South Africa 2008...Part 4

So the wrap up...
The other family I stayed with in Port Shepstone is Annatjie (sounds like Anna-key) and Cecil Starkey. What a fun couple! They own and run a restuarant in Durban and have a house in Uvongo (right by Port Shepstone) as well. Before going to stay with them I found out that they actually live two houses up and on the other side of the street from the Nash's. Small world. Annatjie is a wonderful cook and loves her husband more than anyone I've known in a long time. Cecil is retired and she knows he's had a long hard life and it's his time to relax and enjoy his hard work. Very cool to see that love in action!
Annatjie and Cecil solely started the funding of the Genesis care centre. Annatjie's story and vision for the centre is an amazing one that I will include in a post soon. Just know for now that if it weren't for Annatjie living her life for Christ and paying attention to HIM, the care centre either wouldn't be in existence or it would be a very different place. The Starkey's go to Port Shepstone each Wednesday through Friday, and spend Thursday at Genesis with staff, patients, etc. to see how everyone is. I had some great meals with them and learned a lot about Christ's never ending love for us in that short time with them. On my last night in South Africa, the van den Berg's came over for dinner.

Leon van den Burg is the General Manager of Genesis. His wife, Sandra, has begun a skills training program for patients and people in the community with ties to Genesis. They have two sons who are great kids living for Christ. Leon was on 'holiday' (that's vacation, Becki) when the team was there so they didn't get to visit with him this year. So I felt blessed to be able to spend time with him, and officially meet and spend time with Sandra. Talk about a great family living their lives for good and following what the Lord has in store for them. I get tears in my eyes and excited just thinking about this family. Leon is a great man of Christ and it shows through everything he does in his life. And he is very humble about it. Leon knows my heart for the care centre and Genesis as a whole so when I'd be lost in my thoughts around him he seemed to know and would check to be sure I was ok.
Me with Leon and Sandra:

I always was, just....excited, with a deep passion being lit and kindled. A great fire in the fireplace has the big heavy wood on top, and the smaller pieces, paper, etc. on the bottom. So seeing the hard stuff on this trip - people gasping for air, crying out to Jesus for relief of pain, a woman taking 30 seconds to regain her balance only to still fall because she's so weak, children so hungry the sight of a piece of bread being handed to them is pure joy, a family surrounding their loved one at the care centre and just 10 mintues later they are outside weeping for the loss of him - had to come in order to dig down deep for the meaning of it all, the start of it all. Jesus having me realize that it's not about me, that this life is for him. To help those that can't help themselves. To show the love of Jesus through any way possible, just as he loves me.

The Lord put the following on my heart every single time I opened my bible while in South Africa. Particularly the times that I felt this was just an extra two weeks here, nothing more. Was God calling me to live here? Part of me staying longer was to see if this was a calling from the Lord. As you may remember, after the 2007 trip, I felt a very strong urge from God to 'go on one more trip'. And this trip I was able to stay longer, and a lot of things were worked out for me to see what every day life in Port Shepstone, South Africa was like, and how I could fit in here, with Genesis and/or through another organization/church, etc. So many nights my conversations with God went like this:

Me: "Let me know you Lord. Show me what you want for me Lord."
God: "Ok. Here you go. Ephesians 4:1-7....

"...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given, as Christ apportioned it."

Me: "I'm sorry, WHAT???" ;)

The day before I left, I went to check on Pinky, as I did every day I could. If you recall from another post, this is the woman that upon first glance at her at the beginning of the trip, I was sure she would not make it through that night. Well, she improved each day. Many people were praying for her and God began to give her strength and heal her. Every time I saw her before this she was getting better, but still laying flat on her back, too weak for anything else. That last day, I was stunned when I saw her. This is what I saw, and it brought tears to my eyes:

Meet Pinky. I actually just got word 2 days ago that Pinky went home to family in Durban recently. W.O.W!!! Praise God! I have no doubt that the prayers constantly lifted up for her helped her get better. I still continue to pray for her that she continues to feel well, with the help of God and the ARV medications.

To close the trip part, but with many more stories bound to pour out of me, I leave you with this humor. As I've mentioned, my biggest fear going into this trip, once I learned that I would be staying two weeks longer than the team, was traveling back by myself. People close to me know that I like to be in control (GASP....yes, I know, I just admitted that...although when I first typed that blogger did something weird and deleted that sentence....no lie...so even my computer knows it's hard for me to admit that! HA!) However, when it comes to airports, I like for other people to take over. Perhaps that comes from never having that control from an early age when Dad was the leader of the pack at an airport. It's quite possible that I give up control in places I don't like....and airports is number 1 on that list. I feel rushed, flustered, lost, anxious, and well, not in control at airports. This may be strange because airplanes do not scare me. So, when I travel with the team, I sit back and wait to be told what to do. It may not be what's going through my mind, so I really think God sits on my lap to keep me still in the not so fun times. On our first trip in 2007, I had tears in my eyes once through security at the New York airport just from the frustration of standing in a line and finally getting through it. Tears of relief I suppose.
Anyway, of course the morning I woke up and it was time to leave, I did not feel well at all. My stomach was in knots and my mind was racing. Would I have to get my luggage at any time, or would it be checked all the way from South Africa, to London, to Dallas?! Would I understand what people were saying to me? Would I know where to go? Would I be fast enough with getting my passport out? Would I get lost in some deep dark corner somewhere?! Yes, see, so silly. It was loooong travels back, but I made it, and could feel the prayers being lifted up for me. Literally. Once I was Dallas bound and didn't have to go through another airport alone, I couldn't stop smiling....at how crazy my thoughts had been and how God was up there laughing *with* me. I made it home just fine. And my mom, sister, and niece were there waiting for me with hugs, kisses, and stares. My niece kept staring at me in the car on the ride to mexican food and Dr. Pepper (thank you Jesus!). Like I had something on my face or something. I'd look at her and say "what?" and she'd just smile and laugh and say "nothin."
Mmmmmmmmmmmm............................