Snip snip

Officially conqured my first afro "pruning" fears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sing along, “Its NOT  beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”

Ha you know this whole holiday thing away from home is a lot easier when it doesn’t actually feel anything like one knows those red fuzzy feelings to feel.  Besides some real tacky golden Santa that have been up since November  1 at the grocery store, there just really isn’t much of the ol’ season’s spirit building. The two biggest things, family and that nippy weather are nowhere to be found, thus the potential lonely girl missing home factor also remains mia. Blessings in disguise I suppose. The closest sparkly tinsel feeling Ive had so far was attending Carols in the Park, here in Muizenberg…though its still hard to believe its that merry time when the ocean waves are splashing away beyond the stage with the smell of hotdogs (bore Vorst) in the air.

Moving onto the work front, we have received some wonderful reports of previous women whom were residents of S-cape really finding their feet in their jobs and family they were placed in after leaving the home.  What a miraculous Christmas this must be for them when looking back at what Christ can do after one year. Amazing grace. 

I continue to plug away at my “how to run a safehouse manual,” lets just say the table of contents alone is 5 pages and counting. I just really believe all the more that if we can really invest in setting a solid foundation of thought out operations, this ministry will build long term pillars in the future, and I would love to see nothing more. 

We also had a night prayer vigil last Friday. I had never done anything like this before but really believe all the more, that unless Christ establishes the work that he has begun, whether we raise a million dollars to buy a house, nothing can really start to change as the root of human trafficking begins with the greedy heart of man which only Christ can change. So it was great to pray into the night about these issues that in our day to day meetings we don’t take the time to do. There are such beautifully bold and courageous prayer men and women whom I get to watch walk right up to their “Daddy’s” chair and with unwavering faith, eye to eye, and ask for what is needed. My prayers are so safe in comparison.  Thank goodness faith is a process and God is so patient. 

So tomorrow for church we are going to gather outside on one of the rare patches of green grass around here, and eat breakfast as a family. What could be better on a Sunday morning?

Lastly, in my attempt to ‘get in the festive mood’ Ive still been attempting to collect some Christmas décor. So from the second hand store I purchased home-made star decorations that I needed to be re-strung before I could put them up on my mini tree also purchased there… yep, Im really becoming the ultimate thrifter, Grandma Fast and Grandma Braun-cheers to you!

And on a feathery light note...

It is high time for some sunshiney news dont you think? I surely do! Lets even use some fancy fun bullet points after all these sermons shall we?

1. There is so much high end meat consumed around here, sausages, steaks, ostrich, and big ol pork chops that chicken is considered a bit of a common girly vegetable...infact if you dont serve meat at a meal, its been considered as a light snack
2. No joke, you know how we race dog teams through the snowy tundra...well I was walking along the beach the other day and sure enough, the rumor was true, I witnessed my first summer dog team being trained for beach races, the sled, huskies and "mush mush" sounds included!
3. My first calus appeared this morning post my first guitar lesson
4. Ive officially been here 2 months today, happy anniversary!
5. Im doing my first bridal party hair this saturday for a friend
6. I recieved my first care package full of chocolates and a hair magazine, what could be better my dear Friesen family!
7. Ive been using the guise of night to find random patches of Aloe Vera for my poor pink skin
8. The first cockroach spotting has occured in our kitchen, apparently many more along with the summer season
9. Im leaving in 20 minuets to bring my first hair model to a local salon to "show them what Ive got" a little extra deoderent to be applied
10. Finally, yesterday a dear friend of mine prayed for a new light hearted spirit of peace to replace this heavy weighted heart Ive been carrying around here since Ive arrived...and honestly in that moment carrying through till this morning, Ive got a feathery light peace inside and even working its way outside, physically affecting even my body as the once constantly rumpled forehead of mine has relaxed into a calm, easy and open demeanor. Today when Ive smiled, I really mean it. It feels really good. The COOLEST part is that during the time she was praying I kept getting this picture of all these lovely feathers falling around me and in me. The thing is, before she had prayed for me, her and her prayer team received this word picture for the evening that the Holy Spirit was going to use feathers to joyfully tickle and bring a light hearted peace to the spiritual feet of those that came to be prayed for that evening. AS if!!

So breathe in breathe out, your prayers, my prayers, are not in vain. Thankyou thankyou thankyou!
Love, Char

Sighhh

Im sitting in the sun on one of the first hot Muizenberg afternoons...should probably apply some screen but then think why not get a little pink just to say I can?

So in take a look at Hosea 6 with me,
``Come, let us return to the Lord, For he has torn un, that he may heal us; He has struck us down, and he will bind us up...he will revive us...he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord: his going out is sure as the dawn;he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth``.

Very personally, this is what He`s doing in my heart. As he`s brought me to this place where everything is new, where very little is what I expected, any last legs of self preservation, strength, confidence in my abilities or experiences have run out of speed. Im at his mercy. And its scary. My pride, guilt, self-condemation and judgement of 1000 people a day is so alive and well and ugly.    And his grace is way too good for me. You know when all you want to do is get away from yourself, but the thing is you keep following you around, no matter now fast you run. 
So never mind am only I stuck with me, but Christ is stuck with me...and he`s been whispering to me that he wouldnt have it any other way.

He`s telling me to trust him, that he wants to grow my faith and there`s no short cut. No matter how I feel about myself, He knows my heart better than I do, (``For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything``(1John 3:20) and has a plan to make me the  `` crown of beauty in his hand``(Is 62:3) that he has had in mind for me before he started ``knitting me intricately together in my mom`s womb (Ps 139:13).``

Yesterday I met  a beautiful sunshiny director of a women's shelter who started our meeting with taking a page from the American thanksgiving holiday and led out in giving thanks for a million things in her life. She beams the gentle, humble light of Christ as she does this. Then, during her presentation she mentions the death of her sister last week, like LAST WEEK. Ive met several folks like this since being here, though outwardly their stories are horrific, there is the sweetest Spirit of hope in things unseen pouring out from the inside, as they have leant to trust in the love of Christ, especially in circumstances when it makes the least sense. Though miraculous healings or instant answers to prayer are incredible, this daily resolve to give genuine thanks in all circumstances is the most beautiful, indisputable work of God that I`ve ever seen in process. There is nothing logical about this, but ``but for the joy set before him, He endured``.(12:2).
Despite every inch of inadequacy I see in me, I have a hunch this is the deeply rooted path of rich faith Christ is leading me, leading you, towards.
How his hopes can be this big for us is beyond me.
Praise Him who is Faithful when we are faithless.

Sorry for these less then fluffy and fun last few reports...if you`ve stuck with me til now, you truly are walking in this with me and I deeply thank-you.
Love, Char

Wkd shots and thoughts

Living the Dream

My avocado that is bursting open after only 1 month...versus 9 months of waiting on my plant at home to show a crack

Looking down on the view of my stomping grounds from the heights of Muizenberg Mtn

A Couple Six in the AM thoughts...

So there’s few questions that keep coming to mind this week, as our ministries’ construction zone keeps breaking up more ground.  It feels like things are starting from scratch in a lot of areas and we are wondering in which direction God is taking us on often at days end.

First question, as only God knows when this whole transition period will actually transition, and the pestering thought of “what meaningful work did I actually achieve today” keeps daily pestering, this quiet voice also said yesterday, “what if I brought you all the way to South Africa to accomplish nothing more than to receive my love?” 

“WHAT whoa Jesus do tell how could I measure that on the successful missionary scale to my supporters? I mean getting to know who You are and how You work are great and all but IVE GOT STUFF TO DO…LIKE NO I KNOW HOW THIS MUST SOUND BUT REALLY, JESUS IVE GOT A SERIOUS AGENDA TO ATTEND TO HERE…”

 I’ve been on this journey of God challenging me to consider what “success” really is. How much do I really equate my worth in my eyes, others eyes and Gods eyes according to whether I feel like I have worked hard enough, and accomplished something significant. I’m hitting the old wall of being challenged to accept a new, undeserved grace in this present situation. The thing is I will be no more loved or significant in his eyes no matter what I do or do not accomplish.

He loves me because that’s who He is and what I was created to know, receive and express back to him. So my pride needs to take a hit one more time and realize whom his love rests on has nothing to do with any of our actions.  I could have the most successful ministry here, but if my heart is not operating first out of the love Christ has for me, I might as well come home for a merry Christmas. And of course this is true where or in whatever we put our hands to, with or without a fancy missionary title.

So then, second question, how does one go about receiving the love of Jesus Christ? Its going to be the work of his Holy Spirit in each of us individually, drawing us deeper into his heart as we seek him out, wholeheartedly with our body, mind and spirit. “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it,” quotes the Psalmist of 81. Are our mouths and eyes eagerly open to taste and see Him anywhere, are we daily going to the word, asking Him for an appetite for his love to satisfy us above all other relationships or substances this world offers us?

My friends, together let us pursue his love until “it is better than life,” (Ps 63:3) the ultimate achievement.

A new reality

My family,
What is a new reality for me, is not so for many of our Nigerian brother and sisters here. A wonderful pastor couple (Jacob and Juliet) and their two young sons whom are very supportive of us personally in prayer and encouragment and for the S-cape ministry, have just recieved some horrific news. The persecution of Christians in a primarily Muslim area in Nigeria where they are from, has been heightened severely in the last year with many dying by bullets or bombs. Many Christians are terrified and are not going to church sunday mornings as it is common for cars, with a bomb attached, to be run into the side of church buildings while sunday services are being conducted.
This weekend Jacob's brother, a successful engineer and faithful follower of Christ, was shot in the head as he was followed coming home from work. His wife and two children need to leave as flee as quickly as they can as things are especially not safe for them now.

Pray especially for our family in these ways:
-That Christ would comfort deeply in this time of darkness and pain
-That the wife and children could escape to a safe place
-Due to unavailable funds, Jacob and Juliet have no choice but to stay here and grieve apart from their family, so pray too that the light of Christ would feed their they souls with hope

1 Peter 4:19
Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 

It is a privilege to share these burdens from one family to another. Thank you.
Char

Shnetja and South Africa Picnic Well Together

Picnic posing...Dont fret, Claudia, my beautiful encourager and Malawian queen will capture those surfing pics that have been under huge demand shortly

Yep thats right, shnetja (spell?) (moms best menno buscuit) on the beach where it belongs!