Surrounded by inflatable bouncy castles, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and birthday cake – sometimes you meet new contacts in the most unusual places! Remember Blessing, from our last blog? Her three children all have birthdays within the same week and we were graciously invited to join her for their joint birthday party, hosted on the hotel grounds where we have been camping. We, of course, obliged. (I mentioned there was cake, right?)
Moments through the party, one of my teammates struck up a conversation with some parents of the child-sized partygoers. Turns out, one of them was married to a pastor. Within moments, a meeting was set-up for the next morning.
Note to self: God is not bound by our circumstance. He is always ready to work. Are we ready to listen?
The Dutch Reformed Church is comprised of about 50 families, mostly from South Africa. Maun is a tourist driven town with close access to thriving safari destinations. Most of the South Africans that have moved to Maun have come here for work. When Peter and his family moved to Maun a few years ago, the Dutch Reformed Church was hurting. The sense of community was lost, racial issues caused a divide and people were aching. (Sound familiar, America?) Therefore, the majority of Peter’s ministry is relational, dealing with racial issues and meeting individual needs.
It only takes 30 seconds of knowing Peter to realize that he is divinely calm and gentle. The sense of calm he emanates is from God alone. Please join me in prayer for Peter, his family and the Dutch Reformed Church in Maun. Pray for continued restoration of the brokenness from years of hurt. Pray for the community to flourish. Pray for God to reign.
