I have no good title

May 25, 2009
So again, another typical week, I think the month of May can be labeled as fairly routine. I did hear an interesting talk on Monday night though. I met an MTW missionary from St. Louis last week who has been in Cape Town with his family for the last 10 years. He is organizing an MTW team to do ministry for the 2010 World Cup under The Ultimate Goal, which I talked about a couple of weeks ago. So, he has been working some with Ambassadors on the preparation and plans and came to do our staff devotions last Thursday. While he was there he invited me to come hear a guest lecturer at a class he teaches at a nearby Bible college. The guest happened to be the bishop of the church I attend, but who has been on sabbatical since I’ve been here. He spoke about a massacre that occurred at the church in July of 1993. It was just at the time when there was great unrest in South Africa and apartheid was coming to an end, with the new South Africa being established in 1994. No one knows why, it was most likely a random act of violence, although the church was diversified in a time when separation was the norm, but 3 gunmen came in to the Sunday evening service, attended by several hundred people and opened fire with 3 automatic weapons and hand grenades. 11 people were killed and over 50 were wounded, many very seriously. While it was a tragedy, it was also a great witness to the community and the nation, because through all the media coverage and turmoil, the people remained faithful, humble, and forgiving. He spoke about what the church learned through this experience of suffering. After this bishop spoke, 5 of the students from the class shared briefly their past and what God has taught them in suffering as well. One student lived through the genocides in Rwanda, another had family near last year’s earthquakes in China, one guy talked about the witness of a man he saw die from a brain tumor, one girl talked about her abusive stepfather, and the last woman was also a part of the church massacre. It was sobering and saddening, but comforting to see that each of them had hope in God. I have been studying 1 Peter lately, and he speaks a lot about our suffering and how it is a gracious thing and brings glory to God and how those who suffer for righteousness will be blessed.
Since last Saturday’s rain kept most of the team I coach from being able to come for dinner, I had them over again this Saturday. There were 14 of us total, 10 from the team, and it was a really good time. They were more social than I have seen them be yet and they talked for a long time and then we played games and had several good laughs. I think it was good for the unity of the team, but also hopefully a good leap in my relationship with them to let them see that I care about them and want to know them and minister to them.
I ended up in goal again on Saturday, my second time there. Our goal keeper got a red card and was thrown out of the game and I was put in goal in her place. That meant we were playing down a player and when the other team saw me coming in, I think it gave them a go sign to shoot as much as they could. I had to make a handful of saves and thankfully held my ground. We ended up winning 3-0. I’m not sure yet if her penalty carries over until next week, but there is a possibility I could be playing in goal again, but this time it would be against a very strong team, which makes me a bit nervous.
Yesterday, I started experiencing car troubles and had to take my car to the shop today and I think just in time, because it actually stalled out on the way to the garage. I was able to get it there, thankfully, but I am really praying that the repairs aren’t too expensive. Since I was afraid to drive anywhere yesterday, I had my roommate drop me off at church on her way to her church, which put me there about 30 minutes early. So I explored the church a bit and found that there was a restaurant and book shop on the second floor. I had heard about the restaurant, but it was much bigger and busier than I expected. I bought a couple of books as well, and after walking home from church (it was only 1 ½ miles) I spent the afternoon reading. I got about 200 pages through a biography about John Newton and had trouble putting it down. My roommate came with me to the evening service last night so I didn’t have to take my car. I also found a friend to take me to the garage this afternoon to drop my car off. I had asked her dad to recommend a place to take it, so hopefully the place is trustworthy. It is frustrating being in a new place and just not knowing what places are good and where to go, so I was thankful to find someone to help out. Please pray that I won’t be without my car for too long and that the repairs won’t be too hefty.

May 26, 2009
I found out today that our goal keeper received a two game suspension for her red card on Saturday, which was for a handball outside the goal area. That means for the next two games I’ve been elected by our coach to play goalie. We are facing two of the top teams in our league, we lost to won and beat the other so far this season. But that means the pressure is on. I’ll be training as a goalie for the first time ever tonight.

May 27, 2009
I’ve been working in the office a lot lately. I’ve been asked to edit and format a lot of the Bible Study material that Ambassadors uses for soccer schools and with teams. It isn’t very exciting work, but it is definitely a need I can fill. Unfortunately, the office has been without internet a lot lately, due I believe to a bad networking system. It doesn’t help that internet service in South Africa is very poor and often shady as it is.
My car has also been in the shop since Monday. They told me they looked at it yesterday and that the problem is more complicated than something clear cut with a simple solution. I really hope I’m not getting the run around and I really hope this doesn’t end up being something of great expense. I’m a little fearful of that, but I really don’t know if there is anything I can do about it. I feel pretty stranded without a car and while I’ve found rides where I need to go, I can’t find rides where I want to go, when I want to go, particularly to an internet café.
I’m also feeling a tiny bit flu-ish with a sore throat and trouble sleeping, so any prayers for grace and sustenance would be appreciated at this point.