Working in the Communities of CapeTown

Almost week 3 of Outreach, and it feels like we have been here much longer. Yes! we are in Africa!
Right now our teams are mainly working with the colored and black communities of Cape Town, South Africa. They mostly speak english. But for all of them either Xhosa or Afrikaans is their first language. It is strange to feel so outta place but God is using us in our differences and it had been eye opening to realize the spiritual reprocussions of valueing one race over another. History here proves that ‘time’ does not heal all wounds, the love of God -our Creator, our Father- does.
We have been working with our first church ‘Tabernacle of Praise’, in the community of Parow and in a very poverished community called Delft a 5 minute drive away. This church is only 8 years old and wanting to know more about making themselves more available and equipped in ministry.

IN THE COMMUNITY OF PAROW: In the community around the church we have been able to go from door to door to ask people if they would like to prayer and been recieved with open arms even from the most unlikely people. Talking to addict teens in the park, angry prostitutes on the corner, and random people in the markets. We have done prayer walks that have produced more fruit than we imagined. We have asked God to work through us and guide us daily and he has rewarded us honorably.

THE COMMUNITY OF DELFT is a formal settlement, small cluster of cookie-cutter housing. Each house is about the size of most of our living rooms at home. Most of the people that live here at one point lived in shacks in the areas of town they were forced into during Aparteid. Aparteid, meaning ‘separation’ in Afrikaans was a very racially oppresive part of history in South Africa. Aparteid was only legally lifted by the government in 1994 after their first democratic election. Crazy what freedoms we take for granted until we realize what we really have.
In Delft we have done prayer walks and invited people to a church that is just starting there under the leadership of the Tabernacle of Praise.

We have also done childrens programs, and by defult on prayerwalks we are invited in often for coffee to talk - which ends up being oppertunity to council through built relationships there. Several churches actually join together to do ministry there so we will continue to do ministry there and equip them to play a more active and united role in that ministry. It is well known as one of the most poverished communities in CapeTown due to their intence history with hopelessness and fatalist outlook. "Why look for a job. Im not going to find one."

We have met a variety of people here in Cape Town, South Africa.
Oddly enough it is a tourist destination with some of the most beautiful, well sought-after ‘stuff’ in Africa. Or so I have been told.
It’s a funny thought concidering we know we are here for ministry and by the time we make it to our day off catching up on laundry and e-mailing home seems to be priority.
The shore-line of Cape Town was claimed by the Dutch whites early in it’s history and still holds more financial and material value in it’s little pinky then the rest of Cape Town combined. From what we have seen the malls look like Hilton mansions and the boat yards are filled to the brim with yachts. The span between rich and poor in this city is so vast and expansive that it turns my heart inside out.

Now you have ammo to pray for us and for Cape Town South Africa.