Why I still believe in the CHURCH

More and more, I see people being disillusioned with the church.

More and more, I see people criticizing the church.

More and more, I see people fed up with the church and walking away.

And I can't say I blame them.

The church has made many promises that haven't been kept.  The church has put people on pedestals as moral leaders only to have them be later torn down or fail miserably themselves.  The church has said it will love people and then instead responded in hate and judgement.  The church was supposed to be so much and has let us down time and time again.  The church is supposed to be united and they seem to be nothing but divided.

The way we often see church and the way we SHOULD see church reminds me of two different stories in the Bible.  I hope we can move from one portrayal and find ourselves in the other.

In the midst of life and ministry of Jesus he finds himself thrust into a tense situation.  It's a crowd of shouting people and in the middle is a woman who has been found guilty (no word on the other half of the guilty party…).  She has made a mistake, she has been found in a great sin, and the people are out to put her in her place.  They bring Jesus into the conversation (witch hunt) and ask him how to punish this obviously horrible being.  Jesus bends down on to the ground, writes in the sand, and changes the conversation completely.  

"They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” - John 8:7 NLT

Jesus changes the focus from an obvious crime that no one disputes, to the hearts of all the accusers who also find themselves also sinners desperately in need of grace.

I fear that often we put the church in the middle of the circle and we stand around shouting our judgements.  We put pastors, we put elders, we put worship leaders, youth pastors, volunteers and the WHOLE THING TOGETHER in the middle and we shout and we judge and we yell and we charge guiltiness.

Here is the kicker.  WE ARE'NT WRONG IN OUR JUDGEMENTS.  

They DID do the thing.  They DID forget the thing.  They DID make that mistake.  They DID let us down.

We aren't wrong.  They are guilty.

The problem isn't that they are guilty the problem is that the condemnation and proclamation of judgement doesn't solve ANYTHING.

And if they are guiltly so are we.  Maybe not in THAT WAY or of THAT THING, but we are all guilty.

We have ALLLLLLLL fallen short of the glory of God.  Even me and even you.

So why do we make this circle?  Why do we condemn?  Well as I said there has been a mistake.  Many mistakes actually.

But what if we did something different?  What if we changed the story?  Changed the conversation just like Jesus did on that dusty day.

In the first church as recoded in Acts, the new believers were trying to begin to learn what it meant to be church they did just that, they learned to BE the church and they learned TOGETHER.

" All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.  They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." -Acts 2:42-47

The early church got something right.  They knew church was created TOGETHER.  Was it perfect?  OF COURSE NOT!  But you don't hear about it because that wasn't the focus.  They were focused on making Jesus known and helping others to do the same.

And this is why I still believe in church.  I believe in the church because Jesus spoke about it.  I believe in the church because the Bible records its success.  I believe in the church because we are all still DESPERATELY in need of the body of Jesus Christ alive on the earth.  

The church is STILL God's method of spreading His name and love throughout the world.  The church is still MY method of spreading Jesus' name and love throughout the world.  The church needs to be YOUR method of spreading Jesus' name and love throughout the world.  

Is it broken?  Yes.  Are you broken?  Yes.  Is it STILL the way we can see God living among us and draw others to know this HOPE and LOVE we have found?  Yes.  Don't give up.  Believe in the Church.

MIDDLE of a MIRACLE

There is a story God is telling in South Africa through the life of our dear Keller, and we are so deeply grateful.

This past week we went for a follow-up assessment with our pediatric neurologist who first diagnosed Keller with autism almost two years ago.  I felt incredibly sensitive and fragile leading up to this meeting.  It filled my thoughts all weekend and on the day I found myself crying in an instant.  You could have knocked me down with a feather.  

There was so much I KNEW about Keller.  I knew that he was an absolute gift.  I knew that he had come so far.  I knew that he makes my heart swell with love and pride.  I knew that he is so much more than a diagnosis.  I knew that God was telling a story in his life and no one could stop it.  I KNEW all these things but my heart felt like it didn't know these things at all.  My heart felt like it was walking into a possible landmine war zone and I had no idea what would explode and how bad the pain would be.

The last time we went to an appointment with this doctor we only went because we had 'concerns.'  I had done some research thinking I was being clever and proactive and had self-diagnosed him with 'sensory issues' and was certain that would be confirmed.  When she said the words "Your son has AUTISM" you could have blown up the building and I would have hurt less.  It was nothing short of TRAUMA to hear those words and our lives were forever changed.

My mom recently reminded me of the first video call we had with my parents after the diagnosis.  It was so painful all we could do was share the facts and cry.  Casey was so overwhelmed he couldn't even get out words.  It was pure hell.

Now two years later there was SO MUCH MORE that I know.  So much I know about autism.  So much I know about doctors.  So much I know about KELLER.  So much I know.  But again my heart and head weren't connecting.  

We prepared Keller that we were going to see a 'special doctor' with fun toys and he was super pumped for the whole thing which definitely helped.  We nervously waiting in the waiting room until the doctor was ready and then marched in to receive our fate.

Quickly it became clear that our doctor was very excited to see us, very eager to hear our progress and generously encouraging with every single step we had made.  We went through the steps of the past two years and the many MANY interventions we had undergone with Keller.  When she saw us we had just gotten a diagnosis and then what we did with it was completely up to us.  Well, putting that diagnosis in our hands was like a firecracker and it set us alight to set up Keller for success and growth.

We listed the many steps, the many therapists, the many communities we had built, the huge milestones that Keller had flown through.  It was even staggering for us to say it, but it seemed that our doctor was beyond amazed at it all.  She warmly and excitedly responded to every single step we had taken and remarked on Keller's strength and incredible growth.  She was in awe.  I was in awe of HER AWE.  

This woman who two years ago gave our lives a title that sent us into a tragic decent was now watching with pride and awe at US and how far our little champion had come despite his challenges.

My heart still can't even take the depth and profundity of it all.

By the end of the appointment she let us know that we do not need to come and see her again but rather next go to an educational psychologist in order to further evaluate Keller and his educational needs.  He is not taken off the spectrum but now it's being predicted that because of his gifting and energy he will have a great future and  we ned to make sure we create educational environments for him to succeed and flourish in.

Now we aren't worried about Keller surviving but we have to figure out how to help him THRIVE.

Yes, we are in the MIDDLE OF A MIRACLE.

We are not there yet but we are well on our way.  We are not totally healed but not totally broken.  We may not be finished but we are well into the race and see our victory ahead.

We are in the middle of a miracle and leaning in to all God has.

I can't help but think of the words of the apostle Paul in scripture:

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 

- Philippians 3:12-14

We are on a beautiful journey and we do press on for the miracles God has ahead for us.  Thank you to everyone who has walked each step with us for being a part o this miracle.

Welcome New Volunteer Rachel!

We are excited to welcome our new volunteer Rachel Harpole to Ocean View!  She is here for just over 2 months working in Ocean View and with Ubuntu Football.  See some of her story here.   Maybe YOU should be our next volunteer!

"Hello everyone!  The thought process of coming to South Africa began about a year ago when I began teaching. I worked in a very diverse semi-inner city school where there was a lot of need, but not a lot that could be done as a teacher. I felt so helpless and I hated it. But the thought of going all the way to South Africa was still quite distant. Things became a little more real though when some of my friends came to Ocean View for a couple of months. This thought that I had in the back of my head began to creep up as more of a reality. In August, my summer began to wrap up and it was time for me to face the music. I was at an extremely pivotal moment where I had to choose what I was going to do in the upcoming year. I could continue working in the restaurant with all of my friends, having fun 24/7, and only having to be responsible and act like an adult about 10% of the time. I could seek out a teaching position and hope and pray it would be a better situation than my previous one. Or, I could take advantage of this flexible time in my life and go for something truly amazing and pursue this mere thought of serving in South Africa. I prayed that the Lord would make His plans evident to me and here I am! The entire process in preparing to come to South Africa was so much easier than I expected. That along with the love and support from family and friends only confirmed for me that this was God’s plan for me and I couldn’t wait to see what my time would be like once I got here.

Here in South Africa, in the afternoons, I go to help the Ubuntu boys with their homework, which is a learning experience for us all! It just goes to show that you really should listen to your teachers when they say, “You never know when you’re going to need to know this one day.” I also spend two days a week helping out at the Care Center. Mainly, I am an extra set of much needed hands, but the goal is to help the students learn how to function and behave in a classroom with routines and procedures. 

As I look ahead to my time here in Africa, my goals are to:

• Grow in my faith and have a stronger, more passionate and intentional relationship with Jesus
• Be humbled and grateful through serving others
• Make a different in this community in whatever little way I may be able to
• Learn about myself and how I can be the best version of me
• … I know there is more to come that I can't even imagine yet!"

Fight Club

The Prince family has been sharing this week about our visa issues here in South Africa.  We are so thankful for all the support and love we have gotten from our community here and in the USA.  THANK YOU for walking with us through this journey!

We are definitely FIGHTING to stay here but I recognize that we want to fight fair and still fight HARD.  Remember that movie 'FIGHT CLUB'?  I actually never saw it and I TOTALLY don't recommend it, but it had some catchy parts of it.  Two things I know about the movie are that they had a club where they fought and secondly the club had rules.  The first rule was "We never talk about Fight Club" and the SECOND rule was "We never talk about Fight Club."  Then other rules followed.  Well I am starting a new fight club.  A GOD Fight CLUB and I want to talk about it.

What does it mean to fight God's way?

As I have pondered this question this Exodus passage has been brought to my heart:

"The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.”  Exodus 14:14 AMP

God brings us into many battles and HE is the one who will fight for us, but we have to follow the FIGHT CLUB rules of God.  I think if God has rules these might be a few of them:

• Know which FIGHTS to fight
  • If we are going into a battle and asking God to be with us, we BETTER KNOW it's a battle He has brought us into!  How often must we try to fight wars we were never meant to begin?  For us as a family, we fight this battle because we truly know it's a battle we were given by God.  It's our fight and we are ready!
• Prepare for battle
  • We don't just blaze into battle without being prepared.  God has given us His armor to protect us as we fight.  Ephesians 6:10-11 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."  We have all the protection we need and strength that God will instill in us.  We can't do it alone!
• Go to the right battlefield
  • Where are you being asked to fight?  If God wants me to fight battles with women who are addicts in Ocean View then I can't go to the beach and look for young girls who look depressed.  I have to go to the right place, knowing the WHERE and WHAT of my battle. WHERE is my battlefield and WHAT am I fighting for?  As a family, we have sought the heart of God and know our WHO, WHAT, and WHERE for our battle.  Thank you Jesus!
• ALLOW GOD to fight
  • Once we know we are supposed to be fighting, are prepared, and are in the right place, the unbelievable part is that we then just SIT, TRUST, and WAIT UPON THE LORD.  Exodus 14:14 is very clear in saying we need to be calm, quiet, and still and allow the Lord to fight.  THIS IS SO DIFFICULT but it is the ONLY way we will win the battles the Lord brings us into!

God has given us a big battle here in South Africa as we fight to stay here.  We are honestly feeling at peace about it in our hearts and very encouraged with our new immigration experts who are working hard for us.  We are seeing some progress but won't know the end results for months to come.  In the meantime, we feel the presence of our God with us and truly are able to be STILL in our hearts knowing HE is fighting for us.

We pray that you too would allow God to fight for you in your battles, so that we ALL can experience the GLORY OF GOD.

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Why We Fight

Many of you have learned that recently we are fighting to stay in South Africa as we have had continual visa problems that are really coming to a head.  We are fighting to stay here in Africa and continue our work.  The question has come up, the GREAT QUESTION is WHY ARE WE FIGHTING to stay in Africa?  Why the fight?  Isn't it possible that all these problems are a sign that it is time to go?  Isn't it possible that the children might do better going to schools and receiving what they need in America?  Could God be telling you it's time to move on and give someone else a turn?

*Someone LITERALLY suggested that last comment to Casey's face*

These are HONESTLY all great questions.

Questions we have been asking, praying over, and wrestling with for years.  We have taken every part of our call here in South Africa and completely surrendered it before the Lord.

We always tell our volunteers and interns that they are not needed here in South Africa and God can do whatever He wants with or without us.  The same is true for the Prince family.  God does not NEED us in South Africa.  He can do His will WITH or WITHOUT us.

Painfully and humbly we have surrendered this before God and truly feel that He has responded.  

God doesn't need us in South Africa but we feel He wants Casey to continue leading Ubuntu Football.  Wrestling with these visas and our call has really clarified that our family was called here to be the heart of Ubuntu and lead it from our family.  While Casey is all the time with Ubuntu it is part of the heart of our family and we all make it possible for Ubuntu to be it's best.  It's our call together.

God doesn't need us in South Africa but we feel he wants me to continue community development and ministry in Ocean View.  Truly it's the place God has planted my heart.  I love coming home to the people of Ocean View and my heart beats for the community.  My ministry continues to evolve in Ocean View but the goal is the same - point people to Jesus as I live among them as mother, sister and friend.  Furthermore, God has called me to learn and grow as I pastor and assist at Hillsong Church and I love this place of growth in my life.

God doesn't need us in South Africa but He wants to tell Keller's autism story here.  Early on in our journey, soon after Keller was diagnosed, I was crying out to the Lord asking him WHY, HOW and WHERE He was going to work in the darkness we were facing.  I clearly heard the Lord tell my heart that He wants to tell Keller's story in Ocean View.  Over the past year and a half God has shown up time and time again in miraculous ways as He changes Keller's heart and makes him a new boy.  Keller is thriving and growing daily and we have an incredible team around us tackling autism together.  And our boy LOVES Ocean View.  His best friends live in Ocean View and he delights in this community; something completely foreign to normal kids with autism.  God wants to continue to tell Keller's story in South Africa.

God doesn't need us in South Africa but God is growing Kieren to be a beautifully complex, compassionate and loving child as she grows up here.  Kieren has friends that are every socio-economic background, every race and every type of heart.  Her love knows no bounds and her openness to people astonishes me.  She is happy playing by herself or being the center of attention on stage.  Kieren is getting an excellent education, growing in her gifting of dance, and fostering a deep heart of compassion for her friends who will never know her opportunities.  Something very special is growing in Kieren and we believe South Africa is the place God wants to cultivate it.

Most of all, as we have realized God doesn't need us in South Africa, we have prayed deeply to question if he still wants us here in this time.  In our times of prayer and discernment we believe we have heard God does want us here and that it's not our time to go.  God isn't finished using us in South Africa and more than that, God hasn't finished forming US in South Africa.

Because of this revelation, that God doesn't need us in South Africa but has called us here, we fight.  We fight against the lies that our time is over, that it's someone else's turn, that our kids would be better off somewhere else, that it's time to bring things to a close.  We fight because it's our time to be in South Africa and we want to fulfill God's will for our family here.

We now ask that you would fight with us.  Fight against the schemes of the enemy that are trying to keep us from fulfilling His call here.  Fight with us in prayer that God would protect our family emotionally as we go through this tumultuous and emotional journey.  Fight for God's will simply to be done here in South Africa.

This is why we fight.

When We Almost Became Illegal Immigrants...

We love South Africa.  We adore this county and these people.  It is HOME to us and we plan to stay FOREVER.  I tell people that they can buy me a gravesite in Ocean View cemetery because I will be buried here (weird I know, sorry).

It seems, however, that South Africa might not love us as intensely as we love them.

We are having some 'visa issues.'  And by visa issues I mean we are about two weeks away from being illegal immigrants instead of helpful missionaries.  We have been on volunteer/visitor visas but have hit a brick wall in government this past year when trying to renew them.  Our long-term plan is to stay in South Africa indefinitely because we feel called here and it is our home, and we plan to get permanent residency and have a plan of how to do it.  We are working with our lawyers on this plan and it looks like many steps but should be easy.

But in the meantime South Africa is not granting us another term of visitor visa, AKA meaning we would need to leave the country to work on this process of permanent residency.  We are not in agreement with the South African government as WE think we should stay HERE while we work out this little 'issue.'

I wish it was a little issue. 

So we have a new immigration expert (first one wasn't as pumped as we needed him to be about us staying in the country) and we have a new plan.  But we need some serious PRAYER and movement of God.

Over the past few months we have prayed and wrestled and talked endlessly about this situation and really sought God about our future here in South Africa.  We truly feel like this is where God wants us.  This will only happen with some serious favor and miraculous work of God.  

Luckily we have a community of friends and family who love prayer and a HUGE GOD who loves to do miracles in our life.

So we ask you, would you pray for us?

Pray that God would lead us to make the right steps in our process.  Pray that our lawyers would fight for us, believe in us, communicate with us, and truly believe that this country is where we need to be?  Pray that we would have DEEP PEACE and TRUST in God as this process works its way out (it will likely take 1-2 years).  Pray that we will see the miraculous hand of God all over this journey.  Pray that God would be GLORIFIED in this struggle and strain?

We are so thankful for our incredible community all over the world that loves us and prays for us.  It is beyond humbling.  We need you now so join us in bringing this need to the throne of God!

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When You Try Again...

When your child has autism, things that are small challenges or goals for normal kids and families are anything but normal for yours.  Not only can it be a challenge but autism can make a normal event downright TRAUMATIZING.

At the end of 2014 we made a trip to the USA for our annual time of fundraising and connecting with family.  We had almost a year of therapy and intervention for Keller and his autism diagnosis and we were feeling encouraged at his progress.  However, the trip was disastrous on many levels.  Keller regressed and was anxious and upset much of the trip.  Those would be my feelings on all levels as well - I was anxious and angry.  I felt like my family and friends only were able to see the worst version of Keller and I was constantly filled with stress.  Truly, more than stress I just felt SAD.  Sad about the reality of autism and unsure of our future.

We came back to Africa, regrouped, refocused, and re-goaled.  Keller got back on track and continued to make significant progress.  We began to prepare for our next trip at the end of 2015.  We prepared Keller, we prepared our family and friends, and we prepared our hearts.  There was lots of work, but can I admit that much of the work was needed IN MY HEART.  There was a part of my heart that was terrified at having to take Keller back to America.  I feared he would regress, I feared he would be anxious, I feared it would be difficult, and I feared I would crumble under the weight of it all.  If Keller limped through the entire four weeks I know I would barely made it out alive.

There was no choice in the matter.  We had to make the trip.  We had to take Keller.  We had to DO IT AGAIN.

And we are on the other side of it all.

Can I just say that SO MUCH OF SPECIAL NEEDS is simply doing it again.  We fall and we fail and we HAVE to try again.  We simply must DO IT AGAIN.

I didn't want to travel across the world with my autistic son but I had no choice.  There are other things, however, that are also difficult with Keller and I do have the choice to try them again.  Often I try and often I do not.  Sometimes I am brave and sometimes the fear overcomes and cripples me.  

Our time in the USA at the end of 2015 was an incredible success for Keller.  He loved being with family, understood each transition and challenge, was incredible and calm on the airplanes, and overall just THRIVED in the USA.  

As he succeeded, so did I.  As he triumphed, so did I.

With children, with special needs, with LIFE, so many times we just have to TRY IT AGAIN.  We can't give up.  We can't be defeated.  We can't be overwhelmed.  We have to try again.

Because when you try again, you have a chance to triumph.  

Don't miss your chance.  

TRY AGAIN.

the Ministry of Motherhood

I am not the first to have this realization, and it's not even my first time having this awakening, but lately my heart has awakened to the utter profundity of the ministry of motherhood.

I have always known I was called for ministry.

When I was in college, one night at a ministry revival I felt God tell me that my life was going to be devoted to the ministry of telling people about Him.  First I planned on being a worship leader and youth pastor, but that quickly fell through when I learned I couldn't play guitar or sing and needed too many naps for youth.  Then I was going to be a young adults pastor, then focused on small groups, then looked mostly at teaching, then teaching in a college setting, then women's ministry, then ministry to the poor, then then then….

Ministry in my world in a common sense of the word continues to evolve in my life and heart; and seems it will not be a place that I arrive in but rather the journey of serving Jesus and others.

And yet, my most profound and important ministry happens every day in my home.  The two beautiful children God has given me and the incredible husband whom I married are my primary ministry   A ministry that is so easy to not take seriously, so easy to overlook, so easy to ignore, so easy to wish away.  Motherhood is the most exhausting, time consuming, frustrating, and soul-stretching ministry I have ever embarked on.  I never knew what a ministry it really would be and what an incredibly great and precious thing God entrusted me with as a mother.  There are few thank-you's and rewards and many times I feel broken in the blaringly clear mistakes I have made.

But motherhood is the place where I see God the most at work, and find myself most forgiven as I fall short of what is needed of me.  God daily shows me love, life and laughter through my children.  Over and over again I am forgiven by my husband and reminded of the beauty of God as I look into my children's eyes.  The ministry is not something still to come but the full plate of today and it is an utter gift from God.

May we joyfully receive what God has given us today; and for me, today I fully embrace the ministry of motherhood.  Thank you Jesus.

Survival and Thrival

The subtitle of this blog post is:

How to travel across the world with your autistic toddler and not die.

We are back in South Africa and SO HAPPY to be home!!  We just finished a whirlwind trip in the USA that we titled #Princetober as we traveled all over the USA.  We found ourselves in Charlotte, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina, Richmond, Virginia, Wilmington, North Carolina and Corinth, Mississippi.  Can you believe there were places we missed out visiting this time?!?  It was a fast and FRUITFUL trip and we are so thankful for the ministry we were a part of while back in our first home.

Much preparation goes into a trip with that much travel, connecting, speaking and ministry, but much of it went into getting our sweet Keller James ready for all the travel and change.  Now being three and on the autism spectrum, uprooting his life for 5 weeks and filling it with great challenges of new social connections and flexibility requirements would ask a lot of him.  We created 'social stories' to explain the plane rides and had lots of books to talk about the entire experience and prepared him as best we could, but eventually we had to just bite the bullet and jump on those airplanes!  I began looking for #AutismAngels around every corner to help make the trek easier and God truly did provide the most kind and supportive people all along.  I had little cards that explained autism and passed them out all over the place and so people knew from the beginning that we might have challenges - but Keller turned out to be a little doll!  He played with dinosaurs, watched movies, talked and laughed, and even slept a bit.  Truly all the travel was NO BIG DEAL and the hours easily went by.  It was MIRACULOUS.  Keller was full of peace and joy the entire way!! 

So here I have some tips on

"How to travel the world with your autistic toddler and not die"

1. DON'T FREAK OUT!!  Yes, every part of your heart and brain wants to DIE even before you leave the door but don't freak!!  Everything is going to be okay, no one is going to die, and worse things have happened!  Be super CHILLED because you CAN!

2. Bring EVERY TOY YOU HAVE.  And every movie.  And EVERY SNACK.  Just do it.  Pack up every carry-on suitcase you have and bring it all on the plane.  You never know what you will need and it's just worth it.  Don't think twice about it.  Be SUPER over-prepared and don't feel bad!

3. Bring FUN new stuff!  New dinosaurs!!  New movies!!  New snacks!!  No, your child with autism probably won't want anything new BUT WHAT IF HE DOES?!?  Then he will be SUPER HAPPY!  Be super HOPEFUL and don't feel bad!

4. TELL EVERYONE YOU SEE ABOUT AUTISM.  Just do it.  You never know what could happen and people might need to give you grace.  Your child might be FINE and then they will praise Him for how well he does!  Your child might have the meltdown of his life and you will need grace!  You might just have a normal toddler who does BOTH and you can teach someone about autism and what it means.  Just talk about it.  LOUDLY.  So other people around you overhear the conversation, you know?  And ignore your husband who thinks you are being ridiculous.  Oh do that last thing for ALL THESE TIPS.  Be crazy friendly to the world and you will be glad you did!

5. PRAY.  Just pray before over your child and for every moment of the trip.  Pray while you are traveling.  Pray for #AutismAngels around every corner.  Pray for favor and ease and grace and beauty.  Just pray for God to be everywhere because how great would that be?!?

And those are the easy steps to go from SURVIVAL mode to THRIVAL mode.  Yes I made up a word.  We talk about survival mode, but what happens when you survive something and actually THRIVE?!?  It's called #ThrivalMode.  It's a GOOD place, a GRACE place, a FULLNESS place, a GOD place.  Thrival is GREAT and it's possible.  God loves taking us from survival to THRIVAL in every challenging place in our lives so look for that place with Him in your difficult situations!

In Chains

“Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.” -Isaiah 52:2

Recently I was invited to be a part of a group going to Pollsmoor Prison to participate in a prayer walk through one of the parts of the prison.  It is a part of Hope Prison Ministries and many people at Hillsong Church are involved in the incredible endeavor.  Monthly they do a prayer walk just to spiritually cover the work they do daily with inmates throughout the prison.  It is hard to know the statistics of the prison, but they are certainly dire.  We spent our evening in the maximum security wing, which was created for 1500 men and presently holds over 4000.  Overcrowding was one problem among many others such as gangsterism, drugs, rape, illnesses such as tuberculosis and suicide.

I had no idea what to expect the night we went, and actually didn’t even know what we were doing until I got there but I have had a deep desire to go to Pollsmoor for years.  Many  men and women we work with and love in Ocean View have been in and out of this prison and I have heard of the darkness that is found within.  There was a long process of checking us into the prison and then we gathered inside for briefing and prayer.  Over 300 Christians came that night to walk and pray which was an incredible thing!  We were briefed on how it would work as there are obviously dangers to being in the prison and advised how to pray for people as we walked.  They instructed us to put up our hands and simply pray and sing as we felt led.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced walking through the prison.

The maximum security is the home of the worst offenders of Cape Town and its surrounds.  These man have committed horrific crimes and done unspeakable things.  Now they spend every minute locked in a crowded and dingy cell.  Being outside these cells made you feel the weight of the darkness and hopelessness that sits heavy in that place.  We sang Christian songs before entering the hallways, but once you reached the hallways of the cells all you could do was pray for dear life.  It felt spiritually dark and was also horribly loud as the inmates shouted at out and poked their hands out of tiny holes or ripped wire windows to grab our hands as we passed.  Some shouted as us things like “Praise God” or “Thank you” and other comments that were crude or obscene.  Others just stared blankly.  Their eyes said so much.  So much pain.  So much darkness.  So much hopelessness.

We walked and prayed for over an hour and my body and heart were exhausted by the end of it.  The experience was a shock to the senses but much greater was the shock to our hearts.  No matter what crimes these men have committed, no human deserved to be locked up in this way.  It was dark and depressing and would be difficult for even the strongest person to find hope in the circumstances.

And yet, somehow I left with hope rustling in my broken heart.  A hope stirred for the men and what God was doing in their lives and all that was still possible in their futures.  On the streets of Ocean View many men and women trick themselves into thinking that they are tough and cool acting like gangsters but there was nothing cool about Pollsmoore Prison.  Being locked up is horrific and it was definitely the end of the road.  Maybe in the dark days of Pollsmoor these men will begin to reach for Jesus as their true light?  Maybe in their search for hope they will find the God who is the creator of all hope?  Maybe in realizing they ruined their own lives they will reach out to the One who has their names written on His book for all eternity?

Hope is never dead, even in the darkest place imaginable.  Hope is alive in Pollsmoor Prison and it’s alive in me.