Success. How can you quantify it? I’ve been running Sisterhood for a year now. And sometimes it’s hard to see the impact. I’m not running Billy Graham style crusades where hundreds commit their lives to the Lord each week and I don’t see the miraculous healings that Heidi Baker prays for in our neighbouring country of Mozambique. My girls still live in a poverty stricken area that is plagued with gang activity, domestic violence and drug abuse. Problems way beyond my grid of understanding. As for me, I am a young, white, foreigner who can barley pay her own rent. So what is a girl like me doing here anyway? Before we fall off into the abbess of hopelessness, let me introduce you to Althia (name changed for privacy purposes). She is one of our original Sisterhood girls. She is tough, powerful, and independent with a confident demeanour and strong (often misguided) leadership skills. When Althia walks into a room she brings and atmosphere with her. To be honest, I actually see a lot of my own qualities in her. I will now pause and apologize to any of my teachers who had to put up with me especially during those rough years- I feel your pain. Choosing to love Althia and navigating her often rebellious nature has been one of my greatest challenges in ministry this past year. However, recently I’ve noticed a change. There is this tender-heartedness within Althia, that I never noticed before. She has a willingness to serve the younger girls. She also has become increasingly affectionate and respectful towards me. And occasionally, Althia will even let down her walls and share a little bit of herself: her marks at school or how well she ran during sports. This may not seem like a dramatic tale that marks the success of a missionary in a land far away. But I see this as a victory! Her fresh attitude is subtle evidence of the powerful work God is doing in her life. You know, the truth is, I didn’t move to South Africa in hopes of changing the world. I came here in obedience to God. And the simplicity of God’s way is this: to love Him and to love people (Matt 22:39). If I can go to Sisterhood day after day and truly love these girls, even the most stubborn like Althia, then I have succeeded and I trust God’s transforming power will do the rest. Success is not measured by a number on a pay check or on the scale, it is not measured by the stuff I have or how well I do my job; success is giving my whole heart to love God and to love each person in front of me.
Thank you to all those who pray and support! Your love for God and for people overflows into the nation of South Africa.
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1 Chronicles 16:8"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know Archives
December 2017
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Sisterhood