The whole family is here!

Hello dearest family and friends,
I (Rob) am writing you from the computer here at the Mpophomeni Family Centre. It is my 5th day here in Mpophomeni, and our 5th day of all of us finally being together. Alyssa and I adjusted quite quickly with regards to my sleep cycles. After that first night, I have slept during the normal hours and have had restful sleep which has been a blessing to hit the ground running with little to no exhaustion. Friday we took part in a staff retreat with approximately 30-40 combined staffworkers. It is exciting to see how God has grown and changed the ministry here in Mpophomeni. The Family Centre combined with the Ethembeni AIDS/HIV care centre is now the second largest employer in the township behind only the municipality which employs the police, and garbage disposal etc. That is a huge accomplishment for bringing the Kingdom here in the township considering that 80% of the township is unemployed. So much more growth and change is on it's way. Saturday we had a day in Durban since the Family Centre is closed on the weekends. Spent some time seeing old sites that we had seen in our previous time here. Being here is paired with interesting emotions, very different from last spring in good ways. Much less of a honeymoon experience and one more of real life exposure. It is a blessing and gift to wake up among the people that we desire to understand --> love --> work alongside. Who knows where God will take this 2 months,I just hope we will maintain an attentiveness to His direction and not our own, so that what HE desires for His people will be accomplished through people small such as our team. That would be a humbling experience to be a part of. I feel so much joy living in community with God's children young and old, black and white, HIV infected/not. Please pray for God's vision to continue to take over our eyes, hands and feet here. Sunday was a day of worship and rest @ Mpophomeni International Church. So much freedom for my heart was found there. Worshiping God uninhibited is a powerful thing to witness and be a part of. The service was approx 3 hours but felt like a bat of the eye. We had 50 guests from sister churches, as this was a commissioning Sunday of sorts. MCI had been worshiping in a tent outside of the Centre for several years, but recently due to growth needed a change. This Sunday was their first @ an old tavern. Taverns in the township are dangerous places of intoxication and also violence. Multiple muders had occured in this building and now we were claiming the building for God's Kingdom. Many brothers and sisters (bhutis and usisis)shared a great vision of restoration and reconcilliation. This is exemplified by the transformation of the building, but also the many hearts impacted.
With regards to accomodations/diet, (this is for you Ma.) the five of us are staying a five minutes walk away from the Centre in a home approximately the size of our living room and dining room combined @ Trillium. No oven, but a electric burner and microwave to heat food. My diet has been steadied by @ least 4 cups of coffee or Roibos tea each day. Cornflakes in the morning, pb and j @ noon, and then a more substantial meal at night such as mac and cheese, or grilled cheese etc.We have no heat or warm water, so that is deturrent enough not to take a shower, especially when the temps are in the mid thirties at night. It's okay though because during the day it barely scrapes 70 (quite comfortable actually) thus I don't sweat which is pleanant. We will manage to get to Howick (small community 10 minutes east of here) and Claire's cottage(the British missionary)and hot showers about once a week. Welp that is all for now. Time to get busy. I will hopefully have internet access twice weekly. Trusting God is sustaining and growing in you all where you are called this summer! Love you all.

inKosi Mayibe Nawe (God bless you) Sala Kahle (Stay well)

Themba- Sipho -Njabulo VerWys

Willingness

Rob and I head out today!! There are so many different emotions flowing through me right now! I'm stressed out packing and figuring out last minute details, so ecstatic to be reunited with old friends, nervous about being the only girl on the team, and ready to see what God has in store for our time at the Family Centre. With all these different emotions all at once, the one thing I am sure of is that I am willing to go and do whatever God has for me and the team. This doesn't mean that I am or will be prepared for whatever is in store, its just that I am simply willing. I am trying to prepare myself, but how do you when you don't really know what is waiting around the corner? So I am focusing on preparing myself to have an open mind and heart and allowing myself to be uncomfortable. I need to be uncomfortable. I have been comfortable for too long and I need to feel whats its like to be out of my element and uncomfortable again.

I have been having ongoing conversations with Claire (a dear friend and wonderful British young woman who has committed three years to serving at the Family Centre) about what I can help her with during my time, and the boys have also been in conversation as Eli mentioned. Claire and I came up with a few things such as helping do more educational things with the children and helping her plan and run a Holiday Club (or VBS). My main passion for wanting to go back to South Africa in the first place is simply to encourage my friends in their ministry and aid them in whatever way they see fit to improve their ministry. The Mpophomeni Family Centre does so many wonderful things for their community, I want to remind my friends that what they are doing is incredible and needed. I want to remind them that all their hard work blesses many lives around them, including mine. I guess I want to give them a bit of a break and hold the crying baby or wash the dishes so they have a chance to sit and relax for a moment. My desire is to come alongside my friends and share some of their burden and share Christ's love with them as they share it with their community.

READY and WILLING,
Alyssa

Keeping you posted Umfowethu naUdadewethu (my Brother and sister)

Well where do I start!? Being back here is amazing! Everything my heart has needed. We are skipping the touristy feel of being here with the APU semester. We are staying in the township Mpophomeni, like I said, and that is just insanely awesome. It has to be like 40-45 degrees in the house every night bc the whole house is made of concrete. ha Fortunately we have thick blankets and a nice heater to keep us warm while we sit inside and watch movies or sleep. Lets just say... I will have had more hot coffee or rooibos in these two months than in all of my life. I am def going to walk away from this relating to the african people that much more recognizing how little they live with. 

Being at the family center is sooo great. We just had Chiraphone aka Jubulile (our World Missions director) come through for 4 days and she helped us get the ball rolling just a little bit faster. Her Zulu, cliche phrases and go getta attitude broke the ice even more for us. It was such a blessing to have her heart warming conversations and Zulu dance moves with us. I had a meeting with her, and 2 others from the Ethembeni team and I walked away with such hope.  Here is what it encompassed:

Being here for a week and a half now I have certainly noticed... a huge difference in the operation of the Family Center. It occurred to me last time here I felt like the steam in the engine for them. We gave them that extra spark... now... It is like watching the train fly by!!! Everyone has their role... everyone knows what they are doing... and there are programs set up for everything! Even down to making sure the children are empowered to learn life skills such as making their food and cleaning their dishes. There is so much life, so much color, and so much pride in what they are doing! It is amazing... but definitely an adaptation to what I was expecting based off of my last experience.

I was wondering where I was going to be making my time intentional these next 2 months... but the meeting I had with CK, and the 2 others really got my creative juices flowing. We are going to be doing some real counter cultural work. Very strategic, very tedious, and probably not very rewarding. We are going to attempt to tend to the wounds of Apartheid. Our story... APU's story... has been one of being, one of relationship, one of simply love and encouragement. This story of God honoring relationship has been a light to one of Ethembeni's director Grant Edkins (a white male S.A.'n) and he wants us to share that example of our meaningful relationships.



We have a very neutral position in both people groups and ability to relate to both parties... We don't know how we will begin to build this bridge but know that it can and will be done through God's grace. We will be targeting youth groups of white South African's and probably inviting them to come and work with us at the Family Center.... that is about all that we have thus far. Pray for strategy and discernment. We need deep insight into the hearts of S.A.'ns and more than anything a necklace of love to be our main adornment.   God's favor is upon us in this time.  

We Made it!

Sanibonani! Eli and I have made it and are getting settled down (settled down enough to remember to update our blog at least) in Mpophomeni. We have moved into our house and have been at the Family Centre for the past week. Activities and projects seem to come up spontaneously so there isn’t too much else planned at this moment just being at the Family Centre and hanging out with the children. We will keep you all updated as things come up but we are doing well and very excited to be here and at the Centre. Continue to pray for our relationships with the workers and children (and each other, Eli gets a little cranky when he doesn’t eat), safety, unity, discernment and guidance as well as our Zulu speaking skills. Talk to you all soon!

I would also like to share a quote with you that has been on my heart and mind for the past couple months in preparation for and while I have been here in South Africa. I think it describes beautifully, and in much better words than I could, the attitude one must have in doing work, namely God’s work. It has challenged and convicted me over the past few months and has begun to re-shape what I think even more so how I think.

“Precisely this becomes the contradiction in blessedness and terror: to have an omnipotent one as one’s co-worker. An omnipotent one cannot be your co-worker, a human being’s co-worker, without its signifying that you are able to do nothing at all; and on the other hand, if he is your co-worker, you are able to do everything. The strenuousness is that it is a contradiction or is simultaneous; thus you do not experience the one today and the other tomorrow. Moreover, the strenuousness is that this contradiction is not something you must be aware of once in a while but is something you must be aware of at all times. At the same moment it seems as if you are capable of everything—and a selfish thought will sneak in as if it were you who are capable—at the same moment all can be lost for you; and at the same moment the selfish thought surrenders, you can have everything again. But God is not seen, and therefore, as God uses this instrument into which a human being has made himself in self-denial, it seems as if it were the instrument that is able to do everything, and this tempts the instrument itself to understand it in that way—until he again is able to do nothing. It is hard enough to work with another human being, but to work together with the Omnipotent One! Well, in a certain sense it is quite easy, since what is he not capable of, so I can simply let him do it. The difficulty, therefore, is just that I am to work together with him, if not in any other way, then through the continual understanding that I am able to do nothing at all, something that is not understood once and for all. And it is difficult to understand this, to understand it not at the moment when one actually is unable to do anything, when one is sick, in low spirits, but to understand it at the moment when one seemingly is capable of doing everything.” Soren Kierkegaard Works of Love

The time has almost come for me now. Less than one week and I will be on my way out. Of course, I will be the one member of our team that gets the pleasure of enjoying those flights halfway across the world by myself. Hooray! Flying solo will surely have its downsides, but at least I will have plenty of time to think/pray before I arrive. It seems as if God has already been stirring in me considerably, and I haven't even left yet. As my thoughts shift to what lies ahead, I am almost immediately overwhelmed with how much there is to think about. But, what seems to be coming the the forefront above all else is a desire to have the hope of Christ remain at the center. Although there is no way of knowing what lies ahead of us, it can be said with fairly good certainty that there will be difficult parts of this trip. Living with people in their environment 24 hours a day, facing their problems alongside of them firsthand and trying to come alongside the work that God is already doing in this community inherently brings struggle. I pray that God will allow us to be relentless in this struggle. In those moments when we are empty, do not feel like loving one more day, cannot stand to hear about one more letdown, or whatever it may be, that God will sustain us. Not only to the point of surviving, but of being a source of life because we are connected to THE source of life. I desire to have a hope that does not succumb to the pressures of life, but rather is present smack dab in their midst. For I think this is where Jesus ultimately can aid us most. In the times that we are in over our heads, and there is no feasible solution because the situation is too broken, the power structures are too well-established, the diseases seem to only be multiplying.... It is precisely these moments that I think Jesus may be our hope. Literally. Because sometimes money, programs, time, and even our team will not be enough. If left up to us we likely will run out of options. So I pray that we are not our only choice. May we keep hope always. And may it not be about our team keeping hope, but rather about us and the community together reminding one another of Jesus in our midst. Because ultimately this trip is not about us. We too need to be reminded that we are not alone. So at the intersection of Emphohmeni, God, and our team, I hope that something beautiful will be found.

Much Love, Shaun Fossett c:

ThankFULLness

Mikey and I have less than 48 hours until we leave American soil... I haven't started counting the seconds yet but... I'm getting there.

Preparation for this trip seemed like it was forever ago... It is one of those moments you were planning on coming but never actually having it arrive.  Its almost as if you detach the emotions from the preparation so as to avoid wearing out your longing heart out.  But then you forgot to reattach it which leaves you in a whirlwind of emotions... Stress, eagerness, mysteriousness, restlessness, excitement, joy, and possibly the most compelling--- thankfulness.

It was a week ago to the day when my friend, Joey and I decided to spend our Sunday morning imitating Moses.  We jumped on Colby trail in nearby Glendora, CA and took a brisk walk up the trail to meet with God--- mono y God... thats all we planned.  I sat their looking over San Gabriel valley pondering a few thoughts off my observations: I see a pool in almost every backyard, a celebrating family taking pictures in their front yard for their wedding,  the stream of cars imitating a migration on the 210... a flourishing society, nonetheless.

Though I don't know much about socioeconomics, I believe I could argue that Southern California is one of the most well-to-do locations in the entire country.  And on top of that APU (my home away from home) is certainly a pretty accurate representation of our affluence in this country.

I don't know why but spending time on a mountain really gives you perspective... in more ways than the physical.  It picks you out of the rush and race of everyday life and sets you above it all as God whispers wisdom all the while.  

In a simple moment God connected a few pieces of the puzzle for me.  Coming back from South Africa last year I learned a huge lesson of gratitude.  I realized how much we really do have despite not having the iPad... (yet).  I fully embrace moments like that where you know you understand the kingdom on earth just a bit clearer.  Becoming thankful is a spiritual practice unlike any other I have experienced.

For this last week... I tried to spend the entire day remembering to thank God for the people, the blessings, the opportunities, the grace... ALL of it! Not even out loud... just through my internal dialog with God... Wow... I was so overwhelmed with how much I was having to thank God I started struggling after the first day.

Admittingly, I didn't do as well as I had hoped... but the practice of thanksgiving was so humbling and refreshing.  I never would have thought their was so much appreciation I could feel from buying a sack of groceries for $12.... Or how my friends willingly allow me to use their apartment to stay in... or how my friends would save me the gas by driving up to see me... or how amazing my parents can be for blessing me with a camera to take to South Africa... or all of my financial supporters for this trip to SOUTH AFRICA!!!! I never would have guessed the way God's love would shine so brightly through so many people and in so many situations... it is overwhelming (in a good way) when you can begin to give God all the credit you can possibly dream of.

it's simply amazing...

And the best part of it all... Go to war with your material and fleshly desires... Contradict your empty feelings... Deny your sense of unworthiness... Feel FULL again; Because the true reality underneath all of our short comings is that when you recognize the love of God within all of your gains...a life with God becomes a fountain of love and gratitude overflowing. Practicing thanksgiving might be one of the most efficient weapons against the impossible cultural and personal standards that tear you down. 

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise: give thanks to Him and praise His name" ~ Psalms 100:4

Thanks for following and praying for our team!  After our 9 hour pause and jog in Paris... Mikey and I will be in South Africa on June 2! Pray for our safe travels and protection.

Sala Kahle (Stay well)

Don't Count the Days... Make Each Day Count

So the time is drawing near. I have approximately two weeks until I head back to the beloved Republic of South Africa. Though most people have a bitter sweet feeling about 24 hour plane rides, for some reason, I can't stand the anticipation because I know what waits as soon as that plane door opens and leaks in the African sunlight. The people, the accents, the languages, the food, the culture, the smiles, the "place of love" are all things that seem to have me begging for another taste.

It helps a great deal that I have been to South Africa before.  In a way, I kind of know what I am getting myself into.  I remember that semester abroad so vividly. I remember the strong emotions that it stirred and the great personal hurdles that it urged me over. I remember the intense God-honoring relationships that touched my heart in ways I thought only intimate lovers could.  This country has countless reasons for my return and I am so excited to be able to share all my emotions and lessons with the people who are helping me return.

Back in January, I received a journal from one of my closest friends in Mpophomeni (the township where I will be serving this summer). On the cover of the journal it had a clock and a short inspirational phrase that has made a significant impression on my last 5 months, it read: "Don't Count the Days... Make Each Day Count."  That simple statement has been an inspiration to work diligently and prepare thoroughly.  Ecclesiastes 11:5-6 says this:  

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, The Maker of all things.  Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well."

God has brought rain, sunlight, and deterred the pests but still there is work to be done. His providential power is so evident in our fundraising efforts.  Our t-shirt fundraiser made over $3,000 for our team of five! It was amazing intervention like that that assures me God's hand is working for before, during and after this trip. 

Currently I still need to raise around $2,000 more dollars for this trip in only 2 weeks.  I want to extend the opportunity for you to be part of this financial harvest.  I know with certainty that God will provide in unseen and mysterious ways but this doesn't stop me from needing your assistance. Please pray fervently that God might use you as a catalyst in this ministry. I want to share with you something hopefully not to guilt you into giving but to encourage you that your giving will be rewarded.  2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says: 

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

If you feel that you might be able to bless me financially please follow these instructions to donate online:

Go to: http://www.apualumni.com/owmgive

Click: Donate (will take you to the next page)

Fill in: Add your Donor information

Donation Amount: ($ amount)

Team Member Name: (Eli Johnerson)

(scroll down)

Enter the $ amount from above next to South Africa- Resource

My family and friends, whatever your relation to me, I trust that God will bless you accordingly and meet you in your life circumstances.  It always amazes me how great a Therapist, a Surgeon, a Friend, and a Lover our God can be.  Be refreshed and renewed knowing that I thank God for your impact on my character and the impact you make on others around you. 

In Him,

Eli