Jennifer and I hugging at the 20 year reunion party.

This past weekend a friend of mine from high school, Jennifer Schoolfield, was killed in a tragic car accident. Her truck that she was driving veered off a gravel road and when it came back onto the road it rolled over, throwing her from the vehicle. She was instantly killed. I had not seen Jennifer in twenty years but recently began speaking to her on Facebook and then saw her for the first time at a 20 year reunion party a couple of weeks ago. She greeted me with a long and warm embrace, like we were the closest of friends, even though we really weren’t. To be honest, I hardly knew her, but I could see she was deeply hurting as she told me about a recent difficult divorce.

But now her pain is over.

She knew Jesus and now she is with Him in Heaven.

As I reflect on this, I once again realize how fleeting our lives are. We waste so much time on selfish things that have no lasting value. How many people are around me that are deeply hurting and I can’t see it because I’m so focused on myself and worried about all my own problems. Lord forgive me for not seeing the brokenness in the people right in front of me. I want to love like you love, without selfish intent. Open my eyes, that I may see those around me who are in need of a tender word or a warm embrace. Strengthen my feeble arms and my weak knees that I might lift my hand to help someone else in need. Give me courage to reach out beyond where I am comfortable. Give me a deeper passion and fire within my heart for the broken and lost soul.

My prayer is that through Jennifer’s physical death, the spiritually lost and dead will find eternal life in Christ Jesus, that they may join her in Heaven one day. There are many who are seeking an answer to their loss and pain, may they find it in Him alone.

Jason and Cara Mitchell in Southern Africa.

Bottom line-we are at war. No matter how hard we try we can’t escape this fact. And if we view our lives outside the context of bloody battle, nothing is going to ever make sense. It will cause us to ask questions like these in great wonder, “Why do bad things happen to good people? Why are there starving children in the world? Why is life just so dang hard?” Because we are in a world at war.

Yes, Jesus is coming and all will be restored. But not yet, not yet. That’s just not where we are in the story right now. It’s not the time to be seeking our own comfort and safety. That’s for another time.

Now we fight.

And we all have a role to play in this Great Story. It’s a story of an epic battle taking place between good and evil and even though we know how the story ends, we still have a part to play in the meantime. And if we fail to play our part, lives will be lost.

Some will play their part valiantly, giving all they have. Some will be taken out by a relentless enemy. And then some will run. Most of us, including me, will do all three. But we can’t ever give up, there’s just too much on the line. What we are defending is worth fighting for.

Our lives and all that we love and all that we are seeking and building that is good is under attack. It is simply a rule of warfare. All that is good will always be attacked. Simply look at any empty field, most of what you see growing there are weeds. A field of corn will never grow there unless someone plants it. Weeds are automatic. Anything that is good and fruitful must be planted and tended but if it is ever left alone, even for a season, the weeds will take it over. Just like our lives, everything that is good must be protected, defended and fought for.

As Cara and I head back to Africa, we head to the front lines of the battle. There is great suffering where we are going but we go to plant good things and to fight for what is already good there. We go to bring the beautiful love of Jesus to the broken and the wounded and we go to bring the fierce strength of Jesus to protect and defend the defenseless.

Join us.

Stand beside us in the field or stand behind us with your support. All our lives were meant to be a part of something big and beautiful and life changing. Don’t miss that for you. Together, we can change lives, restore hope and rescue the perishing.

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” -Albert Pine

 The event attracted mostly new faces and raised more than $4500 for Africa Revolution’s various projects through live and silent auctions, merchandise and private donations.

 Thanks to everyone who attended the event and especially to Caleb Berry, Nicole Erickson and Emily Parker who co-chaired the event.

 We hope you’ll join us in the summer of 2011!

Click through sideshow to see all the pictures

It’s Ayoba (a word used to describe the wonder of the World Cup) time in South Africa and people are gearing up for the biggest event on the planet. It’s going to be epic. I get to go to the opening game on the 11th as a gift from my cousins Craig and Marcia, for officiating their wedding in April.

Well, we are nearing the end of our time here in South Africa for this trip. We wanted to share with you all about what God has been calling us to. Where to start?? We are feeling a renewed focus on how we are to be making disciples and how we are to come alongside the church. While much of our work is focused on community care and development we are seeking to be more strategic about the discipleship aspect in every area of ministry. Caring for widows, how do we disciple them towards God? Working with orphans, how do we move them forward in their relationship with the Father? The how part is a very exciting challenge to me indeed.
I was invited to preach at the Powerhouse church in the Mamelodi Township, on missions or more specifically; the important role Africans must play in the Great Commission. Side note: everyone came dressed in their World Cup soccer gear and the Vuvuzellas were at full throttle in the church. 4hrs of church later I thought I was going deaf! But it was exciting to share and as I shared I found myself more passionate than ever about equipping and sending African men and women to the nations. I know God is inviting us to play an important role in empowering and equipping young men and women. With Jason and Cara, Annie and I got to spend some good time with Floyd McClung in Cape Town, discussing what this needs to look like. Step by step as we send Vision Year volunteers and as we invest in the lives of promising young people God will lead us in the role He has for us to play.

Pray for:
1. The needs of the ministry to be met so we can push forward with the ripe opportunities coming our way.
2. Pray for wisdom as we digest the truths Floyd shared with us and the many next steps to take in setting up the Vision Year program to incorporate African young people.
3. Passionate hearts to join us in this work. This is not a one two or three man show. We need all sorts of gifts and abilities at the table to bring this vision to fruition. Anyone know an administrator wanting to come on board?

Again, what could we do without the support of our favorite friends and family!? Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
Blessings,
Follow close, follow hard
Allan, Annie and Judah Ben Hur

p.s. Judah’s pic of the month is the last pic in the sideshow above.

p.s.s Below is a video of Gogo Masindi praying for Judah when we visited her home.  So precious!

So where have we been?

We’ve been in southern Africa…

Bringing food to the hungry widow...

Preaching the Gospel to the Lost Sheep in the township...

Loving the orphaned children...

Building a baby rescue home...

Building friendships...

Building trust...

Laughing a little...

And loving a lot.

And where are we going?

Well, we are going deeper. Deeper into the work of the Kingdom and deeper into the heart of God. And we have discovered that the less there is of us, the more there is of Christ working in us. So to go deeper, we are learning how to die, so that we may live. Dying to our own comforts, our own freedoms, dying to our material things, dying to positional power, and dying to the applaud and reverence of man.

We have returned to America for a brief sabbatical with just a little bit of apprehension. So much has changed in us over the last year, precious and delicate changes that could easily be lost. We have been broken and humbled and have come to deeply love the African people. And we have once lived and know the seductive power and the subtlety of materialism, comfort, and apathy. So we pray, Lord, keep us in our humility, no matter where we go.

We will soon be returning to southern Africa to continue where we left off. The needs and the opportunities to serve the King abound. We pray that you might be a part of this great work in some way.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

Click through sideshow to see all the pictures

We traveled to Bulembu, Swaziland where our teammates and co-workers in the Gospel have been rooted. Jason, Cara and their son Nick took good care of us and it was awesome to see the work God has laid before them. We got to spend great time with the orphan children. Such cool kids! I got to play volleyball with the older guys and hang out with them in their home a few times. I can see God raising up these Godly young men, to be leaders who love Him and want to serve Him. What an opportunity we have to be a part of that. It was neat to see the mentoring role Jason has in their lives and in general to see how the whole community has embraced them as a family.

Our desire to have a Vision Year volunteer team in Bulembu is fast becoming a reality. We have to rehab and fit out an old house for our next team. What a privilege they will have to be part of God’s redemption of precious orphan children to be the next leaders of their nation. The vision too of having African volunteers as role models has struck a chord, and we are excited to be setting that up in our remaining time here.

Pray for:

1. Our time with Jason and Cara, we have a meeting with Floyd McClung in Cape Town next week. His life and ministry have been very influential on us. We highly recommend his book “You See Bones, I See an Army”. His call to really do what Jesus calls us to;  make disciples, and get rid of all the other junk that distracts, resonates deeply with us all.

2. Our time with the Powerhouse Church and old friends here in Mamelodi. Pray that our time be meaningful as we see how our partnership projects are progressing and see where God is leading us into the future.

3. God has been directing us to focus on how we holistically make discipleship. We look forward to our time with Jason and Cara as we talk, dream and imagine together what this will look like for our lives and ministry.

Thank you our dear friends for believing in this work and in the working out of this vision that God has for His Kingdom here in Africa.

p.s. Judah’s pic of the month is the last pic in the sideshow above.

“Planting churches among unengaged and unreached people groups really means engaging in holistic discipleship. To start simple churches without caring deeply about people’s whole lives is pretty superficial, and to be engaged in transformation of people’s social and economic circumstances without leading them to faith in Christ and gathering them in new communities of faith, is to not care about their eternal salvation and spiritual growth.”
- Floyd McClung

On a more personal note. April started off with my close cousin’s wedding in beautiful Cape Town. My preaching skills were put to the test when 20 mins before the start of the wedding while all the guest were seated, the pastor called to say he was not going to make it. I was called to officiate and preach and it all turned out beautifully. God is gracious in moments like that where He gives us words to say that honor Him. As a thank you for stepping up Craig and Marcia gifted me with a ticket to the opening game of the World Cup!! HELLO SOMEBODY!!!

April was also our 3rd anniversary! I know that’s nothing for some of you 30+ years married folks, but for Annie & me it’s hard to believe it’s been 3 years already.

Judah has travelled really well. He has loved meeting new family and they have really loved on him in every way. He has been sick twice, which I believe was harder for Annie than for him. She’s such a loving mom and I am so proud of how she has blossomed in this new role.

Pray for:

1. We are checking in on many of our projects and making sure they remain sustainable, effective and are bareing Kingdom fruit. Much wisdom is needed as we advance the Life House and grow the Skills Development Center. The web-design co-op (pictured above) is finding it’s feet and making some impressive headway.
2. Our travels to Swaziland next month. Pray too that we are able to encourage Jason and Cara in their new set up. We look to establish a Vision Year volunteer’s site in Swaziland.
3. Conflict we have had with our previous landlord and their current tenant . Both owe AR significant monies but are avoiding and making excuses. It stirs up my sense of injustice and I struggle with the “how to exhibit” Christ like forgiveness and Christ like conflict resolution.

As always, thank you for your prayers, support and kind words.  Please shoot us a quick email to let us know how you are doing and how we can be praying for you and yours.

follow close, follow hard.

“An individual gospel without a social gospel is a soul without a body, and a social gospel without an individual gospel is a body without a soul; One is a ghost and the other a corpse.”

- E Stanley Jones (Missionary to India)

Some of the most curious and common questions we often get, are about South African cuisine. So we thought it high time we post some pics of the interesting foods we partake of while we are there.  The foods vary from the diverse cultures within the country but just like everywhere else, meal time is a beautiful part of those cultures, reflecting the people and their passion and is always, always a big deal! *This image gallery is dedicated to all the foodies out there… especially you Rachael Dagani.

So we leave for Africa in less than a week. We have much to get done before that time but things seem to be getting done somehow. We spent a weekend in Chicago with the AR board and presented to them in a not-so-brief-meeting “Where we have come from, where we are and where we are going” look at the ministry. One thing struck us all; our incredible need to depend on the Lord for the great things we are attempting with Him in His name.  So pray accordingly for us as we spend the next few months in Africa.

Pray for:

1. Our journey, that it may be a smooth 18hr plane ride with baby Judah. Nervous!
2. Pray for wisdom as we lay the foundation and structures for our indigenous African internship. Pray too for final stages of set up at the Life House in Mamelodi.
3. Pray that there be rich fellowship and joy as we spend time with friends and family, (especially my family seeing Judah for the first time). Pray that we bring peace and God’s light into people’s lives we come across.

Just goofing around between meals and sleeps. Its a hard life for a kid.

As always we are grateful for you our friends and supporters whom care so well for us as we stumble around after the Lord. It is a great honor that He invites us into establishing His Kingdom in the hearts and lives of people.

Oh and here is our Judah pic of the month. He’s a growing lad!

Follow close, follow hard.

Allan, Annie and the stinky baby

Last Words-

“Discipleship without obedience is like Christianity without Christ.”

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Jesus calls us to a place of our deepest joy.

Since we’ve moved to Africa there have been plenty of difficulties and challenges along the way. But the enemy opposes this kind of thing. So we expected that. We knew things would get tough. So there were no surprises there.

The surprise has been in the joy.

Reaching down to embrace an orphaned child in your arms as they gleefully reach for you is something that makes your heart skip a beat I think. Knowing there may not be another hug for them for a while, it does something to you.

To sit beside a lonely abandoned child and wipe away their tears reaches deep into your soul and touches something there. You can’t leave that moment unchanged.

There is no sacrifice to be here. I wouldn’t be anywhere else. My heart is overflowing, like it never has, I never knew it could be like this.

“The place where God calls you, is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”
-Frederich Buechner

The Chicago Marathon this year will be on Sunday, October 10th, 2010. Pastor Jonas Masotla, our friend and ministry partner, is excited to be coming over from South Africa and running in the race. Pastor Jonas invites you to run with him and be part of this Africa Revolution team. He is a funny guy and promises to make you laugh right across the finish line… if you can keep up with him! While we are putting a team together, this is an unofficial team that is not running to raise funds, so there’s no sponsorship or anything like that involved. It’s more like an informal group of friends who share a common love for Africa… and we need a group of people to lead Pastor Jonas through the city so he doesn’t get lost. To find out more, email us at info@africarevolution.org

Or to sign up on the Chicago marathon site Click Here