God's Movement

A Sacred Moment; Beautiful and Painful were the two words that came to mind as I reflected on my time with the Courageous in Christ youth this past weekend. One of our girls lost her mother. The funeral was Friday night. The youth leaders led the following Saturday's youth program.

The youth leaders had the girl, Phumzile, sit in the middle as the rest of us circled around her. They sang over Phumzile and then prayed for her. We started a second song with tears welling up in almost everyone's eyes. Ten of the girls lost it, grabbed one another and started crying. Nosmilo entered the circle and just put her arm around Phumzile. It was terribly painful and yet God was there healing hearts. So many of our youth have lost one or both parents. They shared Phumzile's pain, they sang hope over her, they felt the deep pain she was feeling and they wrapped their arms around her. It was a beautiful and it was terrible. God was there, he brought peace, he showed me that hope, love and healing will win. The youth have suffered much but now they are able to minister such deep love to one another. This is the body of Christ, this reflects God's purpose for the body...

Been Thinking...

Lately I have had some time to think and take life in. It has been good. Slowing down has reminded me of the faithfulness of God. I've been a bit sick the past 6 weeks as has a bunch of the Children's Cup staff. Two weeks ago I got on a Mountain Bike and I headed out to Mlilwane Nature Reserve. I found an amazing spot to ride on the crest between three mountain peaks. It is far removed from the rest of the park where people, cars and even animals congregate. God spoke to me, he spoke to the deep parts of me. God reminded me that indeed He, God...Creator...Maker, loves me deeply. I've been praying for the past 10 months that God would wake up my heart. That I'd live fully alive. Something broke that day on the mountain. Yeah I've been on and off sick the last two weeks but a heaviness is gone. Life seems to contain such possibility again. I am awake to the Glory of God that truly does fill the earth.

I don't want to play Christianity, I don't want to play church...I don't want to just survive, I don't want to live fearfully (oh and without knowing it we are all living in some kind of fear that holds us back)...I want ZOE!! Yeah that's not some hot and awesome girl that I've found. ZOE in Greek stands for Life, Life as God has life...full life, joyful, on mission, you know that thing Thoreau talked about, the marrow...yeah that's what I am after.

to be continued...

A Wrap Up Video of Go Global in Africa

HPC African Mission '09 Recap from Paul Charbonnet on Vimeo.

Inside of Me

God’s been opening up my heart recently. He has shown me my need for people. I think as a young man one receives many messages both obvious and subtle telling you that you need to stand on your own two feet and that asking for help is weak. In my head I knew that this was contrary to the Word of God but I still lived in fear and pride…standing as a lone ranger.

Through sickness, reading the living word and recognizing my own limitations God has been slowly working this out of me. Truth be told, no one has it all together all of the time. I need God but the truth is that a lot of the time God works through people. To be God’s instrument of reaching is fine but to be loved by God through others has traditionally been unnerving to me. It’s to admit weakness, need, dependence…on God but more troubling on others is difficult. It’s healthy though, it’s being real about ourselves and our situation.

Kb made an interesting comment the other day. He said, “eish, you Americans do not know how to receive a gift. Immediately when or right after receiving the gift you go out or begin to plan to buy a gift for the person who gave you the gift. You treat gifts like a transaction; you need to learn to simply receive.” Yeah, so I have lots to learn, I need to learn that when God is reaching out to me I can just receive. I can admit need and let him through friends, family and strangers fill that need. Lots to learn…

Pastor’s Conference

- one of the pastors on an outreach

My thoughts…May 27th & 28th we held a Pastor’s Conference. Over 300 church leaders from over 100 churches came out to the two day conference. It was amazing to see the response and hunger of the Pastors in Southern Africa. Go Global sent over teams of people to help pull off the first ever Go Global Southern Africa Pastor’s Conference. Anyways that’s the context, here are my thoughts…

Amazing, beyond what we could think of 4 years ago. I stood with Nathie Hlatshwayo at the back of a room as over 300 church leaders admitted weakness, cried out repentance, sang out true worship to the Most High. We started in a little office with a couple CarePoints. How did this come about…it’s beyond us. I stood with Nathie half crying and half smiling. My mind was filled with thoughts of how faithful the Lord is, how he will work out things for the good of those who love him. My heart was filled with joy and sadness as I admitted that this was beyond what I really believed God for…he was faithful where I often lose faith.

Ok. Context again; Nathie and I were some of the first guys to work with Children’s Cup. Nathie and I shared a small backroom office with no windows and an overloaded desk. It felt like an old garage that need to be cleaned out for some time. Anyways…Cup entered Swaziland 5 years ago. Ben worked zealously and then Nathie, Daran and I joined him. We worked hard to get the local church involved. Then we lost hope, we stopped praying, we stopped trying to involve the local church. A lot has happened and then this year God put it on our hearts again to reach out to the local church…

Over 100 churches represented, the leaders learning about serving then heading out to actually practice it in communities, cities, homesteads and CarePoints. We had sort of given up on the church getting involved. We had sort of written off the local church. But God, But God!!!! Wow, it is true that in our own strength nothing of consequence can truly happen…but with God the impossible, the impossible is possible. Nathie and I stood in silence, tears sliding down our faces, smiles curving upwards and joy welling in our hearts as we watched our God at work.

Hey People

So...the last month and a half have been crazy. The truth is that God has been at work in a great way. Right now my Mom's visiting and the Sister In-Law (Colleen) was here...check out this pic:


Updates coming....