The Road, a Guitar and a Slingshot

When my brother, Peter, and I were in elementary school, I came home and found that Peter and his friends had bought slingshots. It was large, had a metal frame, a long yellow rubber tube and an arm rest. I remember being in awe at the arms rest. It looked like something out of the future compared the fashioned wood into a Y-Shaped contraption that so many boys have made in heir backyard. In class, my index, ring finger and a regular rubber-band did the trick. We could make those paper clips fly.
This week I'm preparing to take a road trip to Worcester, South Africa. Worcester is home to one of the many famous vineyards in South Africa. It is also home to the largest YWAM base in South Africa and I think Africa. I've been accepted to attend a leadership course, for young leaders, called Slingshot (www.slingshot21.com). YWAM holds this leadership course once year and this year it's being hosted by YWAM Worcester (110 km from Capetown). Slingshot is derived from the principles of King David's life; that a single person can change/impact the course of history. There will be lots of big named YWAMers there, teaching on different aspects of leadership. This wasn't something that I originally gravitated too, but after getting a recommendation from South Africa's National Director during the YWAM Southern Africa Staff Conference, talking it over with my friends and leaders here at YWAM Kruger, and a nagging thought in my head/heart, I could not doubt that the Lord wanted me there.
So I am leaving Thursday morning, with my friend Benjamin, to drive 18-20 hours to Worcester. I'll be there for three weeks in which I'll be staying off campus at a friend's house. They're YWAMers and they own a home next to the YWAM Worcester base. The kingdom is truly one of relationships and I'm very excited for what else the Father has for me there.
So I ask for prayer in travels (no tire blowouts) and a sensitivity to the Spirit's leading with whom I meet.

Ok here are some pics from the Soccer Day.

A Ball and a Field.

It was a typical scene in Africa. A cold cloudy morning that hovered over a large, dirt field called Victory Field. There were children gathered around the each goal post, kicking, running, laughing, enjoying one of their most favorite past times past down form generation to generation. There were also the children sitting on the sides of the field, singing, laughing and playing games with each other. Excitement filled the air, much like moisture awaiting the first drops of rain of a down pour. Though the rain held-off, the two communities at play, Hillsview and Mbonsweni, were ready to decide who had the better football (soccer) players, which community would take home the victory, bragging rights, the victory songs and most of all the pride of winning. Unlike a typical scene in Africa, many communities don't have many chances to play each other mainly due to the cost of transport, let alone uniforms. But today, a ball and a field, Victory field, became the place of collision for this rare occasion. At the end of the day, a winner would be decided.
Among the many scenes I encountered at this Ten Thousand Homes/Peace Corps related partnership, such as countless smiles, team chants, shootouts, great dribbling, scoring, quickness of youth, determination to win, boys being boys, girls teasing and flirting, thinking that fitting 15 children in my car was its max and then the next transport run I fit 5 more, one of the most powerful thoughts had to do with my car. During the YWAM Southern Africa Staff Conference, the idea of Cross-Cutlural Communication and doing it well, had a phrase to sum it all up. The phrase was this, "having room at the table for others." Opening of ones heart, life and ultimately culture to another's. As Christ has given us a seat at the banqueting table, it's a place of belonging, a place of acceptance, a place called home. It's were one lays down his/her rights for their neighbor, so that sacrifice brings renewal and strength to others. It's called selflessness. It's called love. Today as the children were waiting to be taken to this momentous day of pride and display of skill and as they were waiting to be taken back home to revel in victory, joy and rest, it wasn't a table that struck me so much. It was a car. As you looked into their eyes, waiting for you to wave your hands to come, as you opened the door, their eyes spoke this, "Do you have space in your car for me, will you take me with you?"
We at Ten Thousand Homes invite you all to come and see these eyes. To give space for you to see and respond, to let them in your life, to help in bringing them home. This invitation goes out to anyone and everyone. We are fighting an orphan crisis that's ravaging the world, creating broken homes, broken dreams and a broken people by the millions. So come on and hang with us. Hang with them. It'll change your life, now that's a promise. We love for friends to come and do this together. Shoot me an email at davidsong@tenthousandhomes.org and lets start the dialog.

"Love is never a wasted deposit" - Rob Morris

MZANSI FO SHO! (South Africa for sure!)

The 2008 YWAM Southern Africa Staff Conference was a hit! From great food (we can thank Trisch, Trudy, YWAM Minnesota, and so many more), to great lectures on Cross-Cultural Communication(Sarah Lanier, you rock!), times of hanging out and good ole fun; we experienced it all with our YWAM family. Living this life for the Father, we become to understand what His original design for mankind was and is. For those that have visited us before, here's the original design for the pool.



We had over 270 people, from over 15 countries represented at the the staff conference. From Cameroon to Germany, YWAM is truly a multi-cultural mission. Since we didn't have building facilities to house everyone, we did the next best, tents! In the two pictures below is a snippet of what we called Tent City! Oh and there were over 100 tents pitched.





Jeremy and I had the honor to help usher in the presence of God through music. With the other worship leaders, the Father moved among us with excitement, honesty and sheer love for Him who gave it all. We had a blast!



In retrospect, it was an honor to serve the servants. Having met many YWAMers that are native to Africa, I experienced a moment that I first encountered last year, when we all first moved here. It was something I almost missed, something that was subtle, yet so powerful. Again, at the conference, talking to these African brothers and sisters, I realized it again...that I was in the midst of Saints. They've chosen a life of sacrifice, no matter what the cost, to live out strong in their quiet devotion to the Lord. On a continent that does not uplift these few, these missionaries, to serve their land, their God, they still continue to give and give and give. My hats off to all these great men and women. It was an honor to get to know some of you; laughing, singing, praying, eating, a slight glance, a smile, a nod hello, a warm greeting, a gentle hug...you guys are my heroes. Thank you for welcoming us foreigners onto your land and into your hearts.

A View Out of the Matrix...Sanity

Well, It's been a week since I've last updated on my blog. My apologies. With the the increased momentum in weekly blog updating, I didn't calculate the large ship of the conference busyness into the weekly update formula. It all came to a screeching halt...for those who know hospitality on a large scale, we served almost 300 people, mostly in tents, with power outages, re-filling drinkable water every 5 hours and bathroom/plumbing issues for the 250 plus guests; serving these men and women who sacrifice so much (some who've given up more than I'll ever know) was tiring, but an honor. On top of this running around, there was leaving grace and space to engage in our guests and some God appointed relationships. I was reminded that it's not a Westerner's "fast ball" when mixing "getting the job done" and engaging in relationships. Good thing the Father is perfect at guiding and leading this thing called life to places of relationships and tasks. Was a good lesson.

Well enough banter about the conference. I'm compiling some conference photos for next week's update. This week's late issue is about a moment on my holiday. Some friends and I spent two nights in the Kruger National Park. We went as far south as possible, stayed a night and then drove as far north as we could (driving 200 miles at 30 mph). We were on the road for 7 hours. On one of our stops, we visited a lookout point in the north. It was located up on a cliff looking out onto a north west section of the Kruger. As I sat there, from the sheer silence on men and the things men have made (instruments of more noise), all you could hear was a slight wind. All you could feel was the heat of the day. All you could see was...possibility, mystery, fear and love. It was that day's window out of the rat race we call the Matrix; the hustle and bustle of task, of a life rhythm that brings no life. This view showed me what was real, what was meant to be. I felt so close, I felt so small, minuscule and yet so important, welcomed and accepted. Like looking into right into those eyes...and an overwhelming peace that started from my head and trickled down to the ends of my toe-nails. I felt like I was home.