So this UHC thing has officially begun. And here we are, in South Africa, on the hunt for unsung heroes.
We all play different roles within the campaign. Me, blogger and social media guru. (There goes my African Facebook fast.) Abby, event planner. Molly, project manager. Jesse, ministry contact point-person. Jan, database administrator. And Kyle, videographer.
When Kyle stuck a camera in my face yesterday and asked me which aspect of UHC I'm most excited about, it hit me—the reality of what we’re doing here.
My answer was something along the lines of, “I’m most excited about raising awareness. The missionary life is a hard one. There are people out here running ministries and giving selflessly 100% of the time… and they don’t ask for anything in return. I’m excited to meet them, to talk with them, to hear their stories, and to tell the rest of the world about them through writing.”
According to Adventures, unsung heroes “may not be in history books, their acts unknown to the rest of the world. But while unrecognized, they shake a generation and move a culture, and ultimately build the Kingdom. They are men and women who are working with the poorest populations in the world and meeting their needs. Their love of God is what motivates them. They never receive recognition for their good deeds. They have little but give much. They spend their lives being the hands and feet of Jesus.”
Unsung heroes are Joca and Stephany in Peru. Joca has dedicated his life to the male youth in Trujillo, a city overrun by gang violence. Stephany has dedicated hers to 50 families living in the garbage dump.
An unsung hero is Anita in Ecuador. Anita is a 29-year old single mother who, for nine years, has given every Saturday morning to minister to street children. Kids pile into her backyard to play, do crafts, and learn about Jesus.
Unsung heroes are Vio and Mihai in Romania. Vio quit a well-paying job to become a pastor. He raises his family on $200 a month and is committed to spreading the Gospel in his country. Mihai works two jobs, attends seminary, is building a house, is raising a family, and volunteers his extra time to the Kingdom. In April, he prayed for a week off from work, and God gave it to him. Instead of working on his own house, he spent 10-12 hours a day building a camp for youth and family ministry.
Unsung heroes are Rodolfo in Chincha and Efrén and Teddy in Quito. These men are obedient to God’s call. They dedicate their time to leading and planting churches in South America. And they do it with incredible enthusiasm and joy. All of them. It’s quite remarkable, actually.
So we’re here, in South Africa, to meet more of those people. We’re here to help them connect with Adventures. And we’re here to help them expand the work of the Kingdom—work that brings hope, work that brings a future, work that prevents crime, work that spreads the Gospel, work that shares the love of Christ.
We’re not here to glorify unsung heroes. Through ministry partnership and storytelling, we're here to come alongside them and glorify the God they’re serving.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way
we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
–Acts 20:35
If you know of any unsung heroes in South Africa, preferably in the Cape Town area, please email me at [email protected]. You can also "like" our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/UHCSouthAfrica.
Peace,
Julie
