I Can See the Light At the End of the Tunnel . . .

Yes - it's there. . .

A few things before we head out.

Please be in prayer for Isaiah and Mercy, the team that awaits us in South Africa and for our team members especially as many of them are facing trials right now.
We are meeting at Kensington at 4am.
Pack your personal bag 50 pounds or less.

Below you will find a note from a friend of ours who traveled to South Africa with us on this medical mission. I thought her note embodied how wonderful the connections are with the people we meet in South Africa. Let it be an encouragement to you today.

I have been insanely busy with the last two classes of my masters. I don't know how I managed to leave the two classes of this course plan that have the most tedious, intense assignments, but I have not stopped moving since January. I have 3 weeks, and I am DONE, and that has really been on my mind lately. "Just get through this."

So, last night, as I rushed through the foyer of Pawley Hall at Oakland University on my way to class, some pictures being displayed caught
my eye. Now, it might just be me, but pictures of African Children seem to be everywhere. I don't know if it is just that so many images from my own experience there are in my heart and mind so others jump out or if there is just more awareness now. Maybe it is a combination of both. It always intrigues me, because no matter where the pictures are from, I feel like I know the people, or like there is some kind of camaraderie offered in the poignancy of the images. I
don't know these people, but somehow, I do. I don't know this situation, but somehow, I do. Anyway, last night, these images were just gorgeous. I didn't have time to stop, but I noticed they had been taken by a high schooler--a girl Cari, from Stoney Creek High School. Wow! Even more amazing!

So, on break, a couple of us meandered down to the store and then were taking in the pictures in the foyer. I was going through the cases, looking intently at the beautiful faces. I was trying to see if there was anything to indicate where these laughing, yet serious, children were from. So many things reminded me of the Zulu friends I had made in 2007. There were lines of students waiting for school to start. There were laughing girls, and stoic boys. Then there was a picture of a girl in a white lawn chair against a bare wood floor. "Wow," I thought, "That totally could be the church at Empembeni! But, I bet those chairs are pretty common. They are here, at least." I began searching the faces, thinking how funny it would be. Just maybe, some kind of pure coincidence, that these crystal clear faces matched the images burned into my memory.

I turned a corner, met up with one of my classmates, and screamed and teared up all at once. There, one of the individuals who I made a very personal connection with, was staring out of a frame at me. Rejoice, one of the strong women who helped us pray during our
clinics and who does so much for ACM, sat at the corner of the Empembeni church, hesitantly fingering her song book while having her picture taken. "I know her! I KNOW HER!" I yelled out loud. The classmate next to me was a bit stunned, but then said, "These are really good. Actually, a guy I went to school with does something like this. I don't really know about it, but Prem is pretty into it."

"PREM!!! What?! He is 'pretty into' eSikhawini...WHERE I WENT!" (Prem is actually a photographer as well. He went to SA a while back and actually has set up their website, etc.) My excitement caught the attention of a couple more classmates. They came over to where we were standing and I filled them in. In my loud, arms-flapping sort of way. One of the other women, Mary, said "So, this is Rejoice, huh? Like, 'Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel!' This brings tears to my eyes seeing you with tears in your eyes! Actually, one of my co-workers goes somewhere over there. She passed out her envelopes again. Pat ."

It was my turn to scream again. And I think I might have jumped up and down at that point. "PAT!!! She was on the team when I went!"

I walked back through the display and saw a portion of Sabelo's face, and Mercy's sister--other workers at ACM. Things I hadn't picked up on in my first inspection. Things I wasn't necessarily looking for!

Honestly--honestly!!--what are the odds??? Well, when working with God, odds really don't matter. In SA, the people call our team "The Winter Doctors" and each year, as their winter approaches, people in the area surrounding the church start asking for them to come back. Word of the Winter Doctors has made its way around eSikhawini and people look forward to the annual visits, but word did not stop there, it has flowed through the channels here in Metro Detroit and is touching people here just as much. Word of the Winter Doctors and of what God is using them to do among the Zulu people is spreading here, too.

This moment was even more poignant when I figured out that this year's team is leaving Friday. The beauty of the moment stopped me in my tracks. Slowed everything that was rushing about me and my life, and reminded me once again of the glory of our God. Although SA is never far from my consciousness, there are times when my heart forgets the real depth of the experience there. At this time of extreme stress in my life, I needed that reminder. I absolutely love that images of gorgeous, strong children bring me back into the center of God's love.

written by MW