I have let far too much time pass by once again since my last post, but I am thinking that the regularity with which I write will soon be adjusted. A couple changes are goin down so bear with me. I'm taking a little Facebook hiatus here, so if you found me via my status, great! My main man McCurry back in Azusa decided to delete his profile so I jumped on the bandwagon. So here's to no Facebook til' May! I can already tell it is going to be liberating. One less thing wasting my time on my computer.
One small dilemma is that I am now unable to post photos for you all back home to see. Thus, I have a nifty looking Flickr photostream directly to the right of this post. There you can see some of my latest photographs. Also just a reminder, not that any of ya are just itching to contact be, but I do have skype, (robert.verwys) and gmail. (robert.verwys@gmail.com) I will do my best to respond, seeing as I plan to have a bit of extra time on my hands due to nixing Facebook.
Many different things have happened since I last wrote. So many unique experiences I am blessed to be having. Here on the campus we have two bicycles, so on my free Wednesday afternoon last week, my buddy Mikey and I grabbed the bikes and headed off. We had no idea where to head, so we just took off. The thing about African Enterprise is that it is nestled up in the hillside above PMB. (Pietermaritzburg) So when we decided to go towards downtown, it was downhill the whole way. And when I say downhill, I mean keep up with the speed of vehicle traffic downhill.By the time we decide to turn around and make it back for tea, we are a good 5 kilometers out from AE and very near to God's Family Christian Fellowship where I attend church. The way back was tortuous. 5 straight Km up hill in the Shiza,(zulu for hot) equates to sweat and sunburn. Never-the-less, it is an awesome opportunity to break away and see PMB from behind the handlebars.
Later last week on Friday, we had a Kwazi-Africa speaker named Jomo Mchunu speak in chapel. He is a theology professor at a small Christian university in Cape Town. He was particularly challenging, reminding each one of us to remember God. It is always most natural search and listen to God when we don't have much spiritually or monetarily. It is when we reach the "promised land," that we most easily forget to remember God. South Africa is my promised land, and I first hand realize how easily I can forget to praise and thank God for where I am in life. He has been so merciful to me and has repeatedly blessed me, even when I am so undeserving, which is always. I know nothing of where I am in life is because of me, it is of God. Lest I become prideful. God has provided and now my focus must become to live gratefully.
So easily I can become impatient. Previous to coming to Africa, I felt God preparing my heart and mind to do His work. Looking back, time after time I see God's fingerprints all over my story building up to this experience. Now that I am here, I admittedly get frustrated. I no longer want to be held at arms length from the real Africa, I want to go out an serve. It is at these moments that God provides someone to speak truth into your life. That person for me this time was my roommate. He had just been coming out of his d-group, and was just beaming. He and a fine man named John Dickson were just beaming with excitement from their conversation. We just shared our expectations coming to Africa and whether or not they had been exceeded. At which point I shared where I had been at. They had experienced some of the same feelings and longings. Josh then explained that at this point is where we need to praise God for the work He is doing in the lives of people all around me. I have so much to be thankful for. God is moving, albeit not on my time table, but that is why His plan is better than mine. Thank goodness I am not in control, I have far too much to learn yet.
Anyways so after Jomo shared his message, he went on to teach us about Ubuntu,("the spirit of Africa") which defines who we are in relation to others,("We all need each other, and none is greater than other")and the African traditionalist religion. This religion involves prayer and sacrifices to your passed on loved ones/ ancestors. They are spiritually seen as a GPS to their lives, and may cause sickness or injury (no such thing as accidents) to direct and pull them in their lives. It is at this time they would visit a "Sangoma" or witch doctor. Where they would sacrifice animals, receive herbal medicines via cuts, and pray to their ancestors. The sad thing is that this still occurs to this day. That afternoon we boarded the Combis (Buses) and headed out into the countryside to visit one of these Sangomas.
This experience was hard to describe. As we reached the small little settlement or community we were greeted by a jolly looking man in pajama pants of all things. After exchanging a handshake, he ducked into his dark room and emerged wearing a black hat that looked similar to braided black hair with little kiddie neon beads around the strands. He also had donned a colorful bathrobe-like cloak, and a leather band adorned with tin pop can tops cut off to be a noise maker as he chants/dances. We each were able to step into his "office" and observe where he practices. He had all sorts of concoctions, (and alcohol) for different diseases. It was a dark and deeply saddening experience. He has dedicated 9 years of his life to being a Sangoma. You could tell just from looking into his eyes that his vision and symbolic eyes of his heart has been clouded over by the lies of the world and this religion. This experience was a valuable window into the life of so many traditionalist Africans around this country.
Next came Saturday: excursion day. We drove 2 hours to a "World Heritage Site" called Drakensburg. It was here that the ancient peoples called Bushmen or the Sans lived and painted on the rocks up in the cliffs. As I looked and the scenery all around me, my God grew exponentially bigger. To me I imagined God as a child sprinkling legos (massive chunks of rock jutting out in each direction) all around a beautiful and pristine valley. I have never seen a country so green and fertile, God's handiwork is indeed evident.
Another week came to a close with another refreshing Sunday at God's Family Christian Fellowship. This week was refreshing for a very different reason than the previous week. It was no normal Sunday, yes I loved the music, but the vast majority (by majority I mean a good hour) was spent welcoming and praying individually for about 30 new believers/members to the church. God is moving in mighty ways in the church in Africa, I long to see this occur in the States.
I hope to soon update on the happenings of this week as well. Blessings and thanks for reading!
Song of the Week: They That Wait- Spencer (Thanks Lane!)
Verse of the week: Matthew 16:21-28
Shalom my friends!
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