Art, Ministry and Ice Cream

Argentina—A country of sophistication. A place of Latin and European culture… A place where the kids are lost. Graffiti litters the walls. Evenings are for cruising and hanging out in the streets. And the schools are closed to the gospel.

Through an exchange of art and drama, the schools of Zarate opened their doors to us. We did short presentations on making good choices in life through drama and testimony, and then invited the kids to our evening art clinics. Our team from CBU did clinics in photography, painting, drawing, literature and drama. Relationships were formed and lives changed. Each night we spoke on a different theme from the Book of Hope. We personalized it with testimonies and then encouraged the kids to express themselves in their chosen discipline.

In the end we held an art exhibition as well as a concert night. The mother of a young man, Emmanuel, wrote a letter to us. Thanking us for spending time with her son and in awe over the change in his life and attitude in just a few short days. Another young girl sat with one of our team members, Janai and asked some of life’s difficult questions. It was no accident that Janai had wrestled with the same questions in the past. And it was a joy to see the photography clinic wrap up their sessions with prayer for salvation. I will not forget the faces or the names of the ones that came regularly and showed an interest not only in art but the transformation message.

Another note about Argentina: the ice cream is hands down the best in the world. And so is the beef. If you visit Argentina learn two words and you will go home happy: Helado and Asada

The CBU team in front of a mural they also got to paint.

More Photos @: www.flickr.com/photos/kimart4ch

A Child Shall Lead Them

Our month in Namibia has come to a close and one thing I have learned is that the hope of Africa really does lie in its young people. At one school we learned that the average life expectancy for Namibians is 43 years!

We traveled all over this country talking to learners and asking a lot of questions about family, relationships, sex, lifestyle, religion and beliefs. We have given 4,000 surveys, in classrooms and halls. We have entered the information into spreadsheets and even through someone else will be interpreting the data; we can see the results ourselves in the numbers. The number of parents that are dead is staggering, the religious beliefs vs. lifestyle practices do not add up; the number of kids that have had sex and read or view pornography points to some real problems. The final report will go to the ministry of education as well as to pastors and youth workers around this country so that future ministry can target the real needs of todays children.

It wasn’t a glamorous task…it is hot and sandy here. Some of the schools were hard to get to. However, my off-road driving skills have improved. There was heavy flooding on one area and lots of mosquitoes. But the teens have all been precious and eager to talk to us afterwards. Most classes were well behaved, with a few challenges here and there. I actually had a boy arrested during the middle of one of my sessions! But we know that the results of this survey will in the end help to raise-up a new generation that will hopefully live past 43 years and lead not just with knowledge of God but with deep revelation.

I know that this experience has changed the way I will approach future ministry in any country.

Every Sunday is a new experience. We find ourselves in all types of churches with all different kinds of rituals and languages and often times we are the ones speaking. However, several of our church experiences have given us hope for Namibia. At Ombili Assembly it was encouraging to spend Easter with a Missionary friend, Melissa McSurdy, but also see the young people rising up to help in ministry. At a Four-Square church in Ongwediva the worship time was so powerfully led by a nine year old boy. And at a service in Swakopmund, there was a six year old, very capably, playing the keyboard. And so we have seen with our own eyes the destruction of the enemy but also hope for Namibia’s future.

The Road to Hope

Travel with us as bump along on a dusty gravel road out to the rural townships of South Africa. See the multitude of children streaming down the roads towards their school among the goats and cows. Watch the lines of children all wearing the colors of their school uniform in various conditions. See the ones with beautiful weaves and others with their head shorn close and sores upon their bodies. See their smiling faces and hear the laughter when we introduce ourselves in a humorous manner. Look into their eyes edged with pain as we talk about our lives and how they relate it to theirs. Listen to their questions as they come up to us after a presentation asking for answers to some of life’s tough questions. See the look of gratitude when we give them God’s word, an encouraging word and our prayers. Travel back down those bumpy roads to the next school and the next and the next. Chug on some water in the hot sun, wipe the sweat from your brow, pray for the children you’ve touched that day and know that God’s word does not return void.

We as Book of Hope Missionaries travel the road to hope every day. God’s Word, Every Child is a reality. I wish I could take you with me. It is quite the sight to behold. I love it when the children get it. When a young girl can relate to our stories and can find hope in our message. When a young person finds the courage to make a change in their life, to stand up to what they know is right and make the difficult choices. When a rowdy crowd of teenagers silence their shouts and strain to listen to our words. I love it when a team member completely surrenders themselves to the Lord and the words that come out of their mouths speak more than they ever would on their own. We are tired at the end of the day, but it the happy kind of tired, one of thanks to God for the privilege of carrying his word to the nations.

Pray for us as we travel around Namibia the next several weeks. We will be working on a research project that will help serve several ministries in the future. This survey will help target the real needs of that country.

Don't forget to visit our team site @ http://www.nomadsouthafrica08.blogspot.com/

Speaking with the Learners

One of my favorite parts of this experience has been speaking with the learners (the South African term for students) one-on-one or in small groups. We started our ministry on the West Coast in the town of Vredenburg (A fishing town on the Atlantic side). Among our regular schools we were able to visit and then follow-up at a boarding school for troubled kids. We got to listen to, speak the word over and pray with several of the young girls and boys. The first night only four of us went to meet with the boys. We thought we were going to just video tape a few testimonies, what followed was a God-sized encounter. The next thing we knew the four of us were speaking to a group of 150 boys. The things that were coming out of our mouths amazed even us. 120 of those boys made commitments to change their lives. The next night we all went to minister to the girls. After 80 of the 90 or so girls prayed the sinner’s prayer with us, we had a time of one-on-one prayer. We prayed for at least a dozen girls each. Their stories were devastating, but it was a blessing to leave them with the one thing that could help them….Jesus. We returned again just to hang out with the girls and love them and pray with them some more. Soon some of the regular schools were inviting us back to talk to the students in small groups. We were able to speak specifically to their questions about life and the God we serve. It was great to encourage them.

We then drove back to the East-side of the country to a town called Phalaborwa. It is on the outskirts of Kruger National Park (Mozambique is on the other side of the park and the Indian Ocean). We have seen a lot of wild animals…hippos, crocs, warthogs, monkeys and elephants from a distance. But the most precious thing in this area is its children. We got to spend some extended time in one such school, where an unfortunate but common harassment incident happened, speaking with the seventh graders in small groups. We spoke about our presentation, the Book of Hope, issues they face, their lives, and of course they are always interested in our travels, America, and how many famous people we have met.

Pray for these children, they are the future of South Africa and this world.

More photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/kimart4ch

South Africa_The Farm

What a beautiful country! We arrived after a very long flight and have been spending the last few weeks at Shikwaru, a game farm near Mokopane (in the Limpopo province, NorthEast corner of SA). We are a team of ten: Jeremy, Ashley, Kate, Andrea, Jen, Jade, Jessica, Drew, JP and myself. Half of us are Response Team leaders (a few of us in training) and the other half are Nomads or Interns.

The last few weeks, we have been training at the “farm” for our ministry as well as doing a lot of spiritual discipleship, but all that will come to an end as we head out to the Eastern Cape for a few weeks. We will be in schools in an area two hours north of Cape Town. It will be a two day drive to get there with two vehicles, one pulling a trailer. Later we will be going to the NorthEast Cape and then over to Namibia for ministry. (Yes, that is a lot of driving, pray for safe travels! However, we do have six drivers.)

Living on a game farm has been an incredible experience. The night skies are amazing! Daily seeing herds of Impala, Wildbeast, Blessbuck, Zebras, Giraffes, Warthogs and more. The rains have made everything very green. The grasses are high making it hard to see a lot of game, but not impossible.

We had a once in a lifetime experience our first weekend here when we got to help move their two Cape Buffalo (one of the big 5) from one area to another. A helicopter herded them to the fence where they darted them. Once they dropped we got to see and touch them up close. A vet checked them over (the female is with calf) and then they partially woke them up and literally pulled them across to the other fenced area. Later in the day they wanted to try and herd some Blessbuck and Impala over to a different area. We all hid in the tall grass as the helicopter herded them to a channel area between fences, then we were to close in the area like a human net, but they would not pass the fence line. However, the helicopter pilot blessed us all with rides over the farm, two at a time.

We have an official web site that will contain some video:

www.nomadsouthafrica08.blogspot.com

And now the ministry begins, we are ready…

New Web Site/Blog for a New Year

Hi friend
Welcome to my new web site and blog. I had to discontinue my web site and I really wanted to change over my blog to one that was easier to use for you and me. This is it! I also finally got my web address to work on this site...so now the address on my prayer card finally links to something!

Just a quick update on my next assignment. I will be going to South Africa for three and half months at the end of January. I will be in country for exactly 100 days. (with two days travel on both ends). Here is a link to where we will be spending our first three weeks in South Africa for a time of intensive training. http://shikwarugamelodge.co.za/home.asp. We will then be moving around the country doing ministry in the schools. Book of Hope partners with Reaching a Generation, a group of South Africans whose vision is to reach 22,000,000 children by 2015. You can check them out at http://rag.org.za/Home.asp. We will have a videographer on the trip, so there maybe opportunities to post some clips online for you to see. I will alert you to that when it happens. In the meantime, please pray for our team of 11 or 12 as we get together for the first time in a few weeks; that we will have immediate unity and chemistry. Pray for the kids that we will be reaching, our travels; both in the air and as we drive around the country, and that everyone will be healthy throughout the duration of the trip.

I am excited about what 2008 will bring so come along with me on this journey.

THANKSgiving in the UK

November 2007-- After a week in Stafford and Stoke-on-Kent, England with a Book of Hope Impact team (during the week of Thanksgiving) I’ve compiled a list of the things I am thankful for. Enjoy!

• SNOW. More specifically, seeing the joy on the face of a new Brazilian friend, Thiago as he experienced snow for the first time.
• 25 Middle-schoolers from Swan Bank Church, who now have a relationship with the Lord, including a young boy by the name of Dale.
• The primary schools who welcomed us with open arms allowing us to do a full program on anti-bullying and to go classroom to classroom to talk to them in smaller groups.
• The love, acceptance and questions of the pre-school and elementary age children.
• The Y7 RE classes (Middle School, Religious Education) that allowed us to come in and take over their class. The openness of the students and their great questions.
• For the students we met like Amie, Tom, Stephen, & Gwen; Shining lights in their schools.
• For great church workers who spend their time with these kids to help them discover truth: Sam & Amy (who also helped opened many doors for us)
• The ability to communicate with these kids without a translator (which kept us on our toes)
  


• The “Thanksgiving” spaghetti dinner provided by Swan Bank Church and our wonderful team from places like Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Brazil and Liverpool, UK to share it with…
• Our home base at UCB; their wonderful facilities and the great work that they are doing to reach Great Britain with the gospel through radio and television. And their partnership with Book of Hope.
• Our host, van driver, ministry partner extraordinare: Carl, who has a big heart for the children and youth of the UK and whose enthusiasm is contagious.

I am also very thankful for the opportunities and privilege to bring HOPE to kids all over the world and those who partner with me in this work. (those that pray, give and keep in contact). Thank You

PS. We were not allowed to take photos of the children in the schools but team photos and our afternoon in Chester can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimart4ch/