Its been 3 weeks today since we returned from our most recent team trip to Southern Africa. I (Ron) actually went a little more than a week ahead of most of the team to spend time in Carletonville with Willy and Trudi van Rooyen at Christian Life Centre. Carletonville is a gold-mining town in western Gauteng, South Africa and in fact is one of the richest gold producing areas in the world. Unfortunately the wealth isnt having much local impact. CLC is doing a great job of practically addressing the need and it was a blessing to invest in the church and the effort theyre making. It was my first time to do so, but certainly not my last. Then Audra brought most of the rest of the team through so we could join up in Johannesburg. From there we were able to visit Lewenslig, the home for people with disabilities weve connected with in Vanderbijlpark. Were working on a plan to partner with Thomas and Angela Carpenter to take a team through to do an on sight camp. The camp would be designed to bless the residents and simultaneously give the workers a break and would happen in 2015. We also connected with Cynthia and the Chi Alpha crew at the University of Pretoria. Audra spoke as well as Jenel and Lexa Carpenter. They absolutely knocked it out of the park. Then after that we were off to Zambia for a little less than two weeks which included time working with a struggling bush church in the remote area of Nalulau. That started off challenging to say the least. We had sorted three trucks to take us across Zambia and into the bush, but those trucks never made it to Lusaka. They were lost somewhere in Tanzania. (eventually they were found) Anyway we were able to source trucks from Livingstone, it just took and extra day and we had to condense to only two instead of three. Through us off schedule and stressed our budget a bit, but worked out great none the less. At one point we even had a wheel literally come off one of our trucks, but thanks be to God we had just pulled off of the paved road and were traveling slowly and in soft sand. It was still hectic, challenging, and did some damage to the truck. But we were safe! Gods provision and protection always amaze me. While in the bush the challenges were even more significant and of a spiritual nature. I first traveled through to Nalulau with Paul Van Coller to Nalulau in 2010 and a team from the Zambia project in 2010. Since then Ive been to Nalulau several times with Leonard Simukonda who overseas church planting in the bush. The team from the project is working to train and equip people who in most cases are very new to the Gospel. The church in Nalulau is facing logistical, and significant leadership challenges. Our time there was spent loving kids, sharing the gospel, and investing in leadership. We couldnt have had a better team for the assignment we were given. Leah, Lanelda, and Angelia got to go be a moms in a place where there is a desperate need for mom hands to hug and hold. Audra, Jenel and Lexa played and loved till they had wrung themselves out for Abba and the children He said not to forsake. Us guys had plenty to do as well, and every one shared at least once around the camp fire services we held. Of course we walked and talked the gospel and connected with villagers in multiple ways for several days. We were even able to assist Daniel and Laura Barclay in showing the Jesus Film on Saturday night to 100 plus people under an incredible starlit sky. Finally on Sunday morning we split three different ways to preach in three different villages. Greg and Jacob stayed behind in Nalulau and finally saw the break through we had been working and praying for the whole week. Yay Jesus! We finished our trip with a trip through to Sioma, still in Western Zambia, to give away more school supplies and toys, supplied by the Bucks Toys for Africa project. We were also able to invest in building a house for an incredible young Zambian couple sacrificially working on planting a church in this very hard and needy third world community. FYI, this was the same day we crossed the Zambezi on the partially sinking ferry and the day our wheel fell off! Crazy but amazing day for sure! Too many words for anyone to want to read Im sure, and yet they dont even come close to telling the story. For me (Ron) this was one of over 30 trips Ive now made to southern Africa, and yet it was no less special or impactful than any of the others. In fact Im sure it was one of our best so far. Much of the thanks for that goes to Audra whos ability to manage the details of our trip, her willingness to tolerate my constantly adjusting the plan and growing the scope were crucial to our success and impact. Kenny and Denise raised an amazing daughter and difference maker here. Huge props to the team and all those who invested so we could go as well. Our team is always made up of givers, goers and prayers. It takes all three! Summer 2014 goes down as an epic trip because it was an epic team effort. Biggest thanks of all to Jesus. All for we do we do for you and all we do we do only by your grace. Love you Jesus!!!!
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 02:50:49 +0000
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