MINISTRY IN CAPE TOWN
So, you might be wondering what it is I’ve actually been doing here in Cape Town. I’ll start with a little background: The township of Retreat (where we’re staying) has many problems with poverty, gangs, violence, drugs, and the like. Broken families are the norm, and children are often left to do as they please, adding to the aforementioned issues. Our ministry host, John, has a passion for the people of this town and does just about everything he can to make a positive difference here, especially in the lives of the town’s youth. We’ve been partnering with him in that.
The majority of our ministry this month has been in local schools. They are public schools, but we have been going great into classrooms and sharing the love of God with these students. In high schools, we mostly talked to the students about their identity in Christ, and how the choices they make shouldn’t be based on society’s standards. We played games with them, and used some object lessons to explain about our identity and choices. We all shared our testimonies, and even got one class of teenagers to sing a children’s song with us. I think my favorite part was talking about how each of us is made with a unique set of gifts, talents and passions, and that no one can take that away. As a silly example, I showed them that I have double jointed elbows that overextend pretty far. The kids shouted, cringed (and sometimes swore) in shock every time without fail. All of this was a great reminder that even though most of these students have been exposed to and are doing some very adult things, they still just want to be kids. We’ve also spoken to primary classes.
In the evenings, we sometimes went to a local convalescent home to just hang out and love on the residents. Most of them were so excited to see us, and many had more than a few grand adventures to tell of their life in years past. Mostly, they just needed someone to listen. It’s the same as in the states. Something happens, and they are just dropped in a care facility and forgotten about. It’s heartbreaking.
Lastly, we went door-knocking around the neighborhoods of Retreat. Pretty much everyone has heard the gospel in some form or another, so it was a good opportunity just to encourage and pray for people, as they were very open to it. I went to a house with a couple of YWAMers, and we were able to pray with a Muslim family for employment for their daughter. Everyone is inviting, and just about everyone I had the chance to talked to asked us to pray for a job for them.
Doing ministry here has been uncomfortable pretty much all the time, just because it’s a new place, with language and cultural barriers, and that it’s not stuff that I’m used to doing. I never thought I would eventually get comfortable (ish) sharing my testimony with a bunch of rowdy high-schoolers, but that happened. I dint think I’d be okay with helping my team lead a whole church service, but that happened yesterday. God has been growing and stretching me in ways I never would have expected, and it’s been quite the ride.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey so far!
