Have I been asleep?

Have I been asleep?

Its about time… yes… its about time that I give an update and a little news flash. I feel the news has not adequately expressed what’s happening in South Africa and I have as well had full intension to catch you up on my life here over seas… the things that I am over whelmed with, the situations I am daily faced with… and because of these things I have put off blogging and communication in general. Not knowing how to start does not give me permission not to start at all… It’s a crappy reason to not stay in touch so I want to thank those of you that have not given up on me and, at this very moment are reading with a smile from cheek to cheek because you feel a joy just knowing that I am alive and kicking.

I titled this blog “have I been asleep” and that is not in regards to lack of blogging for the last four months… but more to do with the way my heart has come alive over the last month like never before. I am studying the prophets and just finished Hosea this last week. I had never read Hosea to be perfectly honest until this SBS and I have found the faithful love of the Lord resounding throughout its pages. Some of you might remember a cretin book series that I was “for lack of a better word” obsessed over before SBS and yes just days before I left I was absorbed. Well I read the second book again and the revelation of GOD’s love for us poured off the pages with new intensity then ever before. I feel like a lovesick teenage girl who can’t get enough of her high school sweetheart… but for me its Jesus. In Hosea, the Israelites “God’s chosen people” are described as a whoring people who prostitute themselves to other god’s and religions… selling themselves to the highest bidder. They deserve judgment and yet they receive God’s mercy and grace. There are consequences to their sin but that is subdued by the intensity of the Fathers love. God steadfast love, His pursuit to his people as a jealous lover who deserves a prater/ a nation that is loyal and true to his every breath, but he loves her… he loves Israel and where He could have anyone, he chooses her with all of her flaws and imperfections.
I am awake and I don’t know how long I have been asleep…

I went to coffee today with some friends from the base who have moved out working and are working as journalist in South Africa for the next two months. This little coffee spot has organic muffins (chocolate or banana) and really great coffee. They have inspired me to get back to my blog and continue to update/ journal what has been happening… they have a blog on blogspot as well and I encourage you guy to give it a peek. They really are amazing friends and have a lot to share! And yes I happen to me mentioned in some of their hair brain stories… the blog is called “thanks a double latte. Blogspot.com”.

Stuff happening in South Africa and prayer points…

2010 Soccer World Cup is coming to South Africa for those of you who have been living under a rock or those who just don’t have any interest in soccer… the estimated amount of human trafficking that will take place during the games is staggering... something like 100,00 women and children will be trafficked and that alone is beyond disturbing. So the focus on bringing awareness has been ampted up to new levels in hopes that this information will bring ignorance to a responsive light.

Zimbabwe is slowly seeing improvements within day to day living… this information was given straight from a classmate who’s family has to make a trip to the border of South Africa form Zim every month to stock up food… there is HOPE…

The South African elections take place on Wednesday! Please pray!

Thank you to those who have asked what they can pray for in regards to my life here in SA…

I am praying about finances at the moment… I still owe about 2000 Rand for school fees that are due at the end of this month which comes out to just over 200 USD. So if you would please pray for the Lords provision… it would be greatly appreciated… God has provided so much for me to be here that I know he will provide this as well, but it would mean the world to me to know that I had friends and family praying for me as well.


Side note the pictures are of some friend and I out doing a little wine tasting on a our week off right before Easter break... it was a lot of fun... hanging with two German's who had never been wine tasting, a Zimbabwean who was a pro... and yes my Aussie girlly who got the short straw and played designated driver for the girls trip out...

LOVE you all! and there is many more stories to update you with so this will not be the Last time you hear from me.

Christmas and New Year!

Hi... there stranger!

so I am back and in action. I am very sorry that I have not been able to keep you updated over the last three weeks due to the Internet at the school being inoperable. Yesterday was my first day back to school and they do not waist anytime swarming us with work. I am studying two books at the moment... Psalms and Revelations. 

Break was great but a little overwhelming. I moved off base and down the street to my friend Mish's place. there were four of us in the house and so it became the communal location. The door was always open to friends and fellow students. We must have had at least one person staying on the couch every night. I did enough baking in those two weeks to last me a lifetime. Thank you mom for the foam gingerbread house we were inspired to make a real one. It was not as cool as the one Tricia, Leah and I made a few years back but for my first attempt I believe it turned out quite nice. We had a Christmas movie marathon a couple days before the 25th and strung popcorn for the tree... Everyone that entered the house was required to cut out a snowflake which we proceeded to hang from the doorways, arches, and ceiling of the house. (Tricia I thought of you and at Len's, "good times... good times")

Before the break we had a picnic/good bye party with the class at a local park. They say that the most common time for YWAMers to get hurt occurs on their days off... well it was definitely a day to remember... Everything started off great... I made an apple dish for dinner for that night, but had to start preparing it about 6ish in the morning because of the picnic that was planed for the rest of the day (as you all know I love to over book myself... thinking I am superwomen and can do it all) anyway this was a day like that. I had so many blisters on my hands from pealing over 200 apples that I couldn't flex the joints of my fingers. It was extremal funny being a finger cripple the whole day. We got to the beach and ate a wonderful meal that the staff had prepared. There is a game that Tricia, Whits and I play while we are waiting in line at Disneyland to pass the time. We have one person take pictures of the other two, but as whoever is about to take the picture they shout out an action or person that the other two must imitate, it becomes quite entertaining for us and those is watching in line. Well, while I was at the park I mentioned this game to some friends. Micky is taking the pictures, Steven "from England" is on the left and Jeher "from Canada" is on the right. Micky yells out "your pregnant" for one of the shots and then "you have just won a million dollars" for the other shot. I had no idea what she said on the "you won a million dollar's shot", but it still looks funny. The park has a dam reservoir in a perfect location within the park and the weather was great so most of us brought our bathing suits to take a swim. A group of guys jumped in after lunch while some of us girls tanned by the edge of the water. When the guys were getting out Jeremiah stepped on something sharp "which we later find out, must have been an old bottle or can", the water was so cold, he did not realize how bad he was hurt. The picture above is of the nurse stitching his left two toes back on. They were almost severed completely off. 

On the way to walking to the car to then get Jeremiah to the hospital we watched two of our students and one of our staff racing each other "oh boy's" across the reservoir. The three of them were going hard out as fast as they could and in the process one of the boy's started to panic and go under. As he was screaming for help "which no one took serious at first, thinking he was joking" one of the other guys racing realized just in time and swam over to help. Henzel was in panic mode and was taking Steven under with him. I have to say that things like this happen so quickly but it truly felt like a life time while watching it. Steven was eventually able to get Henzel to float on his back while James "the staff" pulled him to shore.  

We just had enough cars to get everyone to the picnic location so the car going to the hospital need to be full. Myself, my roommate Micky, Derrik, Micheal "the leader", and Jeremiah loaded into the car and sped off to the hospital. The first location we went to was not able to treat him because the cut was so deep, so we headed off to the second location "an emergency hospital" where we waited to see a doctor for over four hours. IT WAS CRAZY in there... that's all i am going to say about that. There were some other things that transpired that day that I will have to tell you when I get back home because I am still trying to process all of it... but good news is that everyone is alive and kicking. Needless to say I was ready for a little R & R. 

The Break was really nice and I am emptied to get back to work. I will write again before the start of

next week to tell you all about Cape Point and this first week of second semester!

I love and miss all of you,

Lauren-Jean

P.S.

-Thank you mom for my great Christmas gifts I used all of it and was able to share with many more!

-Thank you Dad and Carolyn for my great backpack any many goodies inside it all went to great use!

-Leah you are an angel... Thanx much and I cant wait to read the books!

-My Mandy... I was so sad that I would not be able to see you this Christmas :0( but you were in my thoughts

and prayers through out the holiday as always.. anytime I used anything that had a NZ logo on it I thought of you!

-To all that have said they have sent something and it has not arrived yet... I thank you in advance... and

apologize for the crappy slow mail system they have here!

I know it is late but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

THANKS GIVING AND SO MUCH MORE

Thanks Giving here and gone...

This last week has been one to remember...

Don't worry Grandma I am Journaling all of it!

There are twelve American that got together last Saturday to celebrate our wonderful holiday of eating lots and lots of food "and they say that Americans don't have a culture"(hahaha). I made Aunti Kay's famous cream corn and of course some Apple pie. Everyone brought a dish and we sat down to a wonderful meal. One of the girls had a copy of an old college football game, the weather was cold and rainy, and at one point we saw a rainbow "we are in summer over here so to have a rainy day is a big thing", it all felt so much like Thanks Giving and so the day was made complete. I do wish I could have been home to enjoy some yummyness and family time but God provided quite nicely if I don't say so. There were enough leftovers that each of us could take a plate... hip hip for leftovers!

This week God has shown/taught me to hold strong to him and gave me "1 Cor 10: 13 - God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it., and 2 Cor 12: 9 "but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 

This week I was able to go, with one other, to a house where about eight Muslim women work making necklaces and other jewelry. They work for about two hours and then get a lunch break, where I was able to come in and give a little of my testimony. I felt I was to share about the 1 Cor and 2 Cor verses I had received earlier that day and the journey God has me on. I loved being able to share and connect with these women. To tell them that they have value and they are made in God's image. These women are told they are nothing almost every day by their husbands and so, just getting a moment to express love to them some how made my year. We made necklaces with them after the break and my heart truly went out to one of the women in particular. Her and her family are a produce of Zimaphobia... They are from Zimbabwe where they were running for there lives " the government in Zim is starving its people". So they are running to South Africa where the townships are already over flowing. The South African believe that the Zimbabweans are steeling there jobs "which there are so few to go around to begin with" so Zimaphobia takes place and Zimbabweans are being treated with such mal-contempt. The persecution is out of control and Zimbabweans are being killed. Needless to say the women I made friends will is being sent back to one of the townships where this is taking place. She is scared for herself and here family. If you feel led to, please lift up a quite prayer for all the Zimbabwean refugees.

I will send pictures for the next update and hopefully "one of my new friend", so that you guys can have a picture to go with the story. 

I have to run back to work but I send my love and thank you for your wonderful prayers. God hears them!

Thank mom for the amazing package! I loved every bit of it!

Whits and Tricia, I would love more updates on the office...

short update

Finished Luke and half way through 1 Corinthians.

When I say half way, I mean I have read it 2 1

/2 times and Paul is kicking my butt as normal. 

There has been questions with context and it all comes back to Historical Background. Looking at the passage as if I were in the time it was written and then applying those truths to my life today. 

Thanksgiving is coming up very soon and there are enough Americans here on base that would like to celebrate together, so we will have a nice dinner at one of the leaders homes. There would be to many people to cook for if we made a Thanksgiving dinner for the whole base, even though that would be really cool to do. 

I wind around these parts has been quite intense, and not all that enjoyable to go outside. I hope it lets up in the next week or so.

It looks like I will be sticking around these parts for Christmas. I had thought that I might get to go else where but plans have changed and for all I know it could be for the better. A group of friends are look to rent out a cabin for the two weeks off... so time will only tell. 

I can only download five photos at a time and so I would like to show you a little more of the hike the other day...

Love and Hugs

Lauren-Jean

p.s.

The Photo of a close up shot on the city below, you can see the base. If you follow the river bridge to the left... and follow the bridge as it becomes a street into the city till it then becomes a pizza shape you can find my place. It is sort of like where is Waldo or where is Lauren going to school?

Week in Romans and at the Top!

This week in the life of Lauren!

Well, Life is great and I am loving all that God is showing me. Finished 1st & 2nd Thess, Romans, and now I am working in Luke. The Thessalonians's were enjoiable and Romans was really something... my head is still spinning with all the theology. 

I received a revelation this week that might sound a little silly but none the less it has been quite heavy for me. I went to church last Sunday, down town in the city. A group of the student wanted to checkout the Hillsongs church that just started a couple months ago in Cape Town. While we were on the train heading into town "which took about an hour each way" there were men preaching the "Turn or Burn" theory. As they were ranting and raving, running up and down the train it made me sick to my stomach. The theology they were spitting out sounded nothing like the Jesus I know and love and I would have thrown something at them if my conscience hadn't gotten the best of me... oh ya and the group of students I was with wouldn't have been to happy with me if I had started a fight with a couple crazy men. 

On the way back from church we got another one and this time he was talking about Beelzebul having blue eyes and blond hair. Again I had to with strain myself from chucking something at him in order to silence the chaos, a little old man came and sat next to me. Clearly this man had just come from Temple wrapped in his traditional wears. He grabs my bible which was sitting on my lap with my right hand tightly clinching it. I pulled back and silently we play tug-a-war until I relinquish it over, out of curiosity. He pulls back page after page till he came to the book of Isaiah... He pointed to a passage and ask me to have HIM explain the meaning. I asked who do you want to explain? and he responded with pointing to the man running up and down the train wearing a yellow reflectors vest, pounding on a Bible, shouting "Turn or Burn". I sat there think what does this little old man want me to do? Then it all started to click (it takes me a little while to catch-on sometimes, you could say I am not the sharpest tool in the shed), he thought that I was with Mr. Crazy and he wanted an explanation of this passage he was pointing to. I looked at this man with the most interested, dumb-founded, look and sincerely stated that I had never met this man in my life. He responded back "I don't believe you, why do you have this" (shaking my bible). I explained that it was the Sabbath and on Sunday I go to church and almost always bring my Bible. It took about five more minutes of convincing before he agreed that I did not know Mr. Crazy. I just remember saying "you don't have to believe me but I have never seen this man before, the end". 

We talked about Jesus being a profit vs. the Son of God and many other interesting theological questions he had regarding the New Testament and I had over the Koran.  My revelation of Gods love for this man was so overwhelming I wanted to cry. I felt a peace about every moment I spent talking to him and listening to him. A burden and yoke I had placed on myself for "saving lives for the Kingdom of God" was something God had NEVER places on me, but I on my self. The silly idea, of me doing anything for God... but the realization that God does it all... that I can do nothing without him... that it was never me saving people it has always and will always be God moving and doing. If God wishes to use me great! I love it! But as I sat there with this beautiful old man who thought I was speaking heresy, God released me of the burden I had placed on my self. It does not matter how much arguing I can do regarding scripture or convincing that Jesus is the Son of God... It comes from God alone... the realization of who he is... (Romans 1:19)

I hope that I get to see him again just to say hi...

The week was great... I climbed Mount Muizenberg with some of my class mates and that was a workout and a half, if I ever said so. I pulled an all nighter and and headed up the Mount at about 4:30am. One other friend stayed up with me and we finished up work on Romans while making home made bread for the picnic we planed on having at the top of the mount. The pictures are of the hike and the pics that I had downloaded in previous blogs "taken outside my room" are what the hill looks like form some distance. I think I almost threw-up at the top and twisted my ankle on the way down... but it was all worth it. Climbing up in the dark and getting to see the sun rise from the top made every moment completely worth it!

I send my love home and over seas!

P.S. 

To the Vopinek Family you can come visit me anytime there is always a free room and food... but it's no Marriott... sorry :0(

Thanks mom for the Package it really meant a lot! The weather has become quite cold the last couple days so the chocolate and socks have come in handy.

Thanks Court for the update at home... it is much appreciated.

Leah you are a true angel... thanks for the hand written letter and of coarse the support :0) have fun at the LA socials... sorry I can't be there with you, but I am in spirit!

Tricia, I hope you saw my new facebook photo... thanx much and I am expecting an update from you and Whits on the Office really soon...

Renee keep up the hard work at school! miss ya girl!

To all family and friends I send my love!!!!