Reaching the Deaf in Africa - a God Sized Challenge

Consider for a moment how you would describe picking up  a telephone and dialing your personal number.  Every action step that you think of passes through your conscious mind in your native or first language - probably English.  If you are Deaf then neither English nor any spoken language is your native language.  English may be your learned 2nd or 3rd language.  English is an auditory language intimately related to the sounds of speech.  When you think of the action to “push” or “punch” a button, you hear a word beginning with the letter “p” in your mind.  Can you even think of the “push” action without the sound of the letter “p”?  Yes you can, but now your thinking process is different.  You need to think in a more pictorial way as if you are watching a silent video.  Even thinking of a particular number that you push takes on a different characteristic.  Imagine the number 9 not starting with the “n” sound, and in fact having no associated sound.  It simply represents a concept of quantity with no associated sound.  If you are Deaf, you may have never heard this thing called sound.  Actually, very few Deaf were born Deaf.  The majority became Deaf during an illness such as meningitis with high fever at age 0-3.  Sound, especially the sound of speech is a far distant memory.

How much of your thinking takes place in auditory form?  You perceive many things visually, but as you think them through and make sense of them, you use your auditory language.  Certainly the self talk and conversations running through your head take place in your first auditory language.  Now imagine never hearing speech.  There is no way for you to think in terms of an auditory language.  You can certainly think and make sense of your observed world.  Your thinking must take place in terms of visual or symbolic sequences.  Finally, imagine reading this very sentence with no concept of sound in your mind.  For hearing people the task is nearly unimaginable.  You learned to read by sounding out words.  Without sound, the words are just a sequence of symbols.  Welcome to the world of the Deaf, and the origins of Deaf culture.

My wife Beth just retired this year from a career teaching the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the elementary education level, and later at the high school.  As we joined team #3 traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa in October, Beth wanted to learn about the services offered to the Deaf population in terms of education and support, and to explore the potential of a Saddleback church plant reaching and helping the Deaf population.  We met with Dr. Kim Wallmach, a Coordinator for Translation and Interpreting at the Witwatersrand University Language School, and then with a married couple, Bascom (Hearing) and Willie (Deaf), serving with the IMB - International Missions Board, and focused on the Deaf as an Unreached People Group.  

The lack of services for the Deaf in South Africa is best described as dismal.  The number of Deaf is estimated at 300,000 to 400,000 (0.5% of the population).  Deaf adult unemployment ranges from 70-95%.  The Wits University records only 8 interpreters in all of South Africa qualified to serve at the conference interpreting level in SASL - South African Sign Language.  Interpreters for court hearings typically do not qualify at this higher level.  Is justice served for the Deaf?    Interpreting for medical care is hit and miss.  A few Deaf day schools function in the Johannesburg area.  Most of the residential Deaf schools have closed, leaving students with fewer Deaf role models and far less Deaf interaction.  Teachers typically operate with limited formal training in SASL.  Only 12-14% of the teachers of the Deaf are considered fluent in SASL.

Beth experienced the radical changes that followed well-intentioned competing theories during her own career in the U.S. as an educator for the Deaf.  Her formal training was in the Oral education method, emphasizing lip reading and speech training.  Under this method the use of hand signs was discouraged.  Meanwhile many schools were transitioning to a “total communication” paradigm that integrated hand signs.  Some schools experimented with “Cued speech”, a technique employing handshapes indicating sound source to enhance and supplement lip reading.  Other schools adopted “SEE signs” or Signing Exact English as a link between sign language and spoken/ written English.  Students often made the transition from SEE to American Sign Language (ASL) in the upper grades and high school when they had adult role models.

SEE is slow and inefficient for casual person-to-person communication.  ASL signs are pictorial symbols that are not presented in English sentence word order, and do not follow English grammar structure.  ASL is a completely separate non-auditory language.  The road for Deaf students is tough, even in a well funded and equipped school system.  In the United States Deaf adults educated in the public schools read English text at an average competency level equivalent to primary grades 3-5.  In doing so they read combinations of symbols with no sound associations.

Deaf education developed in South Africa with an ironic twist.  During the Apartheid years the privileged white Deaf students attended oral method schools.  The use of hand signs was discouraged and punished.  Teachers in the colored and black schools were free to use sign language as the method that they found best to reach and communicate with Deaf students.  When Apartheid ended and use of hand signs was recognized as the most effective method in Deaf education, consistent with world-wide understanding, the black schools served as the best repository, preserving the purest form of SASL.

The Midrand area where Saddleback Church proposes to sponsor a church plant has very few Deaf people.  Most of the Johannesburg area Deaf are black and live in the surrounding townships.     Employing an interpreter to translate a message given by a hearing pastor is not likely to succeed because language limitations severely limit the communication.  We heard that the most effective way of reaching the Deaf is in a small group setting.  A leader will tell a Bible story through SASL.  Each attendee is asked to answer questions then retell the story.  The leader interacts to clarify where needed.  In this way, a story is  repeated several times until all understand.  

An essential key to reaching the Deaf is the development of personal relationships through one-to-one interaction.  With high unemployment the Deaf cannot afford the traditional church organization with a paid pastor and staff.  Successful Deaf churches are very small, and typically voluntary organizations that rotate the responsibility of pastoring.  A small church may have 5 or 6 members who all assume pastor duties.  The strength of this organization is built around the church body and not dependent upon any one individual pastor.  

We did hear about one small Christian Deaf church that operates in the Johannesburg area.  The most effective approach for a Saddleback campus may be to seek out these Deaf churches and to partner with them, lending a helping hand of resources and materials.  The Deaf churches surviving as voluntary small groups already have the concept of “every member a minister”.  They should prove to be quick adopters and adapters of Saddleback Purpose Driven materials.  Through helping build strength in existing Christian Deaf churches, Saddleback can help them reach out further to the Deaf communities.

Where are the Joburg Unchurched?

One of the goals for team #3 visiting Johannesburg was to meet and greet people in the Midrand area not currently attending a church.  We seek to learn from these people the reasons  that keep some people from attending.  We hope that if we design a new church plant to address their needs, it will draw these people in.  We specifically want to avoid drawing people away from other churches.  The mission of the Saddleback regional is to become a healthy model that will also provide help to surrounding churches.   

The downstream goal is to build up a strong core of Christian churches in the Joburg area.  One local advisor from IMB told us that if you win Johannesburg for Jesus Christ, then you win South Africa.  Strong churches working together have the capacity to send members out on mission in a coordinated strategy.  This is the goal of the PEACE plan that will address the five global giants.  The global giants are: 1) spiritual emptiness, 2) self serving leadership, 3) Poverty, 4) Disease, 5) Illiteracy.

We went into malls, the “Mugg and Bean” cafe, public squares and parks to find these people.  All people we encountered were quite friendly and very easy to talk to.  The problem was that most people we encountered claimed that they were church attending Christians.  We decided upon a bold plan.  On Sunday afternoon, we went to the Shisanyama beer garden where young professionals like to unwind and hang out before  the new work week.

A team of nine grandparent age white people entered a hot spot of the young blacks and colored.  The House music was throbbing.  It was difficult to hear, but we did successfully greet and speak with several people.  Once again we found them friendly and easy to get along with.  To our surprise most people that we spoke to said that they attend church.  Some stated that they had attended that morning, and were now relaxing in the afternoon.

People of Johannesburg, we love you.  You are inspiring.  You face tremendous problems with grace and dignity.  We hope to provide a fitting church home for some who do not now know Jesus.  May we partner together for God’s kingdom.

Contextualization: Our Challenge

What is the largest challenge that we face for planting a Saddleback regional campus in Johannesburg, South Africa?  In a word, the issue is contextualization.  Seeking understanding of world views, and guidance in our approach to lay plans, we interviewed people on the streets and also sought counsel from seasoned professionals in the Joburg area from organizations including churches, schools, and evangelical outreach.  

To contextualize is to adapt the visual appearance, the music and arts, the language, the terminology used, and the social references so that they are well understood by the local audience.  Most importantly the presentations, songs, stories, and prayers must be from and of the local community.  The gospel preached with integrity remains the truth.  The bible based principles for growing membership in spiritual maturity and growing the church remain the same.  The style of implementation adapts to the local culture.

The largest stumbling block reported for black South Africans, especially the young professionals that a Saddleback regional in the Midrand area wants to serve is the issue of animism and specifically the practice of ancestor worship.  Only in close relationship can this strong influence be effectively countered.  The first missionaries in colonial times tried to completely do away with African culture and to replace it with a Christian culture.  This might seem like an easier approach, but it is a disastrous destruction of identity.  There is no substitute for growing spiritual maturity through discipleship.

On one Sunday afternoon our team visited the Shisanyama (beer garden) to meet local young adults and to learn something about their culture.  My wife and I struck up a conversation and immediate friendship with Dr. Sambelo Mhlomi, who is a trauma care doctor in Kagiso Mall medical center.  He described how young black professionals live simultaneously in two different worlds.  The traditional beliefs and practices are closely tied to home (your birth village), and to your family.  Your education and professional work probably displaces you to a location far from home, and gives you knowledge and principles quite foreign to your origins.  Sambelo described that most of African culture is positive and good.  He has systematically excluded any practices that run counter to Christian principles.  

I asked Sambelo if one could recognize the bad practices because they tend to create fear or somehow trap and enslave the individual.  He agreed.  The nature of the gospel truth is to free the individual.  There is true freedom in Jesus Christ.  Practices that run counter to this freedom are to be avoided.  

Sambelo also confirmed that marriage is complicated for young black professionals.  Africa has the tradition of labola.  The groom must give a sizable payment to the bride’s family.  In most cases, there is a traditional wedding, followed later-on by a Christian ceremony.  This represents a double wedding expense.  Sambola had already gone through the traditional ceremony back in the village.  The Christian ceremony for Sambola and his fiancee is scheduled in a couple of months in the Midrand area.  Due in large part to the financial hurdles associated with marriage, many young professionals now choose cohabitation as an option.

Navigation

Our team left the hotel in Sandton early on Wednesday October 18, allowing for a generous time budget to arrive safely on-time to the start of a Purpose Driven Church conference for local Gauteng east-side provence pastors.  The conference, organized by Pastor Titus from Memelodi was held in the township of Springs at the Covenant Christian Church.  We planned for an on-time or early arrival because our team promised to help with the greeting and registration process.  We also planned to engage the pastors in supplying information for a spiritual and ethnic mapping of their district.  As advised and requested from a few sources, this mapping can help churches and evangelical groups to plan and to work together effectively to reach the communities.

After quite an adventure, we arrived early for a late starting conference.  Our drivers had GPS navigators, but they proved useless after leaving the highway and turning into the neighborhood.  No street signs and no house numbers exist in the neighborhood.  We immediately resorted to cell phones, calling the event organizers for directions.  Unfortunately the organizers were from out-of-town and not familiar enough to really help.

We happened upon a local police station.  The drivers went inside to get help.  The information given was vague and not sufficient.  Continuing on, we stopped a few different locals to ask for directions.  The locals were quite willing to help, but their directions led to no success.  

Finally, we ran across a police car on patrol.  We asked them to please lead us to the Covenant Christian Church.  We followed as they led us out of the maze back to a recognizable start point.  The police then instructed us to call once again the church pastor on our cell phone.  Tell the pastor the named street that we are on located between the gas station and a sports field.  The pastor should then then guide us to his church.   

Wow.  What would happen if a shooting, or crime in progress was reported at the Covenant Christian Church?  Would the police be able to respond?  The instructions from the pastor did successfully navigate us.  When we arrived, we saw that the church had no sign identifying itself.  In this community, churches, homes, and streets are not identified.  Local knowledge is essential for getting around.

This navigation scenario is strange and cumbersome, but represents a good metaphor for life.  We lose our way and often rely upon our own instincts and possibly ask advice from whoever we run across.  What did the police finally do?  They took us back to a recognizable place and instructed us to communicate with a source of truth.  When we are in trouble, we need to retreat to a known good place and communicate with God, the source of truth.

One Man’s Inspiration: Energy and Hope from Trash

Since the gold diggings opened in 1887, Johannesburg became a magnet for the poor and disaffected over the African continent.  The South African district encompassing Johannesburg is given the Sotho language name Gauteng which means “place of gold”.  Drought, disasters, and war over the African continent have fueled the source of cheap labor for the mines.  In the traditional scenario, desperate men left their villages and families behind, trekking by whatever means available to Johannesburg seeking work.  Today that trend continues.  Johannesburg is a melting pot for people groups spanning the continent.

The mining infrastructure served as an economic base to build Johannesburg into a modern city.  Driving along the highway one sees major corporation facilities from high tech to major manufacturing.  All of this enterprise can not keep up with the demand for employment.  Joburg holds the extremes from the super rich to the very poor.  Security is a major concern in all areas.  Half of the crime in South Africa occurs in Joburg.  Fences around neighborhoods and around individual homes are capped with high voltage wires.  Often a combination of barbed wire plus electric wires is used.  An atmosphere of constant fear and concern is evidenced by people with means defending their property, life, and possessions against attack by the desperate.

The ANC has failed to deliver on promises.  The current government is self-centered with ministers taking more than giving.  Six out of ten workers who can’t find jobs now will likely never find one.  What is Gods plan?  Is there a way to stem the tide of desperation?  On Wednesday October 12, members of our team had an interview meeting with Mr. Jimmy Furstenburg who is now managing director of CEP - Clean Energy Projects.  Jimmy is a member of the Methodist Church and a business leader.  He takes his role seriously as a member of society, blessed to be a blessing.

Jimmy obtained a double volume copy of the Purpose Driven Church, and Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.  After reading it cover-to-cover Jimmy felt compelled to exercise the concept of “every member a minister”.  He wanted to do something real and tangible to make a difference.  Jimmy got in touch with a woman from the town of Mamelodi who was trained in the operation of clean burning incinerators that produce electricity.  Together they formed a business venture following a model that will not only feed much needed electric power to the grid, but will create jobs, enhance education, and promote the church.  

The raw fuel used for energy production is the waste that would otherwise clutter the townships.  The waste materials are however broadly distributed.  Collection and sale of trash at centers will provide useful work and some income for those who otherwise have no job.  Schools used as collection points will provide an incentive for students to earn some income and also to attend school.  The local churches as well may serve as collection centers.  The churches can reach out and engage with the community through hosting this community based enterprise.  In John 6:12 Jesus said after feeding a multitude:  “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted”.  The collection of waste for  clean energy production is certainly in the spirit of this passage.  We are trusted to become good stewards of the earth.

Once collected, the waste materials require sorting into categories for use.  The necessary activities involving pick-up from collection centers, waste sorting, and operating of the incinerator-generators opens new full-time jobs in the townships.  

Jimmy has pledged that 20% of profit from the enterprise will go directly back into the local community to make improvements.  The impact is described as win-win-win for the schools, churches, and the community.  Imagine the impact if more people asked God to reveal a plan, then became passionate and used their creativity, talents, and abilities to advance God’s kingdom and the well being of society.  This example of one man multiplied by the number of available and ernest people over the African continent could make real positive change.

Madala Rules

Madala is the Zulu word for old man.  It is a respectful word.  The “old guys Rule” or “old men rule” joke does not resonate in the African culture.  The joke is actually a call for respect.  Since the African culture respects the elderly, Africans don’t get the joke.

On Wednesday evening of our first week in Johannesburg we celebrated Ron Sipus’ 68th birthday.  Planning a mission trip that spans over your birthday date represents an additional sacrifice.  One gives up celebrating with family and possibly enjoying a favorite restaurant or activity.  

Drawing upon his professional experience as Head of Schools for Capistrano Valley Christian Schools, Ron has served as an indispensable team resource and leader for efforts to find out how the neighborhood schools work, what they offer to the community, and what the most pressing community needs are.  Ron is also a very enthusiastic and skilled photographer.  He has taken many of the excellent photographs that are documenting our trip.  With all due respect, Ron is our Madala for this trip.  Come to think of it, I will hit the milestone age of 65 next September.  Maybe I should have a custom “Madala Rules” tee shirt made.

Just Get Over It and Let God Work Through You

There I was at the Mugg & Bean restaurant, full of young professional customers on their lunch break.  We had some business cards printed up with the Saddleback Johannesburg Facebook site and Blog site to serve as hand outs to anyone expressing interest in our exploration for planting a new church.  Ron had already struck up conversations with a few people.  He found friendly responses.  He was on a roll.  How do I begin?

I was standing near a sidewalk table where two young attractive ladies had finished their meal and were casually talking.  I did not want to appear rude or pushy.  I certainly did not want to act like someone using a pick-up line.  There I was with my stomach in knots not finding any good way to reach out and engage these people.  

God must have had a good laugh.  He sent a gust of wind to blow the receipt off of their table.  I retrieved the receipt and said hello.  I told them that I was from the U.S.  as they might tell from my accent.  It is a strange feeling realizing that you are the one with an accent.  Anyway they were quite receptive to the idea of a new church in their area.  They agreed to having their picture taken with me any any of our team, and posted on Facebook.  The idea of networking through Facebook is quite natural to this young generation.

Team-3 Delivered Beyond our Abilities

We trusted God.  We pulled together.  We were spirit filled and effective.

Imagine the challenge for anyone that speaking before a full church represents.  Some have natural abilities.  Others will freeze up and choke.  Our team has roughly half speakers and half freezers.    Through spirit filled empowerment we all not only spoke but spoke most effectively.  We delivered. 

We were invited to attend Sunday services on October 7, at the Christian Family Church in Soweto with pastor Tony Mamarigane.  The church is now three years old with more than 100 attending members.  Tony describes it as “standing on one leg” because it survives solely upon a high quality of worship.  The membership needs to grow in spiritual maturity and to come into balance with the other purposes for sustained growth.

Our trip leader Dan Siems volunteered to give the sermon message for the 11 AM morning service.  After much prayer and a restless night Dan rose to the challenge.  He delivered above his normal human abilities.  He was dynamic and animated.  He described in practical and down-to-earth terms how a church grows to fill and balance the five purposes.  He stated that the entire team will present at the afternoon service.  Dan asked the congregation to return for the 4 PM afternoon service.  They needed to hear the stories about how ordinary people like themselves grew and performed good works of ministry.

Dan’s message and request evidently made an impact.  The evening service was well attended.  My wife Beth, who normally avoids public speaking, presented the introduction to finding your S.H.A.P.E. in ministry.  The presentation was clear.  It was understandable.  It was a revelation for the congregation to hear.  The Holy Spirit had taken over.  Each team member followed by describing how they learned of their S.H.A.P.E. through the Saddleback 301 class, and the particular ministries that they each are involved in.  The rich diversity represented by nine team members drove the point home.   Every member of the body has something to contribute.  I illustrated the concept that passions and abilities not normally associated with church work can make powerful contributions.  I described how the hobbies of photography and surfing when  surrendered to service in Christ can add a new dimension, attracting more souls to the body of Christ.  All ministries described by nine team members painted the picture of a vibrant church making a difference in the community.

Apartheid Belongs in a Museum, Not in Society

We visited the Apartheid Museum in downtown Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon, Oct 7 after landing from the 15-hour flight that morning, and settling into our hotel.  The goal for this first activity was to gain some historic perspective and understanding of the issue that has so profoundly impacted South African society.  Saddleback Pastor Bob Bradbury arrived on the same day, accompanying team-3.  He told us about his past personal experience, illustrating how the crazy apartheid atmosphere affected life.

In the 1970’s Bob was working in South Africa.  He had an assignment to pick up a black government minister from Swaziland, and to drive him to the Johannesburg airport for a diplomatic meeting.  Swaziland was not under apartheid rule.  They stopped on the way at a roadside car service cafe for a snack.  Bob went inside to place an order.  The waiter approached the car with two china cups of tea and some crackers.  Upon seeing both a black and a white man in the car, the waiter immediately turned back to the kitchen and poured one tea from the china cup into a plastic mug.  He delivered the plastic mug to the black man, and the china cup to Bob.  Later at the airport, the black Swaziland government minister was given the high honors red carpet treatment along with the other important diplomats.  Bob’s role at the airport was that of a less elevated driver.  This strange reversal of treatment shows how a government enforced judgement based upon skin color turns life upside-down with universal injustice.

My intent going into the museum was to understand how this intense preoccupation with race arose seemingly in a short time period.  I learned that the origin actually stretched back to early times.  Paintings by the bushman in South Africa date back to several thousand years.  The paintings from the 1800’s  depict a struggle against colonial rule.  The white settlers carried superior weaponry.  To counter this, the bushman artists believed that spiritual symbols depicted in the paintings might wield the power to defeat the colonists.  This scenario shows parallels to history in the United States where European settlers displaced the natives.  The conflict increased dramatically with the 1887 opening of gold diggings in Johannesburg.  

In 1948 the National Party won the whites-only election.  Prime Minister D.F. Malan passed a range of laws to ensure the separation of races.  The primary motivation for this action was fear.  The minority white rulers sensed the need for drastic action to insure their continued privileged status.  Fear is always a bad motivation.  The decisions made out of fear generally punish all of society.

Nelson Mandela was a head-strong, angry young man at the time of his arrest for high treason in 1956.  He was tested by the ordeal of 27-years in an island prison, fortunately  in the company of other intellectual dissidents.  Instead of becoming bitter, he learned patience and a right attitude towards all classes of society.  The intellectual dissidents dominated the prison environment with their writings and discussions.  Mandela’s reputation and public acclaim grew.  After his release in 1990, the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to both Nelson Mandela and President F.W. de Klerk for their historic agreement to end the oppressive apartheid reign.  The avoidance of a revenge war between the races was an unprecedented accomplishment by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, chaired by Bishop Desmond Tutu in 1995.  Problems remain, but this huge step forward is one of the greatest peace making accomplishments in modern times.

Final Preparations for Team #3 Departing October 4

Team #3 is making final preparations, praying, and ready to depart on October 4.

Shown in the photograph is the couples contingent of the team: David (far left) and Beth (seated) Bremmer,  Ron (second to left) and Carol (second to right) Sipus,  Dan (far right) and Darlene (center) Siems.  Three single women also on the team were attending a separate meeting.  

Pastor Bob Bradbury from Saddleback Church will be visiting Johannesburg during the same time period as the team #3 visit.  A Purpose Driven Church (PDC) seminar is planned for the October 17-19 time period.

Team leader Dan Siems has set the mission priorities as following.

1.  Help Pastor Bob Bradbury recruit pastors

   -  PDC training

   -  talk/network with local pastors and local contacts 

2.  Help lay groundwork for a new church community

   -  find a place

   -  find the people

3.  Understand felt needs and world views in Joburg

   - prayer walking

   - Mug and Bean moments

4.  Help local churches in Joburg

   - workshops

   - worship together

   - build good will (visit with Pastors)

Dan and Darlene Siems - Committed Trip Leaders

I first met Dan and Darlene at a Saddleback Church information meeting about the 12 Cities PEACE Plan initiative.  Beth and I decided to sit at the Johannesburg, South Africa table because we had a vague sense of God’s nudging us there, and also from a sense of wonder about this beautiful land.  We indicated that the fall months of 2012 would be good for us to travel.  Dan and Darlene stated that they were trip leaders for the fall, and that we were most welcome to join them.  They made us feel very comfortable and welcome.  I noticed right away that Darlene possess a great sense of humor and a charming personality.   I have learned subsequently that she keeps her commitments until an important work is finished.

Darlene has successfully organized our trip details while her day job responsibilities are absolutely exploding.  On rather late notice, her company set a software installation go-live event at a time just prior to our trip departure.   Her work day hours have escalated from 14 to 18-hour days.  We know that she is committed to God’s plan for Johannesburg and we pray for God to strengthen her, give her rest, and protect her from illness.

Dan has served a guiding role for all three teams going to Johannesburg.  He has been setting the goals and strategy for our team #3 trip.  As fortune would dictate, Dan’s mother in Michigan took a turn for the worst in her second bout of fighting cancer.  Being a godly woman who herself participated in several short-term missions, she told Dan that if her struggle became critical, or that if she were to pass away during the time of this team #3 trip, Dan was absolutely NOT to abort and return to the states.  It was her will and her desire that the mission trip shall follow God’s plan without interruption.  A funeral can wait.

In mid September the Lord called Dan’s mom home.  She is now worshiping in heaven.  Honoring his mother’s legacy Dan is committing all of his strength and creativity to follow God’s lead and make this trip successful.  We dedicate this trip and the glory that it brings to God’s kingdom in her memory.  

David and Beth Bremmer - Breaking out of the Bubble

My wife Beth and I live in an ideal environment with a loving family and very few problems.  We live in the Orange County bubble.  Why should we venture into the problems of other places?  We have long sensed God calling us to make a difference in his world.  We are now members of team #3 leaving for Johannesburg, South Africa to help prepare the way for a new Saddleback purpose driven church.   

Our trip preparations encouraged us to exercise “prayer walking” as a means to open our eyes and to let God show us the needs of a community.  Having volunteered for several years with the OC Human Trafficking Task Force, we are passionate about this pervasive issue.  On a recent Saturday an opportunity arose to participate in a community outreach event with the Faith Inspirational Missionary Baptist Church in Compton, CA.  Faith is a vibrant church that interacts directly with the surrounding community.  They exercise prayer walking with a targeted purpose.  On a monthly basis members and volunteers walk up and down the sidewalks, meet and pray with prostitutes, and effectively shut down the prostitution business for several hours.  

The pimps riding in their cars with cell phones are not happy with the church interference.  The head pastor of Faith Inspirational is a deputy sherif, in uniform, armed with a gun, also cruising in his black-and-white patrol car for our protection.  By necessity we are continuously in prayer during the entire experience.  From our base camp set up in a shopping mall parking lot we launch to the sidewalks in small teams composed of women who will approach the prostitutes, and men who follow close behind holding them in prayer, looking out, and guarding their backs.  

A fascinating power play begins.  We are shining an intense light into dark places.  Some of the girls dart across the street to avoid our encounter.  Others welcome the few minutes of relief that speaking with our group and being prayed over provides.  Our team leader Brenda has developed a very effective ability for welcoming and comforting these girls.  I told Brenda that her offering is like a comfortable sofa with a cool glass of water.  Life for these girls is pure hell.  They are victims caught up in something that they cannot visualize escaping.

I was surprised at the transformation shown by the girls in the company of our team.  On the street they dress provocatively, displaying an outward veneer that attracts men to their business.  In the presence of our team, the veneer melts away.  I see the pain and helplessness on their faces. Our team hands out toiletries upon which a phone number to a “safe house” is written.  The girls are encouraged, but it will take planning, daring, and effort for them to break away.  

We comforted two girls in a gasoline station driveway.  I wanted to move out of the driveway for safety, but that was not going to happen.  The unhappy pimp drove his car into the driveway shouting something at the girls.  I immediately grabbed a male partner positioning ourselves between the pimp and his girls, blocking his view.  The power play is real and God’s team has the greater power.  Brenda noticed that one of the girls in the driveway had visible bruises and could not lift her arms very high to give a hug.  Our hearts were broken at the sight of slavery in our society.  Families driving by waved and gave us words of encouragement.  This outreach ministry is making a difference that the community appreciates.

Team #3 will launch October 4

Team #3 with 9 members are ready to go.  We will post entries as our trip progresses.

Day 10

Yesterday we stayed on the BIMS property all day and recuperated with some much needed R&R. We did some laundry and organized our belongings to prepare for our treacherous 26 hours of travel time back home to the States. We headed out to Sandton to experience the local nightlife and possibly meet some young professionals who could give us some insight into Jozi culture. We met a few people who were extremely nice. It was a late night and we arrived back at BIMS around 1am. Exhausted, we slept right away to wake up in time on Sunday, for our daily devotionals and to leave for church service at House of Harvest Ministries (HOHM) in Midrand.

As it is Women's Month in South Africa, HOHM asked Pastor Joyce to speak to the congregation. The people at HOHM were so welcoming and we experienced an incredible and interesting Sunday morning service. After the service we were invited to yet another delicious feast prepared by wonderful hands. During the feast we got to talk to the leaders of HOHM and ask then questions and listen to their testimonies.

After HOHM, we drove back to BIMS to get a few hours of rest in before we attended another Sunday service later in the evening at Christian Family Church in Kempton Park. CFC was an amazing church with a beautiful campus. The sermon was delivered by Pastor Andre and he spoke about fearing the Lord and walking in the fear of the Lord. After the service we walked around the beautiful campus and visited the bookstore where we saw copies of PDL and PDC! We even bought our driver, Vussie, a copy of the book so he could read it.

Overall, our Sunday was filled with amazing experiences and God gave us the strength to wake up early and visit 2 churches. We've visited a total of 4 churches during our 2 week stay and each church was unique. We were blessed to have spent time at each church and see how different and diverse they were.

Prayer Requests:
1. Team's safety and health. A few of us are experiencing headaches an body aches. Our minds and our bodies are exhausted but we are pushing through to minister till the end of our trip! So please pray that God continues to give us the strength and that he renews our bodies and our minds and energizes us each morning.
2. Pray that during our debriefing, we may be able to express ourselves fully and wholeheartedly to one another and that we may fully grasp everything wee learned while in Joburg.
3. Pray for our long flight home on Tuesday 8/21. That we may travel safely and that there may not be any issues.

Day 8

Our Friday started off with lunch with pastor Zweli, his wife Pastor Susan, and their granddaughter Michaela. We ate at a restaurant called Maxis. Pastor Zweli runs House of Harvest Church in Midrand. We had a beautiful lunch filled with lots of interesting information regarding the community, South African culture, and the religion.

Here is a picture of the team, our driver Vussie, and Pastor Zweli, Pastor Susan, and Michaela.

After lunch, we headed out to Soweto to volunteer at a local orphanage, called Othandweni Centre. We walked through the facilities and then we headed to the nursery where we got to spend time with children ages 0-4. Our hearts broke for the children at the orphanage and it was hard to leave. The children were so bright and affectionate. One of the kids, named Tapo, even became attached to our driver Vussie, running to him at first sight asking to be carried.

From the Othandweni Centre we headed to Friday Night Church at Urban Life Church back in Midrand. It reminded us of Saddleback! The congregation was about 70% White, 20% Black, and 10% Other. The staff was very friendly and every person we talked to there knew who Rick Warren was, about Saddleback, and PDL books! Many of the Pastors even visited Saddleback and attended the PDL conference held at Saddleback Lake Forest 2 years ago.

Above is Pastor Jono Wegerle during his sermon on Amazing Time.

Here's something Tayen Kim wrote about Pastor Zweli:

                Meeting Pastor Zweli was a true blessing.  In God’s short article of  “Johannesburg,” it seems that under the thesis statement of “I love this city,” our meeting today with Pastor Zweli of House of Harvest Ministries in Midrand is a significant supporting detail. 

                Much of the descriptions he gave us of his ministry, as well as that of other churches gave us deeper insight into some of the more general pictures we were painted by other people.  It seems that Pastor Zweli’s ministry works hard to cater to an array of the different ethnic groups residing in midrand.  To this end, they even research into different praise songs in different languages.  Let’s not forget that South Africa has about 11 official languages.  That’s what I call dedication.

                As our team sat in the middle of a road-side diner, which very much reminded me of Denny’s in the States, Pastor Zweli shared with us, in his gently rumbling voice, that his approach to ministry is to only focus on what the Lord wants and where the Holy Spirit is taking them and that the rest is up to God.  We nodded in praise to God, as well as in agreement with Pastor Zweli as he expressed his lack of interest in numbers or fame.  When we asked him how he gets his members to be involved in ministries, he answered that all they do is preach the Word of God and pray for the church’s growth in maturity.  No wonder the Lord has blessed them and brought them more and more people to whom to minister.

a quick look at parts of our journey

hello!

so i thought you might be interested to see some of the things we've been doing.  and since i have a limited number of photos that i can post, it'll be a random mix of images... but hope you like!  (amy will post more tomorrow)

the day of the breakthrough:  our team had a wonderful, wonderful talk, followed by prayer.  i was especially thankful for teresa's honesty and gracious attitude.  we were truly impressed by God that day.

 

we met some ladies at the boulders mall who approached us to ask us questions.  one of them turned out to be a member of one of the biggest churches here, rehma.

every morning, we begin the day with songs of praise, prayer, and God's Word.

isn't the sunset beautiful here?

Day 5

Our morning started with yet another road block, regarding the planned art show. We were sent an email which ultimately led to the conclusion that the art gallery we had in mind was no longer available for us to use for our Connect Art Show. We were disheartened, however Pastor Tony suggested that we look into an annual art walk that takes place in Downtown Johannesburg. We didn't want to get our hopes up, but we were excited for this new option that seemed promising and ultimately better for the objective of our art show; especially location wise. Long story short, we come to find that the art walk was discontinued about a year ago. Our team was frustrated and stressed out. We had a huge breakthrough with one of our prayer requests. We were able to voice our frustration and unite as a team. We were obedient to God and decided that maybe we were hitting so many road blocks with the art show because God didn't want us to pursue it further.

After being open with each other, there seemed to be a huge weight lifted off our shoulders as we were able to be vulnerable and open with one another. We continued our day driving through downtown Johannesburg and even stopped by some local street markets.

Prayer requests:
1. Some of the ladies have been having trouble sleeping. Pray that we may all get a good night's rest so that we may be energized and renewed each day.
2. Please continue to pray for our health and safety.
3. Pray for our connections in Johannesburg. That we may continue to meet new people and build our relationships with those we have already met and been in contact with.
4. Pray for our team unity and that we may continue to open up to each other and become a family.

Day 3 and 4

Day 3

Our first Sunday in Jo'Burg was spent at Christian Family Church (CFC) with Pastor Tony Mamarigane in Soweto. We were welcomed with hugs and handshakes. Our team definitely felt the love from our fellow brothers and sisters at CFC.

Tayen was asked to speak to the congregation and she delivered a wonderful message that was very well received by the congregation. We were also told that it was their Women's Month and they were celebrating their women with a special lunch that Sunday. We were fed a delicious, home-cooked meal and got to mingle and talk to all the ladies of the congregation. After speaking to the ladies and learning much from them about their values and their views, we exchanged emails, whats app messenger ids, Facebook information, phone numbers, etc. etc.!

We were sad to go, but we had a full day ahead of us planned with Pastor Tony and his wife, Constance. After we said our goodbyes, we headed to Kliptown in Soweto to visit our potential art gallery for our Connect Art Show.

After viewing the space for the gallery, we headed off to Pastor Tony's twin sister's house and once again were fed with a scrumptious home-cooked meal. We ate, laughed, and learned a lot from Pastor Tony and his family in regards to our numerous questions regarding Jo'Burg culture and world views and felt needs.

Day 4

We started our Monday extremely early and left the BIMS Guesthouse at 7:30am. Our driver, Vusi, took us to meet with the CCC Regional Director, Naton, in Midrand. We joined Naton's prayer meeting with his staff at the consulting firm where his offices are located.

We then had a brief meeting with Naton, where we discussed our objectives and goals while in Jo'Burg and then we headed off to the local shopping centers to meet the people of Midrand. We found that Midrand was much more diverse than Soweto, with a mixture of different ethnic backgrounds.

We met so many wonderful people, from Steve, the owner of the Carlswald Mugg 'N Bean to the security guard in the shopping center, mothers and daughters, and business men there for their midday breaks.

After we connected with Jo'Burg locals, we took a tour of a Midrand church who recently relocated to another city due to an increase in their attendance. It was a beautiful campus and interesting to see what a local church looks like in Midrand.

Our plans for tomorrow consist of meeting more locals and absorbing their culture. So far we've learned loads about the Johannesburg community and our nightly debriefing sessions are seemingly endless with reports.

We ask that you continue to pray for our health and safety. Please also pray for God's strength and wisdom to empower us and give us His courage when meeting the wonderful people of Jo'Burg. Continue to pray for the openness and receptiveness from the people of Johannesburg and that our team wakes up each morning with open hearts and minds.

Day 2

hello!  this is tayen, and i'll be sharing about our 2nd day's events:

8/11

    there are those moments, during a ministry trip, in which one can see events and connections falling into place and there is a sense of peace all throughout the situation.  this is not a tale of one of those moments.

    last night, odett, amy, and i were frantically scrambling around for an affordable driver.  we had limited information regarding the prices of drivers here in joburg, so as we sought one for ourselves, it became quickly apparent that we had under-budgeted for that expense.  having errands to run and people to meet, we were desperate to find a driver which we could afford.  after inquiring about the issue with many different people, we decided to hire the one driver we already knew for just one day and figure things out today for the rest of our stay. 

    one of the people we inquired was a particular contact, with whom we had an appointment today.  we were excited to meet him, as we anticipated that he'd be vital to our ministry and essential to the forging of healthy relationships with the community in midrand.  he was quite helpful, as well.  he advised us on all of our options in finding a driver and even proposed a suggestion involving him coming to pick us up this morning with a driver that he knew.  it sounded possible so we decided that if my team would go that route, that i would email him by the morning.  otherwise, we would find our own driver and meet him this afternoon, as planned.

    so the night was concluded and i emailed him our plans... well, almost.  we for some reason did not have his direct email address and only had his assistant's email address.  perhaps she has some sort of forwarding set up?

NOPE.

    this morning was an interesting one.

    in the middle of our devotional time, we received a phone call from our contact, saying that he was on his way with his driver and that he was close by.  startled and confused, i explained what i wrote in my email.  ever have one of those sessions of yelling, insulting, and accusing over the phone of which you don't even need to be a part?  after numerous attempts at communicating my apologies for our team's part in the kerfuffle, i realized that i was not being heard.  i simply allowed him to release his feelings, uninterrupted, and when i felt that the terror of his wrath had subsided, asked him what we should do.  he suggested that we meet in person since he had arrived at our housing at BIMS.

    may i express, at this point, how the power of God moves me?  how in tarnation was i able to keep so patient on the phone with that man?  any of my supporters reading this knows about my temper and about my reactions to injustice.  the fact that i not only kept silent toward the insults and accusations, but apologized for our part was proof of God's mighty power to transform a person.  even my team was inspired by His working.  what a Jesus, no?

    when we met with the man, the first thing he did was apologize for his temper and inappropriate behavior.  talk about God's kindness leading to repentance.  what better amo for that truth do we have than this experience?

    we ironed everything out and now we have a wonderful, budding relationship, which we are praying will be the seed from which many other fruitful relationships may grow.

    thank you for your prayers.  we could not be doing any of this ministry without you.  we felt your prayers today in and around us!  we love and appreciate you!

P.S.  

we have some marvelous little stories about our time at the mall this afternoon!  

one of them is the one about annie and me, and our run-in with an indian, hindu mother and daughter duo who own a gloria jean's coffee kiosk at the eastgate mall.  we wanted some coffee and saw a recognizable shop so ran to it, upon which tejal, the daughter, and her mother enthusiastically greeted us in appreciation of us knowing what gloria jean's is.  we struck up a conversation and mentioned that we'd like to have them bring a kiosk and do business at our art show.  they loved the idea, but later found they were unavailable next weekend.  

however, we did sit and have a wonderful conversation, over a complimentary cake.  tejal and her mother are definitely people we want to keep in touch with, as they would be great to invite to a similar event to our art show in the future.  they loved that we were offering that opportunity as a means of supporting local businesses and i could see that the concept of a church wanting to do such a thing was catching them a bit off-guard.  gotta love that shock and awe, yes?

 prayer requests:

1. team to keep walking in the Spirit at every moment
2. one heart, love and vision in the team
3. the art show next saturday to attract many joburg people with whom we can connect, learn, and love.
4. more local joburg artists!
5. our meeting with naton, the regional director of ccc in south africa, on monday to go well and for us to connect with many churches through him.
6. us to follow the Holy Spirit's ways in planting this church here in joburg.