Katie's First Update

Hello from the University of Johannesburg computer lab! It's hard to believe we've only we've only been here a week--it feels like a month since we left Atlanta. (p.s. We saw T.I. in the airport. Evidently he's not in jail anymore...)

Where do I start??

How about our accommodations... So, we have 17 folks on our team (12 girls and 5 guys. Slightly lopsided, I know...) The girls, as well as Hannah & Craig (the couple leading our team) are staying in the "Butterfly" guest house, while the other 4 guys are staying in the "man cave"--a little house behind the 'fly. We're definitely cramped, but we're becoming more "family-like" by the minute. We'll see how the next 6 weeks turn out...haha. The truly miraculous thing, however, is that we've managed to squeeze food for 17 people into a teensy refrigerator. We're also learning to take ridiculously fast showers, drive on the left side of the road, and adapt our speech to the local South African lingo. For example: lecker = lucky; brai = barbeque; res = dorm; robot = traffic light; the list goes on... Also, we've learned not to carry our book bags and nalgene bottle on campus; evidently they allow the students to automatically peg us as Americans. Even without the nalgene, I think it's still pretty obvious...

The Campus Outreach student leaders are amazing--incredibly friendly, open, and (thankfully) excited that we're finally here. We've gotten to spend some time on campus, and tomorrow our first "regular day" at UJ Kingsway begins. (Most of last week was dedicated to learning about Campus Outreach Johannesburg's movement, developing vision for the summer and learning more about our roles on campus.)

A little background info about UJ Kingsway: until 2000, it was "RAU" (Rau Afrikaans University, or something like that)--an all white, Afrikaans university. Since integration and the change to the "University of Jo-burg," the campus has become predominantly black, but the Afrikaans presence is absolutely felt. I'm still learning about the racial dynamics on campus, but it's obvious that SA has come a long way since the end of apartheid in 1994. As you can imagine, there's still a ton of racial discrimination, but I just haven't seen a lot of it yet. In fact, within CO's student leadership, a white Afrikaans guy and a black SA girl are now dating. Things are changing for the better, I've been told.

These students are the elite of SA--of the entire continent, really. They will become the country's (and the continent's) leaders, doctors, politicians, businessmen and women. If a generation of selfless, integrity-filled leaders could be raised up, everything could change. That's our hope and our prayer. That the Lord would use us--broken, empty and poured-out--to influence a generation of Africans who have the ability to change the nation and the continent for His glory.

As far as ministry goes, I've been assigned a female "res" called Amper Daar (an Afrikaans word for "Almost There." No one really knows why...haha.). There is a lot of older CO leadership within Amper Daar (most people live in the res all 4 years of "varsity"), but a division still exists between the ministry of the white and black girls. Also, we've been told by CO staff members that there's a generation gap within leadership, meaning that there aren't a ton of younger leaders that will be around to carry on the movement once the older girls graduate. One of our role's--with the Lord's grace--is to motivate the older girls to pursue organic, authentic relationships with non-believers in the res and to cultivate a desire to shepard younger, hungry believers who can carry on the ministry's momentum. It's easy for me to want a formula to follow when it comes to spending time with girls in Amper Daar, but I'm praying that Jesus would remain the heart and focus of our team. It would be so easy for ministry to become an idol, a distraction from the gospel. We're praying against that.

As far as CO J staff goes, the ministry is in a unique place; the staff are stepping (or have stepped) back from campus for a year to raise support, which has fallen to an incredibly unhealthly level. So, it's vital for the ministry that the student leaders really catch the vision of disciple-making. That said, it feels like a weighty role as a team, to help the current leaders seek out and develop the new leaders that are needed in order for the ministry to survive and flourish until the "Relaunch" in 2010. But--the Lord promises to use His children if we are willing. I'm praying that He would use us mightily--not because of anything we will do or say, but because of His grace. His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in our weakness. Praise God for that.
In Exodus 3 & 4, Moses asks the Lord 5 times to send someone else to Egypt because he feels inadequate and unprepared to lead the Israelites out of slavery, but--surprise, surprise--the Lord promises to go before Moses and help him. I'm clinging to that same promise and believing what God later says to Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you...Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." I'm sure I've forgotten to tell you something, but hopefully updates will be coming fairly frequently from here on out. Thank you for all the encouraging emails and updates from home. I miss you all! Enjoy the warm weather for us--we're all bundled up in scarves and North Face jackets...

Keep praying. =)
Much love,Katie Clay