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I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least
of these brothers of mine, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, Time is simply not supposed to go by this fast. We’re heading home today after eight amazing, life-changing days in South Africa. As we gathered for worship this Sunday morning in the Ramoga village, I couldn’t help but think back to a Sunday morning five months ago at La Casa when I prayed quietly (during our high school worship time) for God’s direction. I remember feeling all too clear about how I was spending my time and money for me (and my family)…while knowing there must be much more that I could and should be doing for others – and for Him. The very next morning I received a call at work from Pastor Garman – not exactly a regular occurrence for me. He was calling to ask if Sue and I would be able to join the group going to South Africa - so that we could help bring the story home through photos, videos and Sue’s real-time website blog. We are taught that God answers prayers in His time frame, not ours. Apparently, for this particular prayer, His time frame was “now.” Less than 24 hours after my prayer, Sue and I were officially part of the La Casa “Vision Team” heading to South Africa. Sue and I often talked of going to South Africa for a week-long photo safari. We both love photography, nature, exploring new places and learning about new cultures. As this week in South Africa came to a close, I was struck by how much I would have missed if we had spent all our time on photo safari instead of with Pastor Mike, Michelle, the Helping Hands Team and the wonderful people of Mafikeng. It has been a blessing and an honor to be a part of this team effort to bring home a vision for La Casa de Cristo in South Africa. Pastor Mike and Michelle have been great about sharing their vision for Helping Hands, explaining the various programs, providing details about budgets, management & financial oversight mechanisms and the key challenges they face each day. I believe we all came away from this time (and this trip) with a tremendous amount of confidence and respect for the manner in which Pastor Mike and Michelle are applying the resources at their disposal. I won’t go into the details here… but I’ve got lots of notes for those who are interested.
Back to Sunday morning worship. Tucked up close to the hills is a building that you would likely presume to be abandoned – with half-built walls, broken or missing windows, a crumbling floor and a roof that covers only half of the space. Yet this is a place that is clearly and powerfully being used by the Lord. And the people of this village feel so very blessed to have it. It was a true blessing for us to be there with them this Sunday morning.
People traveled miles (or kilometers) to join in worship of the Lord this day. There wasn’t room for everyone to sit…or even stand inside the structure. It was touching to watch as the young and healthy graciously made room in the chairs (and on make-shift benches) for those who clearly needed the seats more than they did. As worship got underway, I was struck as much by the similarities as the differences. The setting could hardly have been more different than what we are used to at La Casa. And let’s just say that “parishioner participation” was a tad livelier than most Lutherans are used to. Yet, there we were, children of the same Father - worshiping the same God, reading the same scripture and thanking the Lord for the amazing grace that He provides to us all. Pastor Betty, one of the Pastors supported by Pastor Mike and Michelle through the “Adopt a Village” program, delivered a powerful sermon. She reminded of us God’s grace and His acceptance and love for all His children – whether rich or poor, sick or healthy and regardless of our heritage or past. She also challenged us all (visitors and villagers) to live out God’s call for us to focus on the needs of others. What a great blessing she is for the church and for the people she is serving. Something I hope you get a chance to experience yourself (via Sue’s video taped material) is the interactive delivery of Pastor Betty’s sermon in English and Setswana. It was a unique and memorable experience. As we drove toward the airport we passed many villages, informal settlements (ask a member of the team to describe these) and graveyards. It was a stark reminder of what we had experienced throughout the week. Earlier in the week, Michelle explained that while she expected us to experience many emotional highs and lows; her hope was that we would gain a deep understanding of the situation, the complexity of the challenges and the importance of the opportunities. For, as she (so wisely) said, while emotions fade, deep understanding can and should bring about sustained action and support. Pastor Mike shared his hope and his prayer that - through efforts, like those of Helping Hands, to introduce and support faith-based servant-hood in these villages – Christians will take this unique opportunity to live out God’s call to serve those in need. It was a compelling message of vision, hope, faith and commitment. My prayer five months ago was for greater clarity of purpose in serving the Lord. Today, I feel a greater sense of faith-based purpose than at any other time in my life. Today, my prayer is for God’s help in following through on that purpose – as an individual and as member of the La Casa team. With His help, I pray that the images we share, the experiences we relate and the actions we take will create the kind of understanding and compassion that leads to meaningful action and to the realization of Pastor Mike and Michelle’s vision. We can make a difference. I pray that we do.
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