You’ve got to let go (posted by Dianne Vermooten)

Today I drove to Media Village over Boyes Drive. It was 8am on a Saturday morning. The early light was beautiful and I even stopped to take some photographs. There was a sense of urgency in my heart. Why ? After 10 years of driving that route, I may only do it a few more times.

Today was the day we moved most of Media Village out of Kalk Bay and over to our new campus in Durbanville. Talking to my son Ryan, we discussed this idea of letting go and the concept of really appreciating something when you think you are going to loose it.

Stories abound of loved ones feeling cheated when they cannot say “good bye” to family or friends who suddenly die in a car accident. We all want that time of closure, of letting go, or looking backwards.

It was in December of 1999 that we moved into the old Innisfail Hotel. We stood on the deck and counted the minutes waiting for 2000 to start. Now 10 years later I stood on the deck again and recounted an amazing decade. Tears & laughter, success & failure, growing in intimacy with the Lord, friendships and most of all changed lives. As I walked down the stairs the photos of all the past students are still hanging on the wall.

Everyone has added a piece to the MV history and story. Media Village is not a building it was merely a gathering place, that allowed us to touch lives and create a community. So many memories came to mind as I stopped in front of many of the schools and thought about the most amazing people who have spent time with us at MV. We have done what we have done because of you. There have been school leaders. Our DTS leaders have changed the lives of hundreds. Thank you Christa, Cathy, Janice, Paul, Mark & Donna, Kobus and Carol.

I looked at our very first 2 MV schools and stood amazed at how far you have all gone. Penny heads up Create International in Perth, Sarel has made his dreams come true in film, Deryck has just completed the Lion of Judah, and Adrian continues to lead so many within the College of Communication.

We’ve had hundreds of lectures who have given of their time and shared their knowledge. How do we thank Mark Manley, Fiona Gifford, Aujke Brouwer, Dee Harris and the list goes on and on. We’ve had 4 marriages, and at least 20 media companies started by MV graduates. We have had prophetic words of encouragement, we had times of correction.

As we look back we thank God for NK and Butho who have served the Lord at MV for nearly 10 years. And also for Anne and Akex Abok who have shown such a passion and determination to follow Jesus and to grow MV in Nigeria. They have faced persecution and even death and still remain steadfast. We honour you both. Annemarie Barnard also served MV for nearly 10 years and we still miss her today.

The list is long, but the memories even longer. God has been with us. God has blessed us, But now is the time to LET GO so that WE CAN MOVE ON.

We are ready to discover the new things the Father has for us. We want to discover new elements of a unique and original adventure. The Bible makes it clear that every story of faith is completely original. It is God’s creative genius. There are no mass-produced copies. Each student, each school is a new fresh canvas and we are ready to begin a new art work & process with the Lord.

We see WHAT is possible. We believe in the new dream. We are ready to fuse spontaneity and purpose as we participate in the journey that God has taken us on.

So, we say goodbye to old at Kalk Bay, but welcome the new in Durbanville. We carry a debt of gratitude to every graduate. Pray that God will give us another decade, but this time one that is even more impactful for the King of Kings.

Jesus encouraged us to let go, to loose everything to inherit much. This week we will let go of the old, but we long to inherit a spiritual blessing that we cannot contain in the new.

Originally posted at http://mediavillage.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/youve-got-to-let-go/

It also makes me think of the part Media Village played in creating and airing their anti human trafficking Public Service Announcement.

SOUTH AFRICA: How God Worked through Prayer at the World Cup

Source: Joel News International 740, August 11, 2010

On Sunday, August 29, Christians in South Africa will hold a Day of Thanksgiving for the Soccer World Cup 2010. In the last six months many churches and believers prayed for this event and there were multiple prayer initiatives in and around the stadiums. 24/7 prayer watches covered each of the ten stadium cities, while many [additional] prayer groups prayed consistently. There are many amazing testimonies all over the country of how God worked, people received Christ as savior [and] others were healed physically and emotionally.

“We acknowledge that all the credit and glory must go to God alone. He is a prayer-answering God and he is a ‘rewarder of those who diligently seek him’,” says Bennie Mostert of the prayer movement Jericho Walls. “It is public knowledge that crime was curbed in a significant way,” reports Sarah Gerhart of OCI International.

“Many feared that human trafficking would be a big problem, but exactly the opposite happened… CNN stated that ‘no one is interested in sex’ (prostitution). One high-profile escort agency reported a drop of 80 percent in business. All over the country police [also] confirmed a significant drop in crime and especially violent crime.”

“Literally thousands of churches reached out to local people and foreign visitors.”

Our sympathies go out to Mandela and his family with the loss of his great granddaughter.

In addition to the games, we know a number of Christian groups in South Africa are using the chance of hosting the World Cup to advance the gospel through a number of outreaches. Even our group at Media Village is using one of it’s media creations on the networks to raise social awareness of the human trafficking issue.

Here’s the piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2dhhxlB6p8

Last year when Alex Abok graduated from the School of Digital Photography he left Media Village with a passion to use his camera to capture images that would communicate God’s heart for a lost world. How could he have known what was yet to be? How could he have imagined that within weeks he would look through the lens and see images of horror, pain and persecution. He never knew.He could not have known.

Jos is also the home of Media Village Nigeria. Over the past few weeks, this city has experienced horrific attacks. Muslims have ransacked Christian communities and have hacked and murdered men, women and children. Reports say that Christians have also attacked Muslims – so no one is exempt from blame. A BBC documentary has just stated that an estimated 500 people have been murdered. These are crimes of revenge and make no sense to the by – stander.

Who are some of these by-standers? Media Village Nigeria. Staff and students of the School of Video Production have locked themselves behind closed doors. They have gone without food and have rationed their water. Sitting in silence they have been able to hear the sounds of gun shots, and memories of their recent attacks have echoed in their hearts. Ann has reported that the faith and prayers of these young people has encouraged her and given her strength to lead in circumstances that require supernatural courage – God courage.

These words describe some of the horrific scenes.“I was able to escape with my two sons but my wife and daughter were killed with most members of my congregation. Ninety corpses are in my village right now and we don’t have the report of the ones
that died in the hospital in Jos. We did not see the faces of their assailant
but we heard them speaking Fulani, Hausa and English and whenever they hit
someone they shouted “Allah a’ khabar”

Alex used the lens of his camera to tell this story in the moment of time that it took for the shutter to capture this painful image. This an image of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters – our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I believe in prayer, not because I have to but because I have seen God hear and answer the cries of my heart.

Photo by Alex Abok
I believe that it makes a difference. If you can agree with this then let us join remember Media Village Nigeria and trust for their safety and let’s pray for peace to return to this region.

A single image can leave us unsettled, uncomfortable and greatly troubled. Imagine for a moment the pain in heart of a Father who knows each person by name. He knows when a sparrow falls, how much more so these children.

I cannot say I never knew, because now I do. Alex has brought this image into my home, and my heart is broken.

School of Photography Student Introduction Video

Already, Kara and I have had great chances to dig into their stories and connect with them.

Media Village does this incredible thing, where it brings in teachers from all around the world … professionals in their craft … and have them teach the students at the highest level. One of the Korean students actually graduated film school in New York and said he is amazed at the curriculum in place here at Media Village.

The new site is located inland, on the edge of the city where land is cheaper.

Due to a financial scandal this property went up for auction around a month ago, and Graham won the auction. (Media Village has been wanting to move for over there years with many unfortunate delays outside of their control.) The property is perfect, actually developed as a training facility and guest house, it is practically ready to move into.

On the other side, Graham purchased the building on faith, without the money in hand, and put his own house up as collateral. Which if God doesn’t provide the funding for the new property, Diane and Graham could lose their house of 15 years. This is the level of commitment we have found in the two of them. It is a beautiful thing of faith to witness. I think so often the risk of faith in following God can be diminished and placed in subordination to rationality. Do I trust God to come through enough to put all the equity of my house on the line?

I have to say, so many of the people here have stories of faith that have brought them here. Our new friends Carol and Klakson sold nearly everything they had in Kenya to come here. Being a missionary from the States is difficult, but being a missionary from Kenya, where most of their families are in poverty and the church has no money to support them. They sold things they owned, borrowed money, and sold their house to come her and disciple young people and to learn media production to impact others.

It is this kind of ministry that is growing here at Media Village. I believe Kara and I see the possibility for a great partnership.

They were all asked to stand up and share their names, where they are from, and what they hoped to gain out of the school. One student after another introduced themselves. A few students were from the States. But the majority of students came from Africa (Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya) and Asia (Korea, Philippines).

I was struck with two things during worship. The first was the beauty of hearing God’s young people from around the world worship together. The second – a less spiritual observation – how similar they dressed.

Actually, I joked with Kara that they dressed better than we did in our early 20′s.

Hair cuts, T-shirts, and torn jeans made them visually like one group. I guess why I mention this is my on-going amazement at the global culture developing because of globally shared ideas via media and internet.

It is possible for these students from three different continents to choose similar dress styles, because manufacturing is globalized, style and fashion opinion is globalized through media, and ideas of youth and youth culture are globalized. A Korean student doesn’t grow up only influenced by Korea. Nor a U.S. student by just the U.S.

There is so much cross media and thought sharing that I felt like I was looking at a room full of world youth, not just a list of represented countries.

I feel this is a new era … one never possible before the internet.

It is estimated that 27,000,000 people are enslaved worldwide. This is more than double that of the early American slave trade. Most of these individuals are girls between 5 and 15 to be used for sex.

Media Village launched NewArrivals.co.za. Playing off the de-humanizing term for a new group of girls smuggled into a country for the sex trade: “new arrivals”.

In addition to the site, they are producing a series of videos to educate and powerfully bring a voice to this issue. They have so far produced a High Definition, very emotive piece displaying girls, child soldiers, and babies being brought into the country like luggage on an airport conveyor belt.

This is exactly the kind of work we would like to be part of. Using the tool of media to work as the hands of Jesus in society. Take a look at the site NewArrivals.co.za

Map Generator

Here is the description from the Facebook Event page:

“For the past three months 21 students have spent hours learning the skill of producing media pieces. Some have told stories, all have produced a Public Service Announcement, a music video and worked on a short documentary. Their work has been creative and displayed an amazing level of commitment to excellence.

While the students work at shooting and editing, Media Village Productions continues to produce work for local and international clients. Cable Awards showcases some of the best work produced by Media Village Productions in 2009.

Cable Awards 2009 will surprise and encourage you to see what can be achieved when passion and perseverance come together. Be there and be inspired. Booking is essential.”

Facebook Event Page