Sugar cane fields and a Pet zebra

Earlier this month I, along with two other journeymen, was able to go away for the weekend and visit a missionary family, the Warrens, who work in SWAZILAND. It is a beautful country with many gorgeous mountains and hills; the Warrens minister among the people who live and work on Sugar Cane fields. On Friday when we arrived, we visited the Swazi Candle factory (of course I did a bit of shopping here for some very beautiful hand crafted candles), and Friday night we spent time with the Warren family watching movies and playing Wii (I won Bowling!). On Saturday, we had lunch with Hobbs, the pet zebra at a local country club; we then took time to find our grade school roots and played on the swing set and giant slide. Saturday night the guys grilled out, and we had steak! It was yummy! Sunday morning we were able to attend village church where the Warrens minister; the church is in a woman's living room, and they squeezed about 40 people in there. Please pray for the Warren family and their ministry and the people of Swaziland.

The Freaks, the troubled, the weirdo....What does God see?

Yes, before you ask; this is me. This was Freak Night at youth; if you can't tell I dressed up as a Gothic. We dressed up as anyone or anything that our society labels as a "freak" "weird" "outcast" ... The youth really got into it; some of them dressed up as homeless people, prostitutes, nerds, punks, businessmen; it was quite interesting to say the least! We even had a Freak Fashion Show and awarded the "Best Dressed Freak." That Friday night at youth we talked about seeing everyone through God's eyes. Why do we judge? What does it mean to be "not normal"? There is a story behind the faces, the clothes, the tattoos, the business suits.... but many times we walk right by them ignoring them or even commenting on their appearance writing them off as "weird" never even thinking about praying for that soul who may be hurting and searching for an eternal hope to fill the void they have inside....Next time you go to take a second glance at that person who doesn't fit into YOUR idea of normal why not take that opportunity to pray for them and maybe even take a moment out of your busy day to offer a smile or speak an encouraging word....you never know how your actions could change eternity!

Inside the gates, behind the bars, and on the streets

I would like to take you on a journey during one of my recent weeks of working with the youth at Lyndhurst Baptist Church; God’s faithfulness can be seen even when I encounter circumstances that are WAY bigger than me. Some of you may recall my asking prayer for a group of guys that I referred to as GPG (God’s Potential Gang) who are heading down a dangerous road. Last month three of them were arrested for assault; they got into a fight with another guy in the neighborhood. After spending a night in jail, they were released and told to appear in court in a week; that night after they were released Tshepi and I went to talk with each of the guys. We didn’t really know if they were listening or not since they were very tired from standing the night before crammed in a jail cell and were still processing everything that had happened. After talking to them and listening to the emotions they were experiencing (or lack thereof), we went to drop the guys off at home since it was getting late. (Let me stop here and explain something. In Johannesburg, it is very difficult to get inside people’s homes because of the physical gates everyone puts up due to the high crime in the area and also the emotional guard people build around themselves. Hence, we never actually know what is going on in the home lives of the youth except for what they are willing to share. We (Tshepi and I) are very close to the youth, but we had yet to be invited into homes by the parents themselves; this is a very difficult obstacle to overcome. We had been praying for an opportunity to begin building relationships with two of the mothers of the guys in GPG specifically by name…we just didn’t know it was going to take a court date for this to happen).

We pulled up to the gate to drop off one of the guys, and the mother came outside of the house, outside of the gate and asked Tshepi and I if she could see us the next night to talk!! Wow, ok God…. This mother of two with a nice house, a car, and a job wants to talk to two twenty something year old girls? We prayed the whole next day that God would use us however He wanted that night. It was one of the most humbling experiences that I have ever had. We walked behind the gates into a very nice two story home, drank tea, and listened to this mother pour her heart out for the next three hours! She told us how she got in her car to take her life the week before because she felt there was no hope. She wants to see them grow up, get married and have families, but with them continuing down this path she doesn’t believe it will happen. She cried and cried while her two sons, Tshepi and I listened to her pour her heart out in the middle of the living room. We didn’t have magic answers to make all the problems go away or a way to erase another court case that had been opened against her sons and the guys that we love very much, but we listened. She is not a believer; therefore, she does not understand the peace in the midst of the storm that we can have because of Him. At the end of the night, we prayed with her; she was very grateful. Tshepi and I got into the car amazed at how God was using a court case to answer our prayers to get into this home….not how we had exactly pictured it.

God was not finished wowing us! We arrived at court at 8 30am and sat with the guys and their mothers until 4pm; we were literally the last ones to leave the court walking out with the social worker and the guards who were locking up, never appearing before the judge. However this time was not wasted! We sat in one hallway until noon and were then moved to another area which was right by the holding cells where they take youth who have been convicted and were going to prison. We watched as kids walked by about to be taken to prison to face the consequences of their actions. We saw 13 year old girls chained together who we learned had been convicted for selling their bodies; we learned of three 15 year olds who were arrested for selling marijuana; other crimes ranged from assault to housebreak ins to fraud. Our guys sat there for four hours watching young people who looked just like them being taken in because of their actions. I believe this was more of a wakeup call for them than any length of community service could have been. We never went into court because no one had ever carried the case to the judge to be reviewed; so as the judge was walking out to leave for the day he dropped the case after finally reading it (the father of the guy who they were fighting had beaten many of them across the face and back with his belt in the midst of the fight between these youth). As we were walking out of court, Tshepi and I were able to speak with the head of the youth Social Services Department; she was familiar with our faces since we had been sitting there all day. We introduced ourselves and tried to share our hearts with her; she wants to meet with us and take us around the jail, show us the youth rehabilitation programs, and discuss issues that they face each day. This opportunity would have never been available if we were not in court that day… God can and does use “bad” circumstances for His good. We are so excited to see how God opened this door for us; please pray for Tshepi and me as we meet with her next week to learn some of the stories of the young faces behind the bars; our prayer is that God will use us in whatever way He wants. As we were leaving the court house with the guys, one of their mothers said, “This isn’t going to be the end for us, right? We want this to be the beginning of a relationship with both of you girls.” WOW! They are reaching out; we have open invitations into each of their homes; we know it was GOD who used this situation to open the physical gates of homes and the emotional guards of hurting families who are crying out for an eternal hope. Please pray for Tshepi and me as we begin to minister to these mothers. Three days later two of the guys came to me and Tshepi separately expressing their realization that if they stayed with this group they would continue to make wrong choices and end up paying a high price for their actions. We prayed with each of them and encouraged them to stand up and to help each other back away from this lifestyle; please pray for these two guys who are the two who became Christians at camp the year before last and who stood up at this past camp and confessed vandalizing their neighborhood in front of the whole camp and asked for forgiveness. These two are battling and are trying each day to live a life that will include an abundant future; pray that they find boldness and strength in God, their Heavenly Father.

My Savior He can move the Mountains!

Wow, I do not know how to tell you how God has worked in my heart in the past month and a half. He has renewed a passion in me for His purposes, given me world vision beyond what I could have ever imagined, and ignited a fire in me that I can barely contain. I can promise you this has nothing to do with my circumstances; this has been one of the most difficult months for me since I have been in Johannesburg, but this has been the best month by far because God has been faithful to walk with me every step of the way and has shown me His heart like I have never seen. I gave up and gave it all to Him. When I did this, He made himself so evident to me. It is not about me; it is all about Him! When Sarah stopped, He moved! He has freed me in areas of my life that I have been holding on to for many years; He is showing me His heart for the unwanted and outcasts of our societies, and He has revolutionized the way I act, love, and seek Him each day. I no longer can go a day or a week without spending quality time with Him; He is what I must have each day! Just like eating and sleeping; He fuels me giving me spiritual energy, passion, drive, and love like I have never had. There are so many needs in this city and only so much time in each day; it can be a struggle not to get in the car and run every time there is a need or an activity or a crisis. I am learning to guard time for myself and my relationship with God each day, and through this I have seen how He extends the hours in each day and opens doors for ministry that I in my own strength could have never opened or ever imagined.

As I write this letter, my heart is hurting for the youth in Johannesburg who are falling to temptation and experiencing the consequences of their actions; and I am feeling so inadequate and insignificant to do the tasks that God has entrusted to me... But my heart is also overflowing with the blessing of amazing friends and family that God has blessed me with here. I am excited about the opportunities God is giving me in this New Year, and my heart is exploding with love for the people who have captured my heart! I remember learning this familiar phrase in Sunday school; “God is good; all the time; All the time ,God is good.” When I am on the highest mountain and when I am in the lowest valley, God is always, always good!

Just to give you a glimpse into some of the issues that are occurring here so that you can know how to pray I will sprint you through a recent week in JHB, SA . Please pray for Tshepi Makume, my best friend and the youth director at LBC; she was in the hospital this weekend and will be going in for tests in two weeks. Her apartment also caught on fire as the result of lightning. God protected her; however it was her bedroom that experienced the damage, and she breathed in a lot of smoke before she woke up. Also, three of her friends were killed in a car accident at the end of last week; they visited LBC the Sunday before the accident, please pray for their families as they grieve the loss of these three in their early 20s. As you can see, she has been under heavy attack from the devil; please pray for her physical healing as well as emotional encouragement during trying times and spiritual strength to withstand temptation, as well as for wisdom as she counsels youth at LBC and in the community.

Please also be in prayer for the BIMS Guest House where I work and the safety of the missionaries who stay here. The IMB is undergoing major reorganization and assignments of missionaries who visit BIMS may be changing; please also remember the leadership of the IMB as they make decisions about the reorganization. Over the past few days, four of the missionary units staying here have been targeted because of their foreign license plates by men posing to be police officers; one family had their laptop and a large amount of cash stolen. Please pray for this family specifically whose young son was in the car at the time. This type of incident occurs very often all around this city; please remember to pray for crime to end in JHB.

The words of this Casting Crown’s song sum up what I am feeling about some specific youth that I am working with at LBC. “Lord, I lift my friend to You. I’ve done all that I know to do. I lift my friend to you. Complicated circumstances have clouded his view. Lord, I lift my friend up to You. I fear that I won’t have the words that he needs to hear. I pray for your wisdom, oh God, and a heart that’s sincere. Lord, I lift my friend up to you, my best friend in the world. I know he means much more to you. I want so much to help him, but this is something he has to do. Lord, I lift my friend up to you. There’s a way that seems so right to Him, but you know where that leads. He’s becoming a puppet of the world; to blind to see the strings. Lord, I lift my friend up to you.” This has been the prayer of my heart; God I can’t but You can!! There are a several youth who are entangled in sin and cannot/will not let go. Marijuana has been a part of one of my very close friend’s life for several years, and the addiction has taken over his life; he dropped out of school after failing the last two years, left rehab and has no direction for his life. Please pray that he would long for God with more vigor than he seeks in this drug, and that he will have a desire to quit using the drug. He is a Christian, was raised in the church, and God has blessed him with so many talents, but right now he is a slave to this drug. Please also pray for a group of our guys who are going down a dangerous path, I will refer to them as GPG (God’s Potential Gang). Many of the youth here do not have families or at least stable ones; so they look to the streets and the activities that surround it for identity and acceptance. Some of the guys in GPG are young believers and others are not followers of Christ, but they faithfully come to youth and church, and Tshepi and I spend a lot of time with them. They define their territory by fighting; they have their identity in their group, and they find their escape in smoking and drinking. Please pray that they will open their hearts to what God is saying to them; they have such radical potential to make a difference for God in our area. Please pray that their behavior changes while they are young and before they encounter any more trouble.

I want to thank God for the amazing things that He is doing here; at times it may seem quite hectic; the devil wants to kill, steal, and destroy, but God is the victor, and we overcome with Him! About 40 youth attended LBC youth camp in December; six accepted Christ as their Savior, and many other made decisions. The youth who made decisions are shining brightly, and God is using them to confront their friends on the streets, speak and lead at youth on Fridays, and witness to their families. Many of the ones who just graduated from Matric (highschool) are seeking God for direction about their future jobs, education, and relationships. Please pray that they continue to shine brightly for their Heavenly Father, that He blesses them, and that we can be an encouragement to them as they daily encounter the lure and temptations of the world. God has surrounded me with wonderful friends and 2 amazing South African families that have adopted me while I am here. This was such a blessing to me during the holidays especially when I was away from my family in the States. Please pray for wisdom and enthusiasm, as I am beginning the girl’s Bible study on Tuesdays at LBC. God is so amazing; when I think I am inadequate He reminds me of His sufficiency, when I don’t have the answers to tough issues, He gives me the wisdom, and when I am fearful; He quiets my heart. Thank you God and thank you everyone for your prayers and support. I love you all.

Serving with you in South Africa,
Sarah Maddox

My Zambian Adventure

Muli Bwanji? (“How are you?” in Nyanja, one of the official languages of Zambia)
Thank you for your prayers! I survived Zambia and Zambia survived me. This journey began on October 22 when I left Johannesburg, South Africa for a month of hands on training learning about the various lifestyles and cultures in Africa; Zambia was my classroom for the month. Each day we studied a different cultural issue; for example we learned about Health and Medicine in Africa, Community Development, and Births, Weddings and Funerals. We received a lecture and information from our cultural experts; we would then go into the city or village to speak with the locals about their views and experiences on the topic for the day. I along with a group of 33 other IMB missionaries who had also recently come to the field and would be dispersing to many different areas around Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa began our time in the capital city of Lusaka for 12 days. I lived in the Baptist seminary, experienced my first ride in a taxi, and brushed my teeth using bottled water.
We then moved to the town of Petauke seven hours away in the bush where we camped, pumped our own water, and went to bed way too early because it was so dark outside since there was no electricity. Here I learned to kill and cook a chicken, to wash my clothes in a basin, and to balance a bucket of water on my head…still working on this one. After camping in the town of Petauke for almost two weeks, I moved in with the Mwanza family in the village of Kapaya. This began the most rewarding part of my whole time in Zambia. I was able to experience real African life - no longer was I in a classroom or research setting but I was able to live with a Zambian family of eight. I slept in a mud hut with a straw roof, got up and went to the well with the mother and daughters, attended a funeral and church services with the family, learned many Nyanja phrases thanks to my older brothers, went to the fields in the mornings to pick mangos, and took baths out of a bucket under the stars!! After the home stay portion of my training, I was able to stay a couple extra days and go to Victoria Falls with some friends. Wow! God is amazing and has made some incredible sights! It was such a blessing to spend time relaxing with friends and to enjoy God’s beautiful creation before we split up and went our separate ways around Africa.
God taught me so much while I was in Zambia this past month. My time there was just as difficult as I expected, if not more, but I was able to experience the awesome grace and strength of God. I was reminded again that true happiness does not come from material things but relationships with our Savior and with those He has placed around us. God also confirmed my calling to Johannesburg while I was in Zambia. I realized that He has equipped me for exactly where He has me and has been preparing me for my job assignment at the Guest House and with the youth at Lyndhurst Baptist Church long before I was ever aware that I would be living in Africa. My last month in Zambia was quite an experience and a blessing that I will never forget. Thank you to everyone who was praying for me; I cherish your prayers and miss you all!
Serving with you in South Africa,
Sarah-Michelle Maddox
P.S. Lyndhurst Baptist Church youth camp is next week December 8- 12. Please be in prayer for the leaders as we are preparing and for the miracles that we are trusting God will perform in the lives of the youth.

The closest I'll get to Georgia Football in Africa

.... kick off was set for 5:05pm, the smell of alcohol was in the air, the stadium was filled with a sea of red, black, and white, the guys ran on to the field as the crowd began to yell... sounds like a Saturday in Athens, Georgia, in Sanford Stadium, eh? BUT it's not. This was last Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa at Coca-Cola Park watching a rugby game. The Lions whose colors are red and white were playing the Sharks who are black and white; this explains the sea of colors that reminded me of being between the hedges. As I watched the game; I realized that I was very confused...maybe I should have read up on the rules of rugby before coming...ooops, maybe next time. Why was a touchdown called a try and why do they randomly kick the ball in the middle of running down the field? As I listened around me I did not hear "Gooo Georgia Bulldawgs....sic'em!" Actually what I heard was not even in English; they were cheering in Afrikaans; so I just made sure that I cheered when I saw the flags and fans from "my" team the Sharks go up all over the field...I am now one of their most dedicated fans...ok, maybe not, but I did enjoy the game. It was a fun Saturday that reminded me of being back in Athens for a little watching one of the best teams in the land. Goooo Dawgs! ...so next for me is a soccer game and a cricket game...am looking for tickets, anyone selling??