Early decision at Mayfair.

I didn't know what to expect from the church where we'd be serving.  When we first arrived at Mayfair Baptist Church in Johannesburg, at first glance, it was much more modern than I imagined.  It didn't take long to see evidence of a shinier past, and I remembered Kyle telling us about how originally, the church congregation had consisted of primarily white, affluent South Africans.  When apartheid was abolished (in the 1990's!), the black community moved in, and a massive Squatter Camp was quickly erected just down the road.  The Whites moved out and Willie had a choice to make: Follow his congregation (and the money) to a safer part of town, or minister to the overwhelming need of the impoverished, somewhat uncivilized black community now knocking on his church doors.  Willie decided to stay.  This was his church, and these were now his people.  Since then, the highly under-resourced church and its ministries gained a whole new focus.

In typical American-fashion, my mind immediately thought about how cheap it would be to "fix up" the lobby, etc.  I started thinking about how I could raise funds for certain repairs they obviously needed.  I even considered taking pics of certain areas of disrepair... to go with my new 'plan' I had already started subconsciously brewing to communicate this "need" back home.

I noticed a bulletin board on the wall of the foyer with pictures of the previous Grace Point missionaries who had lived there.  I saw Ryan, and Kyle, and Stefani, and Tiffany and several Short-term Mission teams with familiar faces.  It was clear that the people of Mayfair see us as partners the same way we see them as partners.  I didn't really understand the long-term mission partner model until I saw this billboard.  The congregation began to arrive, hours before the service, one van-load at a time.  The same vans that tightly seated 14 Americans, were unloading 20-25 Africans, ready for church.  As soon as they unloaded, they went to collect another group.  The two vans made eight trips that morning.  As they got out, they warmly welcomed Kyle and clearly loved him and had missed him.  All of a sudden Kyle busted out a South African accent while talking to them and I laughed inside.  (It was like when Jeff talks to Indian people and immediately takes on their accent.)  Little did I know, I'd soon find myself talking the same way.

We were there with Jeff R. and Kristin C., Grace Pointers who had been on a previous trip and as the Mayfair church members saw them, they were greeted by name, with tight hugs and loving handshakes.  I was immediately thinking, "Wow, this bond was made in a ten-day trip?  I mean, that was at least a year ago!"  I wondered, "Will they know ME like this before I leave at the end of my 10-day stay?  Was this what Kyle meant when he described the Africans as a "relational" people?"  I realized it would only happen if I opened my heart to let them in.
 
So right then and there, in those first moments in the church, I decided I would do just that.  I'd let them in.  I'd let them teach me.  I'd let go of trying to control the situation and trying to control my emotions, and let go of expectations, and just go with it... and let the Spirit lead.  What a relief.  I stopped thinking about what I had to offer them, or what they could learn from me, because it was soon very clear: For the next ten days, I would most definitely be the student.