Stories from South Africa - Living in Rural South Africa

Driving out to our rural outreach location was interesting - the view was awesome rolling hills, banana and orange trees - (The fruit in South Africa is awesome)!  Some of the bananas were covered in a plastic bag - I am not sure why.  The community we went to live in was rural yet not too rural.  Our goal for this outreach was to live in tents, cook over a fire, start up some ministry in the town and have a chicken experience.

 I like to say it was a bit of The Apprentice - having our own initiative  to start ministry,  Surviver since we had to cook over a fire, use a long drop (outhouse) and take bucket baths, and the Amazing Race - because this whole experience in SA was kind of like this.  The only difference was we couldn't kick anyone off.  I am sure some of my teammates wouldn't have minded kicking me off a time or two.


We arrived to Pastor James's court yard and were shown where we could set up our tents.


When we were preparing to leave for the Rural outreach we were given some advice:
1.  Your kids will be dirty get used to it.
2.  Don't let your kids play in the sand - as there are worms in the sand.
3. Cover your kids in misquote repellent before dusk.
4.  Your kids will be dirty get used to it. 

When we arrived the first thing little Lucy did was make her happy sound and lay down in the sand and start playing.  We quickly realized that it wasn't going to be possible to keep it out of it.  Irina also loved the sand - thankfully no worms.


The second thing Lucy did was poop in her diaper and then reach her hands into her diaper and spread it all over her.  We had just arrived were still figuring out where everything was located and we hadn't collected any water yet.  The bathroom consisted of a "long drop"  another name for an outhouse and the shower was accomplished with a bucket.  So I stripped her, cleaned her with wet wipes and dressed her again.  All in all it was a good initiation of our time in this rural community.


We then set out to set up our tents.  We were a mixed group of people.  There was Jonathan a young man of South African Afrikaans decent who had just turned 18 the month before.  Danree who I say is from the Brooklyn of South Africa - Cape Town who was from Indian decent.  Jaco our team leader also South African Afrikaans decent.  Then Faith our co-leader from Hong Kong China, Maria from Ohio, Tony and I from South Dakota and our three kids.  Maggie from Sweden and Donghyuk from South Korea.

Our Rural Outreach Team




We were given two tents with the idea that the children could sleep in one tent and Tony and I could sleep in the other.  We quickly realized that the African nights were too dark and there wasn't any possibility of a night light in a tent.  Also the malaria pills that we were giving our children caused some interesting nightmares.   We then thought maybe Wesley and Tony could sleep in one tent and I and the girls in another.   Wesley wanted to be in the bigger tent so it ended up with me and the kids in one tent and Tony by himself in the other tent.  I quickly put a ca-bash to that and so all five of us slept in the big tent.  It worked out, I wasn't going to be with all the kids all by myself.


So that began our 17 days of tent living.  Finding room for our stuff - trying to keep it from the edge so that the night dew wouldn't seep in, the biggest problem was the sand - every two days I would put all our stuff into the pack and play and sweep the entire tent out.  I was always amazed at the amount of sand that accumulated.


Ministry was a mixture of things.  We did some dramas for the grammar school, did an AIDS/HIV talk for the local high school.  Did house visits and prayed with people.  Played with the local children and a few of us did the sermon for the church services.   We were also able to go to a local school for the disabled after I got to know one of their Deaf students Jeffery.  It was a struggle to understand each other with my American Sign Language and the South African sign language being very different.  They did use the same finger spelling and not British finger spelling so we were able to use that a bit.  We found creative ways to communicate but at times it was quite a struggle.  The program we did at the disabled school was by far one that I remember the most and they really enjoyed it.

Me in the middle of the Deaf Education Classroom, Jeffery is on the far left with the red under-shirt.


One women I won't ever forget - was covered in sores.  It was pretty clear that she had AIDS - We were able to talk to her and pray with her.  I really felt God impress on me to share with her the story of Hagar and how God saw her.  That God loved her and saw her and wanted to know her even more.  I won't ever forget that women for me she really impressed on me how much God loves us all and wants to meet us where we are at.  That his love is all covering and there is nothing He doesn't know and through it all He loves us.


Struggles of the Rural outreach were many.  It was challenging to live in a small tent for 17 days and Tony and I had our share of arguments and frustrations as we balanced doing ministry and children.  Our team was very helpful and shared the load of watching the children so that Tony and I could do some ministry together.  We had some personality conflicts that I won't ever forget, but through it all we were brother and sisters in Christ and in that we grew and God used us to encourage the church and the community.

Devotional - Matt 25:31-40

Feed My Sheep

Team Devotional

South Africa

Looking at missions as a family is different than looking as a single.  We have a whole family to consider.  Both Tony and I felt that we were heading to Russia.  Tony’s desire is to do disaster relief, development kind of work.  I am a teacher by education, certified American Sign Language interpreter by trade and a Deaf advocate from birth.  So when OM said that Russia wouldn’t work with our skill set.   Was it Russia or Disaster work?  We responded that it was disaster work.

The placement women at the US office said she would look and see what work is out there– She first came back with Austria.  I had seen the job listing in Austria and thought it would fit with Tony’s skill set.  I wasn’t sure how it fit with mine but it seemed a confirmation to me.  Then the door for Austria started to close.  Since we are not a member of the European Union and didn’t have a way to become one.  We had opened up where we were “willing” to go to, any former Russian country and most of the “Stans.” 

The placement advisor had worked in a stan herself and had on a few occasions suggested it as a needy place.  My gut reaction – “I am not taking my children to that country!”  I was dead set against it.  She explained the work they have there – a Deaf school and disaster work.  I saw that the work there fit with both my skills and Tony’s  - it was almost too good a fit.   I also could see that Tony was very interested in it.  I was not willing to even discuss it – I was not going to go there!

Then I decided I should pray about it.  I sensed God calling me to pray.  I was feeding Lucy – who at the time was probably about 1 month old.  I felt God asking me Why not?  I told God.  “I can’t take my children there God.”

Who’s Children?  God asked.

Okay your Children – but you gave them to me!

Very quietly God said – “Feed my Sheep.  The sheep I give you, not the ones you want to feed.”

After laying Lucy down to sleep I went downstairs and I told Tony  - okay we can’t rule it out.  We will head in this direction until, or unless God shows us something different.

In the back of my mind I still heard God’s voice – Feed my Sheep. 

What does it mean to feed God’s sheep?

Sometime later I decided to do a word study.  How many of you have done a word study before?

I knew the verse that feed my sheep came from so I started there: 

John 21:15-17  (read it from the bible – myself or someone else)

From that I came up with a list of words

Feed, Tend, Sheep, lamb, shepherd, disciple, world, Go and bread

I won’t go over all the verses I found; there were a lot of them.  I read them and came to:

Matt 25: 31-40  - here was my answer – How do I feed God’s sheep?  It boils down to this portion of scripture.  

I was hungry – you fed me

I was thirsty – you gave me drink

I was a stranger – you became my friend

I was naked – you gave me clothes

I was sick – you visited me

I was in prison – you came to be with me

When did we do this?  VS. 40.  When you did this to the least among you, you did it to me.

So the question you have to answer for yourself is who are the least in the world today for you. 

What sheep does God want you to feed, tend, clothe? 

Is it the homeless?
The orphaned?
The mentally ill?
Is it the street children?
Is it those who are in slavery?

The Sheep God has for us are all over the world, they may even be in your backyard.  Just be willing to Go where God leads and be used by him. 

Starry Night... Chris August

I really like this song - like being a sweet aroma - so is being a light to a dark world.  When we reflect the SON others see Christ in us.  I am not always shining fully, I have my phases where I don't shine as brightly as I would like but with Him in me - He is the light that I want others to see in me!  Okay so maybe that is a little cheesy but a bit of cheese is very tasty now and then. 

He is everything!

Journal Entries from South Africa - Feb. 26, 2009

Things are a bit better, the director still feels that we both don't go, but he talked to the head director and they decided to see what the Dr. said.  The Dr. said there is medicine for the children - the same kind we will all talk.  So the director will talk to the home office and if it is okay with them, then he will let us all go.  If we still want to.

I shared with my care group leader that the director doesn't want us to go and that was why my silent day didn't go so well.  He told me that people with families go to this area all the time.  He wanted to see us get to go to the Rural outreach as a family.  He also said, "Doesn't he know where your planning on going?"  I said I told him that as well.

Then a little later the other care group leader said that she made an appointment with the Dr. for Monday to get the kids weighed.  She knew me well enough to figure we would be going.  I asked if she had problems with us going there?  She said no, and the Dr. didn't either.  In fact she said she would want to take her own kids too.

That sealed it for us, that unless the home office comes back with a no go, that we are going as a family to the rural outreach.

So... I know this outreach will be difficult!  I have to pray about it and really give it to God, because it isn't going to be all fun and games.  If the kids get sick we are going to be in tents so it could be a mess!
I am praying with an expectant heart for a good trip.

The Things I Don't Say - entry 1

First of all I am not going to spill my guts here so if you were looking for a tell all blog post, the inner ragings of a missionary rasing support your not going to get it.  At least by the time I make this ready to post your not.

There are just a lot of things I don't say.  Have you ever had someone say something with such conviction and know they are totally wrong but say nothing because really what is the point?  They are just listening to themselves talk and are not going to listen to you anyway.  You say a silent prayer as you try to control the thing that you just wish you could say that would make no difference anyway - you maybe vent to your spouse later about what was said and what you wanted to say and just couldn't.

I have those feelings now and then.  Certainly not with everyone or all the time but a lot.  I look like the mild manner girl with a joyful spirit - and you know - most days it really is how I am feeling.  I don't beat around the bush but sometimes I don't get as excited as everyone expects me - because I know how much work has gone into this magical thing.

Oh, I don't know - this probably makes no sense.

Like blogs for instance what are they for?  Are they a money making scheme with no purpose other than to cash in without having to leave home?  What will these blogs say to our children?  How limited our knowledge really was?  Will anyone care?  Does anyone really care now?

Public diary - about weight loss, homeschooling, photos, crafts, etc.  It puts people out there into a public forum to display their talents to a world that is seeking information like a heat seeking missile tracks, aims and impacts its target.  We are flooded with information, words, imagines day in and day out yet we have this need to share our own thoughts and ideas.  Is it because in all this we feel somewhat invisible?

I have no followers on this blog and realize that probably no one reads it.  Is that important to me?  Important that I get this major traffic flow on my personal thoughts and ideas - when really I am too afraid to say the things I really would like to say?

I stop the flow of words form my heart out my fingertips as my mind flashes through word choices and try to make somewhat coherent sentences that share a bit about me to a world that ultimately doesn't even blip that I am alive?

God cares.

I watched the movie Expelled the other day the one about Intelligent Design.  I'm one of those idiots that Richard Dawkins always talks about with such contempt.  I wonder sometimes why he cares so much because if he is right then why does he care if I teach my children about a God he says doesn't exists or a theory he says has no merit.  If the survival of the fittest is true - my kind should die out eventually.  If he is right and he has it all figured out with no questions...

At the end of that movie - Ben Stein is interviewing him and it is the most comical interview I have seen in a long time.  Richard Dawkins is totally not in control of this interview - the first time I think where he hasn't been in an interview that I have heard him in.  He ends up talking about how one possible source of the first living cells was that an alien race came here and seeded this planet with life.

This makes more sense then a God by they way.

An ALIEN RACE came and seeded human life?   Please!

Another "scientist"  says - that life could have been formed on crystals.

This makes more sense than a God?

My son who is 7 all on his own went to discuss God with the neighbor.  He is always very concerned where people are going when they die.  The neighbor told him that there was no God and that we are all just chemicals.

My son very pointedly told him - "If that were true - then it would be all darkest and there would be nothing."

The things I don't say - are measured against the things others feel they have to say and have to convince me of.  I watched a debate recently where it was argued that there is no proof of answered prayer.  That they have been trying to study prayer and can find no correlation with prayer and the outcomes that are measurable.

I wondered how can you measure a prayer?  Is it possible to measure it in terms that are not wrapped up in emotion and love?  I have lots of prayers that God has answered - proof in my very life's blood of a God that cares for me and chooses to hear my prayers.  Are they always answered the way I want?  No!  But they are all answered.  One prayer took over 10 years for me to see the evidence of it.  It was a long term prayer and it is by no means a small thing.  Measurable?  Maybe not in the way this gentlemen wanted, but there is proof in the pudding if you get my drift.

So I will continue to not say everything I want to say.  I will continue to put my trust in a God that can take care of me and this whole world a lot better than I can.  No matter if anyone reads this blog or not.