Back to School

Finally, school has started back after a month long holiday during the World Cup. I'm excited to get back to Girls Club!

There have been some big changes with the Soweto Team. We have had to say goodbye to the Siedschlag family and to Nick who were both serving alongside of us. Sad times. Also, Amber is no longer working in Soweto but is working with another team.

Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will ear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

God has been teaching me a lot lately about relying on Him. Being overseas and working in Soweto has stretched me beyond measure. I have done things I never thought I could do and it is has only been through Christ's strength that it has been possible. I am a very shy person and tend to let others take the lead. But that is not possible anymore as I will be working by myself. Please pray for me to be bold. I'm trusting the Lord right now to provide me with what I need to do this task by myself. I am a weak vessel who is willing to be used by Him for His glory in Soweto!

Right now, I'm praying and trying to see what schools to work with. Please pray that God would open the doors to the schools He wants me to work in.

I went to Obed Messiane Primary School to find a teacher to speak with about coming back this term to have Girls Club. I have found out that one of the two teachers that we work with passed away during the holiday. The second teacher we work with had left early that day because she found out her brother had passed away. I have seen a lot of death being here and it never gets easier to handle. This school has been difficult because many times I have had to organize the girls myself. But the girls want me to be there... One day, a girl asked if I had something to teach them about God and told everyone to go to the classroom. They have many questions and are searching for answers.

While I couldn't speak to anyone about Girls Club while there I did get to hang out with some of Nick's soccer boys. Nick was working with Zach but decided to coach boys who were standing on the sidelines wishing they could play. Nick did such a great job pouring into them and teaching them about God.

I have been here for just over a year now... And one thing I love is that I can walk the streets and know people. Really makes me realize how important it is just to be in Soweto, spending time with people and building relationships in order to share the love of Christ.

This sweet girl used to attend church at Faith Baptist but has recently moved and is not able to come anymore. Always good to spend time with her. And the little boy is just plain cute.

Here in South Africa they have something called a gap year which means taking a year off after high school to work, travel or do missions before going to university. I had the opportunity to go to Thulani Secondary School with a gap year group as they shared with the high school students. I was excited as I got to see over 15 girls from Girls Club last year from all 4 of the schools we worked at. It was such a blessing to see their smiling faces!

Some of my girls asked me to come to Thulani to have Girls Club! I have been praying about what schools to go to and I may try to go speak with the principal to see if I can come to this school. I have already developed close relationships with these girls and feel it would be beneficial to continue getting to know them better.

Thembane who I meet with for discipleship came out to help at Thulani. She is so sweet and such a pleasure to be around. She was able to meet all of my girls from Girls Club. Afterwards, she told me that she could help me sometimes with Girls Club now that I am by myself. What an answer to prayer! I have been praying that Thembane and Sibongile would help me. I believe it is so important for the girls to have someone who has been in their shoes and can relate to their struggles. As much as I love these girls... I can only sympathize with them, love them and try to help them but I will never understand the life they have lived. But my prayer is that they would "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (Ephesians 3:18).

Please pray for the following schools... Obed Messiane, Hector Pieterson, Lehae and Thulani. Pray that God would show me which 3 schools to work in.

I Need Thee Every Hour

Living overseas and doing mission work is amazing but difficult at times. Nothing stays the same for very long. There are many changes going on right now with my ministry, team and just life. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I decided to get out of the city for a couple nights. So, I headed an hour outside of Joburg to the Hartbeespoort Dam to spend time with the Lord.

One thing I love about South Africa is the number of Bed & Breakfasts. I love the personal care and service that you get. The couple that ran the Bed & Breakfast was so sweet and accommodating. They cooked me breakfast which included fruit, yogurt, museli (granola), eggs, bacon, toast, juice and coffee. Talk about 5 star service. I enjoyed speaking with them and learning about South Africa. It is so fun to meet new people and learn about their lives.

The room was amazing but can I just add that it was the honeymoon suite! Yeah a little weird to be staying their by myself but I enjoyed it.

Especially since this was the view from my bed...

This was how I spent most of my time... enjoying the outdoors, reading the Word and praying. Sometimes when the stresses of life come at you, it's important to get away and commune with the Father. Tell Him what is on your heart as He cares for you.

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

As I spent time with the Lord I was thinking about the saying people use, that God will not give us more than we can handle. To a point that is true but then I really began thinking about it... of course God will give us more than we can handle so that we learn to rely not on our own strength but on Him alone.

I looked at some people in the Bible to see that this is so true...

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:8, "For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself."

David expressed in Psalm 40:12, "For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see... my heart fails within me."

Again David cried out in Psalm 69:1, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck."

Jehoshaphat spoke in 2 Chronicles 20:12, "We don't know what to do but our eyes are on you."

All of these men of faith faced more than they could handle alone. But instead of living in a state of despair, they cried out to God and God delivered them.

Right now I feel like He is giving me more than I can handle. But I'm choosing to move forward asking Him to give me the strength needed to get through these difficult times. It is through my dependence on Him and my weaknesses that God can receive the glory He deserves.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10

My prayer is that you would take time to get away and spend quality time with the Lord. Don't wait for the troubles of life to overwhelm you before you realize that you need Him. We need Thee every hour... during the good times and the bad.

Siyaya

Siyaya means "We are going" in Zulu.

There has been a change in the transportation system here in Johannesburg especially because South Africa was the host country for the 2010 World Cup. A new bus system was created in hopes to provide less expensive and more safe transportation for people. The goal of Rea Vaya is to place more than 85% of Johannesburg's population within 500m of a bus network.

But there has been much protest to the new Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT). There have been numerous attacks on Rea Vaya buses resulting in injuries and even death. Taxi drivers have protested violently including the burning of tires to obstruct roads in addition to firing shots at Rea Vaya buses. One Rea Vaya driver's house was petrol bombed because he had left his job as a taxi driver to work for BRT. Prior to the World Cup, taxi operators gathered in Pretoria to protest the BRT system and complained about plans to prevent them from carrying fans to stadiums for matches.

Taxis are known to weave through traffic with their aggressive driving compared to the BRT users who use dedicated lanes with a regular time table and designated stops. Taxis drivers are often seen as the bad guy but during apartheid they were known to carry people free of charge during the struggle. The taxi drivers have had a monopoly since apartheid as the only form of transportation for non-whites. But there is such a demand for transportation that many believe the two systems can co-exist.

When driving through Soweto, all you hear is hooting (horn honking) as taxi drivers try to get people's attention to see if they want a ride.

Taxi drivers can be very dangerous. If you are to cross one and take their route they have been known to kill. I was speaking with a friend of mine to learn more about how they work... He told me they do not own their buses. They are required to pay their boss R450 a day ($60) and they will usually only make R200 ($26) over that amount to keep for themselves. They are also required to pay their own petrol. They work long hours sometimes from 3am-11pm. The government does not like taxis because they do not pay taxes and see that their is money in it. It is not an easy life!

I have wanted to ride in a taxi ever since moving here. So, when Lori was here for a visit I had my friends Zakhele and Sibongile take us to downtown Joburg in a taxi. I truly have a new appreciation for how people in Soweto live. I thought it was fun to have this cultural experience of riding in a taxi.. but if that was my only form of transportation I know that it would get old quickly.

In order to get a taxi, you stand on the side of the road and hold up a hand signal depending on where you want to go. Taxis have their own sign language. It is not an easy task to catch one... sometimes they are full so you must wait. Other times they are empty so you have to sit on the side of the road for hours until the taxi is full before the driver will go.

I thank God for how blessed I am to have the use of a car while living here. But I'm also thankful for these experiences that allow me to walk in someone else's shoes, to understand their way of life.

The other most used form of transportation is walking. You can see people walking everywhere!

World Cup is Over

I'm sad to say that the 2010 World Cup is over... not sure what I am going to do every night now that I'm not watching soccer? But it was an awesome month for South Africa even if they didn't make it very far. The pride and excitement in this country was contagious!

The ministry that has taken place in the past month has been amazing! All throughout the country of South Africa, the love of soccer has been used to reach people for Christ. I'm so blessed to have been a part of some of it here in Johannesburg. We have been able to have the International World Changers from America come for two weeks to play soccer and teach Bible stories. Our team has helped hold Soccer and Bible Clubs around Joburg for His glory. Pray that God will receive the glory, honor and praise that he deserves from every tribe, tongue and nation.

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess to God.'

Isaiah 45:22-23

Pray that people will make a decision to accept and follow Christ.

For the Final Game of the 2010 World Cup... the Holidays had us over to watch the game together. Good times! Especially since Spain won... I was more so cheering for them because I got to see them beat Paraguay in a Round 16 game... pretty cool to have watched the team that took the Cup!

Birthday Week

Can I just say that I work with such an awesome team here in South Africa?!

Kurt and Janna Kay Holiday invite us over every Monday night for food and fellowship. Janna Kay made one of my new favorite winter meals, chicken and dumplings and then a delicious apple cake. Thank you for always opening your home to us and being so hospitable. Thank you for helping make my birthday special!

Alan and Beth Locke are so thoughtful and feed us every Tuesday night. Beth asked what I would like for my birthday dinner and she made me a breakfast feast. It included any and every breakfast food you can think of. After dinner, they asked what game I would like to play... If you can't tell I love to play games. We had a fun time playing outburst. Thank you for such a fun night!

On the East Rand, there are a bunch of supportive staff which include some people who have become good friends of mine. They were so thoughtful to have a birthday celebration for me. We enjoyed going to a speciality coffee shop and hanging out.

This coffee shop roasts their own beans which are imported from many different African and South American countries. It was neat to learn how it is done and the differences in coffee beans around the world. Thanks to Ryan for buying me some coffee from Congo!

Afterwards we went go-karting... So much fun. Thank you East Randers for celebrating my birthday with me. Love you guys!

It can be difficult being away from family and friends during holidays and birthdays. But I am truly blessed with another family here in South Africa!

Happy Birthday To Me

My Second Birthday in Africa!

What better way to celebrate my birthday then by going to Bible Study with some friends in Soweto?

Can I just say that skype is the best invention ever... I was able to see and speak with my Mom and Dawn (life long family friend). Then I was able to chat with my sister and see my niece Sofie. Check out the first time I saw Sofie, the day she was born. Can't believe Sofie is 6 months old today!

Last year was my first birthday in Africa after only 1 week of being here. It was hard. But this year I had the pleasure of spending it with some of my South African friends! Thembane (far left) and Sibongile (in front) are the two women that we have discipleship with. Thembane's sister (far right) is actually in our Girls Club. I just love these ladies!

This is Given, also known as Ndodana yami.. My son. He calls me Mom and calls Amber his Aunt. He is such a godly young man and we just love him.

Trent and Zach were in charge of the braai. They did a wonderful job as always cooking the chicken and borewors (traditional African sausage).

Amber made twice baked potatoes. Thembane made pap (traditional African mealie meal). Given made tomato and onion gravy. Team work!

After dinner, it was time to open presents. I was so surprised and honored to receive such thoughtful gifts. I'm so blessed to have such loving friends!

Just to name a few... Sibongile gave me a tea cup so that I could drink tea and think of her. She has really become one of my best friends here in SA.

And Nick brought me back a table cloth from Zimbabwe. He is headed back to the States after serving alongside us for 6 months. It will be sad to see him go.

Amber was so thoughtful and contacted my mom to find out what dessert to make for my birthday. I try not to eat desserts but when it comes to my mom's Brownie Truffle... I have no self control. This was the South African version as in Amber had to make substitutions for three of the main ingredients. But it tasted pretty close to the real thing. Koketso is Thembane's sweet daughter... I think she enjoyed it as well.

After dinner and dessert, Nick and I thought it would be awesome to play Spoons with everyone. It was amazing! You just have to watch this video to see how crazy it got.. as in rolling around on the floor and even jumping over couches... Memories for a lifetime!

And please take note of Koketso who cried every time we would reach for the spoons. She thought we were fighting and didn't like it. Too funny.

Best Party Game from Rachel Jensen on Vimeo.

What better way to end the night then with a few matches of ping pong? Thanks to Trent who is letting us borrow the table.

Thank you to all my friends who made this such a special day.

Spain/Paraguay

Quarter Finals. Downtown Jozi. Ellis Park Stadium. I just love the city lights!

Spain versus Paraguay

Loved seeing this traditional Zulu woman come out to support.

Thanks to Zach for my birthday gift of a South African scarf!

Check out a video of Spain's only goal against Paraguay!

Spain scores against Paraguay from Rachel Jensen on Vimeo.

When not at a game... I would watch with good friends.

One night Brad, Zach, Nick and I attempted to get tickets outside of Soccer City Stadium. We were hoping to see Cote D'Ivoire vs. Brazil but no luck. But we had a good time regardless!