Hello all! It has definitely been a while,
but I am finally in a city that has internet, yay!!! I’m sitting in a small
café in Capetown, South Africa – where I will be for the next month. J It’s beautiful here, the accents are a hoot, and I’m attempting to
learn Afrikaan – the local, really difficult language – I’ll let you know how
it goes.
We just took a 32 hr. train ride down from
Swaziland a couple of days ago – where we had been doing a 10 day mid-race
training seminar. Amid the overwhelming galore of things they’ve been teaching
us – the spiritual gifts have been a heavy part. Exploring what God has created
for us has been yet another adventure! During our time at the hospitals sitting
and praying with the AIDS patients and playing and drawing with the shanty town
kids I’ve seen Christ’s hand at work pointing out to me what I was meant to do
and how I was meant to do it utilizing the gifts he’s given me. I’m reading a
book called Imagine – yes another art book – and it presents some key questions
I’ve been wrestling with lately.
“How much of life is Christ to be Lord
over? Is he only interested in that part of life we think of as religious or
spiritual? Or is he interested in every facet of our live – body, soul, mind,
spirit?”
Sometimes I separate my art, like my life
from Christ – I’m a Christian – I’m an artist – but I don’t want to be called a
Christian artist. Of course I don’t – what kind of artist wants to have limits
put on them? A title given – defined. Ugh – defined!
But in reality I am a Christian artist –
I’m a person who loves to visually express life on paper, with color and lines
and designs. And life, my life, is filled up with Christ – it is Christ – my
life has been given to me by Christ. He has saved it, he has given it purpose, he
has given it direction, and he has given it gifts. I’ve learned recently that,
intercede imaginatively for others, to increase perseverance and dispense a
simple joy and peace that surpasses understanding.”
[Calvin
Seerveld]
“The artist must prophesy not in the sense
that he foretells things to come, but in the sense that he tells his audience,
at the risk of their displeasure, the secrets of their own hearts.” [
R.G. Collingwood]
And these truths have just recently been
illuminated for me. God has shown me visions for others that I’ve only been
able to explain on paper, through images and color, he’s made me experience
heartache, compassion, using other people’s sorrows, and Christ has opened my
eyes to how life is not about me, but that I am about life – I am life giving.
And by choosing to be a part of the mystery of God I am learning daily that I
have to draw heavily on His resources.
So this month my team of six will be here
in Capetown, South Africa exploring the wonders of God. I have no idea what we
will be doing – we’re not allowed to have an agenda this month – we only get to
take one day at a time – but I guess I only need a few footprints to follow
today – eventually they’ll lead me to all my tomorrows.
Please be praying for us:
My teammate Sarah Lapp had to go back home
– her mom was diagnosed with cancer you can read her blogs here: www.sarahlapp.theworldrace.org
Our Swazi hosts The Blacks are getting
kicked out of Swaziland – their visas are up and they won’t renew them – please
be praying for their family of eight. Their blog: http://garyblack.myadventures.org/
