Salt of the Earth

There are a lot of taste buds in our mouths (about 10,000 for humans), but many do not know that the only taste receptors on our lips are that of which detect saltiness. In Matthew  5:13 Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” This seems random and kind of bizarre to be talking about salt, but this comes right after Jesus is talking to the multitudes on the mountainside. He is describing the blessed, the chosen, and the people that are “not of this world.” Jesus is describing that when we are filled with his spirit and face trials and tribulations we do not respond because of the circumstances but because of the great gift we have in Him. It is the zeal, the zest, the flavor that comes out in us that is different… or should I say salty. Rejoicing in suffering is not a normal reaction, but one I am trying to grasp and understand at a heart level. I have been seeing that in all my sufferings I feel like people “don’t understand” or letting someone in will allow for pain to occur so I have created this false hard exterior that I think protects me but truly is preventing the Gospel transformation in my life. If I say I trust Jesus with everything, but say I can’t trust men, I contradict myself. Jesus was God, but he too was FULLY man and FULLY can sympathize with all sufferings (Hebrews 4:15-16).  Seeing that it is not my personality to be controlling or dominating helps me see that this sin was paid for on the cross. Psalm 147:3 is one that I have been clinging to this past week and see that it will be one I will have to be constantly reminded of. It states, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Well this means that I have to confess that I am broken and needy for healing in areas hurt that were years before I came to know Christ. This is so good for me, but if any of you know me, showing this weakness and fear in my life has definitely been hard.

 This last week I have been learning a lot about being the salt of the earth;  to live, respond, and even act radically for Jesus.  My time here is limited but even more so is the fact that my life is a mist in the light of eternity. (James 4:14) In just 14 days I will be on a plane returning to the States and honestly I do not know how I feel. I am not ready to say goodbye and at the same time I am excited to see that salt here in South Africa is the same salt that is salty in the states, that my urgency for the Good News to go fourth does not dissipate because I return to the comfort of being home or being around people more like me but the zeal, the zest, and flavor of God’s love for the nations and for people to be reach will continue.

Recently I started another book by John Piper called Battling Unbelief. In the chapter about pride he says, “When we boast in our wisdom we show that we have turned from God to trust in ourselves. We disclose that our satisfaction is not first in God’s infinite, primary wisdom, but in our derivative, secondary capacities.” Shame!! (a response we hear often in South Africa… kind of like our WOW!) That hit me hard as I am pursuing my nursing degree, planning for graduate school in my future and aspiring to get my doctorate. All that is for nothing if I am not dependant on Him who is ultimate! This chapter ended with Jeremiah 9:23-24, This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

I do not know about you but the three things that I learn to find comfort in is my wisdom (from experiences to my academics), my strength (let’s call it an appearance of strength through building a falsie wall around my heart or taking kickboxing classes to add to my intimidation factor) and my riches (the worldly gifts from clothes to my car that I cannot take with me when I die). It is a shame that I trust in these things instead of God who holds CREATION (yes all of it) in his hand! Why would I ever trust in myself! Piper was right… the self was never designed to satisfy itself or rely on itself, we are dependant creatures that long for Jesus to break into our lives!

I am sorry to say this is going to be one of my last blogs while I am in South Africa. We have the Unashamed Camp next week where there is no internet connection and then our trip to Cougar Park where we will be pitching tents and hopefully seeing wild AFRICAN animals!! I will try to blog after these experiences, but with moving out of our guest house in Jburg, I do not know what my internet availability will be.

Please be praying for the Camp and for our last two weeks here as we have to say goodbye forever to many sweet friends.

Genesis 31:49

Looking Deep at Character

Hello once again! This week has caused for some changes in my schedule and plans with computer time. We are seeing, as a team, the comfort it is to Skype with family and see familiar faces. The truth is, we only have 8 days left on campus! Crazy! I feel like we just got here, just started building friendships, and just got acquainted with the food J I will only be using a hour a week now on Tuesday nights for the last three weeks to assure I am fully here in South Africa for the short time I have left. On Sunday nights we have been watching a sermon series called “Let the Nations be Glad” by John Piper. Through these sermons and seeing the needs for the good news around it has charged our team to make any changes or adjustments with how we spend our last weeks is South Africa. On Sunday we were thinking with ten days left what if each set of ministry partners would share with four new people each day that would make 400 new people hearing about what Jesus has done for us and them on the cross and the chance for them to come into fellowship with the Lord of Lords and the King of all Kings. Romans 10:14-16 is being played out right in front of us.  “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  The Good News  being preached in Johannesburg could have the effect on the whole country, then to the whole continent where the Gospel isn’t welcomed in most of northern Africa and potentially if men and women caught the true heart of God…the world.

This week has been hard with women at Sunny Side studying or actually taking their exams. Many live within 30 minutes of here and have gone home to study more effectively there. Pray that our hearts will stay burdened for the women we may not see consistently and we will respect their need to study.  On a personal note, I have been soaking up the Gospel of Mark and loving (at times) our summer read of Humility.  Jesus is so committed to his disciples even in their ignorance and pride he loves them and me despite character flaws and short comings. I want to understand this commitment God has for my character and my holiness, overall, becoming more life his son Jesus. Commitment scares be simply because I have been hurt time and time again by man whether it was in friendships or relationships before I was in Christ. I struggle in this area because I haven’t allowed the Gospel, the good news, which Jesus died for the lack of faithfulness or commitment in my life and all the lives around me. Even better, he rose again so that I may know he defeated that area of my life! There is no sin, no struggle that Christ did not die for. I had a one on one today with Kyle Wallace who is leading our team and doing an excellent job at it. During our meeting he was gentle and wise in showing evidence of grace in my life, but also was gracious in showing me an area I have not allowed the Gospel to penetrate. Wally, as we call him, could see through my struggle of having a dominating spirit and idle of control, the truth behind my hard exterior. He could see that I was afraid of getting hurt, trusting God, and ultimately having all hope only in God.  This is something I am aware of, but I was not seeing that how the Gospel needed to heal the deep hurts I have from past relationships and even false vows I made to myself as I got hurt. How sweet is it to know that Jesus paid for all of this, all of my junk, my past and my future hurts? There is nothing that Christ did not pay for in my life… nothing!

Pray for character growth in having a gentle spirit. Pray that my hope will be in God and not how well I “protect” my image or reputation because the truth is that I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)

 I miss home which reflects that even when I get back to Liberty, Indiana I will not be Home. I hope for my future Home, where Jesus will wipe away every tear and there will be no more pain or suffering. Truly until I die my physical death I will be home sick for heaven, my true Home.

Genesis 31:49

Halfway...WHOA!

It is already half way over and I can’t believe it! I had a busy weekend in the township near Delmas and working on Ebenezer Farm. I got to experience the country side of South Africa for the first time and a lot of the same emotions I had in Haiti arouse in my heart. From the poverty to the children and wild animals in the streets, it all was very similar. It is hard to think that most of the students I am sharing the Gospel with grew up in areas just like this. It was good for us as a team to see and realize that money isn’t the issue, but the lack of discipleship, a lack of the great commission going forth in these areas.

I do not want to jump ahead of myself. I have met women that grew up very differently; more similar to how I was raised. I met a girl named Sonette who is Afrikkans (white South African) the first week here. Note that there are no Afrikkan believers in our ministry here in South Africa and the divide is still very much here, but Sonette and her sister Natasha were different. At our first weekly meeting, Sonette and I talked about Romans 6:23 and what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus. Very interested, I saw her hungry for more and wanting to know Jesus in an intimate way. 2 weeks pass and I see changes in Sonette’s life and her desire for knowing God and meeting with him in prayer and in his word. I ask her where she feels like she is at spiritually and with confidence she professes she knows Jesus and wants to live a life telling people who God is. WOW… I was completely amazed at God’s pursuit of her and his dedication to her salvation.

We serve a BIG God! So far Sonette , Natasha, Thando, and Tebogo have committed to attending the Unashamed Camp we are hosting July 5-7^th. Please be praying for eight more women from Sunny Side to commit to the Camp and also for ten more professions of faith amongst all the women we are connected to in both Sunny Side and Jubilee Resident Halls.

Ek is lief vir jou! (I love you in Afrikkans!!)

Genesis 31:49

Another Year Older!

Yay for birthdays and sweet friends that make these days special! Yesterday was my birthday and a great one at that. I didn’t get to see my family or have 22 candles, but my fellow teammates definitely showed me love and what it means to have an African birthday party!

This last week has been one to remember and praise God for. Alyssa and I had many one on ones with women from Sunny Side Res Hall and grew in prayer, learning to trust God to move in hearts. God is faithful and strong, even when we are not and is committed to his purpose of reaching the nations with the Good News. Kundai, a first year studying at Witz, professed Christ yesterday as she said she heard Him knocking for some time and finally quit giving Him the cold shoulder. Kundai related to the memory verse from last week as she is one that is always sick. Again, praise God he did not come for the healthy who have it all together, but for us…sinners. Kundai is from Zimbabwe. Pray that the Gospel or Good News has fallen on good soil (Mark 4:3-8) and that a new network of believers will come from this one girl, who at 17 years of age was crucified with Christ, that she may no longer live but Christ will live through her. (Galatians 2:20)

My mom informed me that some are wondering what I am actually doing here doing a normal week so thanks mom for helping me out with what I haven’t informed all of you with! I am on campus at Witz University Monday Through Friday from 1:30pm until at least 9pm. During this time I am meeting women in the common area called the Matrix or hanging out with girls from Sunny Side Residential Hall. Once a week at 10:30am we have a training time called Ministry Training and once, also at 10:30am, we have Discipleship Group where the 11 women get together for perspective, reflection of what God has been teaching us in his Word, and also what we have learned from the book we are reading this summer called Humility. We have other various meetings and trainings, but they may only take place once a month or every other week. As you can see, a large amount of my time is spent with the South Africans on the campus and engaging them with spiritual conversations. I feel that the women of South Africa are very spiritual, eager to talk about God, and overall interested in my personal story of how I came to know Jesus personally.

The Good News, again, isn’t good because of anything we have done or said or prayed but centrally because it brings life to a fallen world. Please continue praying for me and also the team, as many have caught a cold, sore throat and/or cough.  Pray for a camp we are sponsoring at the beginning of July as students start committing and deciding when they will be going home for their winter break. The theme of the camp is Unashamed which comes from the verse Romans 1:16, I am not ashamed for the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… The camp will be from July 5^th through the 7^th! Thanks and God Bless J

First Week at Witz

Hello! A lot of time has passed, but I promise the Good News still stands and is moving in the country of South Africa. Since I last posted we had our first full week of laboring on the campus of Witwatersrand (or better known as Witz).  In the first couple of days, Alyssa and I met many women who are full of energy and life. I kind of love the people here. Here are some names to be praying for, even if you can’t pronounce their names remember  God knows each of his creation: Keletso, Sonette, Natasha, Simy, Tinswalo, Chiara, Nolo, Tula, Mafunase, Kundai, Zee, Zeikle, and the women we still haven’t met at Sunny Side. I am blown away by the favor God has given us in simply loving these women and getting to know them as we get to know the culture as well.

In my personal walk with Christ, I have seen the extremes my heart goes to when I am outside my comfort zone which happens when you are in a new and unfamiliar country. The deep issue is pride, or me contending for the supremacy of God. Sounds ridiculous I know, but it is the truth of pride in my life. I think I deserve praise/recognition, that I am “right” in the situation, or pride surfaces by me taking the role of the victim. God has humbled my heart in showing me that true humility comes only from God and was manifested when Christ died for us and became the ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) John Calvin wrote, “God cannot bear with seeing his glory appropriated by the creature in even the smallest degree, so intolerable to him is the sacrilegious arrogance of those who, by praising themselves, obscure his glory as far as they can.” ….WOW…. I hate a lot of things, but I hate nothing to the degree that God hates pride. By reading C.J. Mahaney’s, Humility, I am excited for the transformation of pride in the lives of those who are in Christ.  As we know of two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John request to be exalted to the left and to the right of Jesus in his glory (because they are just so amazing, such great disciples..right?) It was their selfish ambition that caused them to desire this, but after Jesus died and was a ransom for many (even them) James in Acts 12:1-2 died for his faith, the first disciple to be martyred.  John got it too and was apparently the last of all the apostles to die, but suffered persecution and was banished to the island of Patmos. John wrote in 1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”  They are both not the same person they were before understanding the price paid for them, the ransom given for me as I am in Christ.

As you can see, my mind is turning and my heart is being penetrated more and more by the Good News.  This week’s scripture memory verse is Mark 2:17, In hearing this Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Thank God he didn’t come for those who have it all together, but us who see that we are sick with this illness of sin that has completely separated us from God and apart from Christ, nothing can heal us. “For this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” -1 John 4:10

Exciting Times

Here are some exciting updates since I last was online.

Thursday we had orientation to the Cross Cultural Project, toured Witz campus, found out our ministry partners and also the resident hall we will be going into to share the claims of Christ. I will be going to Sunny Side Girl Res Hall with Miss Alyssa Walter from IUPUI. We are excited to work together and feel so blessed to have the next 8 weeks to grow also as sisters in Christ. During our time in orientation, we learned that their theme for the school year is “BE”… Be what God has called us to be. They pulled this from Philippians 2:1-16. If you have a chance you should check this passage out. I have decided to memorize it in the next couple of days because I see the impact it can have on my mind and heart as I allow it to penetrate more of me every day.

On Friday we had some extra time to go and get cell phones because we found that they are only R69 which is $10!!! Being without a cell phone has shown me how dependent I am on my phone and how I go to it at times for comfort instead of going to Jesus.  Friday night our team hosted a Braai (Bar-B-Que) which is very attractive for Witz students especially when they do not have to pay! It was an amazing time to see God work and move in students Hearts. I met many women that I couldn’t even try to type their names! One guy at the Braai actually professed Christ. His name is Valentine, so please be praying for him.

Saturday I got to experience a REAL soccer game as we watched the Orlando Pirates take the championship for their league. I cannot wait to put pictures up because it was a party like I have never seen before. Everyone in the stands rushed the field and of course, our guys had to join. The CO (Campus Outreadch) guys and girls from Atlanta decied to stay back as did us girls from CO Indy which was best because the security came into action and brought out the mase to get the crowd back to their seats.  I got to experience the city of Seweto which is a much poorer town than Johannesburg.  You could see that their worship was Soccer and their hope was only in that game. I hope to return to Seweto and have more interactions with the community. Just think, through one man or woman coming to know the riches of Jesus Chrsit, that whole city could be changed! Wow... just somthing to think about as you drive by the fifteen churches on your way to work. Well until next time... Genesis 31:49  

Down and Out

Sunday night we gathered at the Hyatt Place Hotel near the Indy airport. If only I could explain the excitement in the room as we received our resources and books that we will be utilizing this summer.  Our theme for the summer is Down and Out. Which means this summer we are focusing on the Gospel going DOWN deep into our hearts in order that it may go OUT from us to the nations. As a team, we will be accomplishing Down and Out by studying the book of Mark which is one of the four Gospels of Jesus Christ.  As Kyle Wallace put it, “This summer is so much more what God does in us than what he does through us.”  Kyle is who is leading our trip; you can call him the ring leader of the 18 of us students. Hearing what he was saying was much easier than visualizing how that actually will play out in my heart. So often I am like Martha. Fooled by my own pride, thinking I contribute to my salvation, that my marvelous self is actually needed by the God of the universe! It isn’t, but by his grace he wants to use me, his daughter, for his kingdom. I am so excited (and nervous) for this theme because it is something I know I struggle with.

Arriving last night, well it was night time here; we got into our rooms at our bed and breakfast. I am rooming with Caroline, Abby, and Kayla. Three women that know and love God deeply, and in ways differently than me so I am excited and blessed to have this next 8 weeks with them as roomies!

This morning I work up around 7:30am which is 1:30am in Indiana. I hadn’t yet made it to a store to buy an alarm clock so my cell phone had to suffice (which I set for 1:30am because I have no service here for it to change to this time zone). Today has been a tour of Johannesburg, grocery shopping, and oh yah… finding out I am the girl that is driving while we are here! Just image me driving a 10 passenger Toyota Quantum on the LEFT side of the road, with my steering wheel on the RIGHT, and this beast of a “boot” as they say here is a stick shift. I hope it is funny to you all because honestly I was most worried about the stick shift component, but God gave me rest and the guys teaching me were all very gracious. Now we are about to head to the campus for dinner with some of the Witz students that are involved in the ministry. I am not sure when I will be time on Skype, but I promise when I find out I will be posting that on here J remember I am 6 hours ahead of you, but I will be sure to put the time it is for me and all of you.

I love all of you and am excited for my time here. I challenge all of you if you are not studying anything currently is to read through Mark. It has been such a treat for me to see God’s word reveled to me through learning about the life of Jesus. The scripture I am memorizing this week is Mark 1:15! I totally had no idea that I would be studying the Book of Mark and already God has showed me that verse as I planned to write this blog and call it The Good News.  A verse I want to leave you with today is one I found when reading during my layover in Atlanta. It is Mark 16:15; He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Jesus has called us to the whole world, but that world could just be your next door neighbor, or the lady in the grocery store line right behind you. I have been sent by God to JoBurg for a short time, but this verse applies to my life even when I am living in my home town of Liberty, Indiana.