Texting and Driving.

It is now against the law in the state of Tennessee to text while driving.  Watch this video.  It may really have an effect on you.

International Justice

So sorry I did not keep up on my daily blog of my trip to Cape Town, South Africa.  I will, however, have a post coming soon on some final thoughts and experiences from the trip.  In the meantime, enjoy this video created by my friends at the Mocha Club.  If you have not heard of Mocha Club before, do yourself and someone else a favor and join today at mochaclub.org

Wednesday Blog3- Cape Town- “make a difference”

(sigh)  Today was Day 3 of working in whats called a “township” here in Cape Town, South Africa known as OCEAN VIEW.  Me and the Belmont team are working with a team from Vineyard Church in London, monthly volunteers from Living Hope, and volunteers that actually live in OCEAN VIEW.  Instead of going through the specific logistics of how Monday, Tuesday, and today have been, I will describe the experience of what I’m going through and seeing with my heart.

OCEAN VIEW is a township of nearly 20,000 “coloured” people.  We are putting on a Kids Club and a Teens Club at their Multi-Purpose center from 9am-12Pm, and Teens from 2pm-5Pm.  We’ve been in contact with nearly 400 of the locals because of the Kids/Teens Club.  The club is similar to what we know as Vacation Bible School in the states.  It’s a place where the kids come to dance, sing, laugh, learn about the love, LIFE, and TRUTH of Jesus, and eat.  Although we are only here for merely a week, I feel like this is a huge part of the kids’ “Holiday” (the 3 weeks of break before school starts back up).  I also feel like it’s been a place where HOPE is taught and where the small amount of Hope that they currently have is rooted within them and multiplied.

I honestly don’t know where to begin.  Let’s just start with the fact that OCean View is known as one of Cape Town’s  “poor” communities, or “under-resourced” communities, or “impoverished” communities.  The lunches these kids are being given is the ONLY meal they will have the entire day, for most of them.  Yet, these children have the most genuine smiles and transparent souls.  When they smile, they glow.  When they see me, they run to me.  When they hug, they squeeze.  When one of the leaders draws a picture for one of them, she/he will smile and show it off the rest of the day!  They are attentive.  They know more than one language.  All this…and yet they’ve worn the same clothes since I first met them on Monday.

But what I don’t get, is the small bubble of outreach that is being done.  Cape Town is an INTERNATIONAL city.  There is alot of money and comfort here.  But there are also familes whose income is between maybe 200 and 300 USD a month.  These 2 walls have collided in Cape Town and I’m seeing that collision.  The families/kids of OCEAN  VIEW may have “nothing” to us Americans, but they have so much.  We, Americans, have so much and to them….we are royalty.  Many want to just run away to America, but many want to become educated so they can change their communities, and many/most don’t DREAM big enough because they were told they were poor and the ones before them were poor…and they believed it.  They are limiting their DREAMS!!!!!  Can you imagine?  I”ve been taught(as any comfortable American) to “DREAM BIG” and that I can “DO ANYTHING: I wanted to.  These kids don’t have that.  So they have no frame of reference when they are told to go to the University.  They have no resources for finding a job.  Shoot, their is one “township” that has absolutely no available PUBLIC transportation.  Their goals are nothing. Nothing.  It more than hurts my heart and makes me angry just asking WHY!  A local told us tonight that the time we have spent in OCEAN VIEW as a group of 5, is more than the amount of time that 90% of Cape Town locals have spent in Ocean View or any other impoverished township.  WHY!??  When you are here, you see it….and u have 2 options…you can either shut yourself and those emotions off, or you can HELP. 

This is not only the case here in Cape Town.  It’s the situation around the world.  Poor and rich.  Unhappy and the joyful.  Comfort and loneliness.  Compassion and ignorance.  It’s our attitudes toward the homeless in our cities.   It’s the attitude toward the minorities in our city.  It must change.  WE CAN HELP! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

As Lucille ( a volunteer from Ocean View) told me in the kitchen as we were preparing lunch yesterday, “I am not going to give them a drink that I wouldn’t drink[we were mixing a kool-aid like drink]…it’s like you giving me clothes with holes and stains in them.  Don’t give them to me.  If you wouldn’t wear it, why would I?  My preacher has been teaching us the past few weeks about Giving.  If we are going to give, we need to give the BEST that we have”.  That is a struggle for me as well.  That’s like giving your favorite/most expensive pair of shoes away.  It goes along with the whole build your treasure up in Heaven, not on this Earth kinda thing.  Where do you invest your joy/happiness?  Makes you think, huh?

What is TRUTH is that you and I were BUILT TO LOVE.  Jesus Christ has been sent before us and lived a life of perfection and we are called to strive for that.  He died so that we could live for eternity….no matter our sin, no matter how bad we were last night.

One of the leaders from Ocean View gave her testimony in her native tongue (which is “Afrikaans”) yesterday during the Teens CLub, I wrote down a few of the this she said in English during her 10-minutes, and i was brought to tears.  She said, “Whether you admit it today, whether you admit it tomorrow, whether you admit it when Jesus Christ comes in on the clouds….EVERY KNEE will bow and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord…..Once you come to know Jesus, your whole attitude changes.  Your heart changes toward others.  Your heart changes towards your family.  God loves family and God loves you.”

Life is better WITH GOD, than without Him. 

I am seeing firsthand what POVERTY is.  I am seeing in physical form the term HOPE I so freely daily throw in the air.  I am LEARNING what they both truly are…and yes, it breaks my heart…it absolutely wrecks me.

Don’t just admit that God is good, AND he died for our sins THEN sit in comfort.  DO SOMETHING!  LiVE out that LOVE!!!!!!

I hope all of you rest well and never take your blessings for granted.  We seriously can change the world….one by one by one by one.

Blog2 – Cape Town!

It is now 10:00PM here in Cape Town, and after writing this I will be in bed. Probably the earliest I will have gone to sleep in years!…and I’m okkkkkk with that!

So, today was our first full day in South Africa. We started the day off with a wonderful breakfast cooked by Nadine, the Team House cook. Baked tomatoes, fried eggs, and fruit! Then, off to church! Clynton drove us to King of Kins Church, where Pastor John Thomas leads. I have seen him speak in Nashville on 2 different occasions. He’s such a genuine, Christ-loving man. The church was similiar to an American church in presentation, but in my opinion, it was very humble and real. 2 people from the congregation (1 being Nadine) shared their testimony right before the congregation. It was moving. The sermon was on being a good deacon. We, as Christ-believers, should all seek the qualities of a deacon. Deacons are made to serve. Just as Jesus came to Earth not to be served, but TO serve. Good stuff.

After that service, we headed to Masiphumelele township, and went to their Baptist church there. A real look into how the poor live here in Cape Town. This community was just a 5 minute drive away from suburban wealth and comfort and it had me wondering where true happiness was easiest found. I tell you, worship began as soon as all the windows were open for the neighbors to hear and when the lady in the 2nd row started singing. She started singing so loudly I almost fell over! My eyes began to tear as I looked at the Projector screen of jumbled letters and broken words of African worship in the Xhosa language. I mean, seriously, I am in South AFRICA!!!!!!! That IS when it hit me! Althought I didn’t know how to pronounce the words, God was moving! We, Americans, were dancin and clapping right along.

After church, we had a Braai (South American BBQ) and ate Boewors (similar to a bratwurst). It took place at LivingWay, a branch of Living Hope, where life skills are taught to locals. Most of the Belmont-ians made coleslaw, cutting cabbage, shaving carrots and grating them. More importantly than what we ate, was the fact that this was where we met all of the volunteers for this week’s Holiday Kid’s Club. We were divided into groups depending on what township we’d be serving in. For me and the Belmont folks, it’s Ocean View and I will be working mainly with the 3rd and 4th graders all week! I simply can not mention everyone I met, but I did meet some amazing people with some amazing stories who make this whole event happen!…Pam, Natasha, Tim, Clynton, John, Avril…THANK YOU! Belmont Tim and I got to lead worship and that was a surreal experience for us both. We’re just little bits in a big picture!

When we got back to The Team House, all 5 of us hurried to these huge rocks right off the Atlantic ocean and watched the sun set. Woe Woe!! One of THE most BEAUTIFUL sights I have ever seen. White waves crashing onto enormous bolders with the view of mountains, greenery, and an undescribably skylight. Breath-taking!! Wish I could post some of the pics we took, but you’ll just have to wait!

After sunset, it was suppertime, which we enjoyed sitting outside in the chilly air under the clear sky. Rice and gravy(sauce), chicken, butternut squash, and peas & carrots. Team meeting. Then, Noah and I joined in with the Texans in their devotion/worship time in our living room. Now I’m sitting in the TV Room with Clynton, Gordon, Noah, and Tim fellowship-ing!

I’m so excited for tomorrow. It’s Celebrity day at Kids Club where the children will learn about Moses. I’m dressing as an international soccer player! As my friend Tim said, I didn’t come half way across the world to be selfish…I want to give my whole heart to the children and families here for the entire time. Pray for that selfless release!!! I am sleepy still, from the flight over. God is revealing himself in so many ways. I’m still bracing myself for that “slap” in the face I know will happen more than once this week.

Micah 6:8–> “I have showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Tim:”Have you ever seen a lion?”

Gordon: “Yes…chasing me”

Tim: “Are you serious?”

Gordon: “Yes, I am from Africa!!”

Blog1- Capetown, South Africa!

The plane has landed!!…along with all of our luggage. (wooh!) Let me just begin with thanking everyone for your support, whether it be financially, thoughtfully, or prayerfully. Thank you! This, I am sure, will be an experience that will wreck all 5 of us (for the better!). Again, thank you!

 

What a day it has been. We are now at The Team House where it is 1:15AM and 7:15PM back in Nashville. Traveling was as best as it could be. There were no conflicts with any of our flights…except that maybe my leg fell asleep during one of my many naps on the plane. Our longest flight today was roughly 16-18 hours and was broken up into 2 take-offs/landings. Our South African Airbus 600 stopped for an hour in Senegal to refuel so we could take on another 7 hours to Johannesburg. If you’re like me, I don’t know much about Senegal. From what I saw, there were many buildings/houses in the shapes of rectangles with square windows. Mostly the colors of white and burnt orange, and the town pretty bare. But beautiful in its own unique form.

 

While flying today, I got to listen to tand admire the classics of Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye LIVE, and Beyonce’s I AM…Sasha Fierce. I also watched He’s Just Not That Into You. The rest of the time? I was sleeping or eating. We have been fed well today! The last flight, which was only an hour, I journaled and began reading a book that is rocking the waves of my heart, Henri J. Nouwen’s “In the Name of Jesus”. Yes! It’s a very short read and very inspiring. Do yourself a favor and go get one!

 

Although this is not my first international flight experience (Belmont Study Abroad to Hong Kong, July ‘08), while up in the air I was reminded of how big the earth really is! I looked at the Flight Map and it’s just a straight yellow line from Washington DC to Senegal to Johannesburg. As humans, we are so small! Of course, the view out of the airplane always overwhelms me with Gods creation of sunshine, clouds, and stars. I want to travel the world, singing, serving, and loving people from all different walks of life. Thinkin globally, not just locally!!

 

As I was waiting in line on the plane today, I noticed a man in his 30s jamming to Michael Jackson’s album, Thriller. I caught eye contact with him sitting in his yellow jumpsuit and shiny golden hat, and we shared a few head-nods to honor the late Michael Jackson’s music. Pretty classic.

To pick us up from the Capetown Airport was our Team House Manager, Clinton, a warm and welcoming 23-year old South African native. He drives us to our final destination, on what is known as the opposite side of the road for us USA natives, the left side. It being night time, I could not get used to cars coming around curves of the mountains on our right and made me a little nervous just the first 15 cars or so.

 

The Team House is beautiful and I can not really believe we are here. I’ve only dreamed of seeing parts of the world like today. A-small-town Mississippi girl gets to see the world firsthand!! We got out of the van to the thick smell of the ocean and the sounds of crashing waves. We are not roughing it by any means. However, we are sharing the house with 22 Texans until Tuesday afternoon.

 

( I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UPLOAD ANY PHOTOS UNTIL I RETURN BACK HOME. THE INTERNET FEE COSTS MORE, THE MORE ITEMS ARE UPLOADED/DOWNLOADED. SORRY! YOU’LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT! ) If you’d like to email me, do so, at cheryl.luquire@gmail.com.

 

Off to a wonderful night of rest, where I will wake up on the top bunk to a skyline view of South Africa’s ocean and mountains. Then, to King of Kings Church and a BBQ cookout, known as a “brie” over here. Me and my friend Tim will also be leading worship so pray for that! Continue to pray for the Belmont Team: Christy, Tim, Lindsey, Noah, and myself. I am more blessed and more excited than I could simply convey through typed words. Good night friends!…and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your prayers and thoughts!

Jesus is in this car…(saved her LIFE!)

Watch this short news clip.  This elderly woman witnessed to a man who was going to kill her.  “Jesus is in this car.  He is with me everywhere I go”

The YouTube.

Check it out.  I sang in 3 Music Recitals last Friday for a few friends.  This is a cover called Synchronicity II by The Police.  Dustin Ransom is the drummer, and it’s his Recital.  My friend, Lauren and I sang it together as a Duet.  The song isn’t typically a song I would pick to sing, but I sure did enjoy it!!  Hope you like!

LECRAE – woe.   Deep Christian rap.  He’s legit. Promise. I’m a F_A_N_A_T_I_C_!

Taylor Swift and Usher? Huh?  Yeah, check out this “mash-up”.  I was blown away.  Legit#2.  Enjoy!!

 

I hope the Lord is blessing you in some way today.  Actually, He is.  You woke up this morning.    Just realize it and enjoy.  God Bless.

“I Like Big Bibles”

You’ve got to watch this.  It’s ridiculously awesome!

Run Like You’ve Never Run Before!

I will run the race – Set before me – I will seek Your face – As the prize of my life:  Misty Edwards, “I Will Run”

“So flee(run from) youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord wiith a PURE heart.” - 2 Timothy 2:22

  “Even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted;  but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;  they shall mount up with wings like eagles;  they shall run and NOT be weary;  they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

Jesus is ENOUGH! *Temporary Impact VS Eternal Impact*

There is a new T-shirt and motto that MochaClub is promoting, “I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME”.  Here is the story of how this quote came to be.  Barrett Ward is the Director of MochaClub.  For more information and to join MochaClub, visit MochaClub.org!

It was 5 AM, and Barrett Ward couldnt sleep. Barrett and his wife Rachel were living in Ethiopia for one year while Rachel set up transitional homes for American World Adoption Association. While there, Barrett continued his work as director of The Mocha Club, an organization which challenges its members to give seven dollars a month (the cost of two mochas) to support the ministries of African Leadership. Barrett found the work rewarding, but on this particular night he just couldnt sleep. Like Jacob of old, Barrett found himself wrestling with God. Or maybe it was God that was wrestling with him. After a couple of sleepless hours, Barrett pulled himself out of bed and penned these words, I need Africa more than Africa needs me.
Barrett knew plenty of Americans who had visited Africa and come back thinking, Wow! I didnt realize how good I had it! Compared to their poverty, Im rich! But that wasnt at all the experience Barrett was having. Compared to the spiritual riches of the African Christians he was meeting, he found himself more and more confronted with his own spiritual poverty.
Many American Christians have a Jesus plus mentality, says Barrett. They think that if they just have Jesus plus the right job, or Jesus plus a nice house, then theyll be happy. In Africa though, Barrett was living amongst Christians who had Jesus plusnothing and they were truly happy. Jesus was enough.
As he carefully considered his own life, Barrett knew he had things like knowledge and money to offer Africa, but he also knew that at the end of the day these things could only make a temporary impact. Faith however–faith like his Ethiopian brothers and sisters demonstrated–could have an eternal impact. This was what Africa was offering him: a deeper faith and a more intimate relationship with Jesus, and Barrett was only just beginning to realize how desperately he needed that. He needed Africa more than Africa would ever need him. Africa was teaching him something eternal. Africa was teaching him that Jesus was enough.

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The hope of the Mocha club is that all of their gifts to Africa (education, medicine, famine relief, etc.) will be gifts and provisions that point to the greatest gift and provision of all, Jesus. When you partner with the Mocha club, the assistance you give may be temporary in the grand scheme of things, but the One your actions point to is eternal, and this invests your actions with an eternal significance.
To learn more about the Mocha club or to purchase I need Africa more than Africa needs me T-shirts, please visit mochaclub.org. And be sure to check out the video!