One Thing Remains

Today is the 4^th of July. Normally on this day I would be at home hanging out with my family grilling and swimming in the backyard, but this year I am in South Africa, where they do not celebrate my country’s independence.  I am going to be honest, even if I was at home, I wouldn’t really take the time to remember why I got the excuse to hang out with my family all day but this year is different. One reason would be because I am not at home and second and most important, is that earlier this weekend I got to talk to a good friend of mine who is serving in Iraq right now. This guy means a lot to me! I’ve always looked up to him and respected him and getting to chat with him was such a blessing. He got to share with me a few things about his experience there and I told him that I just wanted to cry for him. During that conversation the Lord reminded me about these past two weeks and how I’ve been growing and learning how to live in a place that is foreign to me and sometimes has been extremely hard. I was also reminded of how much I’ve complained about things and missed home. So while I was thinking about all of this and talking to my friend, the Lord showed me that even though this has been hard it still is nothing compared to what I could be doing. Thanks Jesus for the conviction! Gotta love it. =) It also reminded me how much I need to be praying for all of the soldiers fighting for our freedom and to not just think about them on days like today.

So last week I got to go to a slum called Bottlebrush. It was the most amazing and heartbreaking experience. I got to hear the main guy that helps pass out the food preach to the kids in Zulu and hear all the kids pray to Jesus in their own language. Most of these kids have AIDS and either don’t have parents that love them or their parents passed away already because of AIDS. As Connie and I passed out the food, I fell in love with all of the kids. I wish that I could have taken all of them with me! It was so hard to leave them, but thankfully we get to go back in a few weeks. As we were driving back to where we are staying, Connie and I began to discuss how we can help them. We started talking about orphanages and a way to meet their medical needs. Mary, the lady who is taking care of us and probably one of the coolest people I know, started telling us that that has been their prayer and vision for years now. Connie and I went crazy. We started talking about all the different ways we can raise money for them, to buy the property that the Good News Center and the "Icebox" is on with a few other buildings. It is huge land that could be used for such a wonderful purpose and it is now for sell. The land alone costs $2 million dollar, that doesn't include any of the renovations or buildings they will need. Connie and I, together and individually have now started praying about what we will do with the time we are back home and how we can raise the money. We believe that the Lord is big enough to use us and get this money raised by the time we, hopefully, bring our own team of Americans back to Durban to go to Bottlebrush. As I was thinking about this blog post and what I wanted to say, the Lord gave me the verse from Matthew 25:42-43.

"For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." 

It isn't the happiest scripture but it continued to kindle the new passion I have for wanting to help with Bottlebrush. I do not want to be face to face with Jesus and tell him, "Oh, sorry, I saw the need and the hurt but I decided that it was for someone else." Not everyone gets to come to South Africa for 6 1/2 weeks and see this and feel it like I have, it just isn't reasonable for them or the Lord didn't call them to go. I know in my spirit that I was called, by God to come and serve these people and especially these children in Bottlebrush. 

I know how much fun it is to get to read about another person's experience. I've read a few blogs from people who have gone overseas and thought to myself that that wasn't for me or that there wasn't anything I could do to help out. Now I know that I can. I am called to go. I am called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these kids. I believe with my whole heart that this money can be raised. I have hope that soon, not years from not, but very soon, Good News Center will be able to purchase this land and build an orphanage for these children and give them the care they so desperately need. I would ask that you be in prayer for the ways the Lord wants to move in this place and with the ways He wants to raise this money. I also ask that you really pray about how you can help too. 

So no matter where you serve, give, or go, one thing remains, all of us get the privilege and honor to show one another what it looks like to follow Jesus and be His hands and feet.