As some of you know, I am on the board of a ministry in southern Africa called Africa Revolution. Each year "AR" hosts teams of college age/young adult interns for a year long program of discipleship and service (called Vision Year). This past year a young brother in the Lord from Zimbabwe, named Clever, finished the year and really stood out as a servant leader. He is now going to stay on for an additional year as a team leader for the new team of interns coming to Swaziland in February.
A couple of weeks ago, while driving the AR van, he was "car jacked," beaten, and nearly killed by a group of men in a township in South Africa. Thankfully, God kept Clever and another young man from death (as this was the intention of the thieves). You can read more about the incident here.
Allan recently emailed Clever and asked him how he was doing. I wanted to share some of Clever's response. It is a beautiful display of the power of the Gospel and how it can alter our perspective in the midst of pain and tragedy. Here is part of Clever's response...
“As far as I am concerned, I am doing great. I am now getting back in the gear of prayer since I arrived in Swaziland. It’s peaceful here and no one is after me. When I was still in South Africa, I was still traumatized thinking about the event every day. I lacked trust, toward every South African male. I kept thinking that they are all thugs. I am sorry for this, God will forgive me. My mind is just thinking about the bus as you know that it was my favorite. I was treating it like my son. The way it was taken from my hands! It ripped my heart; it was something which I was treasuring so much. I had just committed everything in God’s hand he knows why this happened and he is the one who has a better and a good reason for this. My question to God was what have I done so much to deserve this? We are serving you with this bus but you take it away? What does this mean? I felt the Lord saying this message to me, ‘you are a victim of my purpose.”
Again I asked God what this means. “We served Mamelodi and the whole community spreading your Word, investing into this community and the very same community today is stealing from us.”
I felt that God wants us to love this community more. The same thing happened to Jesus. He came to serve and save his own people and the very same people rejected him, accused him and even killed him.
What a mighty God we serve. He wants to use us in this town regardless of being abused or robbed. Thus are my feelings for now. And I am praying for those thugs that they may see God in their lives.”
Please continue to pray for Clever. I am excited to see what God is going to do in and through him in the year ahead. Also, AR is trying to raise money to replace the van that was stolen. It is crucial to the ongoing ministry in Swaziland! The need is $8,000. You can learn more here.
No comments:
Post a Comment