spiritually dark area of Coffee Bay, South Africa. The people in this Eastern
coastal village speak Xosa (a clicking language). I can’t even roll my ‘R’s so
clicking is pretty much out of the question for me. Besides the obvious language barrier, there is
an even bigger cultural barrier. This community is very in tune with idea of higher powers. They believe medicine doctors and animal sacrifices are necessary to
reach the spiritual realm.
difference between their gods and our God who sent Jesus Christ to take the place of sacrificial practice
and any ‘mediators’. My teams purpose here in Coffee Bay is to stress to the youth that they can have a personal relationship with God. They’ve most likely already been exposed to Him.. We just want to solidify, guide, and further their faith so that they can break the generational darkness placed upon this area.
best way to gather and influence kids? … Sports!
children are being given the opportunity to participate in SURF CAMP!
We ran a surf
and soccer camp every weekday for three weeks. To be honest, I had some
days where I felt like my time here was pointless. Besides giving children the
opportunity to get on a surfboard, which they would otherwise never have had, It
was hard for me to see past the obvious barriers of connecting with this youth. We would run thought out Bible studies and skits… as the kids laughed and built sand castles in their own little worlds. No doubt it was
fun, but I felt like we were making zero impact.
WRONG.
We baptized 25
kids the other day. They did not appear receptive to the bible studies that we
ran at the time, but they WERE listening and WERE receptive. The Xosa speaking teachers
came up to us and told us that the kids are requesting to pray in school… and
want to get Bibles. We DID have an impact on the kids… Maybe not in the words
we spoke to them in an organized setting, but by our love and kindness towards
them… (and humor of course)
This is just the
beginning of huge things starting to happen along these coastal villages of South Africa…
The youth knows there’s something else out there for them other than
drugs, superstition, and witchcraft… They are eager, and it is so important that
people keep coming here to rise up more Christ followers as we were able to
witness this month.
It’s Amazing
what can be accomplished when your obedient to God’s voice… no matter how much
it may seem like your getting nowhere, he has a plan… And He ALWAYS wants to
use us to draw people closer to Him… So let him =)
