Usually I sit down to write here when I'm feeling excited about life and ministry. But the reality is that I don't always feel excited. Sometimes I feel discouraged, sometimes I feel insignificant, sometimes I feel nothing at all. Right at the moment, I don’t feel much at all. There is no great excitement within me for ministry, and nothing seems particularly important. However, it is precisely in these times that I most need to stop and give praise to God. When my emotions don't prompt me to be thankful, then my mind must, for regardless of how I feel, God's grace remains abundant. So right now I am choosing to reflect on all that God has done around me, through me and in spite of me.

I’m choosing to praise God for His work in the lives of the kids all around me. On Fridays, I am with kids almost the entire day- I go to school at about 7:45 and spend the day teaching. After school I go to the Good News Club that Auntie Joyce has for the kids at Kenneth Gardens. There are usually 15-20 kids there, crowded into a little building, singing songs, learning Bible verses and listening to Bible stories (the picture above is of some of the kids at Good News Club). After Club I usually stay at Kenneth Gardens until it’s time to pick up Norman and head to youth group.
I must give God praise for our youth group. Last term the youth was averaging 5-8 kids each week. Ever since HBC we’ve been averaging 20-25 kids and they are a wonderful group. There is a sensitivity and responsiveness in them that only God can produce. This past week I presented a message to them about the importance of reading God’s Word and I gave them a challenge, encouraging them to read through the four Gospels. A lot of them said that they wanted to take that challenge, but we all know that wanting to do it and actually following through with it are two different things. So I have really been praying and looking for ways to encourage them in following through. Yesterday I was at Kenneth Gardens and talked to a group of them. As I was leaving I said, “I have a question for all of you…” and one of the boys jumped in and said, “You want to know if we’ve been reading, right? I have!” I was just thankful that he even knew what I was going to ask because that means it has at least crossed his mind. I truly thank God for this wonderful group of teens and for the opportunity we have to invest in their lives. Yet I know that we as leaders desperately need wisdom. We must do more to connect with them so that we can disciple them, teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded, but what should we do? What is the next step? I'm thankful that He knows!

I praise God for Michael, Gabriel, Luyanda and Lungelo. They are 4 boys who have been coming regularly on Sundays. Michael and Gabriel are twins in grade 6, Luyanda is grade 5 and Lungelo is grade 3. The four of them are constantly together and are all like brothers who love each other but also fight often. With them, I am finding out a little of what it would be like to be the parent of 4 boys, and it’s pretty exhausting. On Sunday morning I pick them up on the way to church, then I have them sit with me during the first part of the service because otherwise they play outside. This past week, I taught their Sunday School class and had to work through some of the sibling rivalry that was going on between them (which was a great teaching point since our lesson happened to be about Joseph and his brothers). I’ve also been going to Michael and Gabriel’s house a couple times a week to help them with their math homework, and through that I met their older brother, Erwyn. He is in his early twenties and seems to be a very sincere believer. He has been so excited to talk to me about God and the things he is learning. He came with me Sunday night to our young adults’ small group and seemed to really enjoy the Christian fellowship.

I've been continuing to go and play basketball at DHS a couple times a week and I'm getting to know a lot of guys that way. One of the boys from our youth group who attends DHS is named Michael, and he likes basketball so his mom asked if I would be able to spend some time with him since he doesn't have any male role models in his life. So on Monday he stayed after school and played with me and the other guys, and then I gave him a lift home. He is in grade 9 and doesn't seem to be very spiritually minded, but for now, I'm just thankful for the chance to spend time with him, and I'm grateful that I can trust God to accomplish His purposes in Michael's life.

Yesterday was one of those days that I praise God for working in spite of me. I made a lazy choice in the morning to not go to the school even though I could have. A lot of the teachers in South Africa are striking right now so each school day is uncertain. I made that my excuse to not go, even though I knew I could possibly have opportunities there. I found out later that they only had school for a couple hours before the striking teachers showed up and forced them to close down, but I wish that I had been there and know that it was the wrong choice on my part. I was frustrated with myself in the afternoon, but in spite of that, God gave me some wonderful opportunities to talk with people at Kenneth Gardens and at our church small group last night. It was a reminder to me that God's faithfulness is new every morning... and every afternoon... and every evening. Great is His faithfulness!

As I’ve sat here and written this, choosing to be thankful, it has brought some excitement to me and restored some of that passion. Thinking about all that I have to be thankful for also builds my confidence regarding what is to come. So I will continue, by His grace, to make this choice- to praise the Lord in every circumstance, regardless of how or what I feel. Blessed be the name of the Lord!