Back in the Northern Hemisphere

Well it's been a while since I last blogged. That's because once the World Cup started in SA there was literally nothing bar soccer happening in Clarens! The village caught 2010 fever and it took over our lives. Vuvuzelas were being blown from about 4am each morning right through the day and evening from at least a couple of weeks before the first match. The kids were all given World Cup beanies, learnt the 'disci dance' (the official world cup dance) and the shops sold all things soccer including flags, wing mirror covers and sweeties.

It was fun watching the games on a big screen in the township or together in people's homes. South African's are a lot more patriotic than us Brits which was great to see. And the excitement when Bafana Bafana scored was unbelievable.

Anyway, part way through all of this I found out that I had been successful in my application for a job with Tearfund. I was so suprised as I really hadn't felt that my phone interview a couple of weeks previously had gone well and I had convinced myself that they had offered it to another candidate. So I quickly booked a flight back and left South Africa on 1st July. The last couple of weeks in Clarens and my time back in the UK has been a bit of a blur so far and it's only just sinking in that I've really left. I had a lovely evening the night before I left where I just invited loads of people over and served mulled wine (it's freezing winter in Clarens at the moment). We had a great time and then the next morning I was off. I travelled in true African style to the airport - packed into the back of the bakkie with all the suitcases. It was actually the most comfortable spot I reckon as I got to sleep all the way!

I start my new job next week and am busy trying to decide where to live. Tearfund are based in Teddington so I'll be somewhere around there. I'm going to be the administrator for the Central and East Africa Team. I think it will encompass all sorts of things and I'm excited to be a part of what Tearfund are doing to mobilise Christians worldwide to fight poverty.

I'm not sure what I'll do about this blog. For now I'll leave it but I may use it to tell you what's happening in different Tearfund projects around Africa once I'm familiar with them.

Thank you so much for reading over the last however-many months and for sharing in my African Adventure - I know it's not over, it's just taking a different shape for now.

Some pictures from the World Cup:

Moshoeshoe and his friend about to watch the match


Local boys in Bafana Bafana kit with a mini vuvuzela
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Modiehi playing a vuvuzela
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Popina waiting for the game to start
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Doing the disci dance on the village square
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Mapheo news....

Last week we held a banquet at Mapheo. We have spent the term teaching the kids what it means to be part of God's Royal Family, making things to demonstrate each point along the way. The kids made a self portrait of themselves as a prince or princess, a robe, a crown, a signet ring and a flag. We held back all their work then last week held a banquet to celebrate and gave them all their lovely things to wear. It was a whole lot of fun! The kids sat at a really, really long table, enjoyed yummy pap & stew and jelly and each got a party bag. It was one of those incredibly precious moments. Seeing kids who have nothing, are often unloved, and certainly represent the poorest of the poor dressed as princes and princesses and waited on by us was amazing. It literally brought to life the scripture that says Jesus will lift the poor from the ash heap and seat them with princes. If you want to see photos (and you should) head over to my facebook profile - I don't have a good enough internet connection right now to put them here as well.

Last week held a first for me - I had to change the dressings of a child at Mapheo who is HIV positive and very sick most of the time. It's the first time I've actually had to touch an open wound of an infected person. I was suprised with myself at the level of fear it held for me. Despite being educated on the subject and wearing surgical gloves I still had to speak truth to myself as I did it to ensure that the fear I felt inside didn't show. It made me realise just how easy it has been for HIV to become such a stigma in our community.

More Mapheo fun

So remember our game of ladders? That day there was one little girl who had stood out to all of us as totally clueless but hilariously so - she would plop herself back down in her place after her turn of running (which never went the right way), turn to the leader next to her and state in Sesotho 'oh I don't understand' with a very melodramatic sigh and then giggle away. This week we were teaching the kids about the great commission and trying to open up the world to them a little bit. The leaders sat around the room, and in groups the kids rotated around us and each of us taught them how to say 'Jesus loves you' in a different language. After the kids had left we all compared notes and guess who had made us laugh the most? Yes it was Katleho again! If you know that Friends episode where Phoebe tries to teach Joey to speak French it was like that. We'd state the phrase to her a little bit at a time and then Katleho would speak it back. She'd get it completely wrong but think she was getting it 100% accurate and grin away at us. Very, very funny. Let's just hope God never sends her to Russia or Poland or India - they won't understand her at all!

On a much sadder note, this week one of our Mapheo families lost a little baby boy. His mum is HIV positive and we're sure he was born HIV positive. He didn't seem to be developing properly and then contracted meningitis a few weeks after he was born. He spent the last few months in the hospital and died on Thursday. Please pray for peace for the family and for them to come to know Christ through this tragedy.

Mme Masakile's Testimony

Here is the testimony of the lady in our church who was healed of HIV:

Jemina’s (Mme Masakile) Testimony:

She got tested last year in June. She was tested by Dr Jeremy (who was attending Dihlabeng at the time).

Her result was HIV positive. Dr Jeremy send her to the clinic to confirm the results. She also tested positive at the clinic. Then they took her blood to the laboratory. And her cd4 was 750 (consistent with an otherwise healthy person carrying the HIV virus).

How do you feel after hearing that you are HIV +?

•I had a shock, and I was also afraid because I think that I am going to die! But I try not to show people that I just heard this terrible news.

•I could not sleep at night. I had lots of questions in my mind with no answers. I told Topsy (leads People of Hope our HIV/AIDs ministry) about my status and she encouraged me a lot. But when I am alone this thing came to my mind and torment me. I struggled to accept this for a month and I could not sleep well for a month.

•After a month, I said to myself that there is no need for me to be anxious about this thing of HIV. And I said to myself I need to tell God about this because there is nothing that I can do. Every night when I had a sleepless nights, I used to pray to God and telling Him about my sickness.

•After I spend lots of time telling God all this, I felt his peace coming into my heart. I felt Him removing all the stress, shame etc that I had for such a long time. It was even difficult for me to tell my family that I am HIV positive.

•After I received this peace, I decided to come fourth every Sunday to be prayed for. I did this for the whole 8 months. I was saying to God, “please heal me, I give my health to you because you know everything about me and now I present everything to you God”. I felt his peace all over my heart, mind and body and I started to feel bold in me that I am healed. I told the other lady in our church my status, and she encouraged me to share this to my children!! But I find it very difficult.

•This year in February, I felt faith raising up in me. And I felt in my heart that I am healed.

•Sunday the 18th April 2010, we had HIV/Aids Sunday in our church, and then I told myself that I am going to test again.

•I told Topsy, and she agreed with me. Firstly I was tested by Dave Farr (nurse from the UK volunteering in SA/Lesotho) and I tested negative. I asked Dr Liam Selfridge (member of the church, who is a consultant at the regional hospital) to test me again with another test just to confirm. And I tested negative. I felt like jumping, shouting, I didn’t know what to do. I was so happy I couldn’t contain myself. I felt like telling everybody that Jesus healed me!!!!

•I told Dr Liam that I am taking the medication from the clinic (Batrim). The Dr asked me to stop taking that medication because I am healed.

•He sends me back to the clinic with the referral letter, to ask the clinic to do another test. Then on Monday I went to the clinic.

At the clinic
•They first didn’t want to do the test to me. The sister in charge was very rude, she didn’t want even to read the letter from the Doctor. We had these arguments for 15min before they agrees to do the test. They said to me that the test that the doctor wants me to do is very expensive and I don’t have money for that!! But they end up doing it.

•They asked me to come after a week to fetch my result. Before the Lay Counsellor told me my result, she first asked me what I we doing/using at our church (witchcraft). I said to them we pray nothing else. She didn’t believe me, she thought that maybe there is something that we are using. I told her that our weapon is the prayer only. I asked her what are my results, I told her that I believe God healed me. She told me that the results came back negative.

•For all this time, I was asking God to do a miracle for me. I don’t read or write, but I keep on saying to God: “I heard my leaders saying that you do miracles, you heal every diseases, please Lord heal me, I know that you have power to heal every sickness.”

And God came to heal me and I am so grateful to Him.

My encouragement to others
I will like to say to everybody, who is facing difficulties in their lives, God is able to do everything. Please trust Him always and He will give the desire of your hearts.

Fun times

This week at Mapheo I was running a good old game of ladders. You'd think seeing as we've played it a few times before and I had leaders demo at the beginning that everything would go to plan....but naturally it didn't and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! It was totally hilarious watching the kids enthusiastically jump up when their number was called (or anyone elses number for some of them), or when they were shouted at by their team as they'd missed their number, then follow the course any way except the right way, including a little one heading to the toilets. They were all over the place, often running up the ladder and missing their space to sit down so doing it all over again, invariably going in opposite directions to each other, all the while being laughed at by all the leaders. They really didn't mind that they were getting it wrong everytime and being teased by us which was great. A few months ago many of them would have found the whole experience terrifying. I wish I'd taken a video for you all to enjoy the chaos but sadly I wasn't expecting such hilarity on a Thursday afternoon :-)

Another very funny thing happened this week at youth on Saturday night. Laura was speaking and introducing the topic for the evening. We're going through a series on idols and Saturday was about the worship of self. She said 'tonight we're talking about worshipping me'. The translation came throught 'tonight we're talking about worshipping Laura'! Thankfully she was tuned into the interpretation so picked it up straight away, otherwise we'd have had some very confused teenagers :-)

A miracle at Dihlabeng

Possibly the most exciting news ever - at Dihlabeng this Sunday we heard our first testimony of a lady being healed of HIV! She tested positive last year, and was sent to the hospital for full blood work as usual so it clearly wasn't a false positive result. Her words were 'I've been asking God ever since I found out to fight this battle for me'. 2 weeks ago at our HIV service she went forward for prayer then felt she should get a test done there and then. She had two independent tests which were both negative. This result has now been confirmed by the hospital. She said 'we think HIV is this mountain in our lives but nothing is impossible for our God'. The whole church just went crazy. What a celebration! May there be many more such miracles in the future.

General news

The major news from the last couple of weeks:

1. Rose has gone back to the UK after getting stranded here for an extra week because of the volcano in Iceland. It was lovely to have her visit for 3 weeks and of course she spoilt me!

2. We have been trying to visit one of my little boys at Mapheo for the last few weeks. Everytime we've been to the house there's been no one home and he hasn't been to Mapheo or church for a few weeks. Then the day before Rose flew home we finally found his mum waiting at the side of the road for a taxi. We stopped and chatted to her to find that he was in hospital in Bethlehem for a 'rash'. She told us he'd been there for a week but she hadn't seen him as she couldn't afford the taxi fare there. I gave her the money she needed and said I would also try and visit him. He's only 6 so the thought of him being in the state hospital (which isn't very nice) with no one visiting was heartbreaking. So on the way up to the airport with Rose the next day I stopped at the hospital. What I found out was even more heartbreaking - he'd actually been there for 2 weeks having been admitted with the measles, but the doctor had discharged him a week previously as he was now well. However the nurses were finding it impossible to get in touch with his mum to come and collect him. When he saw me he came racing down the corridor full of smiles and gave me a big hug. I gave him some food and toys which he promptly took to share with his little friend. The nurses asked me to take him home as the doctor was threatening to put him into a childrens home. It was so traumatic. But I had to leave him there as I was on my way to Jo'burg to drop Rose at the airport and I wasn't sure if his mum would be home and ready to take him. Now he has been picked up by an uncle who lives in a different town so he's still not back in Clarens. This means he's missing school yet again. It's so frustrating dealing with this family as he is a gorgeous little boy but his mum just doesn't seem to want him. She's living with a man who's not his father and has just had a new baby. This has meant that her boyfriend has started being very difficult about the older child being around. Please pray that she would be saved and come to realise her responsibility as a mother, and to understand the gift that this beautiful boy is.

3. I've moved house - I've moved in with a young couple from church to save some money. I moved at the weekend so am still getting used to it, but I think it's going to be fun. The drawback is my loss of internet connection so now I have to use the wifi service at the bakery, which is a bit of a hassle.

Small town life

So today I was at a braai (it's a public holiday in SA today) and Gareth & Nicci start sharing about their fish and chips takeaway on Friday night. They were really disappointed with it - they phoned in their order but when Gareth went to collect it they'd given it to someone else, he had to wait for 30 mins for them to make his order and then apparently it only came with like 5 chips.

At this point Jeremy says 'that's funny we had fish and chips on Friday night too and ours was really nice'. Laura chips in 'yeah and they even gave us a side salad which was lovely'. (There's only one place in Clarens that does fish and chips takeaway which is how we can have this conversation in the first place.)

Comprehension dawns on Nicci who says 'how many did you order?'. Jeremy and Laura ordered 3 portions as Laura's mum was with them. Gareth and Nicci also ordered 3 portions as a friend was with them, and Nicci specifically asked for a side salad, something that doesn't just happen to turn up in your order.

Well it turns out Nicci phoned through their order for collection at half 6. Gareth was held up at a guest house so wasn't there quite on time. Just after half 6 Jeremy walks into the shop and orders 3 sets of fish and chips and is told 'they're right here ready'. He thinks 'wow great service I turned up at the perfect time' and walks off with Gareth's order. Meanwhile Gareth shows up late, is told his order has already been collected, waits half an hour for a new one, drives it home, arrives home as he gets another call to another guest house so goes straight out again. So not only were there only 5 chips, but by the time he got to eat them they were cold :-( As he said at least he knows now who to be angry with lol. Meanwhile Jereamy and Laura just high five each other. The joys of small town life.

HIV Sunday

Yesterday our church service was dedicated to teaching about HIV, both the medical facts and Biblical teaching; prayer for those infected and affected; and testing. It is estimated (many haven't been tested due to fear and many of those who do get tested keep the result a secret) that 1 in every 2 to 3 people in our community are infected with the virus, but there is still a massive stigma attached. As a church we are trying to break that stigma and tell the truth about HIV and the hope that Jesus brings.

Living here, I've had a lot of training on HIV - so much that I'm now a qualified tester. But there were a couple of facts given yesterday that floored me:

1. A rich person with HIV on average lives 5 times longer than a poor person with HIV. I knew that they would live longer but hadn't realised the difference was that significant. This is due to access to better medicine and healthcare, better nutrition and more awareness about personal fitness.

2. Last year in SA the same number of people who died in the Asian tsunami died from HIV every 3 weeks.

Looking at those facts it's easy to see why people in our community feel helpless in the fight.

One of the best things Dr Liam did yesterday was to teach that HIV is not God's punishment towards an individual. That it's a result of living in a fallen world in the same way that we live with many other sicknesses. In this community that is such an important truth - so many are ashamed of their status and therefore keep it hidden resulting in them not receiving the care they so desparately need. Many, many women in this community have been infected by unfaithful husbands, but still feel the stigma is too great to go and get treatment.

Our home-based care workers are doing a fantastic job of visiting in the community, breaking down the barriers, but as a church we need to stand up and speak the truth. The truth that being HIV positive doesn't exclude you from the community. The truth that knowing your status is better than not knowing. The truth that if you're positive you can be treated and live a normal life for many years. The truth that God still loves you. The truth that Jesus died that you might live for eternity in a new and perfect body in a world free from HIV. Only the truth will set you free.

A great night at youth

Last night I had a brilliant time praying for some of the youth at church. A couple of the highlights:

1. I prayed for Seipati who had a tummy-ache which was instantly healed.

2. I prayed with Mamakgua who was manifesting not in a good way. I and Modiehi (one of the girls on the youth team) took her into a room to chat and pray. She had responded to a call for recommitment but when she was prayed for felt like she was burning. When we chatted we found that she has been hearing a voice whenever she tries to pray telling her not to and she couldn't worship. While we were praying for her about this I felt we should pray for the gift of tongues. I explained this to her and she was very keen to receive the gift. As we prayed over her she began to speak in tongues and as she did so her whole face changed. You could literally see the peace of God descend on her. She was just so excited to be speaking in tongues and to now have this weapon to use whenever she hears that voice lying to her.

What a privilege last night was!

That's My King!

"The Bible says my King is the King of the Jews
He's the King of Israel
He's the King of righteousness
He's the King of the ages
He's the King of heaven
He's the King of glory
He's the King of kings
He's the Lord of Lords
That's my King!
I wonder, do you know him?

My king is a sovereign King
No means of measure can define His limitless love
He's enduringly strong
He's entirely sincere
He's eternally steadfast
He's immortally graceful
He's imperially powerful
He's impartially merciful
Do you know Him?

He's the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world
He's God's son
He's the sinner's Saviour
He's the centrepiece of civilisation
He's unparalleled
He's unprecendented
He is the loftiest idea in literature
He's the highest personality in philosophy
He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology
He's the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour
I wonder if you know Him today?

He supplies strength to the weak
He's available for the tempted and the tired
He sympathises and He saves
He strengthens and sustains
He guards and He guides
He heals the sick
He cleansed the lepers
He forgives sinners
He discharges debtors
He delivers the captive
He defends the feeble
He blesses the young
He serves the unfortunate
He regards the aged
He rewards the diligent
He beautifies the meek
I wonder if you know Him?

He's the key to knowledge
He's the wellspring of wisdom
He's the doorway of deliverance
He's the pathway of peace
He's the roadway of righteousness
He's the highway of holiness
He's the gateway of glory
Do you know Him?

His life is matchless
His goodness is limitless
His mercy is everlasting
His love never changes
His word is enough
His grace is sufficient
His reign is righteous
His yoke is easy
His burden is light
I wish I could describe Him to you...He's indescribable
He's incomprehensible
He's invincible
He's irresistible
You can't get Him out of your mind
You can't get Him off your hand
You can't outlive Him
And you can't live without Him

The Pharisees couldn't stand him but they found out they couldn't stop Him
Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him
Herod couldn't kill Him
Death couldn't handle Him
And the grave couldn't hold Him!
That's my King!"

From a sermon by Dr S M Lockridge

Masterbuilders Conference 2010

Over the Easter weekend Dihlabeng hosted the 6th annual Masterbuilders Conference. This is a conference for leaders from the churches in our sphere of Newfrontiers - the Eastern Free State, Lesotho and now Dubai. This was the most international conference yet as we also had visitors from the UK and from Zimbabwe.

It was a fantastic weekend. Once again we had the privilege of having the father of Newfrontiers, Terry Virgo and his wife Wendy, come and speak ot us over the conference. We had times of fantastic praise and worship, and some excellent teaching. I was particularly impacted by Thabo's preach about bearing fruit that will last and Colin's preach about following spiritual parents. We also fellowshipped over fantastic food.

This is a big conference for a smallish church like Dihlabeng to host. We had 300 people attending, many of whom then have to be hosted by local families, and all of whom are cooked for for 2 meals a day in our little kitchen. It's quite a logistical achievement, especially when the weekend follows a week of some of the heaviest rain of the year making our marquee unusable for meal times! There were moments in the week before the conference when cars couldn't even get up the road to church as it had turned into a mudslide but thankfully by the weekend it was safe enough to use.

It was great having the Zimbos with us, and as usual they had a great impact. They had come to the conference full of faith that they would never be the same, an attitude that they take everywhere they go. It was so refreshing and such a challenge to many of us.

All in all I can't think of a better way to spend the Easter weekend, celebrating the death and resurrection of our beautiful Saviour, than by spending time in His presence delving a little deeper in the riches He bought for us on the Cross.

Hope restored

I have been feeling a bit hopeless and worndown over the last couple of weeks. I started this week very aware that I had begun to shut my heart away from some situations here, thinking in man's wisdom that that was how to protect it. God, thankfully knows better and gave me a week full of hope.

On Tuesdays I work at Silver Hope, a church based craft business that is providing jobs for some otherwise unemployed ladies from the community. We mainly focus on beading and sewing, both work that is straining on the eyes. This week we had a lady visiting from England who had brought with her a whole load of reading glasses of different strengths. It was wonderful to watch the ladies try them on, finding a pair that helped them to see better, then parade around the room showing them off whilst praising God for His provision. Such a simple thing - a pair of cheap reading glasses from Primark, but it's hard to imagine the impact of such a gift on these ladies. In some cases it will literally transform their lives. Apparently Paulina was so blessed by the gift that she shared about it in her cell group this week as a testimony to God's faithfulness.

On Tuesday evenings since January Pula and I have been leading a new christians course for teenagers who have just been saved. This week we were talking about baptism in the Holy Spirit, and we had the privilege of getting to pray for the gift of tongues for them and hear them speaking in their heavenly languages for the first time.

On Wednesday we had a Mapheo leaders meeting. We took turns in sharing stories from the last year of what we've seen God do in the kids and special memories we have with them. It was so encouraging. I think sometimes we end up with compassion fatigue here - we're so constantly surrounded by suffering, the kids lives are seemingly endlessly sad, and you can end up protecting your heart from it by refusing to think about it. But when I look back over the year and remember what God has done, it gives me hope for those situations which I have at times chosen not to dwell on as they're too sad. Some of the memories we shared were:

1. Seeing Malefu (her name means 'mother of death' which I think gives you a clue as to her horrific home life) smile and giggle for the first time.
2. Seeing Lerato (one of the girls I visit) get baptised. Since her baptism Lerato has been transformed. I used to have to insist on her answering me when I said hello to her, now she's waiting for me every Mapheo and church to give me a hug!
3. Seeing our older boys who used to be real trouble makers respond to clear boundaries and love. They're not always well behaved now (they're still kids, and kids from tough homes) but they understand the consequences, and one has even shared with a leader that he understands that we punish bad behaviour because we love him and want to show him the right way to live.
4. Seeing Marietta who's about 11 change from being a worldly would be teenager back into a child. It's as if God has restored to her the innocence which had been taken away at far too young an age.
5. Seeing Sawana respond to love and actually desire physical affection from us.
6. Seeing the whole of the Nkosikulu family saved and added to the church. Their home life has been transformed from drunkeness and abuse to a place where we love to hold our cell group!
7. Seeing little Ben who's probably 2, feel so safe at Mapheo that every session, given half a chance, he falls asleep in our arms. He even asks to go to sleep now! He comes from one of the toughest situations we know, is covered in infections, is always filthy, but has stolen all our hearts.
8. Seeing Lebote go from being quite a shy and introverted little boy to being the first to dance at church often entertaining us with his awesome moves which he performs without realising that he's centre-stage at the front of the church with everyone watching him.
9. Seeing our older boys really know Jesus. Especially seeing Lerato and Sankwela worshipping Him.
10. Seeing Puleng change from a sullen, stropy little girl to this term winning the prize for always being at Mapheo and always being on time. She's now ever ready with a smile and a hug.

And that's just some of the endless stories we could tell of children who we've seen God at work in. I'm so glad that He chooses to use us to show His love and faithfulness.

Yesterday we took the kids who had been at Mapheo nearly every session for their end of term treat. It was great as it was a different group of children to those who normally end up on the trip. There were some of our more difficult kids there so we were encouraged that they love Mapheo even if they don't always show it! We took them up to town to a restaurant for a milkshake and chips. The restaurant also has a play area at the back with a climbing frame and pet rabbits so we all had a good time. The kids particularly loved flinging themselves off the climbing frame at Jeremy who would catch them. Unfortunately Popina who's 3 didn't realise that you had to actually warn Jeremy that you were about to jump and just went for it! Thankfully Jeremy managed to catch him, but only once he was literally inches from the ground!

So this week has definitely been one of hope restored for me. I hope that you are encouraged by reading this that God is always faithful, always working even when we can't see the outward signs, and that He truly does love the poor and downtrodden of this world.

Faithfulness

Today at Mapheo we were learning about God's faithfulness. It says it all that in our prayer time, asking the kids what they were asking God for, a little 6 year old without hesitation answered 'food'. What a privileged life I lead.

Silence

So sorry for the shockingly long blogging silence! My excuse is that first I had James Allen visit for a week swiftly followed by my parents who took me away for a holiday to Cape Town. I've been back in Clarens for just over a week now so life is getting back to normal.

It was great having James come and see me - another excuse for doing some touristy stuff like Golden Gate. And then my parents came out as it was my 30th (!) birthday. They arrived on the day which was wonderful. I was also suprised with a pancake breakfast with some friends which saved the day as until that point I had just cried my way through the morning! Then my parents spent the weekend here, with Nigel and Cheryl Clark. Dad preached at church which was great, and then on the Monday we flew off to Cape Town. It was such a wonderful birthday present - nearly 2 weeks with my Mum and Dad, touring the Garden Route and then a few days staying with friends in Cape Town. We did all sorts of stuff - the Cape is a brilliant holiday destination.

I still can't believe I'm 30 - it takes some getting used to. I think that and the fact that my visa is coming to an end at the beginning of October (along with my finances) is causing me to start to think through what's next for me. So I'd appreciate your prayers that I hear God's direction clearly.

Lastly for today I want to really commend Hayley Geurts to you. Hayley is my friend and African supporter who lives in the UK. She's married to DJ and has 2 lovely little boys. A few weeks ago Hayley was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then she (and her family) has displayed such an incredible faith and trust in Jesus even when walking through this dark time. Well done DJ and Hayley! You're an inspiration to so many of us - what an example of praising God through the storm. I hope to live with the courage you are showing.

Baptisms

This morning we had a baptism service at Dihlabeng. I don't know how many were baptised but I would guess around 30 - 40. Baptism services here are amazing. We erect a pool in the middle of the church and we all sit round it. We have a time of worship which is usually even more vibrant than normal as everyone's so excited about the baptisms. Then we have a short gospel presentation. This morning Ntate Joseph was saved and promptly asked to be baptised! Then the baptisms happen. Those who are being 'dunked' queue up, kids first, and one after another they climb into the pool and are baptised. Meanwhile ladies in the congregation lead different African praise songs and the atmosphere is incredible. Today there were some very elderly people being baptised who bravely left their crutches and walking sticks behind and allowed themselves to be lifted in and out of the pool - not very dignified!


Part of the queue of kids waiting to be baptised


Lerato, one of the Mapheo girls I home visit is baptised


One of the girls from the youth new christians course I'm helping to run is baptised

Culture shock

Most of the time living here I just get on with it. It's not that I don't notice cultural differences - they're hard to miss as they're everywhere, it's more that they have ceased to suprise me. But now and then, events happen which send me into a kind of cultural shock. I suddenly realise that I really am here, living in a completely foreign culture that I have only scratched the surface of. It hit me again last night.

Last week at the youth meeting during a response for salvation a young girl started manifesting. I took her into a private room with a friend and we began to chat with her and pray for her. As she had come forward to be saved she had felt like her hands and feet were tied. The Holy Spirit prompted me to delve a little into her church background and we discovered that the only other 'church' she had attended had performed live animal sacrifices and rituals during the meetings. I explained to her that her feelings of captivity were not from Jesus - that He died so that we might have life and freedom. We prayed for her and as we serve a God who is infinitely more powerful than the princes of darkness she was delivered.

Then last night I was walking home from church with a friend. He's a wonderful young Christian guy who is sadly an orphan. He was orphaned sometime ago but last night he told me that his extended family are putting pressure on him to shave his head in response to his fathers death in order to please the ancestors. He was asking my advice on the situation. And what a complex situation it is - especially for me, the english girl, to understand. His number one priority is live for God and to bring glory to Him, but he also realises that sometimes it's ok to compromise on these things in order to preserve relationships with family members who are not yet saved.

It's after dealing with situations like these that I suddenly realise afresh what a foreign culture I'm living in. I know that every culture has good and bad within it and we should always be asking what God's heart on an issue is. We are members of His Kingdom first and foremost. We must be prepared to lay our own cultural expectations down if they hinder our journey in becoming more like Christ.

Water

So the water conditions in Clarens have been pretty awful for the last couple of weeks - bathroom water is distinctly brown and drinking water is cloudy for at least a couple of minutes after you pour it! The other day I ran a bath and then promptly let all the water out again as I couldn't face getting in such dirty water. So now I always use bubble bath so that the bubbles obscure the colour! The water here can be dodgy but it normally only lasts a couple of days before the municipality gets it sorted. Here's hoping that they correct the problem soon :-)

Added excitement at Mapheo

So yesterday we had a little extra excitement at Mapheo. I put out water play as it was a scorching hot day which got rather out of control and many kids had to half strip as they were so wet!

But even more 'exciting' was the arrival of a snake! Some of the older kids were playing ball games at the back of the hall when they noticed the snake slithering across the stage just behind them. This wasn't a snake that was afraid of us either and it headed straight for the kids! We got the children to stand well back from it - no mean feat as so many of them were bizarrely fascinated by it. Thankfully it decided not to come after us and slunk off. Some of the men who help at Mapheo managed to trap it behind the stage and eventually kill it. We're fairly sure that it was a small spitting cobra - one of the few poisonous snakes in this area. I hope we don't see one in church again!


Water Play




The kids try and get a look at the cornered snake


The thankfully now dead snake

Coming back to Clarens

I spent Christmas in a very snowy England. It was so lovely to be home, to see my family, to spend time with precious friends, to eat my mum's home-cooked food, to have all the conveniences that you take for granted in the Western world like decent supermarkets and central heating.

Then nearly a week ago it was time to pack my bags and leave again. No matter how settled I was when I left Clarens, it's always so hard to say goodbye. It's at those moments that I really feel I'm counting the cost of following God's will for my life. When I realised that I hadn't actually said goodbye in person to my Nan or my nephew and niece it was heartbreaking. I'm holding back the tears now as I write. Next time I see Mary, one of my best friends, she'll no longer be a Sloman but a Hairs as she's marrying Dan in May and I can't be there. I missed Tally's wedding last year, I can't believe that now I have to miss another really special day. But that's the sacrifice that I have to make to live here.

I'd like to say that as soon as I was back in Clarens those feelings faded, but actually this time they haven't. Yet. So far I still feel caught between the two worlds that make up my life and not sure which one I prefer to live in. But it's only been a few days and the fact that it's rained incessantly since I got back doesn't help. I know that I'll get back into the swing of things and before I know it time will be flying past as usual.

I have been enjoying seeing all the Mapheo kids again - they were soooooo excited to see us all this week. It's been the long school holidays here, so they haven't had Mapheo for 6 weeks which is a very long time when you're 8. Youth was fantastic on Saturday evening - there was an outreach during the day to encourage people to come as it was the first meeting of 2010. Over 85 young people came, and 30 were saved! We're starting a new Christians course with them next week and will then put them into home cells. Church this week was also great, after the usual vibrant praise and worship the kids church team took over the sermon section with a drama. All the kids stayed in and sat captivated at the front as the drama unfolded. It was a brilliant ploy to show what they do in kids church and ask for more helpers.

Hopefully the rain will let up in the next couple of days so that I can actually do some washing :-)

A roundup of 2009....

Well we're already nearly a month into 2010 and I still haven't sat down and written a roundup of 2009, so here goes....

2009 was a year that was full of adventures for me, adventures in cross-cultural mission and adventures in faith. As I look back in some ways I can't believe that I've managed what I've done - it really is a testimony of living by the strength and grace of Christ. Those who know me well, know that I could never in a million years be doing this in my own strength. I'm one of 4 children, and I'm the daughter that my Mum always imagined would stay close to home. But here I am, living 6000 miles away from home, and for the most part loving it!

2009 saw me face some incredibly tough situations both personally and in the work that I'm doing. I went to traditional African funerals complete with ancestral worship, a precious family left without saying goodbye, I have dealt with some awfully sad situations with the children I visit, I've had tick bite fever, the list could go on and on.

Through all the difficult times I've never once been tempted to give up and go home. Sometimes the sacrifice can feel so huge, but serving God in this community is so clearly His plan for my life right now. And He's shaping me so much by being here. I've learnt so much of God's faithfulness this year. His grace truly is enough for every circumstance.

And there have been far more fun times to outweigh the tough ones. I've had amazing times playing with the kids at Mapheo, or just generally in the street; I've had the privilege of being at the wedding of Mathandela and Melittah; I've been on 20s camps African style; I've organised chilli eating competitions with hilarious results; I've had visitors so been able to do some touristy things; I've driven a 2-wheel drive on a mountain that's only supposed to be attempted by a 4x4; I've had endless amounts of people over to my little flat; I've become an honourary aunty to baby Daniel; I've been able to worship African style every Sunday; I've stood really close to a wild giraffe; again the list could go on an on.

So 2009 was an adventure, full of 'character building' experiences! And at the moment I have no idea what plans God has for me in 2010 but I'm sure that the adventure of faith will continue :-)