Bible Reading

Bible reading....hhm to be honest it sounds boring sometimes. Yonela and I talked about" how can we make Bible reading more interesting"? It doesn't say in the bible you only have to read it. You can also listen to it. Ever tried it? It works. I started it today. While I am doing my office work I listen to the "Message" which is on CD. I heard verses that I have read in the Bible but had a whole new meaning to me now. Music will speak to your subconscious. Even if you don't agree with it it will happen. So it is inevitable that music will have an effect on your life. Which is why we are encouraged to listen to Gospel music. But why not take it to the next level and have Gospel music put together with a sermon or an audio Bible!?
I have been struggling quit a bit with always sitting down and reading he Bible. So I was thinking of a way I could get the word daily and also enjoy it. Also to read the Old testament..that has been a struggle. Mostly because there are so many names and number. But Yonela gave me and idea. When I am listening to the Old Testament and the names, just think of if I could name my future kids any one of them. So short I am trying to be creative to make the word more interesting. So for all the readers if you ahve a hard time focusing reading the Bible or think it is boring, make it interesting. Be creative. That is what I am doing and I am enjoying it.

Leadersip

So first of all sorry for not blogging in a long time. In the church were we are serving being a leader is a very important part of it. So I have been teaching in the boarding house, that is one cell and then I teach a 11 to 12 year old girl group at Kids Klub, that is my second cell, and the other day I started my 3 cell! I really love all my girls and it is such a blessing to be able to work with them. Alos I was teaching pre encounter yesterday to 15 to 18 girls. (Pre encounter is the first lessos that we teach to rais up leaders. So after they are done with all the classes they can start there own cell and be leaders.)It was a big group and usually I have a hard time to speak free infront of such a big group. But it worked very well. I could speak free. If I look at the way I used to be a very shy girl that hardly ever said anything, to now, being able to lead 3 cells and to teach pre encounter. I am greatful for the challenges. I am also greatful for this years expirience in being able to grow becoming more secure and also to be challenged.

vacation

Yeah well we finally were able to take a vacation. We left on thursday for bloemfontein. We were there at pastor Irwin's place for the night. Next day we left for Cape town. The ride there was amazing the mountains and the view. We stayed at Pastor Hilltons place. He is the father of pastor russell who is the pastor of our church. We had a great time in cape town. We went to cape point where atlantic and indian ocean meet. It was very nice. the next day we went to howard bay and saw the sunnset in the atlantic ocean. It was so magnificent. After spending some time at the church and traveling around cape town we left for Jeffery's Bay. We had a lodge at a backpakers on the beach. Stunning. And the house itself was so nice sofas, tv, nice bedrooms, and a balkony where you could look out to the ocean. From there we went to Mthatha. We were there for 3 days. It was very cold so we coulden't do anything so we sat at home cudeld under our blankets and watched tv all day. That was the best. It was also a nice way to relax do nothing all day =) from there we left to go home on sunnday. The vacation was very nice and resting. it was also a great oppurtunity to meet new people and build new relationships. I am so greatfull that we could take this time to visit the brother church of NZMI. It was also a nice time to work on our team relationship and spend time talking and growing together.

My Girls

Today I started a new boarding house. I got Peggy sarted with those girls. The Boarding house is a place where children live that go to school, so they come into town and live at a boarding house. The program is called Ikusasa Elethu. It is a HIV prevention program. We talk about how they are unique and have a special purpose in life. Also what it means to be a leader and how to be a christian in this world. We had some very goo discussions about how to forgive and how to be an example to our non christians friends. So I will be taking some time to go there as well and see how things are doing plus I have my own Boarding house girls and a cell and another cell at kids klub where I lead. But to be honest I enjoy the girls and having some good discussions with them. It gives me a lot to think about. it challenges my faith as well. To be honest I love them all very much, it will be hard to say good bye. But the good thing will be that I know that I made a change in other poeple's lives. It might not be much but those moments where we share our deepest fears and problems and tears those moments I will cheerish forever.

FREE .....!!

Every woman when they grow up want to feel pretty and feel good about themselves. I wanted that too. When I gew up I had some bad expiriences and I could never forgive that person for stealing my identity and my selfasteem and scared of rejection. I thought that I was never good enough. I almost feel into anorexia becasue of that. I thought I was too fat, not pretty and not good enough. When I came to south Africa I felt that God had brought me here for a purpose. I couldne't find out what it was. But this weekend I found out. We were at camp and one of the Leaders was talking about to forgive, that we are beautifil, that we are worthy and that we as woman have are right to say no. I couldnet help but breack down and cry, like I never had before. All the pain and rejection and and the hurt that I had keept in me for so long, all that was comming out. I got prayed for and found healing. Now I am FREE!!!! I feel as a big rock has fallen off of my heart. Now I know why God called me to South Africa. He wanted me to help here but mostly so that I could grow closer to him and find healing in him and be a new person. I thanks the Lord for all he has done. His plans are greater then mine.

Prayer

Hi everyone I have a big request. A good friend of mine has been missing since yesterday. They found her things in a city that is an hour away from here. Her things were scaterd on the sidewalk but we have not found a sign of her yet. All we can do is pray for her I know that God will protect her. So I ask for all the prayer support. She is an amazing girl her name is Ayanda. Tell your friends the more support the better. Thanks

The presence of the Lord

This last week I had been struggeling with Feeling as if God was far away and all my problems and worries were sitting on my shoulders. It was hard. A friend ouf ours took us to a game park where we also had an african safari expirience, anyways, it was there in our house where we ahd a wonderful view that I encouterd God.
It was at 4 in the morning, I was having my quiet time and journaling and I jsut read a psalm of David saying I want to rejoice in the Lord everyday, at that moment the sun started to rise. First it was a small red dot and then it grew and it feelt like God was saying I am greater then all your fear I want to shine my light on you. The sunrise was breathtaking and absouloutly magnificante. I thank the Lord for always being there and when we don't expect it he blesses us with his love and glory.

God take me

God has been working in me lately in such way that I sometimes don't even know what is going on. I feel like I have so much to learn. I feel like fasting this week just to spend time in prayer to listen to God and to re energize. I just have so many questions that I feel like I don't have answers for and don't even know what is going on inside of me. As if something is holding me down and I want to it go away that I can be free. I hope that this week I can just dwell in the Lords presence and that he may fill me with his love and still the hunger inside of me.

Prayer

Well we started a new year. This year the church has decided to focus a lot on prayer so they have made a new scedual that looks like this:
Monday evening prayer from 6:30 to 8
Tuesday, wendsday and thursday is 5 to 6am morning prayer, and then
Friday half night prayer which is from 10 to 1.

I really Love prayer and I think that is one of the most powerful tools for life. I am really glad that we are focusing so much on prayer for this year even though it is challenging to go to the 5 am morning prayer (Which is lucky not manditory but we can go when we want). But I think it is a good dicipline. So this is how our year has started off with. We are alo oppening all the progrmas again; Kids Klub, youth, Ikusasa Elethu, and the mettings. So we are going into the busy life again. I hope that these next 6 months will be a growing expirince that will impact the rest of our lifes.

Retreat for mennonites =)

Last week we went to Shelly Beach for a mennonite retreat. It was a time of sharing with other missionaries that are on there long term and short term missions trip. It was very encouraging and at the same time relaxing.
The time we were there we talked about "What God has done in our time of mission", that was the main theme. We also talked about what it means to be in a new culture and to maintain your own but also learn to adapt the other culture. And this is a big thing we have been talking about. Because sometimes we tend to think we know everything but being able to let go of some of our thinkings and learn from a new culture. There was an example that you need to be like a child when you go into the new culture, so to walk along observe and learn. We alos talked about our gifts that we can bring to the church and what we can learn, but not forget our identity.
So this week was an exncouraging week and also a time to sing hyms again which I had missed alot.
I thank God for this oportunity to have this time with other missionaries and share our expiriences and faith with each other and to encourag each other.