This past summer, I had the privilege to go to Cape Town, South Africa for two weeks as a part of a Missions Immersion experience with Carson Newman. While there, I took two classes and volunteered for an organization called Living Hope. It is an organization started by pastor John Thomas of Fishoek Baptist Church in Cape Town. Living Hope seeks to bring the hope and compassion of Jesus Christ to the chronically sick and dying in a holistic way and do everything possible to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. While there, it was an eye opening, life changing experience. I was well informed of facts and figures dealing with poverty, HIV/AIDS, and hunger before I left. But, no longer is poverty merely statistics to me. Poverty has faces and names of people I love: Faith, Samuel, Christy, Carolyn, Felisha, and Brandon to name a few.
Once returning, the people whom I grew to love in South Africa were a part of me and I could not let them go. In South African spirituality, there is a term for this: known as UBUNTU. It means I am because we are. UBUNTU is the idea that we are all human therefore we are all connected. It is that connectedness to the people in Cape Town that is leading me back there for this coming semester. But, I would not be at this place in my faith in wanting to go and serve f it was not for my connectedness to you.
First Baptist Church is UBUNTU to me as well. I am because of you all. Every Sunday school lesson, GA function, youth group activity, choir practice, Big Church sermon, smiling face, comforting hug, and encouraging word these past 21 years by this Body of Christ helped form me. I am able to forge ahead in my journey as the hands and feet of Christ to those in South Africa because you all were the hands and feet of Christ to me first. I learned the importance of selfless service and love and what that looks like from you. So on February 10th when I head back to volunteer for 10 weeks with Living Hope as a Life Skills Educator in the Capricorn Township, I am not going alone to serve, but I am going with all of you who are a part of me.
This past year has been an amazing journey for me. I am at a point in my journey where I feel most at home and at peace volunteering and loving on the people of South Africa who have lost hope due to the despair that apartheid, poverty and the AIDS pandemic created. I am at a point in my life where I am learning what true faith looks like: it means letting go of all my selfish desires in order be bold and follow the path before me. It may not be the easiest path to take but it is the path which is before leading me towards Cape Town.
Some of you have asked how you may help. I ask that you will begin to pray for me and for my journey back to Cape Town. Pray that I will be open to however God leads and works in me the 10 weeks that I am there. Pray for my family as we are all getting used to the idea of me being on another continent in some unsafe conditions Pray that this opportunity is another point along my journey that continues to define and shape me into the person Christ created me to be.
Fredrick Buechner, one of my favorite Christian authors stated, “The hardest thing about really seeing and really hearing is when you have to do something about what you’ve seen and heard.” From my years at First Baptist, attendance and work at Passport camps, education at Carson Newman, internship at the Baptist Joint Committee in DC, conversations with family and friends, and two weeks spent in South Africa, I cannot deny that I have seen and heard God speak. Now I must go and do something about what I have seen and heard. Throughout the gospels, Christ calls us to go, and Christ is calling me to go back to Living Hope this spring. I pray that you will continue to be a part of this journey with me.
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