Don’t you just love it when God, the Lord of the universe, Creator and Sustainer of all things, speaks to you and you actually hear Him? I’m pretty sure that He’s always speaking to us, but I know that I often miss hearing Him for any number of reasons. Sometimes I’m just not listening, or I’m focused on other things, or I’m distracted, or worse, I don’t really want to hear what He has to say.

Lately I’ve been asking God to show me how He wants to use me in this season of my life, and I can’t say that He has given me a clear answer, but He has been directing my attention to the concepts of giving and gifts. The following are some examples that have jumped out at me recently:

Proverbs 11:24, 25 – It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything. The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

This is a story I’m sharing for the express purpose of garnering prayer support for those involved. Prayer is needed for many facets of this situation, so please pray as the Lord leads you.

In our last Reachafrica newsletter we shared about a teenage boy from the Barcelona Children’s Centre who has been “adopted” by a couple in Pinelands this year so that he can attend a better high school. This boy had expressed interest in being an engineer or a doctor someday, but the education he was receiving was going to make that very difficult. Sue and Paul (not their real names) courageously made the decision to help Thando (not his real name). They have not had children of their own. They are Americans, and Sue is here working on a cutting edge square-kilometer array telescope in partnership with a South African company. Sue’s husband Paul is also a highly skilled engineer/mathematician, but he is here on a volunteer visa with his wife. Paul is not a believer, but he was quite willing to try to help Thando.

The first term of the school year ended on April 1, and it turns out that Thando has not been applying himself at all. He failed all but one subject; he simply doesn’t seem to care about school. The reasons that he doesn’t care are very complicated, but some serious emotional issues have surfaced. We are asking that you pray for Thando, especially for healing for these issues. Pastor Ziba (who works with us at Zanokhanyo) is quite willing to counsel him, but Thando must be agreeable. Now that there have been a few bumps in the road Paul is not so enthusiastic about their involvement, so please pray that the Lord would use this situation to help Paul see his need for Him and to see God’s glory.

Wow. I’m still processing the incredible audiovisual feast that I had the amazing privilege of experiencing a couple of nights ago with 79 000+ people at Cape Town Stadium. I’ve been a U2 fan for a long time, and who wouldn’t admire Bono for his tireless social activism, but I now have a totally revised impression of the man and an even deeper respect for how he’s carrying out his mission. Tim Elmore, in his workbook “A Life of Influence,” lists 6 things a person’s life purpose should include: 1. Begin with God’s priorities; 2. Revolve around your identity; 3. Include others; 4. Be bigger than yourself; 5. Contain life-changing convictions; 6. Have eternal value. Bono seems to have managed to incorporate these all rather well as he lives life on purpose. He’s a rock star who is using his privileged position to raise awareness (not to mention money) for causes we should all be fighting for: setting captives free (with a special tribute to Aung San Suu Kyi who was recently released in Burma after being a political prisoner for 10 years), bringing health and hope to those with HIV, eradicating malaria, and “making poverty history” in practical ways (getting petitions signed to assist poor working women in South Africa who have no way of accessing health care). The band has spent a huge amount of money putting their show together, but by spending that money and putting on an absolutely excellent performance they are able to raise even more money for these and other causes. Aside from the worthiness of their campaigns and their sheer brilliance as artists, I have to say that I was also impressed by their graciousness and humility. I did not expect Bono to come across as humble, but he did. He seemed comfortable representing Christ, and he openly praised God. A U2 concert is not a worship experience like a Delirious concert is, but Bono is not shy about acknowledging the source of his gift, and “Magnificent” is indeed an offering. To anyone reading this, if you ever have the opportunity to attend the U2 360 Tour, do it. You won’t regret it.

It seems like more than the usual amount of “stuff” has come across my radar screen lately. Some of it has been pretty minor in the grand scheme of things, but some of it has a broader impact. Here’s a sampling, in no particular order:

·         Last week 10 school children in the Western Cape were killed in a horrific accident when their taxi driver tried unsuccessfully to race through a train crossing. One family lost all three of their children in this tragedy.

It’s been a LONG time since I posted anything. It hasn’t been for lack of material, but more for lack of time. We recently returned to Cape Town from a month in the U.S., so that has given me some fresh reflections and observations that I thought I’d share.

This was the first time that we’ve been back to the States as a family during the Northern Hemisphere summer since we left 7 years ago. Our other trips have been over Christmas when the weather is generally bleak and outdoor activities are quite limited, so this was a very pleasant change. That being said, it was incredibly hot for some of the days we were there, but with the wide availability of air conditioning things weren’t too unbearable for very long. Air conditioning is generally pretty scarce here in the summer, making trips to the refrigerated section of the grocery store a frequent pastime.

Sometimes you just have to wonder how the world came to be so mad. For those of us who are Christ-followers, we know the theological answer: we live in a fallen world and all of the injustices and pain are a direct result of man’s rebellion against his Creator. But it’s still pretty hard to fathom the utter depth of our depravity.

For example, last week I read about a 24 year old mother (Busi Danxa) who was sent home to die a painful death due to kidney failure. Why? Well, she was evaluated as a poor candidate for a kidney transplant because she also has tuberculosis and “unfavourable social circumstances.” My suspicion is that she is HIV+, but the bottom line is that renal failure is treatable with dialysis and Tb is treatable and HIV can be well-managed. What is difficult to manage is her poverty. She lives in a shack with her young child, and her prospects of that changing are slim. The doctor in charge of making the decisions about who qualifies for dialysis and who doesn’t in the government healthcare system admits that cases like this are tragic and far too common. In fact, his department turns away 6 or 7 people in need of dialysis every week, accepting only one or two. Unless they can find someone to sponsor them for treatment in a private healthcare facility all of these people will die a rather unpleasant death in a short period of time.

For me, what compounds this tragedy is knowing that thousands of political fat cats are living large in their multi-million rand homes with their luxury cars and huge expense accounts while so many vital government structures, like healthcare and education, languish. The poor have no choice but to be subjected to the whims of their leaders, leaders who seem to only be concerned about them as election time approaches.

Just a couple of days ago I was telling some friends how thankful I am that the Lord has put me in a place with so much awe-inspiring beauty because the beauty of nature is one of the things that draws me close to God. As I drive and walk around Cape Town every day Table Mountain is always part of the scenery, and it draws me like a siren to worship the Creator. I was telling these friends that I have often wondered how my worship would be affected if I wasn’t surrounded by such majesty, if I lived in a teeming, dirty, ugly city like so many millions of people do.

The very next day God revealed beauty to me in a way far more palpable than the mountains or a glorious sunset or waves crashing on the rocks. He revealed beauty to me in the voices and faces of a jumble of precious little children from the Barcelona Children’s Centre. For those who have followed my blogs or who read our newsletters, you will know that this is a home that is run by a Baptist pastor and his wife. They have been taking in abandoned and orphaned children for a number of years, and every one of these children has been through unbelievably traumatic events. Through the patient, loving care that they receive from their adoptive parents, these children come to flourish. Their home is in a squatter camp. There is no indoor plumbing, which means bucket baths, long-drop toilets, and hand-washing laundry for a family of 20+ people. The area the home is in is dirty and many of the shacks are very run down. It is not a place that could be described as beautiful. But when we walked inside the building where the church meets and where the children gather, a group of about 12 of the smallest ones was sitting on the floor in a circle with some on the outside and some on the inside of the circle. There were no care-givers around. These little ones were contentedly sitting there singing Bible songs with the sweetest voices and expressions that I have ever seen. They didn’t even look up when our group walked in; they just kept singing. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and it definitely caused me to worship the Almighty Creator God, Lord of Lords and King of Kings. How like God to answer my ponderings in such a dramatic and pointed way.

I'm not really prone to soppy nostalgia, but I have been reminiscing this past week about the end of the Age of Delirious, my all-time favorite band. In my youth I never paid much attention to music, though I was bitterly disappointed that my parents wouldn't let me go to a Pink Floyd concert when I was in high school (now having teens of my own I can better appreciate their restrictions). Anyway, I became aware of Delirious when they were a relatively young band and I was in my 30's. Their music was always cutting edge (no pun intended for you D: fans out there), raucously rockin', and supremely worshipful - a masterful combo. Martin Smith, the lead singer and primary lyricist, was a gifted performer, and there could be no doubt that when he sang he was truly communing with and worshiping his Creator, Savior, and Lord.

I had the privilege of seeing Delirious in concert four times, and I unashamedly classified myself as a "groupie." The first time I drove myself, Alan Hartless and Sara Zeckoski (now Blum) from Blacksburg, VA to Nashville, TN to hear them play in a large church there. We made that crazy road trip in one day, a 14 hour round trip for a 2 1/2 hour concert. My poor husband stayed home to take care of the boys that time, but then together we saw Delirious at an Acquire the Fire convention and then twice in South Africa. What a blessing!

As the band matured and gained popularity they managed to keep their music fresh and their hearts pure. They traveled extensively and gained a real passion for ministering to the poor and lost. They were never shy about seeking God for miracles, and there are many testimonies of transformed lives and healings that took place during their ministry times. 

Here it is: World AIDS Day 2009. I wonder how many people outside of South Africa will give much thought to the fact that December 1 is set aside every year to commemorate and take stock of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. There is a fairly high level of awareness of this day here in South Africa, but not for the best of reasons. South Africa continues to be the country with the most HIV+ people living in it, and it has recently taken over the top spot as the country with the greatest disparity between the rich and the poor. These are two things in which a country does not aim to be #1. The prevalence of HIV is linked to poverty, so the two do go hand-in-hand.

What this means in South Africa is that unless you’re living a totally isolated and sheltered life there is really no way that your life has not been affected by HIV. HIV takes people out in what should be the prime of their lives, so it impacts on families by killing wage-earners and mothers. This affects the whole economy, but more importantly, it leaves children without parents. There are literally millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa living with extended family, often elderly grandmothers, or in child-headed households. Life is hard enough for the poor, but it becomes nearly impossible if you’re poor and struggling because of HIV. It seems like the solutions are fairly obvious; after all, it’s basically a behavioural disease. However, it’s an incredibly complicated situation, so simple solutions are not as likely as one would hope. One critical factor which has been missing up to now in South Africa is the political will to tackle it head on. Until this year, the president and health minister refused to acknowledge that HIV was a significant problem in this country. Now we have a new president and health minister, and they are declaring an end to “the culture of denialism.” AMEN. But it will take a lot more than that to bring about real change. It will also take a lot more than making billions of dollars available. There are a few positive signs that things are beginning to move in the right direction. According to UNAIDS statistics, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people in the region with access to anti-retroviral treatment, and the treatment of HIV+ pregnant women has increased 5-fold since 2004. However, it will quite honestly require very intentional and integrated approaches by people of faith to bring about the genuine transformation of society, and obviously, this requires the power of God.

There’s quite a bit running through my mind at the moment. Once again I’ve been reminded of the uncertainty that accompanies each day – two young students at Virginia Tech were murdered last week. The young man was a roommate of one of the leaders on the team that came out to work with us in June/July. That took me back to my second year in college when my chemistry lab partner was killed in a horrific car accident. She was the only sober person in the car, but the others wouldn’t let her drive. Her dream was to be a medical missionary. Just a couple of blocks from our house a security patrolman was gunned down last week. I heard the shots. These are sobering reminders that each day is a gift to be treasured. We don’t have any certainty about what tomorrow holds. But there are truths, facts, that we can cling to. A brief meditation on Psalm 139 can bring comfort.