126

Riding through the township in a small Honda which was so low to the ground that the bumps on the road scratched the bottom of the car as the nursing team rode along the dirt roads with Hillary and Kristin along for the ride. Children in faded, unwashed clothes played in front of their homes in the dirt patches that substitute for front yards in this township. We are looking for a home with the address of 126. This is the address that the man wrote down at the ThembaCare facility where he was treated [how long ago] for HIV.



It is hard to find his address. Looking carefully at the chalk marks on the side of the houses we see in blue the number "120" scribbled on one then the number "134" drawn onto another. Finally, in pink marks we see the number 126. The care giver gets out of the car to deliver the medicines.


The nurse knocks on the door to the small home built from sheets of cardboard and tin. A woman answers the door. it is the wrong address. it is a common mistake. Addresses change often in these shanty towns. These homes are so flimsy that they catch on fire easily. It could be caused by a cooking fire or a heater. Once one home catches flame the fire quickly spreads to other homes nearby. This can change the address system.



The nurse said, "I hope that we find this guy. If we don't find him today, he will be dying in his home."


This is a hard job. You can't help everyone who needs it. There is just so much that needs to be done. She went on to explain how she lost her first patient who, knowing that he needed to take his medicine with food, would eat dirt because he had no food. just so he could have something in his stomach. When, he was found dead his organs were stuffed with dirt.


They look for 126 in the six other townships that they visit that day.



They never find the man. They have to move on.



There are more people who need their medicine today.





The above story was told to me by a young lady who went on a missions trip to South Africa with me. One out of every four adults in South Africa is infected with HIV.

Romans 2-4

makes so much more sense after this last time that i read acts. In chapters 2-4 Paul is appealing to his Jewish brothers to see that God is not concerned with circumcision or following the law. The funny thing is that he is in prison in Rome. He is there because these same brothers mobbed him and caused him to be put in chains.

He is appealing to his enemies to see the truth about faith in Christ. That there own revered forefather Abraham was not circumcised, did not have the Law to follow, yet was accepted by God because of his faith. Why can't grant that God is doing the same for their Gentile brothers?

It hits me hard that Paul was endangered because of his fellow believers locked into the traditions:

"And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him,

"You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs".

"What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and (AR)purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law."

"But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote,having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication."

Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, crying out,

"Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place "

Acts 21:18-28


In an effort to appeal to his brothers who were married to their customs Paul put himself in harms way. he ran into some enemies who had been out for his blood in Asia and they turned a crowd against him. In Romans, Paul is still appealing to Jewish brothers captive to their customs, despite the injury that these kinds of people have already caused him.

When I read Romans this time, i can hear heart behind the intellectual arguments. i hear love not reasonings, appeal not commands

Confessions

I was rummaging through an old journal, and came across these statements that I wrote around October of 2007. I'd just accepted the position of Campus Director of ENCM at Augusta State University and was still not sure why God had me here. These statements represent the few things that I knew for certain amidst a lot of uncertainty.

---------------------------------
"I believe that I must obey God by doing my best to build at ASU

I believe that God will give me wisdom to manage well.

I believe that the lives of students will be altered and steered Godward by my service here.

I desire to give my life away.
If God approves that my life is worth giving,
He'll permit it,
and I'll marry my purpose

Jesus is worth everything
I don't deserve anything
I'll always have enough to give something




GO FOR IT!
Love Courageously Hope Fearlessly"

Note to self

remember to Love and Appreciate more than you Evaluate

Keep your friends

Keep your friends.
Love them,
how they need it.
Ask God for help.
Say you are sorry.
Say it a lot.
Keep an open heart.
It will be pierced.
Ask God to heal it.
It will grow stronger.
You need to love.

Parallels

Strong People

Strong people take care of weak people.

People who think themselves too strong to be bothered with or "held back" by weaker people are really just too weak to handle the responsibility.

People who think themselves so strong that they can prey on weak people are really just too weak to handle taking care of themselves.

Strong People are upholding families, churches, governments, and other institutions.

Strong People guard the weak and defenseless from the spineless and the gutless who would harm them.

Strong People lend strength to others making them strong as well.