Global Impact Blog

Transkei, South Africa – Thursday:

Today is our fourth day in the high schools and already amazing relationships have been built. The learners (students) have responded with great openness and honesty about their struggles. We have boldly shared our message of purity and hope in Jesus. I am convinced that many of these kid’s lives will be saved from HIV/AIDS and that many will begin to follow Jesus.

Pray for these kids – they are simply beautiful.

- Dan Chaverin

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

 In India. 

2 words packed with meaning and if you have never travelled with me here and been engaged in all that is going on these words might seem simplistic.  The reality though is these 2 words are packed with meaning. 

Just getting here has been a task.  When this trip was booked it was done with thoughts of quick connections and flight times, no weather issues to be leery of, and hopefully no setbacks.  Why was I dreaming or some might say what was I smoking?  Sorry, I don’t smoke so that is out, but whenever you travel I have come to learn that obstacles always find a way of presenting themselves. 

This trip was no different, just about a week before departure “things” started happening, team members suffering freak accidents, family members suffering from traumatic events, realizations that school calendars weren’t consulted when setting dates for the trip (thus 2 people will miss their kid’s 1^st day back), and what else went on, oh, there were physical injuries and then the unforeseen airline flight delays and yes, even cancellations.

How is it that an airline decides to cancel a flight full of people on a weekday involving an important market, let’s say San Francisco to Chicago and LA to Chicago?  No idea why this happens and yet it does but on the day we travel and to us?  Nothing like running around covering last minute details before I head off to the airport when you get a call saying I am at the airport and they just cancelled my flight?  SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!  Is what I utter and the reply is no really, this time I am not messing, the airline just cancelled my flight.  Fast forward 30 minutes and another call, Mike, they just cancelled my flight.  What is going on?  San Francisco and LA both cancelling flights to Chicago, you know how many flights they have and they cancel these with my team members on them?  Disgusting I say, utterly disgusting.

Things worked out in the end; Valerie who was leaving from SFO was sent to Hong Kong and then got a connecting flight to Chennai and Michael was put on a series of planes from LA and ultimately will arrive in India a day late, but none the less will arrive…just in time to get some sleep and jump back on another plane.

We all know the ups and downs of travel and no doubt we experienced our share of challenges and yet there are many out there who would say this is nothing and they are probably right.  It all depends on one’s perspective which leads me back to my opening 2 words, in India.

India has a way of bringing perspective to life.  Life here is much different than in America. 

Hopefully in the next 10 days, I and others, can communicate how much different it really is. 

One thought to leave you with, maybe this is really the norm and what we have in America is unique. 

Think about it.

Monday, August 2, 2010

7:30pm

Hi from the Beat the Drum team!

We haven’t really had access to the internet for our first week, but it’s better late than never!

Our trip started off in Winklespruit, right outside of Durban (“South Africa’s Miami”) and directly on the beach. We met up with some other folks from local ministries and all together we numbered about 100 people. From the moment we arrived, the fellowship was incredible; the fusion of cultures and languages was (and still is) beautiful. Our whole first week was consumed by intense training over the curriculum we’d be teaching and the culture we’d soon be encountering. I can’t say that any of us felt completely prepared to go into the schools, but we have Christ on our side, and I’ve been clinging to that truth since the moment we arrived.

During our first week in I had a local shark fisherman ask me, “So are you here on holiday or something else?” And I had to respond, “Well, we’re here to teach kids about HIV, but,” as the waves of the Indian Ocean crashed 100 feet away from me, I said, “how can you not consider this at least partly holiday?” He continued to ask where we’d be teaching, and I told him that it was in the Transkei area. He made a noise that I couldn’t quite interpret before saying he’d been there, so I asked, “So there’s good fishing?” To which he replied, “Can I speak rudely?” and proceeded to tell me, in more negative words or less, that the Transkei area seriously lacked the infrastructure of Durban or Johannesburg.

We’re now in Lusikisiki, located in the heart of the Transkei area; the beauty of this place was clearly lost on that fisherman. Yes, there is serious poverty, pot-holed roads, and areas of questionable safety, but what has overwhelmed me is the beauty of this place. I’ve caught myself doubting that I’m really living my own life, that I’m in my own body, because I feel like I’m living a National Geographic magazine. The homes here are so natural and fit so perfectly into the landscape that they make American buildings look like a dereliction of space. They’re made of mud, spare tin, an old tire, or whatever else could be carried on foot, and they’re painted bright greens, pinks, and purples. There’s clearly no race to build the neighborhood’s biggest house: every building is just what the family needs, and nothing more. There’s always time to stop and truly see how your neighbor is doing today. Goats, sheep, horses, dogs, chickens, and whatever else the family might own roam freely, somehow knowing where they are to return; we’ve had to come to a complete stop more than once to let a few cattle meander across the road.

The most beautiful part about this place, however, is absolutely the people, both in our group and in the community. They’re warm, loving, and always ready with a hug. And there is so much joy, always. There is always singing, always dancing, always laughter. And not over what the stand-up comic said on the TV, just about life. I have noticed that there is an inherent rhythm to everything—people, animals, and nature included: one morning, I was sitting out on the steps by myself, and in front of me was some bird that looked like some kind of finch-meadowlark hybrid (we’ll call it a feadowlark?), poking around for its breakfast. And when this feadowlark stopped walking, even its tail bobbed up and down to some silent beat, as if it had some kind of mini feadowlark iPod. It really is an incredible place.

When we came here, we met up with the Till the Soil group, and now our number is nearing 200. We’re a pretty obvious presence in town (mostly thanks to the color of our skin), so people stop and ask why we’re here. I haven’t heard a complaint from any of the locals when we explain that we’re here to talk to the kids about abstinence, so it helps to have the support of the community. (Some have even said, “Which schools? Why not my school?”)

Today kicked what we had been training for the past week: the five-day Beat the Drum curriculum in real schools with real kids. Our team was split between four area junior and senior high schools to talk to kids grades seven to eleven. My group was sent to Sungoni Senior Secondary School, and the game plan was to show the film by the same name as the program today, teaching a lesson every day thereafter until Friday. So this morning, we packed up all our video and sound equipment into our VW vans, piled in, and set off to our school. Which, long story short, did not have enough electricity for all our sound equipment. We’ll be watch the movie tomorrow, but that meant that we got to devote two or three full hours to meeting the kids we’re going to be hanging out with for the next week. We’re instant celebrities everywhere we go, but these kids were even more excited and within a half-hour of arrival, a group of students (“learners,” here) came up and asked to take a picture with me.

Though things did not go as we had planned, God’s got a better plan and it was awesome to be able to hang out with our kids without an agenda. I know I speak for all the Beat the Drummers when I say that I’m outrageously excited for what tomorrow will bring. Keep us in your prayers!

Jessica

PS: Phumlani is here sitting next to me and wants to be in the blog too. He is neat. The End.

Another update from TTS

We are in here in Lusikisiki, staying at Mvemve! Yesterday we spent some time at Kwa-dick, a school that ranges from grade R (similar to Kindergarten) to grade 9. We were able to put on our programs that included songs, a skit about “the walk of life,” and people insulting this guy and another girl encouraging him that he is made in God’s image, and he is important to God as well. Our goal is to make sure these kids know they are valuable to God! The kids as well as the teachers loved it. We did have to have the Principal translate and he acted it out as well. All the people got as kick out of it!

After we left the school we prayed over the land where the future orphan care center will be. It was beautiful to see all 50 people from TTS praying over the land where kids will soon be playing. The leaders are just finalizing the plans and making things legal. The plot of land is much larger than they need, around the size of 4 football fields. We are very excited for God’s plans for the land!

After that we visited an orphan care center that is already in place called Seleni. Mama Christina holds a Creche, or preschool in the morning for around 30 kids. She also feeds 70-80 kids for breakfast as well as dinner after school. These meals are the only meals these kids get. We had the opportunity to do our program for these kids as well as play with them, weed their garden, and support the Mama’s providing for the kids. We are thankful to say that we used all of our energy on these kids and left well spent!

Please pray for the team still as some seem to be getting even more exhausted. Just pray that we would rely on the Lord’s strength as we finish this week strong and continue to do God’s will.

Jen from TTS

Okay! It’s Jessica with the BTD team again! I promise I’ll really makr this one short this time:

Today we got the opportunity to split up the girls from guys and talk separately. Everyone’s still a bit shy, but in general it was an awesome day. After school we held a youth rally at one of the local schools with a pretty sweet turnout.

Tomorrow each of the schools we’re at is hosting VCT: voluntary counseling and [HIV] testing. There were a good number of kids who said that they’d like to know their status, so we’ll see how tomorrow goes. A lot of volunteers will be getting tested right along side our learners, so pray for courage and strength.

(See? Shorter!)

Jessica

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Hi from the BTD team! We don’t have much access to the internet so I’m texting from a cell phone; this will probably be short, haha.

Today was our first day in the schools teaching! Each class was different and some were more ready to open up than others but the effort has officially been initiated! I was assigned to a class of 75 tenth-graders with Courtney Colin and a South African named Thabiso; Thabiso speaks Xhosa, the local language, and I cannot put into words how much of a blessing it was to have him on our team to clarify when our learners were confused or encourage them to contibute to the conversation in their native tongue. Most people here can comprehend English decently, but sometimes struggle with their expressive skills, so having Thabiso with us was awesome. (Not to mention he’s awesome himself!)

At the end of the class period, one of us shared our story (to a surprisingly silent, captive audience) and invited the learners to write their stories anonymously to us. The response was incredable as these kids poured out their stories and hearts on their papers. They were heartbreaking and often ended in “please help me,” but the majority also included a common

undertone: hope.

These kids have experienced hardships some of us can’t even imagine, and they haven’t given up yet. Their fighters and longing for answers and love.

I am blessed to be here and attempt the latter, hopefully allowing these kids to experience just a glipse of Christ, regardless of our language barriers and cultural blunders.

Not all classes responded as well as ours, so pray for the destruction of language barriers and for Christ to work in these kids’ lives.

Okay! This was way longer than planned and I was just asked I was writing “War & Peace” on this tiny phone, so that’s it for now! We love you all!

Jessica

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Greetings from the Transkei region of South Africa our large “Beat the Drum”  (received Aug 3, 2010)

team has completed a week of intensive training, prayer, and preparation for a week of teaching around 2500 students at 4 schools. We were joined in Lusikisiki by the “Till the Soil” team and celebrated with dinner and amazing worship. There’s a joyful and loving spirit and a sense of great anticipation to engage the community. Please pray for many kids to know Jesus! Blessings, Dan Chaverin Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

We have arrived safely in Port St. John’s where we will rest for a day, worship tomorrow morning with locals, and then travel another hour to our final destination for service.  God has been very kind to our team.

We are ready to serve.  We have had moments of coming to what we thought was the end of our ropes only to find that God had more power for us when we let go.  We have been tested and have been found to remain in His hands.  We are tired, but still push forward.  I am both ready to come home and ready to go and serve.  It has been an amazing time.

It is hard to capture what we have experienced.  The time at Jehovah Jireh was beautiful and painful.  It is great to know that those kinds have a place to call home yet it is difficult to see how they live.  Even here in a beach town that is beautiful, it is far different than how we live.  We have so much and take so much for granted.  We use the word “need” so carelessly.  We want and learn to depend on what we want and feel we need it.  I am learning that I don’t need as much as I thought.  There is a part of me that wants desperately to need it again.  There is another part that wants not to.  God, just have your way and may I be faithful with what you have entrusted to me.

Team unity is amazingly strong.  There is little to no bickering.  There is very little illness.  Don’t stop praying, the toughest week is coming.  Love to you all!

Brian Phipps

for Till the Soil

We are currently staying at a backpacking place for the weekend. We arrived last night after driving for around 8-9 hours. It was a long a hard drive (and none of us look forward to the drive back!). However, when we arrived our sleeping accommodations were much nicer than the last place, and we get the weekend to relax. We were able to sleep in this morning, spend time alone,  and at a local coffee shop. We leave here on Sunday to stay in Lusikisiki to spend the week in the Transkei. There we will be visiting schools and doing our program that we learned the first week. This is just a quick update, and we again thank you for reading about the progress in South Africa!

Jen from TTS team