Red Bakkie

On the Second Saturday of every month members from 3 local churches go into Soweto to hand out evangelistic newspapers and the Gospel of John. We are working in an area called Thulani or Snake Park where we have started a Bible study. Today we had almost 20 people (half were teens!) participate in the outreach. 

As we returned to the vehicles after our ministry we noticed that the church van had been broken into.  A purse was stolen and the ignition was broken. 

We did not have a rope or chain to tow the van back to church and it appeared that we were stuck. The problem was simple - we couldn't take the people home and come back with a chain to tow the van because the van wouldn't be there when we returned. But, "Someone knew someone" who could help. Sure enough in a few minutes a red bakkie stopped and offered to help. Within 2-3 minutes the van was running and we were about to head back to the church when someone pointed out that they saw a red bakkie speed away from our vehicles as we approached them after our ministry. Let me see if I have connected the dots correctly.

1) While we're doing ministry someone breaks into our church van and tries to steal it.

2) Our prayers are answered when a man with the ability to hot wire a van just happens by.

3) The man drives a red bakkie - the same vehicle that was seen at the scene of the crime.

if I am not mistaken . . . the guy that tried to steal our van helped us hot wire it so we could get home.

The same thing makes you laugh makes you cry!

Taxi!

This is a picture of Karabo. Our new church in Thulani (Snake Park) meets in his mom's house.  He is pretending to be a taxi driver - complete with honking the horn and yelling for passengers. He even used the specific local hand signals.  

 Taxi driving may not be such a desirable occupation for this young man.  Last week, in one location, the police in Joburg arrested over 100 taxi drivers for deliberately breaking the rules of the road.  One of the local papers, The Sowetan, ran this headline, "Defiant taxi drivers tell cops they will break all rules of the road to make money."  Explaining the new hardline policy, Sergeant Mabaso told The Sowetan, "We will push this campaign until they comply."  Mduduzi Xulu, a taxi driver, was also quoted in the article saying, "We won't stop.  The police won't be here forever."

One wonders how long this operation will have to continue to be successful. 

Forever?

#36

I was trying to find the schedule for the World Baseball Classic when I stumbled upon the IBAF World Rankings.

I am thrilled to see that the team I coach, ZIMBABWE, is ranked #36. We received this ranking based on our 4th place finish in ABSA tournament in December of 2007.

Please pray for me as I share my baseball knowledge and the Good News about Jesus Christ with the team. 

More importantly, many people are starving to death (including Baptist pastors) in Zimbabwe. Please pray that God would provide for the players and coaches and their families. Please pray that God would restore "the bread basket of Africa" to its previous position as provider! It would take a miracle - but my God can do it!

Run Rufus Run!!!

My daughter is an athlete. Here, in South Africa, that means she competes in track and field. Last week she ran the 800m and the first leg of the 400m relay for her school team.

She won both races! 

She didn't get those genes from me - I only run to the fridge during commercials.

Although I love to brag about my little girl - and I am  - I also share this to make a point.

You see, she ran the last lap of her 800m faster than her first lap. She won the race so I am not being critical, yet one must ask - what if she ran faster in the initial lap? To what extent would her time have improved? Better said "did she save too much?"

I'm not asking so much about her race as I am my life . . . 

Am I putting off until tomorrow anything which I could and should be doing today? Is my pace to slow? 

Who do I need to share Jesus with? 

Who do I need to serve?

The questions are limitless, but the point remains - what am I waiting for?

Run father run!

Thank You

Janna Kay and I took advantage of an opportunity to bring Christmas to 4 orphans last year. Our paths crossed through a pastor in Soweto.  Honestly, we didn't do very much. We gave them some food for a nice meal, gift certificates and new school clothes.  

We received thank you letters from them this week. They said . . .

"I don't know what to say. I'm happy and I love you."

"PLEASE keep helping kids like us."

"You made us look like we have parents. "

"You made us want to be somebody in life."

"We wish you can do to other people not only to us."

"I won't forget what you did for us."

"You know after all you did for us I realized that God loves me." 

I share their thoughts with you to motivate you to be involved in the life of someone less fortunate than you. I encourage you to commit to someone through Easter week. 

I believe that God blesses us so that we will be a blessing to others and that He will be glorified. I encourage you to find someone to whom you can show the love of God. 

It is not difficult but it is very rewarding!

Midmar Mile

I made it into the Guinness Book of World Records!

Last weekend I took part in the largest open water swim since the days of Noah.  Over 16,000 of us swam a mile from one end of the Midmar dam to the other - including 13 olympians!!!

I swam in 41:02 - only the 681st man to finish in my heat - so I am not bragging!  In fact, a 70 year old man swam the mile in under 38 minutes.

I would have finished in the top 500 and broke 40 minutes if I had trained harder.  Truth is, I swam last year and I "knew I cold do it" so I didn't train as hard as I did last year.  I didn't drown but honestly didn't enjoy most of the swim.

As I thought about the swim, I was reminded of Paul's letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 4:7) where his command to Timothy is "train yourself for godliness."

It begs the question - am I training hard enough to be godly?

I have done godly things before so surely I can do them again . . .

I am not suggesting any kind of works righteousness - I know that I am only godly because Christ died for me and lives in me.  But, I am asking the LORD to search me and show me where I need to work harder at godliness.

Like swimming a mile - godliness doesn't just happen.  Like Paul says, we have to train for it.

Oat a meal

It's Sunday morning and Joshuwa interrupts my devotional to ask for more oatmeal. We have the instant kind so it's no big deal. Except he wants chocolate and we only have "cardboard flavored" (OK - the box says creamy natural). 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to add a scoop of Nutella to make my son's day! 

After breakfast is served I hear a chant from the other room.

"My Dad Is The BOMB!!! My Dad Is The BOMB!!! My Dad Is The Bomb!!!"

Here's my point. The devotional I was reading (#16 in Whiter Than Snow by Tripp) suggests we should be praying for prosperity. Tripp says, "When God prospers people who are living for Him, they use that blessing to serve Him all the more, and He gets glory and in this He finds great delight."

It was easy to make oatmeal for Josh. And his special request did not frustrate me - in fact, I enjoyed giving him something special. When he received it he praised me with a really cool song. 

I think I am going to ask God for something special this week so that He gets glory and great delight!