Let it ooze...

Last night at Grace Family Church, the incredibly awesome and talented Watoto Children's choir gave us a bit of a performance. When I say, a bit of a performance, I mean, they blew us away! If I were to make up a language, I would make the word ‘watoto’ mean ‘ENERGY’ because WOW these kids had a lot of it! The biggest smiling faces, the craziest dance moves and most energetic facial expressions I think I've ever seen. Did I mention this was their 5th performance in less than 24 hours? No matter, because when looking at the stage, all you see is JOY.

All of the children live at the Watoto Village in Uganda and each has lost one or both of their parents to violence in Uganda, AIDS or poverty. they were abandoned and alone, and seemingly had no hope in life. Each child has their own unique story of pain and hardships that they have lived - and I can tell you that there are no nice pretty childhood stories.

On Friday night when the choir arrived at our Church to relax and practice, I got to speak to a few of the boys from Watoto. I told them they were famous, and I wanted to be like them! they humbly disagreed and in said they were not at all famous and in fact I was famous. we laughed... In an attempt to continue the ‘famous’ topic of conversation, I asked a question. I said ‘who is the most famous person in the world to you? who is your favourite celebrity?’... I was expecting an answer like Chris Brown or some pop star that these kids might have heard. Instead 10-year-old  Ronald looked at me, and without any hesitation, in his beautiful accent he replies... ‘God’.

God is the only thing on these kids’ minds! He is really all that matters to them! Because through some incredible people at Watoto village, God has rescued them from their despair and given them life and hope. Now they are traveling the continent sharing their story. Boldly speaking to crowds and saying that Jesus is their saviour and their friend, singing worship songs to their God in front of large crowds. They don’t hang on to their past. they aren’t affected by their rough stories and don’t get interviewed on Carte Blanche. Why? They have found Jesus. They have hope! And despite their past, they know they are safe and loved.

I realised that the Joy that I saw in their faces was all Jesus. His love was ooozing out of them. and they sang to him with all they have.

It just made me realise what an impact that one person can have by merely living out God’s plan and calling. Not only are the kids lives changed, but they in turn make huge impact on the people that they get to sing to around the world (including me).

This gave a me a fresh reminder that we can each make an impact wherever we are. and I know that even though I’m going to Michigan to minister to a bunch of rich kids from a whole different world, I can still make an impact on their lives. because in actual fact, its not me making an impact. its the love of Jesus oozing out of me that can make the change.

“It is Jesus that has given me back my life... So I sing to Him”

Check out all that the watoto village is doing at www.watoto.com
If you’re in Durban, they have a partner village which is doing incredible things too! www.liv-village.com/home

Thank you to Watoto for coming to Durban and impacting us!

what do you say?

There has been so much that I have wanted to say about this world cup.Many times I have considered updated my blog with the greatest intentions of doing so, but haven't. I apologise. It is difficult to write about something that isn't as fresh in your heart and memory, so instead of blogging about the beginning of my World cup experience, I will blog about something that happened last night.

It was (as we all know) the FIFA World Cup Final. Big hoopla, big excitement. There was no way that I was going to miss the last oppertunity to experience a truely South African world cup 'vibe', and so I decided that I would make my way to the Durban Fan Park on the beach front. I am estimating that there was close to 40 thousand people in the area. What a vibe.

I was walking from the car towards the fan park, when a man approached me. He was very 'local'. Not terribly dressed, didnt smell like acohol or sewerage, but it was quite easy to tell he wasn't an upperclass man living in Umhlanga. He greeted me, and being the friendly person I am, I turned and shook his hand. After exchanged the initail "how are you's" of any conversation, he said to me "listen my friend. I have something here. I have some very nice Marajuana for you". I must say didn't really expect that from him, although, at the same time, I wasn't completely suprised. I guess the fact that I was supporting an afro for the night made me look like a customer. I immediately turned down the offer politely. But I wanted to ask this guy about his life and find out more about his situation.
Not knowing what else to say, I asked if he knew what he was doing was bad for him and... well... illegal. He said "yes I know, but I have to feed myself somehow. And it is the only way I get money". "Why don't you find another job? Surely there is stuff around here to do?" I asked. "Boss, you give me a job then".
I continued the conversation to learn that on a 'good night' of business as a marajuana dealer, this man made between 1 and 2 thousand Rand ($130 and $230) selling his Marajuana on the beachfront. Good sum of money for someone living on the street. I wanted to express that what he was doing wasnt right, and there is a better way to live, but I didn't know what to say. I was speechless.

Millions of things ran through my mind. Do I point him out to the police. Do i try tell him about my faith. If I did tell him about my faith, what would I say when he asks, "but how do I get money for my family then? Jesus won't give me money". Do I give him some money. Do I buy him food. Do I just continue and pretend I never met him.

After asking me where I was from (expecting I would reply somewhere in Europe or the United States) I told him I was a Durban local. He was suprised, but smiled and shook my hand. He said goodbye, and as I looked back to say somthing to him, he had disappeared into the huge crowd.

I walked away from that conversation a failure. I felt it too. I didn't share with him what I believed, I didn't help him at all in his situation, I didn't even learn his name.

How can we bring a message of Hope if we are not prepared? We have to be ready for these situations at all times, not just on Sundays or when we do outreach events.

I suspect there are millions more men, women and children like this man in our cities and around the world. Don't make the mistake I made. Take every oppertunity you are given! Speak to people, seize the moment, rather than finding yourself, like me, praying for a nameless man that I will probably never see again.