Monday in South Africa

Hello all. I decided I was going to walk myself, and all of you, through my week in South Africa. If I go in order, that will help me to remember details and process it all...plus my photos are in order so that helps too. There will likely be times when there is more than one post on a particular day...especially the days spent in the community visiting. We saw so many, and I want to share individual stories with you as I can.

This post is going to introduce you to the ministry we partnered with. It is called Refilwe (this word means "gift"). You can also go to their website, Refilwe.org, to get more details and ways to support their incredible ministry. One of the first things you will find on their website is a quote by Albert Einstein. It says, "The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm, but because of those who see it and do nothing." This is a ministry that is definitely doing something.

There is so much I could tell you, but I'm going to try and summarize. My favorite thing about this ministry is that it is dealing with the "onion layers" of the culture in South Africa. What do I mean by "onion layers?" I'll try and explain. Here's a list of issues on this continent: HIV/AIDS, poverty, rape, lack of education, abuse and neglect, orphans, and of course, a lack of knowledge of God and faith in Christ (just to name a few). It seems that once you dive into one of these issues, like HIV/AIDS, for instance, all it does is peel away to another layer of darkness and sin, like rape. You see, many HIV positive men have been deceived into thinking that having sex with a virgin will cure them...therefore, rape is an issue...but it is linked to the AIDS issue. With each layer you peel back, there is more. There is no amount of money you can throw at this continent that is going to clean all this up...only Christ can fix it.

The staff at Refilwe realizes this, and so they don't just attack one issue...their ministry is to people. I don't know how many times I heard staff there say, "There is an entitlement mentality among the poor here and we have to teach them how to help themselves...we can't do everything for them." While their hearts break over what they see, the Lord has given them His eyes to see the big picture. Sometimes that means not picking a sick person up and driving him to the clinic to get their TB or ARV drugs...it means urging him to use his money wisely so he has money for a taxi...or not giving out food to everyone, but helping single moms apply for a grant so they can buy food. One of my favorite projects they have is they give out free seeds to anyone who will dig and prepare their yard for a garden so that they can grow their own food. But, they won't prepare the soil if the person is physically able to do so.

One of the ministries they have started is a home care team. It is made up of people living in the communities they serve. They provide training for them and then give them a job. They are provided English classes, and are discipled each Thursday by the founder of Refilwe. We were able to sit in Bible study and it was incredible. These home care workers are not being spoon-fed. They are being taught to study God's Word for themselves. This is the specific team we partnered with while there. Our task was to help these home care workers go beyond just checking off their paperwork. We came in with fresh eyes and fresh compassion. At each home visit we shared the Gospel, visited and prayed with people. We cleaned houses, gave baths, bandaged wounds, and played with little ones. Hopefully, our example "raised the bar" a little bit for the home care workers by encouraging them that they could make a difference in their communities.

Here are some photos of the Refilwe property with captions that explain each photo.

You may not be able to read this sign in the photo, but it says, "Refilwe, breaking the cycle of poverty." This sign sits by the highway.

Another Refilwe banner.

This sign hangs by the office. The staff calls Refilwe the "promised land" because when they bought the property, it was polluted and useless.

Look at it now. This stream runs through the middle and it used to be toxic. Christ truly does "make all things new," doesn't He?

This is an example of the project to help people make money for themselves. They make these, paint them, and sell them at market.

Here is part of the Refilwe garden.

This is the Refilwe project closest to my heart. In the background are foster homes. There are 45 rescued orphans who legally live in these homes with "real parents." Even after the turn 18 and move away, this is where they come back "home."

There is a Cresh (daycare) at Refilwe also. Here are some of the little ones who go there...precious!

And another

Who else could eat her up?

So that's a brief look at Refilwe. Before I go, I have to share one last thing that made me laugh out loud with joy and wonder. Refilwe is quite industrious in their ways of self-supporting. On the property, they have a huge earthworm farm/compost center. They are buying earthworms to mix with manure and compost to make organic soil...it seems South Africa is also going green, so the organic compost soil sells for a high price, even wholesale. Did you know that earthworms double in number every 48 days? As I was standing there listening to this information, I started laughing. God will even use worms and cow poop to glorify Himself, spread His love, and care for the poor, sick, orphaned and oppressed. What an incredibly resourceful God we serve!

I'm so thankful for what I learned partnering with this ministry. Our team SO wanted to give handouts to everyone we saw in need. We wanted to "fix" the problems with our western ways. Why? I think in large part because it makes us feel better about ourselves if we "do" something, doesn't it? I wanted to be able to come home and report all that I did, or gave. God turned those plans upside down, for His glory. We literally had nothing to give. All of the supplies we brought were given to Refilwe for them to give out as they saw fit. That meant we walked into these neighborhoods with a Bible...and ourselves. Yes, I gave out a few stickers at the end of the week, but most days I didn't have a bag of treats...just myself. I learned how far a smile goes, a hug, a conversation. I learned that there is POWER in just opening God's Word and letting Him speak and bridge the gaps of cultural differences. I learned that saying "Jesus Jesus Jesus" in front of a witch doctor's house will make the darkness flea. Each day the people were more open, the children's eyes brighter and more alert...even after one prayer. This is the God we serve...He is mighty to save!