I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been in Jeffrey's Bay for a week now and have about a week and a half left here (2 weeks until Christmas Break!). How to describe Jeffrey's Bay… There is a lot of segregation. Just as a precursor, what I have seen and am now sharing about Jeffrey's is an overlook and I have met exceptions to all of this, but for the majority this is what I have seen.

White against Black: You have one side of the Bay and it is rich white suburbs with grass lawns and beautiful houses. Then, not exaggerating, you walk across the street and walk straight into one of the townships. This is where the houses are made of scrap metal and signs. Basically just like Eskom or Atteridgeville.

            You'll walk along the shops and drown in Billabong, Roxy, Rip Curl, and Element surf and skate logos. But then right outside the rich Billabong store is one of the street kids. The relationship between the two colors is kind of hard to explain, but I'll just say that there is definitely that attitude of white superiority and oppression because of color. There are issues of rights, not problems with legal rights or separation, but socially you are rich or poor, and unfortunately that falls into white or black and colored (here colored means mixed, not white or black).  South Africa is still getting over the whole apartheid and Nelson Mandela deal so yes there have been amazing changes and strides in a positive, equal direction, but there is still a lot of healing and change to take place.

            I hope that wrap up made sense. Again, these are my observations and there are many exceptions in the community and people seeing the problems and making changes. For example one of the local churches AIM is involved with has a Bible school in the white area and partners with a church, Ithemba, in the township for after school care so the kids have a place to go. There is also the Joshua Project (and outreach to school and street kids) that the FYM team here works with everyday.

What we've been doing!!

            So we are here for a leadership/discipleship conference. I'm on the leadership track and have been learning a lot about what being a leader in Christ means. After sessions we go out and simply ask the Lord where He wants us to go each day. For the past couple days a few of us have really felt led to the beach. Now don't start laughing, we have been able to get to know the lifeguards who are there from 9-6 everyday. I have been talking to one of them, Ziweli, for a couple days and on Friday the Lord opened the opportunity for me to share the gospel with him! It was really cool he was asking me questions and it was challenging. We talked a lot about other religions and the difference between Christianity and Jehovah Witness, Mormon and Islam. He told me that he believes in him and living for himself, and just not hurting other people. At the end he asked me how do we know what truth is. What a stinking cool question! So I just challenged him just to ask God. I told him how God knows what we are thinking and if he seriously asks God to reveal Himself, He will and what is there to lose? I don't know, it was just a really sweet conversation and fun to hang out on the beach but still know that I'm doing what God wants me to do. Please pray with me that Ziweli's curiosity for truth is fed with the Holy Spirit and that God would just show up in his life.

Prayer requests:

-For Ziweli and the other lifeguards, that God will continue to help us build relationships and get to know them and hopefully make there day less boring.

-For Jeffrey's. God breaks colors restrictions and that he will just work through the darkness the pain on both sides of the spectrum.

-For my team as we get ready to separate. That we won't lose focus on what God has called us to in the nest couple weeks and then our time at home. But that He will continue to reveal Himself to us.

-That God will give us a heart of compassion for the people here and also in Kenya as we prepare to go.

-Safety again, praise the Lord for protecting us and that He will give us discernment in that area.

- Praise Him! Praise for the work He's doing not only in Jeffrey's but all over.

-Clarity for the next step that He has for me.

I really want to thank you all again for praying and partnering with me. I feel so blessed to have home base and a family in all of you! I can't wait to see what God has for my team in Kenya and thank you so much for supporting us in this. Siyabonga (Zulu)! Or in Afrikaans you say Buie Dankie! (sp?) (which sounds like: Buy a donkey!) Both mean thank you or thank you very much.