Like a Watered Garden

"If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:10-11.

Torstein and I have been staying on LongStreet in a couple of different hostels. LongStreet is like the strip in downtown Las Vegas, although on a small scale. It's mostly filled with young adults into the hardcore drinking and clubbing scene, street kids, homeless people, and potential muggers...It's not the safest place in Capetown, but it definitely has many opportunities to hang out, love on, and pray with the "down and out" people.

One of our favorite places to go nearby is the Company Gardens that is filled with all kinds of people: tourists, business people, couples, school kids on field trips, security guards, vendors, but mostly homeless people sleeping on the grass from being up all night. Tor and I usually go there to read or pray because it is really quiet and peaceful. Last week we came across a guy named Joe, an ex-drug addict who has been living on the streets for 3 years. He noticed we were Christians and came over to talk to us about what happens when we die. Apparently, some Johovah Witnesses had been arguing with him previously, and he refused to believe what they were saying, and he wanted our opinion. Though this encounter we learned much about his faith in God. He also told us that just the night before he had been stabbed on the street and robbed of the little personal items he had, including his Bible. A bit discouraged, but he explained to us the story of Job and how he believed God would restore everything to him (Job 42:10). He asked for our email addresses to stay in contact with us, but we were so touched by his faith that we promised him we would come back to visit him, eager to hear more about his story.

So over the next couple of days, God put it on our heart to get Joe a new Bible, a small burgundy one with a ribbon bookmark. We wrote Jeremiah 29:11 on the inside and that God's presence would always be with him. We found him sleeping in the gardens, and Bananee (an 11 year old street kid making his "living" begging on Longsteet at night, whom I will write about him next) woke him up for us. The look on his face was priceless...He was overjoyed by our company and the fulfillment of our promise. When we presented his gift to him, he had the hugest smile on his face. He said, "This is better than any amount of money. Lots of people talk shit, but you guys, wow...I knew God would give me everything back. I am going to take care of this and treasure this. " And he really, really meant it. We held hands with him, praying that God would provide a job, and the presence of God was sweet. It's moments like this that I live for.