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In case you are a bit tech-un-savy but want to keep up with the blog as we enter new posts you can "subscribe."  Just scroll down and look on the right and you will see a lil' instruction area on what to do to never miss an update!  Because life without a lil fun/easter bunny ears/ n pics of South African aunties can be bad!

Growing the Navs!

I love this photo of Vuyo.  younger sister of one of the first women that Kristy met with on campus (Thabisa).  Vuyo used to work for Lou Lou n K. at Urban Grounds and since that venture has been put to rest, she is jobless, so.... she is helping me out with some admin stuff!  Thanks Vuyo.  The photo is a good one of how startled and most likely impressed she is with my vision for the Durban Navs this year:)

Vision Sandwich

Every Wed. at lunch time we have the "Vision Sandwich" at medical school.  The big surprising thing is that we talk about... vision!  I've been going through some of my and also The Navigators core values.  The time with these future Dr.s is great and rewarding as we explore the Bible together as well as have some great in-depth conversations.  The pic is of Huli and Melisa, two of the regulars.

Watching God Work

So I'm not your ordinary average traveling revival speaker.  But for two years in a row now I've been asked to put together a children's program/revival message for a kind of Daily Vacation Bible School at a couple different RURAL (all caps on purpose) church community.  

So this year we almost didn't make it.  we got stuck in the mud 4 times on the road to the area.  the 1 hour drive was creeping up on 2 1/2.  Myles was with and Kristy and I kept on thinking of sleeping in the Land-cruiser in the middle of rural Malawi on a mud road with a 2 year old... no way.  But after pushing hard with the help of 4 different groups of local kids 4 different times! we finally made it.  And what an amazing experience.  The photo above shows the pastor of the church excitedly leading back into the church building the over 100 kids who decided to give their lives to Christ after I spoke about the "Gospel and the Big Problem."  Jumping imaginary rivers and talking about Jesus really connected with them, and Myles!  Pray with us for these kids and the life changing decision that they made.

what it's like to travel with a 2 year old.

well, world view is very important to me.  I want Myles to expand his mind, think big, and have huge vision.  So that is why he went along to Malawi.  And this is what it looked like on the way home at Joburg airport.

Malawi

what a trip!!!  Pictures and a great blog all about the adventure if you click this link.  Check it out, the team was amazing and thanks to Chris for the great blog!

Our University Students get fired on by police

Police called after students go on rampage

24 March 2009, 16:47

by Dasen Thathiah

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Chaos erupted during a strike at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, causing police to fire rubber bullets to subdue the crowd.

The university's student representative council began protesting last week against inadequate financial aid and academic exclusions.

However, UKZN officials - who were locked in a meeting with student representatives on 
Monday night - said the strike had possibly reached an end.

Police were called to the university after students became increasingly unruly, said police spokesman Superintendent Vincent Mdunge.

"Attempts were made to call students to order but they became violent and went on a rampage. Officers first tried to disperse them with pepper spray, but it didn't work. Rubber bullets then had to be used," he said.

Mdunge said police had not yet received an official report citing the number of people injured during the unrest.

"If officers had not intervened when they did the situation could have turned out a lot worse," he said.

A traumatised law student - who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being victimised - said last night she burst into tears when screaming protesters barged into an exam venue and flung stink bombs into the room.

"They were rioting upstairs while we were writing the exam. About five of the protesters came downstairs in the lift and threw these stink bombs into the room. The police heard our screams, but by the time they got there the culprits had already gone back upstairs," she said.

The protest was like an ANC political rally, the student said. 

"All the protesters were wearing ANC T-shirts and carrying ANC banners. 

"They didn't even want to let us into our exam venue at first. It was a sea of yellow," she said.

While the unrest seemed to have subsided for a short period, absolute chaos broke out at about 1pm. 

"There were these loud bangs as police started firing rubber bullets at the crowd.

"Everyone was running in different directions. The protesters were screaming, smashing window panes and banging on doors, while trying to escape police," she said.

The violence sparked an urgent meeting between university officials and student representatives.

Trevor Wills, executive dean of students, described discussions with student representatives last night as fruitful.

"The students made their views clear and will report back to their constituencies. Hopefully, this will bring the protest to an end," he said.

• This article was originally published on page 3 of The Daily News on March 24, 2009

Alive with possibilities.

So we are at it again.  The core team of students in our Nav community are effecting change one person at a time and in small gatherings around campus.  A some-what "timid" group of 4 core students went knocking on first year med students doors unsure of what the response would be to an invitation to start investigating the Bible with them.  It turned into an overwhelming and encouraging outpouring of desire to meet and look at John with the team.  So many 1st years showed up that the next week they decided that they would have to split into multiple groups to be able to have good discussion!  Watch this space is stories emerge from the multiple Investigative Bible Studies that are launching all over campus by our eager students.

Aethiest's thoughts on Missions

I found this of great interest, especially as I go to Malawi in the Ntchisi district every year with Berean Baptist Church to do leadership training and medical clinics.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece

As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God

Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset

Matthew Parris

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa:....

If you like how this starts, click on the link to finish the story!

Core Workshops

Kristy and Thobe have captured our attention over the past few weeks. We are doing Sat. workshops focusing on our gifts, personalities, contributions, values, etc. Thobe spent 5 months interning with The Navigator People Resource Team at the Navigator headquarters in Colorado Springs and is now sharing that info with us! Kristy adds in great facilitation and partnership in leading the days. Kristy's background in communication and in personal contribution have been a help to Thobe. It's been fun and rewarding to see the things Thobe picked up in the States and is now passing on to students here in South Africa. We are all looking forward to the coming sessions with Thobe and Kristy!

A photoblog by Kristy

People often ask us "Why South Africa?" In fact, this question often comes from South Africans. They frequently want to know why we would leave the USA for South Africa. We always say its the people, which is true, but I came across some photos today that reminded me of how beautiful this country is. These were taken by Ben and I all over South Africa and include the UKZN campus overlooking Durban harbor, the wide open spaces of the Free State, the indescribable beauty of Cape Town, and the wild peace of the game parks. Vuka (wake up) South Africa... you are beautiful.

Adoption?!

So this is not our new baby in Lou Lou's arms! But I thought it might get your attention.

We are in the process, or I should say have been in the process of expanding our family through adoption. Since before we were married (over 7 1/2 years ago!) we have talked, dreamed and planned of adopting some-day. Well some-day just became very soon!
Over the past year we have been working with Durban Children's Society and specifically with a social worker named May. She has talked us through the process, interviewed us, visited our home and asked us some very tough questions about adoption, ourselves and what we are hoping for as we adopt our new baby. It wasn't always easy and it made us look deep and not just dream of this perfect family.
I'll update more as the day's pass because we hav now entered the placement process. That is, we have been aproved by the Durban Children's Society to become parents and now they will put us on the list of parents to be matched with babies.
Oh yes, and their next meeting to match is Thursday (tomorrow). And yes that does mean it is possible that we are matched this week!

Many people have great questions for us in this process and we welcome them. Please us this blog to poss them or email us to get some more insight if you would like it. A couple of FAQ are:
1. Why? 2. HIV/AIDs.... will the baby have it? 3. Isn't this expensive, and arn't you on "gift income," can you afford it? 4. Does this make you cliche? ie too wraped up into South African life?
Yes these have all come our way, so over the next couple of days I'd like to answear them here, for you and for us! thanks for checking out the blog, please post a comment if there are other questions on this process you would like to know.

Things are getting crazy!

Only a few day's until the Medical School is up and running with first-year students registering and discovering, for most of them, what life is like with no elders around telling them what to do! It's scary for some, exciting for others and a wonderful opportunity to develop relationships and enter into peoples lives in authentic ways.
I'll be updating the blog on what we are doing, how we are doing it and the students we are meeting.
These photo's tell a bit of what we've been up to as we prepare for the students to come.
Our first step was in thinking of ways to get into conversation with the students... how about an upside-down Myles?! Our full of life 2 year old is always up for adventure, danger and interacting with the students. As I've been working hard at building our financial partnership base over the past month Myles had made sure that I took time out to just be a bit crazy.
Kristy, Myles, Thobe and Lou Lou took a day to go visit our good friend S'the and her new baby boy Nhlanhla. Myles made a fast friend (as usual) and a greatly encouraged S'the received some much needed support as mother, intern Dr., and help with living back at her parent's home.

What's next? A gathering of the core team next weekend to look into our personal contributions for the year and to launch into the 2009 school year!

Isaiah 30.21

Whether you turn to the right or to the left your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

Timely read verse I found as I read and look at the promises of God.

Thobe is Back!

Our great friend, co-laborer in Durban, and vying for favorite aunty (and person) in the world to Myles.... Thobe. After 5 months in the USA working with The Navigators People Resource Team in Colorado Springs Thobe has come back to us!

As we have talked and debriefed the trip, we have found that many of Thobe's family and friends didn't expect her to return to South Africa. It seems that many South Africans, given the chance, would love to travel outside the country and never return(legally or not). Jobs and money are the key factors to this. That and working and living conditions. As safety, political fears and economic world wide recession grip the minds of many here in SA, we see a growing need to develop individuals and communities trusting God and living missional lives. It's interesting times. It's going to be an interesting year.
Watch this space in 2009 as I hope to dive into some of the issues, hope's, dream's, and fears that are rippling through South Africa.