Mankind was made in the garden. But ever since the fall of man, the world has been broken. In and through its brokenness mankind has searched hopelessly for that once garden. God's kingdom is that garden, growing flowers where flowers once blossomed. I saw those flowers this week. Flowers growing in the ghetto. This is God's kingdom coming to earth. This is God down the road.
This week we went into the one of the hardest, poorest places in the surrounding area of Cape Town, South Africa. We walked throughout the neighborhoods, prayed for people, talked to people, shared the Gospel, and brought kingdom wherever we went. It’s a simple and extremely beneficial ministry: walk around and make disciples. It’s breath-taking, like an ocean sunset in Guatemala or the mountains of Kenya. It’s so simple, like writing your name on a piece of paper. One of the biggest excuses people give me when it comes to this thing we call “evangelism” is fear. Fear that we won’t be taken seriously, fear what people may think, and fear with what to say. Fear leads us away from the truth and action and leads us to paralysis. But be encouraged; God hasn't given us a spirit of fear. Simply walking down the streets here in Cape Town has been some of the most fruitful, fun, and unforgettable moments of my World Race journey. Here are the top 5 moments of this past week and how God used us, and I pray that it would help motivate you to get out of your comfortable home and into the uncomfortable that is God’s kingdom:
1) Jennifer
The first day we began our ministry of walking down the roads of the neighborhood, Noah and I stumbled upon a mechanic shop. Mechanic shops aren’t like those back home. It’s not Tire Kingdom, but God’s kingdom; a small house where a gentleman has opened his garage and made it into a car shop. Using the little tools he has, he helps fix his neighbors cars, which as you may realize isn’t much because no one can afford cars. But he strives to make some money for his wife, who is sick. Noah and I ask “What is her name so we can pray for her?” He responds “Jennifer.” We ask to pray for her at that moment. The usual situation would be to gather together and pray. But he enthusiastically says “Can you please visit her?” We respond “Of course!” I’ve come to realize that most of the time God doesn’t answer prayers by sending some invisible miracle; He sends His Church, us, to be that miracle. When the Jews were in Egypt, the greatest miracle isn’t when Moses parted the Red Sea; it was the fact that Moses was sent there in the first place. You may be on the outside of someone’s circumstances looking in, asking for God to show up. But it just may be that God is sending you to go into someone’s circumstances and be that miracle they are looking for. And so, with our team rallied together, we went to visit Jennifer. We got to pray for her. We got to pray blessing to her daughter, who is due in 3 months. We got to pray a blessing over their marriage of 2 years. We got to pray a blessing over the house. And Jennifer got to feel the presence and love of God through us as she thanked the Lord that loves her so much, He sent a couple of people across the world, through 11 months, just so that in this moment we could come alongside her and pray for her. That is the love of God. That is His kingdom come. And that can happen in your neighborhood, if you would simply open your front door and go.
2) Prince
Children. There’s just something about children that I love so much. It might be their smile. It may be their laugh. It may be their energy. But more then likely, it’s their example of how we all are in the eyes of God; children. One of the biggest blessings I’ve had on this journey is the blessing to be able to bless children across the world. And South Africa has been a beautiful ending to my journey of loving on kids. One particular kid has been a blessing to me and my team. His name; Prince. He showed up on the first day out of nowhere. He, with his blue rain boots and hand-me-down, ruined, dirty sweater, came to our team with the curiosity of a kitten as it looks at its own reflection. He came asking what we were doing, who we were, where we came from, and can he get any money. We began to talk to him about whom we are and who Jesus was. And like a sponge soaking up water, he began to drench his imagination. He would ask question after question: “Who is Jesus?” “What does Jesus look like?” “What is heaven?” “What will heaven look like?” “What happens when we die?” “What is prayer?” “How do you pray?” “Why can’t I hear God?”
Here is a 5 year old boy, with his mind set to answer every single life-puzzling, he pursued the truth in ways that reminded me how I use to question life when I was 16 years old, or friends I have back home who questions the things of life right now in their 20’s and 30’s, or like how men of old at their deathbed whisper to themselves all of those things they never got the answer to despite a life of searching and seeking. He became a great friend to all of us, and by the end of the week he was huddling with us at every prayer, thanking God at any moment, and enjoying life and enjoying it abundantly.
3) Culalie
There was one particular road we would travel down. There were hotspots of God’s movement. We planted seeds the first couple of days at these hotspots, and did follow-ups the rest of the week. Wherever the Lord led, we would go. If we didn’t feel anything but someone else did, we would intercede for them. Noah and Jason were talking to people. I was sitting on the sidewalk praying for them and their conversations, petting a stray dog. I like pretending I’m St. Francis of Assisi. I talk to the stray dogs about Jesus. At one point I had 6 dogs following me down the road, tails wagging, tongue out. Yeah, I know, kinda weird. But there’s a little of Charismatic weirdness in this Reformed heart. I was praying for the guys when I noticed some street soccer going on a little ways down the road. I decided to go and checkout the talent. South Africa has some of the best soccer players I’ve seen. Kids, teens, young adults, playing the world’s most popular sport on the hot concrete of parking lots, in between houses, in the streets, and in the fields. Soccer balls brand new or made out of tape and pig skin (not like an American football, but straight from the butchery), it doesn’t matter; they are into their soccer. I sat on the curb of the road, watching them play. “Hello.” “Come over and sit with me.” A young guy was yelling across the road. Dodging the soccer ball and players, I ran over and greeted him. “My name is Jake.” “My name is Culalie. You’re not from here, are you?” When someone asks you what you are doing here, it’s like a lottery ticket won by the homeless man who happen to accidently find a $5.00 bill (or in South Africa, a $500.00 Rand bill) on the floor on the way to the gas station of which he bought the winning ticket: in other words, it’s easy to witness to them. I told him about the adventure God has sent me on this past year. Telling people about our trip here in South Africa is bittersweet, because as you tell them about what God has done in and through you this year, it’s a summary of your year. You realize all that you’ve been through, and that you’re almost done. I’m almost done. Within two weeks, I’ll be done and heading home… It’s a bittersweet time for me. With tears rolling down my face at the thought of what God has done this year, Culalie begins to smile. “It’s truly amazing how God moves. I want that in my life.” I tell him that I’m simply a nobody that Somebody has decided to use to tell anybody about Him. He asks if I could pray for him. In this ghetto, as soon as you’re old enough to think for yourself, you fall into drugs, bad habits, drop out of school, and live in the government run projects. But not him. He’s in his last year of college, wanting to be in law enforcement to bring justice to his community and protect the young people from falling into the same traps that he’s seen his friends fall into. It was inspiring to see such a beautiful rose grow in the ashes of the poor community. Flowers do grow in the ghetto. I prayed for him and continued to hangout with him throughout the week, pouring into him. At the end of the week I gave him his very own Bible to read throughout his last school year. “I’ll read it every time I have a day off and free time in between classes.” We shook hands, hugged one another, and said our goodbyes. I pray for him every day now. Please pray for him too.
4) Muslims
Ramadan is upon us. This month, as part of their 5 pillars of Islam, Muslims fast from food in between sunrise and sunset. Why would a God command that, who knows? It’s as if Allah falls asleep during sunset and wakes up at sunrise, and Muslims have to be on their best behavior during that time. But that’s beside the point. What really matters in this story is that the two particular Muslims we met at the local corner store they own were in for an awakening when they met Noah. Abu and Mohamed were their names. The first day we met them I was buying a Monster Energy Drink (my new kind of coffee) when Noah started a conversation with Abu. We’ve had plenty of practice when sharing life with Muslims during our time in Malaysia. Noah began with casual talk; what’s your name, where are you from, what do you do for a living, what do you like to do in your free time, etc. Getting connected is always the first key. Then Noah asked about his spiritual journey. He said he was a Muslim. “I like my religion” he said. But the more he began talking about what that religion was, the more it was obvious that it was more of identity then intentionality. Doesn’t read the Quran often, wasn’t even sure when Ramadan started, doesn’t do Alms giving; it became another testimony of the majority of supposed Muslims: the fact that Islam isn’t so much a spiritual attempt to reach God but more of an identity, cultural, norm like Americans saying the Pledge of Allegiance. But as Noah diligently went to his store and talked to Abu day after day, the words Noah said seeped into Abu’s heart like water spurting through a leaky faucet. The last day before we departed from the neighborhood, Noah went back one last time to give Abu his very own Bible to read. Unfortunately Abu wasn’t there. So Noah went to Mohammed, whom he didn’t really talk to, and asked him to give Abu his Bible. “Yes, I’ll give it to him”, caressing the new, crisp pages. “Wait! Could you give me a copy?” “Of course! I pray you read it and find the Truth within its pages.” On Monday, devout Muslims, inconsiderate of the Christian faith. On Friday, curious kids seeking the truth found in Christ Jesus.
5) Abdulou
The ending of the Race isn’t the end of the Race. Your journey doesn’t end when you leave the mission field, whether that’s South Africa, the workplace, the kitchen, or the grocery store. Rather, you’re always on the mission field until your journey ends with you being called to heaven. So instead of finishing fast, finish well. I took that to heart on the last day and asked the Lord to continue open doors for connections, community, and conversions. Jason was following up with someone he had been ministering for the week when a 13 year old boy just so happened to cross my path. “Hello.” “Hi.” “How are you?” “I’m fine. What are you doing here?” “My friends and I have been walking throughout the neighborhood this week praying for people, telling them about Jesus, and sharing His love with others.” “Wow. That is so cool. I love Jesus and asked Him to be my Savior and want to do His work too. Can I join you?” “Of course!”
What proceeded was a day of discipling Abdulou and teaching him how to follow the Spirit, how to tell people about Jesus, and how to pray for people. It was so much fun walking around with him, and him telling kids his age about Jesus. I pictured, imagined myself being Paul and him being Timothy. Dual team preaching the King of kings. It was really awesome to mentor him and share life with him. Already in high school, he was one of the top kids in his class, aspiring to be a Gospel singer and help his family. The end of the day we found ourselves at a hospice, singing worship songs and encouraging the elderly about Jesus. He sang for them one of his favorite Gospel songs. A kid I bumped into on a corner, to now a fellow brother sharing God’s love and kingdom. After the last ministry we said goodbye and he rolled away on the skateboard I bought him earlier that afternoon. He’s now connected with my contact Bradley and has a promising future being discipled by him and continually being sent to minister to his neighborhood I got the privilege of ministering to this week. These are just 5 moments of countless life changing encounters me and the team shared with a neighborhood in South Africa.
God said to love your neighbor. There are massive implications with this command.
Go to your neighbor. Go next door. G to your sub-division. Go to the people you’ve been living next to for years and yet have never invited to your Church or shared with them this supposed life-altering, eternally significant faith you have. Go to the struggling single mom. Go to the little kid who plays in the street. Go outside your front door and begin to minister to the people you have been called to, and watch God bring His kingdom like He promised He would.
Go and make disciples.
