Pictures

 Holiday break arts and crafts with the kiddos from Wells Estate

 arts and crafts at the Soyama community center

kids waiting in line to get their meal for the day

The Lord Is My Inheritance

“The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion.  Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them." -Deuteronomy 18:1-2

God has been encouraging me with the reminder that through any and all circumstances He is my inheritance. The people God created for full-time service to Him (the Levites- one of the tribes of Israel), God has chosen to give the least physically to. I think this is a brilliant way for God to keep His servants close and dependent upon Him. It causes them to lack physically but be rich spiritually. In our sunday services we have been going through the book of Philippians in a series called "Perspective"(http://westsidefamily.co.za/listen/index.html).   Last Sunday we studied ch.4 and how the state of being content is actually something learned. I am not saying that I am going through incredibly harsh times- I am busy and do have daily challenges but I am always trying to keep my focus more on Christ and less on what is going on around me. And again God brought me to read through Lamentations 3. Wow- Must read this chapter! Jeremiah does the strangest thing. He lists and mourns over all the terrible things God has punished Israel with and then in the midst of it He praises God for His faithful love. Being content is a choice we make. Through all the ups and downs of this last week God has been helping to choose joy in Him. Regardless of what's going on around me, "I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”" - Lamentations 3:24

(sorry my thoughts are all over but just an update on what God is doing in me love you all!)                                                                   

Another Update

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a wonderful day! Was a bit different celebrating with newer faces but I love the friends I have made here. I had some really good Jesus time and God brought it to my attention that I was neglecting my personal worship of Him. Yes, I have my quiet prayer/study time every morning/day. Yes, me and Jesus chat throughout the day. But God has made me to worship Him not only through living but especially through music.  I realized that I was publicly worshiping through music(singing/playing instruments) during assemblies, ministry, sunday services etc. but neglecting my personal worship. The public stuff is supposed to come from an outflow of your personal worship. I was becoming a full-time public worshipper but only a part-time personal one. I was beginning to lose my spiritual edge (my passion/closeness with Jesus). Thankfully Jesus didn't allow this to happen for long but even in the span of a week or so there were things where I became spiritually blind to because of it. Don't have much else to say, but maybe ask yourself if you have neglected any of your personal worship with God- it probably looks different than mine as not everyone connects with God by singing or playing to Him. Have you become a part-time anything with Jesus? Much love to you all and thank you for all the birthday wishes!  

Neighbors

Walmer Location/Township
















Yesterday I went with a few friends to help out with their soup club they have just started in the Walmer location. Walmer is a suburb in Port Elizabeth (city I live in). There are two common names for these settlements: location, and township. There are over 6 of these locations in my city. In the pictures above you can see their houses. All made from scrap tin, wood, plastic, anything really. Dirt floors, no heating/air conditioning even electricity. Many without running water. When the rain comes, most of these houses flood making everything and everybody wet and muddy. Of course, some houses are a little nicer than others and have running water or electricity that they tap into. The kids and people have hardly any clothing most in the only what they have torn and dirty. Many go with broken shoes and many with none at all. Aside from lack of clothing many kids go without food for days, sometimes they get one meal a day. Usually, that meal is bread, pap, porridge, or potatoes (carbs or starch). I see kids with bloated bellies from malnutrition. This place is about a 10 min walk from my house. My neighbors are starving. 

I have heard stories from young girls who's parents have died or left them and they are now forced to take care of their brothers and sisters. These girls are ages 13-16. Because they can't work they sell their bodies every day for food and money. My neighbors are hurting. 

Sometimes, I can go a few days with out feeling compassion for people in these circumstances as I get busy and forget what they suffer. I live in a nice house, in a nice area. If I am always on the go, even though I may interact and pray with people who live there I still can be non-understanding when I forget how they live. Poverty is an interesting thing here. A mindset that few seem to be able to break. Circumstances that no one did anything to inherit; they were just born.

Everything is so segregated. One just has to travel a few min in any directions and you will see nice houses, paved roads, -wealth. Wealth is really all in perspective. Yesterday I heard two little kids go nuts over the fact that one of them had R9 (R10=$1). To the kids, you were rich if you had R9. To me, that is poverty. A kid gets a new pair of shoes- something his feet have never felt. He feels wealth. Many of us have the decision of choosing which shoes to wear in the morning. 

My heart breaks. And many times like today, I feel helpless. I can do so little. I am so little. The great hope in this is that my God, is a big God. He can do big things. I didn't write this entry to make anyone pity anyone. I just wanted to give people some perspective. The best thing for the western culture to try and uproot it from apathetic complacency is to get some perspective on life. As you finish reading this I encourage all of you to ask God for some perspective. It could change your life on so many different levels. Apathy hardens our hearts to stop feeling for our neighbors. Matthew 22:39. We suck at one of the two most important things Jesus commands of us. 

Here is a few facts for some perspective:

• There are 164.8 million needy children in the world.
• 11 million starve to death or die from preventable diseases
• 8.5 million work as child slaves, prostitutes, or under horrible conditions
• 2.3 million live with HIV

• 2.1 BILLION people on this planet claim to be Christians

• If just 8 percent of us "Christians" cared for one more child, there would be NO STATISTICS LEFT. 

So… are we loving our neighbors?



(facts above taken from Kisses From Katie)