This is the most beautiful place I have ever been. I almost know I will make that statement a few times on this mission but now all I can say is that I am blown away by how magnificent Cape Town is. I wish I could describe it to you dear readers. The sky is blue like a pearl that bleeds into the oceans like ink on parchment. The mountains frame the sky and ocean in an oval shape to eventuate the vast oceans. They ripple up to the sky to touch it and then dip down to the oceans to rest from an adventure. Everywhere I gaze there is a postcard in my eye sight.
From Here, I am staying with a host family that care for 2 other racers and I. They’re names are Claudina, Paul, and Rebecca. Claudina works at the school we are working at and is vehemently passionate about the children there. She speaks with wisdom and power that does not give you a choice on whether you will listen or not. You will listen and you will like what you have to hear. That said, we are like family. They are already making fun of me for the strange things I say. We are well fed, showered and loved. I wish I could describe the authentic presence that Paul and Claudina bring. One is fiery passionate and on has a quiet smolder. Both speak with a sense of authority from a profound experience with Papa in their lives.
Our Ministry is at a High School, working with the Physical Education teacher named Bradly Barnes. The way He looks at you is very genuine and full of love. It’s like He’s seeing beauty every time He looks at you. From His mouth speaks the presence of God. I’m surrounded by these mighty people and I cannot help by grow from their strength and cannot help but fix my gaze on Holy Spirit. Again, there is a common theme thinking that we came to minister to people but it turns out that we’re the ones being blessed. I am the one being poured into and I am the one being blessed by His presence here in Cape Town. My only wish is that His presence be known to them and that the students I interact with can see a transformed heart after Jesus.
We’re sharing and manifesting the gospel as we help run the sports classes. We help with anything from soccer games to human centipede to Olympic style games. Afterward we have been sharing what Holy Spirit has been laying on our hearts with them. We have free reign from the administration to do so. To be honest we’re seeing a lot of breakthrough simply by being there for them and being aware of God’s presence and what He wants to do. The teenagers are responding really well to what we have to say and really enjoy being around us. We’ve be able to connect really well and I’m looking forward to closer relationships with them.
The students are funny because they are very honest. They’ll say you’re strange, fat or plain weird. Most of them are like any teenager and looking for a place to call their own and a community to go with it. Even though they go to a private school, most of the students are still very poor and struggle with stories that should not ever be told. Although I’m having a great time getting to know the children. They seem to respond well to my goofiness and simple demeanor. I try to smile as much as I can because you never really know how much of it they experience where they come from.
What I hope and pray that our legacy leaves is a sense of goodness and hope. In future blogs I’ll be writing about specific learnings that have happened while I was at the school. There is so much that is happening and I wish I could really let you readers know all that is going on. I hope this gives you some clarity into my world. Please feel free to message me with questions.
Seth
