I'm Poor // Life on the Inside, Part 4

Poverty is a terrible thing. Physical poverty. Emotional poverty. Spiritual poverty. It eats away at you. Well, what if I told you that God wants to make you rich. No, no – I don't mean a big house, and expensive car and a personal jet. They're just trinkets. No … God has something much better planned for you. As we look around at people that walk past us on the street, what we often see are blank faces with very little emotion, faces that hide what's really going on inside – joy, pain, boldness, fear, wealth, poverty – we just don't know, do you? Now I used to think I knew what poverty was. And then in January 2005, I found myself standing in the middle of a squalored little village, just a few hours drive outside Hyderabad in India. It was all I could do not to weep over the depth of the poverty that screamed at all of my senses. Sometimes a lack of money, financial poverty, strikes. It can strike the wealthy and the not so wealthy, in the developed world and the developing world. So where's God? Today, I'd like to share with you the story of 'Harry', a young man from Zimbabwe and his friend Joseph from South Africa. It's a story of God's blessing amidst poverty. The story begins in the middle of June 2005 at a conference in the UK at Stock-on-Trent. It was the conference of the United Christian Broadcasters, which I attended. There were Christian TV and radio stations from right around the world at this conference. In particular, I wanted to connect with the CEO of a ministry called 'Media Village' in South Africa. These are people who train young folk in television and radio and they seem to be doing some really cool stuff. But she was so busy, she was speaking at most of the conference, we just couldn't seem to connect. The last morning of the conference at breakfast, my wife and I sat down at the table in the dining room and this young, very well dressed African man in his late 20s, by the name of Joseph sat down at our table. We got chatting and it turned out that he was the head of the radio school at the Media Village. As we talked, somehow we just seemed to click and we got excited. And we said, "Let's do something when we get back to Australia and South Africa respectively". So over the next few months our relationship developed. Joseph was promoting our radio programs, this program and the other programs that we produce, to stations right around Africa. It's a great ministry partnership that's developing. But on the 22nd of December 2005, Joseph sent a broadcast email out to a number of people, (me included), telling us that there were nine students who had just completed a three-month course on how to produce radio programs. They'd all done so successfully, but so many of these students were very poor. And without paying their fees, just as with any other institution, they couldn't get their graduation certificate. It's the bit of paper that said well, this is what they have done. It's the reality. They're very poor people and we were talking about US$4000 about AU$5000 for all the students. Most of them had paid some of their fees but you know there was some really poor people there. And in particular, I'd like to share with you now Harry's story. Have a listen to this because when I read Harry's story in Joseph's email, I tell you, it really got to me. He writes this: Dear Friend, It's been a privilege attending the school of radio broadcasting 2005, here at the Media Village in Africa and I just wanted to express my appreciation. I hope this letter finds you in good shape emotionally, and physically, and mostly spiritually. It's been a challenge being at this school, considering that when I came, I was really greatly financially disadvantaged. It took me a huge step of faith to leave Zimbabwe with only the money to get to Johannesburg and I just didn't have enough money to get to Cape Town, (which is twice the distance from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg). God took care of me by His grace and I made it to the Media Village. I was still short with my finances because I was supposed to pay half the fees but I didn't have the money and so a friend blessed me with some money but still it wasn't enough. But praise God because they allowed me to start the school. Because of the production costs, they still needed me to pay the first half. I went through some troubles but thank God He provided the first half but I was still left with the second half of the fees, which I still owe today. But God's grace is still on me because last night I graduated and despite of me coming late, I was awarded the 'Most Improved Student Award' which was such an honour. I still have problems in hand because in January I need to start my internship and I haven't paid my whole fees, so they won't allow me to start. They have given me until Friday to pay the money, or else I will vacate the premises because I can't afford to do that. I still need the money and greatly appreciate your prayers. Have a blessed ...