Thank you to all of you who've followed this blog and supported me with your thoughts, prayers, and words of encouragement this fall. I am so grateful for each of you. I wish you the best in rejoicing this Christmas.
January 3rd I'll be off to Bangkok, Thailand, and I suppose a new blog may be in order then. : )
LOVE,
Addie
Sunday, December 11, 2011
12.09.11 ~ On the plane home...
“Solving our race problems must begin at the foot of the cross” (More Than Equals, 44).
WOW…I am so full of emotion as I sit on this plane on my way home, after 3.5 months in South Africa. I have also just finished More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel. I know that God divinely timed my reading of this book. After a summer at CHAT in Richmond and a semester in South Africa, I am so burdened by the need for racial reconciliation – especially among black and white brothers and sisters who claim to follow Christ. A friend asked me the other night if I can see change in myself since coming to South Africa. I paused and replied not really except for greater confidence in research from our ISP time and that I needed more time to reflect on my experiences in South Africa and how they've shaped me. For example, recently I’ve been looking back at the summer and realizing how much God shaped and changed me during my time in Church Hill. There I saw the challenges of racial reconciliation – through EEF, CHAT, and living in the neighborhood – and yet I came away from the summer with an incredible hope in the POWER of the GOSPEL to break down walls of hostility in light of the cross.
When I arrived in South Africa back in August I was very eager to see what racial reconciliation looks like there. Over the course of the semester questions of racial reconciliation continually lingered beneath the surface of conversations and experiences for me – from discussing race in friendships with 2 SIT friend in Langa, to talking about reconciliation late at night with a friend in Tshabo, to discussing race, the church, prejudice, racism, and Christ’s call with my hostparents in Stellenbosch, to sharing about CHAT’s impact on me and the need for racial reconciliation among Christians with SIT students in the last week. In the past two days I’ve realized that I’m leaving Cape Town burdened about racial reconciliation. I’ve seen and experienced the separation that still exists between races in the South Africa – riding the combi’s into Rondebosch from Langa everyday, seeing the clear separation between white churches and black churches, observing the way whites live around whites, blacks live with blacks, and the tension between coloreds and blacks. I did see beacons of hope – the little diversity at Shofar church in downtown Cape Town and the amazing diversity of the Lecrae concert I attended in November (possibly THE most mixed/integrated setting I experienced during my entire time in South Africa). . .So I guess I have a mixture of feelings but mostly a burden. That burden compels me to cry out to God - THE TRUE RECONCILER (2 Cor. 5:18-20, Eph. 3:14-16) - for the reconciliation of believers in South Africa…that whites would step out and move into all black areas with the Grace of the Gospel as their sole motivation…that blacks in townships would ground themselves in YOUR WORD and be open to letting hurt and anger go to form friendships with whites (on a personal level) and white churches.
“Being able to extend grace and to forgive people sets us free” (More Than Equals, 246).
12.08.11 ~ About to head home
I can hardly believe I’m leaving this beautiful country tomorrow. The last month here has been incredible and has completely solidified my love for living here, my passion for anti-trafficking work, and my special relationship with Gogo. When I said good-bye to Gogo last night on phone last night, she told me that Yolisa (a 5-year old in her crèche) has been asking where I am. When Gogo told her that I had to leave, Yolisa asked when I’m coming back. Gogo said probably in 2 years. O how I hope she’s right!
post from 11.22.11 ~ A Special Day
Today was . . . incredibly special. I had some good quality time with my Stellenbosch kids and parents before saying goodbye, a great visit with an NGO in Stellenbosch, and then a truly blessed evening with Gogo. Gogo and I were catching up in the kitchen while she cooked, laughing, looking at pictures, etc. I related how Dithembe (my favorite little 3-year-old) greeted me today by saying ‘Molo Sisi,’ getting out of the car he was in at the time, pulling down his pants, squatting and peeing right there on the road. We died laughing. Gogo's reply: “O he’s naughty! Yes he is!”
Later in the evening, we ended up talking about her sons and her husband - all four of whom died within a nine year period from 1992-2001. I teared up and she just said, “it’s good to cry sometimes… it’s good to let the emotions you are feeling out… God is good all the time. This life is a test. We must experience hard things. He did when he was here… I don’t know why He let those things happen to me but I know He was trying to see how much I believe in Him and trust Him to hold onto me…God is good all the time and all the time God is good. I don’t know how many times I’ve said that but I say it everyday [anew].” We went on from there to talk about how beautiful our God is – that He came into our suffering in the form of Jesus…that He is not a distant God… by the end, Gogo was tearing up too.
God, in His sweet sweet grace, intertwined my life path – and now my heart – with Gogo for this time in my life. Whatever comes my way in this life, I pray to remember her words from tonight and her simple, genuine, steadfast faith in God and His goodness. For He is good, all the time.
end of november = conclusion of my independent research on child trafficking
The compilation of my research took the form of a 70-page paper...and many valuable lessons and conversations which I have tucked away in my heart. I am so incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with individuals at work on the ground who are working to fight human trafficking in South Africa.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)