Cape Town, South Africa: Day 5

Today, we went to Ocean View, a township of 30-40,000 people living within three square miles near the fishing village of Kommetjie. We offered the eye clinic at their local multipurpose building and gobs of people showed up.

Here's your Ocean View history lesson for the day.

Most of the coloured Afrikaan residents we met were forcibly removed to this area from their homes in Simon's Town in 1968 under Apartheid. You're probably cringing right now because I just called them "coloured" (especially if you're in the American South). But, in truth, they'd be offended if I called them any other thing. They're an extremely proud of their ancestry and heritage.

You would't believe it was a township if you drove through. The houses are much nicer and more developed than most of the other townships. However, it's riddled with crime. It holds the highest drug use per person in all of South Africa (especially known for "tik," the South African term for methamphetamine). That, in turn, brings about gangs, prostitution, sex trafficking, and violence.

They've got a big sin problem on their hands. Huge. Gigantic. But Living Hope has noticed a strong Christian presence growing in their community. And here's the kicker: Afrikaans are passionate by nature, so when they become believers and go all in, they're ALL in. That's GREAT news!

Sharon brought this blanket home from the States, fell in love with this baby (who's with his grandpa in this picture), and gave it away to him.

Look who showed up to help! Our Brentwood Baptist missionaries and Living Hope reps.

Once we left Ocean View, we literally drove out of the area and across the street to a beautiful restaurant at Imhoff Farms. That's what blows my mind. Poverty and wealth can literally be separated by a piece of pavement. Chew on that for a minute. It's definitely been hard for us to wrap our heads around.

After lunch, the team went to Living Way to shop and browse through the local business and entrepreneurial initiatives. We were able to support some of the program's finest.

Then, we broke for some to go to Joey and Courtney Lankford's house while others of us went to visit the Kids Club in Masiphumelele at Masi Baptist Church.
After we got back to The Team House, we planned a large family-style dinner with our team and the missionaries.

Whew. Productive day. The end.

Leia Mais…

Cape Town, South Africa: Day 4

Bottom's up. It's time to drink in more of the beauty we're seeing here.

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp...

Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp...

Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Good, huh?

Today, our team is exhausted beyond measure. For that reason, we're taking a half-day off.

This morning, we went to Living Grace, the ministry of Living Hope for the helpless, homeless, and addicted. We stepped one foot inside their building and were greeted by those in the recovery program, the ministry leaders, and a few early morning patients.

Before we even started unpacking blood pressure cuffs and eye glasses, we sat down to worship with the group. Then, we got an extra special treat as our very own Michael took on a new name: The Right Reverend Russell.

He delivered a short message to the crowd based on Jesus' words in Acts 8:7-9: "'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him."

The Rev explained that it's much easier to go to a foreign country and tell people about Jesus than to do it right where you live, work, and play. He's right. We're realizing that more and more on this trip. And he pointed out that Jesus didn't suggest that we do this, but said we will do it if we want to follow Him.

Overall, he challenged those native South Africans in the room to take Jesus' words to heart, embracing the uncomfortable task of reaching people in their own community with the gospel through relationships, love, and service.

Let's just say he hit a home run. I almost passed the offering plate and stood to give an invitation. I've already suggested he may need to reconsider his calling in life and move from the court of law to the pulpit.

The program at Living Grace offers a feeding program and recovery/rehab program for those who are trapped in addiction. Ashley Lovell, a Brentwood Baptist missionary, serves as a rehab counselor in this program. (Stay tuned for a story on Brentwood Baptist's website about her ministry and what she's doing.)

After the clinic, we took the afternoon to rest and see the area. Some took naps. Some spent time with our missionaries. Some walked the beach. And some of us went to Boulders Beach near Simon's Town to take in the Penguins Colony. Want to guess what I did?

Tonight, we enjoyed a delicious meal together, prepared by Nadine, our spectacular cook in The Team House. She surprised Troy with a birthday cake since he's celebrating his 23rd year of life this week (apparently for the fourth year in a row). It was decadent, mouthwatering, mesmerizing.

If you come to South Africa for any reason, it must be for these things (in this order): Jesus, the people, Living Hope, the beauty, and Nadine's cooking. Can I get an amen? Amen. We're all going to need to go on strict diets after this trip. She's amazing and talented.

Having said that, check out what we experienced last night. We were challenged by Nadine to figure out a way to get into and drain an ostrich egg for tomorrow morning's breakfast. Guess what? Mission accomplished. Ahhh...the many talents of our team and Brentwood Baptist missionaries.

Needless to say, most of us only had toast and juice this morning.

Leia Mais…

Cape Town, South Africa: Day 3

Here's your daily dose of South African beauty.

You're welcome.

We were up bright and early this morning for breakfast and prayer partner letters. The name of our early morning game was preparation, preparation, preparation for the sake of the people in a township called Capricorn.

This township is intense, with 8,000 people living in a very cramped space. We saw so much brokenness and addiction. Mothers who couldn't feed their children. Fathers who didn't know their children. Children who were addicted to drugs and alcohol. Teenagers who were parents before they should be. People who desperately need relief and Jesus.

Housed in a Living Hope-developed building, we started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 1:00 p.m., which felt like it equaled out to be the longest, most exhausting four and a half hours of our lives. But the payoff was amazing. Lives were altered. We were humbled. And Jesus' name was lifted higher.

We performed more eye exams, took more blood pressures, washed more feet, and added a blood sugar testing area. I was personally moved to tears to sit at the feet of people suffering through TB, AIDS, HIV, and other illnesses to wash the dust from their soles. Those are the moments in life that change your entire global perspective on the people God is so desperate to reconcile to Himself.

After packing up the clinic at Capricorn, we went back to The Team House for lunch and rest (aka naps equivalent to what you'd let yourself get away with on a Sunday afternoon).

At 5:00 p.m., we started a new venture in Muizenberg. The evening eye clinic drew a slightly different crowd—one that heard about it through 107.5 CCFM, the Christian radio station started by Living Hope. Some in line had been waiting since this morning to be tested.

This is what we saw when we got there...

When we arrived, people were lined up around the building—some having been there since this morning. Unbelievable. They were waving, cheering, and shouting, "We love you!" That probably spurred some of our stealth-like, all-star behavior until 10:00 p.m. tonight when we finished.

Have you ever watched a pit crew get to work on the track during NASCAR race? No? Me neither, but go with me on this one. Imagine it. That's exactly how our crew teamed up to make this thing happen.

That didn't mean we herded people through like cattle. Rather, it meant we didn't waste a minute of the precious time given to us in ministering to each and every person fully with every ounce of energy left in our sleep-deprived, jet-lagged bodies.

The split-screen day was an eye-opener. This morning, we wanted to hold our clients. Tonight, it seemed they all wanted to hold us. Many of them held an incredibly deep love for Jesus. We walked away talking about how much they encouraged us when we'd planned for it to be the other way around.

In the end, we still had to turn away hundreds of people and invite them back to another clinic on another day.

Here's what some of our team members said about the day.

One couple, who'd been married for 50 years, came in to get their eyes checked. The wife went to Scott Holmes and the husband went to George West. Then, they tag-teamed on the retelling of this story tonight:

"He had terrible, terrible cancer several years ago. His wife had to take care of him and he was in hospice for several years. They're both very strong Christians. What he was saying is how the Lord has kept him on earth to keep glorifying Him with his life. Then, at the end of our time together, he pointed to the left and said, 'That's my wife down there.'"

—George

"Her name was Mary. She literally gripped me the whole time and encouraged me like no one I've ever known. She told me about her husband having cancer and pointed him out at the end. She said, 'I don't pray for God to help me every day. I pray for Him to carry me every step.' I told her I was married and she said, 'You go home and hug your wife every day and love her every day.' They were really two people who loved the Lord and each other. It was so encouraging to me."

—Scott

"The whole day was overwhelming. I started the day off washing the feet of someone who was about to get tested for TB and there were sores. Then I got into a conversation with a woman whose daughter was being beaten by her boyfriend. Then a man sat down tonight and said to me, 'I'm so glad Jesus loves me that I get to be here.' It was an emotional roller coaster today. I was encouraged and blessed and broken and hurt. It was exciting and exhausting and wonderful and burdensome—all at the same time."

—Becky Gross

"This morning, I read in Proverbs. Chapter 22 talks about how to train up a child. It felt like 70 percent of my patients who came through asked me to pray for their kids—kids that were on drugs and drinking and in bad situations. I used that verse so much today. It's like God knew I would need that piece of wisdom to pass on to the people I met today."

—Chris Bishop

I love our evening debriefing sessions and devotional times at the end of the day. Tonight, Michael Russell challenged us with this: Sometimes, serving the Lord is uncomfortable. What could you do in your community to make yourself less comfortable and minister to someone in need?

Good word. We'll take it.

P.S. Pray for us tomorrow as we go to Living Way for our fourth eye clinic of the week.

Posted by Kaylan Christopher.

Leia Mais…