The Glory of Easter

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!  Well we have finally gotten through the trials and suffering of the past week and have gotten to the glorious Easter Sunday!  When we see the empty tomb we are, once again, reminded of the new life that we receive in Christ and the promise for eternal life. One of my favorite things to do here is to sit on my porch and watch the sun rise. I love watching the colors and feeling the warmth as it rolls up over the horizon. It was especially beautiful this morning and was a perfect symbol that shows that no matter how dark and cold things get, the morning will come and the sun/Son will rise again! Amen.

The following lyrics are from one of my favorite songs about Easter, called “Now Let Us Dance!”

Now let us dance for the victory is won!

Now let us sing for song has begun,

Now let us live in the light of the Son

Gathered and called and united as one.

When we see the grave, stone is rolled away

Hear the angels say, “He is Risen!”

When we rise from death, filled with God’s own breath

Dead in sin and yet we’re forgiven!

At dawn as they walked, hanging their heads,

They fell in reverence when angels said,

“Why do you look for the living with the dead?”

Their mourning walk turned to dancing instead!

It's Friday but Sunday is Coming!

Anne Lamott once said, “I do not, at all, understand the mystery of grace. Only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.”  As I think about Jesus’ path to the cross and his crucifixion I don’t think anyone will ever be able to understand the grace of God. I cannot fathom that one man would take all of my problems, all of my faults, place them on his shoulders, and die for me so that I could be freed from their weight.  And to think, he did it not only for me but for you and for all of humanity.

The price of sin is death and we should have been the ones to die on that cross but Jesus took our place.  Because of his suffering, we now have an advocate when we suffer.  It does not matter what we are going through or how difficult of a situation we may be facing because we know that Jesus understands.  He, too, has suffered and he has felt pain worse than we could ever imagine.  He was beaten, mocked, tormented and tortured throughout his final agonizing hours.  I actually think God darkened the Earth because He could no longer bear watching the way that humanity was treating his son. 

But you know what Jesus was thinking about when he was suffering? How much he loves you and me.  The first thing Jesus says when he is hanging on the cross is to ask God to forgive those who were crucifying him. I think that he was not only asking for the forgiveness of the men that day but for us too because if it wasn’t for our sins he would not be dying like this.  There is no depth of despair to which we could fall that is worse than what Jesus bore for us on the cross.  But he did it because he loves us and no matter what we are going through he is there for us.  He understands.  “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  Isaiah 53: 4-5

But the story doesn’t end here.  The story of Jesus didn’t end when he died on the cross.  It continued through the lives of his disciples then and continues with us now.  Although darkness was cast over the Earth when Jesus died we now carry the light of God with us.  As we follow Jesus to the cross today I pray that we are moved by the sadness of Christ’s death, humbled by his eternal love for and filled with the joy of knowing that we are set free from our sins.  And let us also be strengthened by the thought that we are now able to spread the love and grace that is found in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  It’s Friday but Sunday is coming!

This is how Love wins, every single time 

Climbing high upon a tree where someone else should die 

This is how Love heals, the deepest part of you 

Letting Himself bleed into the middle of your wounds 

This is what Love says, standing at the door 

You don’t have to be who you’ve been before 

Silenced by His voice, death can’t speak again 

This is how Love wins

Steven Curtis Chapman, “How Love Wins”

Called to Live a Life of Love

There’s that age-old question about whether or not you would want to know the day you are going to die.  How would you live your life differently?  What would you do with your final years, months, weeks or days?  I’ve been thinking about this question a lot this week as I look at how Jesus prepared for his death.  He knew that his death was coming but he didn’t go skydiving or spend a week on the beach in Hawaii.  Instead of doing things for himself, he spent his time with those he cared about and teaching them how to serve.

We get the Maundy in Maundy Thursday from the Latin word for commandment.  On what would be his last night, there are three commands that Jesus gives to his disciples.  The first command was to wash one another’s feet.  Jesus decides to show his love for his disciples by lowering himself from the role of teacher and washing their feet, a job usually only done by servants. (I don’t know about you but washing feet, especially of people who have been walking on dirt roads in sandals, is not at the top of my Bucket List.) Although I don’t think we need to literally wash other people’s feet, Jesus does call us to do more for those around us.  In this one act the son of God is showing that no one is greater than anyone else. At the end of the day, we are all human and we all struggle so we should be willing to help each other out when we can, no matter of status.

The second command Jesus gives is during the Passover meal.  Jesus tells his disciples to eat the bread and drink the cup of wine in order to remember him and the sacrifice that he would be making.  On the night of the first Passover the people of Israel were delivered from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and on the night of this Passover meal Jesus would deliver the people of God from the bondage of sin.  Jesus is the spotless lamb who is willing to die so that we would be saved from death and given eternal life.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. This is how all men will know that you are my disciples, when they see the love you have for each other.”  Jesus’ final command to the disciples seems so simple but I think that most people struggle to follow it, or at least I do.  It is really hard to love everyone that we come across.  There are bound to be people who get on our nerves and frustrate us.  And surely Jesus isn’t asking us to love the people who have hurt us, right?  I think that he is. But he doesn’t mean the Valentine’s Day, hugs and kisses kind of love all the time.  I think he is calling us to be the bigger person when it isn’t always easy, turn the other cheek when we’ve been hit, and genuinely try to get along with one another.  Everyone is a child of God and should be cherished for that.  We shouldn’t be showing our love when it is convenient or when we agree with everything someone believes in.  We are called to love in spite of our differences.

This is an interesting command for me to think about with my time here in South Africa and my experiences in the States.  I know that there is still a lot of racism in the US but here it is much more obvious.  Less than 20 years removed from the apartheid system there is still a lot of tension between people here and I see discrimination and hear racist comments all the time.  In my time here, however, I have tried to break down some of those boundaries and ‘spread the love’ through little actions like asking why a racist remark was said or what that means to them.  I think that the little actions we do matter just as much, if not more than the big things. It’s not what you say that defines you, it’s what you do.

We might not know when our last day on Earth will be but Jesus laid out pretty plainly what we are supposed to do with the time that we do have: wash each other’s feet, feed one another, and love each other. In essence, he is calling us to be servants.  I pray that in our service to each other we will find the joy and presence of God that He wants us to discover.  In Jesus’ death and resurrection he lifted the burden of sin from us so that we could be free to share his love.  So, what’s stopping us? 

"And I will live to carry Your compassion, to love a world that’s broken, to be Your hands and feet.  And I will give with this life that I’ve been given and go beyond religion to see the world be changed. By the power of Your name."

Lincoln Brewster, Power of Your Name

The Struggles of the Disciples

Have you ever thought about what it would have been like to be one of Jesus’ twelve disciples during this week of their lives?  We get a glimpse of some of their stories through the Gospel accounts but I can’t imagine how scared and confused they must have been as the events of the week transpired.   As we follow their story, this week we realize that 2000 years later we are not that different, and we struggle with the same things they did.

When Jesus washes the disciples’ feet Simon Peter protests and says that their master should not be washing their feet.  Simon Peter felt that he was above the charity of Jesus.  He didn’t understand that Jesus was showing his grace and teaching them to show that same love and compassion to others.  How many times have we had problems but failed to bring them to God?  We are often too full of pride to admit our own struggles and ask for help, aren’t we? Donald Miller has a quote that I love that says, “In exchange for our humility and willingness to accept the charity of God, we are given a kingdom.  And a beggar’s kingdom is better than a proud man’s delusion.”  Just as the disciples learned to humble themselves we are called to humble ourselves, both to God but also to each other, in our actions and relationships.  We need to let down our pride and be open to the grace that is given to us.

When Jesus is arrested in the garden it is written that the disciples scattered and fled so that they would not be captured.  How often do we also turn from God when bad things happen?  It’s easy to put the blame on someone we can’t see right? Instead of turning away from Him in difficult times we should draw nearer to Him.  In Ecclesiastes it is written, “On a good day, enjoy yourself; on a bad day, consider: God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won’t take anything for granted.”  It’s not always easy because it seems like it would be so simple for God to turn things around and make our problems better but He knows what He is doing. We just have to trust that it will all turn out right in the end.

We see the struggles of Peter once again when he denies being a disciple on three different occasions after Jesus is arrested.  It would be easy to find fault in Peter but I realize that I am not so innocent either.  Maybe I have never outright denied being Christian but there are times when I have skirted around the truth or done things that did not show that I was a follower of God.  I think that any time we fail to show Jesus’ love, whether it is talking about someone negatively, not helping someone in need, or any other various ways that we fall short of the disciple we are called to be, we are denying knowing Him.  Because we are loved by God we are, in turn, called to love others.  Jesus even commands the disciples to love one another and that is how people will know they follow Him.  We are still called to that same command.

Through the stories of the disciples we can see that they had similar difficulties to the things we now face today.  I pray that as we reflect upon our own shortcomings, those times when we have failed to show God’s love in the world, that we will be filled with the reassurance that we are not the only ones who struggle. God knows that following Him is not easy but He is there for you, and for me, when we fall.  We just need to be willing to accept the outstretched hand that is helping us back up.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5: 6-8

The Joy and Pain of Palm Sunday

It is hard for me to believe that today marks the beginning of Holy Week. It seems like we were just celebrating Christmas. I have always enjoyed Holy Week: a time of both joy and sorrow as we follow Jesus from his joyous entrance into Jerusalem to his death on the cross and, finally, his glorious resurrection on the cross.


Today was a very interesting Palm Sunday service for me. At my church in the States the service is usually filled with joyful songs and a parade of children waving palm branches as we celebrate Jesus' entry into the city like the people in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!" John 12:13


Today at my church in South Africa, however, there was also funeral during the service so instead of an exciting day of celebration the only procession was that of the casket and the family of the deceased. As you can imagine, this was very different from what I was used to. On my way to church I was eager to read the story and hear the songs of praise and although there were some choruses that were sung and the scripture reading was the story of Palm Sunday the day was marked by the sadness of death. It was a Palm Sunday service I had never experienced before but I think that it is a perfect representation of how the day was for Jesus. Although there were joyful songs and much celebration, He knew that his death on the cross lay ahead in only a few days.


It may seem strange that these people who celebrated and praised their savior could turn against him so quickly but they had expectations of what God was going to do. They wanted to be saved in a way that Jesus was not living up to so they got angry. We aren't that much different though, are we? How often do we go from praising God when something goes well to cursing him when something bad happens. How fickle our hearts truly are. Lucky for us, Jesus' love for us doesn't change. As He loved the people who hated Him 200 years ago, He loves us now.


I pray that we may use this day and the days ahead to reflect on the love that Jesus has for all of us. He knew that the songs of praise would turn to shouts of anger but he loved them anyway. I pray that we may have this same compassion in our hearts. As Jesus enters Jerusalem today may he also enter our hearts and our minds so that we can share the love that He has given us.

"I am the thorn in Your crown, but You love me anyway. I am the sweat from Your brow, but You love me anyway. I am the nail in Your wrist, but You love me anyway. I am Judas' kiss, but You love me anyway. See now I am the man who yelled out from the crowd for Your blood to be spilled on this earth-shaking ground. Yes then I turned away with a smile on my face with this sin in my heart, tried to bury Your grace... But You love me anyway. It's like nothing in life that I've ever known, but You love me anyway." 

You Love Me Anyway, Sidewalk Prophets

A Whirlwind Trip (My Parents Visit RSA)

After several months of preparation and many of emails and phone calls back and forth deciding on plans my parents finally made the trip to South Africa to visit me, my site, and this beautiful country.

The week before they arrived I had a retreat with the rest of the volunteers so instead of going all the way back to my site I stayed in Pietermaritzburg on Monday night and headed to Durban the next day to wait for them at the airport. Although their flight was not due to arrive until 8:10PM I got to the airport around 11:30AM. Mostly because I had my big backpack and did not want to be carrying it around Durban all day.  Around 7PM I got a call on my cell phone and heard my dad on the other end saying they had missed their connection in Johannesburg! =( But they were able to get on the next flight and would be arriving at 9:55. =) And they did!  After many hugs and excited greetings at the airport we headed to our taxi that would take us to our hotel and after more than 24 hours of travelling I think my parents were definitely ready for some sleep!

The next day we got up and had breakfast before heading out to explore the Umhlanga area.  Umhlanga is a northern suburb of Durban and is a pretty nice area.  There is a lot of coastline with nice beaches and also the biggest mall in the southern hemisphere.  We walked along the beach for a while and also enjoyed a movie at the mall the first day. I know, not the most “African” experience to start their time here but it was great just being together!

My Mom and I at the Umhlanga Pier

On Thursday we started our day with a visit to the Natal Sharks Board, an organization that takes care of the shark nets along the KZN beaches.  They also have a video presentation and live shark dissection which are both very informative and fun to watch, although I think we smelled like fish for the rest of the day! 

Tiger Shark ready for Dissection

After the Sharks Board we headed north toward Pietermaritzburg.  Our plan was to visit a Lion Park on the way but, upon arrival, we were told that our rental car sat too low to the ground and we would not be able go.  We were very disappointed but there was an African Birds of Prey Sanctuary nearby that we were able to go to instead.  It had all types of eagles, hawks, owls, etc. that were injured or sick and were either being rehabilitated for the wild or would be taken care of at the sanctuary.

After this we headed to Howick, a small town north of PMB, which has a waterfall as well as several craft shops and a small market.  After that we headed back towards PMB and met my country coordinator, Brian Konkol, for dinner.  We also stayed the night at their place and my parents were able to meet the whole Konkol family including Brian’s wife Kristen and their son Khaya.

The Konkol Family! (They are a Wisconsin family but notice Khaya's Nebraska shirt my parents brought him! Go Big Red!)

On Friday it was finally time to head a little farther north and visit my site.  Upon arrival at KwaZamokuhle we unloaded our luggage before taking a tour of the Centre and introducing my parents to the people I spend most of my time with.  We heard a lot of “Siyabonga!” (We are thankful!) and “Siyajabula!” (We are happy!) It was a great experience to have my parents see my site and to be able understand more about my experiences here.  It was also very reaffirming to have people like Constance, my site supervisor, tell me that they have missed me while I have been gone.

Goodness told my mom, "This is my boy!" 

After the tour we took the 20km trip into Estcourt to get some groceries for the weekend.  I also took my parents to Nando’s which is a staple South African restaurant.  We originally were not going to be able to see some of my friends from town, Eddie and Verna, because they were going to be out of town for the weekend but we visited Eddie at his store and then we ran into Verna at the grocery store. A strange set of coincidences but a great opportunity for my parents!

On Saturday we headed to Royal Natal National Park to do some hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains.  The hike took a little less than four hours but we all made it and had a great time.  The weather was perfect and the views were amazing!  Afterwards we treated ourselves to some food at Tower of Pizza before spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing at my site.

Royal Natal National Park

On Sunday we got ready and went to church.  Normally my church service is around 1.5 hours long but for some reason the one day we needed to leave early it was going to go really long. After two hours of service and 40 minutes of a sermon (that wasn’t over) we had to leave to make the five hour drive to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi. We made pretty good time heading to the park and only made a quick stop in PMB to pick up a fellow volunteer, Elise Anderson, who would be going with us on safari.

We were worried about time because the gates of the park close at 6PM and the place we were staying at was inside the park so we needed to make sure we got there on time, which we did.  On our drive from the gate to the campgrounds we saw several animals but nothing compared to what we would see the next day.

We had to get up nice and early (4:30) to make the hour long drive to the gate of the park and meet our safari guide at 6.  Although it was foggy and semi-dark on the way down we did see a few animals including a water buffalo on the side of the road.  Eventually we made it to the gate, parked the car, and got into our safari truck.  It was cold for the first few hours of the drive but luckily they had blankets for us.  We also stopped for breakfast and coffee in the morning and then had a delicious lunch with grilled meats and nice salads.  Oh and the animal spotting was great too!

Ready for Safari!

Except for a small stretch before lunch when we were looking for rhinos we were always seeing different animals.  Zebra, giraffe, rhino, water buffalo, a pair of lions, elephants, dung beetles, crocodile, and several more.  There are two things that really stick out for me though.  The first was when we came across a big herd of buffalo that were quietly grazing.  Our guide told us that when they feel threatened the males and adults will move to the outside of the group and form a circle around the younger ones.  Within a few minutes a lion comes onto the scene and we see the buffalo do exactly what he said they would do.  The lions did not seem like they were very interested in the buffalo at the time but it was still really neat to see how quickly they moved to protect their young at the sign of danger.

The coolest part of being at the park was the elephants though.  On our way back at the end of the guided safari our guide got a call that some elephants had been spotted near the road about ten minutes away so we headed that direction quickly.  We soon saw several elephants near the road and a mother and young calf(we were told it was less than ten days old) ran right behind our safari truck!  After getting dropped off at the gate we got in our car and decided to look for more of the elephants.  For the next hour we followed a herd of over 50 elephants with several very small babies.  It was such an amazing sight to see!  On our way back to our campground we came across a male elephant in the road who did not want to move for us. Since we were in a small Honda Civic we did not really want to play chicken with it either.  However, he started walking towards us and we had to back up for several hundred yards before it finally decided to leave the road and let us pass.  It was kind of a scary experience but also one I will never forget!

Male Lion hiding in the grass

Mom and her week-old baby crossing the road!

Playing chicken with an elephant! We lost.

The next day we drove around the park for a while in the morning before it was time to head back to Durban.  We had a relaxing afternoon and a nice dinner as it was my parents’ last night in South Africa.  The next day it was time to say goodbye which was tough to do but I know I will see them again in only four months.  It was so great to have them here! Not only for the great, ‘touristy’ things that we got to do and see but also for them to be able to see my site and the way that I live here.  There is only so much that words and pictures can show, but, now that they have been here, they should have a better understanding of my life in South Africa.

I am so grateful for everything they have done, do, and will continue to do for me! And a huge THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for them while they were travelling and visiting me here! It was a great experience and one I will never forget!

Make the Most of What God Gives

During the sermons in church, because I am not able to understand the majority of what is said, I will read my Bible.  I recently rediscovered the book of Ecclesiastes and wanted to share some verses with you. They are verses 18-20 in chapter 5 and are taken from The Message.

“After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now!”

It’s so simple, isn’t it? We really have no control over this life so why worry about it? Once we realize that everything is all His anyways everything will become so much more enjoyable. Finding this has given me a renewed sense of wonder and has relieved much of the stress that I have been feeling about the  future. There is a part in Donald Miller’s book, Through Painted Deserts, where he is talking with his friend about God’s plan for us and his friend says “‘It is whatever God wants it to be. Maybe we are just supposed to trust that He won’t beat us up when we get there. Maybe we are supposed to trust that He is good.’” Amen.