Making a difference

Sometimes we come across people and we make a difference in their lives without even meaning to. I heard a statistic recently, and even if it’s not completely accurate, I think the principle holds true. The statistic was that in any given day, you will make a difference in 14 people’s lives. The difference may be good or bad, but it shows the influence that we have over others. Recently, I made a difference in someone’s life, and didn’t even realize it.

This particular guy works at Woolworths, which is a grocery store that sells “high-class” food. They are known for being more expensive, but also better quality. At Africa Ablaze, we collect any food that has passed the “sell by” date from Woolies 5 times a week. Piet and myself do the collection about 2 out of the 5 times a week.

One of the first times we started going, there was a guy who was very much set in his ways. He was very worldly, if I can put it that way. Always talking about how crazy his weekends are, how much pot he smokes, and how much sex he has. I tried as hard as I could to ignore this obnoxious 27 year old. He would even bring the conversation back to me and try to find out how crazy my lifestyle is. At one point he was even banned from working with us when we came because of his continuous inappropriate comments.

As I continued going, sometimes with Piet and sometimes with other staff, the conversation grew more spiritual. But being the type of person that he is, he would solely argue his point that Jesus never existed and never listen to any other opinion. On one particular day, he didn’t even let me get one word in. A few days later, he apologized and let me share my opinion. I just started asking questions about his beliefs to see where he was at.  He mentioned that he believes God exists, but has never seen a sign that Jesus still works in our lives today. So I left him with a challenge. I told him that he should pray every day for one month that God will show him something that will prove the existence of Jesus. I promised him, that without a doubt God would do something as long as he kept his word that he would pray that prayer for 30 days. I told him I’d come back to him in one month and he was going to tell me what happened.

I didn’t see this guy for a while, and Piet and I went away for a week, but when we came back, I had heard word from another staff member at Africa Ablaze that this young man from Woolies had accepted Jesus Christ! I was shocked, but so glad.

About a week later I went into the store and there he was with a huge smile on his face. I told him, “I heard the good news.” He said that yes it was true that he had accepted Jesus and he is now a new person. He was just disappointed that he didn’t get to tell me himself.

I just wanted to share that small yet powerful testimony! We really never know who we are influencing throughout our daily lives. It’s important that we, “live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received.” Eph 4:1.

"Here Am I Send Me"

Howzit friends?

The sun is shining and the Son is shining on our lives! We feel blessed to be alive and even more blessed to be doing the work of God everyday! We have just returned from a powerful evening church service that has given us encouragement to never miss an opportunity to preach the Gospel of Christ.

Leah and the Camp Kids

As some of you may be aware, we are in yet another transition in our lives. We will be leaving Africa Ablaze (our current ministry) at the end of this month. In short, we feel very confident about moving on to pursue even greater challenges. We love working with the career camps and other parts of the daily ministry that we are doing here, but we (as well as the leaders of the ministry) acknowledge that we cannot reach our full potential here.  We are not able to use our gifts to the fullest and we want to maximize our impact.

We had two or three long chats with our leaders at Africa Ablaze and we are all on the same page as far as our leaving. It was a mutual agreement and a very natural progression in mine and Piet’s life.



Yes...this is Piet on the left!



At the moment, Piet and I are living rent free on the ministry property. Because we are moving on, we will need to find a place to rent…and quickly! We should be out of here by the end of August. There are lots of places available, so we aren’t too worried about it, but we need to add a bit more support to our budget. We need to raise an additional $600/month for an apartment. We are hoping to find 6 families to support us $100/month, or 12 to support us $50/month. If this is something you are able to do, please contact us. So far we have raised $125/month. We have no doubts that God is taking care of us and will “provide all of our needs according to his riches in glory” (Phil 4:19).

So what’s next? Well, we are currently praying about working under a local church leading outreaches, mission trips, homework clubs, and helping with the youth group or Bible studies. We are very excited about this next chapter and have experienced so much peace in recent weeks. Please pray for us in this time!

Thank you for all you are to us. We certainly wouldn’t be here without all of you cheering us on.

Blessings and love,

The Bakers

Victory!

Yesterday, after months of trying to get all the paperwork together and 3 hours in the South African Home Affairs office, I received my spouse permit!! For so long I’ve been putting it off because there is a minimum income level, but yesterday we decided to just go for it and see what happens. Amazingly, we saw more than a couple miracles happen.

First, I had to stop off at my doctor to get a form filled out that I am not mentally ill. She had given me one at the beginning of the year, but I had since misplaced it. Anyway, I was really disappointed in myself, and also disappointed knowing they were going to charge me the full price for an appointment that would take less than 5 minutes. I was in and out and when I had to pay, it was about half the price I normally pay. I didn’t ask questions, I just took the blessing! Miracle One.

Secondly, I assumed that I had to first apply for an extension on my current permit (visitor’s visa) before I could apply for my spouse permit because you have to apply 30 days before your current visa expires, and mine was expiring in 8 days. The lady told me not to worry about the extension; she would just push my spouse visa paperwork through. Miracle Two.

Third, the lady who was processing my paperwork said there is no way that my visa would be denied!! Wow! Miracle Three.

Fourthly, there was NO FEE on my visa. It didn’t cost me anything, except that three hours in the building and walking up 7 flights of stairs a number of times. Miracle Four.

After we left the building, we celebrated! The process was so much easier than we had imagined!



Piet and Leah



Praise God that there is now one less stress to worry about!

         "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
          You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,
          you will receive what he has promised."  Hebrews 10: 35-36

So, I guess the tunnel isn't as far as we thought. :)

Our new car! 2003 Ford Focus

Thanks for the prayers!

The Bakers

Pain in the Night, but Joy in the Morning

I realized lately that I haven’t properly explained the set up of Africa Ablaze. There are about 12 of us that live on the Africa Ablaze campus. The campus has 4 dorms, and 3 private houses, a multi-purpose hall, horse arena, and more. Piet and I live here full-time, and whenever it is time for camps, the students arrive at our door step and we entertain them for the duration of their stay. I have to admit I’m happy to be married because my days of staying in dorms are OVER!

The children who come on holiday camps have been booked in by their parents. We don’t advertise it as “church camp”, but it is an invitation to understand who God is and how he works in our lives. The June/July camp definitely topped the April camp. There was a real spirit of God’s presence touching the lives of the young people.  Many received Jesus into their hearts.

I have to admit that when we first joined the ministry I wasn’t super excited about camps and working with kids. Piet and my specialty is youth. However, I find myself playing the part of the mother on camp, and I hear the phrase, “You are going to be such a good mom one day” said much more than expected.  Piet also finds his role an easy one to play: camp facilitator and worship leader. He is learning well how to blend authority, discipline, and friendliness. Everyone loves him.

Every day there were sessions where we would sing songs and teach a moral or Biblical lesson with the kids. We had a lot more opportunities to teach this camp, which is not only fun, but has really helped us grow.

As I mentioned a while ago, life just seems particularly difficult lately. Piet and I feel that we are going through a lot of trials. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s still a distance away. Many of you have probably heard about our car by now. We had bought a really great car for a good price, but unfortunately we had been scammed and the mileage had been set back, AND the car needed a new transmission. Luckily we caught it in time and were able to get our money back. And here we are, a month later, we have bought an excellent car! We got an even better price on a car with very low miles. We are very confident that our new Ford Focus will last us years. We want to thank EVERYONE who helped contribute toward our car! Thank you so much!! We would have never done it without the loving support of each of you.

At the moment, Piet and I have been given an amazing gift of a condo about 50 minutes away. We requested a week off to really just take time to pray about our future. In all honesty, we aren’t sure if we are at the right place at Africa Ablaze. We felt called, but now we doubt. We are taking quality time to think about our goals, visions, and plan for the future and to seek God’s heart for us. Things were just getting too much, and I personally felt like I had nothing left to give until I slipped away and completely recharged.

We are also (yes…the trials continue!) in the middle of trying to sort out my visa. It’s literally been months trying to get it right. I have about 9 days left on my current permit, but I am getting an extension this week, and will apply for a spouse permit. We actually don’t qualify for the spouse permit because we don’t make enough money, but we are praying for a miracle!

We know this is a lot. I don’t usually like writing so much because I never know if anyone will read till the end. But thank you for taking an interest in our lives. We have some real desperate needs at the moment if you can please stand with us:

-Pray for God to speak clearly about our future this week
-Pray for the visa extension to go through and grace for a spouse visa
-For the enemy to remove his hands from our lives
-For the financial stress to be taken away

We really do love each one of you. We feel a connection even though we are far.
“Jesus, your love has no bounds” –Phil Wickham

The Bakers

Psalm 35

A few weeks ago, I was reading my friend Ashlee’s latest blog post. I don’t normally advertise for other people, but this one was especially good: http://ashsouthafrica.blogspot.com/2011/06/gone-overseas-and-its-brought-me-to-my.html . It really describes something I’ve felt lately.

A little while back I was reading Psalm 35, and it really stirred up my heart’s cry and brought up a lot of questions that I was discussing with Piet.

The author, David, is pleading with God to take away his enemies and to deal with them justly. He also mentions that God’s heart is for the poor and how he rescues them and sees them.

10 You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.

13 When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother.

22 O Lord, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.

It made me think, however. But just hear my thoughts… Does God really rescue the poor? Does he really save them from those who are too strong for them? If I’m totally honest, living in this country makes me question if he does. I see young children with torn clothes, shoes with holes, and starving bellies on a regular basis. These children are unwashed and lonely. Some of their parents have died and have no one to look after them. It just seems so unfair, and I began to ask the Lord if he really does see them, or are his eyes blind toward them. How many genuine prayers are being unanswered? Why does he leave them to suffer? I began discussing my concerns with Piet.

There is an unfortunate reality in South Africa. There is a spirit of laziness and abuse. So often the little money that a family might earn is used on alcohol to drown the sorrows that they feel.  Not long ago Piet and I were speaking to someone who lives in a shack who wants to buy a Mercedes! Their perceptions are so distorted. They think the status of a nice car trumps feeding their family because it shows that they are doing “ok”. Have you ever seen a Mercedes parked next to a tin shack? It’s very strange and certainly counterproductive.

Piet made the comment that God gives us the ability to reason and to understand the things that are right. People in the informal settlements are crying for food, yet not making the effort to get a job. There is one guy who attends our church who calls Piet on occasion looking for a job, yet he makes no effort to find one himself. He thinks that just because Piet is married to a white lady he has lots of money or can “pull strings” for him.

I get very encouraged by all the small businesses that are run by the side of the road or otherwise because these people have seen the vision and are running with it and can then provide for their families. Some of the hardest workers in South Africa, however, aren’t even South Africans-it is those who see and appreciate the opportunities- the Zimbabweans, Nigerians, and Malawians that have nothing for them in their home country and come to South Africa for work.

The truth is that there are the many innocent children living below the poverty line who are sadly living in the sins and disregard of their parents. And the truth is there in David’s words: O Lord, you have seen this. And as Piet was relating to his personal experiences, some are very content where they are at. It doesn’t mean that they must go from a shack to a mansion. If they were able to eat that day, then God took care of them. God saw their need and he rescued them. Piet even as a young boy knew that God looked after him because he never went without.

So maybe it’s not up to me to judge God and to say that he doesn’t answer their prayers. He does. In ways that are tangible for each one.

Piet’s comments: That being said, we acknowledge that everything happens for a reason and our task is to seek God’s will in the situation. I (Piet) have come to an understanding that we might not fix the situation but if we continue witnessing the truth, people will be set free, not forgetting that we should cultivate goodness within our lives so that the fruit of goodness is produced. It is impossible to produce true kindness (doing well to others) without practicing goodness.  Our words are not enough, but the Godly character in us makes our speech true. Character is a witness of what is inside us.

Thank you Lord, as David says later in Psalm 68:5, YOU are the “father to the fatherless, a defender of widows…”

Stirred by compassion,

The Bakers

Jesus Christ - what a Superstar!

Last week was Piet's birthday. One of our favourite things to do is go to the theatre and see live shows. I took Piet out for the night on Tuesday last week to see Jesus Christ Superstar live at the casino about 15 from where we stay. It was a really great rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and very accurate to Scriptures. Of course it is a modern twist of the story of Jesus, but very nicely put together.

After the show, we decided to get something hot to drink and walk around a cute book store. It reminded me so much of Borders or Barnes and Noble, just a much smaller scale. I found Piet engaged in conversation with two gentlemen. They were involved in ministry in one of the local townships and were asking about our ministry as well. We shared stories and encouraged one another. We talked for a while and they wanted to pray for us. After they prayed for us, they handed Piet a handful of money! We couldn’t believe it we were in shock.

The whole way home we were just laughing and thanking God. We just kept thinking that this is exactly what happens when you pray and ask the Lord to provide for you. Praise God, the new car is coming!

Love provides

The Bakers

God is Moving!

After recruiting 45 students from multiple different high schools in the area, we at Africa Ablaze hosted our first Church Planting Camp. The most dedicated Christian students were chosen to be a part of the weekend. We equipped and trained them about how to start their own small group and how to grow other like-minded students into mature followers of Christ. Our sponsor had a vision to reach 1,000,000 souls, and we have already started counting!



Roasting Marshmallows!



When we ventured back into the schools this week, we had many young people coming up to us with their “Reach for Life” Bibles in hand to tell us that they had already formed groups and were meeting regularly.  These youth have seen the vision and how to attain it and they are making something happen.

Oh yeah, I (Leah) have started preaching in the schools. I’m still learning and growing, and it’s pushed me way out of my comfort zone. Piet preaches regularly and he’s such a natural.

In other news, life is hard. We are facing lots of challenges personally and even in ministry. We know that life has its ups and down, but right now seems to be especially difficult. I’m so thankful that we have each other to cling to during this time, and of course God is carrying us through it all. We’d be nowhere without Him.

Our car died yesterday. We are officially fixing it for the last time, parking it, and selling it. At this point, I’ve actually been considering throwing it off a cliff so I never have to think about it again. BUT God is good and we have someone who really wants to buy it; who knew. Luckily we aren’t far from buying our new and improved car. About a week ago we only needed about R10,000 for our new vehicle, but now it’s looking like we will need an extra R5,000 in order to repair our old car. Plus, we won’t be able to get the amount we were hoping to get from it. So, in translation that is $2142. I’m so thankful to God that we have raised and saved as much money as we have in the few months that we started trusting God for a new vehicle. It’s incredible really.

Thank you for your prayers, we really need it.

Pray for:
-The last finances to come in for our truck/SUV
-Ministry
-Wisdom and understanding
-Peace

We love you!

The Bakers

P.S. Some have been asking how to give. The best way is to send a check written to “Discovery Church” with “South Africa” in the memo, sent to Discovery Church, 5860 Las Positas Road, Livermore, CA 94551, USA.