quick note from chilly south africa

It’s winter here and buildings aren’t heated, so we’ve all been bundled up … but the fellowship has been warm and the people at amahoro-africa, as always, have been inspiring.
I just saw this piece at Sojourners – and it certainly fits the reality we see here. There are so many amazing women doing amazing things …
This morning I listened to Maggie talking about how her Nairobi church has been helping bring health care to the poorest of the poor. Then, after getting grass-roots experience, she tries to educate and challenge government officials to get involved. Just a few minutes ago I talked with Delphine who is building homes for returning refugees in Burundi. In between, I talked with Stephen who, in addition to raising nearly 30 orphans in Rwanda, also helps 150+ widows … who in turn care for their own children. For every sewing machine he can buy (from $150 to $300 each), he can employ a widow who can support a family. And a white Afrikaans pastor told me about a Ghanan woman in his church who single-handedly started befriending Nigerian prostitutes in their city, and is helping them escape the sex trade and find constructive employment. Yesterday, Robert (visiting Africa from the Dominican Republic) told us of a woman in his church who asked if she could use one space in the church parking lot to feed the homeless one day a week. That small beginning has expanded to a full range of services for homeless people. When you see the light of these women shining so bright and true … you instinctively want to glorify God.
If you want to get a taste of what’s going on here, check out futurechurch.co.za …