The Face of HIV

I just found the blog of Charles and Kristen Young, a young missionary couple Gary and I met in Swaziland last November. They are working with a great ministry called Children's Cup. Here's a recent post:

People ask me a lot, "How do you face that much sadness all the time? Doesn't it make you feel guilty? Doesn't it make you depressed? I don't think I could do it." They are right, you can't do it. Not alone. Only with God.

This week another young child at the hospital died. We had been visiting Rebecca in the hospital for months. A few weeks ago she was discharged. Then, last week, she and her mother went back. We had been visiting everyday since her readmission. It was clear that she didn't have much time left. I felt as though if I missed one day of going, I might miss her. HIV had taken over. She wasn't herself at all. Her whole personality made a drastic change. Then on Tuesday, we walked into her room to see an empty bed.

We left and went straight to her mother's house, a tiny room in a horrible neighborhood. No electricity, freezing cold, and there she was, curled up on the floor, weeping her daughters death. Mary, Zinty and I crawled onto the floor next to her, tears streaming down all of our faces, holding her and trying to comfort her. We had prayed with her and Rebecca many times before, but this was different. She needs a supernatural touch from God to get through this. She has lost 2 children now to this horrible HIV virus. Her world, as tiny as it may seem to an outsider, is all she knows and is falling apart in front of her. No one should have to watch their children suffer.

This life breaks my heart almost everyday. It rips me apart to see the suffering here. But with Christ by my side, there is no where else I would rather be right now. To hold Rebecca's mom. To pray for her. To help her in any way I can. These moments are teaching me the heart of God.

There is a song by Carrie Underwood that says,

"When life gets that much harder, it makes you that much stronger. Some pages turned, some bridges burned, but there were lessons learned. For every tear that had to fall from my eyes. For every day I wondered how I'd get through the night. For every change life has thrown me. I'm thankful for every break in my heart, I'm grateful for every scar. Some pages turned, some bridges burned, but there were lessons learned."

Please keep Rebecca's mother in your prayers.

And now, for something totally unrelated...

I simply had to take this nerd test. I'm actually a tad bit surprised my score is as low as it is, but who am I to complain? I guess I'm cooler than I thought...

In the works...

Here's a little piece of news I'm pretty excited about... Gary and I are looking into getting a foster care license. Our consideration is that, in case one of our students is ever removed from their home, they will have the option of coming to a familiar place with people they know and trust.

The hope is, of course, that we would never need to resort to such an action. But, history has shown us that reality doesn't always align with our hopes. And so we want to be prepared to support our youth in their times of trouble and need.

Several years ago, we had a student in our junior high youth group who was raped by her mom's boyfriend. She was taken from her home, placed into foster care, and we never saw her again. God forbid that an experience of trauma and tragedy also separate a student from their spiritual supports.

So, I'll be filling out an application, attending meetings, getting my CPR certification, a TB test, and have my home inspected. All to get a license I hope I'll never need to use.

God Space

I just got this from Floyd McClung, an American missionary working in South Africa. He's one of those people that speaks with such love and truth, such authority and godliness, that I could just sit at his feet and soak up the wisdom.

Dear Friend,

God Space.

Is "God Space" another cute Christian cliché? Or is it something real?

"God space" is real to me, and it was genuine for the man who first introduced me to the term. Dr. Bob, as he was called, was dying of leukemia. He was on his last missionary journey, just a few weeks away from death.

Dr Bob checked himself out of Cedar-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, bought an around-the-world ticket, and was saying goodbye as he made it from one mission-post to another in Asia, India, the Middle East and Europe. We were one of his last stops on the last lap of his life's journey.

Dr Bob sat in a wheel chair, depleted of energy, as he challenged us to live in God Space. "When you get to the end of yourself, the end of your resources and your abilities, then you enter God Space," he said to Sally and me. He was frail, but he was still feisty. He was at the end, but death did not impress him and fear did not hold him.

"Faith doesn't begin until you have to have God come through for you, Floyd." His gaze was steady. He then turned to Sally. "You don't need faith for what you can do, Sally, you need faith for what you cannot do. Then you are living in God Space."

He explained the term further. "God space is living between the end of your resources and abilities and what God wants you to do for Him. That's God space."

At the time we were trusting God to buy the former Salvation Army headquarters in the heart of Amsterdam for an outreach and training center. We were entering God space big time and needed those words of encouragement. A few months later, a friend of Dr Bob's sent a large gift to encourage us. It was the down payment we needed to buy the building. It was sent in memory of Dr Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision and Samaritan's Purse. More importantly to us, our friend. And mentor.

Dr Bob taught us to live in God Space.

I recently received this testimony from someone who chose to take the risk and live in God Space:

I'd like to tell you a story. The day that you came to Muncie, IN. and spoke at Union Chapel last year, something amazing happened. You talked about "God Space." I had a friend who wasn't talking to me anymore, and I missed that person in my life. I decided the day you came to speak to give the situation with that person over to God and let God work in his space. I went home, after Church service, and prayed about it. Then I had this amazing sense of God's presence, and I heard a gentle voice speak to me in my head. It wasn't my thinking voice, it was God speaking to me. Anyhow, God told me to leave my apartment and go out. So, I decided that I'd go out to dinner at Arby's. Well, when I got to Arby's, God spoke again and said that I should go to the grocery store in the same general shopping area. So, I drove around the restaurant and went to the grocery. When I walked into the grocery store......guess who was there. Yep, the friend who I had neither seen nor talked to for months. However, the friend told me to never to talk to them again. So, I walked by them, without saying anything, and I went and bought some items at the grocery store. When I came back to the front of the store, she was still standing talking to someone at the front of the store, but as I was going through the check out she stepped out the door. At that point, I'm wondering why God guided me there? I walked out the store, and it was now raining. I had forgotten an umbrella. So, I started to walk towards my car, and I caught a glimpse of her walking towards her several lines away in the parking lot in totally the opposite direction I was headed. Then....out of nowhere......she turns around, waves at me, and actually runs up to me while sticking an umbrella above my head. We began talking again. God had guided me there that day to reconnect with my friend. Thank you for the sermon on "God space." I definitely needed it.

What challenge are you facing? There is a space, a dimension of life, where you have to have God come through for you to make it, to experience God's grace. I encourage you go there voluntarily. Live there. Rest there. Wait there.

God space is where God loves to come through for us, to meet us in very personal and life-altering ways. It may be in the valley of the shadow, and it may be on a spiritual high... God space does not mean we always get what we want, but it does mean God will be with us. Dr Bob died of leukemia - but he did so in the presence of the Lord, living in that realm of life that meant trusting God for grace to live victoriously. Dr Bob was not perfect, but he lived with passion and zest for the purposes of God. You can as well - if you live in God Space.

Yours from Cape Town – where we are learning new lessons about God Space,

Floyd and Sally McClung

Swaziland Update

Last week I blogged about the orphan crisis in Swaziland, and how badly I desire to do something that would make a meaningful difference. I've been investigating some options, and praying that God would direct me in how to respond.

(Bonnie's already committed to joining me on this journey. Anybody else out there?)

Here are some opportunities I've found:

ABC Ministry in Bulembu,Swaziland. I had the privilege of visiting this orphanage when I was in Swaziland last November. Robyn & Gerry, a wonderful South African couple, have dedicated their lives to caring for abandoned Swazi babies, until they are adopted out or are old enough to join the 'orphan village'. They are currently caring for about 30 young children.



World Vision. This is a well known organization that provides assistance to an entire community, benefitting all the families through the means of child sponsorship.


Children's HopeChest. This is the group that found the 95 orphans I wrote about last week. They are currently developing a way to support these kids, and I have plans to speak with the director when he returns to the states next week. Their organization is working to connect churches in America as sponsors to individual orphanages in Swaziland. If your church might be interested, please contact Tom Davis.

Ultimately, I know that there really isn't a wrong time or place to give to the poor. But, I want to be wise in making commitments I can follow through on, that will hopefully bless the most people, and will encourage others to join along with me. Meanwhile, keep praying that God would provide, and be open to the possibility that He may want to provide through YOU!!!

Twins!

This past year, I celebrated my 29th birthday in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa. Gary gave me a small handcarved wooden ornament, in the shape of a dove. By this point, I was way past homesick and tired of the constant packing and moving. The dove was to symbolize our new home, and the peace we would find there, as well as the blessing from God we'd been praying for. Being the sentimental softie I am, I adored it.

The little dove ornament now sits in our kitchen and reminds me everyday of God's provision and Gary's love, as all these things have come to pass. You can imagine our delight when a pair of real doves chose to nest in our backyard this spring. These beautiful little birds seemed yet another confirmation of God bringing us specifically to this place.

I nicknamed the female Juanita Paloma (Jane Dove) and have watched her everyday from my chair on the back deck, as she patiently warmed her eggs. Last night I peeked over and was rewarded with a glimpse of the babies! Two perfect little dove chicks. Juanita Paloma calmly allowed me to creep up and snap a picture, and later, when she went out for an evening snack I came back to get a pic of the babies.


Aren't they cute?

Big Oak Ranch

I did it... I survived Big Oak Ranch! Last week's day camp was intense, amazing, and exhausting. The weekend was just as busy, so today is my day to sleep, relax and recharge.

At Big Oak Ranch, my job was 'crew leader' (counselor) for the "Purple Longhorns" (5th & 6th graders). Honestly, I had not been looking forward to this week because children's ministry is not , I repeat not, my calling. But, I wanted to get to know the incoming 6th graders (& invite them to the junior high program), work alongside Gary, and help meet the need for more workers. Praise God, He totally blessed me this week with a great assistant (Jacob Roth) and awesome kids, and together we really had a ton of fun.


The schedule worked out really well. There were a number of stations set up, and we leaders would rotate our group through the stations. This meant we didn't have to prepare any lessons, set up any crafts, etc, just get our kids to the right place at the right time, and encourage them to get involved. The station leaders all did a phenomenal job, and made everything fun and engaging for the kids. Go, team!


The highlight of the week was when one of the girls in Gary's group prayed to receive Christ! She'll be going in to Junior High school next year, and just so happens to live on the same street as our other Junior High leaders. They already know her and her family... awesome! Please pray that her family will support her in her decision to become a Christian.

Sunday was our 'finale'... we invited all the families to church, put the kids on stage to demonstrate their songs and activities, then concluded with a free BBQ lunch under the Big Oak tree.

Looking back on the week, I believe the one area for 'improvement', if you could call it that, would be to do a better job at reaching out to some of the needier families in the area that don't already have a church home.

This reflects the area of growth in our church body as a whole... we have a ton of folks coming in from all over Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, even Antioch and Pittsburg, but very few from the immediate neighborhood. Something to work on for next year... All in all, though, I believe the week went very well. The kids had a great time, the schedules ran smoothly, the junior leaders really came through, and God was honored! I'd definitely do it again!

Wahoo!

Better than nothing...

We’re two days in to “Big Oaks Ranch Day Camp”, our church’s full-day experience of the traditional vacation bible school. Gary and I have each been leading teams of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, and we are not surprisingly, exhausted. I have a lot on my mind, but probably won’t be able to post much until next week. We’d appreciate your prayers for our time with the students. Thanks.