Perhaps I’ll just share something cool about the rain. It hadn’t rained here in weeks and was crazy hot lately. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time it had rained. Koekoes told us on Sunday to pray for rain. Then Sunday night/early Monday morning, it RAINED!! Here is what E.J., Koekoes’ husband and the YFC National Director, wrote on Monday morning in his prayer update:
Yesterday at our church service we prayed for rain. The past weeks we had not rain. The day temperature was about 38 degrees Celsius every day. Even the weather reports predicted no rain, not even for today. And then it came last night. It rained 100mm during the night and still it is pouring. God is really good!!
For those not fluent in Celsius, 38 degrees is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Yesterday, Sunday the 20th, it again rained like nobody’s business. It was insane! While I was driving to pick up Potlako, one of our staff from Botswana, to drive her in to the radio station, I felt at times more like I was driving a motorboat than a car. It felt like I was fording rivers flowing onto the main road from side dirt roads that couldn’t absorb anymore water! Good times!
Speaking to Entire Schools!
On Thursday last week, we had to leave the house at 5:50 am in order to pick up the recently revived YFC Dance & Drama team and drive about 45 minutes to a school in the middle of nowhere. I mean really—I think I saw 2 shops and 2 abandoned houses on the entire drive there until we reached the tiny “village”…otherwise, bush: trees and tall grasses. Franzi and I were going to lead a 2 hour assembly for the entire school (668 students), and we plugged the Dance & Drama team in throughout the presentation to keep it engaging and exciting. They did dances, skits, and testimonies that encouraged youth to make good choices and abstain from risky activities (i.e. sex, drugs, and alcohol). Franzi and I, along with Papi from the Dance & Drama team, performed the step dance and a new rap. Then Franzi shared about self-esteem and peer pressure, and I talked about HIV/AIDS and encouraged abstinence. I shared the information about Uganda that I included in my last post, and rallied them by saying I believe that that kind of change can happen here in Botswana. But it will take the youth to stand up and be the change. It was cool to see some of them really agreeing and being motivated.
In fact, afterward they wanted us to fill another 40 minutes, so we did Q & A and then students wanted to come forward to address their whole school, sharing comments agreeing with what we’d said and how it’s good to abstain, thanking us so much for coming. etc. One of the students received cheers when he stood up to make a comment. He explained how what we and the Dance & Drama team had shared really impacted him and he is genuinely thinking of changing his behavior. One of the teachers came up after him and was amazed, saying that if that student can change, there is great hope for their school. Apparently that student is known to be a big trouble-maker—the teacher said the student has tried to punch him twice, as recent as the week before. One of our Dance & Drama team guys then shared how he had tried to punch a teacher and was a really rebellious teen, but God changed him…so He can do the same for that student. Overall, it was just a really positive experience and it seemed like it really did mean something to the students.
The next morning, Friday March 18, I had the opportunity to speak to the entire student body at the Senior Secondary School in Mochudi where we are now leading the Wednesday and Friday morning assemblies. We decided that since it’s the Month of Youth Against AIDS, I would share a brief version of the abstinence talk I’ve been giving at other schools. Maruping has continued sharing the gospel on Wednesday’s to 1/5 of the school, but this was the first time we at YFC have ever really shared a message (besides rapping and dancing) with the whole school. I realized it was indeed timely because the students apparently just had to report to school for the assembly and then they were free to leave to start their school holiday until April 5. Thus, I was able to encourage them to make wise choices while on break. If that keeps one kid this school holiday from engaging in sex and putting him/herself at risk for HIV, then it was worth it.
Remember when we couldn’t get into schools at all? From July until February? Not even to do a club after school that is optional? Now we are able to speak to entire student bodies for sometimes 2.5 hours during school! In the last week or so, YFC staff/volunteers have led an assembly for 0.5 - 2.5 hours for hundreds of students at 5 different schools; and it would've been 6 schools had the one not gotten rained out. Praise God! Praise God! Oh, and yesterday, Twila and Jen visited another church in Mochudi started by Americans and Canadians, though we’d never met them before (they do most of their shopping in another town). It turns out they have been trying to get into that Senior Secondary School in Mochudi for years, but haven’t been able to get in. So that just highlighted to me how much of a blessing it is that we at YFC not only “got in,” but the guidance teacher actually asked me if we would come and lead the assemblies! And now we can help to get these others in to the school as well, so we can work together to make a difference.
Tumelo’s going to church every night!
Perhaps some of the most encouraging news of the week is that when I was taking “Tumelo” to counseling on Thursday afternoon, she told me that she has started going to church every night after school! Her mom meets her there after work, and they go to various prayer and worship meetings until typically 11 pm!! She told me she is reading the bible every morning too! When I inquired where she’s at with God these days, she said that she’d be lying if she said she’s accepted Christ as her personal Lord and Savior, but she is going to church to receive prayer and comfort. This is HUGE coming from her, especially that she would go to that particular church of her own volition (because of some issues in the past there). I asked if she is planning on going to the church camp in April with Slim and she said, “Yes! And the camp in December!” [So it’s Slim’s church too, though it’s in Gaborone. That’s how they met each other].
On Thursday after counseling, I dropped Tumelo off at the church at 5 pm…where she’d be until 11pm. That is not something I would have imagined doing anytime soon! Wow. God is at work. She really needs prayer now though as she’s getting closer to accepting Christ. I asked her what’s holding her back and she said, “No good reason.” It seems that she doesn’t want to give up control of her life, but to still do whatever she wants. I explained that she might feel like she’s giving up her freedom to come under the Lordship of Christ, but really she is already a slave to herself and her sin, and letting God lead your life actually brings a true freedom and unrivaled joy. I told her it’s hard to understand unless you’ve experienced it. I didn’t want to push it any more than that…but let’s keep praying for her! Thanks for any and all prayers offered for her thusfar!
Bible Quiz in Gabs
Saturday, all of the YFC Botswana staff & volunteers reported bright and early at 7:00 am to pack up and drive to Gaborone to lead a Bible Quiz Competition at a rented community hall. It was a competition for secondary school students. Teams of 4—2 guys, 2 girls. One of the University of Botswana students I met and recruited to be a YFC volunteer heard about the Quiz at volunteer training and formed a team of students who actually ended up being the team that won! Also one of the students from the P.A.C.T. club I co-led last year was the overall female high-scorer. She was excited to hear that we can restart the P.A.C.T. club in April. The advisor/leader of the second place team is someone who I met last year at Face the Nation and she told me then she wants to volunteer with YFC. I’ve tried calling her but hadn’t got in touch, so it was nice to run into her there and tell her about the volunteer training. She is very interested and will be joining YFC as a volunteer at long last!
Confronting the Stigma of HIV/AIDS -- Yarona FM
Sunday morning was another early one—leaving at 6:30ish am to drive in that torrential downpour to pick up Potlako and drive in to the radio station in Gaborone. I was basically the vehicle, literally, for her addressing the nation through radio (because I didn’t talk much on the air this week besides reading the text messages people were sending in; my main role was just driving her there). Potlako was taking a big step and going very public with her HIV+ status to encourage others to speak out about AIDS and to lessen the stigma and ignorant fears surrounding it. E.J. interviewed her live on the air, asking her what it’s like to have HIV, how the people reacted whom she’s told, how people have treated her, how she’d like to be treated, etc. She told me a lot of the stories in the car on the drive there. I was amazed that she lost so many friends when she told them her status, and how hardly anyone except YFC staff went to visit her when she was really sick in 2009. I thought we were past this level of stigma and fear in Botswana, but apparently it is still prevalent. All the more reason that Potlako speaking out was a powerful and meaningful thing—hopefully a catalyst for change in the way people treat those with HIV/AIDS and for those with HIV/AIDS to have the courage to be open about their status. There is still a lot of secrecy here. Even though recent stats have said as many as a quarter of the population is HIV+ and people talk about AIDS a lot, people are still very hesitant to admit they are HIV+ or that someone died from AIDS. Hopefully our discussion on the popular national secular station will have made an impact to lessen the secrecy and stigma…which will encourage more people to get tested and be willing to share their status if HIV+, while taking precautions to quit spreading HIV.
This week’s topic is on what the Church’s response to HIV/AIDS should be. Though I won’t be able to be on the radio this Sunday (because I’ll be in Namibia), I started recording people again to get their feedback to these questions: “If you go to a church, what, if anything, is your church doing to address HIV/AIDS?” “What can/should churches do? How should Christians treat those with HIV/AIDS?” I just got back from interviewing random people in Mochudi, and it was awesome because it unexpectedly served as a springboard for deeper discussion. One guy was sharing how he uses condoms every time, because abstinence is really hard and they grew up learning that condoms were safe. So I was able to share some of the stats with them of how condoms fail 15% of the time in preventing pregnancy and preventing HIV transmission.
“Always be ready to give an account of the hope that is in you…” -1 Peter 3:15
The best, though, was after interviewing a guy my age and engaging in a little small-talk where I think I mentioned I am a missionary with Youth for Christ. As I was getting ready to move on, he said in a completely genuine, inviting way, “So…are you going to tell me about God?” He continued, “Yeah, you can share with me about God, right? Please do.” Hello open door!! So I started sharing the basic gospel message, and then realized I had in my bag a little booklet YFC prints called “Knowing God” that explains it clearly with scriptures and pictures. So I whipped that out and we used that as the basis for our discussion for the next half hour or 45 minutes.
I’m not sure where exactly he is in terms of his faith and trust in Christ, but he certainly knew a lot. He believes in God and prays, though he doesn’t go to church. He knows that Jesus died for our sins, to forgive our sins. He asked me if I believe in heaven and hell, and who goes where? So that fit with explaining the gospel more. I explained that it’s not enough to just know that Jesus died for us and provided the way to God and heaven (even Satan believes that), but it’s about whether you really trust in Christ, accept his forgiveness, and want to live for Him. I said it’s not about whether you go to church—yes that’s helpful and normative for a Christian, but you can be a Christian without going to church and you can go to church your whole life without being a Christian. He understood how if you give your life to God, you change and have a different mindset about things, i.e. you would have the conviction and ability to abstain and wait until marriage for the one person God has for you. He talked about believing deep in your heart.
He talked about hard times and how it can drive us to God or make us question God’s care. I was able to share about the accident and my dad’s death and how God was near to me through those hard times. He’s had his share of hard times—his mother died; perhaps his father too (I wasn’t clear on that). His father was a pastor. He is planning to go to church during Holy Week/Easter and might stop by YFC this week during the Yarona FC time. It was getting dark so we were wrapping it up, and some of his technician friends showed up so I didn’t want to push the issue of whether he’s really trusted in Christ as his Savior and Lord, but I left him that little “Knowing God” booklet and he invited me to stop by more in the future to continue the discussion. So…that was sweet!! I wish I had the radio recorder all week because it is such a good means for conversations to arise about deeper issues. Tomorrow is the last day I’ll have it though, in order to give Trevor enough time to edit and get it ready for Sunday. I’m looking forward to interviewing people in Gabs tomorrow!
Holidays!
Today we started our holiday programs for the kids who are on school break—Kids Club in the morning; Girls Club from 2:00-4:00pm; and YaRona FC drop-in centre for boys and girls from 7:00-10:00pm each night. The daycare staff are on a 3-day camp with the orphans/vulnerable children about 2 hours away. The rest of us don’t all run all the clubs—we spread it out amongst us, don’t worry! I’m helping mainly with the Yarona FC, and Girls Club when I can. Tonight I have the night off for Yarona FC (hence my ability to email this now), then I’m on for the next three nights, speaking on Wednesday. Our theme is the theme for the Month of Youth Against AIDS this year: My youth, My health, My responsibility. I’m speaking about the “my responsibility” part and again giving the little abstinence talk (since this is mainly a different crowd than those who have already heard it). Tomorrow morning I will give that little abstinence talk to the weekly club at the private school in Gabs.
Then Friday morning, 4 other YFC staff/volunteers and I are boarding a bus in Gabs that leaves at 7:00 am for Windhoek, Namibia! After the 12 hour journey, we will spend a night there and then ride public transport out to the coastal city Swakopmund. It is very German, since the Germans settled there. The Atlantic Ocean sounds so lovely after being landlocked in a desert! I heard there is a paved trail along the shoreline in the midst of the sand so you can run along the beach. Amen! We will return the following Friday, April 1. Prayers for our safety and for a refreshing time are appreciated.
That’s all for now. I will try to post another entry before I leave, but if not, I’ll catch you on the flip side of my Namibia trip!
Thanks for your interest and prayers!
Blessings,
Em
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