Our last day of official Regent business in South Africa begins with a breakfast meeting with Reverends Fred May and his wife Lucille, who lead Shofar Ministries in South Africa. Fred May is among the brightest men I have met over these ten days, and it is clear that he values the intellectual and spiritual excellence that Regent brings to the critical discussions occurring in Africa. God has particularly called him to reach out broadly to Africa, and work with scholars and church leaders to ensure that the transforming power of Jesus Christ has full sway upon the country he loves. Fred and Lucille have endured fierce opposition as one of the few biracial couples ministering in South Africa. (Later in the evening, we meet members of their congregation at Stellenbosch University, and their deep love and respect for both Fred and Lucille is evident. They are the kind of spiritual leaders who instantly impress you with their lack of guile and deep faith). We commit to bring more opportunities to the townships, which are in desperate need of leadership.
We have a nice break in the afternoon, and Dr. Bekker, Karen and I take a drive to Cape Point, where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet at the southernmost point on the continent. Driving along the jaw-droppingly beautiful coast, we marvel at seascapes that would draw double-takes from Malibu residents. Yet, as has been true during our entire stay, we are shocked by the abject poverty just across the roadway, where numerous squatters’ camps blight the landscape. Children push a broken shopping cart, a dog runs through a filthy rivulet of water, passing from shack to shack, a man peddles a sack of grapes, his bare feet impossibly scarred with years of exposure to the indifferent elements. The squalor is so jarring that we cannot bear it, and as we look across again at the glittering sea, its beauty is somehow dimmed. We wonder aloud how faith survives in such degradation and misery, but we know that God is there among them, perhaps more vital than elsewhere. Mercy, dear Lord.
The evening ends with Dr. Bekker delivering another command performance, this time to students and business leaders at the prestigious Stellenbosch University. They have been invited by Shofar ministries and nearly 100 sit in rapt silence as Dr. Bekker tells them that they have the opportunity to fulfill God's very plan of salvation to the continent of Africa, as he expounds on the "Sign of Jonah," urging us to use the past and the future to inform the present--and be present as leaders.
As we drive up the hill one final time through Devon Valley, I look back over my shoulder at the black expanse of Southern Africa. I realize that the need here can be seen as a cavernous abyss, ready to swallow up the best intentions of anyone who would offer help, as much of Africa has done for centuries. Yet, there is a steady light of hope growing stronger thanks to the many people who will not stand idly by and watch Africa sink into destruction. As Beryl Markham has written, "Africa is the last vestige of a dead world or the cradle of a shiny new one." Lord God, by your mercy and in your strength, give us the wisdom to help transform this rich nation through your resurrection and power.
Thank you to the Regent community for your prayers, for we have sensed them time and again, thank you to Dr. Bekker for his friendship, leadership and love for this nation, thank you to Dr. Bruce Winston for sowing life into this country for years, and thanks to the African people for making Karen and me feel so welcomed and blessed.
February 8, 2011
Today's activities begin and end at Michael Louis' Cornerstone Institute (CI), which brings 'Christian higher education' to Africa. In the morning's meetings with Mr. Louis and his executive team, we hear the stunning story of CI's birth: Mr. Louis, after visiting with Dr. David Gyertson and seeking the Lord, felt strongly that he needed to bring an overtly Christian institution of higher ed to South Africa. He decided to 'tour America's finest' Christian colleges and universities, and visited a number of schools over the next months. His travels took him to Wheaton College, Azusa Pacific, Greenville and Regent University. While at Regent, he visited the library's chapel and prayed. God moved upon his heart and--as a photo taken of the prayer ledger in the chapel reveals--on July 10 of 2008, Mr. Louis felt directed by God to launch a university in South Africa that was founded on the 'Spirit of Regent University' that he sensed while praying on campus. Cornerstone Institute was born. Today, they boast some 300 students, and are seeking the Lord's guidance and direction from a new campus, with innovative ideas to help solidify their future.
We then visited Parliament, and were greeted by Mr. Steven Swart, a member of Parliament and of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP). Mr. Swart was gracious and clearly a deeply committed Christian, and hosted us exceptionally well. We had the extraordinary privilege of lunching with ACDP president, the Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, who spoke with hope about the future for South Africa, despite the fact that his party is currently marginalized by many. President Meshoe asked about "Dr. Pat," whom he had met in the past. He detailed how many Christians in Africa revere Dr. Robertson as a "true spiritual leader" and a "father in the faith." We agreed that the Lord's purposes for South Africa will not be thwarted by any weapon formed against her.
After this visit, we strolled through the Palace Gardens, to the South African National Gallery (where we saw some disturbing images from SA photographer Roger Ballen) and then to St. George's Cathedral, where we could almost hear Bishop Tutu intone against hatred and inequality.
The evening concluded back at CI, where some 70 business and church leaders met to discuss "Change Leadership." Dr. Bekker--called 'his royal highness' by Mr. Louis (they are good friends, and Mr. Louis was reflecting SA's deep love for their 'lost treasure,' Corné
Bekker), opened the evening by sharing his heart about leading as Jesus did with the rich young ruler, looking upon him intently and loving him. I then shared a few thoughts about "Leading Change: Lessons from Literature." As the evening ended, a journalist from "Joy" magazine (SA's only Christian magazine) asked a number of questions about Regent's hopes to engage South Africa. We responded that we have come here as much to learn as to teach, to invest in lives and not for financial reward, to live out our mission and be a blessing to the nations--for God's kingdom and glory.
It is nearly 11pm when we arrive back in Devon Valley, but our exhaustion cannot dim our exhilaration at all God is doing here.
We then visited Parliament, and were greeted by Mr. Steven Swart, a member of Parliament and of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP). Mr. Swart was gracious and clearly a deeply committed Christian, and hosted us exceptionally well. We had the extraordinary privilege of lunching with ACDP president, the Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, who spoke with hope about the future for South Africa, despite the fact that his party is currently marginalized by many. President Meshoe asked about "Dr. Pat," whom he had met in the past. He detailed how many Christians in Africa revere Dr. Robertson as a "true spiritual leader" and a "father in the faith." We agreed that the Lord's purposes for South Africa will not be thwarted by any weapon formed against her.
After this visit, we strolled through the Palace Gardens, to the South African National Gallery (where we saw some disturbing images from SA photographer Roger Ballen) and then to St. George's Cathedral, where we could almost hear Bishop Tutu intone against hatred and inequality.
The evening concluded back at CI, where some 70 business and church leaders met to discuss "Change Leadership." Dr. Bekker--called 'his royal highness' by Mr. Louis (they are good friends, and Mr. Louis was reflecting SA's deep love for their 'lost treasure,' Corné
Bekker), opened the evening by sharing his heart about leading as Jesus did with the rich young ruler, looking upon him intently and loving him. I then shared a few thoughts about "Leading Change: Lessons from Literature." As the evening ended, a journalist from "Joy" magazine (SA's only Christian magazine) asked a number of questions about Regent's hopes to engage South Africa. We responded that we have come here as much to learn as to teach, to invest in lives and not for financial reward, to live out our mission and be a blessing to the nations--for God's kingdom and glory.
It is nearly 11pm when we arrive back in Devon Valley, but our exhaustion cannot dim our exhilaration at all God is doing here.
February 7, 2011
We traveled to Cape Town today, leaving behind many new friends and looking forward to the people and places the Lord has prepared for us to meet in South Africa's glistening seaport.
After a two hour flight, the intrepid Dr. Bekker drives us to our home base for the next three days: the Stellenbosch area just 40 minutes or so from the airport.
Our first meeting of the day is with Vice Chancellor (the title is SA's equivalent of a university president) Russell Botman,who is the first black man to lead the prestigious and historically white University of Stellenbosch--regarded by many as South Africa's finest institution of higher learning. President Botman describes the university's programs and aspirations, chief among them his hope to increase the enrollment of black students to 50 percent (from the current level of 33 percent, up from 11 percent in the four years of his tenure) by 2015. He recounts the government's support of scholarships that create pathways for students who would not otherwise be able to attend university. Honored as a "champion for reconciliation," he has a clear vision for his school of 24,000 that includes retaining excellence and reaching out to a broader student body.
Our evening meeting, hosted by the charismatic Michael Louis of Cornerstone Christian Institute, features a veritable "who's who" of Cape Town's educators and other notables. Among the attendees are Minister of Education Donald Grant, Graham Power (the force behind the 'Global Day of Prayer') and prolific evangelist Michael Cassidy. By the dinner meeting's end, Regent's impact in this area is clear. Thanks to Dr. Bruce Winston's efforts to bring Regent's leadership programs to South Africa, our reputation here is outstanding, and the doors for further academic outreach are wide open.
Note: the photo is of Parrot Mountain in the morning mist.
February 6, 2011
This morning at 7 a.m., we are driving to the Soweto township to share the word at the 9 a.m. service at Grace Bible Church, pastored by Mosa Sono. The Soweto township’s scarred past comes into focus as the city appears just off the freeway. I think of the fires that burned here one month after my high school graduation in 1976, as the “Soweto Uprising” made headlines across the world. Some of the current images from Egypt’s protests hearken back to those days, when students refused to abide by the government mandate that they be taught in Afrikaans rather than English.
Soweto today has many of the vestiges of its segregated, oppressed past, but there are a number positive signs: a new University of Johannesburg Soweto branch campus, a number of stunning shopping malls, and even a soccer stadium used for the recent World Cup on the outskirts.
We see Grace Bible Church looming on our left, and watch streams of people winding their ways through the streets to attend the 9 a.m. service. More than 3,000 congregants wait outside as the early service erupts in a closing song of worship, and Karen, John and I know that we are in for a life-long blessing. After greeting the charismatic Pastor Mosa Sono—who wowed audiences across the world when he spoke at the Willow Creek Leadership Conference in Chicago this year—we are escorted into the service and join in the roof-raising joyful sound of legions of worshippers lift the name of Jesus in Zulu and English. When I walked up on the platform and shared from Matthew 7:24 and encouraged them about examining our “foundations,” I was humbled and moved by the sight of this sea of bodies listening intently to this stranger from the U.S. At one moment, I paused and just listened: the stillness spoke to me of a people hungry for God, disciplined in spirit, worshiping in unity—a formidable congregation.
Soweto today has many of the vestiges of its segregated, oppressed past, but there are a number positive signs: a new University of Johannesburg Soweto branch campus, a number of stunning shopping malls, and even a soccer stadium used for the recent World Cup on the outskirts.
We see Grace Bible Church looming on our left, and watch streams of people winding their ways through the streets to attend the 9 a.m. service. More than 3,000 congregants wait outside as the early service erupts in a closing song of worship, and Karen, John and I know that we are in for a life-long blessing. After greeting the charismatic Pastor Mosa Sono—who wowed audiences across the world when he spoke at the Willow Creek Leadership Conference in Chicago this year—we are escorted into the service and join in the roof-raising joyful sound of legions of worshippers lift the name of Jesus in Zulu and English. When I walked up on the platform and shared from Matthew 7:24 and encouraged them about examining our “foundations,” I was humbled and moved by the sight of this sea of bodies listening intently to this stranger from the U.S. At one moment, I paused and just listened: the stillness spoke to me of a people hungry for God, disciplined in spirit, worshiping in unity—a formidable congregation.
A tour of Soweto—which included a stop at the “Nelson Mandela House”—brought the afternoon to a close: how privileged we feel.
February 5, 2011
At 7 a.m., we are meeting with alums and current Regent students in South Africa for breakfast. We anticipate a handful, and are stunned to find nearly 50 eager, bright faces smiling back at us as Karen and I enter a gleaming, new, modern restaurant inside Moreleta Park Dutch Reformed Church. After a brief greeting, five of them share with the group their experience with Regent. As has happened countless times over these last three years, we listen to story after story that related things like, “Regent changed my life;” “I have never worked so hard at something I loved so much;” “The program was the epitome of professionalism and excellence.” We gloried in God’s goodness, and prayed with these young leaders and thought about how the Lord would use their leadership to bless South Africa and other nations.
At 8 a.m., Dr. Bekker and I join John Jones (by now a full member of our family) and spend the next four hours completing our two day conference—the Lord touches more than 700 lives over the two days, and as we leave Moreleta, we know that much of Regent is left behind to continue to serve the Lord.
At 8 a.m., Dr. Bekker and I join John Jones (by now a full member of our family) and spend the next four hours completing our two day conference—the Lord touches more than 700 lives over the two days, and as we leave Moreleta, we know that much of Regent is left behind to continue to serve the Lord.
February 4, 2011
Karen and I are settling in for the night a few minutes before midnight, and recounting some of the remarkable blessings of the Lord for this day in South Africa:
Nearly 400 coming to tonight's opening session of our "Christian Leadership to Change the World Conference" in a large Dutch Reformed Church in Pretoria.
Over two dozen attendees raise their hands to signify that they are current Regent students or alums.
Meeting with "Regent South Africa" grad Steven Ward, who introduced us to Pan-African Christian Church in Kenya--who would like Regent to offer doctorates in Leadership on their campus.
Over 100 coming to hear us speak at a Christian Business Breakfast at "Doxa Deo" church, where 44 students are enrolled in Regent Leadership and Graduate Business Program. They beseech us to consider offering undergraduate business courses.
A church that is teaching leadership and using one of Dr. Bruce Winston's books as the text--"Dr. Bruce," as he is called, is loved and revered by so many here.
Meeting with Michael Cassidy, called by some "The Billy Graham of South Africa," and hear him share about the tremendous need for mentorship in this region: "Carlos, many are being saved, but they are longing for mentors to help them know the Lord and His purposes for them more fully."
Thank you, Jesus, for the work you have done, are doing, and will do here through Regent--to you be the glory.
February 3, 2011
Our first full day dawns in South Africa, and I step outside to drink in the morning air, hoping it is redolent with coffee and bananas. Instead, I smell nothing at all, but hear the sounds (sometimes shrieks) of native birds announcing a new day. It is a busy day, and Karen and I are dressed and breakfasted before 9am (that's 2am for VA Beach!) and meet the genial John Jones, a graduate from GLE's MOL program. John has helped plan nearly all of our meetings in South Africa, and this morning he will give us a brief tour of Pretoria, South Africa's de facto national capital, and John's home of many years.
We stop for a brief walk at the Union Buildings, which house the president of South Africa. We look out over very English-looking gardens, wonderfully manicured, and to the bustling city below. The silence starkly contrasts the jarring of cultures that is linked to South Africa's colonial past. Can Christianity continue to bridge cultures and bring healing to this land? Can a region with such ethnic diversity and religious pluralism find common ground to move this great country forward? What role might Regent University play in answering these questions as we learn from this land and its people? Interesting questions for the days ahead.
We stop for a brief walk at the Union Buildings, which house the president of South Africa. We look out over very English-looking gardens, wonderfully manicured, and to the bustling city below. The silence starkly contrasts the jarring of cultures that is linked to South Africa's colonial past. Can Christianity continue to bridge cultures and bring healing to this land? Can a region with such ethnic diversity and religious pluralism find common ground to move this great country forward? What role might Regent University play in answering these questions as we learn from this land and its people? Interesting questions for the days ahead.
February 2, 2011
As we set out to do all to which God has called us in South Africa, we recall intrepid missionaries like Dr. Livingstone, who faced peril at every turn and months of travel just to reach South Africa. While more than 20 hours of travel may seem daunting, we relish the opportunity to see Africa for the first time.
The flight from Dulles to Johannesburg features one stop in Senegal. I read John Piper's new book "Think," and the much lighter, but raucous read on the history of dueling by Virginian Barbara Holland. We both watch the film "Social Networking," and appreciate that it is sanitized of its offensive language so as to be enjoyed by all viewers about the flight – including 29 Minnesotan college kids about to spend a 'semester abroad' here.
Before long we touch down briefly in Senegal, and I look out into the blackness to make out the last stop of the tortuous, though infamous race from Paris here in Dakar. Between 40 winks and a few more chapters, we see Johannesburg peeking through some ominous clouds. The terrain is green rolling hills, with some rocky outcroppings in a few spots.
We disembark and are greeted by the ever-affable Dr. Corné Bekker, who has toiled for weeks to arrange the many meetings, conferences, and events that will fill our next two weeks. He drives us the 45 minutes to our hotel in Pretoria, and fills us in on our itinerary, family life, and some nuggets of this region he knows so well. We look out onto the soggy landscape, and my prayers go out to this nation. Was it not for more than a decade that every headline for South Africa featured the word "strife?” Healing has come to this place, yet the Lord wants to do more: bringing reconciliation, hope, equality and more. We say 'Amen Lord'; give us the privilege to be used by You for Your purposes in this place.
The flight from Dulles to Johannesburg features one stop in Senegal. I read John Piper's new book "Think," and the much lighter, but raucous read on the history of dueling by Virginian Barbara Holland. We both watch the film "Social Networking," and appreciate that it is sanitized of its offensive language so as to be enjoyed by all viewers about the flight – including 29 Minnesotan college kids about to spend a 'semester abroad' here.
Before long we touch down briefly in Senegal, and I look out into the blackness to make out the last stop of the tortuous, though infamous race from Paris here in Dakar. Between 40 winks and a few more chapters, we see Johannesburg peeking through some ominous clouds. The terrain is green rolling hills, with some rocky outcroppings in a few spots.
We disembark and are greeted by the ever-affable Dr. Corné Bekker, who has toiled for weeks to arrange the many meetings, conferences, and events that will fill our next two weeks. He drives us the 45 minutes to our hotel in Pretoria, and fills us in on our itinerary, family life, and some nuggets of this region he knows so well. We look out onto the soggy landscape, and my prayers go out to this nation. Was it not for more than a decade that every headline for South Africa featured the word "strife?” Healing has come to this place, yet the Lord wants to do more: bringing reconciliation, hope, equality and more. We say 'Amen Lord'; give us the privilege to be used by You for Your purposes in this place.
February 1, 2011
As more than half the nation braces for the fiercest winter storm of 2011, we are steeling ourselves for the travel day ahead--which includes the possibility of cancellations later in the day.
Our journey's first stop is DC, and then Johannesburg, SA. The first leg's 40 minute duration contrasts our mind-numbing 930-minute second flight. Our carry-ons are crammed with weapons to battle the coming ennui:
Board games
Deck of Cards
I-Pad
Journals
Crossword Puzzles
Sudoku
Even the near 30 hours of travel does not dampen our excitement. We know the Lord has prepared the way before us, and that He will--as always--exceed our expectations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
