Found in Translation

A lot of international missionaries are required to learn the language of the country they’re ministering in. Fortunately for me, that’s not the case, as most of the people I work with speak and understand English fairly well. For those who don’t, I have my Xhosa-speaking friend Mzo to back me up.

I’m particularly thankful for this on Thursday nights when Mzo and I meet for Bible study with a group of Red Hill adults. Whenever I do the teaching, Mzo translates into Xhosa to ensure that everyone understands. Without him I could never have built relationships with these people, much less be invited into their homes to share God’s Word.

My original idea for this Bible study was to target men only, but God clearly has a different plan: Our original group of two has tripled in size to six, and half of them are women. One man, Zweloke, has two daughters who got interested in the study just by eavesdropping while we met in their house. Mzo and I are encouraged to see all of them with an obvious hunger to understand God’s Word and to know Him better.

Light at the End of a Tunnel

Cape Town’s Table Mountain is so massive it generates its own cloud formations. The “Tablecloth” is the name given to the frequent layer of cloud that covers the mountain’s flat top while leaving its lower reaches bathed in sunshine. The Tablecloth was out on Monday and, as pictured here, spilled over into Platteklip Gorge, a popular hiking route up the mountain. A small window in the cloud at the top afforded a glimpse of blue sky on the other side.

Stick a Fork in Me

The photo at right expresses the way I feel this weekend. After four weeks straight of “Holiday Club” ministry, I am worn out. But in a good way.

Yesterday we concluded our month-long program with the “Two Oceans Cup,” which brought together hundreds of children from across Cape Town’s South Peninsula for soccer and netball competitions, ultimate Frisbee, arts and crafts, praise and worship music, and Bible-based devotions. None of Red Hill’s soccer teams (including the under-13s, “coached” by Yours Truly) won their age groups, but I was pleased to see two of our netball teams (under-13s and under-17s) emerge as tournament champions.

Below are images from the day’s proceedings. But first, a brief list of highlights from the past four weeks:

• Working with our Teens Club has been a struggle, but God’s blessings came even in the midst of this. I’ve found the biggest challenge is conveying the idea of putting others first and “loving your neighbor as yourself.” One day in particular, the kids spent a lot of time arguing and fighting amongst themselves, and moaning and complaining to me and my colleague Kendra. But the next day they came back, sat quietly throughout the lesson and behaved like angels. It’s in times like these when I know the Holy Spirit is real, present and working in people’s hearts.

• Best quote, from Tonia, a precious 6-year-old (she’s the one pictured with the coloring sheet in the post below). One morning last week she pointed out a friend of hers doing a handstand. “That’s great,” I said. “Can you do that too?” “Yes, I can do that,” she answered enthusiastically. “Will you show me?” I asked. Without hesitating, she replied, “No, I’m too lazy.” But at least she’s honest.

• Another memorable exchange: Yesterday one of the netball players asked me if they would get anything for winning their age group. “Don’t we get a prize?” she said. “No,” I answered, “but you get the satisfaction of having won a championship.” “What does that mean?” she asked with a puzzled look. Oh well, maybe she’ll figure it out as he gets older.

• There’s a young boy named Siyema, about 3 or 4 years old, who’s a handful. He refuses to behave or listen, often running away when an adult tries to restrain him. One day he wandered over from the church, where his age group was meeting, to the metal shipping container where Kendra and I were leading Teens Club. He boldy walked right in and blew a vuvuzela at us. All I could do was shake my head in bewilderment as Kendra escorted him back to the church.

• Throughout all of this, God has been so faithful and so able to lead us through the work He prepared for us. As Christ said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). All glory and praise be to Him.

It Ain't about the Shoes

Samaritan’s Feet (not to be confused with disaster relief organization Samaritan’s Purse) is a ministry founded by Nigeria native Manny Ohonme. Manny grew up dirt-poor and never had a pair of shoes until he was 9, when a visiting missionary gave him a pair. He also heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was introduced to basketball.

He quickly discovered a talent for the game, which he ultimately parlayed into a college scholarship in the U.S. After graduating, beginning a successful business career and starting a family, Manny decided to leave his executive position and start serving poor children like he had once been. Samaritan’s Feet was the result. The organization distributes brand-new shoes to impoverished kids around the world. But as Samaritan’s Feet and its volunteers emphasize, it’s really not about the shoes; their most important aim is to tell kids about God’s love and purpose for them through His Son. Just as God had a plan for Manny’s life, so He does for every one of us as well.

On Thursday we held a Samaritan’s Feet outreach in Red Hill. It truly was not just about the shoes. The kids – more than 150, in groups of eight at a time – listened to the telling of Manny’s story, had their feet washed (a symbolic act representing Jesus’s humble service) and were prayed with, all before receiving their new shoes.

Below are images from this most worthwhile outreach. For more information on Samaritan’s Feet, click here.

Sports Week

Down to our last week of the month-long school holiday, we’re focusing primarily on sports – soccer for boys, netball for girls, and pretty much anything that will keep preschool kids occupied. We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of volunteer help, both local and international. Included in the latter category is a team of Brazilians who are lending their soccer expertise this week.

We also have a big outreach event on Thursday in which every child and teenager in our program will receive a new pair of shoes. Friday is the culmination of the holidays, with a massive event that brings all the Living Hope kids together for soccer and netball competitions. Reports and photos from those events to come; for now here are a few images from our sports ministry this week.

Ayoba Time

For those who didn’t score tickets to any of the 10 World Cup venues, the Fifa Fan Fests are the next best thing. In Cape Town the Fan Fest occupies the Grand Parade, the downtown park where Nelson Mandela gave his first speech after being released from prison in 1990. With a massive high-def screen, food court, souvenir shops and capacity for 17,000 – many of them wielding the obnoxious vuvuzela – it has a vibe that I suspect is similar to the actual event. The best part is, it’s free.

Yesterday Mzo and I took the train downtown to watch the Germany-Argentina match at the Fan Fest. I didn’t have a dog in the fight, but since my last name is German, I decided to pull for that side. It was a raucous atmosphere, especially as the Germans continued to pile on goals in blasting the Argentines 4-0 (or 4-nil, as the soccer aficionados say). The vuvuzelas were buzzing and the park remained packed after the match, thanks to a free concert by my favorite South African band, Freshlyground.

All the free entertainment has to be paid for somehow, of course. In this case, it’s largely by one of the principal World Cup sponsors, Coca-Cola. No food or drink is allowed to be brought in, so if one is thirsty, the options are to drink a Coke product or stay thirsty. Another sponsor is MTN, a cell phone company whose “It’s Ayoba Time” ad campaign has been a big hit. “Ayoba” is a South African slang term used to express amazement, delight and approval. And really, everything about the day was Ayoba, except for the ride home, when all 17,000 of those Fan Fest attendees seemingly were on the same train as us back to the suburbs.

Here are a few more images from the festivities.

Fire

Last night I witnessed what is, unfortunately, a pretty common occurrence in South African townships and informal settlements. When too many aluminum shacks are tapped into too few electrical lines, fire is often the result. At Red Hill, a power surge crackled through a line and ended in a small one-room dwelling, engulfing it in flames and gutting the inside in about 15 minutes. Fortunately no one was inside or injured, but the owners lost all their clothes and other possessions.

I was there because Mzo and I were about to hold our weekly men’s Bible study. We heard someone yell “Fire” and ran to the site. Mzo and several other men started filling and slinging buckets of water, and I found a fire extinguisher in our Living Hope container building, which sits just in front of the house that burned. I didn’t have a number for the fire department, but I did call the nearest police station – and no one answered. That’s comforting, eh? So I called another police station and they apparently relayed the message because a fire engine eventually arrived to douse the remaining flames.

It was a scary few moments, but nothing that the community had not seen before. Such is life in the shacks.