I made it safely. Couple glitches along the way, but I made it. I came without a visa or round trip ticket and was warned that I may not make it into Africa. They require a ticket showing I am leaving sometime and we had never heard of not needing a visa for more than 90 days. I did bring a letter from Inter Outreach here in Cape Town that states what I am doing and how long I will be here. Plus a letter from Covenant of Faith saying they are sending me with their blessings. The guy in customs at Cape Town airport asked if I have a visa and a ticket. He said "you're really supposed to have a ticket to enter, but you have a letter, so I'll let you in anyways. I can only do 90 days, but you can get an extension in 60 days." So, here I am.
The house is great! Very South African - even has a couple of living areas outside with TONS of plants and greenery! Looks like mom was here :-) It's a pretty large ranch house with many sitting areas, bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with showers (very diff than our bathrooms, though). I will have to take some pics and send them to you.
I have two housemates (1 is a roommate); Deborah is from Zimbabwe and is very sweet, Colleen is from Cape Town and is very fun, she is my roommate. Deborah has been here for 1 1/2 yrs at the house and knows the ins-&-outs very well, which is great. Colleen is very outgoing and social and has already introduced me to some people. Both of the ladies are the same age as me, in love with God and attend the church that I was hoping to go to (Marge goes there, as well). Deborah has shown me the area and how to use public transportation- we went to the market, Chinese store (this is where they buy cheap stuff, too -lol) and Internet cafe (for when I can't use this one). I'm 15 minutes from the ocean driving: it's a little cold for that right now. I did go to Marge's house to help her clean for a showing; she lives at the ocean and has amazing views - you can also see the soccer stadium, for those of you who are interested.
I have attended cell group with Colleen and met a few more people. Two of the ladies & I instantly became friends - they are also friends with Colleen and Deborah. We went to a (never ending) worship service last night till midnight. It was about a 1/2 hr drive and had a great time clowning around and talking. They are all so much fun and Godly women, they also are very relational and deep people - they don't just settle for short answers, they keep asking till they get deeper - I love it!!! Roommates and friendship are two of the things I prayed about before leaving and I am still pleasantly surprised at God's awesomeness!
I still can't tell how safe it is to walk around here. Everything is surrounded by gates and locks, but told it's safe if I walk over the bridge, not the quick way. I guess Deborah does it often enough. It feels a lot safer than Joburg, but I have already heard stories. I can't make phone calls here unless I get a calling card, so I can't even contact anyone, which feels weird. I have to wait for Marge to contact me. I kind of feel like I'm on a prayer retreat, which someone else decides when it ends. It's strange to be at everyonelse's mercy: transportation, phone calls, instructions on how to do things here and even food for awhile.
I just got up enough nerve to go to the market by myself today. Guess what? I made it just fine and even enjoyed myself. It was kinda strange to pay 10 for most items like milk and coffee, 15 for cheese and have a total of 90. Kind of makes your heart skip a beat until you remember that rands are 7:1 with the $. Then, it's not so bad.
Marge was unable to meet with the church Tuesday due to car failure, this is now rescheduled for next Weds. We are all waiting to see how everything will play out. Good thing I've been getting practice at this. In the meantime Marge has me reading materials and networking with other people doing similar things here. I will be attending a couple of trainings at Straatwerk soon and joining Justice Acts, which is a committee set up to help prostitutes.
I still can't believe I am here. I got quite nervous after London, when they were unsure about my coming in without a visa to go to Cape Town. Now I can relax a little and enjoy being here. Some moments I'm quite excited and others, I'm asking myself "what the heck am I doing here?" Life is definitely not going to look the same.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Death Made Me an Heir
Another event that affected me immensely was the death of an acquaintance. We had recently done ministry together and I had looked up to him as a role model for the ministry that I was doing. Out of respect for others I won’t mention his name.
The week after my accident, I found out that he had committed suicide, leaving behind a family. The wound is still raw for many, so I will leave out the details. He may have been an acquaintance and not a close friend – his death still affected me, none the less. So much that I have told very few people about this and did a couple counseling sessions. Even now I can not write this without tears coming to my eyes.
I was well aware of his testimony and all that God had brought him through. I never saw the man without seeing him smiling, laughing or talking about God. My whole paradigm was being thrown into orbit.
I didn’t understand how a sovereign God could allow him and his family to go through and make it through so much, just to have this happen. What would cause a person to take their own life? I also took it quite personally.
I wondered how I could have been so deceived. The man I knew was an amazing man of God. Or was he? Could a man of God do such a thing? How on earth was I to trust any leader in the church again when so many have blind-sided me? This is something that has bothered me for quite some time and was keeping me from not only trusting others, but fully trusting God.
Through this journey, God showed me that so many Godly men (and women) have orphan hearts. We are all born with this; we can be “born again” and do all the “right” things and still have an orphan heart. Without dealing with this it can grow into a stronghold of oppression. The only way for one to overcome this is to experience the full embrace of Father’s love; going from the heart of an orphan to an heir of Father God.
Very few people, even Christians know what this is like. On the outside we can “look” and “sound” like an heir, but we do not “think” like an heir. This leaves a lot of room for the enemy to step in and defeat us. All it takes is for one circumstance to defeat us and we are left weak and vulnerable. It is in this moment that we find ourselves doing what we normally wouldn’t do.
This does not mean that we are not a man (or woman) of God, that we do not love Him or that we are not genuine; it just means that we have not allowed Father God to completely transform us, turning us into His heir, not just His child.
For more information on this subject check out “Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship”, by Jack Frost.
The week after my accident, I found out that he had committed suicide, leaving behind a family. The wound is still raw for many, so I will leave out the details. He may have been an acquaintance and not a close friend – his death still affected me, none the less. So much that I have told very few people about this and did a couple counseling sessions. Even now I can not write this without tears coming to my eyes.
I was well aware of his testimony and all that God had brought him through. I never saw the man without seeing him smiling, laughing or talking about God. My whole paradigm was being thrown into orbit.
I didn’t understand how a sovereign God could allow him and his family to go through and make it through so much, just to have this happen. What would cause a person to take their own life? I also took it quite personally.
I wondered how I could have been so deceived. The man I knew was an amazing man of God. Or was he? Could a man of God do such a thing? How on earth was I to trust any leader in the church again when so many have blind-sided me? This is something that has bothered me for quite some time and was keeping me from not only trusting others, but fully trusting God.
Through this journey, God showed me that so many Godly men (and women) have orphan hearts. We are all born with this; we can be “born again” and do all the “right” things and still have an orphan heart. Without dealing with this it can grow into a stronghold of oppression. The only way for one to overcome this is to experience the full embrace of Father’s love; going from the heart of an orphan to an heir of Father God.
Very few people, even Christians know what this is like. On the outside we can “look” and “sound” like an heir, but we do not “think” like an heir. This leaves a lot of room for the enemy to step in and defeat us. All it takes is for one circumstance to defeat us and we are left weak and vulnerable. It is in this moment that we find ourselves doing what we normally wouldn’t do.
This does not mean that we are not a man (or woman) of God, that we do not love Him or that we are not genuine; it just means that we have not allowed Father God to completely transform us, turning us into His heir, not just His child.
For more information on this subject check out “Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship”, by Jack Frost.
I Auto Be Glad
I realize I sort of dropped off the planet for the past 6 months. This is because at the end of January I was in a car accident. Though it was a minor accident it effected half of my body, which made it difficult to do much more than go to Dr apts and sit with ice. It was also quite painful. My left ankle was sprained, with different types of minor issues, my pelvis was knocked out of place and caused my siatic and other nerves to be pinched, plus hurt my hip. I got whiplash, which caused swelling, dizziness, headaches and nausea.
The worst of it all was my left shoulder. My front rotater cuff muscle was torn, as well as some tendants surrounding the rotater cuff. For the first couple of months I was waiting to see if I would need surgery. As the shoulder was beginning to heal, I tore it again. This time I was told that I need to see the surgeon. Instead I prayed.
Even though I have had a great medical team, I had enough of the Drs, medical apts and being injured. Mostly I was tired of waiting for Africa and decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and completely give it to God. I had people pray for me; it was during a mobilization seminar that God healed this tear, as well as most of my body.
Immediately I was able to do many things that I couldn’t do before (like move my arm without it hurting). My pain went from a 6 to a 3 and within a week it only hurt when I used it too much. Within 2 weeks I was doing Zumba, 2 weeks later added Pilates and am now doing Zumba 4 times a week. I’m pretty sure I am healthier now than I was before the accident. Last Tuesday I was medically discharged. My shoulder now only hurts at a level 1 about 1x/wk.
I still have injuries, my back and neck hurt often, my range of motion isn’t perfect and I get headaches. God is faithful and I know that He will heal these areas, as well.
Besides the physical it was emotionally difficult, as well. At the time of the accident I was dropping off the rest of my donations. I had quit my job the week before, the day of the accident was my last day at my house; the following week I had planed to sell my car, buy a plane ticket and go to Africa. Instead, I found myself wondering what happened, where did I go wrong?
We often say that God doesn’t allow things like this to happen. I disagree. He had been telling me for almost a month that I would be in a car accident. Every time I prayed about selling my car I immediately envisioned a car accident. I would then think that I am paranoid. I also believe that this car accident was completely a blessing from above. There are so many ways in which my life is better because of this accident.
At first I had peace, as I knew it was a part of God’s plan; shortly after I wallowed in my pity and questioned God’s love and sovereignty. I quickly learned that I base God’s love on circumstances, I lack faith and I am easily discouraged.
Over the months God has worked on each of these areas and has matured me. I am not the same person I was 5 months ago and I thank God for that. He not only grew me emotionally and spiritually, but he worked on me physically.
I have spent a lot of time and effort working on who I am emotionally and spiritually, but didn’t concern myself a whole lot with the physical. I knew that one day I would need to work on this, for the time being I would just let that happen when it happened. Apparently, the time was now and God figured I needed a bit of a shove.
Through my medical apts, exercises and time with God I learned so much more about anatomy, how things function and why. I learned that I wasn’t standing, walking or even breathing correctly (didn’t know it could be incorrect). I also learned that I do not use my core muscles hardly at all. I now know how to do this correctly and have exercises to assist with this. I have also learned even more about eating correctly and how taking care of myself would heal me quicker, which meant I could go to Africa sooner. I finally had motivation.
I have also been pampered by having a chiropractor and massage therapist. My body is better aligned, which helps everything. I had assistance with working out and learning how to do this correctly and effectively. I also virtually had my own personal trainers. I was even allowed to order a therapeutic pillow and will be getting orthotics – all of which will help my posture, back and neck. Though it has been quite annoying, I have been given ample time to rest and spend time with God before heading off to a whole new world.
While it may not have seemed like it, God has used this accident to bless me beyond measure. There are so many things that I know He did and there will be things that God will still be revealing to me later, because of this accident. I am glad that God loves me so much that He is willing to let me go through some pain in order to better me, my life and those around me. For this it was worth it.
The worst of it all was my left shoulder. My front rotater cuff muscle was torn, as well as some tendants surrounding the rotater cuff. For the first couple of months I was waiting to see if I would need surgery. As the shoulder was beginning to heal, I tore it again. This time I was told that I need to see the surgeon. Instead I prayed.
Even though I have had a great medical team, I had enough of the Drs, medical apts and being injured. Mostly I was tired of waiting for Africa and decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and completely give it to God. I had people pray for me; it was during a mobilization seminar that God healed this tear, as well as most of my body.
Immediately I was able to do many things that I couldn’t do before (like move my arm without it hurting). My pain went from a 6 to a 3 and within a week it only hurt when I used it too much. Within 2 weeks I was doing Zumba, 2 weeks later added Pilates and am now doing Zumba 4 times a week. I’m pretty sure I am healthier now than I was before the accident. Last Tuesday I was medically discharged. My shoulder now only hurts at a level 1 about 1x/wk.
I still have injuries, my back and neck hurt often, my range of motion isn’t perfect and I get headaches. God is faithful and I know that He will heal these areas, as well.
Besides the physical it was emotionally difficult, as well. At the time of the accident I was dropping off the rest of my donations. I had quit my job the week before, the day of the accident was my last day at my house; the following week I had planed to sell my car, buy a plane ticket and go to Africa. Instead, I found myself wondering what happened, where did I go wrong?
We often say that God doesn’t allow things like this to happen. I disagree. He had been telling me for almost a month that I would be in a car accident. Every time I prayed about selling my car I immediately envisioned a car accident. I would then think that I am paranoid. I also believe that this car accident was completely a blessing from above. There are so many ways in which my life is better because of this accident.
At first I had peace, as I knew it was a part of God’s plan; shortly after I wallowed in my pity and questioned God’s love and sovereignty. I quickly learned that I base God’s love on circumstances, I lack faith and I am easily discouraged.
Over the months God has worked on each of these areas and has matured me. I am not the same person I was 5 months ago and I thank God for that. He not only grew me emotionally and spiritually, but he worked on me physically.
I have spent a lot of time and effort working on who I am emotionally and spiritually, but didn’t concern myself a whole lot with the physical. I knew that one day I would need to work on this, for the time being I would just let that happen when it happened. Apparently, the time was now and God figured I needed a bit of a shove.
Through my medical apts, exercises and time with God I learned so much more about anatomy, how things function and why. I learned that I wasn’t standing, walking or even breathing correctly (didn’t know it could be incorrect). I also learned that I do not use my core muscles hardly at all. I now know how to do this correctly and have exercises to assist with this. I have also learned even more about eating correctly and how taking care of myself would heal me quicker, which meant I could go to Africa sooner. I finally had motivation.
I have also been pampered by having a chiropractor and massage therapist. My body is better aligned, which helps everything. I had assistance with working out and learning how to do this correctly and effectively. I also virtually had my own personal trainers. I was even allowed to order a therapeutic pillow and will be getting orthotics – all of which will help my posture, back and neck. Though it has been quite annoying, I have been given ample time to rest and spend time with God before heading off to a whole new world.
While it may not have seemed like it, God has used this accident to bless me beyond measure. There are so many things that I know He did and there will be things that God will still be revealing to me later, because of this accident. I am glad that God loves me so much that He is willing to let me go through some pain in order to better me, my life and those around me. For this it was worth it.
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