I’m having difficulty grasping my mind around Cape Town, South Africa. We’ve traveled through many different parts of this area and I can’t fully put my finger on what Cape Town is all about.
The first thing I think of when I hear of the city Cape Town is beauty. The gorgeous beaches, the amazing surfing, the beautiful vineyards, the majestic mountains, the cute penguins. How much beauty can God throw into a place? Cape Town is a place I would love to vacation at. Around every bend and turn you see something new.
While passing through this beauty on the streets I am shocked to turn the corner. Desolation. Despair. Filth. Townships filled with shacks and children just roaming the streets with hardly any clothes on their backs. How can a country with such beauty and tourism have such poverty and hunger?
I can’t grasp my mind around it and I don’t know if I will ever be able to understand. What I do know is this… God loves them. God sees them. He hears them. He has a plan for them. I may not understand why or what He is doing, but I can find comfort in knowing that I am a part of His plan. The good work that God is doing in Cape Town I am a part of. How cool is that?
While here in Cape Town we are working with two ministries called New Chapter Foundation and Zion Ministries. Our contacts Malcolm and Julie are living examples of how you can make a difference in such confusion.
Malcolm’s New Chapter Foundation is going into impoverished townships daily and leading after school programs for children who have nowhere to go for help with their studies. It’s a place where kids in the community can build relationships, learn about Jesus, and ultimately have fun in a safe environment. Malcolm establishes teams to go out into the communities and pray for people who have no other hope, but to rely on Jesus. Because of him churches are being built, prayers are being answered, and Jesus’ name is being lifted high.
Julie’s Zion Ministries is also working as an after school program, but with computer programs. She works with children in grades 5 and 6 and uses computer games to help them learn English and strengthen their knowledge in sentence structure. After her sessions are through she does a short message with the kids from the Bible, prays with them, and gives them food to travel home with. Her love and compassion for these children is so extraordinary and she sets an amazing example for the other teachers that assist her.
When I see people like Malcolm and Julie I am reassured that God does have a plan for Cape Town. There is a reason and a purpose that he made it to be so different and unique. Understanding what that plan is is not the goal, but trusting, taking action, and loving is.
