South Africa Journal - Day 1

Monday June 29, 2009

We flew from Perth, Australia to Johannesburg, with a quick layover we were then onto a plane to Cape Town. Flying over the country reminded me of the south west of the United States; mountains sparatically placed between dry squares of farmland and large groups of trees. The mountains though are the main feature. The land for a vast distance can be incredibly flat with a tiny little stream here and there but then all of a sudden a giant mass of rocky earth just punching its way through the surface and jotting up towards the sky.

So at the airport we had a little -almost expected- fun with the luggage. On the bigger and more important side of things there was 2 pieces of sound equipment that went completely missing in action. These are the basic components to do street and park shows, worship, share testimonies and what have you. So South African airlines keeps on saying it will be on the next flight… 3 flights and quite a few hours later we gave up and gave them our number. Another sad moment, more on the personal side of our luggage… I accidentally left my sketch journal on the plane. A security guard reluctantly went back to look but came back with no report. They will call me if it is found, but I’m not going to set my heart on it.

We flew with all of the April DTS who is in whole about 30 so people, but its just 3 of us going ahead for our team. Rachel our staff originally from California, with Matt and I we are the pioneers of the Media Reach Teams! The rest of out team will be here on Wednesday morning. Sven the native South African picking our team up, it was time to say goodbye to the other DTS teams. Now it was just the three of us.

From the time that we landed there had not been a 2 story building in sight, and even the International Airport itself had seen better days. Sven drove us in a little Tempo-type car asked us if we would like to take the scenic-tourist way, or see the ‘real’- side of Cape Town. Matt and I both responded “Give us the real side of Cape Town.” Encouraged by our response Sven turned onto another express way and off we went. Sidewalks and road side markings made way for dirt and beach-like sand, and newer street signs appeared more and more rusted as we went. As our little car turned the corner it was like a wave that hit us “this area has the highest murder rate in South Africa.” Rows and rows of shanty houses, made crudely with tin and wood planks. Nothing was fresh, nothing was new, everything was dirty, accept the clothes hanging on clotheslines. Each lining the streets and unevenly spaced walk ways between the roughly built blocks of. It provoked a feeling of awe in me. I had seen desperation similar to this in Mexico years ago but not like this. Sven shared with us that “Some people in Cape Town don’t even know this area is here.” My imagination went trailing off… forgotten, hopelessness. Then we went through a slow intersection where a car was pulled over surrounded by police vehicles. A thin man was held face-forward against a parked car in the middle of the road with his hands behind his back while another man cuffed him. Behind that man was a officer holding what looked like a un-aimed machine gun. Sven didn’t blink an eye, and chuckled as he advised us not to take pictures of this kind of incident for future reference.

Muizenburgh, a suburb of Cape Town is where our first stop was; the Cape Town YWAM base. A few of the intercession teams and Megacities teams from the YWAM Perth had gone ahead of us and were staying at the base. We were directed to check out the really cool view from the roof, by Eleasa a Detroit Redwings hockey fan (wink J). Up several flights of stairs we were welcomed outside by the sunlight blasting through a dirty old stained glass window. Blocks and blocks of Dutch and Portuguese inspired buildings much like the old Victorian/European styled ones from home in Western Pennsylvania greeted us as we peered across the plain of now double and triple storied houses. Just a few blocks from the rooftop was the ocean; the smell of Cape Hope loomed in the air. Every building was a different color, classic, plain and simple. Behind the last visible building in the distance the mountainsides shot up out of the earth like great walls watching over the city as a whole. Everything was brightly alive, and though the scene from the drive earlier couldn’t leave my head I had a -and I think we all had a- revelation of God’s love for Cape Town close up.

Notes to self:
Where we were staying for the night. Pastors name Andre’ and Julie. Share more about the people we meet more in next post
(get a picture of the 5 of us)

Pioneers (we were told before Matt and I left that this is what people heard in prayer) Excited and Hopeful.

Jesus told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Fathers business (speaking of his heavenly father). What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.” Message Version of the Bible Acts 1:7-8



Day 2
WORDS IN PRAYER THIS MORNING.
Eph 1
Freedom, Unity.
You are here early for a purpose.
Hopeful, Excited… leading out as examples.
Eph 3
There is no separation in Gods people! (Even in Cape Town)
God is going before us despite our current circumstances or Cape Towns current circumstances.
“He sought to it that I was equipped, but as you can see it has nothing to do with natural abilities.”

What a great privilege it is to be apart of something soo big in Gods plan.

Rom 8:18-29
Eager expectation, beyond what we already see (beyond those shacks)
Hope in what is unseen.
In all things God works to the good of purposes of his people.