It is after 11pm and we have a 6am wake up, so again I will have to stick to describing photos :) Our time here continues to be amazing, but it is a full day every day and I must go to sleep :) Much love everyone! We stopped by the health care center first thing this morning to visit and pray with patients. Debi really connected well with a particular lady there! Afterward, we went by Ocean View to see Aunty Martha, who leads the moms and babies & moms and tots support groups, among many other things. What a joy and special treat to see her!!! After lunch, we visiting the unique community of Red Hill. A full time missionary volunteer, Corey, gave us some awesome time there. Corey is also unique-- he is learning Afrikaans!!!! He connects extremely well with the people in the community and has worked hard to capture their hearts and their attention. Well done Corey!
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Once again, it is almost midnight before I am having the chance to post, so I will be sticking to comments on the photos attached- enjoy! The morning was spent in Muizenberg visiting Living Hope's Recovery Program. What an awesome time! I didn't put any pictures because of the nature of the program, but it was a great time of devotions and song. Afterward, we stopped to get a "takeaway " coffee and went to Mobray to visit the mobile clinics (for HIV testing and other medical issue referrals). This evening, I was beyond blessed to have dinner with some amazing and very dear friends from the Ocean View community. I must say that I LOVE these women and it is usually one of the highlights of my trip to spend time with them. Boy did they give me the business about Lynn though :) Apparently his presence is immediately requested here to meet them ;) So...good evening from Noordhoek (that is where we are staying :) It has been an awesome day! Since we are still recovering from the trip here, and because we have a 6am wake up tomorrow, I will just say a few things via photos tonight! Love to all, Jennifer (and Debi) We visited Masiphumelele (Masi for short) also in the morning, as well as the Health Care Center at the main campus. There, we visited with and prayed with a few patients. In the mid afternoon, we went to the Ocean View community for kid's and teen's club. The kids really LOVE to dance and do praise and worship! Teen's club in Ocean View this afternoon was Debi's favorite part of the day. We talked about how scriptures can make a big impact on your decisions, and the teens chose a few scriptures for themselves to help in situations where they would want to really focus on making the right choices. They then made a bookmark to remember them by! (Written in advance and posted upon arrival in Cape Town Monday night): As I write this, it is about 1am EST on Sept 7th and we are somewhere over the Atlantic (about 13 hours into our approx. 31 hour trip). Per the usual circumstances with me during travel, I have not been able to get even one wink of sleep so far on this trip. I simply cannot sleep when I am uncomfortable, and there is nothing at all comfortable about an airplane. Debi, of course, is currently passed out, so I am extremely jealous :)
We will arrive Monday night around 9:15pm (Cape Town is 6 hours ahead, although I can't remember if that is from Knoxville/Tampa (EST) or Nashville (CST) time :) My dear friend Frans will pick us up at the airport and drive us to The Team House where will be staying. Needless to say, I think I may be asleep before my head even hits the pillow!
Well, after a year of waiting, we are down to just 9 days!!! Debi and I are getting so excited to start our journey to Cape Town :) Part of the preparation process for these trips is physical (figuring out what to wear in 55 degrees when you are currently in 95 degrees, packing, organizing supplies, etc), and visiting with friends/family (by now, I think many of them are worried that I will not come back this time and just stay in South Africa forever :) Truth be told, I can't blame them- ha! The other part of the prep is spiritual. I had kind of "fallen off the horse" in that department recently, and by God's mercy, the Shepherd came and brought me back. It is easy to get away from God. One wrong step off the path can easily be followed by another misstep, and before you know it, you are off in the spiritual woods somewhere lost and alone. Jesus is exactly right behind you, but your choices to look forward to your own agenda and desires (selfishness) keeps you from turning around to see Him. Thankfully, a meeting this week shone a bright light on my sin and I was able to see the truth about where I was at and turn around. That's the tricky thing about light in the darkness. At first, it blinded me, but once my eyes became accustomed to it, I could see again. And there had been all kinds of pitfalls around, but now I can see them! On another note, I'm very excited about our summer worship project weekend at church, which starts tonight! I find the timing awesome- the last weekend before I leave, I get to spend the whole thing in worship. Is there any better preparation?! Well, goodbye for now. Please be praying for tonight and this weekend (we will also take the musical project to a prison Monday night, so pray that freedom would take place inside people's hearts and minds!) Thanks!! I was having a conversation last night with my worship pastor about different styles of worship. In my adult life, I have attended all kinds of churches: Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, Foursquare, non-denominational, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Catholic... In some there are hands raised, in some there is silence, in some there are loud instruments, in some there is just a piano, in some there is clapping and shouting, in some there is dancing, and the list goes on. To many people, there is great discomfort in "outward worship" that is different from what we are accustomed to. Baptists can feel like things are too loose and unorganized at an Assembly of God church worship setting, and those people could feel oppressed in a Baptist church. I have been there myself, on both sides at different times in my own life, so I understand. Here is the thing to remember... God has made us all different! I am certain there is not a universal standard for worship, since we are not "standard, universal people." However, in my quiet time this morning, a question came burning in my spirit... Am I worshipping God at His level of comfort and pleasure, or my own? Wow! That is the heart of the matter, isn't it? When I look at the Bible, what I mostly see of worship is pretty uncomfortable. People throwing themselves to the ground on their faces, falling on their knees, making sacrifices, etc. (Job even tore his robe, shaved his head and fell to the ground in worship). I heard it said once, by a worship leader, "Some of you may not be used to this sort of worship, but you see I worship like a desperate, dying man in the desert without one drop of water, asking God to please show up again." Now, I can see God smiling at that remark :) once again, I won't criticize anyone's form of worship, but I will say this regarding my own personal worship journey: One day, I will stand before Him. And I would rather get "uncomfortable" in my worship HERE and be better prepared to worship Him THERE. May all our sacrifices of praise be pleasing "to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever." Amen. Since I have been back at my old home church (now my new home church... LOL), FBC Lutz, I have really thought a lot about foundations. A foundation is the lowest part of a building structure. Everything starts there, and a good foundation is essential to the survival of any building. Briefly returning to the subject of church, some of the people I met at FBC Lutz years ago when I was just a kid are still there, and I am realizing more and more what a debt I owe them. There are two types of building foundations- shallow and deep. Shallow foundations are common to houses, but the really big buildings, like skyscrapers, use deep foundations. These deep foundations are very costly compared to shallow ones, however they give the ability to support structures far greater. The Bible talks about being "rooted," because the "base" of all things is the most critical part. Without a firm foundation, without deep roots, this life could tear us down. I have some friends who once told me about when they built their first home. As the foundation was laid, they wrote their names, their wedding date, and a few scriptures into the wet cement. I think about that house, many years since completed, and how their names are written there, where no one will ever see them. But they built that home from the ground up, and they know their names are there. It makes me think about my own spiritual foundation, and the names that are written there, which cannot be seen. And this is what has been on my mind for weeks now, as I spend more and more time in this church and with these people. I didn't know it at the time, but they were pouring my foundation. There have been many days, over the last 25 years or so since I first stepped foot into the youth building at FBC Lutz, when hurricanes, floods, and hail storms have nearly torn me down. Bullies in school, suicidal periods, despair, the betrayal of friends, divorce, the death of loved ones- all of these have threatened to destroy me at one point or another, but I survived it all. My foundation is strong, and although the building did not always look pretty on the outside, I have remained. And here is why: If you could see underneath everything, and look closely all the way to the deepest part of me, you would notice many names written on my foundation. Among these countless names, you would find especially the following: Jerry Haynam, Lynda and Herb Brown, Bob and Jonnie Ownbey, Ken and Patsy James, Lisa Jones, Kim Rives, Charles and Debi White, Larry Calhoun, Susan McKee, and Bill and Brenda Stephens. These, along with many others, shaped my life and I owe each of them a debt that simply cannot be repaid. And for what it's worth, to each of them, thank you. I know it was not easy, and some were occasionally, if not often, injured during the construction process, but I am one life (of many, no doubt) that you helped build in Christ. God bless you. Gratefully, Jennifer LeAnn Today, I wrapped up my third week at my new job. I stand amazed at what God has done in providing this opportunity for me. My boss is a wonderful woman, someone who is warm, caring, and kind hearted (sometimes difficult to find such a combination- can I get an "amen?"), the hours are great (I am pretty much off on weekends now :), and the location can't get much better either (I am about 5 minutes from my parent's house). Overall, I am just very thankful this week. God is so much better to me than I deserve. I, of course, have also been doing quite a bit of reflecting back on my Cape Town trip. The "separation pains" are lessening now, and frankly I don't like it :) There's something about the familiar and routine that lulls me to sleep spiritually, and something out being uncomfortable that draws me out into deeper waters with The Lord. The day before I left, I saw a little bag in a bookstore and had to get it. It says, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." This statement is true, and rings even truer in light of a Christ-follower's belief in action, serving others and stepping out into what He has planned for each of us. Since I've returned home, I have been asked by several people about the possibility of coming to speak about missions. Nothing concrete has happened yet, but I'm so excited to see how things progress. Ironically, NOTHING terrifies me quite like public speaking. I know what you are thinking- "Yeah right," but it's totally true. I'm okay one on one, or in a small group of people all speaking together, but put me "in front" of people and I just go blank. So, I'm just having faith that God will work it all out when these things happen! October is breast cancer month and I went to a "women only" local Chamber of Commerce meeting this morning. The speaker was a cancer survivor and had an emotional story that touched everyone. At one point, she challenged us by saying we should take charge of our lives and do the things we love, and things that make a difference, while we have this precious time on earth. So please continue to pray for me, that God will open up doors for me and show me what path to pursue over the coming months and years. Much love to all! Jennifer LeAnn Today was the perfect last day (if there could really BE such a thing)! I started it with some of my favorite ladies, going to one of my favorite places- the communities of Mountain View and Ocean View. First, though, I want to share a very special personal story. On the walk to MV, we stopped at a wonderful woman's home in OV named Debbie. She is a client of Living Hope and earns some extra income by doing massages for people both at her home, and travels to other people's homes as well. While we were visiting with her, she asked if she could bless me with a foot massage. Well, I was a little uncomfortable accepting this gift (you know the drill... "Are my feet stinky?" and other thoughts), but I did not want to be rude. As she began to pour olive oil on my feet and massage them, she started speaking to me about my call to missions and began to pray. It was, without question, the most touching and humbling experience of my life. I felt such love and kindness coming through her, and I knew God was there giving me a special moment of confirmation. Before I knew it, tears were running down my face and I had been surrounded by Marguerite, Allyson, Bernadette and Naomi, who were all openly praying for me as well. I have never, ever been ministered to like that before. What a sweet moment that I can remember and treasure! Afterward, we got to Mountain View and visited with some of the people we saw last week. I could not share much about them before because I did not get their permission, but I'm happy to do so now that I've received their consent. Valerie is a sweet woman I met a few years ago on a previous trip. She has lived for many years in a tin shanti in MV, but was one of the people able to get a new home through the government building project that has been in the works for a long time (a few months ago they started getting some people moved in). Instead of a makeshift structure with no plumbing, minimal water/electric use, and temporary walls, she now has a HOME of her own! It was so exciting to see her enjoying this gift from God! I also was able to see Bianca again before leaving! I met her 4 years ago at the local Living Hope teens club, and her beautiful son Nazeer was born in the time I've been away (Nov. 10th... Exactly 1 month from my nephew!) It was so special to see her!!! I was able to see "Auntie Martha" again as well, who used to be one of the Support Group Leaders, but now runs the mommies & babies support group! In the late afternoon, I was blessed with a lovely walk around Kalk Bay with my dear friend Nadine. Since she always cooks for me when I'm here, she allowed me to treat her this time :) We had a wonderful dinner with an AMAZING view of the water, so it really was the perfect end to the day! I leave tomorrow morning for the airport :( I'm incredibly sad, but also really looking forward to seeing my kitty cats, sleeping in my own bed, and starting my new job on Monday! A final good night from Cape Town. Thanks once again for the prayers and love- it truly has been felt! Love, Jennifer LeAnn Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB) Today, I spent the day meeting to discuss more aspects of our new Ambassador program! I am so excited to be partnering with another Jennifer here on this :) We have established some great guidelines for our next steps and I'm so amazed at the progress!!! Tomorrow morning, I'll make one final trip to Mountain View and Ocean View. It makes me so happy to get another morning there before I leave, but also so sad to know I'm almost leaving. It's been a very different trip than my usual ones, and it has been nice to see a little more of "real life" here. I've been so blessed and am already looking forward to hopefully bringing back my own team next year! I have some pics (finally ;) of time out in the communities, including the kids club I talked about yesterday in Masi. Enjoy! See you back home soon, Jennifer LeAnn |
AuthorI am passionate about world missions, specifically the country of South Africa. As an Ambassador for Living Hope Ministries in Cape Town, I am honored to serve with them in impacting their community for Christ! Archives
August 2018
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