There are so many similarities in what we are doing and teaching but what was more interesting were the unique qualities that each ministry has. I love that Kevin doesn't want to fit each ministry into a box, but really wants local leaders to take ownership of their ministry and suit it to their needs.
On our team there were very small Centershot groups all the way to quite large ones. Some of the ministries were just for kids and other larger groups tended to include the whole family. There were also various patterns for how people used the curriculum and did their Bible studies. It was good to hear that at several of these locations kids as well as adults are giving their lives to the Lord for the first time.
Probably the most interesting story that came from this meeting was from Alex and Kevin Roupe. These guys are on fire about Centershot and want to see it continue to grow in the Pennsylvania area. There is no doubt that it is because of the commitment of these guys to their ministry that they are seeing it grow so much.
Alex tells a story of how his grandma was there one night and listening while the boys were presenting the gospel to the kids. At the point where they asked if anyone would want to ask Jesus into their heart to put up their hand, when their grandma put up her hand. Alex told her that she didn't have to raise her hand if she needed to excuse herself to the washroom, just get up and go. But it turns out their grandma said, "I don't have to go to the washroom. I need to ask Jesus into my life. I just thought you had to know who He was. I didn't know you actually had to ask Him into your heart." All along the boys had always thought she was saved but they found out that night that she had never made a personal commitment. I'm sure they never thought when they started that the Centershot Ministry would save someone so close to them. I think it was Alex who said he kinda got mad at her and said, "you could have died...your old...why didn't you do that way sooner?"
Overall that session together I think will help each of us tweak our own ministry and perhaps try something different that will reach more people for Christ at home.
Friday was our first day after completing our ministry in the schools. There were three activities planned for us. You could choose to hunt all day or either half of the day. The other options were to go to "Walking with Lions" in the morning and in the afternoon there was a wildlife driving tour at Entabeni Game Reserve. Now I know you probably all think that we would naturally chose the hunting, but you are only partially right. Rick chose to hunt in the morning and Ardon and I went to "Walking with Lions". In the afternoon we all went on the game drive. Yes, I know, quite shocking that I didn't go hunting on every possible opportunity!
If any of you do ever get to South Africa I do highly recommend the Walking with Lions. I never checked out any details about it before we went. I was just expecting it to be kinda like other zoo experiences. I was quite surprised to find out that we would actually do as it says and literally take three lions on a walk through a game preserve. It was incredible and the handlers do everything possible to make sure you get all the great pictures you can imagine. If only I had brought the battery for my camera which was charging in the room. Arrrggg!! As it turns out it wasn't so bad as I did have my phone along and since we were so close I got all kids of great pictures.
The game drive was also a great experience and a way to see several of the classic African animals that we all picture. We were missing a few from our list but we did see monkeys in the parking lot, wildebeest, warthogs, jackal, waterbuck, elephants, giraffes, impala, hippopotamus, and zebra.
It was a really fun day to experience together with several of our new friends and we will look forward to hunting on Saturday.
For Friday night after a fun hunting awards ceremony for the three guys that came before the missions trip started, Jacques shared how Reaching a Generation and Shakwaru Lodge came into existence. What a testimony of faith and stepping out for God. It would be easy to assume that this whole place and ministry was started by someone whom in the worlds view we would call wealthy. How else could you possibly afford to purchase land and develop a facility such as this? That is what human logic would tell you but Jacques shared of how his vision for reaching this lost generation of kids in South Africa grew from a business plan that he developed to present to Jackson's Reach, a mission that he was working for at the time. That plan was rejected but Jacques and his wife Lizzy still felt it was God's call on their life to give this a try. This resulted in him resigning with the mission and slowly seeing over time how God has provided through very right times and even still to this day. There are so many lessons that could be learned from their ministry here for how to create a mission that can financially sustain itself after being established. It is not the typical way that we see a mission working but I would say that in a day and age where possibly 70% of charitable donations are expected to drop off according to some studies that Reaching a Generation will be in a place where they are continuing to expand their ministry rather than trying to figure out where to cut back. In fact they are already working on a similar but larger ministry to Zambia that will hopefully be starting in the next year. In the end it is wonderful to see a couple that continue to give all the glory to God for what is happening here and I'm pleased that I could play some small role in it!
Hi, just to let you know walking with lions, or recommending others to do same, is extremely unethical. These lions that are used for walking are all sent to canned hunting farms. It's a barbaric cycle and unsuspecting tourists and volunteers are unwittingly continuing it.
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