“The whole week has been amazing, but my highlight would have to be church this morning. It was really cool to experience how a different culture does church and be more immersed in the Church.” – Caden Sheldrake 

A week before we left for Cape Town, South Africa, I was in a church service. The sermon was titled, “Joy and Sorrow,” and I thought, “what a funny title for a sermon; two polar opposite words in the same name.” The two words felt weird being said together, like “I’m delightfully disgusted” or “I’m fearfully confident.” And I remember wondering, how can two words completely at odds exist together.

We landed in Cape Town on Wednesday promptly at noon, and drove to the place we were staying. On the way, the van was buzzing with excitement. Our team was doing sing-alongs and they were occasionally interrupted with a “WOAH! Look at that!” We drove up a mountain, and as we got higher, the views were more and more spectacular, until no one was singing anymore. All we could do was stare in awe at God’s glorious creation! We all laughed and pointed at everything we haven’t seen in the U.S. saying, “Look over there! That’s so beautiful!” The van was saturated with joy.

The next day, we split into different groups and we all went to different places. My group went to a township’s  local primary school and suddenly it felt like everything we experienced the day prior never happened. We met up with the principal and vice principal of the school and they showed us around the “campus.” With every area they showed us, my heart broke more and more. The classrooms were the size of our bathrooms at Impact 360, they shared four toilets between 1,600 students, there were a little over 100 books in the school library, and no playground equipment. Not even a ball for these children to play with. Sorrow seemed to radiate from every area of this primary school. One of the only things that was not sorrowful was the principal and his vice principal’s genuine love for education and dedication to the students at their school. I remember seeing the need and asking God, ” Where are you in all of this?” The van ride back was silent, and everyone looked out the window as if trying to snatch back the joy we all experienced the day before. The van was overwhelmed with sorrow.

Today is Sunday, and we all went to our ministry partner’s home church. We walked through the front doors and were greeted by loud worship music and friendly faces. I entered this new environment and my sorrow dissolved. I smiled and shook everyone’s hand. The worship team started playing a song, and the congregation erupted in praise. I looked around at the crowd and all I could see were smiles, laughter, and joy as they worshipped God.

After worship, we watched a video sermon of an Australian man’s testimony. He met Jesus at his lowest point. It was from his lowest point that Jesus radically changed his life, and healed him from every single addiction that once shackled him. He then caught on fire for Jesus, serving and worshipping at every opportunity.  He was filled with joy in a place of extreme sorrow.

He summed up his sermon and we jumped back into worship. Because it was such an emotional testimony, everyone was a little teary-eyed. One of the worship leaders called people up to the alter that needed healing, redemption, or if the Spirit was pressing on their hearts. Several people walked up to the alter and the worship team led us in singing “Great Are You Lord,” and that’s where God met me and where suddenly I knew the answer to the question I was wrestling with all week long; “How can joy and sorrow exist together if they seem completely at odds with each other?”

Amidst all the suffering that was going on in the members of the congregation’s lives: the heartbreak, the poverty, the illness, and the pain they were experiencing, they were not hopeless. Tears streamed down their faces as they all called out to God,  but they were also singing, “It’s your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise,” and “All the earth we shout your praise, our hearts will cry, these bones will sing, great are you Lord!”. This show of both joy and sorrow is also shown in the Bible, and I didn’t piece it together until the congregation was singing and weeping on their knees before God. In John 11, Jesus is told that Lazarus was sick, and later on in the chapter he dies. Then, Jesus and the disciples arrive in Bethany and find out he’s been dead for four days. Mary then runs out to Jesus and false at his feet sobbing. She tells him to come and see what happened and it says in John 11:35 that “Jesus wept.” Because Jesus is God, he knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead and he would be well again. However, Jesus still wept because his dear friend that he loved was dead. Jesus chose to experience sorrow even when he knew the joy that would occur soon. He chose to let these two emotions occur together.

This truth changed my whole perspective on what is going on here in South Africa! This is a place where joy and sorrow exists in the same place, and it’s beautiful! My heart still breaks for the people of Cape Town, and it leaps at the same time! Praise the Lord I got to come here and experience everything the Lord’s had to offer so far, and I can’t wait for the things to come!

For His Kingdom,

Garrett Bosworth
Class XIX
South Africa Team G.A.S. (Gratitude, Adaptability, and Selflessness)