Red Hill
Today we had a lot of free time at Red Hill.  During this time we had a lot of time to think and reflect about the things that we were able to experience this past week.  As I was sitting in the church at the upper camp of the township "Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns came on my iPod.  When we walked in we found Pastor Kennedy, the local pastor, and frustration filled the room when we learned that there wasn't actually a "plan" for the few hours we had left there.  We were prepared for our last day of serving, but we had already visited most of the homes in the township with information about TB.  After listening to the song, though, I realized now was the perfect time to reflect and praise the amazing God that had gotten us through the week and also the God that showered blessings upon us since the beginning of our trip.  There is a lyric in the song that says "I lift my eyes into the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth."  I can't even begin to think of a better quote to describe this trip, for me at least.  God has been present and with us and it is completely obvious, there's no question.  From the moment we stepped off the plane we were amazed by the astonishing and overwhelming beauty that has continued to amaze us more and more everyday.  To be in the middle of all of that, I don't see how God cannot be felt.  I know for me, God has shown beauty in every situation, even in situations that might not have been so beautiful.  In a rundown and poor township where hopelessness is a feeling felt by most, God showed us hope through a simple field of beautiful wildflowers.  God has shown us hope by a simple smile from a person we got the opportunity to pray with.  And today there was time to be in a church, just take a step back, and reflect, which in my opinion is a true blessing.  The one roomed and cool church, though its not the church we are used to back home, is a pure sign of hope for the Red Hill community.  It is very evident to me and my group that God is continually working in this this church, the township, and the surrounding people.  When you're in a place like South Africa, it is easy to see how small we actually are in God's creation.  It's also easy to feel like people don't need us to actually make a difference.  However, I don't feel burdened or tired from our ministries this week, nor do I feel proud or like I have something to boast about.  In stead I feel overwhelmed with God's love and undeservingly blessed that the God of all creation chose myself and the rest of the group to show His love and do His work. -Brooke Satterfield
Masi
It is hard to believe the trip is already coming to an end. Today was our last day of mission work and it was a great way to end. Our group was split up when we were asked to finish some construction another group had started. Ten of our group was sent to Red Hill where we have been throughout the week and the other five were sent to repair a roof. Repairing a roof does not seem like a 1 day job and especially for 5 people, but in this case there was almost not enough work for all of us. The house we were working on belongs to a man with TB who would have never had the strength or supplies to properly fix his home. It was amazing to see him watching us as we worked, smiling at us the whole time. Rain made this process a little longer and more difficult, but we got it done. Amazingly, we managed to escape without one smashed finger and without anyone falling through the roof. We have gotten to see God work in so many ways this week and I have been very blessed to be a part of it. -Sam Batts

 
Waterfront and Chapman's Peak
Brooke and Sam have described our day well. After finishing lunch both teams met at the Waterfront in downtown Cape Town. We went to the mall, craft market and watched ships as they left the harbor. We had fun and we began to take in the sites and culture of one of the wealthiest parts of the continent of Africa. After walking through townships/slums we were passing Ferrari dealerships and the stadium which housed the 2010 World Cup. The world feels so backwards at times and I couldn't help but feel guilty about buying ice cream. Clearly, I have a lot more to think about. We ended the day by driving to Chapman's Peak which provided some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. It's been a great week and tomorrow, we're headed to Aquila for a Safari. Watch out Hippos, Rhinos, and Lions. - Christian Byrd

Thursday - South Africa Update

Today we split into two teams for most of the day. It was a great day and Reagan Fromm and Will Estes will take your through what each team experienced.

   Red Hill

Today began a lot like yesterday in Red Hill. Lynsey, Brooke, Emily Paynter and Harbin, Wayne, Jim, Nancy, Autumn, and I went door to door educating people about tuberculosis and how to prevent it. It was an extremely cold and cloudy day, so I was honestly expecting most people to stay inside their houses and not be willing to talk to us because they wanted to keep warm, which is a very difficult thing to do inside a tin house with zero insulation. Surprisingly, most people invited us inside their homes and were very open to what we had to tell them. It amazed me that people were so friendly and willing to talk and share the warmth of their homes even though we were a large group of foreigners that couldn't speak their language. I know that if a group as large as ours showed up at my door with a pamphlet and a load of questions I would be trying to plan my escape strategy rather than bring them into my home to have a conversation. We saw some really amazing things on our walk through Red Hill; a five inch colorful locust and a man carving intricate animal figurines out of stones on the ground were only a couple of the interesting things we got to see.

Our group also got the "privilege" of getting to spend the entire day with Roxy, an aggressive black and white pitbull covered in ticks that decided she wanted to hang out with us instead of her owner. It was definitely a challenge trying to talk to a woman about TB when Roxy sprinted inside her home, knocked over all of her kitchen chairs, and chased her cat up a tree. We probably spent more time chasing Roxy out of people's homes than we did talking about TB, but I think our group ended up getting a great lesson on patience and persistence.
After we went door to door, we got to go into the Red Hill Clinic for lunch, where we got to have our second game of "benchball", a game that our group created. It was great to see everyone's fun and competitive side come out. I think it's great how quickly our group has been able to become comfortable enough to kick a half-deflated ball at each other's faces(...sorry Jim, it really was an accident) and still be able to laugh about it later. We even got the Living Hope staff that works in Red Hill involved in the game, which was a lot of fun. After lunch was over, we headed to the church at the upper section of Red Hill to run Teen Club. Before the teens arrived, some of the younger kids came to the church to play and get some food(egg salad sandwich and an orange). I had the opportunity to meet Michelle, a beautiful four year old girl that could speak hardly any English, but wouldn't stop holding my hand or smiling at me the entire time that she was there. All I could think about the entire time I was holding her was that I hoped that life wouldn't break her smile, despite the difficulty of life in a township and the fact that her culture that practically screams at her to do things that will trap her in a life that is less than what she deserves. Though I was thinking about this, I decided it's more important to think about today. The fact that she was at the church today showed that she is learning about God and what he can do for her which gives me hope for her future, and all the children and teens that I've been meeting this week. I know that tonight I will be keeping Michelle and all the other people I have met this week in my prayers; it's going to be a cold night in Red Hill. Near the Clinic, there is a saying painted in an outdoor pavilion that reads, "God is real in Red Hill". Despite the cold winds and the extreme examples of poverty , I know that I felt God today in Red Hill, and I think everyone else in our group did too.
- Reagan Fromm

Masi

Going to bed last night, we already knew we were in store for a REAL South African winter day. As we woke up, the wind was howling and the clouds were out. It was not the sunny morning we were used to. Rain was an extreme possibility for today, but this did not stop us from starting our day. Today was definitely different than any other day we have had. We split into two groups to double up our mission work for the day. All the girls and the older men went to Red Hill to continue asking and passing out information about TB. Christian, Ryan, Alex, Sam, and myself headed to the township of Masi to rebuild a mans roof. On our way to Masi, we were discussing how dreary the weather looked outside. Despite how things looked, we spotted a rainbow going across the sky. God's presence was immediately felt because rainbows are such a wonderful creation. An old English author by the name of Thomas Browne once said, "All things in life are artificial, for nature is the art of God." Cape Town is a naturally beautiful place, even when the weather outside appears to be nasty. This rainbow was definitely the art of God. We had to make a stop at Living Hope on the way to Masi to pick up, Kevin, a fellow missionary who would be joining us in rebuilding the roof today. Kevin was from the United Kingdom and had spent 8 months in Cape Town last year. He was now back for another 3 weeks of missionary work. He did not just bring himself, he brought his entire family consisting of his wife and two young children (4 & 5 years of age). It really made me think about the sacrifices he was making, not only for himself, but for his entire family as well.

We arrived to Masi. At first, we had a few troubles getting our work started because the mans house we were working on was at home when he was not supposed to be. We got him to go stay at the neighbors house and our work was underway. Personally, this was my first experience in any type of construction and it was amazing to me that my first experience got to be in South Africa on a mission trip. Only half of the roof was able to be finished today due to a down pour. His roof was made out of tin, metal sheets and we were doing them layer by layer. We could see the rain was coming and by time we got the third layer done was when the rain began. If you want my opinion, I'd say this was great timing. If we had not been determined to get the third layer on before the rain came, then all this mans belonging would have been drenched. As it says in Titus 3:14, "Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives." Today, we served the Lord once again. We got our hands dirty and worked hard. We were all freezing. The wind was constantly blowing sand in our faces, yet nobody complained and nobody whined. We put up with the cold, windy, and rainy weather. We did not let this stop us from getting things done. We proceeded to get as much done as we could before the rain came in. We will return to tomorrow to finish our job. If weather permits, we will be leaving this man of Masi with a brand new roof. God Bless.

-Will Estes

Wednesday - South Africa Update

Before Jennifer and I got married, her sister gave birth to her second child, Ellen. I remember going to the hospital with Jennifer and holding Ellen. It was as if Ellen was a foreign object. I had no idea what I was doing. Everyone in the room looked at me and laughed. I knew before I walked in the hospital door that I had no chance at appearing normal around a baby. I knew nothing about them. The bottom line was: I had to take one for the team.

 

Experiencing new things is very much a risk when it comes to comfort as well as success. There is always a chance we could fail and fail miserably. As a Christian, this is the moment when faith has to intercede logic and fear. It's the moment where hope trumps all and love wins. It's when we decide to go with what we know is right despite how we look and if we fail....well...we take one for the team. It's really an easy concept if you step away from the trees and look at the forest. The BIG picture is that if we win the small battles of every day life with love, we draw the world one step closer to a love that is a drowning, over powering and pursuing hope that one day.."every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." That is not a dream. That is a fact. And the way we live and act is a reflection of where you draw your line in the sand. The hopelessness that is often generated when we can't see a difference being made, may be a roadblock in your ministry but it is not and can not be a wall that is impassable. Servant-hood will mean that you will be faced with more days where you don't see a difference than days where you do see a difference. Max Lucado warned us of this when he said,  “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd." Never. Lose. Hope. Love without ceasing. 

 

We began the day doing the small things. We went from door to door and met with families concerning tuberculosis. TB is becoming a problem in South Africa. There are four major symptoms of TB: coughing, fever, sweating at night and weight loss. We find out if anyone in the family has had at least two of these problems recently and then we take down basic information such as name, address, contact number, medical folder number, etc. Finally we ask how many children under 5 live in the home. Unfortunately, children of that age do not show symptoms of TB and if they are exposed to the sickness they must be taken to a hospital to be properly diagnosed. We also shared with them ways to prevent the spread of TB before we left. 


While one would think that the people of Red Hill would shy away from Westerners walking around their community, one would be surprised. The door to door fear  we know is a product of American culture and the constant call of capitalism that appears everywhere we turn. Red Hill invited us in their homes and we began to build some relationships with the locals. It was a great way to begin the day, even though it felt like we barley scrapped the surface. We turned in our information to Living Hope and they will follow up with the people we visited to insure that proper care is available for them if in fact some of them have TB. I have a very good feeling we came across several people who have TB and our efforts will yield health for a group of people who desperately need it. 






We finished the day with Kid's Camp. Our typical kids camp begins with songs, dances and skits. We follow that up with a craft and end by playing and giving them a meal to take home. In many cases that is the first and only time they will eat that day. Again, our students were fantastic and the pictures on Facebook can communicate better than my writing. These people are so hungry for someone to love them and our group has a lot of love to give. I think about Mary Elise playing in that glass, rock, and metal filled sandlot with no one looking for her and it's almost too much for me to take. Being a father adds another dimension to an already powerful experience.

Tuesday - South Africa Update

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in ...the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

Vulnerability is the fear that often drives us away from a true interaction with God. We value comfort more than we value intense relationships with other people and God. I don't think we do this because we're mean people. I think we do this because we're lazy. To love and care for someone takes time; it takes sacrifice. When I first heard that we were supposed to wash the feet of the people of Masi, I knew our kids would be nervous. Most of these people walk barefoot on dirt or gravel roads. They are not well kept and their feet are not in good condition. One's natural reaction is to build a wall......any wall.... that will distance you from an act like foot washing. But Jesus celebrated this and we saw it first hand in John 12:3 when Mary washed his feet. The disciples were even taken back. Why would Jesus allow anyone to do this? Because love can be seen most clearly in our moments of vulnerability. You should have seen our group. They jumped in without hesitation. I had to make them rotate to other stations. They found the worst job possible and they worked as hard as they could. Then, after washing the feet of the Masi people, our group prayed with each member. Some prayed about financial struggles, others prayed about sick children, and some of our students prayed for comfort during the final stages of the life of an infected HIV patient. So it wasn't a lite day by any means. They were incredible and I've been blown away by their willingness to do the difficult projects placed in front of them.

After a long day of work we headed to Redhill to play with kids. There were some really great moments there. We danced, played soccer, chased each other and gave piggy back rides. You can start to see the connection between our students and the people around them. It took several days but it's happening and I truly believe the foot washing today broke all comfort barriers down. I urge you to listen to our students when they come home. Their words are wiser, their hands are dirtier, their hearts are brighter. These are your people half way around the world representing Christ and representing you and they are doing it well..just like Mary in John 12:3. It worked out well for her and the same could be said for our own.

   

Dr. King from Parkway Baptist Church is Ryan Wilson's current pastor. He's on the trip with us and he gave a wonderful explanation of another story in scripture that related to today. After washing the disciples feet Jesus reminded them that they would not forget that moment, and it's hard to argue with him. Think about the shock, guilt and embarrassment they must have felt after finally understanding servant-hood three years into Jesus' ministry. I believe with all my heart that just as the disciples will never forget the day Jesus washed their feet; our students will never forget the day they acted as Christ and washed the feet of others. That is servant-hood.  It's tough to find anything to say about today but it's probably best summed up by the picture below of Mary Virginia.

Monday - South Africa Update

Is there anything better than spiritual confirmation? Because that's all we really have. We can tell you or show you what we're seeing but it's not possible to convey it in a justifiable manner. John Mayer said it best, "You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes, it brought me back to life." I can show you thousands of pictures but they don't really measure up to the vastness of this place. And I could tell you a million stories but they don't measure up to the power of what we're feeling and experiencing. Because the truth is the one thing that nothing can trump in belief system that is driven by faith, is experience. Experience usher's us into the presence of what God is doing and we suddenly find ourselves invested in God's work. And that is not something you can explain or show through any picture or with any words. That is why spiritual confirmation is so strong and vital to the growth and development of the believer.

Today began much like yesterday. The beauty of this place is at times obnoxious. I can't put my camera down in fear of missing something. But we had a fantastic breakfast and set out for a tour of all the Living Hope facilities. They took explaining culture and orienting us to the area very seriously. I think this is so important to our effectiveness while we're here. You have to understand who you're working with and they certainly prepared us today for the rest of the week. We spent the first half of the day touring their facilities and learning.

The second half of the day we went to a township called Redhill and spent times with the kids. For those of you keeping score, a township is usually synonymous with a slum. That was the case today. Earlier we discussed experience and today I sat back as I watched our group completely engage poor African children. They didn't hold back. They weren't cautious with their love. They loved blindly and willingly. At one point Will and Sam were covered with boys wanting to play with them. Did you know that 82% of children in that township do not have a relationship with their father? Did you know today over the course of 3-4 hours, Sam and Will gave those boys more love than any man has ever given them?

As for our girls, rest assured that they could barley get up because the children were obsessed with braiding their hair. At one point I overheard a small girl look at Mary Virginia's hand and say "white", she then looked at her hand and said, "black", Mary V responded with, "Yes, but the same."

 

I am so proud of our kids. I can't stress that enough. They are totally committed to being the hands and feet of Jesus this week. I caught myself gravitating to the back of the room today and just watching. Parent's other than you, I love your kids as much as anyone. Today I was taken back at the love they have to give. What I witnessed and saw reminded me that I had the greatest job in the world. Thank you for making it easy for me by the way you've raised your kids.

Living Hope is committed to teaching and building a biblical foundation in the lives of children because they have to change a generation if they are going to be successful in changing cultural mentality. It's better to build a wholistic child than mend a broken man.