I wanted to take a minute to tell you all a quick story about a man i met today. His name is Kenneth and he was hanging around the church today when i struck up a casual conversation with him. Its not uncommon for guys who live on the street to come up to the church and ask for work or money or food, and i didnt expect this guy to be any different than the majority. Our conversation didn't lead to much and i didn't chat with him again until this evening. When we came back from sunnyside, i saw him again as he was walking home. I offered him a lift and gave him a ride to where he was staying. He told me about how he had been falsely accused of house breaking and was in prison for 2 months before they released him. After getting out, he had an extremely difficult time finding a job. About this time we came to where he was staying. It was actually just the back side of a hill that barely concealed him from a busy road near the church. It had a few clothes and belongings strewn about the grass and a black spot where he had obviously made some fires. I suggested that he come back by the church tomorrow to speak to Riaan, our pastor, who typically can find work for those who genuinely want it; Kenneth was definately genuine. As he was getting out of the car, he showed me his ID. I guess he wanted to prove to me that he was a South African or to somehow further prove his sincerity in finding work. When i looked at it, i was a bit taken a back. His birthday is Jan 13 1986: 3 days after mine.
I dont think this point could have hit home harder. Here i am, driving a vehicle, wearing nice clothes, living in a great house where i am never going hungry. I have a college degree, a loving family, and a loving girlfriend. Kenneth because of lifes circumstances, fate, divine will, whatever you want to call it, was living outside in the middle of winter with no job and only 1 pair of trousers. What seperates me from Kenneth?
I was truely humbled by the uniformity of people tonight. We are all the same. Everyone deserves to be treated with the same respect. God tells us never to show favoritism (James 2). Kenneth and I are linked by a common birthday but more so, we are linked by a common Creator and a common Salvation despite the differences our lives have produced.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Confed Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup has officially begun in South Africa! This marks the first time this tournament has been held on the African continent and it also serves as the first indicator of South Africa's readiness to host the World Cup in 2010. So far all indicators are good, and we'll hope for a great tournament.
From my end, the Confed Cup also marks the beginning of a very busy time of ministry at Eastside. These two weeks of the tournament will include a lot of clinics, matches, and outreach events in addition to our normal ministry involvement at Sunnyside and Leeuwkop prison. The minsitries we undertake during this tournament also serve as an indicator of the church's readiness to roll out the planned ministry events for the World Cup in 2010.
A couple items to note to catch everyone up to speed on the ministries we have been involved with over the past few months. I have been coaching an under-10 soccer team from Sunnyside Primary School. Over the course of this term, we have been involved in THREE different leagues which makes for a very busy and flustered coach among other things. There have been many frustrations with this group over the course of the past two months which mainly surround their discipline and lack of respect shown towards myself and other coaches. Though they are only 10, this is a pattern that is all too widespread in the innercity area that we work, so my main focus has been to reverse that pattern even at the expense of failing to succeed as a team on the pitch.
Two months later, I am beginning to see the fruit of some very difficult practices and games with this group. I have had two boys specifically ask if they could have Bibles and a number of other boys interested in coming to church with me. This past sunday, two of those boys joined me at service and REALLY enjoyed it! After having made this bit of progress, I believe that the rest of the boys will soon become interested as well.
This good news has farther reaching ramifications than just my soccer team. The leaders of our church believe God has asked us to eventually plant a church in the Sunnyside area. This would start through the primary school that we have already been working with, and would initially be focused on the students of that school. With Holiday Club at Sunnyside just around the corner, and an increasing interest in the church that has been expressed by many students, this youth/children's program may be a reality sooner than we expected. God is doing something quite special, and He is doing it with some pace!
Please keep this ministry and the other ministries going on in the South African church in your prayers. I will keep you updated as much as possible.
With love,
Greg
From my end, the Confed Cup also marks the beginning of a very busy time of ministry at Eastside. These two weeks of the tournament will include a lot of clinics, matches, and outreach events in addition to our normal ministry involvement at Sunnyside and Leeuwkop prison. The minsitries we undertake during this tournament also serve as an indicator of the church's readiness to roll out the planned ministry events for the World Cup in 2010.
A couple items to note to catch everyone up to speed on the ministries we have been involved with over the past few months. I have been coaching an under-10 soccer team from Sunnyside Primary School. Over the course of this term, we have been involved in THREE different leagues which makes for a very busy and flustered coach among other things. There have been many frustrations with this group over the course of the past two months which mainly surround their discipline and lack of respect shown towards myself and other coaches. Though they are only 10, this is a pattern that is all too widespread in the innercity area that we work, so my main focus has been to reverse that pattern even at the expense of failing to succeed as a team on the pitch.
Two months later, I am beginning to see the fruit of some very difficult practices and games with this group. I have had two boys specifically ask if they could have Bibles and a number of other boys interested in coming to church with me. This past sunday, two of those boys joined me at service and REALLY enjoyed it! After having made this bit of progress, I believe that the rest of the boys will soon become interested as well.
This good news has farther reaching ramifications than just my soccer team. The leaders of our church believe God has asked us to eventually plant a church in the Sunnyside area. This would start through the primary school that we have already been working with, and would initially be focused on the students of that school. With Holiday Club at Sunnyside just around the corner, and an increasing interest in the church that has been expressed by many students, this youth/children's program may be a reality sooner than we expected. God is doing something quite special, and He is doing it with some pace!
Please keep this ministry and the other ministries going on in the South African church in your prayers. I will keep you updated as much as possible.
With love,
Greg
Friday, April 10, 2009
Many setbacks and much progress
Well i usually give some lame excuse for why i haven't submitted a post in a while. This time i believe my excuse is much more valid. A little under a month ago, my laptop was stolen from the church office. If you have been keeping up with my update emails or other posts, you might not even be surprised by this because of the pattern of crime surrounding our ministries. The tally is now up to 2 cars stolen, 2 more cars damaged from attempted theft, a car radio stolen, the youth group's money till used for the snack shop, a memory stick, bookbags including a wallet stolen from our bus while doing an outreach in a township called Ratanda, and about 50 soccer cones and 2 soccer balls stolen during the same outreach. That's all i could remember anyways...
Based on that paragraph it would seem that my 3 and a half months spent in South Africa so far have been filled with more heartache than heart development, and more problems that successes, but i dont think that is the case. Let me give you another list...
5 soccer balls given to the church, $500 donated towards helping me purchase a new laptop, $2000 donated towards helping build a soccer field, 1 person offered to sell us their car for about 1/4 the market price, and another person offered to pay for it. Oh and did i mention that people are being saved?
I'd say we are winning, and satan is racking up a large tab that God is making him pay back with interest.
Here are some more victories. Remember Sam from my last post? He was the prisoner on our soccer team at Leeuwkop Correctional Facility that is trying to reconnect with and forgive his dad. He has since spoken with his dad on the phone at least once and has expressed to me that things are going very very well. Thanks for your prayers.
Personally, i have recently been exposed to God in a motivatingly new way. It's difficult to describe, but God has honored my requests to connect with him more clearly by explicitly telling me things through Bible passages, prayer, and situations that have blown the ceiling off of what i thought God was capable of doing in my life. The main tangible difference is that i can now experience the Holy Spirit without any emotional fluctuations. It might seem trivial to some, or even counter productive to others, but anyone who has clinical depression like i do understands how much of a monumental step this is for me. Unstable emotions are not what im looking for, and going to camps or worship conferences that thrive off of emotionally soaring experiences end in emotional crashes for people like me. My faith has stabilized significantly which allows me to operate on a level which makes a practical difference in the lives of the people that i am minsitering to.
God rocks. If you don't believe me, read Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
Here's the Greg paraphrase...
God says to us "TRY ME! i am so confident that if you give me a chance to show you who i am, and what i can do, and how much i love you, then the only response you will be capable of, is loving me back. Try me."
Hopefully more updates to come. Sorry for no new pictures, they were on my laptop...sad face
Based on that paragraph it would seem that my 3 and a half months spent in South Africa so far have been filled with more heartache than heart development, and more problems that successes, but i dont think that is the case. Let me give you another list...
5 soccer balls given to the church, $500 donated towards helping me purchase a new laptop, $2000 donated towards helping build a soccer field, 1 person offered to sell us their car for about 1/4 the market price, and another person offered to pay for it. Oh and did i mention that people are being saved?
I'd say we are winning, and satan is racking up a large tab that God is making him pay back with interest.
Here are some more victories. Remember Sam from my last post? He was the prisoner on our soccer team at Leeuwkop Correctional Facility that is trying to reconnect with and forgive his dad. He has since spoken with his dad on the phone at least once and has expressed to me that things are going very very well. Thanks for your prayers.
Personally, i have recently been exposed to God in a motivatingly new way. It's difficult to describe, but God has honored my requests to connect with him more clearly by explicitly telling me things through Bible passages, prayer, and situations that have blown the ceiling off of what i thought God was capable of doing in my life. The main tangible difference is that i can now experience the Holy Spirit without any emotional fluctuations. It might seem trivial to some, or even counter productive to others, but anyone who has clinical depression like i do understands how much of a monumental step this is for me. Unstable emotions are not what im looking for, and going to camps or worship conferences that thrive off of emotionally soaring experiences end in emotional crashes for people like me. My faith has stabilized significantly which allows me to operate on a level which makes a practical difference in the lives of the people that i am minsitering to.
God rocks. If you don't believe me, read Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
Here's the Greg paraphrase...
God says to us "TRY ME! i am so confident that if you give me a chance to show you who i am, and what i can do, and how much i love you, then the only response you will be capable of, is loving me back. Try me."
Hopefully more updates to come. Sorry for no new pictures, they were on my laptop...sad face
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A Few Stories...
Hey everyone. I wanted to share a couple stories of whats been going on in a few of my ministries:
At Leeuwkop Prison, there is a young man that is a part of our soccer academy named Sam. A little while ago during bible study, he shared that he was having trouble forgiving his father for things that happened in his past and really wanted to reconcile his relationship with him. A little while later when i followed up with him on how he was doing, he shared that he was able to forgive him and wanted to write his dad a letter, but had no way to do so because he didn't know where he lived. I offered to help so he gave me his sisters phone number who I attempted to contact later that week. After a few tries, i got through to her and she didn't have the father's address, but she did have his cell phone number. She promised to sms (text message) it to me when she had a chance, and that is where we stand at this point.
I know the story is lacking a conclusion, but i'd like to ask you to pray for one. The beautiful part is that Sam is now free from the weight of the past with his father. Also, Sam and I have developed a great relationship that I believe will be extremely beneficial for me, him, and the Hope Academy as a whole. This type of relationship is also starting with most of the other players involved in the academy. The prison is an odd place for me to find hope and encouragement for my faith, but thats exactly what these men provide.
A second story happened today, actually. I was coaching mini-cricket at Sunnyside Primary School. "Mini" sports are for the 1st-3rd grade students who are too young to be on the full sided school teams. They are designed to teach them the basics of the game and develop their motor skills and character. Today, at the conclusion of our second practice of the season, I thought it would be a good time to establish why I came to help coach their team. I asked them why they thought I came, and many of them gave the answers of "to teach them to play cricket" or "to have fun." I told them that those were all true, but that the main reason I came to join their team was because I loved them. I explained that I love them, and that I believe that God loves them as well, and that I wanted to teach them about that love. After this "mini" explanation of the gospel, I asked them if it was ok if i prayed for them. I was very surprised to find a young player ask if he could pray for them instead of me. Of course I said that would be great and he proceeded to say the Lord's prayer as we were all holding hands. Not only did he say it, but most all of the team joined in as well! I don't know what exactly this story implies or whether it has any bearing on anything, but i was really encouraged by what was going on with these boys. It also is very motivating for me to continue engaging in their spiritual lives and develop whatever is already going on there.
Hope you enjoyed the stories. There will hopefully be many more soon.
At Leeuwkop Prison, there is a young man that is a part of our soccer academy named Sam. A little while ago during bible study, he shared that he was having trouble forgiving his father for things that happened in his past and really wanted to reconcile his relationship with him. A little while later when i followed up with him on how he was doing, he shared that he was able to forgive him and wanted to write his dad a letter, but had no way to do so because he didn't know where he lived. I offered to help so he gave me his sisters phone number who I attempted to contact later that week. After a few tries, i got through to her and she didn't have the father's address, but she did have his cell phone number. She promised to sms (text message) it to me when she had a chance, and that is where we stand at this point.
I know the story is lacking a conclusion, but i'd like to ask you to pray for one. The beautiful part is that Sam is now free from the weight of the past with his father. Also, Sam and I have developed a great relationship that I believe will be extremely beneficial for me, him, and the Hope Academy as a whole. This type of relationship is also starting with most of the other players involved in the academy. The prison is an odd place for me to find hope and encouragement for my faith, but thats exactly what these men provide.
A second story happened today, actually. I was coaching mini-cricket at Sunnyside Primary School. "Mini" sports are for the 1st-3rd grade students who are too young to be on the full sided school teams. They are designed to teach them the basics of the game and develop their motor skills and character. Today, at the conclusion of our second practice of the season, I thought it would be a good time to establish why I came to help coach their team. I asked them why they thought I came, and many of them gave the answers of "to teach them to play cricket" or "to have fun." I told them that those were all true, but that the main reason I came to join their team was because I loved them. I explained that I love them, and that I believe that God loves them as well, and that I wanted to teach them about that love. After this "mini" explanation of the gospel, I asked them if it was ok if i prayed for them. I was very surprised to find a young player ask if he could pray for them instead of me. Of course I said that would be great and he proceeded to say the Lord's prayer as we were all holding hands. Not only did he say it, but most all of the team joined in as well! I don't know what exactly this story implies or whether it has any bearing on anything, but i was really encouraged by what was going on with these boys. It also is very motivating for me to continue engaging in their spiritual lives and develop whatever is already going on there.
Hope you enjoyed the stories. There will hopefully be many more soon.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
One Month Down - 11 To Go!
Greetings everyone!
Since my last post, things have ramped up to a whole new level. After completing our orientation, we began to establish connections and lay the foundations for the ministries each intern will be a part of. After a meeting at Sunnyside Primary School (a K-7 school in a rough part of inner city Pretoria) that list of ministries expanded TREMENDOUSLY!
Before that meeting started, we were anticipating being involved in their soccer program after school. After the meeting, our involved read as follows: Boys and girls soccer, cricket, 2 softball teams, two tennis teams, a field hockey team, a drama club, student counseling, homework help, running an overnight soccer camp at Kimiad, running a delinquent kids overnight camp at Kimiad, running a Holiday Club (like vacation bible school) at the school during their winter break (June/July), and anything else that came up during the year.... whoa
We couldn't believe that opportunity that presented itself at this school. The pastors of our church have felt strongly that we were called to get involved in the Sunnyside area and that the Primary School was a great place to start. They didn't know how quickly or easily we would be able to get involved. My tasks on the above list are most of the sports teams, and we are now 1 week into practices for all of them. So far, there has been a mixed response. My softball teams are extremely excited to play and practice, and were even receptive already to me praying with them before and after training. I shared with them the that the reason i volunteer to coach is because God loves them, and that i wanted to teach them about that love. My cricket, and soccer teams were much harder to work with. They are not terribly well behaved and their need in regards to discipline, respect, and general behavior issues is tremendous. I'm glad that i am able to be a part of that process, but it will indeed be a process.
In addition to Sunnyside, I am also involved in two other ministries. The first is at Leeukop prison outside of Jo'burg. I am mainly aiding the coaches and ministers who have been involved there already, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we travel down and train with a group of players selected from the juvenile section to be a part of the Hope Academy. Each session we train, do bible study, pray, and have accountability time about what the guys are struggling with. This has been the most encouraging ministry so far. These young men are strongly dedicated to living a strong moral christian life, and we are merely encouraging them on that path. Their energy and passion is remarkable for any person i would meet in a church, let along someone who faces the challenges that they have.
Lastly, I am involved in an after school program on Fridays in the township of Mamelodi. Kids wander over from a nearby school to Mandela Park where we have a short biblical lesson translated into their native language, and then we have a training session and game followed by fruit and juice. This ministry is unique from the others because of the cultural setting. Being in a township, the economic level is much lower than in Pretoria. Many kids play barefoot, and for some, the fruit and juice is the best nutrition they may receive all week. The language barrier is also slightly harder in the townships, because among the younger groups, English is not understood. That has been the largest hurdle for me so far in my two visits. Having to have someone translate limits the depth of the message i can share with my group of kids.
Now that we are a couple weeks into active ministry, i am beginning to see what my time here will look like....and it looks good :) I am excited about being involved in so many starkly different ministries and interacting with so many kids. The potential for profound life change is ENORMOUS for this year and we haven't even begun ministry surrounding the Confederation's Cup in June.
As you probably noticed, i started a slideshow on the blog in the top right corner. I will keep that updated with new pictures as they come up. Unfortunately, i cannot take a camera into the prison except on special circumstances, so you will have to wait to see pictures from Leeukop. I do have some pictures from Mamelodi up there, and Sunnyside pictures will be coming soon.
Sorry this has been long, i plan on posting more regularly from now on, which will also mean each post will be short and to the point :) I hope you all are well and blessed. Email if you would like! I would love to hear from you.
Since my last post, things have ramped up to a whole new level. After completing our orientation, we began to establish connections and lay the foundations for the ministries each intern will be a part of. After a meeting at Sunnyside Primary School (a K-7 school in a rough part of inner city Pretoria) that list of ministries expanded TREMENDOUSLY!
Before that meeting started, we were anticipating being involved in their soccer program after school. After the meeting, our involved read as follows: Boys and girls soccer, cricket, 2 softball teams, two tennis teams, a field hockey team, a drama club, student counseling, homework help, running an overnight soccer camp at Kimiad, running a delinquent kids overnight camp at Kimiad, running a Holiday Club (like vacation bible school) at the school during their winter break (June/July), and anything else that came up during the year.... whoa
We couldn't believe that opportunity that presented itself at this school. The pastors of our church have felt strongly that we were called to get involved in the Sunnyside area and that the Primary School was a great place to start. They didn't know how quickly or easily we would be able to get involved. My tasks on the above list are most of the sports teams, and we are now 1 week into practices for all of them. So far, there has been a mixed response. My softball teams are extremely excited to play and practice, and were even receptive already to me praying with them before and after training. I shared with them the that the reason i volunteer to coach is because God loves them, and that i wanted to teach them about that love. My cricket, and soccer teams were much harder to work with. They are not terribly well behaved and their need in regards to discipline, respect, and general behavior issues is tremendous. I'm glad that i am able to be a part of that process, but it will indeed be a process.
In addition to Sunnyside, I am also involved in two other ministries. The first is at Leeukop prison outside of Jo'burg. I am mainly aiding the coaches and ministers who have been involved there already, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we travel down and train with a group of players selected from the juvenile section to be a part of the Hope Academy. Each session we train, do bible study, pray, and have accountability time about what the guys are struggling with. This has been the most encouraging ministry so far. These young men are strongly dedicated to living a strong moral christian life, and we are merely encouraging them on that path. Their energy and passion is remarkable for any person i would meet in a church, let along someone who faces the challenges that they have.
Lastly, I am involved in an after school program on Fridays in the township of Mamelodi. Kids wander over from a nearby school to Mandela Park where we have a short biblical lesson translated into their native language, and then we have a training session and game followed by fruit and juice. This ministry is unique from the others because of the cultural setting. Being in a township, the economic level is much lower than in Pretoria. Many kids play barefoot, and for some, the fruit and juice is the best nutrition they may receive all week. The language barrier is also slightly harder in the townships, because among the younger groups, English is not understood. That has been the largest hurdle for me so far in my two visits. Having to have someone translate limits the depth of the message i can share with my group of kids.
Now that we are a couple weeks into active ministry, i am beginning to see what my time here will look like....and it looks good :) I am excited about being involved in so many starkly different ministries and interacting with so many kids. The potential for profound life change is ENORMOUS for this year and we haven't even begun ministry surrounding the Confederation's Cup in June.
As you probably noticed, i started a slideshow on the blog in the top right corner. I will keep that updated with new pictures as they come up. Unfortunately, i cannot take a camera into the prison except on special circumstances, so you will have to wait to see pictures from Leeukop. I do have some pictures from Mamelodi up there, and Sunnyside pictures will be coming soon.
Sorry this has been long, i plan on posting more regularly from now on, which will also mean each post will be short and to the point :) I hope you all are well and blessed. Email if you would like! I would love to hear from you.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
New Country - New Friends
Well it has been quite a while since my last post, and for very good reason. I have been BUSY!
I am officially in South Africa and today marks the 2 week anniversary of my arrival. The rest of the post will leave you scratching your head wondering "Can all that really happen in 2 weeks?" That's how I feel anyways. It has been non-stop and this is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and update everyone on how things are going.
Leaving Norfolk was incredibly difficult. After saying goodbye to my mom and sister in Roanoke a few days before, I had to say goodbye to my dad and step-mom, and my girlfriend Annie in the airport. My first flight to Detroit was basically an emotional blur, followed by a slightly less emotional ride across the Atlantic to Amsterdam. By the time I boarded my final flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg, I began seeing less of the pain of leaving and more of the excitement of landing. There was a great adventure heading my way, and if I didn't prepare myself to embrace that adventure, I might very well miss it. So I spent much of the final 11 hour flight preparing myself for the year. I began to see the first of many signs that God was blessing this trip. Every one of my flights was on time, all of my luggage arrived on time and undamaged, and lastly, we did not hit one patch of turbulence in nearly 20 hours of flight time!!! Amazing.
After landing, I was finally able to meet Bruce Collins, the program director who was picking me up from the airport. Finding someone in a crowd that you have never met proved to be easier than expected because Bruce and another friend Dave had my picture from Facebook up on Bruce's cell phone and they flagged me down.
I spent the next few days getting settled into my new city and my new home with Simon van Dyk and his mother Karen. This involved a number of things including opening up a South African bank account, meeting up with a friend of mine in the peace corp (Katie Pepiot!), learning to drive on the left side of the road from the right side of the car (something i have termed "anti-driving"), but the most exciting part was getting to meet SOO many wonderful new people.
Simon threw a "Meet Greg" braai. (A braai is the SA version of a BBQ) I don't think I have ever been welcomed as warmly as I was by these folks. There were probably a dozen people there and I had wonderful conversations with each one of them; another sign that this was going to be a great year.
After another wonderful welcoming at church that sunday, the Ignite program orientation officially began! We spent the first day in the office learning all the ins and and outs and running through logistics before heading out to Kimiad on Tuesday for our orientation retreat. Tuesday night was just the interns (Simon, Jacques, Gabrielle, Jenna, and myself). We spent a few hours praying for the year, for each other, for ourselves, and also sang some worship songs. In addition to that, we really were able to begin building our relationships with one another and began uniting as a team.
The next day Bruce and his family arrived, and throughout the course of the next 2 and a half days we covered all kinds of topics ranging from leadership skills, evangelism, spiritual warfare, time and energy management, etc. We had two guest speakers come in for special sessions and all during this time we continued to forge our relationships with each other and prepare or relationships with God for what the year was going to involve. Its hard to express how much this retreat meant for me personally as well as the rest of the team. I now feel like one of the family and am THOROUGHLY excited about the opportunities we will have to help the people here.
The only hinderance we experienced during this retreat was the battling that occurred between us and Satan. Satan spent his week trying to break each of us down and prevent our ministries from getting off the ground. Though each of us had our times of discouragement or frustration or distraction, the week was an overwhelming success and we ended up being more encouraged by Satan's attempts than discouraged. The resistance we met is a sure sign that we are getting to work on God's business. Otherwise, Satan wouldn't be so grumpy :)
As if all this wasn't enough, I celebrated my 23rd birthday on Saturday. This should have been a very difficult day since I was so far away from home, but, again, my new friends came to the rescue. We spent the day heading out to a flea market, followed by a wonderful birthday dinner, arcade visit, and yogurt shop run. I also got to see my friend Katie again that day and my friend Cher who was in from Blacksburg visiting Katie. I was again overwhelmed by the generosity and love I have experienced from my new friends. It's a wonderful example of what the body of Christ should be about.
Ok, I believe that catches us up to speed. Despite how outrageously long this was, I still feel like I haven't done justice to my time spent here so far. It has been wonderful and God is right in the middle of it. Email me if you guys want to know more! There are a bunch more pictures on Facebook as well as more to come throughout the year. I miss you all dearly. God Bless!
I am officially in South Africa and today marks the 2 week anniversary of my arrival. The rest of the post will leave you scratching your head wondering "Can all that really happen in 2 weeks?" That's how I feel anyways. It has been non-stop and this is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and update everyone on how things are going.
Leaving Norfolk was incredibly difficult. After saying goodbye to my mom and sister in Roanoke a few days before, I had to say goodbye to my dad and step-mom, and my girlfriend Annie in the airport. My first flight to Detroit was basically an emotional blur, followed by a slightly less emotional ride across the Atlantic to Amsterdam. By the time I boarded my final flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg, I began seeing less of the pain of leaving and more of the excitement of landing. There was a great adventure heading my way, and if I didn't prepare myself to embrace that adventure, I might very well miss it. So I spent much of the final 11 hour flight preparing myself for the year. I began to see the first of many signs that God was blessing this trip. Every one of my flights was on time, all of my luggage arrived on time and undamaged, and lastly, we did not hit one patch of turbulence in nearly 20 hours of flight time!!! Amazing.
After landing, I was finally able to meet Bruce Collins, the program director who was picking me up from the airport. Finding someone in a crowd that you have never met proved to be easier than expected because Bruce and another friend Dave had my picture from Facebook up on Bruce's cell phone and they flagged me down.
I spent the next few days getting settled into my new city and my new home with Simon van Dyk and his mother Karen. This involved a number of things including opening up a South African bank account, meeting up with a friend of mine in the peace corp (Katie Pepiot!), learning to drive on the left side of the road from the right side of the car (something i have termed "anti-driving"), but the most exciting part was getting to meet SOO many wonderful new people.
Simon threw a "Meet Greg" braai. (A braai is the SA version of a BBQ) I don't think I have ever been welcomed as warmly as I was by these folks. There were probably a dozen people there and I had wonderful conversations with each one of them; another sign that this was going to be a great year.
After another wonderful welcoming at church that sunday, the Ignite program orientation officially began! We spent the first day in the office learning all the ins and and outs and running through logistics before heading out to Kimiad on Tuesday for our orientation retreat. Tuesday night was just the interns (Simon, Jacques, Gabrielle, Jenna, and myself). We spent a few hours praying for the year, for each other, for ourselves, and also sang some worship songs. In addition to that, we really were able to begin building our relationships with one another and began uniting as a team.
The next day Bruce and his family arrived, and throughout the course of the next 2 and a half days we covered all kinds of topics ranging from leadership skills, evangelism, spiritual warfare, time and energy management, etc. We had two guest speakers come in for special sessions and all during this time we continued to forge our relationships with each other and prepare or relationships with God for what the year was going to involve. Its hard to express how much this retreat meant for me personally as well as the rest of the team. I now feel like one of the family and am THOROUGHLY excited about the opportunities we will have to help the people here.
The only hinderance we experienced during this retreat was the battling that occurred between us and Satan. Satan spent his week trying to break each of us down and prevent our ministries from getting off the ground. Though each of us had our times of discouragement or frustration or distraction, the week was an overwhelming success and we ended up being more encouraged by Satan's attempts than discouraged. The resistance we met is a sure sign that we are getting to work on God's business. Otherwise, Satan wouldn't be so grumpy :)
As if all this wasn't enough, I celebrated my 23rd birthday on Saturday. This should have been a very difficult day since I was so far away from home, but, again, my new friends came to the rescue. We spent the day heading out to a flea market, followed by a wonderful birthday dinner, arcade visit, and yogurt shop run. I also got to see my friend Katie again that day and my friend Cher who was in from Blacksburg visiting Katie. I was again overwhelmed by the generosity and love I have experienced from my new friends. It's a wonderful example of what the body of Christ should be about.
Ok, I believe that catches us up to speed. Despite how outrageously long this was, I still feel like I haven't done justice to my time spent here so far. It has been wonderful and God is right in the middle of it. Email me if you guys want to know more! There are a bunch more pictures on Facebook as well as more to come throughout the year. I miss you all dearly. God Bless!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Kickoff
So here we go...
I'm starting this blog to keep a running record of what is going on during my stay in South Africa. If you don't already know what that trip's all about, here's the 5...
Who: Eastside Community Church, four other interns, my supporters, God, and me.
Where: Pretoria, South Africa
When: I leave Dec 29th 2008 and will becoming back sometime around Dec 20th 2009
What: The Eastside staff and 5 interns will be starting a multi-faceted ministry leading up to and during the 2009 Confederations Cup and passing it on for another year through the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The program is called Ignite and the part I am involved in is called Ignite Sport. It is designed to help underprivileged youth in the area by involving them in community soccer programs and eventually community youth groups. There is also a separate prison soccer ministry we will also be working on. The ultimate goals are helping meet peoples immediate needs, sharing the gospel, and planting churches after the tournaments are over.
Why: Ha. That's the million dollar question isn't it?
What it comes down to is this...I have never been more confident that God was asking me to do something than I am about this program. Does it make financial sense? No. Does it make professional sense? Absolutely not. Does it make relational sense? Far from it. Does IT make sense? Yes. It does; Maybe not to me, or to my family, or too my girlfriend, or to this world, but God has made sense of my life already from start to finish, and He is asking me to go.
So what's left? Am I going to be a Jonah? Or am I going to be a David?
For the record, all those people i just mentioned are supportive of this :)
I stole the word "Kopanya" from FIFA's ad campaign for the upcoming tournaments. It is a Southern Sesotho word that translates to "join together." It is a great phrase for a tournament drawing participating audiences from 32 countries and interested audiences from, well, all the others. It is a better phrase for a ministry of the Christian God who asks us to "make disciples of all nations" and to "love your neighbor as yourself." I hope to not only join together kids onto a team, or families into a church, but join each individual we meet with the same Holy Spirit who has rejoined me with God through Jesus.
I'm starting this blog to keep a running record of what is going on during my stay in South Africa. If you don't already know what that trip's all about, here's the 5...
Who: Eastside Community Church, four other interns, my supporters, God, and me.
Where: Pretoria, South Africa
When: I leave Dec 29th 2008 and will becoming back sometime around Dec 20th 2009
What: The Eastside staff and 5 interns will be starting a multi-faceted ministry leading up to and during the 2009 Confederations Cup and passing it on for another year through the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The program is called Ignite and the part I am involved in is called Ignite Sport. It is designed to help underprivileged youth in the area by involving them in community soccer programs and eventually community youth groups. There is also a separate prison soccer ministry we will also be working on. The ultimate goals are helping meet peoples immediate needs, sharing the gospel, and planting churches after the tournaments are over.
Why: Ha. That's the million dollar question isn't it?
What it comes down to is this...I have never been more confident that God was asking me to do something than I am about this program. Does it make financial sense? No. Does it make professional sense? Absolutely not. Does it make relational sense? Far from it. Does IT make sense? Yes. It does; Maybe not to me, or to my family, or too my girlfriend, or to this world, but God has made sense of my life already from start to finish, and He is asking me to go.
So what's left? Am I going to be a Jonah? Or am I going to be a David?
For the record, all those people i just mentioned are supportive of this :)
I stole the word "Kopanya" from FIFA's ad campaign for the upcoming tournaments. It is a Southern Sesotho word that translates to "join together." It is a great phrase for a tournament drawing participating audiences from 32 countries and interested audiences from, well, all the others. It is a better phrase for a ministry of the Christian God who asks us to "make disciples of all nations" and to "love your neighbor as yourself." I hope to not only join together kids onto a team, or families into a church, but join each individual we meet with the same Holy Spirit who has rejoined me with God through Jesus.
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