But this is my big take away. I watched the western church we were with ask wonderful questions and think about the longevity of their relationship with our partner in South Africa. I watched them think through how they could serve the church in South Africa, and how they could learn from the church in South Africa. At one point during a meeting with church leadership someone said it would be great to have a time of training where the western church trained the South African church using their strengths, and the South African church trained the western church in their strengths. I love it. That's exactly why we work to create partnerships.
As I processed our trip and thought through how I would explain our time there, I realized a lot of our time was spent seeing the life of the church and it's members and what their ministries entail.
Then I asked myself this question: If this church from South Africa came to visit my church in New Jersey, how would we spend our time? What would I show them to say, "this is who we are - this is what we are about"?
So that is my question for myself and for you - if a believer from another part of the world came to visit you - how would you spend your time? What would you show them to say, "this is me - this is my church. This is my ministry - this is the ministry of my church"?
This is what I saw in South Africa - what would South Africa see if they visited us?
Families in the church doing foster care
Orphans being cared for in a family-style home on church property.
Land purchased by the church to build another church and a school to serve an unreached community.
A church-run school
Small business, micro-enterprise encouraged and helped-along by the church
A woman who makes jewelry to help support her family - she patiently showed me how she makes the jewelry
A woman the church works with who cares for orphans and the elderly and runs an affordable day-care for struggling families working to feed their children
Land given to the church by a member of a community who is hopeful the church will bring not only the Gospel, but also jobs and education to her struggling, rural community
A bakery on church property - selling affordable bread to those in the community and giving bread to those in surrounding communities as a way to meet a physical need and share the love of Christ
Wagon of Mercy distributing bread
And the of course it's always nice to see the beauty of God's creation wherever you visit...
