Relationships Week - by Ryan

23 March – 27 March (RYAN)

The teaching on Relationships was taught by our base leader's wife, Rebecca. We all want to have relationships with people and desire to be loved and accepted unconditionally, to have value and worth for who we are; not just for what we do and the need to not be alone.

During this week Rebecca helped us to identify and to understand the qualities of grace based families verses shame based families. This topic touched on relationships and dysfunctions within the family; the different roles and functions that family members take and how that affects their behavior and the way they relate to one another in the family circle and later on in life with other people. Understanding these roles can help us to understand the choices we have made in our own lives, if we have grown up in dysfunction, and help us to minister the love of Christ in a greater capacity to others.

We also talked about what Godly dating relationships look like and expectations for marriage partners. It was a great week of learning about behaviors and why we act as we do and how God can change us and help us to be the men and women He has called us to be.

Fun Day at God’s Window by Sarah H

21 March 2008 (Sarah H)

This was a wonderful day. We invited about 40 to 50 kids from the feeding scheme in Phokeng to come to God’s Window, where the DTS and YWAM Base are currently located. It is a beautiful farm type setting. We had bouncy castles for the kids to play on and a jungle gym and there was a cool sitting place by the bird and rabbit area. We had crafts and a beauty station set up. The kids enjoy painting their nails and the nails of the each other and YWAM students and staff. One of the DTS students, Joyce, is an amazing elementary school teacher in the Netherlands and her craft ideas kept the kids interest as they created colorful pictures and other creations.

It was too cool for swimming but it was fun to get our feet wet. Though one or two “accidentally” fell in, it was great to be around the water and enjoy it.

God’s Window is nestled at the base of a breathtaking mountain. About a third of the way up is a one room prayer chapel coming out of the side of the mountain. So a hike was arranged and the whole group started out (minus a few who stayed back and got the lunch ready). Even a few ladies strapped their young babies to them and they hiked up the steep trail too. The children and adults loved the climb. Rebecca and her kids joined in. The reward was an amazing view from the tall mountain side. From there, even the Bafakeng Stadium could be seen, where one of the 2010 World Cup Games will be played. The stadium is very close to Martha’s home where the children go everyday for a hot meal and guidance. It was a physically challenging hike but well worth it. It was neat to see the little dots of color go up the mountain as some of us looked on from bottom where the empty bouncy castle was set up. Actually, it wasn’t totally empty, Angela’s children were enjoying the space (along with a few DTS staff and students :-) We ended the fun with Viennas (hotdogs) for lunch and ice cream cones for desert.

I think we all enjoyed it, Phokeng Kids, DTS Students and YWAM staff alike.

Thanks to everyone who donated for this day of blessing the children of Phokeng who are in Martha’s feeding scheme.

Alone with God

The week of 9 March through 13 March was a week that we had planned for teaching. However, the planned teacher had to change their schedule and after prayer, we decided to allow this week to be devoted to God. We would stay on schedule with our daily tasks, but the difference would be in place of class and afternoon ministry we would spend time reading, praying, listening and fasting. We began fasting speech. We had 2 days of silence. Have you ever wanted to just not speak for a time? Well you should have been here then. We as staff did more talking since we were planning on the fly. But once we did, we joined the students in that silence. Typically, we spend too much time talking about nothing, or talking to make ourselves seem greater than we really are. We spend more time talking trying to convince people we have it all together and we know more, can do more, been through more but it just shows how unraveled we are. We were able to listen to nature, to the voice of God, to turn our focus off of us and onto the creator of everything. The beginning was a bit difficult but after the second day no one seemed to really talk anyway. How strange. We had assigned reading of 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Samuel and James. With no talking it was much easier to get alone with Him and go through His word and get new revelations.

We were also asked to fast food. We didn’t all make it through the entire week but the few days that I did fast, I was amazed at how the flesh is quick to speak up for food. Not that I needed it or felt faint but the knowledge of not having food created more of an apparent war between flesh and spirit. When I felt as though I was starving I had to remind myself I am not my body. It is subject to me. When a hunger feeling came I would thank God for provision and would intercede for our team, my family, supporters, friends whatever I thought of.

Once the week was over we took the students to a game reserve here in Rustenburg. It was a beautiful place. We got out of our cars and hiked to this lookout shack. We prayed and took communion. It was great to be in His creation with Him.

Those times when our schedules fail, unexpected events happen or things just do not work out to our expectations; remember it is an opportunity to listen to what God wants; a time to be obedient because He wants to speak to you. If God can look at our entire life in one glance I think He can know best at what I need or where I need to go. I have to make a conscience effort to trust Him, seek Him and obey Him. I can’t do that if I’m not even looking to Him.

If He, the God and creator of everything, would send Jesus Christ, His Son, to die for our transgressions and reconcile us to Him don’t you think He wants and desires to spend time with us? Not for us to blurt out a list of things He can do for us but for us to just sit in His presence and allow the Sovereign God to love on us. To speak to us and reveal more of who He is to us. To reveal more of who we are to ourselves. He loves you so much His heart aches to spend time with you, good quality time. He longs to speak to you like He did with Moses. Can you hear Him?

Phokeng Student Outreach

YWAM Rustenburg has many ministries. One is a feeding scheme in the township of Phokeng. There are three ladies that have a heart for the orphaned children so they feed from 20 to 50 kids each day at their homes. As partners with them, we help out with providing food and shelter and school supplies and uniforms and as many other things as we can. The community of Rustenburg and donors overseas have been amazing support for this ministry. With monetary donations and volunteer hands from the DTS staff and students, this week in March was a successful step in the Phokeng Ministry. Martha’s is one place that we have already been able to build a building for more space. However, it is just the structure. Recently, windows and electricity have been added. Then the DTS students used one week of their outreach to add more during the week of 16 March through 20 March.

In the words of one of the DTS students……….

“There is already a building where the children come everyday after school for help with homework, Bible studies, and meals, but the building was in desperate need of some color. So the first day, we cleaned and taped the walls. Everyone worked well together so it went pretty smooth. On the end of the first day the top half of the walls were a cool blue color. When the children came after school time they were all very excited.

The next day we went back with fresh energy and this day had a “brown theme” to it as we painted the bottom half of the walls a warm brown. On Wednesday we went back and it was dry and it looked pretty good and Martha and the kids, as well as ourselves, were all very pleased.

Martha had the desire to have a garden so she can grow vegetables that can be used in the meals for the children. The only thing was that the ground next to her house was covered in stones.

So our mission in the second part of the week was to bring new life to this piece of ground. First of all we plowed over the ground with shovels and pick axes. Then got down on our knees and removed all the stones out of the soil. Never knew now many stones there can be in African Soil. :-) Some of us had a little bit of knowledge about how to plant so after discussing the best way to organize and cultivate the plants, we planted the broccoli, spinach, cabbage and spring onion in the nice straight lines. Some of us proved to be real gardeners! It was nice to see each other in a completely different way during this week. (also we literally saw a different side in the “work outfits” we all wore) Most of all it was great to serve together and to see how much that meant to Martha and to the kids.

Phokeng Kids get Special Cards from Valley Christian School in America

At the end of 2008, The Valley Christian School in San Jose, California made beautiful hand written Christmas cards for the children of the feeding scheme at Phokeng. We were able to hand out these special cards in March. The children are all ages but they need the love and attention we can give them. They all are very special and unique. They were so excited to get these Christmas cards because this wonderful group of students took time and effort to not just to send these cards but also to personalize them. The American students wrote personal notes and prayers to the recipient. They may not have known the name of the child to receive it but they didn’t need names. Each card had a heart felt message and the children could tell they were loved and cared about. Many asked the YWAM staff and students to help read it to them. You could see the awe in their eyes that a bunch of high school students so far away would care about them. There was a picture of the Valley Christian school class that made the cards in each card.

In return, the children of Phokeng, made cards of thanks to the students of Valley Christian School. Many drew pictures and designs on the cards. Others wrote poems and words of thanks. Some even wrote Thank you in Tswana, their language. Thank you is Kealeboga, (ke-a`-le`-bo-ha). The YWAM DTS delivered the cards during one of our regular Monday afternoon visits where the students give bible lessons and spend time in small groups. We help with homework and just have fun times of talking and many of the kids help us foreigners with learning some Tswana words.

What a blessing to be able to just be the vessel for such love from continent to another.