Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 3/28/2012
I know this thank you blog comes months after
I have finished the World Race but I
am sincerely thank you for your prayer, love, and support. I know it was an irresponsible move on my
part, and I apologize for lack of communication in the recent months.
Soon after we arrived back on US soil from the World Race in mid-November, I found
myself unpacking my big pack and packing my suitcase for India. The time between my arrival and departure was
so narrow that I didn't have time to reminisce on the year. At the same time I fully understood that my
relationship with God did not end when the Race
ended. In fact, going into the Race I wanted to grow closer and go
deeper with the Lord. And I believe my
relationship with Him became stronger throughout the year. So, I knew my journey with the Lord was not a
one-year stint, it's a lifetime.
Experiences come and go, but my Lord is forever. And my relationship and journey with Him
continues.
Almost three weeks to the day I landed in the States, I was on
another plane around the world; same mission of doing Kingdom work. On Dec. 11th I was sitting on a
flight to India (I was there from Dec - through the month of February) to help my
family in ministry as they serve the Lord through an organization called India Rural Evangelical Fellowship (IREF). IREF
is a wholistic Christian organization dedicated to reaching the rural villages
of Andhra Pradesh, India, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through evangelism,
orphan care, and Christian education (along with other facets of promoting the
Gospel). As I continue to become more
involved in ministry and mission work, I ask that you would continue to pray
for me as I take on more responsibilities while serving India Rural Evangelical Fellowship with my family. Pray that I may grow into my role at IREF and that the Lord uses me for the
cause of His Kingdom.
Again I apologize for the tardiness of this blog and I sincerely
apologize for my lack of communication. I
Thank you again for your prayers and support on my World Race experience. I am
forever grateful for allowing me to share this World Race experience with you.
I sit here in awe wondering how to properly say thank you for keeping
tabs on me throughout the year. It was
super encouraging when people left comments on my blogs. I'm not the best writer, but I hope I was
able to give you some insight into what the Race
was like for me. I hope you were able to
see the world through my eyes; to see what the Lord was showing our squad and
what He was doing through us as well. I
am beyond blessed for the opportunity God gave me to be a vessel for His
Kingdom throughout the world. Thank
you.
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 11/14/2011
One extraordinary way God revealed Himself to me in
Australia was through His creation. Our
off-days were baller. However, it was
like I had blinders on. I realize now
that I missed soaking in God's artistry.
It clicked when we walked down to the beach one mile from our contact's
home to watch the sunset. The water was
warm, and the air was crisp and all we had to do was sit back and take it
in. Me, Steve, and Phil climbed up on
some rocks and just watched and waited till the bright, yellow sky slowly faded
into grey. I've seen a lot of sunsets in
my day and this one that easily sticks out in my mind. The sun had disappeared but I found myself
lost in the extravagance of God's work.
Like I said I've seen a pretty good amount of sunsets in various places,
but then there are those instances where nature just flat-out hits you; this
was one of those times. I stood there
more alive that entire month, but speechless.
What came out of my mouth were incomplete sentences...gibberish
really. My mind couldn't comprehend
something so astonishingly beautiful. I
was left with the question of why we hadn't gone to watch the sunset at the
beach every night.
Our last night in Australia, the 11 of us went out to
the beach one last time to watch a glorious sunset and it was nothing short of
that. We were watching perfection
transforming into perfection every second.
I thought our previous sunset was incredible...well it just got beat. The only way that it can be explained is
through pictures.
I guess I wanted to share that God's creation and nature
will always leave us in awe no matter what state-of-mind we are in. I know that from the month in Australia His artist nature is so far beyond my comprehension that I couldn't help but be
awe-struck by His inexplicable magnificence. It trumped any feeling of inadequacy,
unworthiness, or indifference. Maybe it
was God's way of telling me to get over myself...
 
 
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 11/14/2011
This month was our Man-istry Month. It was a month where all the eleven guys on
the squad did ministry together. No
girls -just the guys. You would think
that man-istry month would be all about male bonding. You know push-up contests, extreme
challenges...well you get the idea. But
this month was different. It was good to
just have men pour into each other. A
lot of times we talk about societal roles, but as men, Christian men, there
sometimes doesn't seem like there is much effort that goes into simply growing
each other. At least that's how it's
been on the Race. The guys on our squad
are tight, but there was a lack of unity.
This month was dedicated to understanding what it is to be a man, and
more importantly what it means to be a man of God. Plus, times like these don't come often,
where Christian men can be Christian men for a month; for the men on the squad
to do life with each other. The focus
was growth, to bring our struggles to the table and realize that we are not
alone. It was a focus on bringing our
struggles in a community of men, but also realizing that we are not alone in
our struggles, and figuring out a way to combat these things together.
The eleven of us piled into a van and were off to our
contacts' house in Darwin, Australia. They
had been praying that more men would help in their ministry. And the Lord provided. The Lord's timing is wonderful because that
very day Isobel's husband, David, was having a hernia operation. It was a time in which we could give Isobel
some help especially with the responsibility of the ministry shifting to Isobel. David and Isobel were missionaries to the Aboriginal
Community called the Bagot Community there in Darwin. They basically did anything and everything
they could for the Bagot Community. For
the past 10 years they have been working hard to the bone to see God's Kingdom come
to the Aboriginals they serve. The pace
was inconsistent and unpredictable. But
that's part of what made the month so great.
There was so set schedule. At
first I think our group had certain expectations of the way things were
supposed to be, but that was before we finally saw David and Isobel's heart and
stewardship.
Every Sunday we would put up church in the Bagot
Community. We all shared in the
responsibility of picking up folks outside of the Community, cleaning the
church before and after, setting up, passing out refreshments, leading worship
and sharing a testimony/ the sermon.
On Wednesday night we would meet at someone's house in the
Bagot Community for Bible Study. Like
Sunday we all shared in the responsibilities of that looked like. We sang songs, and a couple guys from our
team shared a testimony.
On Friday night we would host the kids from the Bagot
Community at the local pool (which was free).
Like usual a few of us would do pick-ups and the rest would set up for
the weekly event. We prepared about 120
sausages, peeled oranges, and cut up other vegetables for dinner. As soon as the kids got there they just
played around the park until dinner was ready.
Just before dinner we had a time of worship followed by a skit/
word. Again we were left walking away
with humility knowing David and Isobel do this every Friday. And like usual we were left depleted of any
energy for the rest of the night.
Even though there were eleven of us, it wore us out. It left us as a group in awe of how much work
David and Isobel do with limited help. Out
of all the months I've been on the Race, David and Isobel work the
hardest. I don't know how they work so
hard or why they've put so much work into the Bagot Community when it seems
like there is hardly any reward for their work.
One day we actually got to ask them that question with their answer
being, "If just one person accepts Christ, then it's worth it." At the end of the month, we were left walking
away humbled by David and Isobel's heart for the Bagot Community. It's so evident that they truly live on God's
strength.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 10/24/2011
Cambodia was tough for me.
It was probably the hardest month for me in terms of environment. Each time we went out into town I felt uneasiness. I couldn't help but wonder if every girl I
saw on the street was there to simply meet a quota. How did my mind get to this point where I was
asking myself if each girl was a helpless child silently crying for help? Each
girl I walked past in the street whether they were a working woman or not I
asked myself if this one might be caught in the sex-trafficking industry. It was nauseating. I knew something was not right because I felt
a spiritual calm when we would get back to our ministry site. The only thing I could think to do was pray;
so that's what I did. I think the last
time I felt such strong oppression was back in month two in February
-Nepal. Eight months ago!
Listening to presentations and guest speakers is different
than being in these countries they talk about.
It's a different mindset being here where the sex-trade is a cultural
norm. No longer are these distant
realities where I will have no concept of how these evils can actually take
place. Being in Cambodia has made me
realize that the sex-trafficking industry is more alive than I thought in those
presentations. It's more alive and
active in more ways than I can understand.
It penetrates the very core of Cambodian society and it is the
undercurrent of how most of the culture and society works (in various facets of
life). The enemy has such a strong hold
on this country you can feel it. You can
feel the oppression, the helplessness, the anger, the destruction in the
air. History does not help the cause for
justice either. Part of the reason why
this country is in shambles is because of the recovery it's had to make because
of the Khmer Rouge -a recovery that is still in the process. The aftermath of the Khmer Rouge left
Cambodia opened the door to unfortunate evil, and leaving it in desperate need
for Christ.
I had a conversation with Dave, one of the guys on the
squad, about the sex-trade and my feeling about it. I told him I couldn't nor would I ever be
able to understand it. In the midst of
my confusion I told him that I couldn't understand why men could be so
reckless, so heartless to another human being; the way they could dismantle a
girl's sense of being and dignity. In
Cambodian culture women are secondary to men in every way. But how could one devalue a human being so
far that even taking their life (as stated in Somaly Mam's book) is a passing
thought. How can men treat woman with such
unfairness? As Dave and I talked, he began
showing me another perspective. Men have
the need to be and feel loved. The have
a need and a want to feel special. And
unfortunately for some men, this is how that void is filled. The sex-trade is a cheap high for them. And while they yearn to love and be loved,
they get lost in the cycle of it. It
becomes a high that is easily attainable.
And then there are some men that are just plain sick...period.
One thing that Dave reminded me of was that there is a heavy
spiritual pull to all of it. Throughout
the last few weeks, I had been building up and animosity toward men and their
callous behavior toward women, but what I had forgotten was the spiritual side
of things. Maybe it was because I've
heard so much of the sex-trafficking industry from a humanistic point of view
that I forgot about how much the spiritual plays a role in it all. How was I blind to how tight the enemy has
his grip on Cambodia, the culture, the society, the sex-trade, etc.? The enemy has a HUGE foothold over both men
and women. How do we as a body of
believers break the bondage the enemy has over this damaged nation, and these
broken souls that long for peace, freedom and healing from the chains that has
held them captive.
Pray that God brings people who are burdened to see a new
generation hungry for hope, reconciliation, and more importantly the power of
Christ's love. Pray that God sends
people to Cambodia who are burdened with bringing justice to those whose battle
is seemingly unwinnable. Pray for both
perpetrators and victims of the sex-trade because God cares for them no
differently and wants their hearts. The
harvest is plenty, the workers are few.
There is a huge spiritual burden here in Cambodia and there is more than
enough room for the Holy Spirit to move!
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 10/24/2011
In the distance I knew that the sex-trade was thoroughly
alive. But it wasn't until I was in
Cambodia that I felt it...I actually felt it.
I've heard the stories. I've seen the presentations. I've read the articles. But man it's a different story being in the
midst of it. All of those guest
speakers, presentations, and articles weren't at arm's length anymore. I knew it the morning I woke up in the lobby
of our hotel in Siem Reap seeing a couple of prostitutes walking out. I knew it from the feeling I would get riding
around Phnom Penh. It was an unsettling
feeling I wrestled with everytime we went out.
After reading the book The Road of Lost Innocence by
Somaly Mam, I looked at Cambodia and the sex-trade in general differently. It's about a woman's struggle as a victim of
the sex-trade, her fortunate exit from it, and her selfless efforts to help
other women and girl escape it. She
hopes that her voice stands for the voices/ victims that are not heard. Story after story will leave you with
heartache; heartache for what actually goes on in this world. She takes you into the heart of the struggle
that so many girls (not just in Cambodia, but throughout the world) go through. Her boldness to tell her story directly sheds
light on such a dark area of life. Her
story will leave you with a heartache that depicts the countless stories of
those whose story will probably never be heard.
But she is the representation of what is and the change that can happen
if the eyes and ears of the world can see and hear what truly goes on in the
cracks of this broken world.
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 9/26/2011
The month started off with a 10 hour bus ride in from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Because I had not slept the two nights before leading up to our travel from South Africa to Thailand, my body was physically shut down. I practically slept the entire way to Chiang Mai...literally. The most I was awake for was about a half-hour. So we arrived in Bangkok in the morning of the 30th and then arrived in Chiang Mai that same evening (11pm). As it had worked out, we would be staying at the bus station the entire night. It's the World Race so this didn't surprise me the least knowing we would be staying/ sleeping at the bus station. Luckily there were 12 of us since two teams were working together for the month of August. I know you're probably asking how we fended for ourselves and maybe evening asking about food or even the bathroom. No worries...there was a Seven Eleven just across the parking lot. By the way there are SO MANY Seven Elevens in Thailand. It's the go-to store for all your shopping needs as a World Race. Because I had slept the entire bus ride to Chiang Mai, I thought it was only fair to stay awake to keep an eye on our surroundings and the rest of my teammates. Safety first right. Someone had to be the night guard. Was I successful? Yes...well, ok not totally. I fell asleep for 20 minutes.
The next day we were picked up by our contact and a house parent. On the rainy road we rode for about 15 minutes toward our ministry site. On top of fatigue was the incessant Thai rain and humidity. Thailand is presently in its rainy season so we can just in time for the rain, humidity, and the bugs. Complaining about the weather conditions aside, our ministry site was an organization set up to prevent girls from entering the sex-slave trade. Half of our time was spent constructing a building that house different teams throughout the year that come to serve this mission organization. Much of our time during the day was also spent clearing out a new piece of land that this ministry had just recently purchased. The hope with this new land is to open the ministry up to boys, house more girls, and start up a community center. The more people kids they can reach, the more hope there is that they will not enter the sex-trade. The other half of our time was spent getting to know the girls through games, music, or simply helping them with their homework.
As we were introduced to why the organization was established and what it meant for these girls to be at this particular ministry, I began to understand the hope that they live in each day. These girls have a hope that most don't have in Thailand. Because of one man's obedience to God's call and his desire to bring hope, has birthed a hope that allows girls to live in their innocence. One day after the girls had come back from school and finished their chores, I found myself lost in their smile and laughter. What flashed through my mind was the essence of the word innocence. What I mean is the way they play, the way they communicate, the way they live, etc. is still very child-like. This organization is very much focused provide these girls the ability to live out the process of growing up with an education, shelter, and a hope. Some girls in Thailand don't even have the ability to even breathe one breath of hope or innocence. How disturbing is that that some kids do not have the freedom to live a life of normalcy (at least what seems normal to you and I). But because of culture, lust, and greed (and more) the hope is lost in Thailand.
At the same time, the rest of our squad (4 teams) were located in Phuket doing bar ministry. Their mission was to try and get girls out of the bars into a place of safety and stability; a place that can plug women into a life of freedom. So while we were on the prevention side of the sex-trade, our friends on the squad were looking at the reality of the sex-trade in the face. Everything that we had heard, or learned about concerning the sex-trade became a reality. No longer was this culture at arms-length anymore. They were seeing it, living it, and warring against it everyday. If you check out some of the blogs from the squad you'll see how real this under-ground operation is and how the cycle of injustice runs deep due to the sex-trade. My squad-mates have stories that paint pictures of the injustices that women live out each day at the bars. Please if you get the chance check them out.
Thailand was a hard month for me with the underground activity that takes place here. It's a shame that a country is known for the abuse of women in my personal opinion, but that is how this country operates. Even as I write blogs about it, talk about it, read books about it my mind cannot nor will it ever comprehend the evil that takes place on a daily basis. As much as wickedness as there is, not all is lost. As hard as it may seem, there is hope. There is hope in organizations (like this one) and people that try and help these women and children everyday; the people that have made it their life mission to help victims of torture find a life of hope and redemption. There is hope because Christ's love transcends even the greatest perversions of this world.
For the sake of confidentiality and respect, I chose not to mention the name of the organization we served in Thailand.
Here are some pictures that my teammate, Steve Benson, took while we were there.
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 9/25/2011
Oh Mother Africa, how can I fully justify your beauty in a matter of a blog? How can I express the gratitude of three wonderful months there? We started our journey together a few years ago when we were introduced in Tanzania and by God's grace were we able to meet again for an extend amount of time this year. Like seeing an old friend you greeted me with open arms. You made me feel right at home. You allowed me to blend in after a couple months in Europe (I stood out quite noticeably), so for that I say thank you giving me the opportunity to integrate with people of color. Oh how I missed the feeling of walking around without notice. How I missed your hustle and bustle, your music, your atmosphere, basically your everything? Your character and charm is like none I have seen before. And your grace...your grace is unmatched. As it has been about a couple months since I left you I wanted you to know the pain and the peace I found during my stay.
I know it was the Lord who protected us every waking moment and every second of night while we were in Fontotje, Swaziland and Hope Rises. I don't know...the Lord did something amazing that month that cannot be fully explained. It's hard to even categorize it at all because of the variety and the depth we had with the people we partnered with, the culture, the community, etc. He clearly showed Himself to us in the month of May. It might not have been in the eye-opening, sea-parting way but it was through each day, each conversation, each hello, each wave to people on the street, each church service, each team-time, etc. And, I felt like the Hope Rises team ministered to us more than we did to them -Corine, Matt, Punu, Mcolisi, Bekhi, Revelation, Livi, Joyce, Nyomsa, and others. For our month to be so filled with joy is a God-thing...not a coincidence. But as I look back to Swaziland, it was one of my favorite months on the Race because of how strongly God's hand was over our teams and the ministry there.
In the middle of spiritual chaos and societal disorder, although the Lord reigned at Hope Rises I can't help but to think about how Swaziland is lost and a nation of hopelessness. The country is not a stable place by any means. The darkness of ritual and tradition dominate any other way of thought, of life for that matter. So my question to you Mother Africa is why is this nation stuck in a cycle of continuous hopelessness? Where is the heart for children? Fathers, why do you care more about the desires of your own heart than that of your family's? Swaziland is such a small country will it even survive 50 years from now with its health, political, and economic issues? Will it survive knowing that this nation is run by a king that only looks after the health and welfare of himself and his 14 wives?
Mother Africa your city of Maputo, Mozambique is filled with a darkness that rules the night. How is it that your children have gotten caught up in the misconception of independence and freedom? The boys in Maputo are caught between a life that is glorious in freedom, but devastating in experience. They scrap for food, but they scrap harder for the world to take notice of them. It is false-romance that only leaves them empty-handed. Mozambique, you broke my heart for those boys on the streets. Why do you have so many kids left out in the cold streets with nowhere to go? Don't you know they need someone to care for them? Someone who will take the time to know they exist? Someone who will make them smile and take them for who they are and not what their actions have made them? The spirit of the streets is romantic, but ruthless. How can you allow such young boys to experience things a child should never experience? They are kids -no more, no less. Despite what they have been through, I see so much hope and joy in their eyes. All they need is for someone to truly care for them. I thank God that He has given Ian and Lauren the compassion for these boys. I pray that God will bring people to Masana (the organization that I visited in Maputo, Mozambique) long-term to care for these hope-thirsty street boys.
South Africa is a nice place, but has its under-privileged communities as well, and there are good people that reach out to the community, like those who are involved at Beam Africa. It's very clear that God has blessed Beam Africa through their incessant belief and dependence on Him. I know that they are doing good to those they serve. I know because I've seen the look in people's eyes when they've come into Beam. I know because of how the kids smile each day when they are given the privilege to be kids. I believe they bring so much hope to those around them. It might be exhausting, it might be hopeless at times, but they are an unspoken blessing to this overlooked and underserved community.
The strand that binds these countries together is the hope that rises in each of them. There is hope because of Hope Rises in Swaziland. There is courage because of Masana in Mozambique. And there is light in South Africa because of Beam Africa. Filled with sorrow and bigotry, lost in cultural norms and traditions these countries need the love of Christ. But God hasn't forgotten about them. And, I thank God for the opportunity He's given me to learn and to experience the brokenness of the world and come to the understanding of how much more God is needed in it.
As I write you this there is a quote from the movie Blood Diamond that comes to mind:
"Sometimes I wonder will God ever forgive us for what we've done to each other. And I look around and I realize God left this place a long time ago."
God did forgive you. Jesus died for you. He died for the sins of all people, of nations, and of all time. He never left Africa. The past is cold, and the damage runs deep, but God's grace is stronger than you think, Mother Africa. Give God the freedom to heal those fatal wounds that mankind cannot heal. Why do you insist that man can fix such timeless hurts? Why do claim that man can undo the past? Thrown down your pride and give it to Him. What are you waiting for? He's right there ready and willing to take it. Mother Africa the only way you can change is if you allow the love of Christ to break you. Allow it to penetrate into the core of who you are. Mother Africa there is SO MUCH the Lord wants for you. Allow God to do the spiritual surgery you need.
I bid you farewell Mother Africa. I will forever keep you in my heart. And I pray that you will truly come to know the powerful, unfailing, and everlasting love of Christ.
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 9/22/2011
I'm extremely thankful for our stay at Beam Africa in South
Africa. Without a doubt our contacts
immeasurably enriched our time in South Africa.
I cannot explain the gratitude I have for the way they received our team
and the way in which they poured into us in July. At that point of the Race, our team was tired
going into South Africa. I guess the
longevity of it all had finally caught up with us. And the reason I say that is to say thank you
for your patience and grace towards us.
One of the things our souls were desperate for was rest and
refreshment. And I don't know if they
realize it, but they poured into us tremendously through their patience and
grace toward us. For me, it meant a
great deal. I can say I learned so much
from their wisdom and insight. From the
first prayer meeting at Beam House, I knew that we were in good hands. I could not have asked for a better month in
South Africa/ at Beam Africa.
South Africa was not just a month on the Race for me, but it
was the month on the Race that I felt God speak to me the most clearly. I think a lot of that came from how I
observed our contacts' walk with Christ.
They have a strong ear for the Spirit.
And it was a great example for me to see how much they naturally
listened to the Lord and how much truth He spoke to them and through them. I took to heart their actions and their words
because I knew that there was always something to be learned in anything they
said or did. It was a gift to be with
people that understood the essence of pressing into the Lord, listening to Him,
and truly seeking Him out. And, they
always seemed joyful. They always walked
around with smiles on their faces.
The way in which they live their lives truly emulates how
Christ-followers ought to live. Not by their
own means or resources, but through faith in what God wants and what He
provides. And it's very clear that God
has blessed Beam Africa through their incessant belief and dependence on
Him. I know that they are doing good to
those they serve. I know because I've
seen the look in people's eyes when they've come into Beam. I know because of how the kids smile each day
when they are given the privilege to be kids.
I believe they bring so much hope to those around them. It might be exhausting, it might be hopeless
at times, but they are an unspoken blessing to this overlooked and underserved
community.
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 8/25/2011
Month 7. Our team had
no idea how exhausted we were at this point in the race. Our contacts Louis and Erika (and their
daughter) recognized it right away. It
was not until the second or third full day at our ministry location that they called
it out on us in prayer. Erika and Louie's
daughter, Louis, prayed for us to get rest and to be filled during the
month. It was at that moment that our
team realized how far along the race we had come. In fact, on our first day of ministry we could
barely keep up with the kids at Beam Africa.
Luckily there was a group from Campus Crusade there as well (for one
week). With winter break in full swing,
dozens of kids flocked to Beam Africa for breakfast and lunch. Between breakfast and lunch was their free
time at the park next to Beam Africa's property. By free time I mean the time in which they
exerted their never-ending energy on us.
Good thing the Campus Crusade was there to slowly initiate us into the
day-to-day routine of Beam. Judging by that
first day, there was absolutely no way we could have jumped into ministry the
way we had throughout the race. I even
actually confessed to the team the first week in South Africa that I could not physically
or mentally play with kids for a month. By
no means am I the toughest guy in the world, but I had realized that I was worn
out. The longevity of the race had
caught up to me. But, with most of the
attention already on the other group (about 25 members), we just sat back and
filled in where we could. It almost felt
like we were extra bodies that first week -no complaints. When the Campus Crusade team left, leaving
our team the only team there, I remember asking the question of how we were
going to be able to handle the kids being out numbered about 60 (or more) to
8. This month we had 2 others (Real-Lifers)
join from an Adventures in Missions program.
It is a small exposure to those who are thinking of possibly doing the
World Race in the future.
So the Campus Crusade team had left leaving us with dozens
of high-energy souls at Beam Africa.
Among various facets of Beam Africa, one of the most concentrated
programs is the feeding program for the kids in the community. So after school the kids would come ready to
release their pent up energy of the day on us.
I cannot stress how tiring these kids made us. For a couple of days I was a horse to a kid
who was ¾ my height. This is who the
dialogue between him and I went the first time he asked me to give him a
piggy-back ride. "Put me here," he said
pointing to my back. My automatic
response after taking one glance at him was 'are you kidding me?' Luckily I had done some push-ups the month
before so I thought I'd be able to get this guy on my back. So he climbed on my back and that's when I realized
two things. I was stronger than I
thought I was and I was weaker than I thought I was. This kid was merciless. One piggy-back ride turned into me becoming
his horse at his beck-and-call. He tied
me up and called me Billiam. John is not
too close to sounding like Billiam, but I went along with it anyway. I mean who was I to turn down his dream of
playing pretend horse? After about a
week of this, I went into stealth mode and ran away from him. Now I know you must be thinking that that is mean,
but I had a bigger kid (not one of the small, cute, bite-size kids) on my
back. It wore me out. It was a work-out. I felt like I had entered a strong man
competition that week.
Later on at Beam Africa I had been unanimously selected to
be their punching bag and their wrestler. Pinball I had little boys jumping at
my back, twisting my neck, punching my spine, kicking my legs among other
mini-brutalities. So what did I do? That's right I fought back with gentleness of
course. As the boys would jump on me the
most reasonable reaction was to flip them in the air. It was a win-win for them and me. They enjoyed being tossed in the air while I
enjoyed the work-out. But a guy can only
take so much of a beating. There's a
point where there's one too many punches, and one too many kicks. It's a good thing that these kids love to
wrestle though. I don't know exactly how
it all got started but I ended up wrestling with about 6-8 boys at a time. Who won?
Who do you think won? Me of
course. It wasn't easy though. These kids were deceptively strong. They were ruthlessly aggressive. They came from all sides. At first they weren't working together. One at a time they would take turns getting
their hits in, but then they got smart and strategized as to how they were
going to take me down. It turned into an
all-out war. Here's a little visual for
you. Remember the scene from Beauty and
the Beast where Belle is surrounded by wolves in the forest and Beast comes out
of nowhere to save her. A brawl breaks
out to where Beast is wrestling countless wolves from every side. That's what it looked and felt like. Believe it or not in the midst of kids piled
on top of me, that's the scene that played through my mind. I now know what Beast went through. Someone has a video of me wrestling
them. As tiring as it was, I absolutely
loved playing with them. Their violence
kept on me on my toes. Their sneak- attacks
kept me aware of me alert like a ninja.
Those boys as much as they wore me out always put a smile on my
face. Was I exhausted? Yes.
But they enjoyed it. They don't
have any opportunities to just wrestle for fun the way I did growing up. In other parts of the world other than the US,
kids grow up fast. Because of situation
and circumstance, the responsibilities of life are helplessly placed on them at
an early age. So, even if it was
voluntarily putting my body through a beating every day, it was worth it for
these kids to get the needed attention they desperately starve for daily.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Posted in General Posts by John Rebba on 7/29/2011
In the month of July in Mozambique, I got to spend a few
days with another team on our squad.
Their ministry was at a center for street boys. Basically these boys hustle, scrap, and beg
for food or money. They own the streets
at night. There is something about the
street light life that is glorifying to these boys. It reminded me of Romania and how the kids
there are romantically drawn to independence.
The sad thing is some of these boys have parents and a house to go to;
the spirit of the streets is too strong for them to resist. Moreover, what they do not realize is they
grow up fast. These boys are placed into
a life that forces them to act an age that is far beyond their years. The first morning we met the boys they were a
riot. They were excited to meet us,
figure out who we were, and more importantly just play with us. At first some of them put on a hard facade
making them seem reserve or too good for us.
However, what they do not realize is that they are still kids regardless
of life experience. In the midst of
rowdy little boys, Juddson (one of the World Race guys on the team I was with)
walks over to me and says, "they act like they are tough, but they are just
little kids. Once you start to play with
them they break and smile." What I've
learned concerning children around the world is that they do not get the love
that we got when we were kids.
Being in South Africa now, what I have realized is that playing
with kids might sound ordinary, but it's not.
Children do not get the love and affection that we see on TV or movies. Kids around the world because of their
situation and circumstance have to grow up fast. And giving a child a day's attention speaks
volumes. I asked a question the other
day to our ministry contact 'what is the biggest need for kids?' His response was, "attention." Only when we started to talk through that
answer that he showed me how dire kids need attention. Simple put they do not get the learned
attention we in the States have grown up with.
I am beginning to realize how important it is for children around the
globe need to be love (even if it means wrestling 6 kids at a time or having
two to three kids following you around or a child sitting on your lap for hours
on end). All these things are just
examples of how the simple acts of life are not lived out for children. I think the hope (that some ministries have) is
that through giving kids love, attention and affection, that when they have
families they will treat them with the same care they receive now (from
short-term and long-term mission teams).
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