Car loans, Gatsby's, and Afghanistan

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted, I apologize for anyone that was absolutely dying to read my updates. I'd say it won't happen again but realistically it will happen a lot more frequently in the next few months (keep reading and you'll find out why). I've been in an uninspired mood lately and have had no desire to write anything relevant. Today is different though.

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So, my last post mentioned that I was still in need of almost $1,000 to finish paying for my outreach fees. God totally provided and everything is covered and paid for! I'm still praying about money for bills while I'm away but thats another topic haha.

This may have been the greatest testimony of money coming out of nowhere to pay for this trip. In August of 2008 I sold a car to a family I know with the agreement that they'd pay it off as they had the money. They ended up unemployed 2 weeks later. We talked it over and agreed that they'd continue paying as soon as they could. They repaid the last $555 last week, the timing could not have been more perfect!

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Lunch on the weekends is the African equivalent to Top Ramen around here. Sometimes I eat it, sometimes I find new foods to try. This has become one of my favorites. It's called a Gatsby, and it's the biggest sandwich I've ever seen. It's enough to feed 3 starving men though it usually fills 4 people up just fine. At the price of R75 ($12), the price is just right when split between a couple people. They're usually filled with chips (french fries), lettuce, sauce of your choosing, and a main item. This one was chips and calamari and it took Ben and I two meals to finish it.

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Our speaker this week was a guy from Afghanistan. God called him there 9 years ago, when he was 18. It was a privilege to hear his stories of faith and inspiration directly from the mission field. We shared our classroom with another DTS (Discipleship Training School) from Worcester, South Africa and despite being a bit more crowded than usual, it was fantastic. I also met a girl from Placerville (about 45 minutes from my California home) who was one of the Worcester students! It's amazing how small the world gets when you step away from what you know.

Our team bought our airline tickets early this past week, so assuming our visa's come in on time (they will!) this next week is my last week in Africa for a few months. We had a slight change of plans for our stop on Ranike. We're joining up with a prayer team from the Norway that is already established in that area. They lead prayer hikes throughout a bunch of tiny Himalayan villages, so we're probably going to end up going on an 8 day journey in the foothills of some of the tallest mountains in the world. It's going to be an amazing stop on our trip!

Because of the amount of traveling we'll be doing and the areas we're planning on visiting, I won't be bringing my laptop with me. Except for our time hiking, we're expecting to be relatively close to internet cafe's the majority of the time. One of my teammates is bringing a computer along and we'll all have cameras so there will be plenty of pictures posted sometime in June! Updates from now on will be less frequent but I plan on being to post occasionally, we'll see how it works out...

India Update

I stumbled across this great quote the other day on somebodies Facebook wall. I can't remember the source and Google wasn't very useful, so the author is unknown for the time being. I'm absolutely enthralled with this quote right now, I honestly think this fits so many people. How many of us will strive to reach that though?

"The world will know when I achieve my potential, the ripples

of my existence will outlive many generations."

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This mustache is incredible.

I was looking for a picture on Google and randomly came across this glorious mustachioed Indian man. Someday I'd like to shake his hand and thank him for achieving his mustache potential.

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This evening we received some confirmation about places we'll be staying and helping with in India, so I thought I'd share it with everybody!

We'll be leaving South Africa on March 28th and arriving in Coimbatore, India shortly after that. The plan is to stay there and help with the work in the slums and townships for 3 weeks. There is a lot of poverty in Coimbatore, we'll be helping out wherever we can and in whatever capacity we are able to.

From Coimbatore we'll head south to Trivandrum (the most Southern YWAM base in India). In Trivandrum we'll be working with churches and camps in the area. We'll be teaching classes similar to what we've held during our DTS.

After Trivandrum we'll head to the Northern part of India to a town called Ranike. In Ranike we'll be helping restore old classrooms and working within 3 different areas around Ranike. We'll be doing a lot of strategic praying throughout this area and again, helping wherever necessary and loving people.

We'll fly from India back to SA in the beginning of June, spend a week debriefing with the other outreach teams, and then I fly back to California!

I would love to give you more details, but this is all of it. We're open to whatever God has for us and going wherever He leads. These are places that He put on our hearts and doors that were opened, so this is our plan.

I'm still praying for God to provide another $950 in the next couple days. Every dollar counts, if you're interested in contributing please use the "Donate" button on the left side of the page. I'd appreciate prayer support as well as ideas on ways to raise money over here. There's two other members on my team that are trying to raise more financial support, please be praying for them also!

Stories of faith

I think South Africa has some pretty sweet money. I'd say it's the coolest ever, but I really don't have much to compare it to.

South African currency is called a Rand. The conversion rate constantly changes but it's roughly 7 Rand for every 1 US Dollar right now. So, $7.50 would get you that R50 with the awesome lion's head on it over there to the right. -->

During a time of prayer for the DTS (Discipleship Training School) students tonight, we were asked to write down how much money we were still waiting for God to provide for our outreach fees (which are due on March 10th).

Out of the 27 students we still need R95,000, or $13,500.

I personally still need R7,500 to pay for the rest of my outreach to India. That's a little over $1,000. I love seeing God work and move and I was so encouraged to see how many different people that God used to provide for my ticket to India. I'd like to share a few testimonies about different people God used recently.

• $10 received from a Dutch friend. I've never met this guy in real life (we've only had a connection online). He's also an unemployed college student. Perhaps the most amazing thing is that we don't believe in the same God, but he still believes in seeing the world changed and improved.

• $4 from a friend in the Mid-West. I stayed with this friend and her husband for a few days last year and was blessed to have met them and enjoyed their company. This friend has ongoing health issues and they continue to pay her hospital bills using only the husbands income because she can't work. They later sent another $20!

• $100 received from a family on the East Coast. I lived with this amazing family for a few months in 2009. One day at work I was given an old box of books. I picked one out and then passed it on to them. It was filled with Bibles and old Christian books from an estate sale. One day, one of them picked a Bible out of the box, flipped it open, and found a $100 bill! They passed it along a few weeks ago, what a blessing!
  

The list could go on and on, but these are some of my favorites. Each donation is a blessing in it's own right. It's someone taking a minute to pass something on, it's another person partnering with the ministry God is using me for right now. It's a step of faith and an act of giving.

I've really been dwelling on Hebrews 11 lately about the great cloud of witnesses (I'd encourage everyone to re-read it , click here). I love all the stories of faith, but I think my favorite part lately has been the first few words of verse 38...the world was not worthy of them. I want to have faith like that.

Prayers for South Africa

Every Monday morning the entire base here meets for prayer and intercession. The leaders pick a topic and we pray into it. Today was Somalia/Somaliland and the civil unrest they have up there. I thought it would be helpful to give some facts about South Africa specifically for people back home who might be interested in praying for this nation. While it is fighting and struggling to become a stronger country and overcome many of the issues going against it, South Africa still has a lot of problems.

Starting at the top with President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. A man who currently has been married 5 times (and is still married to 3 of his wives) and is engaged to two other women. His 20th child was born in 2009.

Zuma was quoted recently trying to gain votes for his political party, the ANC (African National Congress, the SA equivalent to republicans and democrats). This is what he said:

"When you vote for the ANC, you are also choosing to go to heaven. When you don't vote for the ANC you should know that you are choosing that man who carries a fork...and who cooks people [...] When you are carrying an ANC membership card, you are blessed. When you get up there, there are different cards used but when you have an ANC card, you will be let through to go to heaven [...] When (Jesus) fetches us we well find (them) wearing black, green, and gold, the holy ones belong to the ANC."

In 2005 Zuma was accused of raping a woman. Despite heading the National AIDS Council and having knowledge of this woman being HIV positive, he did not use a condom. His response, in court, was that he took a shower afterwards to "cut the risk of contracting HIV".

His response shows the lack of awareness amongst South Africans about a disease that runs rampant in this country. In 2007 it was reported that 12% of the SA population were infected with HIV/AIDS. In some areas, that number is now close to 30% of the population. South Africa is believed to have the largest percentage of infected people in the world. There is a large number of AIDS denialists throughout the country, including former presidents and health ministers. The health minister in 2006 advocated "a diet of garlic, olive oil and lemon to cure the disease."

There are signs that things are changing though. Between 2005-2007 the percentage of teenagers with HIV/AIDS went down 3%. Awareness has also been raised drastically due to two television programs aimed at teenagers and adults.

Things to be praying for:

• South Africa is in desperate need of revival and an awareness of their situation.
• More people being trained and raised up to bring that awareness and share God's love.
• For the political and social leadership of SA to fight the rampant corruption and begin to set positive examples.

This post has been kind of off topic, but it was on my heart this evening. Please take a minute to pray and pass it on. All the information I posted here can be found in the following articles. Once again, if you want to help with what I'm doing, please use the donation button on the left side of this page or shoot me a message/leave a comment. I'm trying to raise $1,500 by March 10th.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS_in_South_Africa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Zuma

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article896486.ece/Zuma-should-apologise-for-God-comments--DA

More ramblings

I like the ocean, and I really like being within walking distance of the beach. I enjoy spending time alone on one of the multi-colored benches watching the waves roll in. I like sitting in silence and I like praying. I like seeing the waves come up and erase the mess that people left on the beach, footprints turned back into a clean slate for the next day. That would be the reason you might have found me alone after dark on one of those benches last week. Well, alone for a few minutes at least.

Earlier in the day I had run across one of the numerous beggars in Muizenberg and he asked me for some money for bread. I normally try to make up an excuse for not giving money or food to the beggars because there's a soup kitchen right in the middle of town. I told him that I wasn't going to the store (because I wasn't) and kept walking.

I saw him on the way to the beach that evening and he (Fabian was his name) followed me and sat down beside me on the bench.

We started talking about money and food (the most important things on his mind). Honestly, it was a frustrating conversation for me. I wanted to be alone and he wanted my money. We talked about how his Grandma lived alone and didn't have any income, how he couldn't go see her during the daytime or he'd get beaten up. We talked about his love for music and his desire to make it big as a musician. We talked about the Dutch guys who would come on vacation and pay him R5 (about 80 cents) to watch their car for the night so nobody messed with it. We talked about his love for marijuana and God. We talked about a lot of stuff, but it always came back to wanting money.

I shared with him my many reasons for not giving him money. There's a soup kitchen in town and that's their ministry. I'm jobless as well. If I give him money today and see him tomorrow then he'll just want more. If I give him money then everybody else in the area will want some also. If I buy him a loaf of bread then any money he has right now will just go for drugs.

We finally came to a point where I broke. I offered to buy him a loaf of bread, but he brought up the point that if I did that then anyone in or outside the store would know I did it and would want something from me also. I had R20 (about $3) and so I gave it to him. I told him to bring me the change right back. He offered to leave his bag as a promise that he would come back but I told him I trusted him. The store was within eye-sight if I turned around and moved 10 feet to the side. He could be there and back in 4 minutes if he walked slowly.

Fabian left and I finally had my peace and quiet.

20 minutes later, I still had my peace and quite....and no money. I headed home feeling a little bitter. Honestly, it wasn't about the money or the fact that I was robbed.

I started to wonder where the line was according to the Bible, or if there even is a line to draw? When is it okay to give someone money and when do you put your foot down and say no? Not to be cliche but what would Jesus do?

James 2:14-16 says "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"

So, where's the line?

I saw Fabian again on Friday. He didn't try to hide or walk away. He crossed the street and we started talking. I reminded him that he'd stolen some money from me and he tried to tell me how he'd gotten lost. I interrupted him and told him that I forgave him. We were able to pray together, for his Grandmother, for a job for him, and for his friends and their situations.

I'll probably see him around, and he might ask me for money or food again. I don't know what my response will be.

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Once again, I'm in need of another $1,500 before March 10th. This will be my final payment and will go towards covering all my costs while I'm in India. I'll be buying my plane ticket later this week as well as applying for a travel visa on Monday. Any donations are very appreciated, I wouldn't be here without the help of you guys! I know that God is more faithful than I am, He got me here and provided the money for a ticket to India, He won't let me down halfway.

Broomheksienhidrochlorie

Team India!

3 1/2 Americans, 1 German, 1 Dutch, 1 South Korean, and 1/2 a Swaziland...er? Swazilandite? Swazilandian? Let's just say 4 Americans!

This week our topic was on dreams and visions for the future. I missed half of it because I was sick. I feel like I've been sick since I got here, maybe because I have. It's a lingering head cold basically. I get rid of it for a week and then it comes back and knocks me out for a few days, this is the last time though. We've had an irregular schedule this week due to the schedules of our speakers, but it leaves more time for recuperating, so I'm not arguing about anything haha. God is great and broomheksienhidrochloried is good. I don't even know what that is, but it's an ingredient in the medicine the pharmacist gave me. I'd challenge you to try saying that 3 times fast but I don't know that anyone can actually even say it once...I know I can't.

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I'm still trying to raise another $1,500 before March 10th. Let's see, that's 15 days away...so $100 a day. Totally possible, but I could use your help! I'd like to spread my blog around, but I only know so many people. Can you pass my link on to a friend; send it to your pastor, youth leader, church missions board; or share it on Facebook? You don't have to post pictures and links on neighborhood telephone poles...unless you think it would help. ;)

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I love the story of David. His entire life is a huge roller-coaster, the highest highs and the lowest lows but he was still known as a man after God's heart.

We talked about David and Goliath briefly in one of our sessions this week, so I went back to 1 Samuel 17 to read the story again.

In class we talked about how David shared his ''war stories'' with Saul to justify his experience and capability in battle. In verses 34-37 David talks about how he would watch his father's sheep. When a lion or bear came to take a lamb David would kill it. It wasn't really that big of a deal though, he stood on top of a hill a long distance away and shot it with a high-powered rifle, so he was never directly in harms way. Oh sorry, that was a different story. This David would grab the animal by it's mane and beat it to death. (This is a bit harsh, yes, but not as gruesome or brutal as 1 Samuel 18:22-27...look it up, really). Who does that kind of stuff?

I love how Saul tried to give David weapons to defeat Goliath with because he felt David was under (or un) equipped. David couldn't handle the weight of them, he didn't have any experience with them so he resorted to what he knew he could use. He pulled out his sling and grabbed some rocks. David didn't need the approval or criticism of others to encourage him, he was confident in who he was and the skills he already had.

Verse 48 says that as Goliath moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly to meet him....what? I picture Goliath walking (maybe sauntering is a better word, or strutting?) confidently and suddenly David takes off running towards him!

David is definitely one of my favorite guys ever. He probably knew how to pronounce broomheksienhidrochloried also.

The cost of discipleship

It's a happy grimace on my face, I promise!

Good news, I have all the money I need for the first deadline! Now I need an additional $1,500 before March 10th and then I'm free and clear for quite awhile! God is always so faithful to provide, it's pretty great. Many thanks to everybody who listened and gave as God directed, He's an incredible orchestrator!

This week our topic in class was the cost of discipleship. Our speaker had some amazing authority in that area, he was falsely accused and imprisoned in Iran for 9 weeks! He overcame two death sentences (one for being a missionary and the other for being a spy), and was freed the same way he was thrown into prison, without much explanation.

Aside from sharing a couple incredible stories, Dan imparted some great wisdom, mainly in one-liners mixed into his stories. These are some of my favorites:

• The Christian life is experiencing Jesus over and over again.
• God is more committed to fulfilling His will in our lives than we are to find it.
• God is in love with who I am right now. Not who I will be or could be, but who I am now.
• Readiness doesn't define our obedience.

Those last two are my absolute favorites. I don't need to change who I am for God to love me to the best of His ability. God doesn't love ''more'' or ''less'', He's an equal opportunity lover!

Back in December I wrote about God qualifying the called, and I think that last point fits right in with this. It was a great reminder this week, that I don't need to do anything except step forward and be willing to go where God wants me to. If I always needed to feel ''ready'' to do something big, where would I be? Probably sitting on the couch, or maybe even still in bed. Dan mentioned how when people hear his story of imprisonment they often say that they could never do that, that they aren't capable of going to prison for the Gospel. I can tell you that Dan didn't wake up one morning and think he was capable of doing it either, but God gave him the ability to persevere.

A short documentary and re-enactment was made recently about Dan's time in prison. I'm not able to watch these clips (because of my internet speed) but I wanted to pass them along with you guys. (Someone let me know if they don't work please!) All 3 parts are less than 15 minutes total I believe.

Imprisoned in Iran [Part 1]

Imprisoned in Iran [Part 2]

Imprisoned in Iran [Part 3]