Pictures...

So it has been difficult to find an internet connection that can load a bunch of photos at once, so I have decided to make a little photo action happen here on my blog. My roommate/teammate/friend/awesome person Ali is like a professional photographer and has taken some moving pics of Durban. I want to share a couple with you. 

 

Pray with me

Please join me in praying for the student leaders on the Kwazulu Natal Westville campus. Each of these students desires to serve their campus by serving Christ and growing in their relationships with Him. Each of these students is such a joy to be around. I love their excitement in the gospel and their fresh perspective on Christ’s love for them. Most of these students started their relationships with the Lord in the last year. Many of these students accepted Christ last year when a group of students from the States was in Durban on a summer project with Crusade. How exciting is it that God used those students from the States to help Sli, Zetu, Spu, Anele, and Siswee, develop in their relationships with the Lord, and now these students desire to see their entire campus changed for Christ! I love it. God is so faithful.

I absolutely love to watch people grow in their relationships with the Lord. So, please pray with me for these men and women….

Women on Leadership:

Zetu

Sli

Men on Leadership:

Spu

Anele

Sizwe

Mzoe 

We want to encourage these students and love them as they lead movements on their campus. Please pray for their intimacy with the Lord. Their excitement to serve will surely be used by God to do great things in their hearts and the hearts of the students around them. Please pray that we can love them well through all God has them do! 

Time is just flying by...

Our time in Durban has gone by so fast. It’s hard to believe that we will be heading back to Pretoria in a little over a week to evaluate our month away from the team. The three of us have spent a majority of our time on campus getting to know students and working with our campus to getting things moving! We hit the ground running and God has been faithful to develop relationships on campus and in the community. We’ve had several discussions with Gary about what our time would look like if Ali, Ryan, and myself decide, alongside our team of nine, that we want to continue doing ministry in Durban for the remainder of our year. It is exciting to move forward with our faith to guide us. The spirit has led us here to Durban, and after being here a couple weeks we know why. 

After visiting the Kwazulu-Natal Westville campus (one of two campuses in Durban), and meeting the students, it was easy to see why God sent us. All of the students involved in the ministry are excited to be growing in their faith. They are  starting their year walking closely with the Lord, and we are so stoked to see how the Lord is going to use them. Campus Crusade for Christ didn't really have a presence on the campus in the past 10 years or so. Our campus director Gary has been the only campus staff member in Durban for the last few years. So our team was crazy excited when 10 students showed up to our first meeting. We were overly excited when we discovered that each of these students wanted to learn how to walk closely with the Lord! Everything is still very new, but God is so faithful! The Lord is moving in BIG ways in these students, and they are hungry to know him more. Isn't that exciting? 

There are about 8 or 10 men involved in the ministry on campus. There have been no women staff members on campus in the past, but several women desire to be a part of bible studies and discipleship relationships. So us girls are pretty stoked to be there for the women. 

Our days on campus move so fast, it's hard to believe we have been in Durban for almost a month at this point. We are excited to see how God will continue to develop the relationships with students He has blessed us with.

Please join me in praying for the students who are currently involved in the ministry on campus. Please pray for opportunities to connect with them and encourage them by getting into the word together, serving together, and exploring what God desires for their year. These students truly want to grow in their relationships with Christ so that they can be a part of change on their campus for Jesus. I am excited that all of us get to be a part of that!

Thank you for all of your prayers. It is amazing to have all of you believing big things in God for our time with these students! I am so blessed by all of you! 

Thanks

Amanda

 

Thank God for the Price Family!

I’m stoked to share that I love living in Durban! I feel so at home here, and know I’m exactly where the Lord wants me. Durban is incredibly relaxed and stunningly beautiful. I have never lived in a place like this. It's ridiculously hot/humid, but with the heat comes a unique beauty. The area is beautiful, but I believe I've fallen in love with this place because of the people. I have felt deeply cared for from our first day here in Durban.  

Our campus director here is Gary Price. Gary has been living in Durban for the last 13 years, and has lived in different locations across Africa for the last 26 years. It has been a wonderful privilege working with Gary, and getting to know him and his family. Gary and his wife Cheryl have 5 boys who they’ve raised here in South Africa. The family has been incredibly welcoming. Spending time with them has reminded me how important community is. The Price family has connected us to a wonderful church, sacrificed their time, car and energy to help us settle into life smoothly. They have simply loved us from the moment we landed a little over a week ago. Our little team of three has fallen in love with Durban because of families like this. We are incredibly blessed. 

Last Saturday Gary, Cheryl, and Steven their son took us to a Sharks rugby game. It was a lot of fun learning more about the game and experience the glory that is rugby. The picture below is us after the game on the field.  

Please pray for our amazing friends and the relationships God has blessed us with in them. Please pray for us as we get involved on campus and in the community, and that we can care for the Price family as deeply as they have cared for us.  Thank you for all of your prayers. I can feel them from 10,000 miles away :).

Please know I am thinking and praying for all of you back home!  

The STINER's STINT...

Exciting news everyone, God is sending me to Durban! Durban is about an eight hour drive from Pretoria in the Kwazulu Natal province. I want to give a brief description about the decision making process here and tell you more about the campus in Durban in my upcoming newsletter. 

A couple weeks ago the nine of us spent some time with our Campus Crusade National Campus Director, Jacquie Bland. During our time Jacquie presented to us what she called a STINTER's STINT. Essentially six of us will STINT away from our original campus to new locations to serve at universities that currently have no full time staff. After a month's time we will reconvene to evaluate our effectiveness. Before Jacquie came to Pretoria to meet with our STINT team the Lord gave her this idea during a restless night's sleep. She had spent several days praying about the details and asking the Lord exactly how to go about it. I trust Jacquie and how she follows the Lord. When she presented the idea to us, we knew that she had spent a great deal of time praying about it and what it meant for our team. The original plan was for all nine of us to stay at the University of Pretoria and work with the kids at Beam Africa. God has bigger plans for us! The team at U.P. is currently twelve strong including our STINT team. There are three national staff members working at U.P. and nine student leaders in the ministry. The U.P. campus is alive and the students are leading in great ways! 

We’ve spent the last month on the U.P. campus and at Beam Africa. In our time we have seen the Lord move in great ways! We feel blessed to serve in these areas, yet there are so many other campuses in the country that aren’t being reached. In considering these other campuses, we have decided to split our team of nine. In just a couple days, three team members will return to U.P., three will start at the University of Johannesburg, and three will move to Durban to work at the University of Kwazulu-Natal. This is the STINTER's STINT. 

Before we made the final decision about the team splitting, we took a day to meet with the Lord. We wanted to make sure this is what God wanted for us. This year is about what God wants for the team, not necessarily what we want. In my time, the Lord comforted me with His word. I was going through the book of Acts and studying the path God set for Paul. It was exciting to read about how Paul and his companions kept moving forward by the power of the Holy Spirit! They moved forward until the Spirit stopped them. I was specifically struck by what happens in Act 16:4-10. This scripture has been encouraging to revisit and live from as we prepare to make this split.

“As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” - Acts 16:4-10

The Spirit is leading us to Durban, and we will follow until we are stopped. The STINTER's STINT means a split, but it also means that we are able to reach more campuses for Christ in South Africa. I am excited to move to Durban and cannot wait to see where the Spirit leads us next. Please join me in praying for our team as God breaks us into three smaller teams as we follow His Spirit. If you have questions about the decision to split, please feel free to comment or send me an email. Your support is appreciated deeply!

I plan on sharing more details about Kwazulu-Natal in my prayer letter that should be sent out by the end of next week. From what I have learned about the University I will feel right at home. Thank you for your prayers and for reading. I am thinking and praying for all of you. I would love to get an update from everyone, so I know how to lift you up in prayer.

Thank you for your love and support, 

Amanda

Campus Time!

Here is a little bit about our time on campus. The Lord is moving! Please visit my teammates page after you read this post. She shares a beautiful story about two women who came to know the Lord this week. Please share in our Joy as we praise Jesus for all he is doing here in South Africa.

The moment we set foot on campus I knew I was exactly where I should be. I love college students and I can’t wait to see how the Lord will use them to create change on their campus! Our first week on campus was orientation week for all of the first year students. The campus was so busy. The University of Pretoria (U.P.) welcomed just overt 8,000 first year students. This year’s in coming class at U.P. is double the size of the undergraduate student population at the University of Denver. The campus is HUGE! During that first week the team met students and just got to know them better. It was exciting to walk through this overwhelming week with them. We spent our time on campus introducing ourselves to students and encouraging them. We talked with several students who were really honest with us about being nervous and scared to start at U.P. It was refreshing to meet students who were willing to be real with us. God was faithful in bringing us to people who just needed someone to listen to them. The student’s were very curious why we would come all the way to South Africa to talk to them about Jesus. It was amazing to see the Lord open doors for us to share the Gospel and talk about His love for all of us. In our first week the Lord moved in incredible ways! We met several students who want to get involved with bible studies and discipleship relationships. The most exciting news is that nine students prayed to receive Christ during out first week! It is humbling to watch the Lord work and move in people’s lives. One of the most encouraging stories my teammate wrote about on her blog. Please take some time to read about how Cadace and Miche came to know Jesus! I still get emotional when I read through their story!

Candace and Miche's story

We are deeply blessed to serve a God who desires our hearts. It’s beautiful to watch the Lord capture people’s hearts. I don’t deserve this experience, but it is wonderful that I get to share in this with all of you!

Please pray for Cadace, Miche, and all of the students we were in contact with during our time on campus. Please pray that they grow in their relationships with the Lord and experience His love and grace daily. Please pray that they experience intimacy with him on campus this year.

Thank you! It is a blessing to have all of you here with me.

Love,

Amanda  

God will provide...

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.”

                                                                                    Romans 5:2-5

Today the team spent another day at Beam Africa. I have a wonderful time meeting with Erika and hearing her heart for the children God has placed in her life. Unfortunately today as we met with Erika to see how 

we can be serving at Beam in greater capacity, we received some unsettling news. The church I spoke about in my last post on Beam is continuing to present struggles for Erika and everyone at Beam. Before I share how you can be praying through these struggled with us, I would like to share an encouraging story.

Last time we talked with Erika, her and her husband were looking for chairs for the center to replace the ones that were taken away from them by the church. Our God is so faithful! With all of the chairs gone, there is nowhere for the children to sit and eat the meal provided for them everyday. When the church took the chairs away from the children, it presented some serious problems for Beam. It made everyday activities quite difficult. Despite the fact that there was little money available to get new chairs, Erika made the decision to look. She spent the entire day looking for affordable chairs and just before she quit a man told her about a warehouse where she could possibly find a good deal. When she arrived at the warehouse she honked her horn at a closed gate until someone came out to help her (I love this woman). She stayed outside the gate for quite some time just waiting for someone to hear about her need. This warehouse had exactly what Erika needed. She picked out the chairs she wanted and set a date for delivery. The chairs at this warehouse were significantly cheaper than anywhere else she had looked. It was the blessing she had been searching for all day. Just as she wrote the check the man who owned the warehouse started asking about why she needed the chairs. She explained where God has her with the children in Nellmapius. Once she finished explaining the situation the man asked for her invoice back, and he torn it up! This man donated 60 chairs to the center! Erika told us this story with tears in her eyes as she experienced God’s faithfulness. It was amazing to see how God provides always. Thank you for your prayers over the last week.

 

Please continue to pray for all of the children and staff at Beam. Unfortunately there are some significant struggles ahead of them. The team learned that the land Beam Africa sits on it actually owned by the church, and sadly the church has decided to significantly raise rent. They are essentially forcing Erika and the kids off the land, leaving them nowhere to go. Erika is determined to find another piece of land inside the township, but it has been extremely difficult. On top of rising the monthly rent the church refuses to let the children use the bathroom facilities on the land. Beam Africa raised the money to renovate those facilities and are now no longer allowed to use them. As Erika was sharing all of these details I couldn’t help but cry. It broke my heart to hear the church is not working for justice, but against it. I write this now with tears in my eyes, because I know this is not how God intended it to be. I have to remember that Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt 9:12-13). I know that all of us fall short of the glory of God, but it is extremely challenging to watch all of this happen to children. In the midst of something so broken and hard, there is still hope. God continues to provide for Beam, and these kids are so joyful. Beam has hit some hard times, but we trust the Lord that he will take care of everything. When we encounter suffering we will have hope in the King who did everything to be with us. Hope in Christ doesn’t disappoint.  Please join me in praying for Beam! The best thing we can do it lift them up to God. Thank you, it means more than I could ever express.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our time at Beam! 

 

The peanut butter and Honey Sandwich…

God spoke to me through a peanut butter and honey sandwich the other day! I know that sounds little crazy, but it was amazing to experience God’s creativeness. God can and does use anything and everything to teach us! Let me give you a little background for this situation.

I have struggled everyday since we’ve arrived in South Africa with the extreme poverty everywhere. Every time we go into the city plaza people approach us asking for some change or food. It breaks my heart because I know this is not how God intended life to be. I have struggled to know exactly how to help. Several people have told us not to give away any money because it can be extremely dangerous for us. Doesn’t that seem so messed up? It is dangerous for you to give someone a meal or spend time with him or her. It seems to present this lose/lose situation. I found myself asking God where he is winning. If I am approached on the street regardless of what I decide to do, I feel like I am not truly doing what God wants me to. It feels completely wrong to do absolutely nothing and walk away; my heart can’t actually take it. But, it doesn’t feel right to give them money either. Both solutions don’t help me to love these people the way Christ does. I feel like I am losing either way. (Wow, I hope that makes sense). I’ve wrestled with this for a long time, begging God to show me what he desires in the situation. The other day I started to see where God is winning! I was reading this awesome book called Hope Lives (I recommend everyone read it) and the book asked me to consider how Isaiah 58 challenged me.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and unite the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

Isaiah 58

OOOO So Good Huh? This is where the sandwich comes in. So I was reading and reached into my bag to journal about it when I felt my plastic sandwich bag that had in it some crust left over from my peanut butter and honey goodness I had earlier. I went to toss it but stopped and started to think about how easy it would be for me to give something as simple as a sandwich. Ok I know this seems so straightforward right, why didn’t I think of it sooner? I think I realized that I want to solve the entire problem in one interaction. It can never be done that way, at least not by giving them a little money or walking away. Think about it though, it makes so much sense. They are asking you for money to buy food, most of them just ask for food right away. If I bring a sandwich with me everyday I have an opportunity to meet someone’s needs and hopefully have a good conversation with them. It is a simple idea, but it lifted this heaviness I’ve felt from the moment we arrived. So, the five girls are making 1 sandwich to give away, because we can and because we want to know the people God is blessing us with everyday! It’s been amazing to watch the Lord work. The first day we went to the plaza a man named Chris approached us, and we asked him if he would sit with us and tell us about his life. He shared his story with us and now he is one of our friends. Every time he sees us he sits with us and tells us about his day. I believe that this is exactly where Jesus wants me. We have learned so much about Chris’s incredibly heavy life. It is so sad, but he is worth every second we spend with him. I want to be here in South Africa so that I can be with people like Chris. I love to watch God move and work. Seeing Chris is probably my warmest moment every single week. I love him.

Please pray for Chris as he works to finish school. He has failed his senior year of high school several times because he has to miss class to work to support his family. Please pray that we get more time with him. I would love to get to know him better and just be a good friend to him. He needs people to love him well. Thank you for all of your prayers. God is moving and I am blessed to share in all of this with you.  

Some fun things...

So I thought I would take a moment to share some fun things I’ve learned about South Africa with all of you. I hope it brings a smile to your face! Enjoy…

 

• Traffic lights are called robots, which is awesome!
• Red lights are more of a suggestion, than an obligation.
• Everything happens on the left side, we drive on the left side, walk on the left side, the toilet handle is on the left, escalators are on the left side, the hot and cold handles on the sinks are on the opposite side, and several other things. It is hilarious to watch the nine of us get used to working on the other side!
• When you are finished eating at a restaurant you don’t ask for the check, you get the slip.
• One min the sun is scolding your skin and the next you are caught in the middle of a monsoon. The rain is absolutely crazy!
• Everywhere you go you have to wait, and there is so little personal space here. You make friends very fast.
• You have to weigh your vegetables individually before checking out in the grocery store.
• We work on military time now, so I do a lot of counting on my fingers when it comes to telling the time.
• There is butter on every single sandwich you purchase here. Something I surprisingly enjoy quite a bit.
• You don’t stand in lines here in South Africa, you stand in Que. That was an interesting interaction between an impatient South African Man and me.
• We have somewhere around 8 keys to get into our house alone! Very safe.
• There is no limit in the number of times you can honk your horn while driving. I often say I wish my life were a musical. Well ladies and gents, God has moved me to a country where the taxi drivers are helping that dream become a reality. The regular honking creates a rhythmic sound that brings joy to my soul…sometimes.

 

I hope you have enjoyed my observations! I wish all of you were here with me.