“..when we are whole, we are nurtured by what has been invested in us, and at the same time freely give of ourselves to others”
Erwin McManus (Uprising: Revolution of the Soul)
When I look back at what I have seen the Lord do here, and when I reevaluate the reasons I think the Lord has had me be on this trip, I know it was to grow me as someone who lives out of a generous spirit. I haven’t always been a faithful steward with the resources the Lord has given me, especially with finances. As many of us know, when you come face-to-face with needs, not wants, you begin to realize that there is greater purpose for your things and money besides that which fades away. I want to live from a place that sees the bigger picture and doesn’t fall prey to the petty things of this world. I desperately want an IPhone and I want a new car, but being in a place like this, I see other people who NEED shelter, who NEED an education, who NEED food and clothes. Again, needs versus wants… BIG difference. IPhones and cars aren’t bad at all.. I’m not out for judgement or to promote the unbalanced “new monasticism” that many are following, but at this point in my life they aren’t needs for me. As you’ve noticed in previous posts, The Lord has opened my eyes to so much other than myself. It’s been rooted in me since my first summer in Brazil and its now bearing fruit in this season of my life.
I’m beginning to see needs that could easily be met if we did church like Acts,
“They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he needed. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts Chapter 2 Verse 42)
Further in Acts, Luke says,
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had… There were no needy persons among him” (Ch. 4 verse 32)
(sidenote: I’m sitting here with one of my roommates and I mention I’m writing on this verse and she quickly blurts “good Lord! If we could only get ONE of those things.. forget selling our possessions, lets just actually be able to get together and have glad and sincere hearts!” she’s right. Lord, give us strength to accomplish even part of this.)
I’m not telling you to sell your house, although that’d be really cool. I’m just suggesting that we begin living selfless, open-handed lives that are open to sacrifice as the Spirit leads. I mean seriously, what would it look like if there were "no needy persons among us? WHOA. The truth is: none of our money.. our clothes, our cars, our food.. none of that even belongs to us. It’s all God’s, it’s just on lend to us.. he trusts us to make good decisions and be faithful with what he has given us.
I’ve got some ideas on how we can start. It’s a rough draft.. I certainly have no seminary/charity/administrative training and I could be going about this all the wrong way.. but I’m just going to be bold and go where the Lord tells me. Hopefully I’m walking with this in the right direction! (if you do have training or experience, I would LOVE your help.. seriously).
Since I’ve been here in Africa, there have been many people who have come to me and privately asked for help. For others of them, their needs are just obvious. These needs range from school fees, to water pipes for their homes. While I would have loved to have given to these people right when they asked, it wasn’t financially possible. I’ve wrestled with taking it on personally and have thought of every option to get them everything they desire, but I simply can’t do it alone. Many of you have emailed me and asked how you could be a part of ministries here. I know your faithful giving first-hand and would love for you to jump in with me as we live out those verses above for my friends here. So, take a look at these needs below.. search your heart and see if the Lord is calling you to be a part of any of these. If He is, I promise you won’t regret it. If not, your prayers are just as treasured (if not more) than your pocketbook.
Opportunities to Give:
** Tapiwa and Itai: Living Expenses **
Tapiwa and Itai are the brother/sister refugee pair from Zimbabwe. I’ve written about them a lot here and they are such special friends to me. If you’re into international news at all, you’ve seen the crisis that currently exists in Zimbabwe. If not, click here. They are under the rule of a very corrupt government, with their president using his power to cause major struggles and discord. Tapiwa and Itai were campaigning for th
e opposition party when things in their village became the scene for much of what you’re seeing on tv, home invasions and cruel murder of anyone who opposes the corrupt system of government. Tapiwa and Itai were doing just that.. campaigning for justice and peace. They left home to protect their families safety, and moved in with their sister in a nearby city. As the situation worsened, they eventually fled to Johannesburg where they waited and lived for 4 weeks in the bus station. Itai remembered that during a sermon at her church one day, an evangelist from Joburg had given out her phone number. She realized she had scribbled it down in the back of her bible, got it out, and made a call with a blind hope that this evangelist would answer. She did, and that lady is my friend Wapi (pictured and blogged about here). Wapi brought them here to Pretoria and they are living with us while establishing residency and refugee status here in South Africa. Again, if you keep up with the news, that’s no easy task. South Africa is unfortunately in crisis over their own xenophobia, which is the fear of foreigners. They are also out for any people coming from other countries within Africa. It’s been a nasty situation.. Tapiwa was stopped and sought out at a road block but escaped unharmed. This whole thing is a God story, my friends. Amidst it all they have kept such strength and joy.. its remarkable and very unreal to me. They know and love the Lord and it has been a blessing to watch. However, they have many needs. Right now, they have no money. We have purchased them a cell phone and a calling card so that they could call their mom and let them know (after 7 ½ weeks.. eeek.. try that on for size, mom!) that they are ok and in safe hands. Other than those possessions and some 5th hand missionary clothing, they have nothing.. and I mean nothing. They need shampoo, soap, lotion, hairbrushes, blankets, medicine, essentials for daily living, etc. Alabanza has taken them on staff, which means they eat, bathe, and sleep for free because they do work on the property. However, you don’t earn any money you just live on what they have here. They need money and desire to have jobs that bring them some financial gain. They can’t get into town because they need 12Rand a day to get a roundtrip ticket into town. Their needs may seem small to you, but they are big to them. They believe that God will provide.. if their story has moved you to give, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.
** Gugu’s school: Expansion Costs **
In my post-swazi post, you met GuGu, the lady who started the River of Life Christian school in the squatter camp. She is an amazing woman who has sacrificed her life to educate the poorest of the poor. She herself has no money and has a stipend that she sometimes gets. She has no car, she walks or comes by bus to her school everyday. When I think of her, the word fighter comes to mind. She fights for her children and has made them her priority. It’s obvious too, these children feel treasured and accepted in her presence (something they don’t feel anywhere else). We were sitting with her one day last week and we just started asking her about her dreams. We asked her “if you could do anything, be anywhere, what would you do and where would you go?” She said confidently “I’m
right where I’m supposed to be”. Of course she said that! I’m sure you can picture us as we kept saying, “but really…” .. but she maintained her answer. She wouldn’t choose any other way of life. Thanks to a church sponsor the kids were able to get uniforms this year. The next movement for the school is to expand. The picture to the left is the school where they currently hold class. It works, but the holes and open air often make it difficult for learning. Her vision is to open a boarding school and take these children out of the squatter camp. She desires to teach them life skills and responsibilities to prepare them for the real world. THIS IS HUGE. No one I have met in Swazi cares enough or is willing enough to invest in children like this. These kids are the future of this dying nation, and they could be the very thing that turns it all around. She caught vision of this boarding school from The Lord nearly a year ago, but has no incoming support to even start the process. She already has the land where it can be built, she just needs to cover construction costs as well as the furnishings… daily expenses like eating and water will factor in as time goes on. Right now, she said she could build the 4-room building for 10,000 Rand. That is $1298.70 in America. It’s so do-able. If the River of Life story has moved you to give, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.
**Sachile: School Fees**
Sachile is the cutest little guy around. He was the 13th member of our team last year, doing most things as we did. He lived directly behind our homestead and some mornings we would find him dirty as if he had slept outside. We had no confirmation if he had in fact been kicked out of his house, but we know that the situation in his home was not good.
The only family we knew he had was his grandfather, and what we heard about him wasn’t a healthy environment for a 7 year old. He is a special little guy who needs direction and guidance as he grows. Being parentless with no discipline or boundaries leaves a lot of room for pushing the limits. One of the AIM staffers told me that he needs the rest of his school fees to finish the year. He is attending now, but he has to stop if no one picks up this need. I know that there are different organizations involved in school placements in this area of Swaziland, but I’m not sure if he will continue to fall under their work or not. Just in case, I have placed his need here and if you’d like to keep him in school, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.
**Ncobile- University School Sponsorship**
Also in my “Releasing Expectations” post, I introduced you to my friend Ncobile. I don’t know how to describe her adequately, she is truly one of those people that you can’t find words to describe.. ask anyone who has met her. It is a blessing to call her friend, she is so much more to me than so
meone I know in Swaziland. She has been a faithful sister to me this year and I feel it a blessing to share life with her. She is so wise and desires NOTHING more than to be with the Lord. AIM (adventures in missions) has taken her on staff and she is currently in their discipleship program. She spends her days between driving around American teams in the big AIM van and discipling the youth in villages around Swazi. At one point last year, we were really seeking the Lord on having her come to America for a while.. and after much prayer we knew it wasn’t right. Ncobile wrote me one day, “theres just too much for me to do here.. it’s not time”. She isn’t running from the hardships that are pressing on her and her people, she is pressing into the hardships with strength from the Lord. I’m telling you, this girl is unreal.
Just before leaving Swazi last week, she opened her heart and became vulnerable about what she really felt the Lord was calling her to do. The Lord has been telling Ncobile that she was to go to school (university) to pursue her dream of Child Psychology. She said the Lord told her he would provide the finances, that she just needed to trust him. Then during our conversation, she broke down, saying that missionary after missionary had promised to send her the money, and hadn’t followed through. She was faithful in having the humility to ask, but they never came through with their end of the deal. After 2 years of waiting, she knows this is still the Lord’s will for her life and she’s waiting to see it come to life. Let’s come around her and support her dream of counseling the broken children of Swaziland.. that’s no small calling. If you feel led to give, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.
** Tapiwa and Itai: Living Expenses **
Tapiwa and Itai are the brother/sister refugee pair from Zimbabwe. I’ve written about them a lot here and they are such special friends to me. If you’re into international news at all, you’ve seen the crisis that currently exists in Zimbabwe. If not, click here. They are under the rule of a very corrupt government, with their president using his power to cause major struggles and discord. Tapiwa and Itai were campaigning for th
e opposition party when things in their village became the scene for much of what you’re seeing on tv, home invasions and cruel murder of anyone who opposes the corrupt system of government. Tapiwa and Itai were doing just that.. campaigning for justice and peace. They left home to protect their families safety, and moved in with their sister in a nearby city. As the situation worsened, they eventually fled to Johannesburg where they waited and lived for 4 weeks in the bus station. Itai remembered that during a sermon at her church one day, an evangelist from Joburg had given out her phone number. She realized she had scribbled it down in the back of her bible, got it out, and made a call with a blind hope that this evangelist would answer. She did, and that lady is my friend Wapi (pictured and blogged about here). Wapi brought them here to Pretoria and they are living with us while establishing residency and refugee status here in South Africa. Again, if you keep up with the news, that’s no easy task. South Africa is unfortunately in crisis over their own xenophobia, which is the fear of foreigners. They are also out for any people coming from other countries within Africa. It’s been a nasty situation.. Tapiwa was stopped and sought out at a road block but escaped unharmed. This whole thing is a God story, my friends. Amidst it all they have kept such strength and joy.. its remarkable and very unreal to me. They know and love the Lord and it has been a blessing to watch. However, they have many needs. Right now, they have no money. We have purchased them a cell phone and a calling card so that they could call their mom and let them know (after 7 ½ weeks.. eeek.. try that on for size, mom!) that they are ok and in safe hands. Other than those possessions and some 5th hand missionary clothing, they have nothing.. and I mean nothing. They need shampoo, soap, lotion, hairbrushes, blankets, medicine, essentials for daily living, etc. Alabanza has taken them on staff, which means they eat, bathe, and sleep for free because they do work on the property. However, you don’t earn any money you just live on what they have here. They need money and desire to have jobs that bring them some financial gain. They can’t get into town because they need 12Rand a day to get a roundtrip ticket into town. Their needs may seem small to you, but they are big to them. They believe that God will provide.. if their story has moved you to give, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.** Gugu’s school: Expansion Costs **
In my post-swazi post, you met GuGu, the lady who started the River of Life Christian school in the squatter camp. She is an amazing woman who has sacrificed her life to educate the poorest of the poor. She herself has no money and has a stipend that she sometimes gets. She has no car, she walks or comes by bus to her school everyday. When I think of her, the word fighter comes to mind. She fights for her children and has made them her priority. It’s obvious too, these children feel treasured and accepted in her presence (something they don’t feel anywhere else). We were sitting with her one day last week and we just started asking her about her dreams. We asked her “if you could do anything, be anywhere, what would you do and where would you go?” She said confidently “I’m
right where I’m supposed to be”. Of course she said that! I’m sure you can picture us as we kept saying, “but really…” .. but she maintained her answer. She wouldn’t choose any other way of life. Thanks to a church sponsor the kids were able to get uniforms this year. The next movement for the school is to expand. The picture to the left is the school where they currently hold class. It works, but the holes and open air often make it difficult for learning. Her vision is to open a boarding school and take these children out of the squatter camp. She desires to teach them life skills and responsibilities to prepare them for the real world. THIS IS HUGE. No one I have met in Swazi cares enough or is willing enough to invest in children like this. These kids are the future of this dying nation, and they could be the very thing that turns it all around. She caught vision of this boarding school from The Lord nearly a year ago, but has no incoming support to even start the process. She already has the land where it can be built, she just needs to cover construction costs as well as the furnishings… daily expenses like eating and water will factor in as time goes on. Right now, she said she could build the 4-room building for 10,000 Rand. That is $1298.70 in America. It’s so do-able. If the River of Life story has moved you to give, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.**Sachile: School Fees**
Sachile is the cutest little guy around. He was the 13th member of our team last year, doing most things as we did. He lived directly behind our homestead and some mornings we would find him dirty as if he had slept outside. We had no confirmation if he had in fact been kicked out of his house, but we know that the situation in his home was not good.
The only family we knew he had was his grandfather, and what we heard about him wasn’t a healthy environment for a 7 year old. He is a special little guy who needs direction and guidance as he grows. Being parentless with no discipline or boundaries leaves a lot of room for pushing the limits. One of the AIM staffers told me that he needs the rest of his school fees to finish the year. He is attending now, but he has to stop if no one picks up this need. I know that there are different organizations involved in school placements in this area of Swaziland, but I’m not sure if he will continue to fall under their work or not. Just in case, I have placed his need here and if you’d like to keep him in school, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.**Ncobile- University School Sponsorship**
Also in my “Releasing Expectations” post, I introduced you to my friend Ncobile. I don’t know how to describe her adequately, she is truly one of those people that you can’t find words to describe.. ask anyone who has met her. It is a blessing to call her friend, she is so much more to me than so
meone I know in Swaziland. She has been a faithful sister to me this year and I feel it a blessing to share life with her. She is so wise and desires NOTHING more than to be with the Lord. AIM (adventures in missions) has taken her on staff and she is currently in their discipleship program. She spends her days between driving around American teams in the big AIM van and discipling the youth in villages around Swazi. At one point last year, we were really seeking the Lord on having her come to America for a while.. and after much prayer we knew it wasn’t right. Ncobile wrote me one day, “theres just too much for me to do here.. it’s not time”. She isn’t running from the hardships that are pressing on her and her people, she is pressing into the hardships with strength from the Lord. I’m telling you, this girl is unreal.Just before leaving Swazi last week, she opened her heart and became vulnerable about what she really felt the Lord was calling her to do. The Lord has been telling Ncobile that she was to go to school (university) to pursue her dream of Child Psychology. She said the Lord told her he would provide the finances, that she just needed to trust him. Then during our conversation, she broke down, saying that missionary after missionary had promised to send her the money, and hadn’t followed through. She was faithful in having the humility to ask, but they never came through with their end of the deal. After 2 years of waiting, she knows this is still the Lord’s will for her life and she’s waiting to see it come to life. Let’s come around her and support her dream of counseling the broken children of Swaziland.. that’s no small calling. If you feel led to give, please pray and contact me at lowrylg@gmail.com. As soon as I get your email we will go from there.
I'm praying that as The Lord leads, you and I will take an active role in meeting the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Some ‘giving’ verses to pray on:
“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” 1 John 3:17
“He has told you O man what is good and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God..” Micah 6:8
As Paul is speaking on the cheerful giver he says, “.. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:12-15
“Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless, maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy: deliver them from the hands of the wicked” Psalm 82:3
Let me end by saying that I don’t want to be the one who comes to westernize this world and make it something that its not. This is NOT about handouts.. these people have meant so much to me and the Lord has made known to me their hearts. Know that these needs are not selfish, but are crucial to their lives and to the advancement of the Kingdom. Of course, these are not the only ones in need.. just the ones the Lord has shared with me.
Let’s pray about blessing them together.
-Lee
2 comments:
Lord, let this take off!!
I can't wait to see this happen.. I LOVE YOU!
WOW! I am sitting here reading this at work in tears. What a powerful message. Please let me know what I can do. I am so proud of you and your work. I love you.
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