While AR Board Member Dave Clark was here, he led us through an afternoon of orientation on walking with the poor. Dave works with an inner city ministry in Chicago, and had some great insights to offer, as well as many challenging scriptural references. For me, the main things I took away were a great need for humility in serving and God’s heart for caring for the poor. Also, that ministry to the poor is based on relationships, and that not all poverty is a result of personal choice. There are many injustices in society as well as straight-up natural calamities that lead to poverty. All good stuff to keep in mind as this year we’ll be working both on a personal level with individuals as well as working to combat some of the systemic injustices that perpetuate poverty.
I wish I could recount the entire session here, as there were so many valuable points on empowerment vs. paternalism, approaching servanthood with a cross-cultural understanding, celebrating the image of God in a different culture (rather than focusing on the brokenness), etc. But instead, I’ll let you ponder the verses below that talk about what God thinks of the poor, and what he expects of Christians. Roll over the links to view the text (you have to roll off and wait for the text to disappear before you can view another verse).
A big shout-out to Dave for condensing such a large volume of material into a very enlightening and helpful session.
"Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.’" —Jeremiah 9:23-24
One of the first projects that we’re tackling at the Powerhouse is to help make the church’s feeding scheme more of a regular, sustained ministry. The feeding scheme started three years ago when Nate was here on his first trip. Tired of talking but not acting, Vincent announced one Sunday, "On Wednesday, we’re going to feed the poor," challenging his congregation to follow Christ’s command. No mind that there was no food to feed the poor on Wednesday… By Tuesday, the plan still stood, but still no food. Nate was riding around with Vincent late Tuesday afternoon when Vincent got a call on his cell phone from the Pick-n-Pay, the local grocery store, to tell him that they had loads of food that had just expired but still edible—could the Powerhouse use it? Needless to say the church fed the poor on Wednesday. Praise God.
This past Sunday at church a similar thing happened. Vincent preached on the Parable of the Lost Sheep , but extended the parable beyond just the account of the shepherd risking the 99 to rescue the one and focused on the why —why would the shepherd rescue the one? Vincent creatively related to the church why that sheep has value in the eyes of the shepherd, just as why one person has value in the eyes of God—why salvation is not just the start in God’s eyes. It was neat to hear how Vincent drilled into our hearts the message of our importance as individuals, while encouraging us to share that same message with others in the community. Why is this a message a township church needs to hear? We are learning that the blacks in the township have consistently heard the lies of Apartheid (even in the post-Apartheid era)—you are nothing, you are inferior, your poverty will keep you down, you will amount to nothing; and we realize every Sunday that many of the children we interact with don’t have parents to tell them they are loved and to remind them they are important. Truly, we are finding that sharing the message of love in the name of Jesus—you are of value, you are important, you are here for a purpose, you are loved—is perhaps the most important thing we will "do" this year as we relate to people. Something seemingly small, but hugely needed.
The next thing we knew, Vincent was announcing AR ’s intention, along with the leadership of the church, to grow the scale of the feeding scheme—in effect, to start a food pantry with a fridge and deep freezer to store breads and meats, industrial shelving to store canned goods, wholesale bags of mealie (corn) meal on hand, etc. so that the church can regularly feed the poor, while supplementing any random donation phone calls from the Pick-n-Pay. Next, Vincent announced the idea the church elders had for providing laundry care for the children who live in shacks behind the church. These children may have received donated uniforms for school but they have no way of taking care of them and essentially wear them until they are totally worn out…and, as a result, these kids stop going to school. The Powerhouse could help them by washing/drying, ironing, folding and returning their clothes each week, and in doing so, share the love of God with them by humbly serving them as Jesus would. Whether Vincent planned it, or if it was the Holy Spirit moving him to challenge his congregation, Vincent turned the sermon to the practical and busted out," "Who’s on board? Who will help?"
At least 20 or 30 hands went up. Wow. "I’ll donate an iron." "I can bring an ironing board." "I’ll provide soap." "I’ll be happy to fix any broken washing machines or irons people have." "I’ll do the laundry." "I’ll bring an ironing board." "I have a washing machine to donate." It was incredible. The church was coming together to be what a church should be, to do what Christ-followers are called to do: respond to need. We were all moved. After, Vincent invited people up to pray for what had just happened, that God would use us as His hands and feet and that people would come to know the love of Jesus through these intentions.
It was refreshing to see a church act—not call another meeting to discuss more—but act, and specifically, to care lavishly for the poor. And to see Vincent, again as he did when the feeding scheme first started, step out on faith before his church and essentially say, "Lord, this is what you have called us to do. Let’s do it," without having the necessary resources but trusting God that He would provide.
We’ve said it before, but it continues to be our privilege to be here alongside the Powerhouse, learning about what it looks like to trust God and to put the gospel into practice. Admittedly, Nate and I are working out in our heads what that will look like back home, where suburbia does an excellent job of hiding need and injustices our neighbors face. But one thing I believe, if all churches would respond as the Powerhouse does, Christians would change the world.
To listen to Vincent’s sermon, click the play button below.
"God will not give you a mission without a provision."—Vincent Nyathi
You can’t visit Africa without seeing some wild animals. So with our guests Dave Jr. & Dave Sr. in town, we made a trip to a lion park near Johannesburg.
To put a little background behind the video (and photos), I’ll share the experience our friends Ben & Anna had with Pastor Vincent last December. While they were admiring a beautiful white male lion stretching against a tree, remarking how much like a harmless kitty cat it was acting, it suddenly lept onto the driver’s side window, shaking the van from side to side, then attacked again on the rear window. As all the passengers were yelling at Vincent to drive off, he got excited and popped the clutch. They luckily got away without any tires bitten off or windows broken, but when they first told this story to me (and Rebecca and Allan & Annie) it was clear they were terrified by the experience and warned us to keep our windows shut should we visit. Needless to say, going into the park this week, we had high hopes of an attack. I personally was hoping to break YouTube records with the video of our own attack—but there was none. However, be sure to watch to the end for some explicit animal kingdom action…almost.
It has been great having the Daves here. We’re headed out later this week to see some more wildlife at Kruger National Park. Things at Powerhouse are going really well—we’ve got some more info on all that’s going on there coming soon.
We have been blessed by the arrival of Africa Revolution Board Member Dave Clark and his dad, Dave Sr., who will be staying with us for the next two weeks. Dave Jr., who does urban ministry in Chicago, will be leading us through some orientation training on how to walk with the poor, and both men will be leading our morning devotions while they are with us.
Vincent graciously led us on a tour of Mamelodi today. While we learned a lot about the city, the Apartheid era and the almost unbelievable stigma here surrounding HIV/AIDS, we also encountered (as we are finding is the case everyday we are in the township) individuals who God is using in wonderful ways to bring encouragement to people facing tremendous circumstances. Dave Jr. summarizes the day well on his blog post .
We are looking forward with connecting with a local community development organization based in Pretoria tomorrow, and visiting the Lion Park (!!) and Apartheid Museum on Thursday. Both Daves are thrilled to be here.
Since our arrival, I’ve been intent on visiting the people whose lives I was privileged to document as part of my master’s thesis (HIV Stories) . During the worship service this morning, I got a tap on my shoulder—it was Selina from one of the stories, "Living Positively," smiling at me with a huge grin. If you’ve seen that story, you know she has been HIV positive for many years now and was on a downward spiral before she found Jesus at the Powerhouse and her life turned around. So it was just great to see her again, to hear her voice and to know that she and her family are well.
The church service was also really special today. Besides the joyful songs and a great sermon, seven babies were dedicated to the Lord. Vincent called the mothers up front along with any relatives of the children. He said, "I want these relatives to be here so that if in the future these babies are taken to a Sangoma (a witch doctor) you can say, ‘No! This child belongs to the Lord.’" There is a real danger here of babies being dedicated to Satan through ancestral worship practices as infants. Vincent’s dedication was powerful and it was beautiful to see all the little faces, held by their mothers. One little guy even clapped with the congregation as they cheered for him.
After church was over, I looked outside at two little girls standing on a wall together and recognized them from the "Facing the Future" story. One girl, Koketso, is the face featured on the fridge magnet we’ve given to our supporters and the other girl, her sister Maria, is sort of the "poster child" for the "Facing the Future" exhibit . It was wonderful to introduce them to Rebecca. For both of us it was as if frozen faces in a painting were coming to life before our eyes. When you see their faces, look into their eyes and hear their quiet voices, all the poverty statistics just fade away and you can see these kids are real. It just melts my heart with joy to see these kids again. The same tension still exists however—the tension between their innocent hope and their dismal situation in life. These kids are orphans, living with their fellow orphaned cousins in a house their uncle owns, yet he has little to give them. I really want to follow up and see how their situation has changed since I was here last in February 2006—yet I suspect their only source of support is the Powerhouse. I didn’t take my camera with me to church today (on purpose) but I’ve put up two photos from HIV Stories and I invite you to view their story, "Facing The Future," at www.hivstories.org .
Later, we had a chance to take the girls, along with Selina’s children, Thabo and Legato, and two others back home. With all of them piled into the backseat of the AR van, it was beautiful to hear their little whispers to each other, their excited giggles and then to turn around and just soak in the beautiful image of their shining little faces.
"Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." —Jesus (Mark 10:13-16 )
Part of our internship program this year means we are living in community with our fellow Africa Revolution interns. Along with daily devotions, prayer and worship we will be reading a number of books together. Each month we’ll read one book and discuss it informally as we go along, and then sit down for a final discussion the last Saturday of the month. I am personally really looking forward to reading all of them, whether again or for the first time. If you’re looking for some good reading that’s relevant beyond just spending a year in Africa, I highly recommend any of these books. Throughout the year you’ll see on our sidebar the current book we’re reading along with others that Rebecca and I are reading on the side (I usually have about 3-4 books going—and never seem to actually finish them, but I’m hoping that that will change this year!).
1. Bruchko , Bruce Olson
The True Story of a 19-Year-Old American, His Capture by the Motilone Indians and His Adventures in Christianizing the Stone Age Tribe.
To set the bar high and keep ourselves in check as we serve; remembering how much others have sacrificed and endured while relentlessly following God’s call.
2. Cross-Cultural Servanthood , Duane Elmer
Serving the World in Christlike Humility.
Practical advice for serving other cultures with sensitivity and humility–with careful biblical exposition, helping ensure that we serve out of no other culture than that of the cross.
3. Life Together , Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community.
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Bonhoeffer explores what life should like, lived out together in community and under the Word. So critical to our life together under the same roof.
4. No Compromise , Melody Green & David Hazard
The Life Story of Keith Green.
A very personal and challenging biography of a man who knew his brokenness, lived his faith, and pushed others to be serious about God’s call on their lives.
5. The Pursuit of God , A.W. Tozer
The Human Thirst For The Divine.
Tozer’s spiritual exploration into the essence of God’s nature resulted in this classic. Deep, clear, good for the soul. For the middle of our year; when the honeymoon is over, and we need some spiritual refreshing.
6. They Found the Secret , V. Raymond Edman
Each chapter of this book tells the story of a different father or mother of the faith. Edman writes, "…their testimony to the reality of the joy and power of the Spirit-filled life is unanimous . . . It is [the Lord] who satisfies the longing soul. He is the secret of the exchanged life!"
7. Compassion, Justice, & the Christian Life , Robert D. Lupton
Rethinking Ministry to the Poor.
This book discusses how people, programs, and neighborhoods can move toward healthy relationships that are both interdependent, and reciprocal.
8. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire , Jim Cymbala
The story of the Brooklyn Tabernacle is one that highlights serious faith, the central importance of prayer, and submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
9. The Irresistible Revolution , Shane Claiborne
Living as an Ordinary Radicals.
Shane does a great job showing us some of the contradictions to our faith that have become so hidden in our culture, we forget to reject or even question them. With a constant and illuminating focus on the teachings and posture of Jesus.
10. Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger , Ronald Cider
Moving from Affluence to Generosity.
This book is the clarion call to 21st century followers. A challenge to take home with us after our year in Africa. This book includes some startling statistics, framing up the tough realities of poverty in our world. Cider includes practical steps we can and must take in order to be responsible for what we know.
After jumping some hoops and waiting a few days, we are finally hooked up with Internet at our house! So forgive this long post, but there’s a lot to catch up on. This first week, we’ve kept mostly around Pretoria—running errands, grocery shopping, getting the house in order, etc. On a couple of occasions we’ve traveled in an out of the township and each time, have left feeling thoroughly welcomed by the Powerhouse Church.
On Sunday, we were greeted at the Powerhouse with hearty handshakes, warm welcomes and huge hugs by people who knew us each by name. The usher wanted to seat us right up front, but fortunately we ended up more in the middle of the congregation. My first impression was, Wow, such joy! And the music and dancing! Within the first five minutes of our arrival, a congo line had broken out. The singing and praise was so heartfelt that I just closed my eyes and took it in, thinking, this marks one of the happiest moments of my life—to finally be here at the Powerhouse and to be surrounded by these people, who I don’t even know yet but who I already love. And to experience such joy at church!
About mid-way through the service, the four of us—announced as “very, very, very special guests”—were asked to come up to the front. Nate gave me a heads-up that we would probably be asked to say a few words. Vincent introduced us—”we have been praying for you to come—and now you are here!” which was followed by roars of applause. Vincent made it clear we are not to be considered visitors, but as part of the church family here.
I was prepared to be highlighted as special among the four because this was my first time at the Powerhouse, and sure enough, when I was introduced—”Ribs,” they call me as a nickname for Rebecca—the people rejoiced that Nate and his bride were both finally here (last time Nate was at the Powerhouse he and I were engaged, and the church prayed for our wedding, marriage, etc.). Such bright, smiling faces among the crowd, clapping and cheering. I felt so honored, so humbled, so thankful and expressed to the congregation when it was my turn to talk that I felt like I had been here already among them (more applause) given Nate’s love of the Powerhouse and Mamelodi and that I was really looking forward to learning from them this coming year (big grins from the crowd). The leadership of the church was invited up to the front to lay hands on us and pray over us.
The church service itself was a beautiful sight—to see the people so free and joyous in their worship of the Lord, to see people fervently praying for their neighbor when given the opportunity. And the lunch they threw for us after again confirmed their warm welcome. It was neat for me to see how happy people were to see Nate and hear people asking about Will, and for me to be introduced to people I had either heard of or recognized in photos.
A few nights ago, we were invited over to an elder’s (Henry’s) house in Mamelodi to meet with the church leadership to begin brainstorming about how best we might serve the church in the coming year. Going into the meeting, Allan expressed a bit of nervousness that they were going to look to us to take the lead. We really wanted to defer to the leadership of the church for ideas, based on the vision that they have for the church—this being Africa Revolution’s approach to ministry. God really honored our prayers offered up on the car ride into Mamelodi that evening, as we left the gathering feeling very much on the same page with the leadership, generating ideas together with them. Many, many ideas came out of the meeting, and needs were expressed—one theme being a focus on the youth.
Today, Henry and Vincent dropped by our house for lunch and we discussed more. Here’s a summary of ideas from the notes I took at both meetings:
starting a more purposeful children’s ministry
a more advanced computer course for those who’ve passed the beginning level looking for more—perhaps covering web design and/or photography
instruction in personal finance—possibly as an outreach to the community
a business expose for those interested in entrepreneurship, perhaps workshops in business planning, especially for the women of the church
a cycling team for the youth? a soccer team?
a sports clinic for the youth?
music for the youth, donations of instruments
kids with cameras—instruction in photography
a holiday club, aka Vacation Bible School for the kids
establishing partnerships beyond the walls of the Powerhouse (i.e. with other ministries in the area)
establishing partnerships with companies in the area (e.g. asking local grocery stores to provide weekly for the Powerhouse’s feeding scheme)
involving the youth in existing ministries, like the AIDS hospice prayer ministry or SOW Ministries (Strangers, Orphans & Widows), which happens every Sunday after church
after-school tutoring
and an exciting idea Vincent had: sharing whatever recordings/multimedia stories we produce for Mamelodi Stories with not just our readership on the blog, but on DVDs with the non-Powerhouse community—as a way of bringing hope to people who may not know what Jesus is doing in Mamelodi
That’s quite a lot! But we’re excited about keeping ourselves from deciding immediately which of these ideas to pursue and how we’ll do it. We are confident that as we get to know the different ministries and the people of the Powerhouse, the Lord will lead us into how we can be of best use. Vincent is giving us much grace to adjust and ease into being part of the church community, time to build relationships, etc.
As for story-telling, Nate and I are feeling the same way. We are trying to remind ourselves that we will be here a whole year, and while we already have a number of story ideas, we’re taking time to see what develops as we get to know some of the people.
God has been kindling much excitement in our hearts regarding this coming year working alongside the Powerhouse. Spiritually, the Lord is already deepening our understanding of Him as we live life alongside Allan & Annie, and we anticipate that understanding growing much more as we begin daily work in the township in the coming week or so. We can’t wait to update you with more as we get underway.
We had quite an uneventful flight and actually slept pretty well on it. We met up with Allan and Annie at the airport easily and were whisked off to the house where we’re staying, which is about an hour from Johannesburg airport. We’re spending the next few days getting things settled at the house - painting, unpacking, getting Internet hooked up, etc. Thanks for your prayers!
