Blast from the Past

I still keep up with my friends from the American International School in Johannesburg through a shared message board.

Sometimes I get openly persecuted for my beliefs, and even just for what I am. Being in vocational ministry is not PC with this group. A couple of them believe it is absolutely bigoted to say there is only one way to God. Some are Buddhist, Bahai, Hindu, Mormon, Unitarian, Atheists and various other faiths. So I am clearly the minority in the bunch.

But we still connect through our shared memories of high school. So when a friend posted photos this week, we had fun looking through them and commenting on past events.

This one is of me in 10th grade, with my two constant companions, Chrissy and Kim. We were inseparable, and everyone called us the "Three Musketeers"!!!

I am thankful for these two. They were amazing friends to me, and provided me a "home away from home". Both came from strong Catholic families, so provided a good moral foundation for me and a "safe" place to go when I needed to retreat from the MK home. They were good girls, and we had so much fun together that we never even considered getting into trouble. I did, however, try my first taste of alcohol at Chrissy's house. I had a bad cold and her Mom insisted on giving me a shot of brandy. I remember thinking my throat was on fire!!!! : )

I went to Mass with them sometimes, and was privileged to be invited to Kim's confirmation. They were both military brats. Chrissy's dad was in the Navy, and Kim's dad was the Air Force attache and pilot for the embassy. Through them I was able to meet the Ambassador and lots of other important dignitaries. We also liked to hang out at the Marine house, especially for patriotic celebrations.

Their diplomatic immunity could be really convenient at times, too--especially since we lived in the throes of apartheid. When we wanted to take our "non-white" friends out to restricted eating establishments, all it took was a flash of the diplomatic pass, and nobody could refuse us service. I guess it was our way of protesting the racist system, and taking a political stand.

I was glad to find an appropriate way to protest. My best friend from Zimbabwe, Indira, was considered "non-white" under the standards of the South African government. That made me really, really angry. She and I would not have been allowed in most stores, restaurants or even neighborhoods together. Her uncle was murdered in a South African prison by RSA policemen after he was arrested for his involvement in a protest. (Indira's family were also personal friends of Nelson Mandela.)

So my political activism was in honor of my friend, as well as a stand against the moral injustice of the system.

But we also tried to do our part to help in non-political ways. We raised some money and went into Soweto to help with a humanitarian aid organization. I will never forget the despair of the people in the shanty towns, and the utter hopelessness in the eyes of the children. In actuality we probably placed ourselves in grave danger by going there. But God protected us, and those images impacted my life from that time on.

Pray for my friends from AISJ. They are spread all over the world, and most of them have everything that you could ever want from a worldly viewpoint. One is even a succesful actor in Hollywood, having appeared on shows like NYPD Blue. But they are so completely lost, and their personal lives are just empty. I can read the hollowness between the lines of their posts.

It breaks my heart sometimes to even think about them, and I will never give up hope. I am holding to the promise of James 5:16, that fervent prayer can accomplish much.