A Broader Glimpse at the Body of Christ

Hello everyone...Michael here.  So I went on this little trip to Cape Town, S. Africa and stopped through England on the way back.  There is so much to tell, but I cannot do justice to what I experienced on this trip.  I hope to write a series of blogs to make an attempt at it though.  For now I just want to say that it was incredible.  I am so thankful for the privilege of getting to experience what God is doing in other parts of the world.  Michelle and I have had a heart for going international and the Lord has fanned that flame in our hearts through this trip.  Though Michelle was not able to join me on this trip it is amazing how God has moved her heart along with mine through this experience.  I must say that I am so thankful to be back with my girls.  The Lord gave us grace abundantly to sustain us while we were apart.  We certainly felt your prayers for us during this trip.  Well, as I said, I hope to say much more about this trip, but for now I will say that I have been bound to a number of brothers and sister in Christ through this trip.  I now have family in South Africa whom I love dearly.  I praise God for these new relationships in Christ.  Let me leave you with a few things that Lord used to move my heart toward a great love for him and his body.

The Lord lead me to Psalm 34 during this trip where I mediated on experiencing the goodness of God through being in intimate relationship with him in Christ.  One of my friends in S. Africa was explaining to me how he had really grown in his friendship with Christ since he had come to the University of Cape Town.  If you are a Christian, how much do you value intimacy with Christ?  Psalmist invites us to "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him" (Psalm 34:8).

We sang a familiar song at HUB (the Friday night large group worship time that the Student Y ministry comes together for every week) that really stuck with me.  The reason it stuck with me is because of the way we all sang it together.  The students sang it with all their heart and it was beautiful to look around and see nations from all over southern Africa worshipping Christ together.  It was a taste of what heaven will be like.  You may know this song well, but let me share the lyrics with you:

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

More to come later, but here are a few pictures for now:

On campus at UCT for the big mission outreach

 The beauty of God's creation at Cape Point

A view of the city below and Table Mountain above

Brothers (and sister!) in Christ