Conversations with LSA contacts

Within the past few weeks I have a had some very good and enlightening conversations with people who are either a direct partner of Loving South Africa (LSA) or have had significant contact with the LSA partners. I wanted to share some of the conversations at that I have had with people.

The first conversation had about LSA was with Siyanda. Siyanda is the director of Light Providers. Which is an organization that is having a huge impact on youth and young adults in KWZ area. Light Providers is an organization that is breathing new life into youth by serving God and impacting the community in which they live. Siyanda just recently had the opportunity to come to the States to see what LSA does State side to impact the HIV pandemic that at its height in the KwaZulu-Natal area. As Siyanda was retelling joyful tales of his time with the LSA staff in Indianapolis, he got very serious. He began to speak of how hard the LSA staff works to ensure that their partners get as many resources to impact the HIV pandemic. He talked about the sacrifice of the staff to leave jobs that paid extremely well to work for a minor portion of what they would normally earn. He spoke of the motivation that it gave him to come back to Light Providers and work even harder to impact the lives of the youth around him. He talked of how much of a blessing it was to have people supporting his organization that were interested in his spiritual health as well as financial security. The whole time he was smiling from ear to ear, speaking of wonderful things the LSA was doing to make sure the partners in South Africa are supported accurately. As Siyanda was talking, I was able remind him of the reason that LSA works hard. Its because of the people suffering from disease that is preventable and because when God speaks about serving the least these. Those suffering from HIV/AIDS are near to His heart. LSA is working so hard to get resources to their partners because they are being the hands and feet of God and impact the HIV pandemic in the world. Each on of LSA’s partners are the men and women of peace that is spoken of in the Bible.

This is not the first time I have heard this about the partners of LSA. This past week I had the privilege to meet with a staff member of a local church. His name was Gary. During our time we discussed LSA, among other things, but I was quite impressed by what Gary said about the CEO of the hospital that I am working at. He spoke very highly of Dr. Holst. Dr. Holst is a member of his church, and Gary’s wife when she moved from New Zealand to Durban stayed with Dr. Holst before they were married. He spoke of the amount of time the Dr. Holst puts into ensuring that the hospital is running well. One of the things that I was most impressed with was that he spoke of Dr. Holst’s spiritual life. He stated that she would get up extremely early in the morning and would spend time praying to God for guidance for the hospital. He stated that she said that early morning is when she can think the clearest without any distractions. It is not everyday that you hear of a CEO, getting up before dawn to just spend time listening to God to see how a hospital should be run.

In multiple other conversations I have with people just in passing, at the market, on the plane, at an internet café. People continually speak highly of the care that McCord Hospital gives and the fact they are a mission hospital. I can’t help but think that LSA helps with that reputation, along with the many compassionate physicians, nurses, pastors, counselors, and many more that make up their multi disciplinary staff. LSA plays a vital role in making sure that patient that can’t afford their stays in the hospital or in treatment of antiretroviral (ARV) meds are covered so that they have a chance for a new life. Furthermore, they pay for a pastor to come in and assist with spiritual needs of patients. I had the opportunity to go to church with one of the physicians that works at McCord and as I meant people at church she explained to them the vital role that LSA plays in patients receiving care. She spoke of the peace of mind that the LSA funding provides for the workers at McCord, knowing that if a patient comes in and can’t afford care it can still be provided.

What a blessing to be a part of an organization that supports and provides vital resources to its partners allowing them to carry out the work the God has placed on their hearts. Furthermore, how great is it that LSA has been able to find people and organizations that are thirsting after God and serving a broken world. I am remind of a few things as I reflect on my conversations over the past weeks. The first is from a journal entry when I first came to visit South Africa in October and November. I remember thinking of all the partners I met and being struck by how apparent the fruits of Spirit are in them. At times, when we are so comfortable and busy with “life” we forget what the fruits can look like. As it says in Galatians 5: 22-25.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

I saw every fruit apparent in the lives of the people partnering with LSA. What is even greater is seeing the fruits in the children, patients, young adults, and interns the organizations are pouring into. Like Jesus says in Matthew 7:20 “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Jesus goes on to say that if as a follower of his teach you do not heed his teaching (from the Sermon on the Mount, which teaches how Christ followers should live their lives) you are foolish. How great is it to see Christ’s followers carrying that out, in an area where it would be very easy to say the need is just to great.

Secondly I am reminded of where and why I am here. I am also reminded of how blessed I am to have the opportunity to learn from people who are daily living out Christ in their lives. Taking seriously the words of Jesus to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Understanding the Basics

Since getting here, I have had the wonderful opportunity to take a basic course in HIV Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management. The course is offered by an American professor who has been teaching this information for the past few years to the people in KwaZulu-Natal. Starting off the class the professor has been wanting us (which is about 50 people, of which I am the only American, other than the teacher) to fully understand the impact that HIV is having on a global basis, national basis, and local basis. He has given statistics like:

In South Africa there are 5,700,000 people living with HIV
The highest group of individuals being newly infected with HIV are Females between the age 15-24 at approx. 160,000/yr and the second highest is males ages 15-24 at 80,000 / yr.
In KwaZulu-Natal 40% of pregnant mothers are HIV positive, some clinics report >60% are positive.
Life expectancy at Birth in South Africa in 1990 was 63 yrs. and in 2007 it was 42.45 yrs.

I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around these statistics. For the KwaZulu- Natal people it is a fact of life. For this reasaon KwaZulu-Natal is considered the HIV epicenter of the world. Translated this means if you were standing in a line at the grocery and there were 10 pregnant women standing in front of you 4 of them would be HIV positive. In certain areas of KwaZulu-Natal 6 out of the 10 would be positive.

Another aspect of the course is watching videos related to the topics of the lectures. There is a movie called Living with Slim. It is a documentary of 6 Uganda youth talking about their experiences growing-up living with HIV. The ages of the children range from 6-16. All of the children contracted HIV from their mothers at birth (I know there is a website that you can get the video from, but I don’t have it right now. I will try and post it later). Watching the movie, I was heart broken to see these children pour out their life stories about the disease that will eventually kill them. Talking about being sick, the abuse they get at home and school (physical and emotional), the fact that they can’t tell friends about it because no one will want to play or be friends with them. How can your heart not be broken for these children or any children for that matter infected with HIV.

One way that I process things is through listening to music. As I was processing materials that we reviewed in the class, I was listening to one of my favorite artists David Crowder. There are two songs that I would like to recommend people listen to. It is on his Remedy album and the two songs are Remedy and Surely We Can Change. There are a few parts of each song that I would like to highlight.

From the Remedy track:
Here we are
The broken and used
Mistreated, abused
Here we are

Here You are
Here You are
The beautiful one
Who came like a Son
Here You are…

He is the one
Who embraced us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He’s the remedy…

Here we are
Here we are
Bandaged and bruised
Awaiting a cure
Here we are….

Oh, I can’t comprehend
I can’t take it all in
Never understand
Such perfect love come
For the broken and beat
For the wounded and weak
Oh, come fall at His feet
He’s the remedy
He’s the remedy

(From Sure We Change track)
And the problem is this
We were bought with a kiss
But the cheek still turned
Even when it wasn't hit

And I don't know
What to do with a love like that
And I don't know
How to be a love like that

When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let there be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Help them be brave
Where there is misery
Bring expectancy
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Something

And the problem it seems
Is with you and me
Not the Love who came
To repair everything

These songs and the words broke me. As I was processing this, I was thinking what can I do about this. How can I give hope to the patients that I am caring for in hospice or the patients that are coming out of hospice knowing that they have to take pills every day for the rest of their life to keep them alive. As I read the words above, I am utterly reminded that it is not about me. It’s not about what I say or how I say it, its not about how well I educate patients about AVR treatment, or how much time I spending studying treatment plans for patients. It’s about knowing that each person is broken, myself included and its about knowing that God can fix all of that. It’s about communicating that HIV is a disease, not a definition of who someone is. And this doesn’t just go for people who are suffering with HIV, although it is something that is staring me in the face right now. This is for people living in poverty, in the suburbs, the unemployed, the overworked, the divorced businessman, the grandmother with loving children and grandchildren. It is for everyone, we are not to be defined by the idols, the diseases, the addictions (drug, money, porn, relationships, comfort) and so on. Those two songs broke me because I was reminded that I am nothing without hope found in Christ. Which is so hard to remember at times.

I have been going over a book Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It is one of my favorite books and rereading it has only rekindled a passion to see change (have probably handed out at least 20-30 copies of the book). In Shane’s book, he talks about being reborn after spending time with homeless mothers and children who had moved into an abandoned church and were being kicked out. He explains that as he spent time with the homeless the church came alive for him. Reading Shane’s experience with the homeless, listening to stories about children being infected with HIV, and caring for patients dying with HIV has brought alive the gospel with renewed hope and insight for me these past few weeks. The beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10 have jumped off the page of the Bible.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven,
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger
And thirst for
Righteousness,
For they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they will be called sons of
God.
Blessed are those who are
Persecuted because of righteousness,
For theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven.”

These verses have challenged me to understand that God is the great physician and comforter. He alone can comfort those mourning the loss of a childhood or family member due to HIV. But, that means that we have to be willing to be used by God to be his hands and feet to provide that comfort. Like in the David Crowder song, where there is pain, let us be God’s grace. Where there is suffering, let us be God’s serenity. As a 24 yo, I realize that I have no life experiences that can be used to comfort people as their loved one dies or is just diagnosed with HIV. But, the best part is that I don’t need a life experience that equates to what others are going through. I need to have compassion and truth to speak into their lives. Truth that each person is valued, loved, and seen by God and that their worth is not defined by a disease, addiction, relationship, or job. Jesus shows this when he talks with the Samaritan women in John 4:1-26.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts over the past few weeks. I have felt a lot of support and prayer from all of you. It seems as though these past few weeks have flown by. The homesickness that I had been feeling has seemed to pass. I look forward to sharing more experiences in the weeks to come. Please feel free to email me.

Photos of Hospital and Doctor Quarters

Picture of the hospital and street that I live on.

These are the common areas in Doctors Quarters.

This past week has been a whirlwind of new experiences, language, culture, and personal realization. It has been uncomfortable and satisfying and growing. Allow me to elaborate. Once, I got to South Africa was hit with the fact that I am not going to see family, friends, familiar sights, conveniences for at least 6 months. Of course, I should have realized this as I was preparing to leave, but I think it some times takes leaving to come to a full understanding of what one is going up. That realization happened within 48 hrs of being in South Africa. I was so home sick that I second-guessed why I had decided to come here in the first place. That being said, after a week of being here I have refocused and have a renewed faith why I am here (which never really left, just got blinded in missing relationships and familiarity). This past week has taught me total surrender to God.

I thought I had totally surrendered everything to God before I left the states. Listened to God I left everything behind: job, family, friendships, comfort. But, God wanted more and I still had more to give him. You see though I trusted God with providing for me, I have realized that I didn’t trust to fill that the gaps once I left. Or maybe I should say I didn’t understand how painful it would be for God to fill the gaps in my life. I had been holding on to my job, family, friends, and comfort as something that defined me. Once that was taken away from me I felt extremely vulnerable because I questioned where my value would come from. Which is ludicrous, because my value and security should coming from being a Son of God and serving him.

This past week, I have so utterly reminded that my value is in Christ and that His will is the most comfortably uncomfortable place to be. For God is good. I have also come to the realization of what Jesus talks about when he speaking in John 9:57-62. Jesus was with his disciples. “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’

Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’

He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’

But the man replied, ‘Lord first let me go and bury my father.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’

Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’

Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”

Jesus is preparing people that come to him asking to follow him. He is telling that it will cost everything that they hold dear- comfort, wonderful job, family. I have a deeper amazement and respect for the disciples and apostles that followed Jesus as he called them into his new kingdom. I know they most have felt all of the same things I have been feeling, but they didn’t have skype, email, or cell phones to keep in contact with people.

What is interesting that you never hear what happened to the people that Jesus spoke to in John 9:57-62. Did the one man decide not to go home and bury his father? Did he even have a father to bury? Did the other go and say goodbye to his family and then follow after Jesus? Maybe Jesus saw that the man was trying to hold back because of something or knew that family was the last thing that would keep the man from following after him. Only thing you read after that is John 10:1-24. Jesus sends out seventy-two men and women. The seventy-two go out two-by-two and do many miracles and healings with the power of Christ. They brought nothing with them and times were rejected, but came back rejoicing because they say the power of Christ first hand.

I know at Trinity, people are going through Counterfeit gods by Tim Keller, which exams the idols that we hold before our relationship with God. I am reading through the book as well. As I examine other areas of my life that I have not totally surrendered to God, I am excited to live into the life of the seventy-two that Jesus sent out not just here in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, but also when I come back to the States.

I want to thank everyone for his or her prayers. I have truly felt as sense of peace since being here. I know it comes from a great cloud of witness that I have behind me. Just recently I read through Ephesians and would like to give you all encouragement from Africa. From the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Please continue to lift me up in praises as I left you up in mine. Pray for continued wisdom as I learn how to care for patients in Siyaphila and get accustom to things here in Durban. I was fortunate to meet up with Siyanda (director of Light Providers- one of LSAs partners) today and go to church, which was much needed. I greatly encouraged by him as he talked about wanting to hang out as I spend time here in South Africa. Praise God for new relationships!!