April 28 update

Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa-

2 weeks in Africa and a culture shock or 3 later....I'm chilling here with my buddy Alvin. hanging out in the internet cafe and about to hit the street to pick up the kids to go surf. I've been working with Sonsurf, affiliated with Christian Surfers International, and work with the street kids. Every day at 3:30pm we go down to the beach and practice surfing. We exercise far more than just the physical bodies of the youth; we aim for the hearts. Every day we focus on reading the Word and promoting an understanding of the the scriptures.

There are soooo many believers here. There is a strong Christian presence. There are many churches and even bible colleges here too! It is so unlike the Basque country in that I meet so many believers in the street and in the surf shops. Even though there are many believers they lack maturity and need to continue to grow and get plugged into churches!

I'm also working among kids who are in great poverty. These little guys need to hear the Word and get into a church body, but many of the churches are tough for them to feel at home at. There are many rings that we as the church make poor people jump through....we've got to be careful to prepare a church environment that is for all people of all economic levels. I'm still exploring this.

Prayer points:
1- Mandy, the coordinator for Sonsurf and the street kid outreach. Pray for guidance and a broken spirit
2- The kids- pray that they would turn their lives to Christ, that their needs would be met, both physically and spiritually
3- Jean Marie- the guy from Rwanda is going to be helping with the kids and working with Mandy. He needs great encouragement and to continue to grow as a disciple

Pray knowing that the prayers of a righteous man are stinking powerful (somewhere in James).

Jonny

don't just teach them, give them a teacher

Project 72 is all about making disciples and having them join the Harvest and that can be played out in a lot of ways, but just recently a very pure and simple form has been manifested. Cape Town, South Africa is a wild place with a fantastic amount of diversity. Today I was on my way to a mall that has Gucci in it and I happened to pass a shanty town that spread over a couple square miles. The diversity stretches also into race and ethnic background, as I could go to a concert hall with several hundred whites and then ride the train home with only blacks. It's in this setting that I have been introduced to the needs of the street kids. These little guys are living in the shadows of the tourists and they've got it tough. In Muizenberg, a coastal part of Cape Town, there is a ministry that reaches out to the kids. Sonlife is a branch of Christian Surfers International and their aim is to take kids off the street and teach them to surf while showing them the truth of Jesus. It's a great idea and there are volunteers from all over the world coming to help out.

One such helper is Jean Marie. He's from Rwanda and is positioned to be helping with the ministry for a long time to come. So here I am, only going to be in town for a couple weeks, and I'm faced with some options. Yes, I could teach the street kids to surf and minister to them. That would be a great service, but imagine how much more beneficial it would be to the kids if I would give them a qualified leader? And so I begin to pour into Jean Marie. He needs to learn how to surf, he needs to see what it is working in a team, he's got a way to come when it comes to street evangelism. But in just a few short weeks he can become so much more equipped for the trails that lay ahead.

Let's get another one to join the harvest

La Industria

Atrevete luchar from Jon Wong on Vimeo.

For the past month I've been hanging out with the La Industria youth. They use their gifts of music and art to share Jesus. Another really cool facet of the ministry are these in-school programs which teach morals and open opportunities to build relationships.

Take a look at Saray's part in last week's program.


Other cool things that are happening: This is my last week in Spain and I'm looking forward to another trip through the Basque Country.

Prayer request: I'm looking for a chance to play some soccer in South Africa so pray that God would open a door to start practicing regularly with a team. Also pray for a community to work with, believers who are excited about reaching those around them.

Thanks for all the loving!

In Christ,

Jonny