Future Plans...

Not to be too ambiguous, but I had a couple big meetings this week with HUGE implications for my future in ministry and the potential direction God might be calling me. I'll share more when the time is right. But for now, please just pray that God would make it clear what steps I need to be taking in the near future. Thanks.

Blessings,
Adam

Fifty-(Two) Nifty United States?

I've recently uncovered a bizarre glitch in South Africa's education on world geography. My South African friends are often boasting (or whining) that Americans know very little about African history and geography. And, for the most part, I tend to agree with them. I honestly never remember learning a single thing about Africa in geography classes growing up, and the only part of African history that I remember learning was focused more on the history of American slaves. In high school, I remember watching the movie Roots and reading Things Fall Apart, a brilliant novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. That was the extent of my African studies. So, I'm forced to agree with my South African friends about the ignorance of Americans when it comes to Africa.

At the same time, I like to flip the table on these same friends and grill them on American history and geography. While most Americans would probably recognize that they don't know much about Africa, several of my South African friends think they know everything about America, simply because of all the American movies they've watched and the fact that, even in Africa, America dominates the world news. What I've found is that most Africans are equally as ignorant in their knowledge of America.

Take one friend of mine (who, for his sake, will remain anonymous), who thought that Obama was the president of both North America and South America. I tried to explain to him that those were two entirely separate and VERY different continents, with many nations and many different presidents, but I quickly gave up as I realized how much his geography teachers had failed him.

And then, my personal favorite. This is a real conversation that I had with one of my South African friends...

How many states do you think there are in the United States of America?, I asked.

Fifty-two, Wayne boldly and confidently answered. I started cracking up laughing.

Nope. There's only fifty, I replied.

He started getting defensive.

No, man, there's fifty states on the mainland. You're probably forgetting about Alaska and Hawaii.

Again, his confidence was shocking, as he tried lecturing me in American geography. Our other South African friends chimed in, backing Wayne's answer. (Apparently they all had been taught in school that there were fifty-two states as well!).

Trust me, bro, I'm not forgetting about Alaska and Hawaii. There are forty-eight states on the mainland; Alaska and Hawaii make forty-nine and fifty.

I proceeded to explain that there was a reason we have FIFTY stars on our flag, and then I proudly burst into the chorus of the song FIFTY Nifty United States (anybody else remember learning that song in elementary school?).

But not to be outdone, Wayne responded with dry sarcasm:

Oh, now I remember. You have fifty states...plus Iraq and Afghanistan! That makes fifty-two!

Touché, my friend. Touché...

Link Lovin' It

• My friends Kory and Ali are doing some incredible urban ministry. They share their thoughts here.

• My sister, Sarah, cuts a chicken's head off here. Sarah and her hubby, Nick, discuss spiritual warfare in Mexico here.
  

• My buddy, Kyle, is chillin' in Ireland. He waxes poetic here and here.
  

• I challenged my sister, Emily, to start blogging here. My beautiful, talented, incredible mother, genius (are those enough positive qualities, sis?) sister gives me a shout out in her first blog post here.
  

Please Pray for My Dad

I know that many of you have been praying for me regularly throughout my time in Africa this year, and I want to again say "thanks" to all of you...you have no idea how much it means to me to know that other believers around the world lift me up in prayer before the Lord!

Today I have a specific prayer request to share with you. I'm sure that many of you know that almost 2 years ago my dad was diagnosed with cancer in his spine. He has been through radiation and chemo several times to try to keep the cancer contained. For much of the past two years, he has lived in severe pain, but thankfully the treatments seemed to be doing their job. Recently, however, it was discovered that his cancer is growing again. He has a tennis ball-sized tumor on his tailbone that is going to require immediate radiation and chemo treatment again. My dad is in need of a lot of prayer.

Please pray...

...that my dad would be able to continue trusting the Lord during this difficult time, and that God would provide my dad with the strength he needs. Pray also for relief from the excruciating pain that my dad has been living with for so long.

...for my mom. Pray that she would continue being strong for my dad during this time. Pray also that she would be able to get the rest that she needs.

...for the doctors. My dad met with his oncologist, neurologist, and radiologist this week to determine what steps need to be taken. Pray for wisdom as they look for new medicine and new treatments to stop the cancer from growing and spreading.

...for me. I am struggling being away from home right now when I know that my family really needs me. I love my dad, and I wish I could be there to support him. Pray that God would give me strength during this difficult time.

...for a miracle. Our God is Jehovah Rophe...the God who heals. Pray that God would perform a miracle in my dad's life for HIS glory.

Hangin' with my dad...a few years back.

A Day of Solitude

Yesterday I got a chance to get away and spend the day in solitude. I went back to the farm where I have spent the majority of my time in South Africa this year. Nestled in the mountains an hour south of Joburg, quite literally out in the middle of nowehere, Driefontein (Three Fountains) Farm is the perfect place to get away and spend time alone with God. In the morning, I spent significant time diving into God's Word and hearing from Him in that way. Then, in the afternoon, I put aside the possibility of any distractions and spent a few hours hiking in the mountains and talking with God. It was such a refreshing time for me spiritually. Honestly, I don't get away enough like that. To be even more honest, I think subconsciously I'm quite terrified of solitude. I don't particularly like being alone...like really alone. But I've recognized that in my life I need solitude regularly. I think we all do. And, I've found that unless I'm intentional about getting away and simply being with God, life will just happen and I'll be too distracted to really hear from God. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I had yesterday, and God really did speak to me in a new and fresh way. I now feel recharged to face all of the challenges that lie ahead for me in my final month in Africa!

Comic Relief

In light of the fact that my recent posts have been a little more heavy than usual, I offer some comic relief. While visiting a church during my recent trip to Cape Town, I ran across some "Jesus paraphernalia." Now I'm not trying to be sacrilegious here, but if anyone needs a "Jesus" for their Easter play, I know a guy...

South Africa: Where Two Worlds Collide

Something that has jumped out to me this year while living in South Africa is that, unlike anywhere I have ever been in the world, South Africa is a country where the first-world and the third-world are coexisting side-by-side. It's a place where on one side of the street people live in sub-human standards in informal squatter camp settlements, while just across the street the elite live in fancy mansions in their gated communities. It really is mind-boggling to see such disparity of resources and living conditions within such a close proximity. Unfortunately, after living here for so long, it's a reality that has become easy to overlook. Tin shacks and million-dollar mansions side-by-side have simply become a part of the scenery here in South Africa, the backdrop of an incredibly unique and diverse country.

Another thing that has been easy to get used to is seeing beggars on nearly every street corner. As I drove around town this weekend, like usual there were people begging everywhere. However, one street corner stuck out to me as an incredible example of the two worlds that have collided here in South Africa. On the same street corner, there were ridiculously poor people begging for money to buy food and basic necessities for their families...and there were preppie high school jocks "begging" for money to send them on a sports tour to play cricket in Sri Lanka. As much as I've gotten used to seeing the two worlds coexist, this scene was too surreal and bitterly ironic not to have an impact on me. I guess the real thing I'm wrestling with is where I fit into all this mess...