Picture This...

Picture this:
A young man about 17 or 18 years old is standing on a small stage in front of you. He has long hair that is pulled back into pig tails. His pants are way too big for him and they are sitting pretty low on his waist, and his huge t-shirt swallows him. Below his left eye is a scar from where his little brother threw a rock at him last week. His eyes are closed as he sings, “You are all this heart is living for, Jesus!” His name is Themba. Next to him is another young man from the Democratic Republic of Congo whose life used to be controlled completely by his anger. His eyes are also closed in worship. Beside him is a 13 year old boy as timid as he can be to be in front of people along with a young woman and her older brother who plays the piano. Behind them sits another young woman who can play just about any song you could ask for on the guitar. This group spent two hours the previous night, a school night, practicing for this event. All around you are people from many different languages and cultures from all over the world. They are all youth or young adults. Look to your right. There is a young Indian boy with his head bowed in prayer. In front of you, a young black woman has her hands raised in praise, but keep watching her – later she will fall to her knees with her face on the floor in humility before her King. Now look to your left. There are more young boys with their heads down worshipping their Maker. In the front corner is another woman with her eyes closed as she sings along. There is a huge smile on her face. This is what she has given her life to. She left the country so familiar to her where she grew up in order to serve her Father. Her new home is across the ocean and has been for many years, and she hates even to leave it for a few weeks to go to her first home, but she knows that she has to. This is how I spend my Friday nights at Lyndhurst Baptist Church along with about 60 other youth and young adults. These people give up their Friday nights after a long week at school to come together and worship the Lord. The worship team is not one that many would expect to find in the states, but they are incredible and truly lead the group into worship. They even give up a school night once a week to practice for a couple hours. So as you eat lunch on Fridays, think about this youth group. Pray that it would continue to grow. Pray that Themba’s group that he started at his school will continue to be dedicated to meeting with one another. Pray that those who are coming who do not know our Father will find Him. Pray that those who do believe will be able to stand firm in the face of persecution and attacks by the enemy. There are many who have recently committed their lives to Christ. If you would like to commit to praying for any of these specifically, please let me know.
I have another picture for you:
You have just driven past about 5 million people and are now in a more rural area. You have picked up a man who working to complete a seminary degree which he started while he was being held in jail for a crime he did not commit. Now you turn off the small two lane road onto a dirt trail. Your supervisor has told you that you are going to see the church that he and this other man have planted in an informal township with a name that translates into English as “Problems.” The informal townships have no electricity and no running water. You drive past many shacks made out of corrugated tin, large cinderblocks, and various other signs and materials. You finally pull up to another shack about the size of a dorm room or two. Inside there are two loving women who run a day care in the church for small children. They have deliberately chosen this life for themselves. There are about 20 kids inside from babies to 5 or 6 year olds. One of the youngest begins to cry and a girl about 4 years old comes over to comfort her and wipe away her tears with her own shirt. The rest of the kids are quiet and well behaved, and if one begins to cry, the women pick him or her up and tie them to her back where the child quickly falls asleep. While you sit inside and hold the children and play with their toys, the boys head out to finish building the church bathroom – four small walls around a hole in the ground. This will redefine your definition of church. Please pray for the women who care for these children and for the children that they will grow up healthy and in the love of Christ. Pray for Alfred the pastor that he will be able to continue to minister to the people and that he will be able to finish his degree. Pray for the church, Vision Baptist Church, that it will continue to grow and that God will continue to work in it and through it.
More side notes:
If you tell someone to turn at the next robot, it means turn at the next traffic light.
Bags are not free at the grocery store. They are 30 cents. Take your own.
If you say, “I’ll see you just now,” it means, “I’ll see you later.”
Our trash can is a rubbish bin with the words “Piki Tup” written on the side of it.
People push shopping carts through the mall because that is where the grocery stores are and no one seems to mind. They even take them into the restaurants in the mall and park them next to their table!
I am allergic to South Africa.