Petrol Station
The ministry at the petrol station was actually started by a friend of ours who no longer lives in the area, but they still talk about her at he petrol station like she was there yesterday. That’s the sort of impact she had on them. Jackie just lives her life and the love of Christ radiates from her. She stopped at this petrol station to get gas all the time, made friends with the attendants (it is full servivce here), and then one day they asked her to pray for safety for them because they had been robbed the night before. That’s how the whole thing started. Then, when Jackie was in town for a few days before taking off for Swaziland, Dawn, Anne, and I went with her to the petrol station and saw how much she meant to them. We then began stopping by there multiple times a week to pray with them.
What I learned from ministry at the petrol station is that God is so very faithful. I knew that, of course, but we would literally pray and see the answer, pray and see the answer. He is so faithful to them. They have been robbed twice (remember, I'm int he crime capital of the world-- worse than Columbia), and no one was injured. We spoke to Vanessa after the most recent one (which was last week) and she said that she was very frightened, but knew to pray through the whole thing. She didn’t stop.
One of the huge answers we saw from prayer with them was for justice in how they were being paid. We showed up one day and everyone was upset. There were no smiles that day. They explained to us that their manager told them they wouldn’t be paid as much as they were supposed to be paid. So we prayed. We prayed that they would be paid for every hour worked. We also prayed that they would be faithful servants, and continue to work hard even though they were not being treated fairly. We shared Scripture on this, as well as submitting to and respecting authority, but also on the power of prayer. And then they saw it. They were faithful servants and the next time we showed up at the petrol station we were told that they were under completely new management and the station was even changing names. Praise the Lord!
This happened again a few weeks ago, where they were told they wouldn’t receive as much money as they were supposed to (and these people live so far from their homes just to keep these jobs-- they aren't easy to find in South Africa). Dawn prayed with them (I was home sick) that day and that very evening they received phone calls that they would receive full payment. Their children are healed from illness, as are they. When they needed a new housing situation, the Lord provided. They see Him answer them over and over. It is so beautiful to watch.
A few of them, namely Thomas, David, and Vanessa, have expressed interest in coming to Alabanza for Bible teaching. They want to be better equipped to share their faith. They had all come before to visit, but they wanted to come and be poured into, so that they could turn around and pour out into their workplace. We arranged this, but several circumstances prevented them from being able to come out. Please pray with us that God would make a way for this to happen.
It’s just so amazing—the way that God has opened up this ministry and worked so mightily. They are simply the people in our daily lives. You don’t have to go to another country or take a training course. All you have to do is let God do what He does best, and that is love. It’s that simple. And I know that for me, I am so excited to go home and be on the other side of this. As a barista at Starbucks, I am that person that my regulars see all the time, and who is always there with a smile. So I plan on going home and letting God do what He does best.
Refilwe
Refilwe Community Project is a non-profit, public benefit organization. Refilwe means "gift" or "to give" in Tswana, and focuses on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ by addressing critical needs in the areas of child care and education, life and specific skills training, medical, and income generating activities. Their God Parent Project provides a stable and sustainable environment where orphaned and vulnerable children can be cared for spiritually, emotionally, and physically in homes with a God parent (foster parent) as the head of the household. Several children from this project make jewelry for the gift shop at Alabanza (i.e. the ministry that Dawn and I came here to jumpstart). The support raised by the purchase of their jewelry goes into the savings account of the individual, which is intended to help them begin their own lives when they leave Refilwe.
Dawn and I go to Refilwe at least once a week, more if time affords, to make jewelry with the kids at Refilwe. It began with two girls, Yonela and Sibongile, and then spread to about twelve children, both girls and boys. Sometimes it is a quiet time as we string beads and talk to the kids about their families or their weeks. Other times it is mass chaos and kids are screaming for the pliers or the beads and we are doing more crowd control than intentional ministry. But it has been such a blessing to go and do this simple thing with the kids.
One of the coolest days there was when we brought them their money for the first time. The way it works is that we have them come to the front office with us to give it to the people in charge, who then put the money into their savings accounts. When they saw the bills it became real to them. One boy wanted to run and turn the money into coins to place it in his piggy bank. One girl took off to call her mother (birth mother) to tell her that she had earned money for the first time in their life. But the looks they gave us were priceless. They saw the fruits of their labor, so to speak, and the joy on their faces was such a delight.
Another fun memory is when Dawn and I took Yonela and Sibongile to the mall for Yonela’s birthday. We browsed, ice skated, and ate dinner. Watching those girls on the ice skating rink was hilarious. Sibongile was terrible—truly terrible. But much to her credit, she continued to try until she hit the ice with such force that I was certain she had broken something. I skated with a camera to capture these priceless moments, and the both girls tried to use Dawn as a stabilizer—at the same time! It was just a funny day, and the girls loved the chance to get out and have a change of scenery.
We pulled others into the ministry at different points, and I think some of them will continue on in the spring. Dawie definitely will, and Lillian insists that he return so she can beat him again in hand-standing contests. Tylo and Heidi said they would come again—they are two of the youth that I hang out with every Friday. Please pray with us that God would appoint people to continue this ministry in our absence, and then even after I return. The kids at Refile are precious gifts and have been such a blessing.
Ubuhle Bezwe
Ubuhle Bezwe is a children’s home located in the township of Tembisa. Barbara and her husband care for thirty children in their very small home who would otherwise have no place to go. The children come from many different backgrounds, almost all of which deal with more pain than any child should ever have to deal with. Barbara fills her home with the love of Christ, and the children are healed through this love. They all work very hard to care for one another in this tight-knit community dedicated to prayer and trusting in the Lord for provision. The ladies of the house make jewelry and bake cookies to sell, and they have given some to the gift shop for us to sell for them. Support raised through the selling of these items goes to their basic necessities like electricity, food, and putting themselves and their siblings through school.
Claud and Mary, a missionary couple living at Alabanza, along with Dawie, have been working with Ubuhle Bezwe for some time. At first, they would bring jewelry from there to place in the gift shop, but then Dawn and I decided that we needed to meet these talented girls. I was amazed. Thirty children and two adults live in a two bedroom shack-house that has a couple of "buildings" in back for the overflow. But they make it work. Barbara loves these kids so very much. They pray for the most basic of necessities and the Lord provides. Last visit we had with her (a couple of days ago), we sat and listened to Barbara tell us about the way the kids pray all the time, and the ways the Lord has come through for them.
She told us that she had taken one of the girls to court that day because she was raped by her father. This girl is so quiet and soft-spoken. When they showed up at the courtroom, she refused to go up and testify; she was too afraid. Barbara called home and told the other girls to pray NOW. She told us that the young girl was then able to go the front of the courtroom, and suddenly she didn’t recognize her at all. She spoke with such courage and confidence, remembered specific dates and details, and blew Barbara away. Then, she stepped down from the front and became her quiet, shy self again.
On one visit to see them, Dawn and I saw the cookie baking. Holy cow! In that tiny, tiny kitchen, they bake box after box of the most beautiful cookies you have ever seen! They have the production down to an art, and I think we were more of a hindrance than a help, but they humored us and let us play along with them.
We had a Christmas party for the kids at Alabanza. They came out for a day, swam in the pool and ran all over the yard, spent intense discipleship time with us in small groups, and then watched a movie and opened presents. Dawn was given a sum of money from the U.S. with which to bless the kids, and they each received a backpack with goodies inside, and then from other donations each received a new pair of shoes. The barn (where we were gathered) was full of screaming and laughing as they opened their gifts. The kids were elated. Then, on this last visit to see them, one of the girls I discipled at the Christmas party was gone. I inquired about her only to find out that she had the opportunity to shadow a woman who gives manicures—the exact thing she and I had prayed for when we were at Alabanza! God is SO GOOD!!!
Gift Shop
One month ago were able to move into the space above the coffee shop delegated for the gift shop to set up. One month ago. It was a long and difficult road to finish the interior of the upstairs of the coffee shop. It could not have happened without Dawn heading up individual projects, recruiting slave labor, and insisting that it be finished (even though no one else at Alabanza had the desire to even look at that building again after the actual coffee shop opening).
Before we moved into the building space, we sold items on a few nights and mornings where we set up in the hall (or barn) for the visiting teams. We also sold things from our room—just excited to have customers. It is so nice to have a building, though. It makes it feel so much more real, even though the point of the whole thing isn’t the shop at all, but rather, the relationships and discipleship taking place.
We have receipts, accounting, organization. The shop generates its own profit—just enough to pay for the gas to visit the artists and supplies to get them going, but that’s all it needs. It exists now, and it didn’t before we got here. I know that it was what I thought I was coming for, and as it turns out, not what I was actually here for, but I’m excited and grateful to have been a part of getting this ministry off the ground, and working with it as it grows.
We were able to truly bless the family from Zimbabwe I told you about in one of the earliest posts. All of the tablecloths are gone and we just received a box of metal birds they made. Our contact with that family told us that we were a huge blessing to them (by selling all of the tablecloths and at a good price). God didn’t need us to take care of that family. He can provide for them on His own. It’s just awesome that He allows us to be a part of what He is doing.
Mama Lizzie has also been very blessed by the gift shop. She made several beautiful skirts (many with material we bought while in Swaziland), and they sell well. She began to try new patterns and techniques and stayed up every night one week because she was so excited about making the skirts. It’s such a joy to take the money to her after a sell and watch her light up as she asks which one sold, how they liked it, and talks about what she is working on at the moment. One evening we took Mama Lizzie to House of Coffees to have a chance to hear her story. We took Hugo and Dawie along as translators, not only for language, but also for cultural translation. It took her a long time to open up. No one had sat her down before and asked so many questions about her life. We didn’t mean to pry—we just wanted to know when her faith began, how she came to Alabanza, and anything else she would tell us. It was a wonderful eveving, and as we sat at the table all sharing desserts and coffee, we encountered a whole new Lizzie from the one who greets us everyday with a smile and a hug and cleans up after us.
I finally finished all the stories this week that go along with the things bought in the store. It was a struggle, but (of course) I finished them the last week of my time here. It’s my favorite part of the store—that with each purchase the customer learns who their support benefits and how it does so. Luiza, Mariet, and Anmerie, all South Africans on staff at Alabanza, make things for the shop. Mary made a few things, and recently Lizzie’s son and friend began to make boxes and paint things to sell. It is growing and expanding and taking a shape all its own. The gift shop is nothing like either one of us had imagined, but is a beautiful ministry and now an important part of the Alabanza community.
Valhalla Youth Group
Many of the staff at Alabanza participate in youth group on Friday nights in Valhalla, a community about half an hour from here in Pretoria. A pastor’s wife at a church in that community had a vision of revival there that began with the youth. I started going about a month into my stay here, and I instantly became a regular.
What I love about it is that we do nothing. There is no program, there are no games. We sit and talk about what God is doing, and usually whatever He has laid on Luiza’s heart that week. We always find a theme in our concerns or questions, and God is always glorified. Sometimes we just pray the entire time. It’s awesome.
The kids are great. They are awkward, unique, and each one an individual. They are honest, they ask whatever is in their minds or hearts, and many of them continue to come even though they would tell you they are not Christians. It’s just so authentic and genuine that they continue to come and learn and hang out with us, even though I’m pretty sure they think we’re all crazy. I’m okay with that. I do well with this group and feel free to truly be myself. I love Friday nights.
This is also where I met Heidi, who I’ve mentioned before. I love this girl! Her faith is so passionate and she seeks after Him with her whole heart. God has done some amazing healing in my time here, and Heidi is flourishing. Since school got out at the beginning of this month (remember, it is summer here), Heidi has basically lived in my house at Alabanza. I plan on making her one of my main ministries when I return to Alabanza, and I hope to have her bring her friends to hang out as well.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
faces
Here are some of the faces of my family here in Africa:
Dini is the owner of Alabanza. She has the most incredible testimony I have ever heard. One of my favorite things to do here at Alabanza is to go and sit in her room and listen to her talk. Dini has lived all over the world and seen God do the most miraculous and transforming acts. I think what I love the most about that time is that God always gets all of the glory in each of her stories.
Mariet ("Mah-REET") is in charge of hospitality here at Alabanza. She coordinates each of the teams and groups that pass through here. She is the one that had the crazy wedding-themed birthday I told you all about. She is 23, from the Free State (here in ZA), and has become such a sister to me.
Anmerie is our highly over-qualified chef extraordinaire. She is 24, from Blomfontein, ZA, and is my favorite person in the world to make laugh. She has taught me a great deal about community and accountability, and she is convinced that I will be the funniest old woman ever.
Luiza is one of the most unique people you will ever meet. She adopted Veli right before we got to Alabanza, and she loves that boy with her whole heart. Luiza is 27, from Pretoria, and a gifted artist.
Dawie ("DAH-vee") is my closest friend at Alabanza. He is 20, from Middleburg, ZA, and is one of the funniest people in the world. He has taught me a great deal of Afrikaans, mostly how to argue with him, and is currently in China with Claud, Mary and their two daughters.
Hugo ("EEE-who") is a pastor in the truest since of the word; he watches over and takes care of each one of us. He is 30, from ZA, and I’m convinced there is no handy-man project he can’t at least attempt. He is a sweetheart, a prayer warrior, and makes the dorkiest jokes so funny I fall off my chair.
Alan, or "Uncle Alan," is the official handy-man of Alabanza. He is still recovering from a motorcycle accident a couple months ago. We have deemed him "The South African Chuck Norris" due to a strange resemblance, and I think he is just beginning to understand my humor ;-)
Dave is the eldest American on the yard. He is from California and loves to tell the South Africans how things are different in America.
Anne left in October to go home to America and just about broke my heart. She is 22, from North Carolina, and loves peanut butter and chocolate. She is greatly missed.
Jonathan also went home to America (in November), but plans to return in the spring. He is originally from Oklahoma, and told the corniest jokes and pick-up lines he could find. He and Dawie are pretty close, and the two of them would dazzle us with duets on special occasions.
Albert calls me his "Lindseykie" (or "little Lindsey"). He is goofy and loves a crowd. He is also obsessed with Dolly Parton and dreams of meeting her some day. He is convinced the streets of America must be lined with gold and hopes to walk down them someday soon.
Claud and Mary comprise one of the two American couples that live at Alabanza. Claud used to work for AIM and knows seven languages. Mary is deaf and knows in her heart that God will give her hearing one day. They adopted Busi and Nomdumiso from Swaziland.
Busi! I love this girl! She is 10, hilarious, and did a little dance every time we would mention her upcoming trip to China.
Nomdumiso is two, and a little heart-breaker. I don’t know what she did to me, but now whenever she comes up and grabs my hand, I can’t help but give her candy. It’s the strangest thing…
Francois is 18, South African, and came to Alabanza to recover from addiction. He loves rugby, music, working out, and has come to accept the fact that he now has about 10 older sisters here. I love picking on him, and he practically begs for it, so we get along pretty well.
Landi is 16 and lives in the house with me and Dawn. Since Landi moved to Alabanza and acquired three doting mothers (Luiza, Mariet, and Anmerie), she went from a failing student with speculated mental disabilities to the top of her class. She is passionate about animals and takes care of all of the animals that live at Alabanza.
Heidi is involved in the youth group I help out with every Friday night in a neighborhood in Pretoria. She is 17, very mature, and comes to Alabanza every Sunday to attend church and hang out with us all day. I am excited to come back next year and disciple Heidi :)
Lisbet, or "Mama Lizzie," has been a part of the Alabanza family for 15 years, and it truly would not run without her. She has four children of her own, and has recently taken in two children from a friend of the family who fell ill. She lives at Alabanza during the week, and returns home to Atteridgeville on the weekends.
Joy is one of the children Mama Lizzie recently took in. She loves "sweeties" and usually manages to find them (even when we hide them!).
Sammy is the other child Mama Lizzie took in. He is very active, a bit rambunctious, but loves to give hugs.
Kelly was on the AIM World Race team and then left it when they stopped in at Alabanza. Here, she met the Global Challenge team (a South African group), and joined up with them. She now lives in J-Bay at their headquarters, but came through Alabanza a couple of times. She lived in the house with us and we helped her recuperate from hand surgery. She is in her thirties and originally from Texas.
Leah and JoAnna
JoAnna ("Jo") is 25, from Indiana, and first came through Alabanza on her FYM team last year. She returned to help out with The Awakening, and has done far more than her fair share. She is a true servant, hilariously funny, and has the warmest (and loudest) laugh you’ve ever heard!
Leah is 20, from Washington State, and left this past week to go back to school. I miss her dearly. Jo was an FYM here at Alabanza for a year and returned to help out with The Awakening. Jo is like a sister, full of joy, loves to take photos, and an amazing worship leader.
Michael is 23, from Houston Texas, and is a participant with The Awakening. He was recently placed on the Kenya team. It is nice to have fellow Texans around :)
Jenny is 24, from South Carolina, and was a participant with The Awakening. She recently went home after deciding that her time with the FYM program was over.
Michelle is 20, is originally from Pretoria, but moved to Canada when she was 13. She speaks fluent Afrikaans, and has an amazing heart for children. She was also placed on the Kenya team, which is where she will be returning to after the Christmas break.
Dini is the owner of Alabanza. She has the most incredible testimony I have ever heard. One of my favorite things to do here at Alabanza is to go and sit in her room and listen to her talk. Dini has lived all over the world and seen God do the most miraculous and transforming acts. I think what I love the most about that time is that God always gets all of the glory in each of her stories.
Mariet ("Mah-REET") is in charge of hospitality here at Alabanza. She coordinates each of the teams and groups that pass through here. She is the one that had the crazy wedding-themed birthday I told you all about. She is 23, from the Free State (here in ZA), and has become such a sister to me.
Anmerie is our highly over-qualified chef extraordinaire. She is 24, from Blomfontein, ZA, and is my favorite person in the world to make laugh. She has taught me a great deal about community and accountability, and she is convinced that I will be the funniest old woman ever.
Luiza is one of the most unique people you will ever meet. She adopted Veli right before we got to Alabanza, and she loves that boy with her whole heart. Luiza is 27, from Pretoria, and a gifted artist.
Dawie ("DAH-vee") is my closest friend at Alabanza. He is 20, from Middleburg, ZA, and is one of the funniest people in the world. He has taught me a great deal of Afrikaans, mostly how to argue with him, and is currently in China with Claud, Mary and their two daughters.
Hugo ("EEE-who") is a pastor in the truest since of the word; he watches over and takes care of each one of us. He is 30, from ZA, and I’m convinced there is no handy-man project he can’t at least attempt. He is a sweetheart, a prayer warrior, and makes the dorkiest jokes so funny I fall off my chair.
Alan, or "Uncle Alan," is the official handy-man of Alabanza. He is still recovering from a motorcycle accident a couple months ago. We have deemed him "The South African Chuck Norris" due to a strange resemblance, and I think he is just beginning to understand my humor ;-)
Dave is the eldest American on the yard. He is from California and loves to tell the South Africans how things are different in America.
Anne left in October to go home to America and just about broke my heart. She is 22, from North Carolina, and loves peanut butter and chocolate. She is greatly missed.
Jonathan also went home to America (in November), but plans to return in the spring. He is originally from Oklahoma, and told the corniest jokes and pick-up lines he could find. He and Dawie are pretty close, and the two of them would dazzle us with duets on special occasions.
Albert calls me his "Lindseykie" (or "little Lindsey"). He is goofy and loves a crowd. He is also obsessed with Dolly Parton and dreams of meeting her some day. He is convinced the streets of America must be lined with gold and hopes to walk down them someday soon.
Claud and Mary comprise one of the two American couples that live at Alabanza. Claud used to work for AIM and knows seven languages. Mary is deaf and knows in her heart that God will give her hearing one day. They adopted Busi and Nomdumiso from Swaziland.
Busi! I love this girl! She is 10, hilarious, and did a little dance every time we would mention her upcoming trip to China.
Nomdumiso is two, and a little heart-breaker. I don’t know what she did to me, but now whenever she comes up and grabs my hand, I can’t help but give her candy. It’s the strangest thing…
Francois is 18, South African, and came to Alabanza to recover from addiction. He loves rugby, music, working out, and has come to accept the fact that he now has about 10 older sisters here. I love picking on him, and he practically begs for it, so we get along pretty well.
Landi is 16 and lives in the house with me and Dawn. Since Landi moved to Alabanza and acquired three doting mothers (Luiza, Mariet, and Anmerie), she went from a failing student with speculated mental disabilities to the top of her class. She is passionate about animals and takes care of all of the animals that live at Alabanza.
Heidi is involved in the youth group I help out with every Friday night in a neighborhood in Pretoria. She is 17, very mature, and comes to Alabanza every Sunday to attend church and hang out with us all day. I am excited to come back next year and disciple Heidi :)
Lisbet, or "Mama Lizzie," has been a part of the Alabanza family for 15 years, and it truly would not run without her. She has four children of her own, and has recently taken in two children from a friend of the family who fell ill. She lives at Alabanza during the week, and returns home to Atteridgeville on the weekends.
Joy is one of the children Mama Lizzie recently took in. She loves "sweeties" and usually manages to find them (even when we hide them!).
Sammy is the other child Mama Lizzie took in. He is very active, a bit rambunctious, but loves to give hugs.
Kelly was on the AIM World Race team and then left it when they stopped in at Alabanza. Here, she met the Global Challenge team (a South African group), and joined up with them. She now lives in J-Bay at their headquarters, but came through Alabanza a couple of times. She lived in the house with us and we helped her recuperate from hand surgery. She is in her thirties and originally from Texas.
Leah and JoAnnaJoAnna ("Jo") is 25, from Indiana, and first came through Alabanza on her FYM team last year. She returned to help out with The Awakening, and has done far more than her fair share. She is a true servant, hilariously funny, and has the warmest (and loudest) laugh you’ve ever heard!
Leah is 20, from Washington State, and left this past week to go back to school. I miss her dearly. Jo was an FYM here at Alabanza for a year and returned to help out with The Awakening. Jo is like a sister, full of joy, loves to take photos, and an amazing worship leader.
Michael is 23, from Houston Texas, and is a participant with The Awakening. He was recently placed on the Kenya team. It is nice to have fellow Texans around :)
Jenny and Michelle
Jenny is 24, from South Carolina, and was a participant with The Awakening. She recently went home after deciding that her time with the FYM program was over.
Michelle is 20, is originally from Pretoria, but moved to Canada when she was 13. She speaks fluent Afrikaans, and has an amazing heart for children. She was also placed on the Kenya team, which is where she will be returning to after the Christmas break.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
reconnecting
It’s nothing personal. Truly. Several of you have attempted to contact me via email, MySpace, Facebook, etc. Some have received replies—brief phrases or a couple sentences. My mother is the only person who I keep a regular contact with from home, calling every week and sending emails a couple of times a week. I should’ve probably told you all to contact her if you were wondering how and what I was doing here, but even she doesn’t have the whole picture.
I haven’t written, blogged, posted, called, or made contact for several reasons (like… trips to the internet café are a pain to schedule and administer, my blog site rarely responds favorably to my requests, and I somehow got freakishly busy over here…), not the least of which was the simple fact that I have experienced so much, changed so severely, and learned more than all my previous learning experiences combined to effectively put anything into words. I stopped writing. The journal I so diligently kept for the first month of my time here in South Africa sits on my bedside table collecting dust. My blog stops at Swaziland, but even that post was difficult to write and was a long time coming when it finally appeared on the web. No one has seen pictures—the faces of those I have grown to love so dearly, the places to which I have traveled, or the amazing land in which I live. I left you all in the dark. It was a vicious cycle as every time I sat down to write I would try to start back where I left off, and then the task of remembering, writing, details, and such would become so burdensome that I would give up, with the best of intentions to begin again tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow.
I have been here for over three months. Three amazing months. It is so strange to think back on my arrival, of my first thoughts of these people and this land. Thinking back on who I was this summer makes me shudder, as I’m sure it does to some of you reading as well. But I will get to that in another post. Today has been set aside and ordained by Him to reconnect, and that is what I will do. I will write and remember and reconnect until it is complete—until those of you back in the States once again feel or come to realize that you are as much a part of this as I am. You are my supporters. You support me with your prayers (and thank you!!!), your encouragement, and your love. You support me by not forgetting about the people here, their challenges and growth, and the work that God is doing here. I need you and I abandoned you. I am sorry.
Please continue to read. I know it is quite a bit, and though it is only a small window into this journey, I pray that you will all come alongside with me in this. More will appear on Monday, as internet time is (of course) limited today as well. Read some now, save some for later, check again Monday, print it out and read it in your spare time—but do read it. I don’t deserve you all, but I am still so blessed by you. I love that that is the way that God works—we deserve nothing, we can earn nothing, but He is so faithful and continues to bless us and bless us and bless us. Read and see this.
I haven’t written, blogged, posted, called, or made contact for several reasons (like… trips to the internet café are a pain to schedule and administer, my blog site rarely responds favorably to my requests, and I somehow got freakishly busy over here…), not the least of which was the simple fact that I have experienced so much, changed so severely, and learned more than all my previous learning experiences combined to effectively put anything into words. I stopped writing. The journal I so diligently kept for the first month of my time here in South Africa sits on my bedside table collecting dust. My blog stops at Swaziland, but even that post was difficult to write and was a long time coming when it finally appeared on the web. No one has seen pictures—the faces of those I have grown to love so dearly, the places to which I have traveled, or the amazing land in which I live. I left you all in the dark. It was a vicious cycle as every time I sat down to write I would try to start back where I left off, and then the task of remembering, writing, details, and such would become so burdensome that I would give up, with the best of intentions to begin again tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow.
I have been here for over three months. Three amazing months. It is so strange to think back on my arrival, of my first thoughts of these people and this land. Thinking back on who I was this summer makes me shudder, as I’m sure it does to some of you reading as well. But I will get to that in another post. Today has been set aside and ordained by Him to reconnect, and that is what I will do. I will write and remember and reconnect until it is complete—until those of you back in the States once again feel or come to realize that you are as much a part of this as I am. You are my supporters. You support me with your prayers (and thank you!!!), your encouragement, and your love. You support me by not forgetting about the people here, their challenges and growth, and the work that God is doing here. I need you and I abandoned you. I am sorry.
Please continue to read. I know it is quite a bit, and though it is only a small window into this journey, I pray that you will all come alongside with me in this. More will appear on Monday, as internet time is (of course) limited today as well. Read some now, save some for later, check again Monday, print it out and read it in your spare time—but do read it. I don’t deserve you all, but I am still so blessed by you. I love that that is the way that God works—we deserve nothing, we can earn nothing, but He is so faithful and continues to bless us and bless us and bless us. Read and see this.
"I thank God every time I remember you."
-Philippians 1:3
celebrations
Since I have been here over an extended period of time, I have been blessed to witness a number of special occasions and celebrations here at Alabanza. Due to the interesting mix of South Africans and Americans, these celebrations take on many strange shapes and themes, but have all been quite memorable. Here is a brief look at a couple of the celebrations that have taken place:
Mariet’s 23rd Birthday
Mariet ("Mah- REET" and roll the "r") is the hostess of Alabanza. Her duties are extensive and ever-changing, but tend to include organizing the teams coming in, arranging beds and meals, finances, general knowledge for all visitors, shopping, décor, and a bizarre list of other miscellaneous tasks. Everyone who comes to Alabanza meets Mariet, and due to her unique personality, they never forget her. Thus, as her 23rd birthday approached, we knew we had to do something as unforgettable as our dear friend.
This will be difficult to understand and will probably sound quite strange. The word I used when inquiries about the theme came my way was "warped." I still say that it was. But if you know Mariet, it makes much more (though not quite complete) sense that we threw her a surprise wedding party for her birthday. Here’s the background: Mariet is one of those girls who has bene dreaming about her wedding since she was a young girl. She longs to be married more than anything, and this is no secret… no secret meaning that anyone who has ever met Mariet knows how much she wants to be married. God has even told her when the blessed event is to happen and to whom, but that information is too sensitive for me to share with you here. But, suffice it to say and as insane as it was, this was the perfect theme for her party.
We went overboard. Way overboard! We turned Dini’s stoop ("back porch" to southerners) into a wedding reception. Paper doves and bells hung from the ceiling, flower arrangements surrounded the room, nice linens adorned tables filled with every scrumptious delight Anmerie could make in time. Mariet was given a white dress to wear and told to wait for her escort. Albert’s car was shoe-polished with "Just Married" and sent to pick her up. We all waited anxiously on the stoop. I was recruited as the photographer and awaited the guest of honor anxiously in my best tie (aka Dawie’s old black tie) and name tag which read, "Photographer, Alabanza Images" with small writing at the bottom that stated, "tips accepted."
Mariet stepped out of the car and was given the arm of her escort for the evening, Jonathan. We (Jonathan, Dawie, and I) had gone out that morning to find something cheap, yet formal, for the event, and Jonathan wore his white suit and pink striped shirt proudly. As the two entered, they were bombarded with rose petals and bubbles, as every guest sang the wedding march. Mariet was told to blow out the candles on the enormous (and rather gaudy) cake that stood in the middle of the room. Luiza burst out of the cake wearing a jester’s cap (see, I told you "warped" was an appropriate adjective for this…), and the event began. Jonathan and Dawie shared DJ duties and many of the guests, which included Alabanza staff, AIM staff, Mariet’s friends and family, took to the dance floor.
I ran around taking pictures the entire evening, though more than one gentleman did grab me and pull me onto the dance floor. Everyone laughed and ate and danced for a couple of hours. Mariet was smiling and giggling the entire time—the wedding party was a hit! Jonathan and Dawie, who are known for duets at times like these, had worked up another performance especially for Mariet. The two sang "Just the Way You Look Tonight" and Mariet was absolutely delighted.
The evening took a strange turn at the end, as it was the same evening of the last game of the rugby finals. Rugby is kind of huge here. Some of you are thinking "Duh!" right now, but I had no idea. It was like soccer in Turkey last year—I had to be a fan or I had to leave the country. I had never seen a bit of rugby before coming to ZA, but I became a huge fan this night. The stoop instantly transformed from a formal wedding party to a small theater of rugby fans, with faces painted in Springbok colors and ZA flags. The FYM’s (First Year Missionaries here with AIM) filled the stoop and we all sat to watch the game. Though most of us had no idea what was going on initially, we followed the lead of our South African friends and were soon cheering and yelling as if we had been long-time Springbok fans. As you should already know, South Africa won and the celebration was filled with face-paint smearing hugs and giddy jumping.
Mariet’s 23rd Birthday
Mariet ("Mah- REET" and roll the "r") is the hostess of Alabanza. Her duties are extensive and ever-changing, but tend to include organizing the teams coming in, arranging beds and meals, finances, general knowledge for all visitors, shopping, décor, and a bizarre list of other miscellaneous tasks. Everyone who comes to Alabanza meets Mariet, and due to her unique personality, they never forget her. Thus, as her 23rd birthday approached, we knew we had to do something as unforgettable as our dear friend.
This will be difficult to understand and will probably sound quite strange. The word I used when inquiries about the theme came my way was "warped." I still say that it was. But if you know Mariet, it makes much more (though not quite complete) sense that we threw her a surprise wedding party for her birthday. Here’s the background: Mariet is one of those girls who has bene dreaming about her wedding since she was a young girl. She longs to be married more than anything, and this is no secret… no secret meaning that anyone who has ever met Mariet knows how much she wants to be married. God has even told her when the blessed event is to happen and to whom, but that information is too sensitive for me to share with you here. But, suffice it to say and as insane as it was, this was the perfect theme for her party.
We went overboard. Way overboard! We turned Dini’s stoop ("back porch" to southerners) into a wedding reception. Paper doves and bells hung from the ceiling, flower arrangements surrounded the room, nice linens adorned tables filled with every scrumptious delight Anmerie could make in time. Mariet was given a white dress to wear and told to wait for her escort. Albert’s car was shoe-polished with "Just Married" and sent to pick her up. We all waited anxiously on the stoop. I was recruited as the photographer and awaited the guest of honor anxiously in my best tie (aka Dawie’s old black tie) and name tag which read, "Photographer, Alabanza Images" with small writing at the bottom that stated, "tips accepted."
Mariet stepped out of the car and was given the arm of her escort for the evening, Jonathan. We (Jonathan, Dawie, and I) had gone out that morning to find something cheap, yet formal, for the event, and Jonathan wore his white suit and pink striped shirt proudly. As the two entered, they were bombarded with rose petals and bubbles, as every guest sang the wedding march. Mariet was told to blow out the candles on the enormous (and rather gaudy) cake that stood in the middle of the room. Luiza burst out of the cake wearing a jester’s cap (see, I told you "warped" was an appropriate adjective for this…), and the event began. Jonathan and Dawie shared DJ duties and many of the guests, which included Alabanza staff, AIM staff, Mariet’s friends and family, took to the dance floor.
I ran around taking pictures the entire evening, though more than one gentleman did grab me and pull me onto the dance floor. Everyone laughed and ate and danced for a couple of hours. Mariet was smiling and giggling the entire time—the wedding party was a hit! Jonathan and Dawie, who are known for duets at times like these, had worked up another performance especially for Mariet. The two sang "Just the Way You Look Tonight" and Mariet was absolutely delighted.
The evening took a strange turn at the end, as it was the same evening of the last game of the rugby finals. Rugby is kind of huge here. Some of you are thinking "Duh!" right now, but I had no idea. It was like soccer in Turkey last year—I had to be a fan or I had to leave the country. I had never seen a bit of rugby before coming to ZA, but I became a huge fan this night. The stoop instantly transformed from a formal wedding party to a small theater of rugby fans, with faces painted in Springbok colors and ZA flags. The FYM’s (First Year Missionaries here with AIM) filled the stoop and we all sat to watch the game. Though most of us had no idea what was going on initially, we followed the lead of our South African friends and were soon cheering and yelling as if we had been long-time Springbok fans. As you should already know, South Africa won and the celebration was filled with face-paint smearing hugs and giddy jumping.
Luiza just out of the cake
Jo, me, and Leah
Luiza, Mariet, Anmerie, and Veli
Jonathan and Dawie serenade Mariet
she might just have a future in this...
Michelle, Dawn, and Michael at the rugby gameMy Birthday
I turned 24 on November 15th and celebrated my first out-of-the-country birthday here at Alabanza. I awoke at midnight to the sounds of somebody at my window. I was frightened at first, as crime is a part of our lives here in South Africa, until I realized that paired with the tapping was a familiar song.
I opened my window to see Dawie ("Dah-vee") holding something with a candle on it singing the Happy Birthday song in English (as opposed to his first language, Afrikaans). As my eyes adjusted to the moonlight, I saw that he had a cinnamon roll with a candle sitting on a plate surrounded by pink flowers and flower petals. The candle kept blowing out in the breeze, and when this would happen, Hugo ("Hee-who") would run around the corner, relight the candle, and then run back into the darkness. This happened four times during our interaction, and Hugo seemed greatly relieved when I finally blew it out. Dawie slid the plate and a gift through the bars on my window and wished me a Happy Birthday and a good night’s sleep and went to bed. The gift was a bag of South African goodies—teas, cookies, and candies. There was a card inside that told me that since I was celebrating my first South African birthday, I should do it with South African treats, and I did!
In the morning, Dawn and I went to the gym like we always do (every weekday morning at 6am), and then returned for stoop, our morning Alabanza staff prayer time on Dini’s porch (every weekday morning at 8am). Anmerie surprised me at stoop with fresh-baked shortbread (my favorite thing we sell in the coffee shop!), and fresh Starbucks coffee. I am so spoiled!!! But it gets better… I had birthday money from Gran, which I used for my very first massage and a much-needed pedicure. I can’t believe I waited 24 years before my first massage—and I will definitely not be waiting very long for the next one! It was divine! And all of the Americans have discovered here that our feet turn black and our heels become hard like rocks—so pedicures are a must (and they are freakishly cheap and we take advantage of that).
After lunch, I met the girls at House of Coffees for a ladies lunch. Mariet, Anmerie, Luiza, Jo, Leah, Dawn and I ate, drank, and were quite merry as Veli (Luiza’s son) entertained not only us, but the restaurant staff as well. It was very special to me because we’d recently had a difficult time living in community, especially us girls. When they ALL showed up to birthday lunch I was overwhelmed (more on "community" later). From there, I went to the internet café to call home and speak with EVERY member of my family. It was the first time I had spoken with Mallory and Daniel since arriving in Africa since my calls home happen so early in the morning. Mom had warned them that I would call, and they both woke up just enough to wish me a happy birthday. (Thanks, you two! I love you!) I talked to Mom and Dad, too, before they took off to work, and as each person got on the phone, I opened the birthday card they had sent me. They all sent me musical or movie quote cards, so they wanted to hear my reactions as I opened the cards and heard them for the first time. The entire internet café thought I was insane, but it was worth it, as the cards were hilarious! Then, Dawie picked me up and took me back to House of Coffees (I LOVE that place!) for coffee. Yay, coffee!
I came back to Alabanza and hung out with Landi for a while, since she was at school all day and missed celebrations up to that point. She talked to me as I got ready for my birthday dinner. Landi is sixteen, and lives with me and Dawn in Fonteinkie ("little fountain"—named so for the way the water likes to run down the hill and straight through our house during a hard rain). At this point a card was delivered that had come in the mail that day from the Riggs. My Bible study from home signed an adorable card that claimed they made me a chocolate cake and ate it, something I laughed at until I saw pictures of a chocolate cake adorned with jungle animals with "Happy Birthday Lindsey" written on it. They actually made me a chocolate cake, stood around it and smiled for a picture, and then ate it! I love my friends!!!
They came and got us when dinner was ready and we all went up to the upstairs of the coffee shop for a fajita dinner. I had to teach everyone how to put a fajita together, and we all enjoyed them immensely. Brownies followed (thank the Lord!) and everyone went to bed with full tummies of a little piece of Lindsey’s home.
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"
-2 Corinthians 9:15
Leah and Veli, Jo, Dawn, Luiza, Anmerie, Mariet, and me at House of Coffees
I love my girls...
me and Veli :)
on holiday
Jeffrey's Bay and Cape Town
That’s right—we went on holiday, or as y’all back home know it-- vacation. Dawn, Leah, and I went to Jeffrey’s Bay for a couple of days (back in November), and were then joined by Jo in Cape Town for another couple days.
In J-Bay we stayed at the AIM house with the team that we hadn’t seen in weeks. The hospitality was insane, and the leaders gave their own bed to me and Dawn for the duration of our stay. They also let us borrow cars and taxied us to and from the airport. To top off the spoiling, we did nothing. Well, Leah did—she caught up with everyone from her time in J-Bay as an FYM (First Year Missionary—her program ended in May). But Dawn and I learned that we are fabulous holiday day buddies, as we both understand the art of nothingness. We did it well. We did it on the beach, in our room, during the day, at night. I would venture to say that we can do nothing as well as the pros.
The weather was chilly and it got quite windy while we were there, something we were not prepared for having come from the sizzling heat of Pretoria. It was a nice change, though it did hinder the sun bathing. Dawn taught me to indulge in her personal favorite holiday nothingness activity, which is looking for shells. I have to tell you, I was skeptical at first, but when you are on the kind of beach that has the same fancy shells you pay money for in stores, you get pretty excited about shells.
We awoke early one morning to watch the sunrise over the ocean, one of my favorite things about beaches. We were worried when we woke up and saw the sky was already pink, but the sun took its time getting up and we didn’t miss any of the show. Hot chocolate in hand, we stood and watched in wonder.
J-Bay is one of the to surf spots in the world, so the culture there is very laid back and "chill" friendly . Billabong, Quicksilver, and Roxy all have massive outlet stores there, and I must admit that I made a purchase simply to fit in with all the "cool kids" (i.e. South Africans that I live with at Alabanza). We really enjoyed our restful time there reading, writing, sitting in coffee shops, walking on the beach, but we ecstatic to make our way to Cape Town and reunite with our Jo.
Now, I don’t think I’ve actually told you all who Jo and Leah are. They are Americans who live and work at Alabanza with me and Dawn. They arrive 3 or 4 weeks after we did, and came to help out with the Awakening. They both participated as FYM’s last year, Jo at Alabanza, and Leah in J-Bay—but that’s how they both came to know and love this place, so much so that they had to come back. Jo is 20, from Washington state, sings like an angel, and is undoubtedly one of the funniest people God ever created. Leah is 25, from Indiana, both mature and highly playful, and laughs from her soul—something that can literally be heard for kilometers around. Trust me. I love these girls so very much and all we do when we are together is laugh. They have both taught me a great deal—Jo that I am not alone in this world, and from Leah what true beauty and servanthood are.
We drove out to Stellenbosch one morning to see the wine country. We would’ve taken a wine tour, except I was the only one who wanted to try the wine. Maybe next time. But we did get to tour the town and one winery and vineyard. The entire area is lush and breathtaking. We hurried back to make it to the cultural market in Cape Town, and no, I am not tired of African crafts yet. That evening we took a picnic dinner to the top of Table Mountain. We drove halfway, and then took a cable car the rest of the way. The city is on one side, the ocean on the other. We watched the sunset and gawked. It might be my favorite one ever, and that is saying something.
me on the beach in Cape Town
a message to those at home...
on the top of Table Mountain-- it was COLD!
That’s right—we went on holiday, or as y’all back home know it-- vacation. Dawn, Leah, and I went to Jeffrey’s Bay for a couple of days (back in November), and were then joined by Jo in Cape Town for another couple days.
In J-Bay we stayed at the AIM house with the team that we hadn’t seen in weeks. The hospitality was insane, and the leaders gave their own bed to me and Dawn for the duration of our stay. They also let us borrow cars and taxied us to and from the airport. To top off the spoiling, we did nothing. Well, Leah did—she caught up with everyone from her time in J-Bay as an FYM (First Year Missionary—her program ended in May). But Dawn and I learned that we are fabulous holiday day buddies, as we both understand the art of nothingness. We did it well. We did it on the beach, in our room, during the day, at night. I would venture to say that we can do nothing as well as the pros.
The weather was chilly and it got quite windy while we were there, something we were not prepared for having come from the sizzling heat of Pretoria. It was a nice change, though it did hinder the sun bathing. Dawn taught me to indulge in her personal favorite holiday nothingness activity, which is looking for shells. I have to tell you, I was skeptical at first, but when you are on the kind of beach that has the same fancy shells you pay money for in stores, you get pretty excited about shells.
We awoke early one morning to watch the sunrise over the ocean, one of my favorite things about beaches. We were worried when we woke up and saw the sky was already pink, but the sun took its time getting up and we didn’t miss any of the show. Hot chocolate in hand, we stood and watched in wonder.
J-Bay is one of the to surf spots in the world, so the culture there is very laid back and "chill" friendly . Billabong, Quicksilver, and Roxy all have massive outlet stores there, and I must admit that I made a purchase simply to fit in with all the "cool kids" (i.e. South Africans that I live with at Alabanza). We really enjoyed our restful time there reading, writing, sitting in coffee shops, walking on the beach, but we ecstatic to make our way to Cape Town and reunite with our Jo.
Now, I don’t think I’ve actually told you all who Jo and Leah are. They are Americans who live and work at Alabanza with me and Dawn. They arrive 3 or 4 weeks after we did, and came to help out with the Awakening. They both participated as FYM’s last year, Jo at Alabanza, and Leah in J-Bay—but that’s how they both came to know and love this place, so much so that they had to come back. Jo is 20, from Washington state, sings like an angel, and is undoubtedly one of the funniest people God ever created. Leah is 25, from Indiana, both mature and highly playful, and laughs from her soul—something that can literally be heard for kilometers around. Trust me. I love these girls so very much and all we do when we are together is laugh. They have both taught me a great deal—Jo that I am not alone in this world, and from Leah what true beauty and servanthood are.
the beach at J-Bay during sunrise
We drove out to Stellenbosch one morning to see the wine country. We would’ve taken a wine tour, except I was the only one who wanted to try the wine. Maybe next time. But we did get to tour the town and one winery and vineyard. The entire area is lush and breathtaking. We hurried back to make it to the cultural market in Cape Town, and no, I am not tired of African crafts yet. That evening we took a picnic dinner to the top of Table Mountain. We drove halfway, and then took a cable car the rest of the way. The city is on one side, the ocean on the other. We watched the sunset and gawked. It might be my favorite one ever, and that is saying something.
Look! Penguins!!!
me on the beach in Cape Town a message to those at home...on the top of Table Mountain-- it was COLD!me and Jo watching the sunset
Jo took my picture while I watched the sunset...
...and this is what I was watching
Drakensburg Mountains
And then two weeks later we took another holiday…
I know it sounds crazy, but we’re doing this so cheaply and we don’t really get weekends here, so we don’t feel bad about taking a few days here and there to explore the rest of the country. This week we were in the Drakensburg Mountains for a couple days. I kid you not and do not exaggerate when I say that this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Everything is so intensely green! Ahhhh!!!
We stayed in another amazing hostel, though this one should be called a lodge or something less "cheap" sounding. We cooked our own meals in the kitchen and giggles ever evening from our bunkbeds. It was my original holiday crew—Jo, Leah, and Dawn—with the addition of one very important South Africa, Anmerie. We basically took her hostage and forced her to go, and we were all so glad that we did. Anmerie is amazing and had us laughing the whole time and took our South African jokes like a champ.
One day we took a six hour hike through the mountains. We walked through fields of donkeys, waded though waist-high fern fields, entered into jungle-like forests of vines and mosses, played beneath and behind a waterfall, and cautiously made our way through the territory of some angry baboons. Yup. Baboons. You think they are cute in the movies, but I’m telling you, nothing is uglier than the scream of Daddy Baboon telling you to get the hell away from him tribe. Eeck! But we had to go that way, and with a lot of caution, several prayers, nervous warnings with big sticks in hand, we made it through their forest. We spotted at least 25, though some estimates go as high at 35. Either way, we were massively outnumbered and very respectful of the fact that though they are hated vermin her in ZA, we were on their turf.
We also used this opportunity to do some debriefing from our time here. Jo left the day after we returned and Leah leaves a couple of days before Dawn and I do. "Debriefing" is time at the end of a trip to process everything you have experienced. Dawn wrote out some questions for all of us, and each night we spent time answering them together. The questions range from funniest moment in ZA to what you saw God do here, to how life will be different when you go home. It was a great time to re-examine my time here, how I have changed, and what God has done. We always digressed and told stories, laughing until we held our stomachs and rolled on the floor. And we had serious times, too, where we prayed over tough areas, and asked for God to walk with us all as we take our next steps.
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