Mission Trip Report - #2 - Crossgates Baptist Church

Our first mission team of the summer was from Crossgates Baptist Church of Brandon MS. The 11-person team was led by Kyle Reno, their College and Young Singles Pastor. On their first Sunday there, I asked Kyle to preach in the service at the Wells of Salvation church located at the Refilwe Community Project. He did a phenomenal job and the church still talks about it. I had also asked the worship leader, Pete Lee, to be prepared to lead a few American worship songs and accompany them on the guitar. Little did we know that the local worship accompanist would not be in attendance. Pete did a phenomenal job of attempting to accompany African worship songs (with constantly changing keys, rhythms, and melodies).

On Monday, the team joined community outreach leaders of Berakah Educational Foundation as they visited the homes of orphans and vulnerable children that this group helps look after. At each stop, the team met the children and their caregivers and shared with them the love of Jesus. At one particular stop, the team prayed with a severely ill lady. The lady got off of her bed to shuffle outside and join the team in prayer and praise. It touched us all.

The remainder of the week, the team worked alongside the staff of the Refilwe Community Project. The team was divided into 2 groups. One half of the team joined the home-based care team to go into the multiple informal settlements surrounding the project. There they sought out people who needed the medical and life-skill services offered by Refilwe. They prayed with those already receiving help and joined in by loving those that the world would see as poor and destitute. Instead, they saw them as Jesus sees them … precious in HIS sight. The remaining group assisted with site work. They cleared land, hauled dirt to build a road, and set fence posts that serve to secure the 20+ acres on which the project sits. The next day, the groups swapped places.

While this team was our first, they set a high standard for hard work and cooperation in serving the people of Africa. It was such a blessing to have them, and in fact, one of their team members, Leigh Ann Williams, has now returned to South Africa to work with us for the remainder of 2009.

My Knight

In his book, “Raising a Modern Day Knight”, author Robert Lewis lays out 4 pillars of manhood: A real man rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously and expects the greater reward.

This is my knight-in-training, Alfie. He is anything but passive, is learning to harness courage (vs. simply taking risks), and has a well-earned 5 year old’s view of accepting responsibility. His current view of the greater reward is fashioned by his love for all things Narnia.

As he roams our place in South Africa, he sometimes assumes the role of High King Peter or Prince Caspian, and continually does battle with his foes and ultimately comes out on top, though not without a few “dramatic” injuries. Although lately, he has shied away from adopting a character’s role and has declared himself, King Alfie.

I relish that title for him. I attempt to remind him on a regular basis that his King, King Jesus, paid a price that makes Alfie royalty. He is a son of the MOST HIGH and carries the authority of the KING.

As I watch him, I am acutely aware of a God-ordained destiny for his life, and quite humbly, I am even more aware of my pivotal role in molding his identity to fulfill that destiny. For the lessons learned at my knee dictate the length of time it will take him to overcome my short-comings in instruction when he is his own man.

If that doesn’t drive me to prayer, then I shouldn’t be a father.

Spring has come to Africa

Spring has arrived in Africa. It was the coldest winter of the 5 years that we have been here so the respite from the cold, the color brown, and the smokey air from wildfires is more than welcomed. It’s a time of celebration.

The transition into spring is always metaphorical. New beginnings … a relaunch of color, freshness, and new growth … a warming of the body, mind, soul and spirit. All of those things apply to us.

But the additional meanings of the word spring also apply.

Spring (Verb) to be released from a constrained position, as by resilient or elastic force or from the action of a spring.

We had a very blessed summer (our winter) with numerous short-term mission teams ministering alongside us. But at the same time, we have felt a sense that there was more to the ministry. As we move into spring, we have felt a definite release. We have moved away from our friends at Alabanza (more on this in another blog) to the Midrand area. The move was not the result of any conflict but a specific leading of the LORD that is releasing constraints. It’s exciting and yet it’s another step of faith into the unknown.

Spring (noun) a leap, jump, or bound.

With this new season, we believe that we are leaping, with joy, into a path that will lead us into increased ministry, discipleship, and fulfillment of the mission of Sebenzela.

So we covet your prayers as we enter into Spring.

Mission Trip Reports #1

We have been on a whirl wind of activity since Teresa, Alfie and I were reunited in South Africa on the 4th of June. Over the next few days, we will post reports of those who came to serve Jesus and share some testimonies. These will be in no particular date order.

In the third week of July, we received a 20-person medical team from the Church at Brookhills (http://www.brookhills.org/) in Birmingham AL. On Sunday, we served the people of the church at Refilwe. The rest of the week, we established a mobile clinic of sorts in three informal settlements that are served by our friends the Refilwe Community Project (http://www.refilwe.org/).

We saw over 1,225 people that week. We saw many that were sick, many that needed attention, and most all that needed Jesus. What I witnessed in this team was just awesome.

They performed surgeries, pulled teeth, started IV's, and treated many colds and flu. But every single person heard the Gospel multiple times. Many for the first time were introduced to the Great Physician and many had a life-changing encounter with a Savior.

Time after time a team member would call me over and tell me "Let me introduce you to my new brother/sister. They just accepted Jesus".

We have since gone back into each of those communities and we encounter people who are praising the LORD that they are feeling much better since being treated by the team. I'm sure some of it had to do with the medication and vitamins they received. But I'm more confident that much of their health improvement is the result of being shown the love of Jesus and encountering authentic disciples.

Easter Sunday 2009 - Life Accelerating

Life is moving at a fast pace for us and it was never more evident than today. Just this week, we will complete the interview phase of an adoption home study that the US Immigration Service requires for Alfie's (our 5 year old) citizenship. Then, I will transfer a load of furniture 600 miles to North Carolina to the house in which our daughter Kim and her son (our 15 month-old grandson) will relocate. During my return, I will stop through Birmingham and see our son Chris and daughter-in-law Liza and their precision 6 week old daughter Story. Then three days later I board a plane to South Africa. I will be accompanied by our first staff member, Brooke. Teresa and Alfie will follow a month later after helping Kim relocate and spending a week helping with Story.

I'm now 52 years old and the old adage seems to be true. The older you get the faster life moves.

But I am looking forward to the ride. I've always like speed.

Buy Coffee for Orphans

This post came from the blog of Tom Davis, President of Children's Hope Chest. Tom and I have become friends on his numerous trips to Africa.

"September 04, 2007
Saints Coffee
Buy a pound of coffee and feed an orphan for a month! Go to http://saintscoffee.com/ and order online.Besides being an awesome concept, here are some other pluses:

• Only the top 3% of coffee in the world is good enough for Saints Coffee


• Trade Free


• It's Organic


• It helps the poor instead of lining rich people's pockets!


• Roasted fresh and in micro-batches


• Cool Blends like St. George the Dragon Slayer dark roast


• Flat out tastes better than any coffee you've drank

Look at it this way, you can know you are really helping a child in need because when you are enjoying that piping hot, delicious, fresh coffee, drinking that cup feeds an orphan for a day."



You can visit Tom's blog at http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/

Mission Sebenzela Video

This video was created by the Media Team of The World Race during the time they worked alongside of us for our three weeks of Children's Camp.