Saturday, February 27, 2010

An afternoon in Kabokweni

Every Monday for our community outreach, we load up 18 people or so into a 12-passenger van and drive down the road to a community called Kabokweni.

One of the students in our class, Pinkie, is from Kabokweni and learned about YWAM from volunteering at the feeding program hosted by Ten Thousand Homes 5 times/week. Pinkie was orphaned at the age of 15 and raised her little sister, Whitney. Pinkie is now 21 and an absolute joy to know- never a dull moment with that girl around!

Every week, hundreds of meals are served to orphans and vulnerable children from the home of an incredibly compassionate and servant-hearted community member, Ms. Elisabeth. She saw a need and started meeting it. She gives and gives and gives, even when she's not receiving. I hope to write you more of her story later.

For now, I wanted to give you a glimpse of the beauty of Kabokweni. Pinkie took us on a walk through her life. I hope you can see God's beauty through these pictures as clearly as we can see it there!

Welcome to Kabokweni!
The sky in Africa is always, always breathtaking.


Before they eat, the kids sing, dance and pray together. Check out these moves! And this joy!

Michael serving out the pap to a line full of hungry kids.

This is the view of the back of Ms. Elisabeth's house where the kids line up to wait for their food. Behind her house, there's a small church as well as an ongoing construction project for a community care center being built by Ten Thousand Homes.

Cleaning up after meals.

A place to worhship.
The Kabokweni Church behind Ms. Elisabeth's.

Inside church. (This place turns into the hot spot once the kids get their plates.)

Some of the precious boys coming in to get a hot meal after school.

A YWAM team from Switzerland came to Ten Thousand Homes for their outreach. They are working on the community care center behind Ms. Elisabeth's.

Me and my sister Pinkie walking around Kabo with an inflatable mic. (I don't care where you are in the world, microphones make people come alive.)

Lucy's house. Lucy is a volunteer at the feeding program. Ten Thousand Homes built this house for her and her 3 children.


This is where Lucy lived before.

Here's a video of Pinkie giving us a tour of Lucy's house. Enjoy the show!

I hope it helps to have a picture of what one of the communities looks like. Everyone I've met you from Kabokweni is incredibly welcoming and loving. I hope you can meet them someday soon! Love you!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Get Wasted

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Mark 14:4-9
It feels like we’ve been busy here lately. We have been doing community outreach, participating in feeding programs and ministry opportunities for orphans and vulnerable children, three times a week. We also have weekly small groups and one-on-one meetings, daily lecture and work duties, as well as making a conscious effort to overcome cultural differences, language barriers and any other surprises that come our way as we are still striving to become a family of 15 rather than roommates or classmates. This week was also my first time to spend my afternoon off (Tuesday) down the road at Iris Ministries working one-on-one with a couple of abused children, giving them positive attention and a space to feel perfectly safe and perfectly loved. (Yes, I loved every single minute of that. Hopefully I will have some good stories to share soon!)

I always seem to find ways to fill up my schedule – even when I’m in Africa! I pack my days with people and activities that I love.

In lecture this week, we talked about passion and value. Whatever we value, we will pursue. When I think about the things I fill my life with and the thoughts I pursue, they seem, for the most part, ok. I think I make my mom proud, and I have an incredible church and community supporting me from back home. Couldn’t be too bad, right? But, in thinking and praying and pressing in harder this week, I’ve been thinking about what I’m really pursuing.

The story of the alabaster jar in Mark 14 (above) is about a woman who comes to Jesus and pours what is probably her most valuable possession onto Jesus. It was worth a year’s wages! Everyone around her yelled at her and said she was wasting the treasure that could have been used for something useful… something productive… something fruitful. The poor could have had a hot meal, for Pete’s sake!

Just like Jesus did for the critics 2,000 years ago, He gave me a reality check this week.

God said, “Kacy, YOU are my most treasured possession. Better than a year’s wages, you are worth more than anyone could measure. It’s not about what you can produce or how many good things you can fit into your day… believe it or not, it’s not even about how many vulnerable children you impact.”

He wants us to waste ourselves, all the passions He’s given us and all the time that we have in our day, on Him. To pour all of us into Him.

Waste me on you, Jesus. Pour all of me – all of this treasure or alabaster jar you created in me – onto Who You Are. To honor you, to be near to you, and to prepare to raise you up.
I was challenged with the idea in class this week that the best thing you can do for the orphans is to know the orphan in you. Then you can touch them with the touch of God.

Join me in praying that we all waste ourselves on Christ. How much more good would come out of starting there as we plan missions, ministries, giving?

Please pray with me that I am here, and as you are here with me through prayer and support, as missionaries who seek to be completely wasted for Jesus first so that His touch, His grace and His healing will impact – and end – the orphan crisis in Africa.

Jesus waste all of me on you so that...
...my touch will be Your touch.

...my joy will be Your joy.

...my story will be Your story.
 
...my love will be Your love.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Thank you, Jesus, for being the Ultimate example of love so that we can celebrate love in one another.
May you be FILLED with love today!


I prayed for a cool day after several unbearably hot ones!


Friday, February 12, 2010

And Now Introducing...

I love to worship. We were designed to worship.
 Every single one of us.

We don’t always think of it that way, but it’s obvious that we are compelled to be part of something bigger than ourselves, something beautiful and something powerful by the way we join in cheering for our favorite team, by the way we feel such energy at a concert and by the way we get swept away by emotions as a relationship begins. (Happy Valentine’s Day, by the way!)

I am always excited about Monday and Friday mornings, our designated “worship times”, and about Sunday evenings, our designated “community nights” here. (Sunday night being dubbed Taco Night also adds to my excitement.) I love these times because they are infused with such creativity and openness to ways to worship. Our leader, Rich, said today, “We need to be concentrating on the wine, not the wine skins we’re used to.”

One of my very first blogs when I got here, “God Loves to Play”, was about looking at the relational aspect of worship. Through our times of community worship, as we’ve gotten to know one another, we’ve been progressing to “touch” or intimacy with God, first by playing, then by remembering, discussing His character…

Today we watched a video clip of Steve Harvey performing in a comedy venue. Instead of comedy, however, he used his time to share with a huge audience how he would introduce Jesus. It only took 3 minutes, but the audience simply could not stay in their seats. They immediately jumped to their feet in worship.

When you introduce a person, you typically give more information than their name – who they are, what they do, or how they’ve impacted your life. God created us to worship – His only need is to be needed by us. He is so delighted in our praise. Think about how you smile or puff up your chest a little when you get introduced as “my best friend”, “the best player on the team”, or “the love of my life”. It makes you feel good. It makes you say, “Yeah! That’s who I am.”

God does the same thing. He Is Who He says He Is. He already knows it and doesn’t need us to tell Him. But He wants us to. And he must be bowing out His chest and rejoicing, “YEAH! THAT’S WHO I AM!” when we call out to Him in worship.

Our lives are to designed to be worship. Not just Monday and Friday mornings for me and Sunday mornings for you. Even the times when I’m eating pap and beans, haven’t had a moment to myself in weeks and have been sweating for the last 18 hours straight (that is actually true). When you’re running late for work, when you don’t know what to do with your life, or when you are completely exhausted from the meetings and appointments…. It’s all designed to be worship.

Our lives are designed to introduce Jesus.


This means that your life is more sacred and unordinary than you’ve ever realized.

Here’s Steve Harvey’s introduction:





Today we were asked to write our own introduction for Jesus.

Here’s the introduction I wrote:

It is an undeserved thrill to introduce the Son of Man, the King of Kings, the Alpha and the Omega…
The One who moves mountains, walks on water, raises from the dead…
The One who can speak in the gentlest breeze or in the raging blaze of a fire.
The One who IS Home…
The One who is making a place for you and every widow and every orphan…
The One who died so that you could have life.
The One who KNOWS you and LOVES you.
Who wouldn’t fall before the Son of God, the Prince of Peace?
Who wouldn’t dance before the One who dwells in every open heart?
Who wouldn’t want to know and love our Jesus?
As we took turns reading our introductions, I was completely overwhelmed by the power and love of Christ. I was compelled to worship. I had no choice but to worship.

God spoke to me in that moment:

SAY My Name. LIVE My Name, but SAY My Name.

Our lives are designed to be an introduction to Jesus. Say His Name.

I encourage you to practice this type of worship. You will be amazed as you read your introductions with power that you can’t help but worship. Try it in life groups, in 8:59, at community dinner or with your families at home. And then let me know how it was for you!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Ramblings from an African Recluse

I’m hiding out tonight.

An idea of what it means to hide out in Africa:
1. Sneak away from dinner to go lay down while the room is empty
2. Get asked (very thoughtfully and genuinely) if I’m ok by 4 different people.
3. Start sweating as windows are closed for the night and room fills up with people.
4. Get called out of bed for a meeting to prepare for class tomorrow.
5. Sneak away after productive meeting to take a walk.
6. Have conversation with guard who doesn’t like the idea of me taking a walk at sunset.
7. Return from walk being greeted by teammates asking what we should do tonight
8. Report that I’m having a hermit night and go searching to find who borrowed my iPod
9. Pick up crying baby and carry her around to talk to everyone on base until iPod is found
10. Finally come to hide out in room with a book and a computer
11. Again, room fills up with people and a rousing discussion about chocolate, the Princess and the Frog and the endless entertainment of the one and only Pinkie.
12. The room finally calms down for a few minutes – except for Pinkie’s entering, exiting, announcements and blowing kisses 5 times in a row.
13. Wheeeeeee! Rebekah just came in and announced that they are showing a movie in the classroom. She’s currently describing the movie in our room to Lisi, but there is promise of an hour or so of being ALL BY MYSELF!
14. Wait… Lanie just came in and I’m pretty sure she’s talking to me. Pausing iPod.
15. Ahhh…. This-Is-Africa

Coming up on the one-month mark here in Africa! I left Jan 12th and arrived Jan 14th. I can’t believe how time has flown by. Sometimes it feels like I’ve always lived here.

Most days, I’m both amazed and incredibly entertained at how much I’m learning about different cultures as each day goes by. With every day I become increasingly more aware of how much more there will always be to learn.

This week I had to laugh as I was trying to read one of our assigned books, Foreign to Familiar by Sarah Lanier. It’s a book comparing aspects of “hot- and cold-climate cultures”, comparing relationship-oriented cultures to task-oriented cultures by discussing different dimensions, including communication, hospitality, time, etc. The pages were coming to life as I read in Africa, the “hottest-climate” culture I’ve ever been in.

I stayed on page 79 for two days! It’s not that page 79 was full of big words or so interesting I had to read it over and over again. It’s that people always take place over “task” when living in a “hot-climate culture”, especially here on base where there is no space to be by yourself. (I think this is the first time I’ve ever been in the room by myself – and since I’ve been writing, 2 other people have already come in to chat.)

Before the first paragraph of page 79, I had been joined poolside by a girl who wanted to share a grapefruit and chat. Then the pool filled up with children wanting to play monster. (You have to play monster.) Hours and ½ a paragraph later, another girl wanted to take a walk and pray together. Before I even picked the book up again, we had to carry jugs of water across base. Tried to pick up at paragraph 1 ½ the next morning, but was offered coffee (you always say yes to coffee). And so on, and so on…

What better way to absorb the information than to be experiencing it as you read, right?

I am really and truly delighted to be here in a culture that simply just could not describe their day based on time slots in a planner, but based on conversations and interactions. I’m a very relational person, but it’s definitely a lot to get used to!

Some of you know that, when I’m in the States, I “run away” with Jesus at least once a week. I love to go places where no one knows where I am – my mountain rock, my secret Jesus beach, or even just a long drive. I like to sing REALLY loud. Sometimes there’s dancing. And cartwheels. Journaling. Reading. Crying. Rejoicing. Anything goes on secret Jesus dates.

Not having time or space to get away has been a real adjustment, and I think I’m just now getting to the point that I feel overwhelmed by it sometimes. I felt a bit "off" all day today and, for once, I think it wasn’t actually the food, but just feeling… too much. Is that a feeling?

I’ve noticed that I feel more tired than normal without the solo recharge times I’m accustomed to.

This is no sob story though, people… because what’s been even more significant to me is remembering that in the States I would often run myself ragged trying to maintain community and stay connected in a society that thrives on individualism. I’m learning about myself and balance here.

I really, really LOVE being surrounded by these incredible people. I get to read a bedtime story every night to the girls from the Jesus Storybook Bible that Erin gave me; I don’t think I’ve laughed so much since the red couch Couchercise days in the Chang; and Marcella is always ready to give a hug. And does it get any better than being in a breathtakingly beautiful country surrounded by people all seeking to know Jesus and make Him known… and that’s life here!?! It’s all we’re here to do. As I adjust, the pros always outweigh the cons and I always come back to reflecting on gratefulness, joy and the value of the experience.

Our daily activities start at 8am and I’ve been getting up at 5:30am each morning to have a little bit of quiet time before others on the base wake up. I don’t have much time alone, but it’s more quiet than normal until about 7am, and I’m thankful for that.

Just think, we’re only one month in. By the time I go back to the States, I will be driving all of you crazy with my African-sized relational needs. I’ll be trying to hold your hand, eat your food and will make sure to always be in physical contact with you no matter how hot it gets. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

Please pray for me as I continue to adjust to cultures, languages, experiences, food, and especially space. I have truly felt your prayers here, and I’m thankful that you’ve taken time to come alongside me and read my blog.

I’m excited about our speaker this week and will be posting more (and a movie night suggestion) this weekend.

Also pray for an opportunity that may be coming up for me to do some play therapy with a couple of highly abused children living in foster care at a ministry down the road. Pray for healing communication without language, and that the children begin experiencing the healing and restoring love of Christ.

One last prayer request is simply for mercy and provision in details. My mom was given the gift of a trip to come visit me here before leaving for Zambia. (Amazing, I know!!!) Please pray that the details work out on both ends and that God will come before her, with her, and behind her, creating a life-giving and transforming experience for everyone involved. Also, continue to pray for our leaders as they continue giving and setting the details for our outreaches to Zambia and Jo-burg.

Thank you! I love you!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT! (and please stay tuned for a special request at the end)

We got some exciting news this week! Our outreach destination has been announced!

On April 12th, after we’ve completed the lecture phase of Compassion Discipleship Training School, 15 students and 3 leaders will load up…

In a bus…

For a FORTY-FIVE HOUR drive…

In a bus…

TO ZAMBIA!!!

Wheeeeeeee!

We are excited to spend 4 weeks in a very rural area of Zambia working with a ministry on Lake Tanganyika (I think) that has several different areas of ministry in shanty towns along the lake that cannot be reached by car. I don’t have much information yet, but will tell you what I know and keep you posted as I learn more.

We will stay on the base and travel across the lake by boat (YES, BY BOAT!) to work with several types of ministries, including orphans, prison and youth ministries. We will be waaaay out there and will not have the luxuries we feel spoiled by now, such as access to restaurants and grocery stores. And there will be “squatty potties” fo-sho.

There are 3 houses on base, but we are unsure if we will be able to stay in the houses or if we will be in tents… for four weeks. We will have electricity, but I'm not sure what else.

No matter who you are, I wish I was sitting next to you while you read about this. And I’m sure you can imagine how EXCITED I am!

Our staple food will be beans and rice or beans and pap. Pap is the most common food around here and is used as a filler. It is basically corn meal and water cooked into mush, eaten by hand to scoop up beans or vegetables, and has no nutritional value whatsoever. It fills you up fast, and the kids eat it at every feeding program. We have it a few times a week at base…

And it makes me nauseous to look at it.

Today we had pap and beans for lunch. I walked into the kitchen… and immediately left to take Tums. Just from looking at it. So many non-blog-appropriate stories ahead.


But wait… there’s more.

After our four weeks in Zambia, we will load back up in the bus for another FOURTY-FIVE HOUR drive to Johannesburg, the capital city of South Africa. We are in for a very different three week outreach experience there, working in the inner-city with an orphan ministry. We have no idea what the living conditions will be like there, but we are already dreaming of access to coffee shops and Tim-Tams.

We are in for a wild ride (and so many hours in a bus), but excitement is already building! Please join us in prayer! I can’t wait to send more details as I get them. We will return to base from our outreach on May 30th, and leave again the next day for a debrief retreat.

This week our team has had a great time feeling more and more like a team – lots of mangos, laughing and even some coffee! We have gone out into the community three days this week to work with the children and are starting to get a feel for the culture and ways to start building relationships.


SPECIAL REQUEST:

It seems like packages take a looong time to get here, but letters get here fast. Please write me a letter! I’d love to have mail. And… if you happen to drop in a few packets of Starbucks VIA instant coffee… I’d love, love, love it.

My address here is:
Kacy Chaffin
PO Box 4450
White River, Mpumlanga
South Africa 1240

Thank you for joining me in prayer, being excited with me, knowing me as we go on this adventure in Christ, and for sending me love letters (and caffeine).

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

T-I-A

“T-I-A” is one of the most common phrases you here around the base. “This is Africa.”


It’s the only way to explain things sometimes.

We spend an evening amazed by a HUGE spider, throwing moths into its web to watch it attack it’s newfound prey – and then realizing this is somehow more entertaining than any night out at the movies…
T-I-A.


After working, sweating and stinking out in the community, you get in the shower, ready to actually see what color your skin is under the red African mud, only to find out the water is off for an undetermined amount of time and you’ve run out of clean clothes - so you put the muddy ones back on…
T-I-A

Mangos and Cadbury chocolate satisfying your new, more personalized nutritional food pyramid…
T-I-A

Showing up for children’s Sunday School at 9:30, and greeting the kids upon arrival at 10:20…
T-I-A
(getting my hair done for church, of course)

Jumping into the pool and justifying it as your shower for the next 2 days (at least)...
T-I-A

The weather during rainy season also gives us a lot of “T-I-A” moments.

This weekend, we planned on visiting a community for an all-day VBS (Vacation Bible School) program. We were looking forward to interacting with the kids, and were all a little disappointed when the ominous clouds rolled in and threatened our fun. We had to cancel VBS because it would be unlikely that the children would come in the weather, but decided to put on our hoodies and head out to the community for a potentially wet prayer walk.

I didn’t really know what a prayer walk was, but our team met at the church we’ve been attending for the past few weeks and learned a little more about the community before starting. One of our teammates, Lennon, is actually from the community and another teammate, Mongo, has been participating and ministering in the community for months now.

The name of the community is Mboniswane (just sound it out). It’s about a 5 – 10 minute drive from base, and Ten Thousand Homes has previously hosted a feeding program for orphans and vulnerable children out of a community member’s home. Some of the staff from Ten Thousand Homes are now involved with a church sitting on a hill in the community and are working closely with the pastor, focusing specifically on the youth in the community. They are hoping to be able to begin feeding, trainings, and creating refuge and fun for children in the community out of the church.



In our meeting in the church, one of our leaders, Hayley, said she believes the church will be a light on the hill for the community, and that God will bring life and hope through the people there. In our discussion, we started to get a small taste of what life is like in Mboniswane, and in much of Africa.

There is a hope deficit. Many people are just living. Just surviving.

Some believe in God, but the spirituality in their culture often teaches that God is good and it will be great to go to Heaven someday… but don’t understand His heart to give them abundant life now. They are missing the “His Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven” part of it. (Matt 6:10)

Imagine not imagining. Many of us grew up dreaming the sky’s the limit - dreaming of what we want to be.

NaNa always tells me that I used to say, “Whatever I’ll be, I’ll be.” I can imagine that, for me, this meant that I didn’t even want to limit myself to just one dream because I grew up believing that all things are possible.

The people of Mboniswane and all over this continent might say, “Whatever will be, will be” instead. Many go to church just to check it off their list.

Brittany and I walked with one of our staff, Stanley, around the community to pray for hope, for the youth and to meet people. We were so thankful for Stanley’s familiarity with the community and for translating for us. Most we met didn’t speak English.

First, we met a traditional healer who was experiencing tremendous pain in her body. We learned from Stanley that healers didn’t believe in healing themselves, but had to be healed by others. She became frightened at the mention of prayer and asked us to leave. As we stepped outside her property, we prayed for God’s healing love and grace to overcome her and that she would start healing in the name of God.

We continued to walk through the community, visiting and praying with people. Toward the end of the walk, we met a man in the street who had been very ill. We prayed over him and he invited us to meet his family. In the light rain, we sat outside on buckets listening. Through Stanley’s translating, we learned that the man was very worried because he has been unable to work due to his health and had no income to feed his family. He had applied for help from the government, but, because he is sick, they had denied him. On days when he is feeling well, he tries to get work, but sometimes he works all day and gets paid very poorly or not at all. He and his family were so kind and gracious as we prayed over them.

On our walk back to meet the rest of the team at the church I was speechless. The government doesn’t seem to have hope either – denying a sick person help because they are probably going to die anyway.

Where will they get the message of hope?

How can we give hope in a practical, grab-a-hold-of-it-and-don’t-let-go, hunger for God, and live life abundantly kind of way?

Hope compels us. Love gives us meaning.

What would life be without it?

(no idea why i'm the only one who can't keep my eyes open)

(gathering some kids together after our prayer walk to sing and play)