We completed our first major leg of our road trip last Saturday when we arrived in Los Angeles to stay with Christina's brother Brian for a week. It's been a great week, and we've begun to learn a number of different ways that the Lord is moving right now in America that we could see ourselves jumping in with. Along the 3,000+ miles we drove to get here, however, we saw God work in so many different ways, we wanted to share just a few with you:
Less than six hours into our trip on the first day, our Jetta was experiencing a little trouble. However, we found a VW dealership less than two miles off of the highway. Also, though initially telling us that they might be able to take us before the end of the day, one of the mechanics told us that he could look at our car immediately, was able to identify our problem right away, and then proceeded to tell us that the defective issue was actually on recall, meaning he was able to fix the problem at no cost to us. All in all, the stop cost us 90 minutes and zero money.
Even though he and his wife were out of town, a friend of mine allowed me and Christina to stay in their new house while we were in Kansas City. This meant that we were able to have time and space to ourselves for the first time since we arrived back in the States. Such a blessing!
We were hosted by Gary and Lisa Black and the rest of the Black tribe during our time in Colorado Springs. Their eldest son, Tyler, gave up his room for us, and Gary and Lisa spent a good deal of time with us, pouring into us and helping us to hear what the Lord might have for us next. Their gifts of discernment and wisdom, speaking truth into our lives, was such a gift.
After leaving Colorado Springs, we stopped at the Arches National Park on our way to Los Angeles. Not only was driving through the Rocky Mountains an incredible view of God's creation, but the Park was absolutely stunning. We saw evidence of God's inventive and creative hand in the amazing rock creations, each one more incredible than the last.
Those are just some of the ways that the Lord's hand was with us, and evidence of His going before us, as He promises to do. We give praise to God for His faithfulness to us and are excited to see how His faithfulness will continue throughout our summer!
Well, after multiple trips to the doctor, phone calls, and appointments, we finally got our South African visas! We're now cleared to volunteer in South Africa until May of '09! This is such a huge load of our minds, as visa issues almost caused us to leave the South Africa early this past year. Being able to have this hurdle jumped is, as my soon-to-be sister-in-law would say, "ginormous." We really thank God for His provision and His grace in getting this completed.
And it couldn't have come any later, as Christina and I leave today for the first leg of our cross-country road trip. Today we'll be driving from Washington, DC, to Chicago, where we'll be able to see and stay with Tag and Holly. Although the Cubbies won't be in town, Chi-town is jammed packed with great things to do over the Fourth. We're really looking forward to seeing Tag and Holly in a different context and just enjoying some great fellowship with them, as well as other friends that we have in the area. Please pray for our safety as we travel, and for some rest and relaxation for us as a couple.
It was early in the morning when we packed our water bottles, sandwiches and strapped on our Chacos to prepare for the mountain climb. None of us knew where we were going except a few boys that had scouted the scene, all we knew was that we were going to climb a mountain. It was an intentional climb called the Surrender Walk that Tag, Holly, and Heather had all done before at their leader training for AIM. We all walked pretty quietly from the van through the woods, over a barbed wire fence, under a few logs and into the brush anticipating the base of the mountain. We arrived at a clearing where Tag said a few inspirational words and gave some instructions for this Surrender Walk. We were supposed to climb this mountain alone, in silence, just ourselves and the Lord. Before we headed up we needed to find an object somewhere in the woods that represented a burden we had been carrying that we wanted to surrender. We had to carry that object all the way to the top of the mountain and once we reached the top give it to the Lord in an act of surrender. Within minutes we had all split up, lonely bodies wandering through the woods looking for an object to represent our burdens. Some began the ascent quickly while others lingered taking in the challenge, the beauty and perhaps the only moments of silence to be found in a while.
Previously to this Surrender Walk, Chris and I had been through some very hard times in our marriage. There seemed to be a lot of stress and tension in our relationship that caused some arguments, angst and frustration. We both had made some wrong choices that hurt the other and were holding onto bitterness from the hurt. I decided I wanted to surrender this hurt and anger. I found my object to represent this burden. It was the South African national flower - a Protea flower. It was a premature Protea, small and not full in color. It had a few dirty and torn petals on the outside but I could see the potential that it had to grow to be an impressive ruby colored blossom. I stuck this flower in the side of my backpack and began my climb.
Chris and I stayed within sight of each other but remained silent as we were instructed. There was no path to follow just our intuition and motivation was our guide. Conversations between myself and God began as I thought about my relationship with Chris and surrendering this hurt I was feeling. The rest of the team was scattered all over the mountain. Some had reached the rocks already and some were blazing through the knee high weeds to reach the base. Others had stopped to rest on a rock to meditate, read the Bible or listen to some music. It was quite a tough climb for me. There were moments I was alone and afraid. There were crevices and boulders I didn't think I could conquer alone. But I took one step at a time and continued to look a the view beyond me and thank God for his presence. When it got tough I kept reminding myself to surrender all.
But there were also moments victory and appreciation. A few times I had to ask Chris to help me climb up a few rocks and he was always there for me, reaching out his hand in patience and encouragement. Another time I was exhausted and wanted to quit, but as I rounded the corner I saw one of my teammates sitting in the sunshine worshiping in song. I reached out my hand in desperation for a pull and she gladly extended her hand and gave me that extra boost I needed. Yet another time one of my teammates called for help from us after being discouraged, afraid and wanting to quit. We had the chance to be community to her in her surrender walk as we prayed and encouraged her that she could make it.
Chris and I finally made it to the top where we shared the stunning view and a long awaited sandwich. Before we began the decent I knew that it was time to leave my Protea flower on top of the mountain to represent my burdens being left behind. I turned to Chris and confessed a few things that had been on my heart and humbly spoke the words of repentance and forgiveness. I gave him that Protea and said that I believe our marriage has great potential to be full of color and life for all to see but we first must take off the outside layers of filthy, torn leaves. Chris also gave me his surrender object- a weed that represented some sin that had overgrown in our relationship. He confessed, I forgave and we embraced. Together we placed our objects on the same rock and we left them there as we headed back down. I really was a moment where God began a new season in our marriage. We've felt God's peace in our marriage ever since.
I learned a lot from that mountain climb. Mostly about community. We all have these journeys to take and some times it's challenging like those boulders and sometimes its peaceful like when we get to sit in the sunshine and worship. But along our path there are people that need our help and others that are willing to help us. In marriage, there will be times that my husband can help me but there will be other times when my girlfriends will lend a hand. There will also be times when I'm all alone but I must surrender my fears and trust the Lord is near. And I guess the thing with surrender is that its not a one time climb and it's over. It is a continual process of releasing our burdens, not giving into temptation and fighting for what you know is truth. Along the way our community is there to walk with us as we all try to figure out what it means to know God and make him known.
Climb a mountain, hike a hill or just find a place that is peaceful to you and surrender your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them up that mountain for you. You don't have to do it alone. "Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 55:22
We've written before about the epidemic of alcoholism that plagues the townships in Jeffreys Bay. Obviously, each individual makes their own choices about it, but the plethora of taverns that litter the landscape in the townships doesn't help. These places are open (and busy) until late every night, and are often a source of solid income to those that own them. This year, three of our students, Cassie, Amber, and Sarah, had a burden on their hearts for a tavern that was on the way to one of the families they would regularly visit during the week. Every week they would pass by the tavern, see the hopelessness through the doors, and they began to pray for the place to be closed down.
So serious were the prayers of these girls that when Amber went home for Christmas she began to raise money from people there to buy the tavern outright from the owner! Not even knowing if she would sell, Amber trusted the Lord to answer their prayers and petitions. They all came back in January, confident that the Lord had some great plans for that tavern. But what happened next was more than they ever dreamed. On their first day back in ministry in January, Amber, Cassie and Sarah went into the tavern for the first time, though their goal was a little different than what they had originally planned. As they sought the Lord's will, they all heard Him tell them to begin building a relationship with the owner, Peela. This would require a step back from what their original plan was, but for a God whose ways are not ours, this was not a huge surprise.
So they began to spend time with the owner, as well as her nephew Joel, and they began to show her God's love through that relationship. And the more they talked, the more she opened up. And then one day, Peela confessed to them that running that tavern was really exhausting for her. She hated dealing with the drunkards that would come in and out of her tavern and how much trouble it was for her. And what she really wanted to do, most of all, was turn it in to a shop. A place where everyone could come and buy bread or washing powder. Needless to say, the girls hopped on the opportunity to encourage her in that, knowing now how the Lord had been working on bringing that tavern down long before they even stepped foot in Jeffreys Bay, and how cool it was that they could be used to further His Kingdom even in that tavern!
That process of change is still happening in that tavern, as Peela is working on converting the place into a store. But Cassie, Amber, and Sarah knew that what the Lord started, He would continue to work on until it was completed. And this was definitely begun by the Lord!
Posted in General Articles
by Christina Via & Holly Thompson
on 6/8/2008
A Story of Gods's Love
One day Tag and Holly were led by a man named Marshall to a town called Humansdorp twenty minutes from Jeffery's Bay. Marshall introduced them to the most precious woman, Virginia. Virginia is a sixty year old woman who cares for about fifteen young children in a very small shack behind her very small home. Our team fell in love with Virginia and all her babies instantly. Her heart is for all children but especially the disabled.
Because of the conditions of her crèche (daycare) she is only able to care for about two disabled children. In December it rained so terribly that she had to move the children into her personal home because the crèche was so badly damaged by the rain. God was really starting to work during this time.
Chris and Christina Via's parents heard about the situation Virginia was in and began to spread the word. Tag and Holly also spread the word back at home and in no time at all together we raised over $1,500 for a new floor, roof, and walls. Virginia also received $500 for new beds and over 100 new blankets for the children.
With the money received we were now able to pair willing hands (our FYM team) with brand new materials to truly give the creche an extreme home makeover. The labor was intense and much time was sacrificed, but it was well worth it to bless Momma Virginia.
We are excited to say that the children now have a much cleaner, safer, and brighter place to sleep and play. Money was also given for a months supply of food and for new toys (they had nothing at all to play with). We can't put into words how blessed Virginia is. She has said thank you so many times we can not count. She prays God's blessing on you all. An extra blessing from this project was how we were able to show God's love to her community. We had so many people stop by to see the work and parents that were overjoyed by the hard work and love put into the crèche. Thank you all so much for making Virginia's dreams come true.
Seconds after we landed on US soil, after our long 24 hour trek, Chris and I began to sing the words to Lee Greenwood's song, "...and I proudly stand up next to you and defend her still today, cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God Bless the USA". Out of embarrassment we both began to giggle and shhhh the other person to quiet down.
We arrived several days ago and it's been full of action ever since. We've already been to one wedding, seen 2 twin babies, been through 3 thunderstorms, and driven 4 hours to Philly and back to pick up our car. For the most part we are getting settled in easily. Culture shock is sometimes harder coming back to your own country. Things seem overwhelming such as the grocery store that houses entire aisles of cereal or, believe it or not, water. Can you image a whole row in the store just for water! How many different types of water can there be? In Africa we get the choice of bran flakes or corn flakes for cereal and tap water or no water.
We are also trying to remember which side of the car the steering wheel is on and which side of the road to drive on. The roads with lines and oncoming traffic are a little easier to figure out. It's the roads with no lines that we actually pull out on the left side for a split second.
But all in all it is great to be back in the homeland. We are excited to spend this summer with many of you, our friends and family.
For the next few posts we want to give you some of the highlights of our past year in South Africa. Time went by so fast that it was hard to write about and keep up with all the amazing things happening on our team and in Jeffrey's Bay. So allow us to debrief our year with you as we recount some of the blessings and miracles we experienced this year.
One of the highlights of my week last year was on Wednesday nights when many of us from the team would go to the Sunflower for the weekly Bingo game. Jakkie called Bingo every Wednesday and he always brought his A-game. We'd always start off singing the Bingo song (you know, "There was a farmer had a dog..."), then Jakkie would lip-sync another song that was EXTREMELY entertaining, and then we'd get down to business.
Obviously, with Jakkie being gone this year, Bingo fell by the wayside, because no one can call Bingo like Jakkie. But he's been visiting all this week, and so we all were able to crowd into the Sunflower one more time for "The Bingo to end all Bingos." It really felt like home again. Katie, our RA from last year, is visiting as well, so she of course joined us. Jakkie told us he'd been preparing for this night even before he knew he was coming back to JBay. There was more lip-syncing, lots of laughing, and, of course, the Bingo song.
What was great, too, is that you could tell how much Jakkie was loving it. He's definitely a ham and loves the spotlight. He loves making people laugh and giving them a good time. And, man, did we have a good time. It didn't hurt that I won two games, but even if I had 0-fered the night, there's nothing like Bingo with Jakkie on Wednesday nights at the Sunflower.
In my last post, I briefly mentioned all of the incredible things that we saw the Lord do in the lives of our team and in those who live in the community. We figured that instead of taking my word for it, it would be better for you to hear from the students themselves. The quotes below are excerpts from the year-end evaluations that our students filled out. In them the students answered questions dealing with everything from community life to life in the community to their own personal walks with the Lord. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did!
Do you feel like you have been discipled? Why or why not?
"Yes. I've had quite a few people to walk along side of me and push me towards Christ this year. I feel like I've been invested in and there is a lot of fruit from that."
"I do feel like I have been discipled. I had someone that I trusted and someone that was a consistent truth speaker to me."
"Yes, I feel like I have been discipled. I feel like I can look back on my walk with Christ and not only see how I've grown, but can see how God used my leaders to help me get here."
Best thing AIM did:
"AIM has provided for us very well. We were provided with excellent accommodations and unbelievable leaders. Both of those were huge in the success of our ministry here - having leaders who cared for us and built into us and having a place to come home to and rest."
"I think AIM does a great job of coming along side of ministries to assist and support rather than take over and do things the "American" way. I have learned a lot from that."
Which topics were the most beneficial and why?
"I think Identity was great. Its always good to build up who you are in Christ because that is the foundation of everything else we do and how we act."
"Searching for God Knows What helped me solidify what I believe and gave me freedom in knowing I'm not tied down by rules and regulations but rather freed by Christ."
"The topic of identity ended up really blessing me. It made me more confident in who God has called me and how He has created me. God really spoke to me and used that time to encourage me and show me his faithfulness and love."
What was the coolest thing you saw God do?
"Change me and teach me and love me."
"Transform a women's life and take her away from alcoholism and bring her back into his arms."
"I saw God push me to do things I never imagined I could do, and I have to give him all of the glory because I could not have worked in a clinic, talked with strangers and live with twenty people on my own strength."
Please share a story about one of your ministry experiences this year.
"Okay...how about the fact that we bought a piece of land and building and set it up as a feeding point for kids????? That was pretty amazing! It feels really awesome to hand the keys and a bank account to a precious woman and let her go wild with her dreams for her community! I mean I could cry at how sweet it was to bless her like that. It is the people of this community that will reach this nation."
"Ministry was certainly very challenging. I was stretched and pushed in a lot of ways, and I feel I've also grown alot. Working with kids from underprivileged family and living situations definitely gave me a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation. It's also hard to keep on pushing in ministry day after day in those times when you see little or no fruit. And there are those days when you just feel too exhausted to continue pouring out yourself, physically, emotionally and spiritually. But God is faithful, and the hard times are well worth it."
Most impacting aspect of the semester:
"The most impacting part was probably to opportunity to step back from my life that I was making a mess of and get literally alone with God. For Him to put me in a country I never thought I would got, and for him to start changing everything. He gave me a safe environment with a great "family" and awesome leaders that desired to push me a ton:)"
"The most impacting aspect of the semester was watching JBay turn into my home, my ministry partners turning into my friends, and my roommates turning into my family. I cannot pin point one thing that impacted my life the most while I have been in Africa. The process of growing and learning impacted me the most."
"I think that the most important thing we can do in our ministries is assist the people that are here. We should never take over, but we should encourage the people that are here living….It was amazing to see how God was using the workers to impact their own community. It is so comforting to know that even though I am leaving, God is still working and will use the people here to build His Kingdom."
Advice for future FYMers:
"Be flexible. Bite you tongue when you have questions that don't really matter. Make sure to rest. Find time every day to press into the heart of God. No sense in coming across the world to make a lot of noise like a clanging cymbal."
"Realize that this 9 months is not about you and it's going to be the hardest and greatest thing you have ever done in your life!"
"No expectations. I know this is always stated, but it really is true. Just be open to new things and really seek to learn all you can and do all you can with God. Also, be careful of the mentality that you are going out to do something for God. Realize that he is already working and you are simply partnering with Him."
These are just pieces of the many things that we witnessed God do. We are amazed at how He continues to work in mighty ways here in Jeffreys Bay. For all of you who gave in any way, whether through your prayers, your finances, or even your encouragement, know that you partnered with us and played in a role in these things. So together we can all praise the Lord. Amen!
I forget where I heard this quote first, or who originally wrote this piece of wisdom down, but it's quite poignant in our lives right now. Our students all flew out on Thursday, after an incredible year of ministry and personal growth. We had times with each one of them before they left, formally asking how their experience was and what they learned, and it was such a great testimony of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness to hear their responses. God has changed these students' hearts, lives, minds, to point more toward Him and His glory, and it was so encouraging to us for them to speak those things out.
But they're gone now, and another FYM program is over. And as those words of wisdom remind us, something else is beginning. For those of you who haven't heard, Christina and I will be leading the Awakening here in JBay in the fall. In a nutshell, the Awakening is a three-month training program for the 08-09 FYM program. All of the students who will be in our Africa sites beginning in January of 2009 will be in Jeffreys Bay from September to December, being prepared for their experience in their specific locations. Tag and Holly Thompson will be coming back to be a part of our leadership team, and four of our students from this year, as well as one from our 06-07 year, will be part of our student leadership team, as well as others that are answering God's call to come alongside Him in this training program.
Indeed, this concept of training is one that the Lord is showing Christina and me in a very real way right now. We feel that the Awakening will not only be a time for us to train the students, but for us to be trained for what He will call us to in the near future. I do think that everything we do God can use to help us later on, but I feel that we are beginning, in these next twelve months, a time of intense training and learning for a longer-term, bigger picture plan that the Lord has for us. In vocation, yes, but also in our marriage and our own personal walks with Him. What's after the Awakening we're not completely sure, but I think it will play a role in this time of intense training as well.
But for the immediate future, we're very much looking forward to coming back to the States. We fly out in a little over two weeks, and are hoping to have a some good R&R once we step foot on American soil. I'm getting ready to reacquaint my taste buds with proper Starbucks coffee, and Christina is looking forward to seeing little additions to her friends' families.
We must give praise to God for His provision that He continues to show us through the faithfulness and generosity of our supporters. We will be, once again, traveling across the country, and we would love to tell you in person how great this year has been for us, and how much we appreciate what you have done to make that possible. Once we get our schedule set, we'll let you know if we'll be coming to a city near you!
Please continue to pray for us, as we finish the small things, and look at what the Lord will begin in us over the next few months. For we know that what He begins in us, He will continue with until the day of Christ's return. Amen to that!
We studied "Identity In Christ" this semester as a team. It was a powerful 2 weeks to learn about who God says that we are and the identity of the King that we serve. As a team we watched this short clip on YouTube. It is a message by Graham Cooke, an international speaker and writer. His words are profound and perhaps prophetic. You don't even need to look at the pictures, just listen to the words. When you have 10 minutes of down time, watch this clip. As you watch meditate on the fact that you are a son an daughter of the King. We hope it blesses you as much as it blessed us.
