 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
Lord, Break My Heart for South Africa
by Lisa Williams
Lisa was part of the high school team that recently went to South Africa. She shares a heartfelt memory.
I remember my first night in Marapyane, South Africa, sitting in our host home debriefing with my team. Our leader, Mel, asked us to share something that we wanted prayer for, something that we wanted God to teach us. I asked that they would pray that God would break my heart for the children of Africa. Opening up to the kids and showing them God's love was something that I knew would not be easy. I wanted God to break my heart for the people of Marapyane but I was scared because I knew what it felt like to have my heart broken for Africa.
After spending some time in prayer I felt like God had placed this verse on my heart: 1 John 4:7-8: "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." I desired to show love to the kids just like Christ calls us to.
While in the village of Marapyane, my team and I, along with volunteers from Marapyane Baptist Church, ran a Holiday Club (what we would call a Vacation Bible School) for five days. Our goal was to encourage and teach the local volunteers how to run the Holiday Club so that they could continue it in the years to come. The first day we were blown away by how prepared the volunteers were. Turns out they had been meeting after church every Sunday for the past month and the week before they met every day! What a blessing that was. We were blessed with amazing volunteers that were so excited about this opportunity and by Thursday they were completely running the program.
On Thursday, there was a little girl that came to the Holiday Club with her cousins. She wasn’t any older than two years. She stood there quietly while everyone else was singing and dancing. I walked over to her and said “dumella” which means hello in Swana. She looked up at me with her big brown eyes, but she didn’t say a word. Later, her cousins told me that she didn’t talk so I just spent the rest of the day hanging out with her, singing songs, listening to the Bible lesson, playing with her while the older kids played soccer, and even holding her while she took a nap. By the end of the day, she was following me around everywhere I went and I felt like I had given a piece of my heart to her, I felt like God was answering my prayer.
The last day, she got to the Holiday Club late. She stood in the back of the church looking for me and when she found me she came and stood with me and followed me around the rest of the day. My heart broke when it was time to say goodbye to her. Although I wasn’t able to have a conversation with her and share Christ with her verbally, I was able to show his love. I believe God used me to show her his love and he definitely answered my prayer by breaking my heart for the children of Marapyane.
New Beginnings
We've heard it before. "God hates divorce." He hates the pain and suffering it causes. But God is all about second chances, or more to the point, new beginnings. This is a story about a new beginning.Bruce and Beth were both divorced, each with two children from a previous marriage. They began dating in October 1994, and married in October 1995 and so began the task to merge their two families into one "blended family."
The first five to seven years of their marriage were a struggle. While they loved each other very much, they each had their own preconceived ideas of what a marriage and a family should look like. Of course, they also brought the baggage of failed relationships and past hurts into the equation. Beth already had a strong Christian base, while Bruce was struggling to find himself spiritually. In 2001, at the urging of Beth, she and Bruce began visiting The Chapel. Bruce accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior in 2001, and Beth reaffirmed her commitment to Christ as well. They became members of The Chapel that same year.
While at The Chapel, Beth noticed a flyer for the "New Beginnings" Blended Family Adult Bible Fellowship. The flyer indicated that this group was designed for those attempting to "blend" two families into one unit, using Christ's teachings and our own human experience as guidelines. Bruce and Beth agreed that they certainly needed assistance in this area, so they decided to give it a try. Their first experience with the group was the ABF's first Spring Banquet. Everyone involved was very warm and receptive to this new couple. Bruce and Beth began to attend the New Beginnings ABF on a regular basis later that year.
The leaders of New Beginnings are Rick and Joey Martin. Bruce and Beth claim that there were not two more genuine, humble and compassionate people than Rick and Joey. The other couples in the ABF were just as accepting, each with their own unique experiences to share with Bruce and Beth.
After attending the New Beginnings ABF for some time, Bruce and Beth began to realize that their struggles were not unusual, and that many of the other couples had experienced similar failings and issues. Bruce and Beth credit New Beginnings with making their commitment to Christ, and to each other, stronger and more resilient than ever. The class has given them the tools necessary to deal with issues unique to blended families, while maintaining their commitment to each other as a couple. A testament to the leadership of Rick and Joey, as well as to others in the class, is that the New Beginnings ABF has grown to one of the largest Adult Bible Fellowships at The Chapel. Bruce and Beth firmly believe that anyone dealing with the issues of divorce and remarriage would greatly benefit from the experience, wisdom and compassion of this amazing group of people.
The Rough in Diamonds
by Linda Maynard
An often-used cliché in America is “a diamond in the rough.” My experience in Mozambique, on the eastern coast of Africa, was to see the “rough in diamonds.”
During my preparation for a mission trip to Mozambique, I learned that the natives of the country fell victim for decades to oppressive occupation by foreign countries. What’s more, when those countries were forced out, they took with them the country’s education system and infrastructure, leaving the Mozambicans nearly destitute. In order to earn enough income to support their families, men were forced to head for the South African diamond mines. And the time away from their families has resulted in a new host of problems that will require many more years to repair.
The men’s absences are long (upwards of one year at a time) and their allegiances to their families back in Mozambique often give way to new relationships in the land of their work. If the men do return to their home villages, they often bring HIV/AIDS with them. The end result is that far too many Mozambican women and children find themselves with no husband or father and no money, but many challenges. For instance, according to World Relief:
- 4 of 10 Mozambicans live on less than $1 a day
- 6.6% of Mozambicans are orphaned children
- 3 of 10 children die before they turn five
- 16.1% of Mozambicans are living with HIV or AIDS
So, while the mining industry of South Africa has afforded men the opportunity to earn decent wages, the toll on humankind has been staggering. Which begs the question: is the price paid for a glittering stone in a setting of gold a true representation of the actual cost? Or are diamonds rougher than we realize?
Jesus Offers Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness
Despite these seemingly insurmountable challenges, I was blessed to see that Jesus is moving
in the hearts and lives of the Mozambicans. As a partner church with World Relief, The Chapel of Akron/Green, Ohio has had the privilege of sharing Jesus’ ultimate message of abundant and eternal life with the people of Mozambique while simultaneously supporting projects that provide the gift of a better life here on earth. The most recent team of Chapel members included four men and four women, and throughout our 1 ½ week visit, we witnessed God’s provision of grace, love and essentials for life flowing through the villages of Chaimite and Koka Misava.
- Close to 1000 children learned about Jesus through teachings and songs.
- Teenagers participated in a lesson on purity and were encouraged with ways to avoid
the temptations of sexual promiscuity. - Approximately 50 pastors and as many volunteers learned God’s design for relationship with Himself, with spouses, with children and with the community.
- More than 100 purses, which had been handmade by the women of each village, were purchased by The Chapel for resale in the states. The resale profits have been placed in a fund to be utilized for a future village project.
- Three new water filtration tanks were dedicated in Koka Misava, while plans for additional tanks in Chaimite and other villages were developed.
Perhaps the most moving scene that I witnessed, however, was our interaction with the women of Koka Misava. When asked what prayer requests the women had, they poured out their hearts with nearly 20 petitions for their husbands, their children, their villages and the country as a whole. The women prayed for their crops, their health and for the salvation of their loved ones. They prayed for their continued growth in and understanding of God’s word. And we were encouraged by their purchase of Bibles from the proceeds of their purse sales. That act told us that these women were serious about coming alongside one another in the Name of Jesus to grow closer to Him. That is the greatest bless
ing we could have experienced!
One aspect of this trip for which I was unprepared was the difficulty in saying good-bye. So much time was spent learning about the people and culture of Mozambique and praying over the lessons that we would share with them. Once we were on the ground, a wonderful conversation between new friends began. But just as we were letting down our guards and authentically sharing with one another, we had to put the conversation on hold. The trip was coming to a close, and it was time for this team to depart.
I have since found myself praying that God will show me whether He wants me to return to Mozambique or whether He simply wants me to accept that this part of the conversation was the only piece I’d been assigned. Perhaps another member of His body will carry it on. As I await His answer, I am certain of one thing. I will look differently at diamonds, allowing each one to remind me to pray for my dear friends in Mozambique.
  |
 |
 |
 |
Receive E-News |