I had an incredible month two in South Africa! Because it was such a good month, that makes it even more difficult to summarize everything that happened into a semi-short, readable blog post.
But I thought my method from last month worked pretty well, so this month I’m going to do a series of SA Recaps. SA is a nickname for South Africa.
This one is about the ministry we did in SA. It's kind of long so bear with me. Be sure to check out my previous blog about daily life in South Africa!
I spent month two of my race in Pretoria, South Africa at POP UP, a holistic people upliftment organization. POP UP’s main function is providing skills to underprivileged members of the surrounding communities. POP UP has several different locations in Pretoria, but our teams were based at the one in the center of the city. Students pay about 50 Rand or $6 to come study at POP UP, where they go through basic English and Math training, life skills training, their individual skill training, and spiritual training called Continuous Personal Restoration (CPR). In addition to that, POP UP offers a day care center called POP KIDS, various medical care clinics including POP MED, POP DENT, and POP EYE, and they feed their learners a large lunch every day. POP UP also provides a soup kitchen for community members not enrolled in POP UP, and provides its learners with food parcels and access to a clothing closet.
One thing I loved about POP UP is that it does not simply provide handouts, but it actually empowers people to have responsibility for their own future. Learners are responsible for their own transportation costs, and must maintain good attendance and class performance in order to continue in their skill. Leaners can choose a skill like hospitality, home based care, computer and business administration, and sewing in order to help them get a job and lift them out of the poverty that often has plagued their families for generations. And the most empowering part of it all is that many learners come to know Christ at POP UP and gain understanding about how God cares for them and has good plans for their lives.
The two World Race teams at POP UP were spread out between the various departments of POP UP. Four girls taught at POP KIDS, one guy worked in the medical clinics, two people helped grade papers for the math and English courses, two racers were in the kitchen, and one girl helped in the sewing class. And lastly, two other girls and I were a part of the ministry/counseling team for the month.
In all of our roles, we offered support and help to the permanent staff and volunteers at POP UP who work relentlessly for the benefit of the learners. We prayed for them, lifted them up, and allowed them to have some relief from the work they do year-round. In our one short month there, we built relationships with many of the staff, as well as the students at POP UP.
In addition to our daily work at POP UP, we also had the opportunity to visit the children’s ward of a local hospital and spend time praying for the children and their mothers. For a story about that, check out my team mate Lynette’s blog: http://lynettealegria.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-demon-possessed-boy
We also spent several days simply going out into Pretoria to do street ministry and evangelism, and we saw many fruitful conversations come from that.
That’s the basic overview of what we did this month, but if you’re interested I’ve listed more specifics of the ministry I personally got to do, please read below:
1. Typically, each week day, me and my fellow ministry team racers, April Kenton and Emily Kutz, either helped with or taught the Continuous Personal Restoration (CPR) class to all of the learners. In these classes, we went through the basics of Christianity, explaining who Jesus is, who God the Father is, and explaining the Holy Spirit. We discussed things like the importance of the Bible, how to pick a Church, and the purpose God has for each one of us. Basically, these classes just gave us a direct platform to speak truth into the lives of the men and women learning at POP UP and equip them to grow in their relationships with God. We often got to answer their questions pertaining to certain subjects and help them better understand who God is.
2. Similarly, we also helped the ministry team teach a week’s worth of life skills classes at one of the other POP UP locations. The ministry team taught about things like purpose and emotional healing, and I had the opportunity to add to the lessons and get to know the learners. We also administered their test to them, and when some of them didn’t pass, God gave me an incredible opportunity to speak life into them.
3. For most of the month, Emily, April and I also had the chance to spend our lunch times meeting one-on-one with the learners. We got to ask them questions, hear their stories, and build relationships with them. Literally every time I met with these ladies, we either encouraged each other or I got to speak life and truth into them and pray for their situations. I know that these one-on-one meetings were pivotal in the Kingdom, and I am so thankful that God could use me in this way.
4. One of the most stand out moments of this month’s ministry for me was being called into a counseling session for a young man who was on the verge of committing suicide. He came to POP UP completely hopeless and longing for a listening ear. Several other racers and I gathered around him for hours and just listened, and then we prayed for him. When I prayed for him, I prayed that God would take some of the hope and faith that I had and literally give it to him. And I am not kidding when I say that I felt power leave me in that moment. More than a week later, this young man came back and reported that his situation had improved. I could see a real change in his countenance, and I know that God is doing an incredible work in his life.
5. One day during the month, the ministry team set aside a time for the learners to come for prayer and any ministry. During this time, I had some incredible chats with a few ladies. And I got to lead one lady to the Lord! The day before I had prayed that God would allow me to be an instrument of His salvation, and the very next day I led another lady as she accepted Christ! AMAZING. Apart from that one instance, we saw many people come to know Christ as savior during the month as a result of conversations with people on our team!
6. And lastly, as I mentioned briefly above, God used me, Emily, and April to minister to and bless our supervisors, POP UP staff on the ministry and counseling team. I got to clean and organize one of our supervisor’s office, which was a huge blessing to here. And we spent many times praying for these women regarding the things in their personal lives. It was beautiful to see how they let us into their lives and how God used us to pour out His blessings on these women who are constantly pouring out into others. (Elmien and Vasti – I LOVE YOU!)
Obviously, that’s just a brief glimpse into the things God did through our World Race teams this month. And I just am so thankful for the time I spent at POP UP because as much as God used me, He also used POP UP to bless me and teach me more about Him.
I praise God for all that He did this past month, and I am excited for what He will do in Manzini, Swaziland for month three!
