- When telling people in South Africa you are from the United
States, do NOT be surprised if they stop you mid-sentence and say, “OH! You’re
from the USA? Do you know a guy named Tom?” Simply reply with… “Uh, Tom? Yes,
yes I do. And sure, I will most definitely tell Barack you said hello”.
- As a missionary in South Africa travelling the public taxi
system, be prepared for a wide variety of musical tastes…when you hop in your
driver may be pumping anything from disco to rap to old school worship music.
And every taxi will have a huge sticker on their windshield that says something
like ‘Unpredictable’, or ‘Sexylicious’. Hold out for the more responsible
sounding taxis— I prefer the sticker to say something like ‘Sober’.
- As a good missionary in South Africa, you must be ready to do
anything asked of you at a moment’s notice. You may be asked to butter hundreds
of slices of bread or wash hundreds of people’s feet (just don’t get confused
and butter the people’s feet). Be ready to give your testimony on command…break
up a fight…paint someone’s face…even hold a baby or puppy that someone hands
you out of nowhere. (Maybe both!)
- When hosting an abstinence concert don’t be thrown off if the
director posts you in front of the bathroom with the instructions “Make sure
the teenagers don’t have sex in there”. You may find it ironic, but just go
with it.
- If you are riding the Sunday train and a very loud man stands up preaching
fire and brimstone, be sure to join in the fun by belting your rendition of ‘Nothing
But the Blood of Jesus’ at the top of your lungs. You may get some strange
looks, but don’t worry, it will be worth it for the memories.
Dear Friends and Family,
I wanted to let you know in advance that I will be taking the month of August for a rest from internet communication. For the second year in a row my church is using this month as a ‘Sabbath Rest’, to take a step back from the normal activities and hear God’s voice (a wonderful idea for any body of believers). Silence and solitude are definitely spiritual disciplines lost in today’s culture.
Just yesterday I read Psalm 46:10 which says, “Be still and know I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth“.
Last year I got the opportunity to preach to the church about ‘sabbath spoilers’… those things in our lives that keep us from really tuning into God’s Spirit. For me internet is one of those distractions, so I will be stepping away from it this month (all email, facebook, blogging, skype, etc). It is an idea that was suggested to me and I believe is of God…if you would like to join me in this challenge I welcome you and appreciate your continued prayers as I minister in Thailand!
