Our Story
Our names are Brent and Courtney Boutwell, and we are from America. We left our home in Jackson, MS to volunteer with Tabitha for two months from June to August. We were directed to Tabitha Ministries by Baptist Global Response, a disaster relief ministry that provides Tabitha with food for the kids and the community. We wanted to share a little of what we experienced in our time there.
Sweetwaters
We knew AIDS was prevalent in South Africa, but we did not know that we were entering the South African province with the highest infection rate in a country with one of the highest infection rates in the world. Brent was completely drawn to Sweetwaters, and fortunately, we were able to be really involved there. On our first visit, we went to patients’ homes to give advice and encouragement to sick people and their families. We were completely struck by the ravishing effects of the disease, the number of gravesites visible from any point, and the inexplicable joy in the faces of several of the people we met despite their horrendous condition. It was truly a place like no other we had ever visited.
We were able to participate in the distribution of several thousand pairs of leather shoes for schoolchildren and help raise funds for a community center built to house orphans in Sweetwaters. Courtney also helped with two training days to give guidance to Tabitha helpers and community women on how to care for the sick around them. We also spent a few days simply taking requests, handing out food, and getting to know the people that called the community home. We were taken back by the commitment of Tabitha volunteers to helping those hurting around them and their smiles despite the hurting they were surrounded by.
We went to Africa planning to help others and be a blessing, but we were the ones blessed. Because of the people we were surrounded by, we came away fulfilled, with a deeper faith and a new appreciation for God’s diverse kingdom.
Life at an Orphanage
Our time in Africa was far from ordinary for us. We were living in the orphanage and rooming with 27 children under the age of 8. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and gained a new family out of the whole experience. There was never a dull moment. The children usually wake around 5 AM and go to bed around 7 PM. They make sure there is no silence between those hours. The kids and those that care for them are full of joy and love. Tabitha has provided hope to thousands of people, but it may be these 27 redeemed lives that provide the most evidence of God’s hand in the ministry.
Saying Goodbye
We expected the hardest part of our trip to be getting used to the living conditions and environment since it was so different from what we were used to in the states, but the toughest part of our entire trip was having to say goodbye. We truly gained a new family in Christ. With many tears, we said goodbye, but the community, children, and Tabitha staff will always hold a special place in our hearts. Our lives will never be the same. 
We are back in the States. We made it back Friday 8/14.
It is going to be difficult to transition back into “normal” life, and even more difficult to explain to others what we have seen and learned. Thanks for all of the prayers and for keeping up with us on our journey.
God is good and loving toward the people dying in Sweetwater every bit as much as those prospering in America.
In Luke 2:19, the Bible says that Mary stored “these things” (God’s action in her life) in her heart and pondered them often. I have heard some incredible stories in my time here, and I have seen God show up. I’ve also realized that too often I respond to answered prayers by thanking God and moving on. At times, I forget having made the request or explain away God’s intervention. That needs to change.
I need to store up memories of God’s goodness and remind myself regularly that God is faithful. His faithfulness is not dependent on me or my response to Him. God honors His promises. Even when I am punished for sin, He is following through on His word and disciplining me.
God’s nature does not fluctuate with my circumstances or attitude. He is still worthy of worship on my worst days. As my creator, God not only has the ability to do with me as he wishes but has the right to. I know these things in my head, but I still struggle with the idea.
If I store up memories of His goodness and His intervention in my life, I should better understand His true nature. I will know, not just in my head but also in my gut, that He is good in spite of my circumstances. If I reflect on His faithfulness, I will be more able and willing to lean into Him in the future.
Another thing that stuck out to me in my time here is how intimate a relationship God wants with us. I knew that before coming, but I did not have a good frame of reference as to what listening to God looks like.
The people that seem closest to God are those who depend on Him. The people we interacted with in the community and the leadership at Tabitha live by faith on the edge where only God’s provision sustains them. As a result, they have an incredibly close relationship with Him. They know where their strength comes from.
Miracles happen here. They tell stories of cars not using any petrol (gas) and food showing up in the nick of time. They love seeing God provide. I remember being in Bible study as a kid asking why miracles never seem to happen anymore, and now, I realize it is because we insulate ourselves from them. My tiny steps of faith only require a tiny response from God. I am not sure faith is even the right word for it. I will not attempt anything beyond my competence or resources because that would be foolish – who goes to war before counting the costs. When these meager ventures do work, even by the hand of God, the results were expected, and God gets no glory.
I am not sure what this means for me going forward or how it will change my day-to-day life. One thing I do know is that something has to change. I want to get out of His way and allow God to do something spectacular. I want to take steps of faith instead of baby steps, even those in the right direction. Even if I fall on my face, He will be glorified through my attempts and a little less pride would be a good thing. I want to depend on him and have deeper relationship even though it may cost me.
I want to share briefly a few of the main things that God has been teaching me in our time here. This experience has grown me spiritually, and I will never be the same. Aside from some major paradigm changes, there have been a few lessons that have really stood out.
God has been making it clear that I am to glorify Him in everything I do. That includes glorifying Him in my work every bit as much as in our worship time. When the temple was being built, God told Moses that Boaz had been given the gift of metal working to honor Him with his skills. Most of us know at least part of what glorifying God in our work looks like. It is working as unto the Lord. That means not just excelling in our work but doing it joyfully and with love putting people far ahead of priorities.
To say that certain Christians are called to the ministry, even “full-time ministry,” is missing the point. We are all to use every minute we are given to love others and share Jesus. I need to be filled with the Spirit despite the environment around me. I want to be an encouragement to everyone I meet. I want to be contagious living with eyes fixed on eternity.
All that said, we are not just to glorify Him where we are. God puts dreams in us for a reason. He wants us to live happy, fulfilled lives. Maybe you were meant to preach Jesus to the masses or to an unreached people group. God has been telling me: go confidently in the way of your dreams; live the life you’ve imagined.
