One Week

Tonight at around 10pm Cape Town time will mark the end of my first week and beginning of my 2nd week here in South Africa. Today was quite eventful and informational in that I finally was able to have an orientation meeting with Avril Thomas, director of Living Right- one of the many branches of Living Hope. She went through the entire history and overview of ALL of Living Hope that she and her husband, John, started around 14 (?) or so years ago. I am honestly still processing. I heard so much of the heart of God in her talk. Living Hope does SO much. Let me say it again. Living Hope does SO much to spread the Gospel. Like I said, I am definitely still processing. My favorite part, after she had gone through EVERYTHING, she said that all of these ministries aside, the spreading of the Gospel and expansion of the Kingdom is their main goal. Praise the Lord. I wish that I could go into detail about everything that Living Hope does here in South Africa. Better yet, I wish you could hear Avril tell you about it herself! But in short, the overall ministry of Living Hope seeks to share the Gospel and works to empower the people that it serves, both young and old, in order to help them make better lives for their families and communities. Support groups, 22 bed health care center (can't call it a hospital anymore because not enough people die there! Praise God!), childrens' clubs, teen clubs, parenting classes, entrepreneur classes, finance classes, preschools, mobile health care ministry that does full health screenings, and SO much more. And what's more, they do this all in the name of Jesus. Also, I should add that they do this on SUCH a tight budget. God is truly growing this ministry and providing for it and opening doors for it in HUGE ways. I just had absolutely know idea that I would have the privilege to work with such an anointed ministry this summer. I am going to learn so much from these wonderful people; their faith astounds me.
In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus is speaking in the synagogue in the town where he was brought up when he quotes Isaiah 61:1-2,
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed to proclaim the years of the Lord's favor."
I'm so thankful that He came to do this for us. And now, we get to share that freedom with others!

Grace and Peace to you,
AC