Gratitude

The recent announcements by various Internet Service Providers now offering cheap uncapped Internet accounts have to be one of the biggest steps forward for South African Internet in many, many years. The aftermath of these new products, a few weeks on, has left ripples throughout the time continuum. One such ripple has touched me and had a profound effect on my outlook in life.

I feel old! Yes, you heard me, Old! Either I am getting old, or the world has gone mad. Perhaps it's a little of both.

Consider, if you will, a world where the birthday boy is presented with a giant cake, the size of a mega large pizza, and a mountain of presents. He eats the entire cake in a few minutes, rips the wrapping off all the presents as fast as he can and then starts to complain. The cake wasn't big enough! Where are the really nice presents? Why wasn't it a double chocolate cake. Ungrateful little...!

Yet this is not far from the truth of what has occurred these past few weeks. South African Internet users have been given (locally)unheard of freedom to use the Internet as they've never had the option to do before. Individuals, previously limited to 10 or 20GBs, have managed to consume over 60GBs and more, for a fraction of the cost in just a few days. And are they happy? No! The complaints are ridiculous! MyBroadband forums are full of people unhappy with their new found freedom. Instead of celebration at this step forward, what we are witnessing is grubby little greedy paws grasping for more. Gimme, gimme! Wanna wanna sweeties!1

Is it just to be blamed on youth? Was I ever that naïve? That demanding? I hope not!

Or wait... Perhaps I am...?

God offers us the greatest gift of all; Eternal life. And what do we do with it? We complain. Why haven't you given me a better job, God? Gimme! Why don't I have enough money, God? Gimme more! Why haven't I found the right person to marry, God? Gimme! Why don't you talk to me, God? Why don't you stop the suffering, God? Why don't you solve my problems, God?

“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.”2

What more could we ever want?
What other response is there but wholehearted gratitude?

1 - Hopefully Terry Pratchett doesn't mind my using a Wentworth quote.
2 - John 3:26 CEV

Free website hosting

Ok, so there's no evidence of God working in this. In other words this is not something I specifically prayed about and God answered. But it's cool non the less and it's something I just stumbled upon.

I have found that I can offer free website hosting to anyone that wants. No catch.... okay maybe a little catch. You can't use your own custom domain for your website and your webpages get a Google advert displayed on them. Not the worst price to pay for free webspace.

My host is ts4m-host.org and anyone can sign up. The details are all on my little host site. Primarily I want to use this for missionaries, missionary organizations or other non-profit organizations that a) can't afford to pay for web hosting and b) want their own site. For those not technically capable I then am able to offer help designing and administrating the website.

Ok, this sounds like and advert...and in a way it is. I'd like people to hear about it because I really want to help organizations and even individuals get exposure for the good work they are doing. And what better place than the Internet?

Subsequent to all this I decided it would be nice for me to offer full website support to organizations that want to use their own domain name, etc. I've signed up as a host reseller with a local company and will be offering this too soon. The free host is open to all, even if you're not a missionary or mission organization. This host will be specifically for non-profit organizations, so the sign-up will be restricted. More on this one once I've sorted out the details...

I'm hoping God can use even these simple tools to help spread his good news.

Buying a car

So how does God help in buying a car. Sure he can miraculously have someone donate you a brand new one. Or he could prompt someone to give a large cash donation toward one. Or he could just do the unlikely as I have discovered twice now in the last year....

On returning from Turkey I was really keen to get involved with off-road rescue. Before going into mission work I was very involved in volunteering with an off-road rescue unit here in Johannesburg, and I was keen to get back into it. The problem; 4x4's are expensive and I only had about R40K to spend on a car. I am determined that I will never owe money on a car again, if I can help it and so a loan was not an option. Rather than worry, I put the problem to God...

On a visit to my folks I decided to take a look at second hand cars in Pietermaritzburg. I searched high and low for something that I could afford that was in reasonable condition. I wasn't looking for a 4x4 exactly. Then at one dealer I found a Hyundai, which looked pretty good, in my price range. So I asked for a test drive. And while I was waiting for the salesman to bring the keys I looked up across the road and, would you believe it? There stood a red Suzuki jeep (4x4) for sale! I had yet to see any 4x4 I could afford, but something in my mind said: "Yes, that's it!"

But I'm a practical guy, so I decided to test drive the Hyundai anyway, because that was more practical. I got 2 blocks up the road before blowing the head gasket! It was almost as if God was saying: "Oh no you don't! You asked me and I've gone to great lengths to prepare a car for you. Now you will buy it!" I left the car for the salesman to sort out and walked back down the road.

Now the little doubter in me was saying: "It's useless! You won't be able to afford it!"

I look; The price: "R39000"

Little doubter: "Yes, but for that price it's probably got big issues!"

I look; Exterior very good; Interior also very good; low mileage.

Little doubter: "It's not going to be mechanically sound!"

I take it for a test drive. The salesman says it's been recently reconditioned. It's a bit slow, but it only has a 1000cc engine. So what can you expect? Mechanically - no problems.

Little doubter: "..."

And there it was. In answer to my prayer God arranged a red Suzuki jeep 4x4 for under R40k in very good condition down in Pietermaritzburg. Just for me! I drove that jeep for 1 year without any troubles, enjoying my time back in the Off-road rescue unit. God truly is great.

(Next in Part 2: Practical Paul makes a return!)

The return

After a long break from blogging I've decided to return and continue my journey through interesting times. We so easily get busy with other things that the simpler things, like communication, fall by the way. So to continue my journey I am going to start documenting some stories here of how God has worked in my life. In the little things and in the big things.