Under the African Sun

2011-08-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

We have MOVED!

New blog for the Prince family - now a resource to learn and grow in YOUR life of living with purpose!

Check it out at http://looklistenlove.org

See you there!

Sarah and Casey

Oh Jekyll, how I love you...

2011-07-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

What can I even say after another incredible week at the Fun in the Son camp at Jekyll Island, Georgia. Upon arriving at camp for another crazy week, I realized that it was my 14th summer there and that the night speaker Kenn Kington, and worship leader Todd Fields, were both at my first event. I vividly remember looking up in awe of these great men of God as they led me closer to Jesus Christ and began to dream of a day when I might also get to influence young people. 14 years later I joined these men at this same camp to be the morning speaker. I can't explain how humbling that is - and only through the grace of our God! Early in the hours of our first night at FITS we reunite with so many old friends that have become a family after so many years of receiving and ministering together.

It was an amazing and blessed week and just PACKED with people and sharing. My talks in the AM went really well and so many young people responded to different parts and kept engaging me with questions and thoughts. LOVE that. Kieren struggled in sharing me with 1000 people, but it was a blast of a week. We love the Youth Conference Ministry family and are so privileged to work with them and love students in the churches we connect with. THANK YOU if you were a part of this last epic FITS! I pray that God will continue to strengthen and be so REAL to you as you live as living sacrifices!!

love

sarah

2011-07-20T16:04:00.001-07:00

Everyday Faith

2011-07-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah, Minky, and Ntokozo

Today I want to share again some poetry from Minky, Ntokozo's cousin who lives near us and is also very special to us. She has a beautiful heart and GIFT for writing poetry! She inspires me and I know she will inspire you too!
- sarah

I WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON HIM

Minky Gumede

i've been through some challenges in life not knowing what to do and who to talk to...but what if i gave up? i've felt the feeling of fear but with the love, hope, and perseverence that the lord has given me i've managed to jump all over those hurting feelings but i never gave up...to the world of tears and sadness i've been there driven by the difficulties of life but with the strength and power that i've been given by the lord i've managed to come back, back to the world of smiles and happiness...

which is why i say that i will never give up on him

Thank You!

2011-07-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

source

Friends and family,

We have just finished a VERY hectic few weeks in the United States and now in Georgia for some work at camps and then to Oregon for coaching lisencure for Casey. It's been CRAZY but we are so thankful! THANK YOU to everyone who has come to our events and already signed up to support our ministry for the next year! We are humbled and blown away by the sacrifices and gifts made already. We know God has many great things in store and can't wait to share the journey ahead with you!

Lots of love,

Casey, Sarah, and Kieren

Antoine and Mathy Update

2011-07-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Musemena family of Antoine and Mathy and kids Onesie and Christ

Many of you have heard over the last few years of my respect and love for the Musemena family; Congolese refugees who were living in Cape Town serving Jesus Christ and great friends to our family. They fled for their lives from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but for the years they lived in Cape Town they felt God calling them to return to their home to minister to God's people there. They have endured more than anyone I know, but FINALLY are reunited and together in Kisangani, DRC.

So when I saw the news article this week about a plane crash in the DRC, I just KNEW that they hadn't been on that plane, even though I was waiting for confirmation that the family was reunited. I just KNEW that God wouldn't have allowed them to be on the plane. They weren't on the plane, but were SUPPOSED to be. They had tickets for that flight, and by some family circumstances didn't take that flight. They are still alive today and once again God has spared them and protected them. I am in awe of God's hand on this family and their grace through so many challenges.

See their organization here: http://www.goodshepherd.org.za/index.htm

Please keep them in your prayers!

love

sarah

More Poetry from Minky

2011-07-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

(Minky in center, Ntokozo on right)

THE POWER TO DECIDE

...looking back at those days of my life everyday as the sun sets i realise that i'm not the person that i was yesterday,i'm not the person who i was gonna be but i am who i am today because i have the power to decide,to decice about everything in my life.I have the power to decide, decide who i wanna be i'll follow my heart and my dreams, i'll seek knowledge that i have been given by the lord and i know that he will help me, help me to take that step and be my own leader, and i'll pray and let my decisions be heard...

-Minky Gumede

WHEW update!

2011-07-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps!

Just wanted to shoot you a quick update about life in Prince world here in the United States. It is CRAZY! We knew it would be that way, but time is flying by and days seem like minutes! It has been a wonderful and beautiful time of connecting with our family, friends, and community in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina so far. We had time with my family in Charlotte and my parents hosted a fundraising event at their church Harrison UMC. Then today we preached at our home church, Grace Community, in Raleigh, and had a meeting with our missions committee and our personal support team. Kieren is having the TIME OF HER LIFE, and right now still in Charlotte living it up with her Lita, Papa, cousin Kieren, Auntie Lauren, and Uncle Tre-Tre. She is happy and loving being spoiled. Life is great here. We are super busy and just trying to make the MOST of every moment by meeting with people and connecting about what God is doing in South Africa AND what He is doing here. This week is preparing for an event our church is hosting Thursday night for us to fundraise and preparing for our FITS camp that starts on Sunday. WHEW!! Having a blast and loving sharing God's stories.

Keep us in your prayers on this crazy journey!
Love
sarah

Poetry from Minky

2011-07-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Ntokozo and Minky

Recently Minky told me that she writes poetry and keeps a big book of it all. WOW! I asked if she would begin to share it with me, and then thought I would share it with all of you. Let me remind you of who she is: Minky is also an orphan, and Ntokozo's cousin who also lives with their aunt and uncle. We love her so much and Ntokozo and Minky visit us OFTEN and stay with us too. Minky is a very special young woman!

The Mighty One

THE MIGHTY ONE...he is my friend that i love very much, he understands me, he is the one i turn to for help,he is the one that would never abounden me,i will never forget him for all the goods he has done for me i know that my lord is creater of everything,my lord is who we praise...my lord TURNS DARKNESS INTO LIGHT.

Missionary Revelations

2011-07-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Since we've been home I've discovered a few "Missionary Revelations", things that seem obvious (maybe) but are certainly significant to me.

Some are silly:

"There are far more good radio stations in America than in South Africa."

"McDonalds is far more appealing in South Africa than in America."

But some have some depth:

"You can have 2 homes at the same time and miss both equally."

This was one feels particularly poignant right now. We've been back to the USA for a week now. Some things feel different- driving, stores opened/closed, number of options, streets changed- but much of it has remained the same, especially relationships. It's always amazing that the relationships we forged over years here still continue with great depth. But now I miss Cape Town. The Academy boys, practice everyday, our house, Ocean View, GRANNY!!!!, our churches there, and other small things. However, all year I long for some of my favorite people and things in America. Both places feel like home. One is a little more broken in, and both are special.

I'm very thankful it's like this. We certainly aren't miserable in Cape Town. We have great community and a great life there. But it all works because we have amazing community, support, and love here in North Carolina. It's really like we are double blessed!

Casey

2011-07-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

Guest Writer

2011-07-05T02:54:00.000-07:00

So happy to introduce one of my great friends and inspiration in Ocean View: Cindy James!

She is the daughter of one of my View ladies and leaders in my women's group and at OV Methodist Church, the girlfriend of our Ubuntu employee, Treswill (pictured with Cindy below), and just someone the Prince family loves! Cindy is an amazing woman of God and a shining light in our community. She teaches at one of the OV primary schools and has a beautiful heart. I have asked her to begin writing for our blog some so you can hear her heart and perspective of life in Ocean View. I know you will love her just as much as we do (okay, that is actually not possible!). Enjoy!

THE MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE - Cindy Anne James

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” (George Washington Carver)

Having the privilege of walking up the mountain close to where I live in Ocean View, Cape Town RSA was a real awakening within my spirit.

When one detaches themselves from a particular situation you can gaze at it afresh. While sitting on the mountain top I looked down and observed that because of the height, the community looked so small; tiny houses, cars and people like MnMs. I had a bird’s eye view of the community which I am a part of.

Looking at my community from a distance allowed for my thoughts to come into perspective. It made me see how God views us and is able to have His eye on everything; thus seeing the bigger picture. When we are in a specific area all we see are our surroundings and therefore only want or desire things we feel we need. Yet God is able to see way ahead. I was reminded of the truth where God says His thoughts are neither my thoughts nor my ways His, (Isaiah 55:8) and rightly so ‘cause we are far from seeing as God does.

After seeing all I could and enjoying the experience I descended the mountain. In descending the mountain the sounds of the cars and people became audible once more. It reminded me that life goes on and some of us become like “cogs in a machine” operating as we always have in our sometimes dismal circumstances and situations (some we’ve created for ourselves.)

The situation got me thinking about when we have our individual, inspirational moments and times when God speaks to us during our quiet time. The time God speaks could be compared to the perspective gained while on the mountain top. The descending from the mountain could be viewed as how I continue with life. The question is whether I choose to continue as I always have or if I decide to make the necessary (as tough or painful as it may seem) changes.

Not many things in our communities change because many people become like- minded and forget what they have been called to do. They get caught up in a pattern of life that in no way benefits their current or future situations. Like a room with four walls we can get so accustomed to the surroundings and forget there is a door to something other.

Writing this piece is something other for me. What have you decided to do differently today and have you tuned in your radio to the correct station?

Happy America!

2011-07-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

source

What a gift to be able to celebrate the fourth of July in America this year. Honestly, I'm not really a patriotic person and range from very opinionated about politics to completely useless and ignorant. BUT, being here after a year and a half living in Africa makes me so thankful for this place and humbled that God allowed me to be born here. Because I am an American by birth I have privileges that I would never have in any other country and God has brought me to see His glory in incredible places all over the world. God is amazing and I am thankful for all He has given us in Cape Town, but today I am thankful for America, the freedom to worship God and profess my faith with confidence, and take His love all over the world.

love

sarah

Thinking

2011-06-30T03:37:00.000-07:00

I was driving around last night at about one in the morning.

You know, just for fun.

ON OPPOSITE DAY.

Kiers seems to have an ear infection/was having an allergic reaction in the middle of the night/she is a toddler and her body is SO CONFUSED by traveling for 30 hours.

We were out looking for meds in the middle of the night. And can I say it was SO NICE to be able to get what we needed at 1am. Cuz in Africa only the bars are open then. That might have helped meeee but not Kieren at that moment...

Anywhoo, I was driving around North Raleigh in the middle of the night, and so took the long way home and drove by our old house. It looks so sweet and nice and quiet (we still own it and are renting it). All the streets in Raleigh look so sweet and familiar and lovely. It's so nice to be here. It feels totally normal and totally weird all at the same time.

I have concluded that we do in fact have two full homes. We feel completely at home in Raleigh and we feel completely at home in Ocean View. It's official.

But it's the community in RAleigh (and beyond) that sent us to Ocean View, prayed for us, and believed in us on this incredible journey. So the second home can never be possible without the first. So it's great to be back at the first home.

But I also miss the View. I miss Granny. I miss our little gangsters. I miss everyone. I miss Ocean View.

So thankful to be in the US. Excited for the ministry in the coming month. Expectant for what God is going to do.

Glad to be home, and miss home all at the same time.

What a brilliant problem to have.

love

sarah

So Hard to Say Goodbye

2011-06-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Even though we know we are only leaving SA for five weeks, it was SO HARD to say goodbye.

And exhausting.

Because EVERYONE came to our house yesterday and today to say goodbye. EVERYONE.

I was telling Casey how exhausting it was to say goodbye and he politely brought it to light how BEAUTIFUL it is that so many people wanted to say goodbye.

Granny Jacoba was there almost all day looking so sullen and being very uncharacteristically quiet.

Roseka, Kieren's little friend on our street, stood outside for an hour hoping to get a hug from Kieren before she left (she was napping up until we took off in the car).

Kyle and Vano were around ALL day playing X-box, helping with little details, and already starting to BEG Jordan to give them things we would never give them. :)

The View youth were over yesterday and today laughing and talking about how bummed they were we were leaving.

Auntie Katie, Granny's BFF came over and sat on the couch with Granny the last hour and then hugged us goodbye. We made her promise she would take care of our granny.

My View women came over last night for one last laugh and hug.

Treswell gave us a 'word' from Scripture that God had laid on his heart before we left.

We got SO MANY texts and calls today to tell us goodbye.

I just feel so honored and humbled that we are so loved by our Ocean View community. It is a privilege that we are loved so well.

And now we are on our way to our USA family.

Ready to get tan and fat.

love

sarah

Preaching It Up

2011-06-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

Preached this weekend at Ocean View Methodist - YAY! Every time I preach there I think "I LOVE MY CHURCH!" I really do. After I preached they brought our family to the front of the church and prayed for us and our trip. We are blessed. Thankful.

See my sermon below!

Love
sarah

Or click link here.

Moving Forward

2011-06-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

WHEW!

Feeling a bit crazy this morning as we leave TOMORROW for our trip to the United States.

NO it's not a holiday!! But YES I will get tan and fat! Woo hoo!

So excited to see family and friends and MOST OF ALL excited to share all that God has been doing in our midst and ministry. We feel abundantly blessed and filled to the BRIM with what God is doing. Can't WAIT to share it all.

As we pack up and tie up lose ends, I find my heart already getting sad this morning to say goodbye to our home here. I love these people so lives and our hearts are deeply, deeply intertwined with theirs.

Yesterday afternoon I woke up from a nap (hollar at Sunday naps - the BEST) and four women from the Methodist church had made me a home-made card and brought gifts for me. These woman have NOTHING and often don't have money for simple things like electricity and bread. But they wanted to bring ME a gift to thank me for the ways I love and support them.

So humbling.

We had a great day at our SA churches yesterday, and again just thankful for the ways God builds us up in those places.

We are learning. We are growing. We are blessed.

Oh, and we ended the weekend by taking Granny Jacoba out for a birthday dinner (her b-day was Saturday but she was too busy for us!). We took her for fish at Ocean's Basket. We laughed and had the best time.

Family.

love my life.

sarah

Sisters United

2011-06-25T02:55:00.000-07:00

This week I got to work on a new initiative that Hillsong is starting on. It's called 'Sisters United' and the goal is to reach women in various township communities to love, mentor, and build up what God is doing there. Hillsong has been busing in small groups of women from townships for big women's events, but we have seen such beauty in the Ocean View community as women unite and grow together we want to help foster it in other areas.

And I get to help with it! YAY for me! What a dream!

So on Tuesday I went to the northern suburbs of Cape Town to an area called Atlantis, a coloured township that was established during apartheid to move the group out of the city of Cape Town. It is HUGE now, overflowing with people, and home to another smaller community called Mamre. Mamre is on the edge of Atlantis, and a farming community made up of coloured folks, and it where I found these incredible women.

An powerful friendship was formed by two woman, a white Afrikaaner named Loretta and a coloured woman named Nolene and they have started to minister together to women in Mamre and Atlantis. I went for one of their weekly women's meeting in a home in Mamre. The area is insane because it's made of small homes and 'wendy homes' similar to what I see in Ocean View, but surrounded by horses, chickens, and farm land. It's actually really beautiful. As the women opened up, I found their hearts to be broken and needy just like the women I minister to in Ocean View. Actually, just like my heart too.

It was a beautiful morning and I got to take some of them home and see their humble homes. There was instant connection and they are ready now to come to Ocean View :) We will continue to build and mentor these women and bring them into the Hillsong Sisterhood family. Beautiful things are ahead.

What a privilege I have to reach out to these amazing women. God is at work.

love

sarah

Loved

2011-06-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I came home, I walked into THIS.

Blessed and loved.

sarah

Giving Back

2011-06-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

This week I was so surprised by something. Tuesday night I was hanging around the house, a bunch of kids over playing with Kieren, and preparing dinner, and I had a knock at the door. It was three of my Ocean View women. My first thought was 'uh oh, what did I do??'

Turns out I didn't do anything. I wasn't in trouble. My Ocean View women are just going around to all the families in the Methodist church to check in with them and see how they are.

They just wanted to check in with ME and see how our family is doing. And pray for us. That's it. Just wanted to love us.

Humbled once again in this community. The people we have come to serve have time and time again served and loved us so well. There is so much in this incredible community of Ocean View. And so much more to come.

love
sarah

More Intern Thoughts...

2011-06-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Check out these REALLY cool thoughts from one of our summer interns, Alison Gamble. Love her SO. MUCH.

www.love4thesakeoflove.blogspot.com.

Listening

2011-06-23T01:05:00.000-07:00

I am taking our wonderful interns through a journey that I call "Look, Listen, Love." It's what God has taught me through living in Ocean View and has become a key piece in my ministry (you are going to hear MUCH MORE about this soon!). So with the interns, we are walking through each of those steps while they are living in the Ocean View community. I wanted to share some of their thoughts with you because they are amazing!

From Christine:
As I go and listen to people from Ocean View there are many tragic stories of drugs, alcohol, violence, apathy, job loss, and the list goes on and on. While these stories were eye opening and difficult to hear, it was something else that stood out to me. In the midst of so much darkness, there is light. In this past week I have had the privilege of talking to several people in the community who are daring to go against the grain and fight for something bigger than most people in the community are willing to settle for. One particular family we talked to, the James family, is doing this everyday. While talking to them about what life is like in the community, I saw that they recognized the problems in the community and the pressures they continually face, and it was clear that they had made a decision to not give in to these pressures. Their stories were inspiring and they are all working in different ways to encourage and strengthen those around them. It was amazing to me that in a world where so much is going wrong, their love for each other, their community, and God was so apparent. It reminded me of Matthew 5:14-16 when it says “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” The James family is just one of many lights in Ocean View and they offer hope that this community can transform and live up to their potential.

From Doug:
There are a couple things that stand out in my mind with the people here in Ocean View that I’ve heard. The first is that they are not quick to take the blame for anything. After spending much time with the Ubuntu kids, listening to programs on TV about Cape Town, and from people in Ocean View, they all blame their struggles not on their doing but on the doings of others. That may be partly true because of the apartheid and the prejudice and segregation that still holds strong here, but it has been years since the apartheid ended, and it continues to receive the blame for the lack of change in the more poor communities. The young kids find no fault from their own actions when they’re late to events or aren’t prepared for activities. The blame is put on their parents or on the taxi’s who provide some of the kids transportation, etc. When I compare what I’ve learned from “Looking” at Ocean View to what I’ve “Listened” to here in Ocean View, my desire to see young men rise up to be leaders in the community is desired even more. I don’t see and hear a community who can’t change. Instead, what I see and hear is a community who won’t change.

Volunteer HERE!

2011-06-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

Alison Gamble and I (one of our interns) and I went to a Volunteer Workshop last week to learn how to best utilize people volunteering their time and passion in our organizations. It was an OVERLOAD of information, but GREAT stuff. It really pumped me up for having people work with us here in Africa!

This year God has really uncovered a part of my heart that desires to teach and inspire young people to see God's heart for the last and least in our world. I have LOVED all the people who have visited us in SA and worked with Ubuntu and Ocean View. It's something I want MORE MORE MORE of! So we will continue to position ourselves to be ready for volunteers to come work with Ubuntu and learn from the Ocean View community!

Who is next??

Is it you??

Here are some of the benefits that come from volunteering with Ubuntu and living in Ocean View:
1. Learn about living in a TOWNSHIP in Ocean View
2. Make a difference in the life of others
3. Be exposed to new cultures
4. Learn about soccer ministry
5. Travel!
6. See AFRICA!!
7. Training, skills, and life experience
8. Hang out with the PRINCE FAMILY!

Time for you to make a plan to come to CAPE TOWN!

love

sarah

Love to the Dads

2011-06-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

source

Happy DAD's DAY to all the Father's out there!

I was brimming with thankfulness yesterday as I celebrated my sweetie who is the BEST DAD to Kieren. He is amazing and fun and the most incredible partner I could ever ask for. We have a blast!

Cute DAD story:

Every night when Casey puts K to bed, they start playing, and wrestling, and jumping, and laughing, and showing off (the interns have been enjoying the show lately), and it takes a good 30 minutes. I can't even try to stop it. They just have so much fun together and Kieren giggles and grins from EAR to EAR every time she sees Casey. What. A. Gift.

And then there is my own Dad, who is an incredible example of humility, Godliness, and love. He has taught me to be giving, faithful, strong, and to seek Holiness. Each year he gets better and better and I look up to his walk with God.

Who could ask for more?

Love

sarah

You are Not Alone

2011-06-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

I found this incredible organization today when I was reading up about what's going on with To Write Love on Her Arms. They are also amazeballs, but THIS one is pretty epic, I think. I found an organization online called I'm Alive at www.imalive.org. This is what they do:

Delivering The Miracle of Hope and Help

We are poised to create the world’s first virtual crisis center. When it launches it will also be the first crisis center where 100% of the volunteers are trained in crisis intervention. While we are only able to offer services to North America, we hope IMAlive will grow beyond our borders.

I think it's beautiful that anyone can go online and get help and someone to listen to in a moment of desperation or crisis. We should know that all of us come to a time where we need help, a hand, something beyond ourselves.
You are not alone! Share this resource with others!
Sarah

Kieren 'Reading'

2011-06-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

2011-06-16T05:59:00.001-07:00

New Interns

2011-06-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

We are growing quite a clan of fun people hanging out in the View with us! Two new interns are now here to work with us, and I want them to introduce themselves!

   Hi. I'm Jordan Parker and I'm from Corinth, MS. I am 17 and just graduated high school. In the fall I plan to attend Southern Mississippi University and play football as a kicker/punter. While at Southern I will study polymer science. My dad Gregg, is the youth minister at First Pres. Corinth and also the boys soccer coach for Corinth High School. My mom, Debbie, is a school teacher at the elementery school. My sister Kara is studying dental hygeine and little brother Joel who is ten is just enjoying being the baby of the family. Sports of any kind, that I enjoy, and also good company and just relaxing.
     I first heard about Ubuntu and what Casey and Sarah were doing here in Ocean View two years ago at Fun in the Son. I immediately felt compelled and felt the calling to help with their organization. Two of my greatest loves put together: Soccer and missions. I knew that one day I would arrive in Ocean View and do whatever it is that I have been called to do here. Although it didn't happen immediately and as soon as I would have liked I didn't lose hope, with a little help, and now I am finally here!
     During my time in Ocean View I want to practice and learn more about the art of serving. 1 Peter 4:10, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." For me that gift is soccer so I believe that through soccer I can ultimately help serve others. Also, while I am here I don't just want to serve but I also want to learn. There are those who need help, but then there are others who have a lot to teach me.

Hi! I’m Christine Gamble and I grew up in Raleigh, NC and went to Grace Community Church. I now go to Wheaton College, which is a great school near Chicago. I’m an Interdisciplinary Studies major, with a combination of economics, anthropology, and geology with a focus on water. I have a heart for rural parts of Africa and want to help with economic development and help ensure that people have access to water, adequate food, and basic health care. I originally came to Africa this summer with a program at my school called Student Ministry Partners. I was supposed to work in Zambia with the Jubilee Centre, an organization focused on community development and empowering local churches, with two other students from Wheaton for two months. Due to some unfortunate and unavoidable interactions between my malaria pills and migraine medicine, my trip in Zambia was cut short. Although it has been easy for me to become frustrated by the circumstances and confused as to why God would bring me all the way here just to have me leave so soon, I know that God is faithful and has a plan, even when I don’t completely understand it.

Instead of going directly home after leaving Zambia I decided to join my sister Alison, who is already working with Casey and Sarah this summer. This summer is already a lot different than what I expected or prepared for, but I am excited for this opportunity to be in Cape Town. While my location has changed, my goals for the summer are more or less the same. I hope to learn about different communities and see how they function. Most importantly, I want to love and humbly serve those around me while also growing in my awareness of God's love for the people of this world.

2011-06-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Stay-cation!

2011-06-15T01:38:00.000-07:00

Casey and I took a day off yesterday and created our own 'stay-cation' for ourselves! Actually CASEY did ALL the planning - how cool is he??

We hiked up Chapman's Peak (took us 2 1/2 hours!) then had lunch, went to a movie, had SUSHI (he loves it now! Who is this man??) and stopped by our Hillsong leaders connect group. It was relaxing, long, restful, and full of laughter and great conversation.

Of all the things we are doing to prepare to return for a visit to the US in two weeks, I think yesterday was the most important - REST!!

love

sarah

2011-06-13T05:38:00.001-07:00

Great Thoughts

2011-06-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

This is a post from our good friend here, Noah. It's focused on fulfilling God's dreams. Check it out please, it's very inspiring!
http://pastornoah.blogspot.com/2011/06/making-god-dreams-come-true.html

Casey

Enter At Your Own Risk

2011-06-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we went to the Westlake township, to see a kids club that runs there on Friday afternoons. They had almost 400 kids running around that gym and it was CHAOS PERSONIFIED. Seriously never witnessed anything so crazy; but it was a beautiful environment for these kids to grow and learn about Jesus. But whoa. Crazy.

As we left, I noticed this brick wall, which was the entrance to one part of the township. I was struck by what was painted on the wall:

"Enter At Your Own Risk"

Can you imagine if that was the sign at the front of your neighborhood?

What does it do to one's psyche and identity to have your community marked as a 'risk' to any who want to enter? This is the realities of people growing up in this desperate and hostile townships - there are risks around every corner and it is many times too harsh to survive or thrive.

My heart broke once again and my vision continues to expand of how to create environments of love, peace, joy, and belief for these people who only know risk, danger, violence, and darkness. We can see pieces of heaven on this earth - I see it all the time in Ocean View. We need more. The journey continues...

love

sarah

Check out OUR Ocean View

2011-06-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago our incredibly talented friend, Kate Senekal took pictures of our family in Ocean View. I am taking a wild guess that it was the first photo shoot in this crazy location.

It's out home, it's our community, and we love it. I think Kate captured it all well.

Check out these below, or to see more or her work (AMAZING) check out: http://www.storybookphotography.co.za/#

Kieren Loves

2011-06-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Kieren loves her friends. Adores. She adores her buddy Jensen. Her little smile says it all.

We are blessed.

love

sarah

Best Day Ever

2011-06-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a YEAH moment. We had a 'this is WHY we do this' moment. We had a major GOD moment.

We were hanging out at home doing different things; kids and people in and out of the house like usual. All of a sudden I realize Kyle is at our house (totally normal everyday occurance) but his grandmother is also at our house sitting on our front lawn. So Casey and I both go out to speak with her. She won't come inside but she wants to talk with us.

She proceeds to tells us a MILLION different things, and pours at her broken heart, as best she can.

Kyle had a note sent home from school that he was being disrespectful to his teachers. His schoolwork is good, but he is just disrespecting his teachers. So his granny went to school to find out more details and was overwhelmed with emotion about the situation.

She told us multiple times in front of Kyle that his mother doesn't care about him. She took one look at the note and threw it on the floor. Grandmother said she has reared him since he was a child because his mom have never cared.

This is all TRUE but we were both just cringing as she was saying this in front of our sweet Kyle. Of course he knows it, but how painful must it be to hear it out loud. Ugghh.

So she was just at a loss, and asking us what she should do. Wanting our advice. Wanting our help. She decided to take away soccer for a bit because it's what he loves the most (true) but just so desperate to get through to him about how important school is.

She kept asking him to 'tell me' what is the problem. 'Talk to me now, we are listeing. Tell me. TELL ME.' Kyle eventually just started crying. Who even knows why. His broken heart probably has no idea either. With no dad and a mom who doesn't care and a granny who cares some but is just mad I would cry too. All the time.

So we told her we would talk with Kyle about it today some more. We would keep working with him. We told her we believed in him. We think God has a special future for him. He is a special kid.

One of the sweetest things she said. She says that Kyle loves us so much. She couldn't even articulate the love, so she said that he thinks we are Mrs. World and Mr. World. So. Sweet.

I can't articulate in words how much I love Kyle. Today Casey already talked with him about the situation, and we have learned that Kyle likes to be the class clown, and he is going to work on being respectful. Even he knows there is so much ahead.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." -Ephesians 3:20

love
sarah

God on the move

2011-06-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Since the Hillsong Colour women's conference, a group of friends and I have been really burdened by the issue of human trafficking. We have been praying together weekly and it's just a huge, huge movement of evil in this world.

There is this amazing organization called the A21 Campaign and they are doing something about the problem. It was started by this radical woman named Christine Caine. She rocks and is changing the world.

I recently read this article from her about her journey towards trafficking and doing this amazing work, you can read it too here: http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/JUN11--life_interrupted/.

Wow. God is moving.

love

sarah

Neighbor-Love

2011-06-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

We have the best community in Ocean View. We are SO. BLESSED.

Our neighbors down the street are the Kallis family with four generations of wonderful women all in one house (until this past year when the youngest Jamie went to medical school!). They are EPICLY amazing and love Kieren so much. So they come by and 'fetch' her frequently and even the extended Kallis family loves Kieren. The 'mom,' Heidi takes Kieren to see her sister Lynn and she says Kiers is the daughter she never had (she has two adorable and rambunctious boys). SO. SWEET. Oh my gosh I just love them all so much.

Today I realized Heidi recently put up a TON of Kieren pics on facebook. Seriously, they are basically like family, they love Kiers so much. SO. SWEET.

We are blessed.

Heidi and Jamie Kallis with Kallis cousins Adam and Liam and Kiers

Umm the theme is that she is ALWAYS eating at the Kallis home. A bit spoiled and a LOT loved.
So special.

Ubuntu Life

2011-06-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Our coaches. Coach Kieren is especially tough on the kids.

Stayed Tuned

2011-06-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is a week of planning and preparing and visioning. I am SO. EXCITED.

One of the things that is brewing is some women's ministry that I am working with Hillsong to build. We want to work with women in the townships around Cape Town bring them together and build them as great women of God.

What we have found in Ocean View is that there are so many amazing women of God. But they are often alone. Struggling. Carrying the weight of so much. Bring them together to love, believe in, and encourage each other and something HUGE happens. It's been SIMPLE but PROFOUND in Ocean View.

We want to go into other townships and bring togehter women of God, mentor and encourage them, and build women's ministries.

It's a big vision, but we love women and want to build them up to see the beautiful women of God that they are.

I have seen it in Ocean View. I can't wait to see it all over this city.

It's going to be beautiful. Stay tuned.

Kieren Singing

2011-06-08T02:33:00.000-07:00

Quick video of Kieren singing - she is ALWAYS singing. That girl has her own song in her heart...

Our Interns are "Looking"

2011-06-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

This month our lives are being invaded by our 'interns' Alison and Doug. They have LOTS to do around here, but along the way I have invited them to 'Look, listen, and love' those in Ocean View. This is a way to truly step into this community and engage in a new way.

Last week their task was to 'look.' Here are their profound thoughts:

From Allison

This past week we were given the task to look around at our surroundings and really try to absorb as much about Ocean View as possible. There were a couple of patterns that really stuck out to me about this place. The first thing is that the polychromatic stereotype about Africa is definitely true here. Time is a very vague concept and relationships are a much higher priority than getting everything on the to-do list done in the day or making it to a meeting on time. Going along with this concept, many people seem to lack motivation or work ethic. A lot of this seems to come from the mentality from apartheid. Rather than taking responsibility for one’s own actions, its common for a lot of people to blame others for their circumstances without looking for ways they can change their situation. The youth and men of the community seem to have the hardest time with this. Some of the women, especially the older women, are the ones that are carrying this community. They are the ones that are working to provide for their families, taking care of all of the household chores, and parenting their children and grandchildren. The mentality that the man needs to provide for the family and really be the leader seems to be lacking here. The last thing that I noticed is that people seem to be more spiritual. They are more comfortable talking about God and spiritual realms and are faster to attribute things to God and show their dependence on Him than most people back home seem to be. Overall, I think I’ve just started to scratch the surface of the lives of those who live here, but I’m really looking forward to getting to know them better and learning more about their lives.

From Doug

When I walk through Ocean View and look around, I have a mixture of emotions. From what I've heard, Ocean View is a pretty poor and helpless place. But since I've been here, I have found that it doesn't fit that description soundly. Yes, Ocean View is "poorer" than Cape Town. Yes, Ocean View does not have the best looking houses or flats. Yes, there is poverty. But overall, the people here aren't too poor, if you consider that running water, food, and a place to stay at night isn't a description of poverty. When I walk the streets, I see a lot of independence, and it saddens me because some families aren't tied together as they should. The streets here are filled with teens and adults who seem to "waste" their time and are comfortable with doing nothing productive. They may not like where they are living, but most people or families don't do much about it to change.
When I walk through Ocean View, I see a community that knows each other but shares the same bad situations and doesn't help each other break of of these situations. I see individuals. Individuals who are stuck in their position or lifestyle because of lack of community that lifts each other up and delivers each other out of the situations that strikes every family. As a result, when I think of sharing the gospel here, I don't think of a community uprising that is willing to stand for a cause or change for the better. I see an individual change. A change that needs to strike one individual that affects him or her enough to change, then personally pursue a relationship with another to see a change in their life. Ocean View needs leaders. Leaders who are motivated. Leaders who are accepted. Leaders who want a change. Leaders who will not settle for less. Leaders who, most importantly, are willing to truly live for the
Gospel and give their life to something thats more than themselves

View Youth

2011-06-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Another great night with the youth of Ocean View!

We had youth at our house last night and had a great group along with our new leaders Chevonne, Morne, and Pam! SO exciting to have these incredible people on board! Our white-people friends from the US lead us last night by sharing their testimonies. Amazeballs. It was seriously incredible how Doug and Alison's stories were so different but completely related to our youth struggling to grow up in Ocean View. Wow. I was inspired and moved and I know they were too.

Youth are youth, wherever they are. We may have NO idea what we are doing; but I feel more and more that God does when He put us together with this crazy clan. Things are unfolding and opening up. It's going to be good.

love

sarah

Will You Join us to Support UBUNTU?

2011-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

A night of food, music, and stories of the Ubuntu boys! Don't miss it!

Email Sarah at sarahcprince@gmail.com or call 082-071-5526 for tickets.

Update

2011-06-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

Update on Ubuntu Football Academy's night out last Friday. Please check it out!

www.ubuntusports.blogspot.com

Meet the Interns!

2011-06-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

We have two ridiculously cool college students volunteering with us this summer, making them somehow our 'interns'!! They are amazing and helping us SO much already! Just wanted to introduce them to you!

Hi! I'm Alison Gamble. I'm from Raleigh, NC and I go to UNC-CH, also known as the University of National Champions. :) I have a twin sister, named Christine, who is also very focused on missions and has a heart for Africa. She is now currently serving in Zambia. My mom also lives in Raleigh and is very involved in our church there, Grace Community Church.
I decided to come to South Africa, because I came here for the first time two years ago and fell in love with the country. This summer I had the opportunity to come back to Africa and was so excited for the chance to be back in South Africa. I have a non-profit organization called Love for the Sake of Love that connects college students to ministries in the developing world, so I want to use my time in Africa to find new organizations to partner with, as well as learning more about Casey and Sarah's ministries.
God has opened my eyes to the importance of living with those I serve and I think living in Ocean View and learning from Casey and Sarah will do just that. I'm hoping God will use this time to teach me how to serve humbly and love others like Christ did. As the co-founder of a non-profit, I also want to use this time to learn how other organizations operate.

Hey, I'm Doug Wegman. I'm from Raleigh, NC. I go to North Carolina State University (Woo! Go Wolfpack!). My family also lives in Raleigh. I have one brother who turned 18. His name is Tyler. I love to play golf, read my bible, and long walks on the beach.
I came to South Africa because I have always had a heart for mission, doing two mission trips to Cuba when i was in high school, and last summer God called me to leave the US and go (where ever that meant). I had originally planned to go to South East Asia this summer with a group based out of Atlanta, GA, but God closed that door and opened this door to coming to South Africa after meeting Alison in December. God provided a way to come here, so I am determined to make the best of it and do whatever the Holy Spirit leads me to do while i'm here
I haven't traveled in a long time, and do not know exactly what it takes to be a missionary, so I think God wants to teach me exactly those things. He has called me to live outside of my comfort zone in the US, so I think he is going to show me exactly how uncomfortable or comfortable life as a missionary may be. Also, through the long and arduous process of raising support, God has taught me how faithful he is in providing for his loved ones. Through raising support, he has humbled me, and from seeing money come in and not come in, I have gained more faith along the way. Also while I'm here, I also just want to serve in whatever way possible, leaving any "lessons" or "opportunities for me to learn from or experience completely up to God.

2011-06-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Long Way Still to Go

2011-06-01T01:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days where I was reminded that I still have a long way to go. A looong way.

With Alison and Doug visiting, I wanted Alison to experience a special part of my community here, and that is my HIV support group. I have been helping to lead this group since our short-term trip here in 2008. It has changed a bit, but really has most of the same members. These are incredible people, struggling each day to live with dignity and hope while being ostracized from their community and sometimes families because of their disease. It can be a heart-breaking life.

So we went today, and it's been a while I'll admit, and today I remembered why.

It's HARD.

It was a small group of my friends that showed up for a rainy afternoon of talking. So many were missing, and usually they skip for no reason at all. If it was me, I would skip just because it's HARD to talk about our issues. It's HARD to talk about where we are hurting. It's HARD to talk about the darkness.

Another hard part is that one of my friends has gotten progressively healthier over the past few years and is very spunky and talkative. Obviously this is GREAT for her, but now she has determined that she won't speak to me because I can't speak Afrikaans. It's not that she can't understand English; she can, and most television is English. She just says I need to respect her and speak her language. HARD. I can actually understand a great deal of the language, but everyone speaks English AND Afrikaans in our community, so I have gotten lazy about pushing myself to learn. HARD. It's just hard. So I get upset when she won't speak to me, but I know she is right, I SHOULD be working harder to learn her language.

It's hard. And it's very, VERY humbling.

Just another reminder that in the world of missionary life in Ocean View, I still have a LONG way to go. Nothing wrong with that. I am ready for it all.

Love

sarah

Women in Leadership

2011-05-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

Great thoughts on women in leaders from Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg

Birthday

2011-05-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Granny took Kieren to yet another birthday party.

This is one popular white toddler among brown toddlers.

I went to pick Kieren up from the party, and each child was sitting in their own seat at a table with a HUGE spread of baked goods, sweets, and cake. WOW. Even I wouldn't have been able to eat all the goodies. Kieren was WIRED when she got home, but so happy.

I love, love, love that she continues to become more a part of the Ocean View community. She knows so many people who we don't even know. Her best friend in the View speaks ONLY Afrikkaans. Love.

This is Granny and Kiers all dressed up for their par-tay!

Book Review- The Next Christians

2011-05-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have found recently that I struggle really getting into books that are written from a very American perspective to a very American audience. That's not an indictment on any specific book, it's just that now that my worldview is stretching it's more difficult to latch on to those books.

With “The Next Christians” by Gabe Lyons I found that to be the case for a while. I was having a hard time latching. But I pushed through and I'm glad that I did.

I think I most started resonating with it in Chapter 4 when he started to outline what the 'next Christians' were are all about: restoring. It's a fantastic description and I can think of so many people like this. The next 6 chapters are spent defining the 6 distinctive characteristics of the Restorers. Lyons describes them as:

Provoked, not Offend
Creators, not Critics
Called, not Employed
Grounded, not Distracted
In Community, not Alone
Countercultural, not “Relevant”

As I read I realized how influenced I am by the people he was often describing and the stories he was sharing. I so desire to be a restorer. However, I often fall back into being a critic, or doing a 'job', or worrying about being 'relevant'. I was really encouraged to live a fresh life of following Jesus in the way God has called me. I don't have to be anybody else, only the best version of me that I can.

So, I would encourage you to read “The Next Christians”. It's an easy read, not easy to swallow all the time, but smooth going in. You'll be encouraged to seek some new expressions of your faith in Jesus.

Overall Grade: B+

Casey

We Like to Party

2011-05-29T05:56:00.000-07:00

Another epic bash at the Prince home this weekend

This year it was "Sarah's Birthday Brinner" where we also celebrated a year since Kieren's accident and all the miracles God did in our life.

Brinner is breakfast for dinner. Duh.

Our house was PACKED. No, seriously crazy packed.

It was our own 'Rainbow Nation' of friends that we love so dearly. I just kept saying all night as people were like, 'WHAT IS THIS??' that we are just SO blessed.

Hanging in the lounge

Talking with friends

Awww, here I was just reading a really sweet gift that we got from some great friends - a night away at a fancy place for Casey and I! So amazing!

Our summer interns/slaves were hard at work. This is Alison Gamble and Doug Wegman is somewhere nearby. They are here to volunteer with Ubuntu and live in OV this month. They ended up making dinner for a million people last night. They were EPIC. Double their salary.

Kiers and I with our sweet friend Rita

Missionary friends! Karl Ostrand with daughter Jenson and Noah Kaye both serving Jesus beautifully!

So many great friends! Danielle, Wayne, Marc and Katie, Laural, and Amy

I tried to take this pic like 3 times and people kept jumping in. It's of the besties Michael and Casey, this time with an added does of Treswill.

Crazy kitchen.

My girls Kieren and her bestie Bailey

One of our worship guys at OV Methodist, Uncle Jonny, showed up and was filming. WHY is he wearing a Santa hat??

Sarah and the brown daughters (they are now both ours and spent the night after the party) Minky and Ntokozo

New friends bonding: Roger, Cindy, and Allison

It was such an amazing night. Special. So many helped all night to make food and insure everyone was having a good time. Chaos. Big mess. So much fun.

Our community here is beautiful. We are blessed.

Some friends brought cards and presents and I opened a few last night. Humbled by their generosity and kind and generous words to me. I am loved so much more than I could ever deserve. I woke up this morning wondering who I could now bless because I am filled to the brim.

Thankful.

Love,

Sarah

Saturday Easy Listening

2011-05-28T04:49:00.000-07:00

Just some easy listening for your Saturday morning. Hope yours is as lovely as mine has been.

Fleet Foxes, one of my new loves. They are really helpful with my writing and studying. LOVE.

This song came on my run yesterday morning, and then I played it again this morning running. SUCH a great anthem for our ministry in Ocean View and for your world too.

A Prayer for Unity

2011-05-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

A Prayer for Unity

art source

In word and deed,

in loving and caring, in sharing and compassion,

in participation and confrontation;

Lord, speak your word to us all,

give us ears to listen

and willingness to be involved with and for one another

and a spirit of obedience.

A prayer from a multi-racial group in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Taken from: With All God’s People: The New Ecumenical Prayer Cycle

(World Council of Churches Publications, 1989)

Go and sin no more...

2011-05-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

Another incredible night with my Ocean View women last night. Casey asked last week, "Do you ever NOT have an amazing night with your women?" I don't. It's always amazing. Guess who doesn't get the credit for that - ME. They show up and are just expectant and loving and open and real. It's beautiful. Last night we went through the beginning of John 8 where Jesus meets the woman caught in adultery, changes the whole scene inviting those who are perfect to persecute her, and then when they are left alone in the dust tells her to go and sin no more (notes below). I think this is one of the most profound teaching moments of Jesus' ministry because there is no clearer picture of the forgiveness and compassion of God than this incident. It lights up my mind and burns in my heart at the scandalous love of Jesus that also reaches out to me and to you. God is incredible. As a group of women we were humbled by this story and cried and shared together one again. I pray we can take in this captivating love for ourselves and see others not with judgement but with compassion and forgiveness. Only through the power of God.

Lots of love,
Sarah

Or this link.

Coming Up Next

2011-05-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was having some 'quiet time' pretending to do work but instead watching tv while Kiers was out with Granny, and there was a knock at the door interrupting my quiet bliss. It was my OV Methodist church friends Pam and Morne. They rock my world. They are this incredible couple who I have asked to pray about becoming youth lead through this cool training by an organization called J-Life that trains leaders for Africa all over the continent. So they have been praying FOREVER about jumping in with us! They have 3 kids, very busy, very committed, I KNEW they really wanted to say no.

But last night they broke my rest to tell me YES! They feel called to jump on board with the youth, be trained, and see where God takes them! They actually already have TONS of vision and just huge expectation and excitement for what is ahead!

Best birthday present EVER!

source

I feel like this is a present to me because God has given me His eyes to see this couple. They have been through a lot, many challenges, many hardships, but they continue to grow and learn and are hungry for more of God. They have so much potential and I think they are going to be a light in leading the next generation of our church.

Humbling. Beautiful. Exciting.

This is why I do ALL of this, to see new people step up into leadership, into the unknown, into their calling, and take a journey with me that I know will be beautiful. I am pumped.

Love

sarah

YAY Happy Anniversary dinner to us

2011-05-26T04:43:00.000-07:00

Aren't we cute?

2011-05-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

source

Nine Crazy Years Later...

2011-05-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

source

Nine years ago on this day, two kids exchanged vows and looked towards the future with hope, vision, and excitment. I cannot believe that those two kids on that day have turned into the Prince couple that exists today.

On that day we vowed so much, and in the last nine years we have fought hard to love one another, understand each other, grow, change, and accept. At times we probably were hanging by a few threads, but luckily one of those was God.

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. -Ecclesiastes 4:12

Today we are better and stronger than we have ever been. We love each other and really, really like each other. We are a team and a force. And we have a blast.

We are blessed and today we celebrate.

Gang Life

2011-05-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

We saw an unbelievable documentary this weekend. It's a BBC show called 'Ross Kemp on Gangs' and this guy goes around the world to study the gang culture and life - pretty intense, right??

Intense doesn't even begin to cover it. This show was an incredible and unimaginable look into the Poolsmoor Prison that is 30 minutes from our home. DEFINITELY people are there from Ocean View. In prison gangs run and rule. We learned so much we never wanted to know, but it's a harsh reality to South Africa these days that can't be ignored. People are desperate to make a living and belong and so they turn to the family of gangs; one day finding themselves drowning in drugs and violence. The clip below was the most haunting, of one of the gang leaders named John Mongrel.

WARNING: explicit and harsh content

We are thankful that the gang culture isn't too big in Ocean View, but it definitely exists. Ultimately after watching the video my heart was even more ignited for this country and those that are lost and falling between the cracks. God is real and He CAN save. I believe it. We are seeing it.

The journey continues and we will see so many more come into the light.

More info on this show episode:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8c1_1188753669

Love,
Sarah

North Carolina Love

2011-05-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

We have some friends from North Carolina visiting this week - hollar! The incredible twins Christine and Allison Gamble are coming to Cape Town to hang out with the Princes'. They were a part of our youth ministry in Raleigh and we are very close to their family. Christine (on left in picture) on here for two days on her way to Zambia to do mission work for the summer and Allison (right in pic) comes on Thursday with a friend Doug to spend a month in Ocean View and help our ministries. So fun! We love these girls are a PUMPED to have them with us!

Love,
sarah

Forever Young

2011-05-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Thinking today about the Ocean View youth. Another fun night with them.

Wanted to share pics from LAST Friday night, when we took our youth took Hillsong Church.

Casey and Kiers with Reece and Ivanna and our missionary friends Marc and Katie

All of us after a fun night

Hollar at my girls!!

Worship time for Hillsong youth. EPIC.

ME speaking at youth! I was so honored to be asked to speak at Hillsong for their youth service and it was a wonderful night. The kids are SO EXCITED to hear about Jesus - it's a privilege to minister there!

Here are my notes from the talk that night:

Love,
sarah

NEW VIDEO!

2011-05-20T05:38:00.001-07:00

Go to the Ubuntu blog at www.ubuntusports.blogspot.com to see the NEW VIDEO for Ubuntu's ministry. It is AWESOME!!

Communion in my Community

2011-05-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 'communion' actually comes from the word 'community?' When the first church celebrated the Lord's Supper, they did so within a meal and sat around a table, sharing the 'body' and 'blood' of Christ with one another. There is a poignant beauty in this, in remembering and receiving from Jesus at the table with one another.

We decided to bring this back last night at my women's group.

We learned last night from John 6 about the Eucharist and what Jesus meant when he told us to 'eat of his flesh and drink his blood.' Super intense thoughts, but Jesus was taking it REALLY seriously by inviting us to take Him in to every part of us. He wants HIS LIFE to flow through our veins, and guts, and hearts. A beautiful thing.

We shared communion last night by passing it around and serving one another. It began a bit awkward, with some giggles, but ended in tears and holy silence. Just beautiful.

God showed up and my ladies DEFINITELY showed up. I am honored to serve with and to them.

Check my notes from my teaching time below.

Love,

Sarah

Daddy Daughter Bond

2011-05-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

Kieren and Casey have a close bond, but it doesn't come from the normal father - daughter activities.

WARNING - watch at your own risk!

Ocean View Women Pray in Masiphumelele Township

2011-05-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

This video shows a WOW moment in my time with the women of Ocean View this year. We gathered last week to go to the nearby Masiphumelele township to pray with women who were affected by the huge fires there that left over 5000 homeless. We had an incredibly poingant and moving time of prayer and song with them and I feel so proud of my women for stepping out of their comfort zones to love others! God is at work!

Enjoy!

Sarah

Reaching Out

2011-05-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

(This blog was posted last week, but erased by Blogger and only now restored. Enjoy again!)

Tonight was a WOW night.

Last week a horrific fire happened in Masiphumelele township that destroyed over 500 shacks and displaced about 5000 people. It was devastating and our entire city rallied around this poor community.

Churches and community leaders came together and have helped to rebuild much of the homes, as well as supply the people with food, clothes, and other necessities.

It's over a week later, and I wanted our women to respond, but what could WE do to help, especially since now so much has already been done and many homes are up again like those in the picture below?

We decided we could do what we do best: LOVE WOMEN. So we went this evening with my friend Tricia who are working in this township and helping to rebuild, to encourage and pray with some of the women she is working with.

My ladies were not totally up for an evening stroll in the dangerous Masiphumelele township, but I learned tonight they MAJORLY trust me and we went together. We parked in the middle of some homes, and followed some people back through a maze of shacks. Finally we found ourselves in the home of a young woman with a six year old physically disabled son, who spends every moment in a crib. People began to fill the room; they just kept coming to see what was going on. The mothers shared about their lives, their kids, the fire. We learned that the home was the center of a new home church where the surrounding families meet and study God's word together. Beautiful. So we just started praying, and then we sang, and then more prayers, and then singing, and then praying. It was all in candlelight, as they don't even have electricity. It was beautiful. We were united. It was holy ground.

Seriously, people from Ocean View NEVER go to Masiphumelele. Granny Jacoba said it was her SECOND time ever there. My women just stepped in and loved those women so well. And we ended the night just how we end our View meetings; we hugged. Everyone hugged everyone.

It was a piece of heaven right among us in that shack.

Love

sarah

Picture from www.accidents.co.za

Anniversary

2011-05-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

One year ago our lives completely changed and we will never be the same.

It was May 17, 2010, and in preparing for a women's meeting, Kieren grabbed a cup of hot tea and accidentally poured it all over her face, neck, and chest. That night her condition was critical, but she made it through and was in the care of the Red Cross Children's Hospital for five days.

We honestly didn't know if she would make it through that first day, and each day following was a fight moment by moment. We surrendered ourselves to God in a way we had never experienced before, and watched Him slowly heal Kieren more and more each day.

Read the entire story in the newsletter we created below:

We kept walking through each day, with a very traumatized and hurting Kieren, but each day she got stronger and we all began to heal. As a family we cried out to God for His mercy and He loved us in an intimate and real way through the incredible ordeal.

Today it has been ONE YEAR since her burn accident, and honestly, we are full of praise and thankfulness on this day.

This was the day God became raw and real and deeply faithful to our family. This was the day where we were taken to our utmost limits and found God's presence with us every second of the journey. This was the day when Kieren's physical body was burnt and the scars will remain to always mark what took place. This was the day that linked us forever with families and children who have experienced life-threatening accidents or have scars or deformities.

One year later, this IS the day Kieren is full of joy and love and NO FEAR. This IS the day where we have a testimony of God bringing us through the fire and pain. This IS the day where we are full of love for our God who, even through the pain, loves us more than we could ever deserve.

Tonight I am reminded of the Hillsong worship song "Desert Song." I sung this song out of my guts during this month a year ago, and it will permanently be written on my heart. I echo its words as I will always BRING PRAISE because God is my victory and He has shown us that He is ALWAYS with us.

Thank you for your deep love and support over this past year as we have watched Kieren heal. We celebrate with you and thank God that He brought you all into our lives to share in this beautiful story.

Love,

Sarah

2011-05-17T08:32:00.001-07:00

GREAT Ubuntu Sports Blog - DON'T MISS!

2011-05-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

Check out Casey's recent Ubuntu blog at www.ubuntusports.blogspot.com.

Save the Date for our event in RALEIGH July 14th!

2011-05-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Cuteness

2011-05-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

Serious. She is just cuteness personified.

This picture was taken after a girl brunch with some of my favorite ladies here and Kiers. She was so good the whole time and just hung out because she LOVES these friends. Sweet.

Great Saturday, great weekend.

Lots of naps and rests and time in our peaceful home. It was just great.

Kieren is the most hilarious person ever right now by the way. And the sweetest.

Every night in bed we ask her, "who do you want to pray for?" Then she gives a list, "Kyle, Vano, Keegan... Jensen's mommy and Jensen's daddy (our great friends Julie and Karl)...Treswill and Cindy...and Stacy....and Steven and Charmaine....and granny and Lita...."

It goes on for a while. SWEET.

Love my life,

Sarah

OV Youth Chaos

2011-05-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

This is what youth looks like at our house on a Friday night. It is CHAOS. Good times :)

Miami Meets Ocean View

2011-05-14T05:12:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Miami meets Ocean View

While we were on our REST at Mosaic Farm, we met a wonderful family from Miami, Florida who are traveling the WORLD for a year. They took their three beautiful kids out of school and have been all over - and we met them at Mosaic! They are lovely and so we invited them to come visit our 'hood while they were in Cape Town.

Our sweet girls Roxie, Meagan, and Jadine were hanging at the house and totally bonded with the Americans. They taught each other Spanish and Afrikaans and other fun games.

LOVE.

Have I told you before that we love visitors? We DO. Come.

Love

sarah

Little Letters

2011-05-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Just some thoughts for today

Dear Ocean View,
I love you so much. I am so glad we are friends. Thanks for letting the Prince family be all up in your bizness and for letting us pretend we are coloured. We know we aren't but we so love thinking we are in our hearts. I think you grow more beautiful every day.

Dear Kieren's big-girl bed,
You are my new best friend. Thank you for making Kieren happy and helping her to sleep SO WELL I love your green big-girl sheets and being able to lay next to her. I love that she loves to jump on you and run into you. I just love you.

Dear Diet Coke,
This week I learned that you are toxic. Like not "duh, of course you are 'good' for me" toxic but in a "whoa you could totally cause me a stroke, peel off my teeth, kill me" sort of toxic. I am bummed. This article was NOT good for our relationship. I think we have to break up. You know we have had a long, long and intimate relationship. But I must find a new, less toxic vice. The only alternative in Ocean View is crystal meth, or 'tick' as they call it, so I am going to keep looking. Oh I am so sad.

With love,
Sarah

Book Review- Enchantment

2011-05-10T03:50:00.000-07:00

I just finished "Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions" by Guy Kawasaki and thought it excellent. The book is inspiring, practical, and helpful in thinking through how you present your cause to people, how you work with and interact with them, and then how you get them to believe in and join your cause. This could be your business, non-profit, idea, family relationship, anything.
With Ubuntu Sports Outreach, and specifically the Ubuntu Football Academy, being in its infancy stage still we are constantly looking to 'enchant' people so that they want to do all they can to help us succeed. This gave me some good ideas and also reinforced many of the ways we operate.
I would encourage you to read this if you lead, sell, grow, distribute, or market anything! If you have a big idea and want help getting it out there, read this. If your boss doesn't realize how great you are, read this.
Overall grade: A

Casey

New Normal

2011-05-10T02:38:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what universe we are living in, but last week we certainly stepped into a new one. On Thursday night I got a phone call from Ntokozo asking if she and Minky (cousin) could come to youth on Friday night at our house and then SPEND THE NIGHT! And then she said to tell Kieren good-night (she didn't SPEAK to Kieren the last month she lived in our home). I was like 'ummm, okay!' What? What planet are we on?? So the girls came over on Friday and stayed much of the day Saturday and we had a great time! They were polite, helpful, although a bit quiet. We were all a bit quiet - but mostly me - thinking WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING? So I am thinking this is our new normal, as on Sunday Notkozo called me to wish me happy Mother's Day! Huh? I will take it and feel that I ready. Not ready to call her brown daughter, or move her back in, or have an intense conversation, but I am ready for her to come back and start out NEW relationship. I feel good about it, and I really just let myself work through ALL my feelings last week before my surprise call on Thursday. My Stephen Minister (lay ministry in USA, I speak with someone monthly to help me process the chaos!) helped me to see on Wednesday that I really was grieving; and that is really where all my feelings were. I was seriously going through the five stages and I feel like I had lost a dream and a daughter. I'm on the way back though and really feeling much better. Still on a journey, but it's moving. And looking forward to this new normal and our relationship with Ntokozo and Minky. I think we are a safe place and a growing place - but now she can call the shots of when and her speed. I can do that, and I hope she can too.

When I hung up the phone after our conversation on Thursday my FIRST thought was - wow everyone has REALLY been praying! You have - keep it coming - God is doing MIRACLES! You never know what life has planned, but we can KNOW that God is in it all.

Lots of love,

Sarah

Buds

2011-05-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Kieren has been playing with a new buddy lately, one our neighbors, a girl named Roseka.

Roseka comes running down the street when we drive in and loves playing with Kieren. She is probably about 10 years old and full of laughter and joy.

Picture below is me TRYING to take a picture but they were laughing and jumping around. Classic.

I especially love this friendship because it's not one I would have chosen for her. Actually, Roseka has been coming around our home the past year and a half, but Kieren is the one who just now invites her in all the time. At first I thought Roseka was just a bit awkward or pushy, but then I learned she goes to the local handicapped center for school. I am beginning to understand why she is so needy for attention and why she often ends up alone without the other kids. I am not sure about the family, but I don't think it's the most awesome situation. I often see her at night on the street playing with kids in her bathrobe and slippers.

And I didn't want to let her in, but Kieren did. Kieren loves her. Hugs her when she comes in. They laugh and play and are so cute. Kieren is teaching me about true love. Kieren is teaching us about opening our home to a beautiful girl who just wants to be loved. Kieren loves without noticing what everyone else sees. It's beautiful. Very humbling.

I love that they are buds. I hope that Kieren keeps loving people so graciously and boldly. And I really hope I can learn to do the same.

Love

Sarah

School Thoughts....

2011-05-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

So I am taking a class online these days through Fuller Theological Seminary called 'Poverty and Development.' It's kicking my butt in all kinds of ways, but just overall teaching me SO MUCH. Development is a huge topic and obviously something we care about living in the community of Ocean View. We want to see people's lives transform and develop so they can be all God longs for them to be. This doesn't happen through magic or even just love - it takes major vision and wisdom. I thought I would just share some of my thoughts from this week. Enjoy!

Love,

Sarah

Question:

Reflecting on Walking with the Poor, by Bryant Myers, what aspect of development practitioner presents the biggest challenge to yourself? What disciplines might help you improve in this area?

Meditating on the principles needed for a holistic development practitioner, the concept that has challenged me to my core was introduced by Myers through Melba Maggay's "dance of death." Myers writes about this, "Self-emptying is the only way to genuine incarnation...Technical power can come from good training and good experience. Spiritual power comes only this harder way" (161). WOW (I wrote in the margins). How terrifying and humbling. I sometimes recognize myself as a 'task-oriented' person who loves to make goals and check them all off the list. But the deepest and most important part of our discipleship is total surrender and death of our own will. In ministry, it can be so easy for me to make about the things I want to do and see accomplished rather than laying it all down for Christ. I often still want the same Messiah the Jews were looking for: a regal and powerful leader. I want to follow that Christ. I recognize in myself a reluctance to follow the humiliated, shamed, lonely, and rejected Christ. But there is only one Christ to follow. There is only one way. In my context of Ocean View, this means surrendering my schedule and time and personal goals of ministry. I have to get into the flow of what God is doing in this community through MANY people working together, and submit myself to the ways this community works and relates to one another. I must sacrifice for the families I love and even the ones I don't love. I must put them before myself; think of them as better than my family. Only then will I begin to see Christ truly alive in my ministry and development. Challenging stuff this wee

Loaves and Fishes

2011-05-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight was another meeting with my View ladies. Oh my GOSH I love these ladies. They rock my world. We shared a great time in God's word together learning about John 6 and the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. So great and profound; who knew? Check out my notes below. Then we gathered in prayer, and one of our lovely ladies had a major request for her family and their financial situation that is dire and stressful. She broke down and the floodgates opened. For all of us. We gathered around her and prayed a mighty prayer of belief for breakthrough in her life. More tears. It was so great. It was beautiful. And this is my life; seeing the Kingdom of God break through in people's hearts all the time. As my hand was on her, hearing another one of my friends prayed, I just thought, "I am so blessed,"

Good night,
Sarah

Read notes at the link here, or read below.

If I quit my day job

2011-05-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

If I quit my day job, I would become a dentist. Not kidding. I have an odd affection for all things dental hygiene and teeth related. So strange. I use to be terrified of the dentist because of a traumatic teeth-pulling episode in elementary school. But then I got thrown into the medical/dental mission at my church Grace Community back in the diz-ay because the trip always pulled in crazy medical professionals. And there in the midst of these crazies I found my passion. Well I first just love people, especially strong-willing, independent, know-what-they-want-but-BREAK-over-Jesus people, but I also fell in love with dentistry.

On one mission trip in Mexico they actually talked me in to pulling a woman's tooth. It was TRAUMA for everyone involved, including the patient. Yeah. But I did it. So BAM.

Anyways, some of my dentist friends have been bugging me (or I have been bugging them, can't remember now) to put together a dental trip to the Mother-land hosted at the Prince home. What could be better? My hood with my crazy dentist friends walking around?!?

Finally am starting to do some research to see if it's even possible with Living Hope (they also want to bring some dentists over) AND needed to take Ntokozo to see the dentist. SO finally got to go to the ONE dentist in Ocean View this week - Doctor Sonday. Hollar at my new boy! He is so cool, and down to earth, and really smart and competent, and CHOSE to move back to the View after leaving to go to school. So much respect for him. We'll see what evolves with a trip, but I am definitely excited about MY upcoming visit for a cleaning to my new main man. Going to the dentist in Ocean View; how GREAT is that? That might even get you to finally get on a plane and come over here, right?

Hope stuff develops, hope some peeps come over to do dentistry here, hope we can teach and help the people in this community with dental hygiene, hope I never have to pull another tooth.

Love,
Sarah

Chapel Time

2011-05-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

Today I was asked to preach at the weekly chapel service at Cornerstone Institute. It happened to be the last gathering of the students with the study abroad group who had been taking classes among them from America. Every time I am at Cornerstone I fall more in love with the community. They are just amazing, authentic, and hungry for growth and learning. And today I got to preach to them and share some insights from living in my 'hood. It was GREAT. So thankful, just SO thankful.

Read my notes below or open there here.

Love,
Sarah

Family Time!

2011-05-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday we decided to regroup as a new family of three, and have some time together.

We went out for pancakes and waffles (something SPECIAL and RARE here!)

I wonder where she gets her faces....

Hanging with friends for a birthday party at the 'Scratch Patch' where we collected rocks

Happy family and a GREAT weekend together :)

Saying Goodbye

2011-05-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday came and went. Our home is eerily quiet and my heart is a mix of emotions. Ntokozo was SO unhappy living here and I knew it was time for her to leave. I still can't even really express what happened - not that I can't talk about it, it's just that I don't understand it. But really, I think it comes down to that she just wasn't ready for it. Wasn't ready for all of us. So that is okay. But saying goodbye was NOT something I was looking forward to.

She packed up all her stuff, and spent the day hanging here with her cousin Minky. Minky is also an orphan and lives also with their aunt and uncle in Kommetjie (down the road). It's a house with some problems (where we took Ntokozo out of when she moved here) but Minky seems to be doing fine there; only showing how she had a much more emotionally stable and encouraging background growing up. We have gotten to spend a great deal of time with Minky over the past months and even watched her commit her life to Jesus Christ at Hillsong Church one night. We love her and have kidded with her over the past weeks that she could always switch with Ntokozo and come here. :)

So we drove them back to Kometjie. I just couldn't believe we were going back with all her stuff. I still can't believe it. We unloaded all the stuff, and Ntokozo was noticeably happy. Then Minky came up to me as everyone was inside, hugged me and said, "I just want to thank you for all you've done." I was stunned and replied they were both so welcome and we will continue to be in their lives. Then Ntokozo came up and Casey and I both made her hug us and say goodbye (awkward/forced/blah), and then I see Minky. She is crying HARD. I come up to her and hug her again and she says, "I just can't believe it's ending like this." WOW. I tell her it's not ending and we are always here for them and will see them all the time. But wow. How beautiful and telling of what she has seen. I was so moved.

And so we got in the car and drove away. It was quiet. Sad. But peaceful. I know we have done all we can. It's time to have a peaceful and happy home again. It's time to stop battling with a very hurt girl and trying to force her into something she isn't ready for. And it's time to surrender it all to a God who loves her WAY more than we ever could.

I just never thought it would end like this. Praying....

Love,
Sarah

Our Own Freedom Fighters

2011-05-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

This past week Friday rolled around like usual (our normal night for youth at OV Methodist), but we decided to do something a bit different. I threw out the idea of a movie night and then we found the 2007 movie 'Freedom Writers' in our movie collection. Little did I know how inspiring and relevant it would be for our kids.

The movie is set in the early 1990's in Los Angeles just after the Rodney King riots. An idealistic young white woman goes to teach at an inner-city school with big dreams to change lives. She finds herself in a freshman English class with students who couldn't care less about their time in the classroom. She finally gets through to them by challenging their own racism and violence teaching them that it's just history repeating itself. She connects their story to the Holocaust, takes them to a Holocaust museum, has them read the Diary of Anne Frank, and they even get Miep Gies, the woman who hid Anne Frank's family, to come and speak to their class. The kids are inspired, and they write their own stories, and they grow and evolve as they go along on a new journey together. It's an incredible TRUE story, and beyond the sappy movie I thought it would be.

Most of our youth had seen the movie before, but it was STRIKING to watch it with them. They are LIVING the struggles the actors are playing on the screen. As the kids in the movie begin to write, they share their stories of pain and abuse.

One girl named 'Brandy' writes, " In every war, there is an enemy. I watched my mother being hlaf-beaten to death, and watched as bloodand tears streamed down her face. I felt useless and scared, and furious at the same time. I can still feel the sting of the belt on my back and my legs. One time he couldn't pay the rent. That night he stopped us on the street and pointed to the concrete. He said, "pick a spot."

And this is an exhange between the teacher and one of the students named 'Eva,'

Eva: White people wanting respect like they deserve it for free.

Erin Gruwell: I'm a teacher, it doesn't matter what color I am.

Eva: It's all about color, it's about people deciding what you deserve, about people wanting what they don't deserve. About whites thinking they own this world no matter what, you see, I hate white people.

Erin Gruwell: You hate me? You don't even know me.

Eva: I know what you can do. I saw white cops shoot my friend in the back for reaching into his pocket, his pocket! I saw white cops come into my house and take my father away for no REASON except they feel like it! Except because they can! And they can, because they're white. So I HATE white people on sight!

This is a CHARGED movie, and it was wonderful to watch it with our youth. It ends with inspiration and hope. Just the ending I want to see with our Ocean View youth. It reminds me that these kids do have incredible stories to tell, and they are courageous and choosing to come to church, even though it's the last thing most of their peers would do. They are my heros already.

Miep Gies says to the students, "but even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room."

It's so true and so possible. I am thankful for more hope.

Hillary Swank with the REAL Freedom Writers

Love,
Sarah

Just Jesus

2011-04-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a murky day, but I just kept pushing myself through it. Part of it was that I didn't want to be home because Ntokozo was here (I know that sounds bad), but she won't speak to me and it's just sad for me to be at home. So it was the extra push I needed to actually prepare for my women's bible study on Thursday. We are working through John, so our next passage was exactly what I needed. It's in John 5 when Jesus finally just begins to teach on WHO He is and His equality with the Father God. This is theology, and it's thick and intense. But as Beth Moore says, "Our theology forms our reality." So it's important. I was great for me to just teach on Jesus; JUST JESUS. It's not always about us, actually it never really is; it's all about Jesus. So I taught this lesson below and then we went around in a circle and shared all the places in our life where we needed Jesus. The places where we needed Jesus to break through in all His power and glory and love. I got to share my crap and so did everyone else. It was messy and BEAUTIFUL. We were all raw and blessed. Jesus was there. JUST JESUS. I love this life.

Check out the notes at this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1tHXJs8q5hUMLBIAuG0bhHC46ApfyZ46M24lkY8LKxlw or read below.

Love,
Sarah

Love Anyway

2011-04-29T01:22:00.000-07:00

This week is just insane. I knew it would be hard, but my little heart is feeling especially weak under all this pressure. The hours pass by so slowly because I am just heartbroken. I keep replaying all our days with Ntokozo trying to figure out where it went wrong. I am confused. I am hurt. I am so sad for her. I remember one time early in our journey with her when Casey said that if we got to the end of this and she didn't choose a great life, he would be really upset. I told him it wasn't up to us. But we were talking about university, like what if she didn't try hard enough to go to university or to get a good job. I just never thought it would end like this. I have no idea how it's going to go on; it's all murky. I can only hope at this point that she will allow us in her lives so we can love her, but I don't even know. Tonight is her last night with us, and her cousin Minky will come spend the night, and we will have a youth event of watching a movie together. This day seems long. And then on top of all of it, I was talking to one of my leaders at OV Methodist and she started asking me strange questions to only finally get out of her that people in our church are talking bad about me and suscpicious of me. I know it's only a small group and can probably guess who, but it's just so hurtful. All I have come to do is love and serve these people. I am not perfect but I do not have a known agenda. I just want to love. Maybe I need to examine things a bit more, but it's just painful. I always say, "hurt people will hurt people." But it's much easier to say that when I'm trying to comfort someone else and not myself.

But then I woke up this morning and allowed God's mercies to wash over me afresh. I am far from perfect and on the journey too. And in the midst of all this pain and judgement, trying to throw it back only feels dirty. So I want to choose love instead. I can't come from me, but from a deep, DEEP place within me where only God can be, I feel something rising. I am just going to walk with my head held high and love.

God reminded me of HIS love and how, "We love because he first loved us." (-1 John 4:19). I am loved. I have nothing to hide, and I carry no shame. I am not condemnded even though I am not perfect. I am loved. So I take that love and give it to others.

It reminded me of this quote from Mother Teresa:

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

Even in the midst of the darkness, all I can do is love anyway. I don't say all this to sound super-spiritual, but just to say that from the depths of hurt and betrayal, God is there and He can create something new out of those ashes. I wouldn't believe it unless I was experiencing it myself.

I will love anyway.

Love,
Sarah

Dinner with Friends

2011-04-28T02:47:00.000-07:00

I follow the blog of a guy named Brad Lomenick, he's the director of Catalyst Conferences. Last week he posed the question, "If you could invite 7 living people to dinner, whom you have never met, who would they be?"
It caused some fun discussion with Sarah during our holiday, so I thought I would share my list.
1. Nelson Mandela (it seems cliche', but dude is amazing. Just saw "Invictus" again the other night and was amazed by him all over again.)
2. Dean Smith (my posed picture from basketball camp at 11 years old doesn't count as meeting him.)
3. Sir Alex Ferguson (the greatest manager of the greatest football club in the world. I would learn so much in one dinner.)
4. Louie Giglio (it's possible I shook his hand once when living in West Palm, but I don't remember it, so it probably didn't happen.)
5. Kasey Keller (my favorite goalie ever, he has a nice first name, though it's spelled wrong, and has inspired the name of our son if we ever have one.)
6. Tina Fey (she's hilarious and will keep us laughing.)
7. Jimmy Fallon (he's here to make sure that Tina is on her A game!)

In case any of the above can't attend:
Alec Baldwin (he replaces Jimmy), Carrie Underwood (she could still be invited to provide entertainment), Justin Timberlake (he could host, provide entertainment, cook the food, what CAN'T the dude do?), Tim Howard (he's Keller's sub)

I think that's enough for my list. Who would be at your Dinner for 8? Share your list in the comments section!

Casey

Life is Changing

2011-04-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

Well once again I have a heart full of feelings and not sure how to express it all. Going away last week was refreshing and renewing, but things with Ntokozo only worsened. It's bad in so many ways, and I don't even want to go into the details. However, while we were away, the clouds parted and it became clear that our time with her was finished. It was killing me and not at all helping her either. So today we got together with her family and the head of the ministry we are working with, laid out all that is happening now, and asked Ntokozo to tell us what she wanted at this point. She said she wanted to move back home with her family. We talked some more, and made a plan to move her this weekend. I am a mix of emotions, but mostly just sad. I have total peace, no regret, and no guilt. We did all we could but she isn't ready at this point to move toward healing and wholeness. That is the VERY short version of it, but we need major prayers over here. My insides feel like they are in a knot. Not sure what the coming days are going to look like.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7

This scripture has been filling my mind and heart and grounding me in a peace that I have never experienced. I know God is sovereign and I trust that He will continue to weave Himself through Ntokozo's life even when she won't open up to Him or anyone else.

Brokenhearted but full of hope,
Sarah

Book Review- Poke the Box

2011-04-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

This morning I finished "Poke the Box" by Seth Godin. I actually got the book for free on my Kindle because I'm part of Godin's Domino Project. (I would really encourage you to join the project so that you can get amazing content from Seth and other authors).
The book really challenges people to get out and start stuff. To initiate. To stop waiting for permission and just do it! If you have any good, great, or potentially bad ideas, read this, because it will give you the confidence and guts to go for it. Even if you fail!!
I was quite encouraged because our venture to start the Ubuntu Football Academy feels like a 'poke the box' moment. Our success isn't guaranteed. Nobody has agreed to sponsor us for millions of dollars for the next 20 years. The players could all up and quit. But we decided to not allow the questions & "what ifs" to stop us from persuing it. We actually believed that we had to get started with what was in our hand (think Moses and his staff in Exodus or the boy with his loaves & fish in the Gospels) and that God would start moving. Over time, the resources we need, and the boys' success would follow.
I'm really proud of us for starting. But it doesn't stop now. Each meeting we go to is a poking moment. Each person we ask to sponsor us is a chance to poke. Each new way we try to reach the boys is another chance to fail, but we must try.
What's the great idea you've been sitting on? Who are you waiting on to give you permission? Here it is, GO, START, TRY! And if you need some more, read "Poke the Box." It's short (less than 100 pages), easy to read, and inspiring.
Overall grade: A

Casey

Book Review- Submerge

2011-04-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

Sarah already read this book and reviewed it about a month back, but I finished it about a week or so ago. Here is her detailed review:
http://caseyandsarahafrica.blogspot.com/2011/03/book-review-by-sarah.html
I just wanted to reiterate what a fantastic book it is. If you have any interest in living missionally or wonder why we have decided to live in Ocean View, this book articulates it so well. It was encouraging, challenging, and inspiring.
Check it out, for real!

Casey

Easter Praises!

2011-04-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an Easter! We are still recovering from a FULL day of celebrating with so many people we love on this Easter Sunday. As Casey and I prayed last night before going to sleep, we both just were in awe of the community God has given us here; truly they are family. Most people think it's CRAZY that we have two church families (we do too!), but it is compltely ordained that God would bring us into two different, diverse, and unique churches. We started the morning with Ocean View Methodist and had a lovely time with our View family. LOVE. MY. CHURCH. Kyle preached an incredible sermon about how "the King has one more move" and we should ALWAYS hold out hope for God STILL to work because of the ressurection of Jesus Christ. Shook me! Then we traveled all the way in town for Hillsong Church Easter celebration and it was just perfectly beautiful. So in love with this church family too and privileged to see God at work there! THEN headed back to the South for a huge braii (BBQ) with a bunch of friends! WOW, such a lovely time with our 'family' here - we really have incredible friends. They are fun. And make yummy food. :) Quick rest and then out to Ocean View Baptist for a big youth event called Xtreme Xplosion with about 250 pumped up View peeps. It was a worship and hip-hop event - just crazy and fun. So cool. It was great to take a bunch of our youth there and see them just in awe of a crazy awesome church - and right here in Ocean View. We love this community and how more and more it feels like home. We love that we are so loved and supported here. We love celebrating a RISEN Christ with these people and seeing that power at work more and more each day.

Happy Easter everyone!
Sarah

Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

2011-04-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Seriously. So great. Perfect for this day when grace is changing EVERYTHING.

Sarah

A Response to an Atheist

2011-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted an article by Ricky Gervais entitled "Why I'm an Excellent Christian"
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/04/14/an-easter-message-from-ricky-gervais-why-im-an-excellent-christian/
For me, the article was thought provoking and challenging.

Then this week, a thoughtful Christian response by Mike Cosper:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/04/20/despicable-christians-unspeakable-grace-a-response-to-ricky-gervais/

One of my favorite pieces of it is this:

In his abundant mercy, God looks upon the broken, the downtrodden, those crushed by the burdens of Satan, sin, and death, and provides scandalous mercy in Jesus Christ. That’s the starting place of the gospel, and the starting place of any conversation about what it means to be a Christian. Ricky Gervais looks at the Scriptures and sees only law, not grace, and responds with appeals to legal obedience.

There are critiques to Christianity, and on this beautiful and celebratory Easter Sunday, we should listen to all those who are outside of our party and thoughtfully enter into their conversation. It is time.

Love,
Sarah

Kieren and Likhona

2011-04-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Kieren and her buddy Likhona. He is helping her to learn how to ride her bicycle, but the fun quickly turns to tears...

Kieren NOT kicking the ball

2011-04-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Our yard on a typical afternoon. Lots of boys playing soccer. On this day we took our Kieren's soccer ball, but she refused to kick it and then just told everyone it was 'mine.' Okay...

Normal afternoon at the Prince home in OV

2011-04-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

This is what our home is like many afternoons in the View. Love it.

Kieren and Her Buds

2011-04-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is Kieren with a couple of her best buddies, Bailey and Lakhona Senekal. They are watching a cool South African video called 'Jungle Beat' and giving me some thoughts. I LOVE these kiddos.

My Cape Town - Iscream and Chocolate Stix

2011-04-22T03:06:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to entice you guys to come visit us! We live in an amazing city, but Ocean View is the best part!! This video will inspire you and make your head bob a bit!

-Casey

Kieren Playing in the Yard

2011-04-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

OMG. Video of Kiers last week playing soccer in the yard.

Where we are staying there is unlimited internet. Get ready for many more videos...