If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of my South Africa stories, you might want to check those out for background. If not, no big. I like to live dangerously, too!
I want to change my life!
The group I was assigned to spent about 3 weeks talking to people about Jesus on the campus of the University of the Western Cape. We’d spend about 2 hours in pairs each day talking to anyone who would listen to the Good News of Jesus Christ. I was paired with Kieaira (on the right in the picture above).
Using hip hop surveys and other creative means, we would engage the college students in conversations that transitioned to discussion about their thoughts about God and Jesus. Many students were eager to speak to us just so that they could hear our American accents and ask if we knew any celebrities. They craved American culture and memorabilia. We made follow-up appointments for the second half of our days with students who were interested in hearing more about Christ.
During one such appointment, the girl in the middle (in the above picture) was invited to attend an appointment with her friend. Let’s call her, Chela, to protect her identity. Chela was very interested in what we had to say and scheduled a meeting with us for the following day. During that second meeting, as we went through a little booklet called The Passage with her, we encountered a page that asked her to point to the picture that depicted who was controlling her life – her or Christ. At that moment, she burst into tears and exclaimed, “I want to change my life!”
I started to tear up then as well. She was desperate for the hope, joy, and peace that can only be found in Christ. Once we were sure that she indeed wanted to accept Christ, we read a simple prayer of salvation from the booklet with her and asked if the words expressed her heart’s desire. When she answered yes, we led her through the prayer and her life changed forever! I was humbled that God had allowed me to be a part of that moment of sharing truth with someone and seeing/hearing them say yes to Jesus.
Seeing through the eyes of a child
We held a Holiday Club (a week-long Bible-based program for kids) in a transitional housing neighborhood. We split up into 3 groups – stories, singing, and games. I was in the singing group and we taught the students kid-friendly songs about God such as “Father Abraham”. The story group acted out Bible stories, and the game group was in charge of planning outdoor activities. We all played a role in teaching the kids a Bible verse (memory verse) each day. The week-long Holiday Club was unforgettable. Seeing the kids’ faces light up as they learned about a story from the Bible or sang one of the songs reminded me of my elementary-school days going to Sunday School. I remembered having similar “light bulb” moments and being fascinated by the stories of the Bible.
Sharing is caring
It was awesome to be able to sit down in small groups and study the Bible together. We worked on Philippians 2 and really were encouraged to study, not just read…I’m talking looking up words in the verses from the Strong’s Concordance and reading the MacArthur Commentary! We also shared some very personal things. We all grew during this short time, and it was awesome to be able to glean and learn from all of them.