boney child
in tattered clothes and no shoes
approaches us
in broken, almost unrecognizable english
asks us for ---
anything we can give.
we sigh,
and are so torn,
we know he really is hungry,
but know giving him money is not the answer.
he finds us again later and says
"no money, I -- food"
so we go into the local market and buy him bread and meat.
it is hard to look into his face
knowing that this will only satify for tonite,
and tomorrow he will be hungry again.
he is very greatful,
sweeter than most.
i realize as i am trying to sleep later that night
that i didnt even ask his name.
i begin to see the coping skills that have
unintentionally
become part of my life
since being here.
it is easier not know his name...
i won't see him again
i can't do more for him
he lives an hour from us,
and we dont frequent his street.
THIS
is reality everyday here in South Africa
every street corner
every parking lot
and we have learned to cope...
tried to not become hard...
tried to not cry too much...

somehow
as we get ready to leave this home
these difficult choices
that we are faced with everyday
will be missed...

their faces will never dissapear from our hearts.

Thankful

2008-12-03T16:15:00.007+02:00

we are here
we will be in Grand Rapids
on Dec. 30, 2008
for now, i want to introduce you,
as best as we know how
to our life here...
through photo's.

it is not often
if ever--
that we get the priveledge
of bringing our camera into the community

so one day last week,
we we able to!

the contrast
first world
verses
third world
is so prevelant in our every day life
i wish we could express this contrast.
there is nothing i have ever seen in the states to compare it to.
so i hope we can give you eyes to see
and experience a bit of the tension we feel
every day
in every choice we make
in every word we speak
and smile we give
all have implications.
to change the world we live in here,
for the better
or reinforce the existent mindsets

in many ways the interaction is often beautiful
to experince the wounds of the past --
still eveident today
and then to experience the healing that has occured.
we experience this on an more frequent basis.
this has been our home
we have become part of the process
this country is not even close to perfect.
but we see people who have Overcome
Overcommers
Black - Mix- White
all alike
Racism -- it is only skin color!
i see people connecting from the heart
for this i am thankful

i am greatful to this country
for taching me so much
so much about my own heart
my own pride
my own mindset and hurts
i deal with the crime--
same as my black friend who lives in the township.
no one is immune
and this, it draws us closer

i see the beauty in this country
in every way of life--

Jeremiah's stories

2008-11-17T20:25:00.010+02:00

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

talk story

2008-11-14T15:10:00.007+02:00

many of my blogs are not so concrete
but usually express dialy heart issues
i am dealing with
but i want to talk story today

we have been working with a woman in Masiphumelele
WENDY
she knows and is trusted
many people in the community come to her
in desperate situations
we have been working to provide food
for many of these most needy families
MANY
of you!
have been a part of making this happen!
yesterday and today
we bought 3 grocery carts full of food
from Pick And Pay
Rice
Mealy Meal
Flour
Sugar
Canned Fish
Coffee
Tea
Oil
then the 4 of us
Michelle
Sofia
Wendy
Me
Plus the Parking Lot Guard
piled all this food,
and ourselves
into a 1970 Blue Beattle.
turned the key
It wouldn't Start!
so we prayed
we called a mechanic
brad came-- in His 1970 yellow beattle
and we piled out
along with all the food
repacked his car
he took wendy home
and we popped th clutch on the beattle and got her started
today-
we get wendy
in the yellow beattle
go back to Pick and Pay
(we forgot Soap)
and then to a fuirt and Veg market
oddly enough it is named Fruiterers
and get spinach
and Potaoes!
we PILE in the Beattle once again
and drive back to wendy's house. organize all the food!
it was satifying
after all the months.
working toward helping these needy families/children
they range from
orphans
to
single Mom's lving in the last stages of HIV.

we met a new family today
the Mama had her grandchild on her back
we stood in their bare shack and smiled
she is a beautiful and strong woman
she is raising her daughter who is 17
and 2 neices who are orphaned
they are 17 and 20 -- both still in high school
She is a single mother.
a Widow
She had a 20 ish year old son
who, about a month ago,
was shot and killed at a party in Masi
by a gang that came from another township to make trouble
He was the only one in the family who worked
HE supported them all.
so now they go hungry.
the temptation to ask her daughter to drop our of high school
is strong
who else will support them all?
by giving them food each month
the girls will have a chance to get an education
to be a leader
to do more than
"JUST SURVIVE"

It is hard to explain to people in the western world
the mentality of people in developing countries
it is hard to understand myself!
and i see it,
i experience it second hand.
"HAND TO MOUTH"
daily survival.
no planning a head
not able to think of the future
today's needs are SO pressing

Brad, Michelle and Jeremiah
have gone into the elementary school these past few days
just to help take pictures of kids.
Some people who work with us are teaching Music and Art in the classrooms.
the list of questions
to go along with the pictures

Name:
Age:
Brothers and sisters:
What you do outside of school:
What do you want to be when you grow up:

Basic questions
right?
The answers to
What do you do outside of schoo:
were shocking...
The frequent answers were
"Clean"
"Do Laundry"
"Pick of my little sister from daycare"
"make food"
Want to know the average age?
10 - 12

this is the world they live in
necessity before anything else!

in the midst of all the suffering
people are finding hope.

i Talked with my friend Vivian (name changed) yesterday.
She was so moved to know that we are able to give her food monthly
She is sick with HIV
and has a 4 year old son
She loves Jesus so much
she was recently baptised
and also has recently got a job
her job pays 7.30 Rand and hour
(10R =1$)
but now at least she can pay back her friend that she is indebted to
she owed her 1600R
which she used for food when she had no work.
but she makes pennies
i told her about this amazing training program
some friends of ours are starting
called Farflung
it is a 2 year art/buisness school
for 10 women
they get a stipen to live on
(which is more then she makes working)
and they get to learn for free!
the goal is to make leaders out of women in the community
women who can start their own buisnesses and employ others!
when filling out the application with her
the question stated:
"Who will benefit from your training at Farflung?"
her answer
"The bible says we must help those who are suffering. with this training i can help them..."

She gets it...
and encourages me...

relationships

2008-11-07T17:46:00.004+02:00

When you are in a place long enough
you see every aspect of relationships
ups
downs
steps foward
and back
seeing our mistakes
and
How God is really the only one
only one
who
can care for
and uphold
His Children
His People.

Sometimes we all feel like parents.
(not that i know exactly what it feels like to parent...)
you care SO much
SO much
for these kids of ours.
we pray for them,
walk with them,
teach them,
push them out on their own
encourage
discipline
set straight

and in the end...
in the end of our time with them
maybe things dont look so different from when we started!

then what?

then we trust
we remember to see with our spiritual eyes.
remeber that God calls us
He cares for His children
We get to join Him

What we really do
every day
is love our friends
walk with them through hard times
through mud
helping them up when they have landed in a ditch
getting angry over the things that angers God
laughing when they see victory
hugging them when they made the right, and uplifting choice
simply being there.
having Hope for them
when they have no strength to believe in Hope.

this has been our year...
7 weeks left.
God has opened up doors
and we are excited to see where they lead!

baptisms

2008-10-24T21:33:00.002+02:00

i do not have pics of this day, but i will get some and post them, or you can look on my facebook page and get the link to some via someone else posting them.

The last post was about the increse in violence, and pain in the community of Masi.

But i want to talk about Hope and redemption

it was SUCH a priveledge to be able to be a part of seeing a few of our freinds get baptized.
being in the water when somone is making the step in their journey
TOWARD Jesus
is beautiful and moving.
God Loves it when His people move towards him
in acts of love
and hope
and recieveing from the Father
and giving of themselves

giving up pride
and embracing a new family

2 women
(Vovo and Christina)
whom i have written about before, some of you may have met them
both chose to leave their old selves behind.
their prayers of thanks and Love to God were touching.
ALL they have is JESUS.

it was sunday morning,
a bright day
excitment and nerves were high.
we had an expectation that God would meet us.
we stepped in to the cold water of the tide pool in the ocean

i felt fear and hoplessness breaking.
off of the people participating, the people watching
and myself!
the acting of giving yourself,
good - bad - rich - poor
to someone... to GOD!
is sweeter than the richest chocolate
or the smoothest wine.
it is communion
at the deepest level

as Evil increses in the communites arround us
so Does Hope
so Does Love
so Does God Him self
So Does His Spirit.

Being in the Water
recieving the blessing
that Goes along with Baptism
is one of the most
Precious
moments ...

Wind

2008-10-15T11:27:00.003+02:00

this is Jeremiah with some of his Zim friends

The wind is whipping through the southern penninsula of Cape Town these days.
it reflects much of the chaos that is going on in the lives of the people we work with.

We desperately need the wind of the Holy Spirit
to blow
in the Streets
and the hearts
and the minds
of people who are causing
pain
fear
anger

the violence has increased in the township in these past 2 months
(i of course hesistate to say this so people dont over react)
we have taken necessary precations.
i dont walk around with out a guy and at least 3 people
and also prefer to have a local with us

but what of the people who can't escape it?
it is not just focused on us, but mainly one eachother
anyone they can find to hate
or alientate
or victimize
or retaliate against.

it is a struggle.
and a BATTLE.
there is so much spiritual consequence that we are seeing against the work of God.
so we pray.
we Pray!
we dont give in
we dont leave
we keep loving and caring.

there have been talk and meetings of acting out against foreigners in Masi again.
Monday a 3 year old girls was found dead in a river in the community.
she had been reported missing the day before.
3 men took her, raped her, and killed her.
they were rounered to be foreigners.

so the Xenophobia is rumored to start again.
Pray for peace and level heads, and Common sense.
We believe it will calm down soon.

i wasnt sure to write about this or not.
it is easier to not let you know.
it is easier to live in ignorance.
(im speaking from experience)
but what good will it do?
to ignore the truth, the reality GOd's children face.
the daily fears and stress they deal with.

please pray for them.
for so many of our Zimbabwian, and Malawian, and Somolian friends.
targeted simply because of where they were born.

pray for God's justice in all these situations.
Pray the Wind will touch all those in need...

peace

2008-10-12T13:20:00.002+02:00

Tension---
a constant companion
the pull
the tug of war

discovering the balence is not easy
taking hold of the offer to live at peace
in a world full of need
full of anger and unforgiveness
but there is a place.

learning to live how we were created to live
To Be Loved...
Created to Be Loved!

deep joy and peace and hope
comes with the knowledge that God created me to be Loved by Him.
Purely Loved.
dispite circumstances, or trials.

the tension that exists between living in the world,
and living in God's beauty and Love
is ever present.

when the needs around us close in.
when it seems there is noone else,
when it is easier to shut ourselves in
to hide under the blankets
give in to fear
give in to dissappointment
give in to 'failure'
I remember that tension will always exist.

But i am Loved.
By a God who intimatly cares for the weak, for the broken, hurting and sore.
when i can't meet all the needs, and want to shrink back,
i Know that My God Loves each of His children in a special way.

"Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of your throne.
Love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to Acclaim you
who walk in the light of your presence , Lord.
They rejoice in your neam all day long.
They exault in your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exault your horn (Strong one).
Indeed our shield belongs to the Lord,
Our King, the Holy one of Isreal..."

What is real love?

2008-09-15T13:27:00.005+02:00

Picture by Michelle

the last 9 months
we are forever changed by.
the people we interact with daily
really are the VOICELESS.

how many years had i spent
reading books about
praying for
talking about
theorizing how to help
calling others to do something about

THIS

now, after living next to
(i dont feel like i can really say i live with)
people who fall into every category
(i would say)
that Jesus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul, God---
tells us to love
+the orphan
+the widow
+the poor
+the Alien
I am more changed than i ever thought possible
(i guess this shows how prideful and condecending i truely am)
thinking i can offer something to the people who will
"inherit the Kingdom of God"
thinking i know what is best for them.
God is their shelter, their refuge.

I am changed.

the priveledge we have,
to even give them the smallest encouragment
to put tools in their hands
to help them be self sufficent
is the most rewarding thing i have ever experienced in my life.
God loves them SO much.
to even feel a glimpse of the pain He feels
at the injustice they experience
the pain they face daily
the struggle to survive
is the real priveledge.

i wish i could share each and every story they have shared with us.
we could wirte endless books...
full of emotion,
compelling
pain and sadness
and then the HOPE.
always the Hope.

If you have ever seen the movie "the day after tomorrow"
(someone sent it to our room mate)
something a girl said in that movie struck me
the western world is seemingly coming to an end
and she says (paraphrased)
'everything i have ever worked for and accomplished is now worthless! life as we have always known it is over...'
it struck me because this is the reality of the Zimbabweian people we meet.
they grew up in middle class families, with houses.
they have degrees, they were teachers and engineers and farmers...
and now we meet them. they are living in shacks, working for obscenly little money
( J met a guy who for a while worked for 2$ a day!)
in last 5 years their worlds have been turned upside down
all they can do is survive.
the oppression and injustice they have faced...
everything they have worked for in their life means nothing
NOTHING!
many are orphans at a young age
most have been abused
and now live as Aliens in a foreign land
(their home, Zim, is unsafe, and people are starving to death every day)

For us
Living here...
Loving here...
it has changed us
the people who are at the front of God's mind
their lives and stories
have changed us.

maybe Jesus' disposition was Meloncholy?
maybe he felt the saddness
deep in His being
When He said "blessed are the poor in Spirit"
i have to imagine He also experienced this.

JESUS BE OUR GUIDE...

Township Toes!

2008-08-31T13:23:00.007+02:00

Portia and her son Michael at her Baptism. posing with Bethany and I

A team From Crossroads (our church in GR) was here for the past 3 weeks.
God used them in so many ways to bless, love, disciple, pray--- for people in Masiphumelele.
one person they really helped while they were here,
that really blessed my heart as well
is a Zimbabwean girl named Portia.
We have seen Portia open up and change dramatically in the few months we have known her.
She is a beautiful 20 year old
with a one year old son named Michael.
they have a special place in our hearts.
Portia is extremely generous. always opeing up her home to those who have less than she does.
right now a Zimbabwean girl named Stella lives with her b/c she has no where else to Go.
Stella is also 20 and has a 3 week old baby!
Stella has only been here a few months.

While the team was here. through many peoples efforts,
they helped Portia start a
KNITTING BUISNESS!
Sheraya Bultman was so key in this.
she spent many hours helping Portia (and many of her friends) learn the pattern for slippers.
she worked hard to figure out how to add rubber to the bottom of them
we used rubber from old tires in the community.
Julie sat down with Portia and taught her how to use her money
one envelope for tithe (10 %)
one envelope for going back into the buisness to buy more yarn (40 Rand)
and envelope for profit (whatever is left!)

so for 2 weeks Sheraya and many others of us spent time working on the perfect pattern,
sewing rubber to the bottoms,
punching holes in the rubber
picking out yarn
teaching
sharing life with these women!

it was beautiful for me to watch.
Portia, over the last month,
has gone from a sad diposition
to proud! and self sufficient!
she is selling slippers to people out side our realm of reach!
she went to an old persons home and asked if they would like to buy some
she is blooming!

during the time the team was here,
we saw God do a miracle in Portia's body.
She had found a lump. and was very scared.
the clinic told her it could be cancer.
5 of us women prayed over her.
2 days later it was gone. she went to the doctor a few days ago,
and they confirmed she was perfectly fine!
She was praising God.
Her and Stella spent that whole day reading and praying and singing.

Portia still struggles.
she has little family here.
she is an orphan since age 9.
she is longing for a better life.
being from Zimbabwe,
like so many others,
everything she had worked for in life was striped from her.
she fled the country
with no money,
pregnant,
hungry...
she has made a life here.
i believe God brought her into our path for a purpose.

when we first met her during Xenophobia,
she was desperate and scared.
she got kicked out of her shack.
so we let her stay with us for the weekend before she coud move into her new place.
her and i were talking at night,
she asked me
"why did you choose me?"
for us, it was not significant for us to let her stay.
but i see now that it was God who chose her.
He chose to put her in our life.
He did CHOOSE HER.

NOW:
she is making a small, but respectable living.
she has a skill, and can handle money responsibly.
she enjoys Knitting.
she has hope for the future.
her son is 1 years old and thriving.
She is following Jesus, and was baptized 3 months ago.
She wants to go to college.
she wants to gain a skill that will make her attractive to a buisness world.
she would like to go into hospitality and tourism.

we are praying for a sponsor for Portia.
someone who believes that women and men like her...
are the future of Africa.
they are the ones,
who, when they break out of the poverty cycle,
will show a watching world
that Africans have something to offer the world
not just receiving from the generocity of the west.
she gives to others, even in her need.
imagine how she could give, if she wasn't living 'hand to mouth'.
if she could provide for herself
She could help train other women
teach other African women that there is hope!
there is a way to break out of the muck they are so often stuck in.

Portia,
and women like her,
Are the ambassadors of hope to a dying continent.
they are the "Land of the Living"
they can overcome odds
God can use people like you and me
to give them a boost.
believeing in them
showing them that there is HOPE!

Interested in buying slippers?
Township Toes -- the buisness name
email me or message me, or leave a comment
they are 15 dollars plus shipping. -ill give you details of how to pay
tell me color and size.
she would be happy to make you a pair!

True MIssion

2008-08-24T12:06:00.005+02:00

what if we gathered together,
formed communities,
around a mission...
(not Missions, Mission)
what if our hearts were drawn together
with people who have a similar heart to see change in a specific area.
Examples:
reaching the homeless
orphan care / Adoption/ foster children
living among the poor
caring for widows
seeing justice lived out
loving prostitutes
loving college students
loving the foreigners, refugees
playing with neglected kids in your neighborhood
caring for your neighbors- bring hospitality to them
baking goddies for the people next door
prayer
inviting people who don't know Jesus to play basketball, or golf, or tennis, or pictionary

the list could go on and on and on and on...

but imagine if these groups of people
who love Jesus
gathered together around a general passion
became community (or church) together
lived out the role of church
1.Love God (worship)
2.Love others (community)
3.Love the lost (make disciples)

"Church" would be "Missions"
ministry would be a part of life,
not once a year on thanksgiving when we go down to the local soup kitchen to do our yearly day of "missions"
if our hearts are drawn together around
a specific Mission,
a specific passion,
a specific calling.

Observation:
in western christianity
there is a longing for community
it is not being met on sunday morning
sunday is not always enough
or not really a place we feel our passions are utilized
or our gifts are put in to practice.
IMAGINE
if our time was poured into a small community of people,
i feel accepted and known
i feels that i have a voice
i feel i can draw others in who dont know Jesus
but are searching and longing for something more
but they aren't interested in a big, corporate sunday morning gathering.
IMAGINE
i dont have to feel alone in loving my neighbor who is hurting
because i have a close community of friends i can bring them in to.
because i know my small community holds the same values as me
because we are commited to eachother
commited to a mission God has put on our hearts
commited to loving the people around us who are hurting
IMAGINE
if this was our reality of church
if sunday, big church became a time of encouragement
not a substitute for real community.
IMAGINE
if on sunday
the options of where we could get involved,
was more than childrens chruch
or brewing coffe
or helping in the church office
IMAGINE
if you could join one of 30 groups who were reaching out to different needs of the local community.
If your passions and desires could be utilized to start a community of your own to meet a need you see,
a need not yet been identified by the larger community.
Then there are 31 groups for others to choose from who are new to The sunday church gathering.
IMAGINE
the impact on your community
how the poor would be served
how chidren would be cared for
how violence would decrease
how we would feel a purpose
how the church would be fulfilling its calling
how God would have mercy on our cities,
because like Abraham, we would cry out on behalf of the wreched people.
we would be fulfilling the great commision:
TOGETHER.
we are not alone in this life,
lets walk together
stand up together for the voicelss
ask ourselves what God is calling us to
then respond.
there are others who care about the same thing you do
Lets do SOMETHING, ANYTHING
Lets do it together

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their destress, and to keep ones self from being poluted by the world.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves. for the rights of all who need an advocate. speak up, judge righteously. defend the cause of the poor and the needy.

our hearts

2008-08-17T10:50:00.003+02:00

are always tested and tried.
what is a 'life time' mindset?
a 'Career' mentality?

"His callings are irrevocable"
i am learning deep in my heart what this means

Loving The Poor is a very weighty asparation
one God speaks about over and over in the scrpitures
strangely it feels
SIMPLE
yet so
COMPLEX
to truly love the poor.

the lives of the people we interact with daily are heart breaking
it is emotionally wrenching to really engage
they compel us to seek justice
it is an honor to advocate for the voiceless
every story is special and beautiful
full of death, yet full of hope

what has become so normal to us, among so many of our friends here, is so abnormal to most of the western world.
Widows, Orphans, Promiscuity, Death, Unfaithfulness, fatherless children, no work, no money, leaky roofs, wet floors.
maybe our worlds have more in common than i realize?

how do we answer all these peoblems?
Jesus did the work He saw His Father doing.
one family, one person, one child at a time.

Truely, JOY among suffering is real.
People who really suffer Cling to HOPE
i dont really know what Joy is
I dont really know what HOPE is
then i spend a day with A Zim friend who was orphaned at age 9, and fled to South Africa for her life.
Jesus is her hope.
I can Be Jesus hands and feet for her,
on some days.
She is Jesus' face to me, always.

What is a 'Life Time' mindset?
I think for my life time, i want to serve Jesus by Loving the poor.

"Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Zambia

2008-08-14T20:13:00.004+02:00

We traveled A LOT
few thousand Kilometers North into
REAL AFRICA!
Zambia

wild animals
lots of pot holes
car break downs
a van that would only start by poping the clutch
a Red Moon Rise
snow on mountain tops
boarder crossing guards
took a wooden ferry accross the Zambezi river (van and all)
THEN
we were in Zambia!

as soon as we were accross the boarder we knew this was some fulfillment of the calling God has on our life.
to see the villages and landscape...
it felt hard to breathe, Like God was there.
opening our eyes to see a world, a people He has created just for Himself.
people He wants us to love and care for.

the first week we were in Livingston
home of Victoria Falls.
there are many Rural villages
there are also many tourists and backpackers
there is much opportunity for many things to be started from here.
there is much need for:
clinics / doctors
orphan care
job creation (hospitality/tourism?)
Jesus

Zambia is the country in Southern Africa that has the most English speakers.
it also appears very churched and christianized.
very religious

we then traveld by bus 14 hours north to a town called Lauanshya
it is in the copper belt reigon
so at one point the mines created a lot of jobs. now the mines are closed and 90% of people are unemployed.
and as is the case in most mining towns,
AIDS has spread like wild fire.
there is Many many orphans and Vulnerable children.
there are also many Zambian people helping
schools have been created
feeding programs
orphan homes.
but there is so much more need
and so much more to be done.

we flew home from an airport that had no computers!
quite an experiance.

we are now back in Cape Town
our friends from GR are here with us.
we are diving into Masi
loving people, creating lasting relationships.
pray for their time here
bless you all.
Missy and Jeremiah

JOY

2008-07-12T11:31:00.003+02:00

i wanted to tell you one story about a women named Christina
every time i pray for her the word JOY comes to mind.

her mother came to live in Masiphumelele 15 years ago
it was only a few shacks, no electricity and no water.
she met Doc, her boyfriend, when she was 19.
her father wanted her to go to univerity
she wanted to satisfy the longins of her heart
to be loved
she then got pregnant
10 years later she tried to commit suicide.
Her boyfriend was having affairs
she had nothing to live for
her daughter was not enough.
she didnt succeed.
(it wass Gods call on her life!)
2 years after that we meet her.
her daughter is 7
her boyfriend is who we met first.
Doc invited us into his 2 story shack.
we met his girlfriend, Christina.
Doc is hospitable , a man of peace.
he rents his other small room to 2 Zim ladies
after knowing this family grouping for a few months we ask if they want to read the bible with us.
a month ago we sepnt time with the 4 of them, we pray for them
for Docs anger, he feels oppressed by somethinghe can't see
Christina is hungry and tired and longing for her true love.
the Zim ladies... ( i will tell that story in my next blog)
we pray and seek God on theri behalf. tears and hugs.
the next day we see christina.
she is reading her new bible!
the next week we come to do bible study
everyone wome has seen prayers answered.
they tell us theirs lives have changed wince we prayed.
they want to follow Jesus
He cares intimately about them.
next week they tell us Doc is a different person.
he is smiling and laughing.
He has not surrendered His life, but He will:)
Christina is Joy
embodied.
Her Xhosa name literally means
PEACE.
she is now translting for other bible studies.
we are talking to her about baptism.

my hubby

2008-07-09T22:00:00.004+02:00

we have been in debriefing this week, with about 40 people who have completed CPx with us. and today we spent a few hours talking through our experience here in Cape Town, working with All Nations.

so i just thought i might add a personal note in here. on this blog , for you all!

we got asked the question "what do we (Jeremiah and I) appreciate about each other?"

so i started thinking.
i want to enter you all into my world a little bit
and talk about my patient, forgiving, loving husband
(we did just have our 3 year anniversary!)
so as he is in the other room, pouring himself a bowl of cereal for dinner at this late hour (what kind of wife am i!?)
i want to tell you a little about Him!

i know you all know HIm,
here are some things you might not know!

-my Husband has becomed obsessed with sharks!
we live on False bay, which just happens to be the highest concentration of great white sharks in the world!
(and the only place you can see them breach!)
sometimes i will catch him staring off and ill inquire what he is thinking about and he will say "i was looking at that door and imagining how big a shark would be compared to it!"
my mom just brought us a pair of Binoculars (thanks dad) , and i think J is convinced that if he stares at seal islad (which we can see from our house) one day he will miraculously see a shark breach from his own balcony! (it is very far away and barely visible)
I am begining to think one if his greatest aspirations is to one day go shark cage diving! (we will make it happen!)
-he always is playing with balls in the house!
or having food fights.
or playing "swords" with bamboo curtain rods
(Him and our roommate Jonathan are like little boys sometimes!

but of course this is just a silly thing, but one i am daily entertained by

-HE really loves people.
not only the people we live with
(for 6 months now he has been driving us around and giving things up to make sure we can all do what God is calling us to) but he patiently gets us where we need to go.
he gives himself to thoes who have nothing,
he keeps giving and buying people food, even when the last person he tried to help was a fraud.
he gets so excited to see people excited about Jesus... it really brings Him Joy

-He really loves me well

for this i am so greatful.

here

2008-07-06T17:28:00.005+02:00

we have been.

and is where we are.

God has been answering prayers these last weeks of our silence (i apologize)
We have also had discouragements

in the up coming days, i will try and post stories of people we have been meeting
of people who are seeing God answer specific prayers in their life
people who are feeling hope for the first time in years
people whose circumstances might not have changed, but their heart has

our hearts are feeling expectant
and tired
and needing Gods touch
and His approval
and His peace

amidst the need
NEED
this word is a loaded word
so many definitions
or examples.
it is a matter of perspective
a matter of opinion
but sometimes it is just a FACT

there is great need
in our face
all the time
great sacrifice being made
SACRIFICE
do i know what this truely is?

it is being forced from your home in Zimbabwewe
to travel to a place unknown
to live in worse housing and conditions than you left
to hope and pray and wait
for work
when you are graced with finding a job that you are over educated for
you make between 8 and 15 dollars a day
cleaning
yard work
child rearing
3/4 of what you make is sent home
to a family that is living in fear
to a family that can't buy rice or tea or sugar for under 10 dollars
to a family who is chased from their home
to hide in the bush
being forced to vote for the dictator
Brother-inlaw dies in the upheval
with a threats on their life
your own children, living with your sister or mom.
you work to feed them, to survive.
this is sacrifice.

Jesus brings the HOPE
steady job with a good boss!
God hears the cry of the oppressed, he Hears

Blessed are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of Heaven
Blessed are those who mourn: for they willbe comforted
Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: they will be filled
Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God
Blessed are the peace makers: for they willbe called sons of God
Blessed are those who are persecuted B/C of righteousness: theirs is the kingdom of heaven

T.I.A.

2008-06-19T18:49:00.005+02:00

sometimes all we can do is look at eachother and say:
T.I.A. !!
This Is Africa

one day someone says they are hungry for the word,
the next week they are no where to be found
they are sleeping when we come have bible study
they deny getting your text messages
they move

we spend weeks getting together 2 applications for 15 year old girls to go to a good school
only to realize during the interview with the principal that:
their english is so poor they wouldn't survive in the class room
one is so nervous she throws up on the way to the interview
one can't even remember her own birthday
maybe we got ourselves in over our head!
we are glad we tried.

we will at least help them improve their english so they can still go places in life:)
we will still continue to love them and tell them we are proud of them
we will gather them and read the bible with them
we will bring them a birthday present in the pooring rain through the mud (this happened today).
We know their birthday even though they may forget.
we go to where we plan on meeting them for bible study, and noone is there,
including the lady who agreed to have it at her house.

through all the crazyness of the last 2 days, some of which i have described...
(i neglected to mention babysitting a 10 month old who never stopped screaming, but i know his mom, a 19 year old Zim. girl, appreciated the break. sitting with 2 girls talking about baptism buying them ice cream, buying a car - celebrating a roommates birthday, encouraging the girl who lives below us, worshiping and praying with friends, preparing for my mom to come, building a fire, making dinner, buying electricity...)
we are really learning to laugh more, trust God more...
did i mention we are really learning to laugh!?
when things get stressful, we have to keep laughing.... :)
we are appreciating rest and His divine provision.
every day i think we love it more here.

when nothing works out, and people are MIA. we remember God has dropped us right here in one of the most beautiful places with the most loving and friendly people and we are learning to appreciate each moment we have here.
can't wait for more firends to join us in a few weeks! and see them discover this place we love so much.

2008-06-12T15:50:00.005+02:00

after saturday,
a floor is no longer wet.
a sick mother is sleeping better
a family is a little warmer
new relationships have been made
workers got muddy
lots of kids were played with
lots of photo's taken

we rebuilt a home. a sick mother and her 2 daughters were living on a mud floor.
praise Jesus for how He makes things happen, and how He provides the money and people to change less fortunate people's lives.
i am sooo greatful to all who contributed.
it was beautiful.
the teal house we call it! it is so vibrant and full of life. this is also what Jesus wants to do there, make it vibrant and full of His life!

Spiritual Eyes

2008-06-05T15:48:00.002+02:00

Lets see!
lots has happened in the last 2 weeks that i have been neglecting this blog.
i regret not writing, but finding time feels like an effort.

we have been seeing God answer prayers

little things
they are big to us

masi being an example to the rest of South Africa in the midst of the Xenophobic riots.
(the people of Masi didn't really participate)
A Rastafarian who our friend has been loving felt convicted by God to stop smoking weed.
2 women from Zim. who were being treated unfairly by their land lord,
found a new place where they will be more protected and loved.
our friend Walter found a new house that he can purchase after his roof collapsed.
we made many wonderful friends during the weekend when African foreighers had to flee Masi because of the possibility of xenophobic riots
we are starting new house churches with them!
We are starting next week to help fix up and make safer some shacks where vulnerable children live!
we are forming deeper relationships with these children we get to care for
our friends are starting a small church with teachers in the primary school
God introduced a young hurting man to Jeremiah who wants Jesus.

we see with our spiritual eyes.
with our physical eyes we get discouraged and defeated
with our spiritual eyes
we there see the purpose of Isaiah 61:1-2 ,
quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
b/c He has annointed me
to preach good news to the poor
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoner
and recovery of sight for the blind
to release the oppressed
to proclaim the year of the Lord's Favor"

this is the first thing Jesus preached in the temple
after Satan had tempted Him,
after He fasted 40 days

So we have hope, not hope that is seen,
faith that is unseen.
IT is only Jesus who can transform this community and the people in it.
we must believe
with our spiritual eyes

relief in Masi

2008-05-26T20:55:00.003+02:00

we evacuated people from Masi,
then spent time with the people who stayed in the team house(an all nations house we use for when teams come) prayed with them, got to know them better. it was actually a wonderful time and really helped calm their fears to know somone was looking out for their best interest. many of them have fled their countries b/c of war and violence. some people were only 3 days in cape town! and they have fled places like Somolia and Zim. for their lives! and they have assylum in South Africa.
but God has heard prayers!
there was only a few isolated incidents of violence in Masi! and people returned to their homes, feeling safe once again. we had a new friend walter from Zim., staying with us, and all day today (as we took him to do fun things like cape point) his south african friends were calling, wanting him to come home and making sure he is ok. so God has spared Masi and we believe HE has a purpose for the foreigners and locals alike in the township. but keep praying for the country. we have heard that thousands of Mozambiquians are feeling forced from jo Berg back to Mozz. and are talking of causing trouble to the foreigners in their home country b/c of what has been done to them here in S Africa. this must stop some where. we need peace and to bring a spirit of acceptance and love to everyone around us.
praise God for how Masi has turned out different than every other township. God has stepped in. the tension has calmed in our little part of the world, but all over south Africa and many other countries tensions are high and life is very unstable for many people.
my heart is growing
for those who dont have access to things we take for granted,
my heart is breaking
for the children who run around in Zimbabwean villges and townships who have no parents, have to beg and steal for food.
my heart breaks
for the oppressed people who can't afford a loaf of bread that cost 20$! (in Zimbabwe)
my heart hurts
for the people's stories i heard this weekend, of families back home they are trying to support
the needs of the world are great, of this continent and this country.
i feel sometimes my constant question to God is
"how can i make the biggest impact and biggest change? where do you want me? what is the best way to get there?!"
ok that was three questions..
it is a struggle, there is need everywhere, i know that He can call me anywhere! and i am willing... we are willing...
we pray for how to Find Jesus' heart and what he has for us today, and tomorrow
and the rest of the year,
and the rest of our lives...
i guess we will be try to be faithful with what He gives us today...
be content knowing that He will lead every step
even when we dont know what to do or where to go.
i must live in the present
with the neighbor who's boyfriend tried to strangle her
with the Zim staying in our house
with my husband
and my mom back home.

running out

2008-05-23T21:16:00.001+02:00

There is a crisis situation right now in Masiphumelele. Thanks goodness that people were prepared. The police knew things were getting restless and put 3 times as many police on patrol last night (Thursday). Black South Africans have been rioting all over the country for about a week now. They have had a very Zenophobic attitude. They have been targeting forgeiners who live among them, projecting their anger towards them. These people who are fleeing near by war and famin ravished countries and taking refuge in South Africa are in a desperate state when they arrive. They will work for almost anything. Many of them are illegal here, but have no-where else to go. The mentality being spread through the black South african community is that these people (Zimbabweians, Somolians, Malawians etc.) are taking their jobs, women, homes etc. As this mentality spreads, people get fired up. They feel they have to show that they are South Africans, like people in other places have shown they are South African, by rioting and targeting foriegners.
Our friend Walter, He is Zim., went into a meeting for Black South Africans in Masi. (He said he didn’t speak so as to be found out) and they were propagizing that they have to show their pride too! They need to stand up and kick out the foreigner. They they all pitched money to by petrol (gas) to make house hold bombs.
So all the foreigners have left or are leaving. The peolice are allowing them to stay out side the station. The hospital has opened its doors, we are taking the people we have relationship with to a big house we use to house teams when they come, right now it is empty.
We have Walter and Tim staying with us.
We made soup for the people stayint in the hospital
Food for the people in the team house.
Sandwhiches for the police who are on guard 24/7
Holding prayer meetings
Contating our friends who live in Masi to make sure they are safe
Transporting the foreigners to the safe houses
Updating eachother on any new news
Praying this will all pass and Monday will resume as normal

No violence against any specific person has happened yet.
Only looting stores owned by Somolians.
Most of the foriegners have been evacuated from Masi as a precaution.

The crazy thing about it all, well I guess there are a few things:
1. these people all live together, share meals together, care for eachothers kids
2. masi is about 50% Forigners! Which i think will help Masi not become what some of other townships have become.
3. When South Africa was in distress and blacks were fleeing, these same countries they are targeting, came to their aid.
4. How the media can stir up such hatred and anger!
5. Most of the Black South African we talk to want peace, and have compassion on the foreigner. It is only a few who are stiring up the followers to jump on the Zenophobic band-wagon.
Real violence has not happened yet in Masiphumelele. And God willing it won’t. pray with us.
That we would have an oportunity to share Jesus love with these people in their time of need.
That this injustice would cease
That we would be able to advocate for peace and acceptance of eachother.

refugees

2008-05-20T11:52:00.000+02:00

there has been violence in the northern part of South Africa, near Jo-burg against the Zimbabweian people. since Zimbabwe has been in such turmoil, people have been fleeing to South Africa for safety, food, and something like a normal life. so by the droves they are fleeing here. and the black South Africans are uprising against them. we work with many Zim s in Masi, and have come to love their quiet and loveing personalities. they will share their stories with us, but never complain. they are Aliens here.
here is a link to an article about the violence starting in townships (very far from here). how sad it can be how the African people from South Africa are oppressing their brothers from the neirghboring country. instead of embracing and loving. people here are desperate, no matter what country they are from. the joblessness, and hoplessness is every where. promises have been made to the people for better housing, and more jobs etc, but nothing is changing. so people are getting restless. and they are targeting the refugee's. pray for them, pray for south africa and the Aliens here. we are called to protect them.
here is a link to an article read it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7408367.stm

baking

2008-05-16T09:42:00.003+02:00

bread.
Baking and loving people with Zucchini bread.
it has been a fun way to bless peopple in the community.
it is totally unpractial and maybe a little friviolus,
but i felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to bake bread.

We have been becoming friends with Somolians in the community.
they truely are Aliens here.
they are persecuted
stolen from
beat up
killed
hated

They are running from War and the horrors of it all. but here in South Africa, they are targeted b/c the government and police will do nothing to help them.

so people rob them
they are brilliant, and gifted buisness people. most of the stores in Masi are owned by Somolians. but this often causes them strife.
we prayed with a women who told us of a relative who only the night before, in another township called Kylichia, had been robbed and killed.
so we prayed with her. although she is Muslum we prayed to Jesus on her behalf. she welcomed it.
we have seen her almost everyday sense.
the Somolian people are known to be more closed off and not easy to talk to. but God has softened this families heart. here in a place where they are living illegally, where they have no family, no hope of protection, we pray for divine protection.
they allow us to love them.
to bake them bread
to sit and talk.

Masi is made up of people from all over Africa.
so imagine if they all were sent out
back to there homes
if they prayed for there own countries
if they got a heart to see tribes in there own land,
who speak their own language,
but have never known the love of Jesus

God has given us a little Africa
right here in Cape Town

we look

2008-05-10T11:13:00.004+02:00

through this door, across the yard at these shacks everytime we step foot into Masi. In one of the shacks across the way lives a little boy named Seiba (or at least that is what he tells us to call him, most likely we can’t pronounce his real name). He is a 12 year old boy who lives with his young mother, and sister. Seiba’s shack is about 12 feet by 8 feet, one small single bed, a table to hold all their dishes and and food, a 2 burner camping like stove top and some boxes to put clothes away. Seiba is a lucky one. His mom has a nice boss. She works as a domestic worker in Noordhoek, a wealthy upperclass neighborhood near Masi. Seiba goes to a school that has a bit higher standard of education than the elementary school in the township. Seiba speaks excellent english. We have only met his mom one time and she is very sweet and keeps a tidy house. She takes care of what she has, although it may not be much. She must work 6 days a week in order to make ends meet, but at least she has the opportunity to.
Seiba, this 12 year old curious boy, is always at our side. The first day we went into Masi in january, Seiba was there, asking lots of questions and just walking with us where ever we went. He has been a constant companion since that day. And we are seeing how hungry he is for God. Jeremiah and Jonathan have had many great oportunities to just bring him along as they are talking to people and praying with people. He wants to know everything. He will join us for prayer when he is not in school and he absorbs everything. They have been able to talk about What Jesus did, how He lived and who his disciples were… teenage boys, right?! Seiba is a beautiful part of our lives in the township. Pray for Seiba that He will become a lover of Jesus. That he will plant small communities of people who love Jesus, that he will pray and see people healed, that God will use him to change his township and the whole of Africa.

How do you know

2008-05-07T17:10:00.007+02:00

if you are making a difference?

following the wild call of the Holy Spirit is proving challenging
but rewarding.

as i reflect over the 'ministry' we are 'doing'
the relationships we are building
the needs we are attempting to meet
the networking
the advocating
the prayers and tears

How do we measure what we are doing?
I too easily get discouraged when things are not happening as fast as I had hoped.
How do we measure progress?
How do we learn how to navigate this township?
Where people speak many languages, come from many different countries, have many different cultures and customs, many different views on God

Starting new simple churches
Empowering and discipling new leaders
Identifying needs of the community
Meeting these needs without creating dependence
Mobilizing people with resources to give
Putting these resources in competent hands
Caring for the needs of the oppressed, the poor and the needy

There is so much to daily process, so much that is daily overwhelming and beyond what we could ever do on our own. Sometimes I feel I have the passion, and the will to go out and face these issues, to start new things, to pioneer new projects, but then I crumble under the pressure. Give in to lies of feeling like a failure, and that God can’t use me.

Then I see a prayer answered:
we have been praying in our new prayer shack, which is located behind a house on the same street in Masi that our friends Tim lives on. so we are spending much time walking between the 2 houses. Jeremiah has begun to feel strongly that we need to target this street in our prayers. As we emerge from the prayer shack a few days ago, and begin our journey down the same street, God gives us a young man, early 20's by the name of Walter. Walter is From Zimbabwe, has lived here 5 year, has no living family but wants to help the community. he has all sorts of ideas about 'visiting the old people who are ill, cleaning their house than talking to them about Jesus!' these are his words. he doesnt have many friends, and is excited to have people to come along side him to serve. here is a leader that we can empower to reach His own community, hopefully start his own house churches and help him to serve the poor on his own raod. He lives in a little one room shack that fits a bed and a tv. But his room is beautiful b/c he is an artist. he works as a waiter 3 days a week and wants to give of his time when he is not working. He has been such an encouragment to all of us! he is motivated and excited. Pray for Walter. Hopefully we can help him make a lasting difference in His community.

although we can't measure the value of relationships, or the sucess of discipleship or simple churches, God see our hearts, and hears our prayers.

process

2008-05-04T17:06:00.002+02:00

there are many thigns to preocess right now.
we visited some of the families that are struggling just to eat.
all of them are children who are caring for their mother dieing of AIDS
or
siblings living together, just trying to survive with out a living parent or caretaker.
some are living on as little as 200 Rand a month (30 US dollars)
that is what the governement gives them.

how do we empower these brave and noble children.
they have been deprived of a real childhood.

we met a man , well he is 21.
his mother died 6 months ago
His father not long before that.
he is left with his
18 yr old sister
16 yr old sister
7 yr old sister
and 6 mo old brother.
(his mom died 6 days after his brother was born)
he is struggling to get his highschool diploma. his is taking exams this week
his best hope in life is to join the police force, if he gets in.
he cant go to university b/c the registraition costs are 4000 rand.
he wants to make something out of himself
He needs to support his family
he needs to put food on the table
and keep his sisters safe,
He is noble.

where do we fit in?
where do you fit in?

bye bye

2008-05-01T14:59:00.002+02:00

miss american pie
Drove our jetty to the levy but the levy was dry

So 2 nights ago, when our 88 jetta broke down
There we many suggestions how how to proceed:

Jonathan suggested to drive it off the rocks into the ocean, Thelma and Louise style (with noone in it of course).

Jeremiah was just focused on getting it towed to our drive way so we didn’t get a ticket.

I figured, we are now stuck at the house we just moved into, no harm there, ill enjoy a little vaca!

Bethany thinks we should try and fix it (possibly not an option)

So in the end, J got his way. Our neighbor had a tow rope and our firend came to the rescue with his newly bought 4x4 toyota. So now there it sits out front of our house.
Which is better then the day we had to keep driving past it on the busy road it was stranded on, it looked so sad!)

And here we are, at the mercy of God and others to drive out of there way to pick us up and tote us around.
The life of a missionary!
When there is no plan B (which there isnt) we have no choice but to simply trust God and laugh when crazy things happen (which the car breaking down was inevidable) but still inconvienent.
God has to take care of us.
Im glad He carries us, even when we are broken and have nothing to offer Him, except our lives.
So here we are, in South Africa! Loving life and standing in Faith.
We are soooo greatful to be living this life God has aloud us to be a part of with Him.

well...

2008-04-29T20:29:00.008+02:00

>this is J with our friend Jonathan (roomie) and Nick (from oregon) next to the sweet blue bug (it broken down the next day, never to be seen again)

this is us with 4 of our good friends Jonathan, nick & Paula, Bethany (other roomie)

we haven't blogged in a while. for this i apologize.

our hearts have been:
heavy
full
broken
rejoicing
angry
thankful
confused
laughing

our life has been:
hectic
exciting
changing
fun
chaotic
challenging
sad
balance act

we have felt:
overwhelmed
misunderstood
joyful
hurt
humbled
tired
HOPEFUL

so i guess when you put this all together you get a picture of our last few weeks. it hasnt been easy, but i know we have learned a lot.
we have been making deep relationships and desperately missing old friends.
we are moving into a new house tomorrow (Wednesday). we are looking forward to space and rest there. we are so greatful that GOd provided us with this place.
we are now on "outreach phase". which means we dont have class in the morning now.
we learned so much for the teachers, but we are excited for this new phase. there is so much going on and in the upcomming days i think i will begin to describe it all.
we are praying in a "prayer shack" in Masi an hour a day with other people who are working in Masi for the next 3 months. it is a wooden shed in Masi that we can use for prayer for now. we are praying what this will develop into!
We are moving forward with Baby Safe "stuff". we are getting to see the ground breaking work (dealing with all the govenment structures in place!) work on how this is done. it entails so much work! but it has been exciting to walk beside the people who are working to make this a reality.
we made contact with a woman who lives in Masi and knows all the child headed house holds in the community and we are going to meet next week with her, and she will introduce us to some of the children. we are praying what our role is and how we can best serve and empower them.
Xhosa lessons!
hopefully we will start soon, from a girl in the community. this is the tribal language spoken by many of the people in Masi.
We are seeing the need for deeper one on one discipleship, even with the girls in our bible study. we are praying how this should look.
this is just a little update. pray with us. we feel in over our heads. but we have so many great people walking along side us and working with us. but all these ideas and plans we have must be fueled by God and prayer. we are so dependent on Him. we are so often tired, but satisfied. He has called us here, it is His strength we hang on.
When i feel confused or not sure what life holds, i feel this overwhelming sense of peace that this is where God has us. and many times i don't know exactly why, but i know we are here, now, and this is where He wants us.
we feel open to His leading where ever, and are trusting in His time He will show us.

He Sees

2008-04-16T20:49:00.007+02:00

complex issues surround poverty.
survival instincts
lack of resources
hand to mouth
seeing only today
taking what i want
getting it by any means

Today we sat with a husband and wife who live in Masiphumele, and who have the respect of the community. they have a heart for the orphans, the needy and the poor. yes they live in Masi. they are grasping the concept of giving to those in need. although they might be in need them selves, there is always someone more needy.
so we come in as westerners (although we have learned to submit all our ideas to them. they know the community best) and want to 'feed the orphan'. right? what would your first impulse be? to give to the need. but we are learning that just giving, sometimes not only creates bigger problems for the recipient, especially when they are children, but also creates a culture of 'we don't have to work to earn things'. we are creating the mentality that the white person comes in and gives me what i want.
so what is the answer?
is there a good answer?
let me know if you have it figured out!
they told us a story of white people buying groceries for 2 girls whose mother was in a hospice b/c she was HIV positive. then that night, the neighbor who saw the exchange take place decided he was hungry too, so he easily got in the house, (the windows are broken out) and took more than just food, simply b/c he could.
now my heart just races and screams "it's not fair!"
it isn't fair.
why are these girls not placed into foster care?
there are not enough social workers.
if too much time goes by how can we prove this happened?
who will the girls tell?
will it happen again if they do tell?
who will then protect them?
(all my western mind wanted to do was fill a hungry belly!)

there are communities full of wounded people living in these circumstances.
there is a generation crying out
hopeless children
hopeless teenage moms
hopeless abused wives
hopeless jobless men

i ask God... where is the hope?!
what is the answer?
What is my role?
how can we help and not hurt?
how can we advocate for the poor?
how can we inspire and give wings?

Commitment.
giving all
see from God's perspective
believing there is hope
even when my eyes see none.
I know there is a God who fights for the cause of the poor and needy
who says "blessed are the poor in spirit"
who cares for widows (how he cared for Naomi)
who raises up abandoned children to lead nations (Joseph in Egypt)
who hears the Cries of His people.
who SEES
He saw Hagar.

Our God, the one true God, The creator God, God our healer, God:Jesus our redeemer:

HE SEES

* photo by CARF

STILL

2008-04-11T21:35:00.008+02:00

figuring things out...

things are messy.
certain things work, others fail.
some relationships are sustained
some fade.
people at first glance you think are not fertile soil
later we see how much they are longing for Jesus touch,
hungry for it.

the girls gathering has been changing and shifting and growing and the Holy Spirit has been leading it.
There is a girl named Amanda in our bible study, who at first was really standoffish towards me, almost rude.
so i of course my human flesh was put off by her. i started to write her off, then the Holy Spirit convicted me to start praying for her. so i did, (not expecting much)
wow, i have seen a hunger in her words, in her actions, in her questions, in her consistency in showing up.
last week she busted out that she wanted to read Ruth, "cuz she is cool" . so i told her that next week, she can lead the meeting and we can look at Ruth. so she got excited "ohhh i can think of questions and you all have to listen to me!" with her snapping her hand and clicking her tongue. and all the other girls get worked up and shake their fingers and click their tongues in protest. Bethany and i both die laughing. these girls are full of so much life and excitement. so pray that next week she will come and will feel empowered, and God will use her!
later we asked if they wanted this, our little group, to be a place of trust, where they can share their struggles, and Amanda admitted that she doesnt let people in. and i know she is hurting. by the way she holds the world at arms length. God is breaking in. she said she likes bible study "because she can forget about stresses of life and family and parents, mostly dad issues." so pray for amanda. she is a leader and people naturally follow her.
Africa needs women in this generation who will stand up and advocate on behalf of the poor and the needy, to care about how women are treated. she is a long way from seeing how she can affect the world around her, the township, her neighbors, and family around her. God is raising up women like Amanda, pray she will see her potential... pray so much more for her.

2008-04-09T17:31:00.002+02:00

here is our fly swatter, next to our window with no screen

here is our washer and dryer, in our kitchen

here is our security gate

life

2008-04-07T10:35:00.004+02:00

(image by sarah)
is in reality mode

life here....
(our laundry : washer and dryer, are in our kitchen, under our counter where perhaps a dish washer would go if we lived in the states, but in S. Africa, it goes in the kitchen)
so i got to talking about this with my UK and SA friends. and i began to describe how i grew up with a laundry shoot in our house. which of course they had only ever seen on TV. then they wondered where the laundry went! so i said to the basement, where our washer and dryer are. (there are no basements here) . and i began to realize although i feel like i am in a westernized country, life is still very different than what i am used to. in all my traveling, i have learned to adapt, but it has always been on a temporary basis, and i have never passed the point of feeling like life in that place is temporary.
i think we are coming to the realization that this is .... well, LIFE.
no laundry shoots, or electrical outlets in the bathrooms (which are actually called toilets). no screens on any window or door(although the flies are everywhere). no starbucks or a good soy carmel latte with whip. no built in closets or central heating.
there is amazing secenery everywhere you turn. wonderful mild weather always with a slight breeze. open and loving people who are more hospitable than anyone i have ever met in the states. hearts that are open and people longing for truth.

part of this transition has been adapting to things we are not used to. (i realize as i process that we have been dealing with all these things subconsciously because there were more pertenant things to deal with and bigger transitions to deal with) now i am seeing all the little things around us, and realizing how much culture shock we have actually been going through, we just haven't been able to recognize it.

learning to adapt to driving on the other side of the road. always getting stopped by people needing something from you, even at a stop light in the car, or in the mall parking lot, or people knocking on our door. always having to remember to keep our security gate locked (yes every house has a security gate directly in front of their front door) even when we are in the house. hitch hikers everywhere, men sitting on the side of every intersection hoping that today they will be picked up and be able to work. the power going out for hours at a time (especially when you want to make dinner, no gas stoves here) living in community with people from other cultures. realizing i am seen as sloppy because i was never taught how to eat with a knife and fork. not being able to keep the sliding door in our room open at night because it is unsafe. ants crawling everywhere. all tile in our house, no rugs or carpet! having to hook up converters and adapters that stick 6 inches out from the wall, just so i can blow dry my hair. learning that honking (or hooting as they call it here) is not rude at all, but saying "hi". seeing the same kid sniffing glue on the side of the road most days.
this is a glimpse into our daily life.
i am smiling as i am writing, b/c i didn't think the list would be this long, but i think i could keep going on... ! through it all, i think i see God in a more creative light. How wonderful that now we call this home. every struggle that goes with living here, every joy. we want to embrace and laugh at how we don't fit, but i'm not sure we ever fit at home either. i guess it puts a new perspective on 'Kingdom Culture'. God is our home. the people we love are home, the places we place our feet are only temporary. i think we will enjoy this place while we can, we know it won't be forever!

risk

2008-04-04T14:04:00.006+02:00

(pictures by: Sarah Bultman)
We have so much hope for people.
Jesus
It is ALL about the Life, teachings and love of Jesus.
Not about religion
(none of us realize how religious we really are)
not about doing the right thing
or not doing the wrong thing.
It is not about telling people to stop their ‘wicked ways’

Jesus loved,
called out to,
ate with,
had compassion on,
healed,
encouraged and,
protected
sinners.

People are longing for truth, and love.
We each have it!
Jesus is the only thing in this world to hope in.
His life, how He loved and treated people,
that He now lives...
It is the hope for the world.

How can they believe if they have not heard?

I am seeing the simplicity of Jesus words and life.
People need to hear this alone.
They don’t need my opinion about church,
Or the arguments for creation
Or why what they believe is wrong
Or how there sufferings are consequences of their own sin.

People who don’t know Jesus are longing to know Him…
They just don’t know that He will fulfill their longings.

Jesus has given me Hope and Freedom and Healing, and Joy
A reason to Live
I feel a deep longing inside to share this love with others who ARE suffering

The truth is the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin in my life,
The Holy Spirit will also convict my friends who are also on a journey towards Jesus.
It is not my Job.
We will try to speak truth uncomprimisingly, in love.

It is always about LOVE.
We always want to deal with the heart, not the outward signs of inward pain.

People want to hear.
The Demonic wanted freedom
So he ran to Jesus
The woman who was bleeding longed to be free of her suffering
So she touched Jesus cloak
The man with leprosy knew Jesus was His only hope
“If you are willing, make me clean!”
Jesus was willing. He is always willing. He has compassion on the crowds, and He heals them.

I want to be willing to let Jesus touch them through me.

It is His Job to make things Grow.
it takes all the pressure of human wisom.
But it is a risk...
i might look bad
things might not go how i want them to
someone else might get 'credit'
i might get discouraged
things might grow slow.

but what other choice do we have?
it must be Gods work not our own.
so it is dieing to self
it is a risk

it is worth the risk.

HOPE

2008-03-23T19:33:00.003+02:00

I was sitting and talking with my friend Sedia on Thursday in Masipumelele. He is twenty-eight, just a year older than me. He had just fininshed working for the day. He is a barber, but since he hasn’t had any business for a while he does whatever he can for work. Today he found work helping lay a foundation for a house. He finished work by buying two large bottles of beer. When I met him that day he had already finished one and was opening the other. I asked him if he liked drinking, if it brought him happiness. He told me that he wanted to stop drinking, but he also liked to drink and didn’t think that he drank too much. So I asked him what he wanted in life. He gave me the standard answer: money. I don’t know if it was me or the Holy Spirit in me, but when he said that, something snapped in me, like a righteous anger. I couldn’t hold it back I told him, “Do you know what you want? You want HOPE. HOPE to believe that there is more to life than just surviving and struggling. HOPE that your life can make a difference that your life can have meaning. HOPE in something that is greater than yourself and what you know. HOPE that God has a destiny for your life that you are not an accident or not valued or forgotten, but HOPE that He has created you for a reason that is far greater than you could ever imagine. HOPE that He has given you gifts and abilities that you can use for His glory.” When I finished, he didn’t say anything, but he was just silent for a while. And then we continued talking. I feel like God is teaching me something in this whole situation. When God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, who means father of many, Abraham didn’t have a single child with Sarah. Abraham laughed because he didn’t know how this could be possible. Yet God knew. It says in Romans 4 that God “calls things that are not as though they were.” People may not see themselves as having any value or worth or anything to give; yet God knows. Am I willing to believe and HOPE for people even when they don’t yet know what they believe or HOPE for? Sedia may not see himself as God sees him, but I want to call out the things that God sees in him even if he doesn’t see it himself. Sedia wants something more in life, and I may seem presumptious, but I know what he ultimately desires. It is a longing that is in all of us, and sometimes it just needs to be called out. Now Sedia didn’t have a huge revelation that I know of that day, but I am going to stand and believe for him until he sees it and grabs ahold of what he needs for himself: HOPE.

“For in this HOPE we were saved.” Romans 8:24

- written by Jeremiah

harvest workers

2008-03-18T21:06:00.004+02:00

last saturday night there was a fire in Masi. it was ina portion of the township that is called the Wetlands. we have been praying for a way in to reach the people there. it is by far the poorest part of Masi. about 30 shacks burned down. One that stayed standing is a man named Richard. when we heard there was a fire we were all praying for His house. Jeremiah had just met in His house 2 days before. His family is open and excited to strat a house church (although they are not following Jesus, yet) so when we got to the wetlands on sunday morning to see the devistation, Richards house had not been touched. all the home around him were burned. the fire had started in the house directly next to his home. and these houses are built practially on top of one another. so it was a miracle. and He was giviving praise to God for protecting his home. the people in Masi have already rebuilt their homes (it took them about 3 days). it is amazing to see. today the women got me digging and hauling poop smeeling dirt to help level out a floor in the "new" shack. it was quite an experience. i was getting laughed at, but it hink they were all enjoying the whitey try to carry the buckets of mud, when all they did was put them on their heads and walk like it was nothing! African women are some of the hardest working people i have ever met!
but we are really excited b/c out of the fire God has opened many doors for us to go into their homes and share with them Christ love.

the harvest truely is pleantiful and the workers really are few....

Jeremiah has been forming relationships with a few young guys who hang out by a barber shop in Masi. they have so many questions. oune young man was struggling so much b/c of how the churches and different denominations would tell him all different rules to follow and ways to worship. but He didnt understand How this could be how the church was really supposed to act! so Jeremiah and Tim are just going to start reading the life of Jesus with them...

the harvest is pleantiful and the workers are few...

wild-ness

2008-03-15T16:57:00.005+02:00

i just read my friend Brad's blog, and on March 7 he posted about being wild. How the holy spirit is like a wild goose (you should just read it for yourself (www.bradklaver.blogspot.com)

God has been impressing on me a sense of the wildness of His character.
the uninhibated part of His nature
and how We,
being made in the Likeness of God,
Have this in us!

i stood next to the ocean,
the wild
unpredictable
dangerous
ocean
I stood on a rock that a few hours before had been coverd by the water, i looked out in to the vastness and had to just open my mouth and scream from my inner most being! just this longing to feel wild and free and uninhibited!

so i was!
and i am realizing, i am...
moments when i stop caring what someone will say, how someone will react, if they will be offended.

the experience last week, falling out of the canoe, into the ocean has made me reflect on what i fear.
when i was in the cold ocean water, i was afraid.
but what if fear would have stopped me from going out into the wild, yet so beautiful, ocean?
God had me in His hands the whole time, we really weren't in any danger, but my mind told me i was.
i felt God was speaking to me about abandoning my rational mind and jumping in with Him, into the Wildness of His spirit, and trusting Him!
Sometimes i will fall out of the boat!
i will get scared, i will be cold, uncomfortable and possibly suffer!
But i am comming to see that life isnt worth living, without the freedom of the spirit!
i must be willing to enter into the wild-ness! become a part of the reckless abandon, and not be afraid to get wet.

Standing on that rock, looking at the ocean,
OR
Be in the boat,
experiencing the waves
feeling the wind whipping
feeling the spray of the water
even falling in.
i thank God that He is wild, and that my heart is ALIVE when i abandon my own restraint and enter into His presence, Go where He calls
even if it is scarry and i could fall head first in to cold water

pray for miracles
touch people and see healing
cry with the abused
kiss the dirty
pray with the embittered
extend love to those who push you away

this is my ocean
it is scarry...
but i want to be alive
i want to be wild!

sabbath spill

2008-03-12T23:12:00.006+02:00

(i put the pictures on in reverse order, so look at them from bottom up for chronological order)
monday... our sabbath day.
our friends are renting a house very close to the ocean. the house came with a 3 person canoe and a 1 person Kayak. Naturally since these boats came with a house so close to the ocean, where there is no other body of water around, we thought they must be made for the ocean! so we decided to try them out.
the day was sunny and warm, not hot. but the water is cold as always, (maybe in the 50's F) we carried the sea worthy vessels down to the ocean, threw the life jackets in the bottom of the boats and set off. Sarah took the Kayak, and Jeremiah, Gawie (Hav-ie) and i took the canoe. i was sitting in the center and feeling a bit nervous because it was a bit tipsy, even in th calm bay. but we set sail for the high seas! through the tall Seaweed like Kelp, past the rocky cove into the open ocean. it was exciting and sooo beautiful. since we have been here we have been longing to be out on the ocean, so this was perfect! we saw sail boats, kayakers, and fishermen alike. we were out, in the waves and trying to enjoy the view. it didnt take long till ihad had enough and was ready to head back in. i was getting more nervous by the second when a large swell came and that did it! over we spilled! all three of us in the canoe "made for the ocean". Paddles went flying, shoes floated off, the canoe itself was upside down and i was screaming! it was sheer panic (at least on my part!) the water was so cold it immediately took my breath away. so being in the complete control that we were we all did different things! Gawie got back in the submersed canoe (quite a funny picture actually) i grabbed for Sarah's Kaiak, Jeremiah went swimming after his flip flop, after all, it is his only pair! so when we all came to our senses, as much as the situation allowed, Gawie made a plan. Sarah took all our paddles and shoes (yes they all got retrieved) and tried to drag us and our submerged canoe back in to shore. Gawie is convinced we were about a KM out. wow!
we we start back in, with no other option but to swim. i was holding on to a life jacket and just trying to breathe and not think about how cold i was. we were hanging on to the mostly submerged canoe while sarah was doing her best to paddle us back in. wow, what a sight we were! all of our thoughts were turning to what was lurking in the water below! The theme to Jaws running through our heads. Fighting the huge Kelp plants was enough to make me start crying, and all Jeremiah could do was laugh! we were praying that God would transport us to shore , like He did with Philip... About 20 minutes later (it seemed like hours) we came to where we could stand up. we were so cold and our muscles so depleted it took us quite some time to recover enough to carry the canoe back to their house. of course Gawie had is cell phone on him and wallet. but at least thoes were the only casualities!
so this was our sabbath day adventure! not exaclty relaxing, but we did learn our lesson. it is good to have healthy fear sometimes, especially when it comes to the ocean!

Made Alive

2008-03-11T22:10:00.003+02:00

Gods Word is alive and active.
it pierces hearts and points people to the truth.

Weren't Jesus disciples only teenagers when the started following Him? when He called them to be "Fishers of Men"?
6 girls, between the ages of 12 and 15 sat in a small home in masi today and read John chapter 1 and talked about what it might mean! they had questions which took them to other parts of the bible (mostly Genesis) and they answered each others questions. they were so excited to read the word and begin to understand it! Bethany and i are excited to eventually "not show up" to small group (which really is a simple church) and hide in the connecting room, to see how they carry on without us. today was the first day i think these 6 girls began to see that they dont need to be taught by people who are 'older and wiser'. we were just there to guide them,
the Holy Spirit is their teacher, not us.
The Holy Spirit Gives them revelations... and He was so faithful today to open their eyes.
i know the things they learned today that they discovered for themselves will stick with them much longer than anything i could ever preach at them.
Praise you Jesus for calling your children to yourself. and showing them they are already equipped to make disciples. amen

Masi challenge

2008-03-06T22:29:00.005+02:00

(Jeremiah and TIm are in this picture)
on friday evening (5-7 our time, 10-12 est) we will be gathering people in Masi that we have had relationships with. whether through bible studies, or just people we have met who are open. we will gather in the local primary school (elemantary school) and eat together (a meal consisting of Pop (corn meal stuff that is an African staple) and Bori voors (brat worst). then a few of the local Masi people who have been following Jesus and in discipling relationships will share their stories. Tim will get up and share the vision. we want to see all of Masi reached for Jesus. Not everyone at the meeting will be followers of Jesus, but it is very ok for them to see how much we care about them, and we want them to realize our dream for their life is that they will know Jesus because He is the healer, the restorer of relationships, the lover of their heart.... He can care for their every need better than we ever could! so Timwill tell them unapologetically about the bigger vision. then we will simply ask if anyone is open to opening their home up for 'Simple Church' (we might not word it like that to them at first, but that is what we call it, b/c that is what it is) if anyone is willing to have poeple in there home to just read the bible together and to learn more about Jesus together. there are no requirements on people when they want to openup their home, except that they are open. they do not have to be "christians".

so please pray with us. pray that God opens the right doors, and that people start longing for a relationship with Jesus instead of empty religion

Let

2008-03-04T19:16:00.006+02:00

things be...
Be still...
Come to Me...
Rest for the Weary...
Gentle and Humble in Heart...

Just be. it is difficult. We will do what God calls us to do. and then Just be. God is showing us How everything flows from HIm,
EVERYTHING.
He will give us specific words for specific people we meet on the streets of Masi. The Holy Spirit can give us insight into peoples lives before we meet them. We can pray for them and trust God for their souls. He works on His own behalf, we release His spirit through prayer, and He chooses to use us to lead people to Christ.
Relationships.
deep love for the prostitute.
deep compassion for the alcoholic.
true concern for the child with AIDS.
We will be willing to Go where He leads, but first we must Come to Him
Find Rest for our souls.
the need is great, But God sees
He hurts for each of His sheep

His supply never runs out.
As He heals my wounds, i can heal others
As i learn How He Loves me i can tell others how deeply HE cares for them, His love will spill over, out of me!

" Jesus stood and cried out saying "He who is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures said, from his inner most being will flow rivers of living water."

Joy and simplicity

On sunday we took a group of Africans who come from a small village in northern South Africa to the beach. 6 out of 7 of them had never been to the ocean before coming here. we took them to a beach town called Muizenberg, where the water is a bit warmer, and they can swim. what a joy to see them playing and laughing. their joy was so overflowing, we both got in and swam with them! Simple things in life they are the sweetest.

ministry

2008-02-25T16:17:00.004+02:00

The weeks are starting to go by fast now. And it seems more and more difficult to get to the internet. Thanks for understanding.
Jeremiah has been playing basketball with the boys, between all the other busy stuff. I have been meeting with some girls in Masi. We have a bible study every Wednesday afternoon. There are about 8 to 9, 7th and 8th grade girls. There have been dts students started and have been leading the bible study for the past few months. now they are leaving one other girl and I will be taking over. Yesterday, all day, we had a retreat with them. We are really trying to get them to open up, and many are willing. They have so many wounds, and deal with such adult issues at such a young age. I got the priveledge of hearing 2 of their life stories this weekend, and wow, they face adult issues and decisions. So they are very open for love and prayer. There is a very spiritual battle going on in many of their lives. We see it manifest each week. Some girls are open one week, then we get too close and the walls go up. It is very difficult, but very worth it. They all deal with deep rejection issues. It is very typical for their fathers to be gone. And for each of their siblings to have a different father, even if there is 4 kids! So pray for these girls. Some have HIV also. But there are such stigma’s surrounding the disease that it is never talked about except in a general sense.

Work here feels exhausting right now because our lives are very full. The 70 students in the CPx are brkoken up into little communities, or simple churches, and we meet together a lot. We do ministry with them, we share meals together, we have been sharing our life stories, we pray together. In our simple church are 2 white south africans. An american couple in their 50’s lead it (we love them!), 3 black africans from Limpopo province, (only one speaks english) a german couple with 4 little girls.b so it is quite diverse, but God is shaping us through all of them. It has been fun to mix cultures.

We are also in the process (I am so excited) of starting a emergency baby drop off center. This will be an alternative for mothers who would otherwise thruw their babies in the dumpster. There are many legal issues to work out, but it is in the works. We are meeting with different organizations who are already doing it, and to strt out we will partner with one of them, until we can eventually hold the babies long term until we can get them into adoption.(this is the very long term vision). But we are on our way, and I am so excited to be a part of seeing God do this. There are many other dreams surrounding this concept. Like a safe house for abused women who can’t get out of their situation, and getting them trained in a skill…etc. so dream with us! if you have any ideas, or will just pray, please do!

Last week we launched the prayer movement in CPx. So now we are working on getting prayer rooms in each house, and getting people inspired to rest in prayer and to do battle in prayer as a simple church communty. So this is all very exciting!
This is the short update on our lives! We are so excited for some of you to come visit and share our lives here.
there is another new post below that you will want to read about one of the girls here.

Sispho's story

2008-02-25T16:13:00.001+02:00

For a tweleve year old girl living in the informal settlement of Masipumelele, also known as site 5, Sisipho faces many struggles. Her story is not unlike many in her community. At the early age of 5 her father left without saying goodbye, leaving a deep hole inside her. Alchoholism has overtaken this small community. When asked if she could name a man who did not drink, even one was hard to think of. She sometimes now see’s her father walking on the street. She greets him, but expects nothing from him. Her mother is her role model. Qutoing a few lines from her poem, ‘Divorce’, she says, “Be brave, believe in your mother, forget about your father, move on with your life”. Sispho will smile easily, but there is an underlieing sense of sadness in her. Something deep inside that cannot be comforted. She is the youngest of three children, all of whom have different fathers. Sispho attends a catholic school about ten miles from her home. Here, the students are encouraged to talk about issues in their community. The discussions often turn to abuse, alcohol, drugs, violence, rape, HIV and the stigma’s surrounding the disease. She plans to finish her education and go to university. Sispoho herself reciently witnessed a kinfe fight right next to her house. She saw a man die. She ran and hid her eyes and cried. She wonders how God could let this happen. She wonders how God could let her dad leave and why people hurt each other.
Sisipho knows she has a voice. She can write. She expresses herself through her poetry. Her name means “gift’. She is God’s gift to the world. At 12, she understands pain and emptiness, but she also understands hope. When asked if she had anything to say to you about her story she responded “I still believe that God can make wonderful things out of my life”.

Here are 2 of her poems she allowd me to share with you

Sispho

Losing

I am feeling this pain inside
I am loosing somone important to me
This person is part of my life
I am tearing inside
I am falling apart
Why is this happening to me only?
Why is this happening to my family?
Are we not liked?
Are we not liked?
Am I the only one loosing someone?
Is this world the world that I am supposed to be in?
I am losing someone I loved with all my heart?
I wish that this was not happening to me.
I am suffering
I am hating this world,
This world full of evil and sin.
Jesus, God guide her.
I never experienced

I have never experienced it
I have never experienced it
I hear about it
I feel sorry for those who have ecperienced
My heart sinks when I hear those sad stories
Some think it’s a matter of laughing
But I hurts
It hurtsme and you
I picture that child crying, hurt
Not knowing what to do
What do I need to do to stop this?

more pictures

2008-02-16T15:30:00.002+02:00

Here are some more pics, check the previous blog for more pictures and our latest update.

1 Here is our living room (the furniture is sparce!) Jeremiah and Elmine our room mate are sitting the chairs
2 This is our kitchen, this is sarah and Madaleen our other roommate
3 the fire in red hill, people cleaning up
4 a house that wasn't burned behind rubble left of a charred house.

pictures!

2008-02-16T15:22:00.002+02:00

Here are some pictures.
1. how windy it gets here sometimes! It was out of control a few weeks ago when we went to cape point. This is Sarah and I
2. also the wind
3. here is us at the top of table mountain, what a hike! Can you see where the water ends and the sky begins? I am sure glad we took to gondola down!
4. Here is our friend Gawie (Hav-ie) it is an Africaans name. at the top of table mountain
5. Here are some guys some of youmight recognize. Cedric is on the left and nash on the right. And 2 other guys who are going through CPx. One from Camroon, the other from a village in rural South Africa

God has been teaching us a lot this week. There was a fire 2 weeks ago in Red Hill, a town ship 1o miles south of us. So there has been a lot of relief work to do. Building shacks, and just helping out, but it can be extremely chaotic. So we have been there helping, but there are about 20 people from CPx (out of 70 people) who feel like this is where they want to focus their energy on for the next 3 months (Bless Them) So God , Through the fires, has opened a door into a people who are very spiritually dry. Jeremiah has been attempting to nail in nails, and dig holes for posts to support the houses, but over all we are learning to See what God sees. To hear what He says and how He feels.
We will still be focusing our energies in Masi. But there hasn’t been much time this week. We were able to venture into an area that we only just learned existed. It is called the wet lands.it is the poorest district in Masi.
Story:
Jeremiah met a group of young guys, in there 20’s. it was Saturday, so they were all drinking (in masi, the alcohol flows very freely from Friday night through Sunday night) but not drink yet, it was still morning. The 2 brothers who live there had 2 beds pushed together that took up all but 2 feet of the shack. In this space sat a computer that looked suspiciously like the first computer my parents ever had, but that is besides the point, they asked Jeremiah (he is white so in there minds he should know Something about computers) to help them get their mouse to work. So he reluctantly tried to say he knows very little about electronics, but they insisted. (this is where he started praying very hard) so he hooked in one mouse, wiggled it, nothing. So they had another mouse, but the plug in was very bent and misshapen. So they gave him a dull knife to try to fix it, so he tried and then it plugged in, to his amazment! And then,… it just worked. He did nothing, but He is sure God fixed it. He has a very good in road with the four guys who were in the room watching him. They were so greatful. God wants us to be with these people, and He is helping us!
Ill get a picture of the guys to show you eventually.
Pray for them, for their hearts and For Jeremiah’s involvement in there lives.

2008-02-11T16:00:00.000+02:00

this is our "new car" and our house in the back ground

A New Week

2008-02-08T19:45:00.000+02:00

This week has been one filled with:
God’s Provision
trials
triumphs
obsticals (literally and figuratively)
new bonds
instant coffe (no other choice)
fighting old battles
exaustion
sun burn
trusting God in New ways
paradigm shift
lots of tea
new perspective
deep sleep, early mornings
dirt blowing in our faces and house
Prayer
--GOD PROVIDED A CAR!!!!! (here are Jeremiah’s words about the car)
“one of the other interns who lives here let us use their extra car. It is a 1987 Volkswagon Jetta and only two of the 4 doors open from the outside and it is hard to get into the driver side because it was hit by a truck a while back. Missy is still trying to learn how to drive it, it is a stick and first and reverse are really close together, so it is a little hard for her and me as well, I will occassionally start in 3rd gear on accident and that usually doesn’t work out too well. But it is a car and it works for now, so that is a blessing.”
So now we have our own little Jetta!
-Trusting God put us here for this time and in the place to teach us so much we could not learn if we were just living life and doing minisstry on our own. We are living in community and functioning in ministry as a house church. This is very difficult to adjust our ‘go out and get it done in our own way’ attitude. I forces us to look at our motives and our heart behind everything we do.
-Learning to function in community, as a unit, not easy for my western mindset, but so rich as we begin to see and walk in the benefits of that
-climbing to the top of Table Mountian, MANY obsticals on the way but wow, the top was worth it! Then riding down the cable care, what joy and ease. The journey and the pain became worth the goal.
-Hearing people’s stories: from the community and in our own group. Alowing their stories to deeply affect me and let God use their stories to shape my own life and my own heart.
- instant coffe is not so bad when it is all you have! (with lots of milk and sugar, that is the Africanse way, I think that is the only way they could stand it!)
-Its amazing how clearly you see yourself while living in close community with people and by facing poverty and desperation every day. God really has caused us to examine our own lives and the baggage we carry
-Table Mountain was Hot (they say the African Sun is very intense!) even with sun screen, we both turned a red tint and are still suffering!
-Paradigm Shift – Small Simple Church…. Feels like we are learning a new and wonderfully rich language. If we want our church (or churches we plant) to grow, people must get saved!
-We drink tea like water –when in South Africa… do as they do!
- Thank goodness jet lag is gone and we are out when we hit the pillow at night, but the morning comes very early!
It has been soooo windy. Walking in the community (Masi) was unbearable yesterday, you opened your mouth and got a mouth full of dirt. And they do not believe in screens on the windows and doors here, so dirt is everywhere! Our feet our black from walking on our own house! There have been many fires too because of the wind. We are not in danger, butit has come close enough that we can see the flames over the mountain.
-We see our own personal need for God in such a new way here. Being with the Lord is like fresh air, prayer is our life line, but why was this different at home? But in all the trials and good things God feels so close, He gave me this picture yesterday of Him just walking right in front of me, facing me, holding out His hands saying Follow me , follow me so closely, this is how close I am, I will give you the sheep you need to feed, just follow, don’t worry, don’t fear, just follow. And we were in the community, seeing people through His eyes. I can’t imagine doingthis with out Jesus. He is our lofe line,and wow He feels very close
Any questions? We love to hear from you!
Missy

2008-01-30T13:45:00.000+02:00

this week we are once again in transition.
we are moving to our more permenant house, and will live with Sarah and 2 other south african girls. we will be in walking distance to the beach, and have been praying for a car to get around. God has been answering our "small details" prayers in amazing ways. we are learning to trust Him more and more, and to know that He will supply our needs. He will free us up to pour ourselves into learning and loveing people.
the other 50 people who are comming to do the DTS are arriving this weekend. so we have been pitching in to help where ever we are needed. to I (missy) helped do the grocery shopping. WOW! i thought it was crazy shopping for 30 people, try 70! there was 4 of us, each pushing overflowing (not to mention heavy) carts! the grocery store here is in the mall. so we were quite a sight pushing these carts through the mall. what fun we had though. we laugh alot here. ( i guess we laugh a lot no matter where we are!)
the next 3 months are going to be very busy, we are already feeling it. lecture tues. to fri. morning 8-1:30, ministryin the afternoon and weekends. mondays are our sabbath. but we are looking foward to learning and then digging in and pouring ourselves out. but pray for us to be able to keep up the pace and see what God has for us every day.
Jeremiah got a hair cut, he finally shaved it(with a 4 guard) i like it alot, i think He is still trying to get used to it!

we love to hear from all of you. many of you have left wonderful comments, just let us know who you are! (unless you want to be annonomus!)
we miss you and hope you will all consider visiting us!
Missy

sea air

2008-01-24T17:36:00.000+02:00

have you ever smelled fresh sea air whipping in through and open window?
it is intoxicating

the wind in Cape Town is amazing. it whipps through constantly
refreshing and invigorating
it brings excitement and life
rain and clouds
yummy smells
amazing sunsets.
it is an outward expression of and inward excitment

the last week i can not begin to describe all we have been learning and dreaming. the most amazing thing is that we get to do it with amazing people from all over the world who are committed to the same vision, with different dreams that all collide.

just begining to walk through the community of Masipumilele (which means 'we will succeed') i can feel the sense of awakening of sprouting. the chuldren are loning for love... just to hold my hand. the many young pregnant girls i encounter is saddening yet in my heart they are the ones i want to meet.
they are desperate for love:
i want to show them the true and perfect lover.
i want to meet their children
i want them to know the can succeed
God longs for their hearts to be drawn to Him.

the community has many religous churches

i want these girls to know the love and Grace of God, of Christ love for Them on the Cross, not rules.

there is a dream among some of us to build (with people and building) and safe house for abused women and children.
a place to take babies who have been thrown in the dumpsters.
i can't wait to see the lost experience God spirit and Life. to see the chains fall off! to see them reaching their neighbors and making their own disciples.
i have so much in my heart.

even now Jeremiah is in Ocean View (a local township) with Gawie (he is on staff with all nations and quickly becomming a great friend) teaching a group of young people about prayer, and then praying with them.

GOd is so good to us.

when it fits

2008-01-21T15:49:00.000+02:00

sometimes things just fit, somtimes they don't

the transtion here has felt rather smooth, thank you for all your prayers about that

our hearts feel like they are singing, this is the honeymoon stage i say, but i think God can use that excitment and Zeal. we are finding this week where we fit in our new surroundings. there seems to be an ebb and flow to this place and the ministry here. things are different than when we left them, the have morphed into a more healthy version. new life is popping up, other things are being flattened so they can grow up again. the womens ministry has just begun in Masi, and the possibilites seem endless. We have only begun to talk to people yet about our dreams of Prayer in the community, but we know God is birthing that in others hearts too. a year feels like such a short time to accomplish anything, and yet we read today in Acts and Thessalonians 1 that Paul planted a church in Thessolinica in a matter of weeks. it was soon afters persecuted, yet it thrived! We are in desperate need of the Holy Spirit to move in people lives, to Get each disciple to in turn disciple and teach others even before they claim to be followers of Jesus!

some times things in our lives that we've tried haven been a bit small, or a bit slopping fitting, but as they say here this one fits 'NICE' . we are very content to be here, God has blessed us
we feel very rich.
all the support and love back home
the amazing and funny people we get to live with here (they all have great senses of humor!)

IT FITS!

We Made It

2008-01-20T12:09:00.001+02:00

Just wanted to send a quick update to let everyone know that we made it safely to Cape Town and all of our bags arrived as well. We almost missed our flight to Johannesburg from Washington D.C because of delays at O'Hare, but the staff of South African Air actually drove us out to the plane, so praise God for that. We are now just trying to adjust to the time change and new this new transition. We are going to be staying in a temporary house for the next two weeks and then we are going to be moving to a more permanent place after that, and we heard that they have wireless there, so that would be a huge blessing. Thanks a lot for praying for us and being apart of this journey that God is leading us on. We are truly blessed by each one of you.

OUR LIFE : OUR VISION

2008-01-17T19:02:00.000+02:00

God has been refining our vision of how to best glorify Him with our lives. He has led us on a journey where we have begun to feel His heart beat. Caring for the broken, abused, and lonely is being Jesus to a desperate and dying world. Prayer IS the Ministry. His truth softens hard hearts and draws us into repentance. Discipleship and intimate community bring forth new life.

Heart for the Orphan and Oppressed
Soon after we were married, in June 2005, God started laying very heavily on both of our hearts His love for the orphan and the oppressed people in the world. We both had a love for Africa and learned that there are over 12 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa (worldvision.org). We began to seek out ministries in Africa and groups who were involved there. When there didn’t seem to be any open doors, we became discouraged. A friend who is a missionary in Kyrgyzstan invited us to come and spend time on our face before God, seeking Him.

Need for community and Prayer
We knew that God was calling us to learn His heart for His people through intense prayer. Even though Africa is on the opposite side of the world, we truly believed that the Lord called us to be obedient and go to Kyrgyzstan. In our hearts we knew Prayer is the ministry but had not spent much time living this out. We knew God was giving us this time to learn what this truly means. So we jumped in, and He opened up His floodgates of blessing. It was such a spiritually rich time. We had nothing yet we possessed everything! During these 5 months in a cold barren country next to China, we saw God and we felt His heart for us and for His people. We experienced our need for true community based around prayer. No matter where we are we cannot be lone-ranger missionaries. While there God opened up a door for us to go to Africa a few months after our return to America.

Discipleship
September of 2006, our plane landed in South Africa. For six weeks our hearts were broken for the fatherless, the abandoned, and forgotten people who God created and loves. These were the most beautiful and loving people we had ever met. Many of there lives are devastated by AIDS, racism, hunger, death, and much more. We worked with children who were not only orphans, but were being raised by their siblings who were at times as young as 9 years old. They call these families child headed households.
We were totally changed by what we saw and experienced. But we were still asking God, “What is our role?” We saw a pressing need for discipleship. While the physical needs of the people were overwhelming, there were many organizations, including the South African government, in place to help meet these needs. We saw the need for real discipleship. In their worship of God they mix in their former religions, and ancestor worship. God began to show us that the church in America is equipped but just need the opportunity to share with the African church the knowledge God has given them. We felt called to connect the church in America with the African church. We knew we had to start with our own community in Grand Rapids.

True community based on prayer and discipleship
With the burden on our hearts for prayer, God connected us with Jenn and Tony Tendero, who have the same burden. Knowing that the next year was to be spent in Grand Rapids we found a house to rent located next to them. In this neighborhood on the NW side of Grand Rapids there is economic, spiritual, and relational poverty. Our small but growing community is committed to the ministry of prayer. In the last year we have seen God plant a Boiler Room in our community. A Boiler Room is a community of people who pray together, disciple each other, and loves the people in the community around them. God has used our community to be a safe haven for people and kids in the neighborhood. We are beginning to see lives transformed through Jesus. (www.24/7prayer.org)

Applying all we’ve learned in South Africa
God led us to seek out people who were working in Africa and focusing on discipleship and prayer. We began corresponding with Floyd McClung, who we had learned about from our years in YWAM. He and his wife had just moved to Cape Town, South Africa where they were starting an arm of their already established ministry called All Nations. Their heart is for discipling people and forming house churches, while meeting the practical needs around them. Last January 2007, in Cape Town they began walking through the communities and praying for them. This is the necessary groundwork for seeing God move. In February 2007, we began helping organize an opportunity for people from our community at Crossroads Bible Church to go and join the work in South Africa with All Nations. Through much prayer and preparation, over 30 people from Crossroads spent time in Cape Town during the month of July 2007. We wanted to emphasize through this trip that we are all called to be missionaries, whether in Africa or in Grand Rapids. During the month we felt peace and excitement about joining God’s work in Cape Town with All Nations on a more long-term basis.
All Nations is also part of the Boiler Room movement. God has connected things in ways we never could have imagined! People in Cape Town are interested in and excited about God planting a Boiler Room, a house of prayer, in the communities there. They are passionate about the same things we, and our Grand Rapids community, are excited about!
In the middle of January 2008, we will be moving to Cape Town, South Africa. During our first 5 months (Jan. 19- mid July) we will take part in a training program called Church Planting Experience (CPx). We will be learning about, discipleship, prayer, God’s Father heart for His people and small simple church planting (house churches). We also will be ministering in two impoverished communities that we served in when we were there in July. We are excited to continue investing in relationships we have already started, and seeing the new things God is going to do.

Join us in our journey, and Please Pray
God has taken us on this journey to help us understand our desperation for Him. He has brought us to our knees in prayer to reveal to us our dependency on Him. ‘In His presence we lack no good thing’. The Lord has deepened our understanding of what true community is. We aren’t called to live life disconnected from other believers, but to live every facet of life together, showing Jesus’ love to the world. Therefore, as we embark on this experience to follow the Lord’s leading, we would greatly covet your prayers and even love to talk more with you about our calling and how we can remain obedient to where He guides us.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
That our lives would be worship to Jesus, the only true God
“Love your neighbor as your self.”
That we would give our lives to love the suffering, poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the orphan and the widow
“Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life (make disciples), marking them by baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”
Let us be obedient to go wherever God calls, near or far, and make disciples who love Jesus, and love their neighbor.

If you want to get updates VIA email, or if you have any more questions, please email us at missyandjeremiah@gmail.com
Jeremiah and Missy Weismann