Running Into the Darkness

The Lord has been so Faithful.

I see him move daily here. It has been so awesome being in the Holy land where Yeshuah walked, Swimming in the very same water he walked on. The Lord allured me into the desert and spoken tenderly to me. He has slain me with thirst.

I have fallen in love with the people everyday. Especially the Arabs, It has been so provoking being here, Ive already learned so much its hard to express in words, Today I went to the biggest Muslim orphanage--its also a mosque, it was very scary going in--but Heidi Baker once said--"Run into the Darkness!!!" who else will? and I prayed for those children, cheek to cheek. I loved them.

The lord has been Moving and shifting something in the spiritual atmosphere and everyone knows it.

Its not just about what denomination you are--charismatic, baptist, etc...who really cares about raising your hands and dancing in worship anymore?

People MUST wake up! and realize that there is something bigger going on, God has something bigger on his mind than we realize. he loves to move when we reach out of our comfort zone and give to the broken, love the unloved-rejected. Speak to the ones are the outcasts--and love the unsaved who are blinded by their own fear and brokenheartedness. This is how Yeshuah loves to move, when we break down the doors of apathy and fear.

That is Christ in me.

Nikkie Riley

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Nikkie Riley has been a part of our Metro Youth for a long time. She graduated last year from Blue Ridge Christian School and joined us on “Quest High Sierra 2006”. She is currently traveling the Middle East, spending time seeking the Lord and living out of her backpack!

Cote D'Ivoire

Rubbing elbows with some of the earth’s most precious people is always a privilege. And such is the case when I recently visited Abijan, Ivory Coast. Maria Little is one of Metro’s missionaries, a nurse by profession, and has started a medical clinic in Abijan. Through this clinic God has touched the lives of many people through healing with medicine, miracles, and sharing the Gospel. Maria spent 3 months living right in the middle of the slums where the Lord opened many doors for her to share the love of Christ. I met many Pastors and leaders there who though are the poorest of the poor radiate the love of Christ everywhere they go. They are indeed precious and it was indeed my privilege to hang out with and learn from them. Maria will be coming home for a 6 to 12 month stay to raise more support and tend to some personal matters. While she’s here please take time to get to know her.

Blessings – Randy Catlett
See Randy's pictures here.

Walking in the Light in South Africa

Our team met with several different groups within the Walk in the Light Ministry, one of which was a very lively group of ladies who meet once a week to knit. During one of our meetings with the knitting group, a teenage girl named Thandeka pulled me aside. She was very interested in learning more about AIDS because, as she explained to me, she is living with someone who is HIV-positive. I began to give Thandeka advice about how to care for this person, a girl named Mbali, and said that if Mbali was still sexually active, she should cease. At that point, Thandeka interrupted me: "I don't think you understand. Mbali is only 8 years old." Thandeka went on to explain that when Mbali was 4, she was gang raped by a group of men, at least one of whom was HIV-positive. The police have supposedly found the man responsible but have done nothing to bring him to justice.

To make matters worse, Mbali's mother abandoned her at 2 weeks and cannot be found. Because her birth mother is not acting as her guardian, the South African Department of Home Affairs will not issue Mbali's birth certificate. And without a birth certificate, Mbali cannot receive the ARV medication she needs to give her a longer and healthier life. As Thandeka and her aunt wept and begged me to do something to gain access to a birth certificate for Mbali, I realized that I had never felt more helpless in all my life. I was also filled with rage over the incredible injustices done to this innocent little girl.

I have been researching the AIDS pandemic for over a year now. I have friends who are living with AIDS. Even so, I am constantly amazed at how fighting the effects of AIDS in Africa is far from a simple matter. AIDS is deeply enmeshed with issues of culture, government, and family dynamics, among other things. I feel as if I am only beginning to see what a complex issue it truly is. And my prayer is that the two weeks we spent in Pietermaritzburg have somehow served to turn the tide in at least one person's life, if not an entire community. It is reassuring to know that Walk in the Light is committed to continuing this community-changing work every day.

-Allison Hennessey

Check out the South Africa Scrapbook