Soularium

At Glorieta, in the Peace from the Past, Mark Robinson (the guy leading the breakout seminar) mentioned Soularium. He passed the cards around and had us choose one. He briefly explained how they are used but we never really did anything with them. Apparently there are 5 questions you ask about the image. I didn't know what these questions were until a few minutes ago when I looked Soularium up online. So I didn't exactly answer the questions but here is the image I chose and what I have to say about it:

(Image from Soularium)

The door is beaten, old, weathered. It isn't in perfect condition. But it is still beautiful. There is a chain on the door. It is locked. Something is behind the doors. Something hidden. Something secret. With a key the doors can be opened.

How does this relate to me?

I'm not perfect. I've been knocked around, beaten down (not literally, I've never been abused in any way). Sin. The sin I keep locked inside of me. Hidden from the world. The sin is what has beaten me down. However, there is still beauty in me (I'm not talking physical beauty). There is good with in me. That good is Christ. Christ who holds the key to unchain me from this sin. He doesn't just hold the key, He is the key. When I allow Him into my life I have freedom from this sin.

Collegiate Week in Glorieta

Man do I underestimate our Lord. I learned and grew so much at Glorieta. Shame on me for trying to limit the Lord and for having small expectations from Him. There is much I could say but I'll just share the biggest way the Lord worked in my life this past week. Here is what I wrote Wednesday night:

Breakout sessions. Mike Satterfield. David Platt. All of them have helped me find the freedom I have in Christ. The freedom from sin. Freedom from shame.

Peace From the Past: Learning How to Be Set Free From the Grip of Shame. Psalm 51: 1-12. v. 12 "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Mike Satterfield. Be Free! 1 Corinthians 6:9-11"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Which I associated with Ephesians 2:1-10 . "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (That's only through v.5)

Mike again. Ephesians 5:1-20. v.8 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."

David Platt. Isaiah 43:24-25. v. 25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

Then in community group we went to the prayer garden. We read Isaiah again. We got alone and prayed. And wrote down what was stopping us from trusting the Lord, causing us to sin. We wrote these down and laid them down at the foot of the cross. What a sweet release. I could not help but cry then. I let go of this sin, no longer to partake in it already but still held onto the shame and felt like dirt. I finally understand the beauty in these verses. I have been saved. I have asked forgiveness. These sins are in my past. I don't need to hold on to them. Let them go.

As these verses say that is what I was (were), at one time. But look what comes after the "but" in all these. The good news. Washed. Sanctified. Justified. God. Mercy. Grace. Light. Blots out my transgressions. Remembers my sins no more. Praise be to God. Thank you Lord. Thank you. His grace is sufficient for me. In my weakness His power is made perfect.

And now. Now I have the joy of salvation again. Psalm 51:12. With what I've gone through spiritually in the past 5ish months I am overwhelmed with the freedom I now have from this sin. The joy I now can have.

And I do want to share this with others. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. I do want to boast in my weakness and tell others. Tell how with Christ these weaknesses are overcome.

And I am so thankful. Thankful for what Christ has done. Thankful for the friends, 2 particular, who have helped me through this. Thankful for their prayers. Their hearts, hearts for the Lord, their listening, help, encouragement, and wanting to see me grow and be happy in the Lord again. Thankful for my prayers that God has answered. The prayers to understand and it make sense. That I don't have to have this shame anymore.

I am free from the sin and free from the shame.

Thank you Lord. Thank you.

Africa- Review

21+ hours flying

7 hour time difference
4 missionaries
9 students
3 weeks
11 decisions made for Christ
1 great and awesome God

In the end it was a great trip and there is no doubt in my mind that God was at work there. A question I've gotten multiple times is Africa or Indonesia? I definitely know I want to continue doing mission work. I don't know where God is calling me to do this work though. In my mind I'm like there's got to be somewhere, that one place where I'll go and I'll just know this is it, this is where the Lord wants to use me. This is my place. I don't feel that either place has been that. But I also don't think I necessarily need to have one place. Where the Lord calls I will go. So Africa or Indonesia? I really like what we did in Africa having the youth meetings and just having deep conversations with them. It was amazing. But I miss the kids in Indonesia like crazy. So if I had to choose one it'd be Indonesia just because I want to see the kids again. However, if I do ever get the chance to go back to Indonesia I wouldn't want it to be just so I could see the kids. I'd want to be going because I really do have a passion to do what ever work is needed over there. Spending two months with the kids in Indonesia relationships were built. That was a large part of this trip to Africa building relationships. I don't feel like I built any relationships with anyone in South Africa though. This is a little upsetting but even though I didn't build any relationships I don't feel anything was done in vain and God did reveal stuff to me. Though I did not build relationships with anyone there I did build incredible relationships with some of my teammates. Maybe it is best this way. The teammates came back with me. I didn't have to go through saying hard, sad goodbyes to the people in Upington like the kids in Indonesia. And just because I didn't build any relationships doesn't mean I won't remember and pray the people of Upington.

Just a some random unimportant things that I found memorable:

"Ladies..."

"Guarding the wagon, guarding the wagon"
kosa
red viennas
"Cliche!"
MWA or MAW
"Africa's catching up"
"Radishes, radishes barely even human"
"6 foot, 7 foot, 8 foot BUNCH!"

Africa- Parties, BBQ's, and Friends

One of our first few days in Upington we had a youth leaders' meeting at the house. Lindsay and Morgan met with some of the leaders from the townships and Ethan met with one of the guys to teach him to play the keyboard. The rest of us planned stories and skit (that we never ended doing). After the meeting we played Mafia and the winking game with the youth that were there. Once they left we played Spoons (with pens). We played instead of someone getting out each round they got a letter (P-E-N) once they got all three letters then they were out. It came down to me and Megan and I was victorious! That was 29 rounds + any practice rounds and redos. Then we divided up into pairs to prepare a story/skit. That didn't take too long so I told Sloan about the letters Annie R. had put in my water bottle. The first 3 fit amazingly well with what we did. The first one said expect great things and God will move in mighty ways, praying traveling wasn't too bad. The second one was about praying. Be specific. People, bulidings, ministries, friends, team, focus, hindrances be removed, etc. That was the either the day we went to the prayer meeting in Rosedale or we went prayer walking. The third note was give your all, play extra, even if you're tired give your all. That day we went and played with the kids. The fourth note said make bracelets with children. We didn't see any children that day so I made bracelets with Sloan.

singing (or should I say Olwethu singing and us trying to) at the youth leaders' meeting (Megan's photo)

the group with the youth at the youth leaders' meeting (Mrs. Liz's photo)

Megan and me playing Spoons for the victory (Whitney's picture)

the beginning of bracelet making (see out Bibles and binders open on the bed, proof we did what we were supposed to first :) )
everybody's bracelets except Eddy who didn't want one and Ethan whose I made real quick that night, this was the night before Whitney and Tiffany left (Whitney's photo)

We had a cultural party one night with some of the guys from Rosedale (Sergio, JimLee, Amor, and Winston) and some of the girls from Paballelo (Monica and Patience), Suzie, Victoria and her husband (Freddie) and brother (Jeshua). We had quite a spread for the party: red beans and rice, corn bread, frito corn salad, frito chili pie, and fried rice. Before we ate we hung out outside talking about various topics like our favorite movies and the weirdest thing we've ever eaten. After we ate we just hung out talking and having fun in small groups which ended up being the guys, the girls, and the adults. Some point in there there was some music and everybody singing "Nobody Wanna See Us Together." Then we talked some more as a big group, about holidays.

the spread for the cultural party (Whitney's photo)

Patience, Monica, and Victoria (Whitney's photo)

Tiffany with Suzie (Whitney's photo)

Sergio, Winston, Amor (Whitney's photo)

Jimlee (Whitney's photo)

the adults group (Mr. John, Victoria, Freddie, Jeshua)

having fun (Whitney's photo)

the group (minus the girls) at the cultural party (Whitney's photo)

Braais. A Braai is a South Africa barbecue. There was a braai pit in the courtyard at the house and we had a few braais. The first one we had was when we got to try mutton (sheep). Let me say I was really excited about this and thought I would probably like mutton. However, after trying it I didn't like it. Sad day. We had a couple and their son, who were friends of Petrus and Mariana , over for a Braai one night. Thys (the husband) brought a dish but we didn't know what it was. I knew there were potatoes in it. He said he'd tell us what was in it later. For some reason that didn't fully register with me that hey there's probably something in this I don't want to eat. I got some and when I was eating it I realized there was something in it other than potatoes but I wasn't sure what. I then thought to myself it's dark out here, I can't see what I'm eating, it's probably better that way. Later found it it was chicken livers. Gotta admit it wasn't that bad though. When we were hanging out before it was time to eat Eddy was playing with Thys's neice with a soccer ball and Thys went to a store and got some chips that we were eating and trying to hide from Mariana, it was kind of funny.

Petrus cooking at the Braai (Megan's photo)

Eddy playing with Thys's neice and Thys's son

Victoria, who I mentioned was at the cultural party, is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The girls went over to her house one day to visit. We just talked and she showed us some pictures. She is really sweet.

Megan and Lindsay got to visit the hospital one day. Megan totally got asked out by a doctor (an audiologist) and got his number! He asked her if she wanted to go see a movie or something, I don't remember, and she was like there are 8 others of us. Ha! We were really hoping to meet this guy but it never happened. While at the hospital they met some dietitians who wanted to meet us! So on a Sunday afternoon they came to the house and we had tea and muffins that they made. I think it's awesome that they actually wanted to meet all of us. So we had tea and the muffins and talked. They were pretty awesome!

group with the dietitians

Africa- Pierre & Maretha and Movies

So we had what I'd like to call family time. This family time was after supper and usually after the dishes were washed. We would gather in the cold room/warm room/living room and watch either movies, or sermons, or view the pictures and videos we'd taken that day. We watched SM Lockridge's "That's My King," Lou Giglio's "Indescribable," and "Father's Love Letter." We watched two more sermons, maybe it was only one. It might of all been the same one, I don't remember now. One (if there were indeed two) was about the lady who touched the hem of Jesus' garment to be healed. I don't remember too, too much from it but it was alright. Ya know. The other (or maybe it was just more of the other one) was about the Lord's Supper, or as the preacher (who used to be Jewish) called it communion. After like and hour he said something along the lines of "We're just getting started." I think we were all thinking are you serious?! And oh he was. It was at least about 2 hours. Can't say I paid too much attention to it. I did however get bits and pieces that I greatly disagree with, something about daily taking the Lord's supper and taking it with your spouse at home.

We also watched a few actual movies. The God's Must Be Crazy, Tornado: And the Kalahari Horse Whisperer, and Oh Brother Where Art Thou. The God's Must Be Crazy is a movie that takes place in the Kalahari Desert area. It was funny, well what I was awake for. I don't think there was any movie that everybody was awake for the entire thing. It seems at least one person would always fall asleep, at least through part, me included for a couple of them.

Tornado (not sure who the dude is but pretty sure this is the real Tornado and not the horse that played him in the movie. Picture from internet.)

Tornado and the Kalahari Horse Whisper is inspired by a true story. Quick summary. Pierre was a runner but had arthritis and couldn't run anymore. He went to school to study equestrian management. He in the process met a horse, Tornado who suffers from self mutilation syndrome. Pierre brings Tornado to Barrie, a horse whisperer, in the Kalahari. As you can guess there is healing and growth for both Tornado and Pierre. There is also a love story in there with Pierre and Meretha. It is a good movie.

Pierre and Meretha

The most exciting part about Tornado is that we got to meet the real Pierre and Meretha!!!! Petrus contacted them and they were going to be in town one of the days we were there. (They live a good ways out). They were great people (and by now should have their first child)! They came to the house in the morning and Pierre started telling us his testimony. Then we had to bring Whitney and Tiffany to the airport so Pierre and Meretha came along. Then we went back home and he told us the rest of his testimony. They told us about the movie and making it and stuff. The romance between him and Meretha in the movie is not at all how it happened. Merethat's whole character in the movie was nothing like her. They said at that time there were to romances going on but not with each other. Pierre winning over Tornado's heart and God winning over Meretha's heart. aww.! :) Pierre did some of the riding stunts in the movie.

The group (minus two) with Pierre and Meretha

Africa- Prayer and Baby House

On the first Friday there we went prayer walking through the city. We divided up into small groups and each group took a different street. We all met up at the Baby House, I'll get to that later. While prayer walking we also had flyers about the Global Day of Prayer to pass out and ask if we could put up in stores. I wasn't one of the people walking with Mariana, I'm not sure who was, but this is what happened to the best of my knowledge. They had one flyer left. Mariana told them to pray about who to give it to. They keep walking. They pass people. Mariana goes up to a car at a stoplight and gives it to a man. She talks to him some and gives him her number. The man, Levine, calls her for a ride to church on Sunday. She tells him a time and place to meet her on Sunday to pick him up. Sunday morning comes around and he is there waiting! More on Levine later.

Band at Global Day of Prayer

So this Global Day of Prayer. I don't know why but in my mind I pictured this big stadium, not like Tiger Stadium or anything but still kinda big, and lots of people. It was a one sided stadium and not nearly as many people as I imagined. There was a good number of people though. There was a band, and prayer for different things like the government, schools, families, churches, workers, etc., there was a questionable flag routine, and a choir. Most everything was done in Afrikans. One or two prayers or songs were in English and every other topic we prayed for was prayed for in small groups and the others prayed for by one of the leaders of the GDofP. I call the flag routine questionable because there wasn't much to it and there were music problems. The cd skipped and repeated and got stuck. Hopefully it can all be attributed to the music problems and if that would of worked then they would of had a kickin performance. Hopefully. Guess we'll never know. At one point when someone was praying the guitar player was playing music in the background, just like often is done here. Such a simple little thing, the guitar playing, got me thinking. We often look at all the differences and ignore the similarities. Yes there are differences that can't and shouldn't be ignored. They are part of what makes up the different cultures. We pray and we worship, maybe in different ways, to the same God. We are worshiping the same Lord. One world. One God.

Choir at Global Day of Prayer

Flag routine at Global Day of Prayer

Levine. Levine is from Burundi. I never got the chance to really know him but Morgan, Megan, Lindsay, and Ethan did. He's been through a lot in his life. There are many immigrants at the place where he lives, a house with many rooms rented out. A church was started there. The first and only time we were able to go the lights went out so we met outside on the porch with about 1 or 2 candles. There was singing and Petrus spoke and I shared my testimony. (After the church we went star gazing, Ethan doesn't know, shh! He was sick and didn't come to church and it was a last minute thing. There were so many stars, it was incredible!)

Levine and Megan (Megan's photo)

Baby House. The Friday we went prayer walking we all met up at the Baby House. There were 4 sweet babies there we got to hold and feed. There were 3 boys: Adri (3 weeks old), Dani, and Daniel, and 1 girl: Joseline (who they said was "special"). I got to hold Adri and feed him some and hold sweet Joseline. I guess the baby house is a safe house where people who don't want their babies can bring them. I don't remember how long the babies stay there. It could be until they find a foster home or are adopted but then again I could be totally making that up.

Feeding Adri (Whitney's photo)

Sweet Joseline (Morgan's photo)

Morgan and Dani or Daniel, I don't remember which baby is which (Morgan's photo)

Sloan with Dani or Daniel (Morgan's photo)

Lindsay with Adri and Morgan with Joseline

Baby clothes hanging on the line (Whitney's photo)