From There to Here

My oh my has life been crazy! Crazy in all sorts of different ways, some have been really wonderful, while others have been a lot more challenging. Through it all, God has been continuously blessing me. I feel completely unworthy of this unexpectedly strong flow of His favour, and I know that I do not deserve it. His love is so massive and overwhelming. I often find myself sitting on the bamboo mat in the shade of the cashew tree in the front yard of my family's grass roof hut in complete awe of what He has given me. Sometimes it is easy to get used to the idea of me being here..on this trip, but thankfully, there are constant reminders of what an unbelievably precious and rare of an opportunity this actually is. Not only have those thoughts of these recent occurances ungulfed my mind, but reflecting on what I have been blessed with back in beautiful CO (and Illinois!!) has been taking up a large portion of my thinking time as well..which I have quite a bit of with such a thick language barrier. But I mean really..no matter how terrible of a day I am having, how little I feel like I may have, or how small or unwanted I feel, there is no good reason to let those lies overtake me. I have heard this many times before, but meditating on the concept over and over gives me an oddly positive outlook on life. I have not one thing to be sad about. Quite frankly, some one always has it worse than I do. Complaining is pointless. So instead of using energy to sulk, I have chosen to use it to celebrate. Celebrate everything..like it says in 1 Thessalonians 5, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ." God doesn't want us to live our lives in sadness or depression. He made us beautiful in His image..Genisis 1:27. No matter what things are being darted at us my the devil, be thankful and take joy in those things. Take Job for example. He had it all; he had it good with God, a spotless reputation, ten children, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, five hundred donkies, and a ton of servants. What the heck! That is so crazy!!! Think if someone in today's time had all of those things in his possesion..now imagine what it meant in biblical times. Yipes. Ok sorry for the rambling-back to the story..within a short amount of time, all of his wordly possessions..gone..through army attacks, fires, and collapsing houses. All with the permission from God. Oh wait, and then the Lord allows Satan to take Job's health as well. Through it all, Job doesn't even hesitate to praise His name. That is the commitment that I long to live by.

After the farewell from Vredendal, I got the opportunity to meet some of the wonderful people the rest of my team spent time with in Lambert's Bay. It was a great thing to kind of be on the outside; not necassarily being able to feel like a part of the progress made in the community, but to be thrilled to see the affects on everyone else involved was a huge blessing. I often find myself having a difficult time relating to the rest of my team's reminiscant stories, but excited nonetheless because of how joyful they are from the relationships and experiences. I love hearing all about it, and its nice to be able to put faces with names too.

We left Lamberts Bay to head to a city just outside of Capetown called Belleville. There we met our new temporary community partner, Donny. He is a fulltime missionary in northern Mozambique. He graciously agreed to join us on our long trek from South Africa to Macuba, Mozambique. By long..I mean really long. 68 hours of bus riding. Sixty Eight. Ay yi yi. And that is only the time that we were actually on a bus. It doesn't account for any other travel or layover hours in between the four seperate legs of the journey. But God is good and He totally provided. He got us all here safe and sound, we crossed over the border with ease, and we had nice places to sleep and good food to eat. I couldn't have asked for more. I even made a friend on one of the rides. I can't remember his name, but I can recall everything that we talked about. Ah that 21 hour bus ride was the sweetest of them all. God knew what I needed and He gave it to me on a silver platter!

Our team arrived in the middle of town in the middle of the day..tired, smelly, thirsty, and a tad bit grumpy. (I, of course, was still ready for another bus ride if need be..keep 'em comin!) All of those negative vibes blew away the moment that Donny pulled up with thirteen taxis. Taxis here are a little different than those in the United States. They have much better air conditioning systems and are a lot better on gas. Stumped? They are motorcyles! (African style, of course) I can't quite describe the concoction of my emotions.. all of the excitement, exhaustion, shock, and perplexity was unlike anything I have felt before. The reason behind the recipe is mainly because I have a 40 lb. hiking pack on my back and a 10 lb. backpack in my hand. Is this a joke? There was no way in any of our minds that we could fit on the back of one of those things..no stinkin way. Something else I have learned here is in Africa, there is always a way. As we all are giggling and smiling and shaking our heads in disbelief, the crowd of eager Mozambiquans rolls up in front of us, picks one of us out, and 'tells' us to hop on. Ha. Hop on? Seriously? Yes. They were serious. So then we did. We practically paraded through the middle of Macuba. Front wheel, handle bars, driver, backpack, me, hiking pack, back wheel. (Don't worry Grandma, I was lucky enough to have one hand free to hold onto the guy's shoulder) It was awesome. I couldn't dream of any better way to transition from a tiring busride to the next chapter of our trip.

After about a ten minute ride, we arrived at our contact's property. Bernadette Jensen is a woman from South Africa who was called into missions in Mozambique about twelve years ago. She has built an amazing oasis for so many in the community. I am so eager to write further into detail about her ministry in another blog, so definitely look forward to it! For now, know that this place serves as my team's base for our weekends and training period. We had a few days to adjust to the area and to prepare ourselves. Those few days were great, but a lot of complications came about in that small amount of time. One of our teammates very unfortunately had second seizure within a two week time period- and because of the severity, the amount of variables, and the lack of health system here, needed to go home for his sake. It has had a huge impact on our team, but we all know that God has a plan in it, and we are thankful he is safely back home now. So please pray for Josh as he is trying to figure it what caused these episodes and how to make sure it doesn't happen again.

One of the inexplicable joys that God has blessed me with is my host family. I love everything about them. God obviously fit us together perfectly- I couldn't have wished for a better family. Lorinda is my mom, she is 34 years old and is a mother of six. Deno is the eldest son and is 19, Manuel is 14, Amina is 12, Vitoria is 9, Inacia is 4, and Lucia isn't quite 2 yet. The coolest part is is how well we get along with each other, and they don't even speak a word of english. I have been soaking up being able to be quiet, to sit, to watch, and to learn. I think one reason that my first week has been so positive is because of the dynamics in the home. My mom seems to be a wonderful mother. She has instilled dignity and strength in the girls, and a sense of respect in the boys, which is often difficult to find in boys their age here. Because they are all her children, they have responsibilities around the house and in the community that they know are a priority. My mom asks me to just sit on the mat and rest for a lot of the day because I am a guest in her home. But thats not what I am here for. I am here to learn how they live life. So when I have gotten the chance, I will sneak up off my mat to go run off to one of the wells to help my sisters get water. They even taught me and allowed me to carry a full bucket on my head! This was huge progress in the transition I have been trying to make between a guest and a sister. Of course when my I got back home with the bucket, my mom saw me carrying it and smiled, clapped, and laughed. The following day, I had the honor of her taking me to the social well where she let me carry a bucket of water on my head quite a few times. It seems like such a small task, but it means so much that she is now letting me help her work. It was even entertaining and a foreign sight for the people in the community to see. She has let me cut tomatoes and onions, she has let me stir the rice of massa. (which is crushed up cassava..a nutritionless crop.. made into a white, sticky dough-like roll-they eat this as a substitute for rice since they don't have money to purchase it) She will also let me sweep the yard in the morning. The very early morning-I normally get around 4:30 or 5:00. Crazy, right? But it works out when we fall asleep with full stomachs after a dinner cooked under the moonlight at a whopping 8:00 at night. Another huge progression I have experienced this week was I began eating my meals with a spoon. I quickly observed that they don't. When we have dinner in the dark is normally when I would practice eating the soupy beans and rice with my hands. The first night that she served me dinner with my family and didn't get my any silverware was an accomplishment for me. Now she doesn't ever serve me a meal with a spoon. The small things like that really mean the world when they could have never imagined having a white guest in their house, let alone one like me, or someone who actually wants to learn how they do the things they do every single day. It gives them an honour that cannot be put into words. It makes their hut a real home. It gives them a sense of pride and ownership that has never been instilled in them before. It is very humbling that the Lord is using me as a tool to help a family feel this amount of worth.

I don't have pictures yettttt, but they will be coming soon. I have chosen not to bring my camera with me to their home until a feel that it is an okay time to bring it out. When I do, I will be able to show you the strength and the miracles that I have been blessed enough to be a part of.

That is all of the time I have for now, but there will be many more stories to come. Pray for the teammates of mine whose stomachs aren't handling the food or water well..and pray that mine continues to enjoy it as much as I am (which is a lot!)..minus the fish. Oy. I couldn't eat fish before I came here..but let me tell ya-I've learned to smile while I chew!!

Do Not Fret, My Pet!

It's getting to be that time! Already?? Oy..where did the time go? I have no idea. But God just keeps showing off. My last few days here were so, so nice. The good byes were realllly hard, but there was joy through the pain. Its beautiful to see the way He orchestrates everything. Every thing. I praise him for that. 

Before we leave Vredendal to drive to Lamberts Bay for a couple days for team debrief in preparation of Mozambique, I wanted to share with you something that the Lord has done in my heart. I have written about it previously, but the fact that I am writing about it again shows the He has answered my prayers. Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." He has miraculously given me the strength and the focus to not have an ounce of worry for whatever is happening tomorrow. Literally. (As some of my family knows, a pet peeve of mine is people saying literally when it doesn't fit the context. So when I say it, I am happy to say that I really mean it!) He has given me and unending peace about whatever situation is at hand as well as whatever is going on in the future. How our schedule worked was quite different than something I am accustomed to. We often times didn't know the plan for the next day. If we did, it would normally change from this to that or from that to this. Typically, that would bug the worms out of me. (No pun intended. Don't worry everyone, I have taken my de-worming meds. Man, I feel like a dog.) But because that was the case, it was easier for God to give me a pure joy and sense of satisfaction in doing whatever we were doing, where ever. That has lead me to actually be able to BE where I am. Fully. It has been rewarding beyond measure. Not only for me, for  those around me, but it for Him too. He has spoken through me in prayers that I have prayed over some of our friends and in messages I have taught to kids, the youth group, and even a group of police neighborhood watchmen and women. I thank God over and over and over, and I still can't seem to say it enough.

So I encourage you and challenge you to strive for the same. There is no way I could have ever achieved this peace on my own, no matter how hard I tried or how badly I wanted it. But God will provide. He will give it to you. Just follow him, do what he asks. Do not worry. Do not be anxious. Do not agonize. Do not stress. Do not fear. Do not doubt. Or as my mom would say, "Don't fret, my pet!"

Goofin off with some of the kids we would hang out and play with every week.

Me, Arina (my host mom), Anarie (my host sister), and Cassandra (my roomie)!

Our team with the Kingdom Vision Bible School students. They are all wearing the blue shirts. 

From left to right: Marian, Kerau, Sumalie, Qula, and Lionel.

Pray for my dear friends! Prayer is so wonderfully powerful. How cool is it that we get to speak with The One that created us..that created this all?? How could I want to do anything else but that..? :)

Love and Laughter

My heart is overwhelmed as I write this out. I don't even know where to begin. My time here in Vredendal is coming to an end. It hurts. I love the people here. My host family has taken me in as a part of their family. I have seen such a change in them between the first week and now this last week. God is moving and he is growing them! Vian, Arina, and Annari have taught me valuable lessons that will stay with me for years to come. Johann has taught me so much as well. I respect him more than words can say. The Lord really uses him to love and to teach others. He listens and obeys even when it means sacrificing the things he and his family care about.
The friendships that have developed over my time here mean so much to me. Every Wednesday night, we meet with the high school youth group at Johann's church. These kids are absolutely amazing! They have a zest for life that is wrapped up in laughter and a spirit willing to learn more about God. I love them. We also have spent a lot of time with the students of a Bible school that Johann is very involved with. There are five students ranging in age from about 21-33. When we plan time to go the the squatter camps or to a school for a program of singing and games and a lesson, they often times join us and help guide what we have planned out for the afternoon. They are such an incredible group of young people. They have so much to offer and so much love to give. I love and respect them so much.
Our times working on the farm have been unforgettable. My team working in the fields with their workers is a foreign concept to people in this community. Not only are we white people working among the coloured people that are classified as some of the lowest in the community, but we are Americans working with them. With them. Not in front of them. This has opened so many doors! It is such a blessing to be a part of it. God is so good. He has also given us the opportunity to become very close with Francios and Madalie, who own the farm and the fields that we've been pruning, harvesting, and planting.
We have visited a handful of different schools. Each one of them is full of bright kids that longed to be loved. It is not only a fun and wild experience for them to run around with us, but it is also refreshing for the teachers and administrators of the school. Just like in any school in the U.S., there are troubled kids in the classroom..bullies, smart-alecs, interrupters, the shy and quiet ones, the ones that don't care..but when they get to be outside and play!! That is when the real kid in them comes out. Some of the teachers have expressed to me how nice it is for them to see that side of their students. It gives them reason to persevere through the hard days.
Something that we have a team has struggled with is seeing 'the effect.' Some days it feels like we aren't really doing anything life-changing for the people around us. We aren't building houses. We aren't converting people by the dozens. Men still walk around drunk, smoking drugs. Women and young girls and boys still get used and abused. There are still homeless people sleeping outside of the stores and along the side of the road. The crime rate hasn't dropped. But Satan uses our discouragement to try to tear us down. The work we have been a part of and the things we are doing aren't tangible. As an American, that is very difficult to understand. However, being here in Vredendal for these five or six weeks has shown me that even though statistics haven't changed, hearts have. Praise the Lord for that.
We have also been making friends in the squatter camps..just walking around, talking to who ever is standing outside their home and is willing and brave enough to talk to a group of white people walking around. (It's not something that happens very often, so usually when we are talking with a new friend, there will be people off in the distance watching and wondering who? Why? Where? What are they doing here?) The presence of the Holy Spirit has been overwhelming in some of these situations. Prayer is powerful. That is one of the biggest lessons I've learned here. One Wednesday night at the youth group, we were all sitting in a circle. some people were sitting on the couch, a few in some lounge chairs, and the rest of us were sitting in plastic chairs. Me being me..I was leaning back on the back two legs of the chair during most of the evening. I had no idea that almost the whole group had been watching me and waiting for me to fall backwards. Near the end of all of us hanging out, Tayla, one of my favorite girls in the youth, and Megan, the other girl from Colorado, prayed and asked Jesus if He would make me fall out of the chair. I guess in the ten seconds after they finished praying, God did them one better. One of the legs on the chair broke! I feel straight to my back having no clue what happened. Oh gosh, everyyyyyone was laughing their faces off! But I thought, hey, I am okay with God teaching the group how powerful prayer is through my expense, well really, my ego's expense. Ah it really funny. I had no idea Tayla thought it was so funny until we went to visit their school a few days later and she had told alllll of her friends about it. Then she proudly pointed at me and laughed, "This is this girl!!" It took me back to a sheepishly shy middle school feeling, but it was totally worth it seeing her laugh so hard.
Another really awesome opportunity that our whole team had was being involved in the Farm Run! This is an event that happens every year. Churches from all over the community join together and hold bike races, runs, and walks to raise money for the Cohen Group. The Cohen Group is a group of young adults that commit to training and learning the best ways to be there for kids in the schools of Vredendal, similar to a counselor. The teachers in the schools offer themselves up as well, but for the kids with struggles at home or at school, addictions, any type of abuse, and the list goes on..its a lot easier for them to talk someone closer to their age. Their training is through a faith based program, so these coaches (which is what the students refer to them as) are able to pray for the kids and offer them advice and love the way God asks us to. In addition to the races, they have crafts being sold, tons of unbelievably delicious food, blow up jump games, then even had a human foosball blow up game! Another huge focus of the day is the Farm Fun. People are split into even teams..2 adults, 2 high schoolers, and 2 younger kids. Well Cassandra, the one girl on our team from Mexico, and I partnered up and found some awesome kids that wanted to compete. The events for the competition included jumping over hail bays, rolling and running a barrel, wheel barreling your team across a teeter-totter, rolling tires in a straight line, pulling a tractor, kicking a soccer ball through a tube into a goal, knocking down cans with a slingshot, and one of the favorites crawling under a net in a pool of water. It was awesome. People loved that there were people from our team actually participating in all of these with the kids. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. It was a blast! We had high hopes for making it to the top three, but were unfortunately disappointed. But Megan's team got second place! I was glad that my Colorado sister represented our country well.

The Lord continues to give me His favor in so many things. He really has blessed me with these friendships. There will be many tear filled good byes..

Oh the Namqualand Daisies! The Western Cape takes pride in these beautiful flowers that blossom for a very short time during the winter season. White, orange, and yellow flowers drown pastures of grass. But really!! Rolling hills look like an ocean of these things!

Sweet Potatoes!! Yummy. Look at how many :) 

My new little friend, Asa.

Team tire rolling at the Farm Run!

Wednesday night youth group. What goofs!

Johann and Madaleen Engelbrecht

Some of the team with Madalie and Francois!

Prayer Requests:
Please pray for Johann, Madaleen, Annie, and their ministry. Pray that God gives them direction and provides for them financially, physically, spiritually, and through relationships. They are family truly after living out the word.

Lift up the students in the Kingdom Vision Bible School. Their hearts are made of solid gold. Pray that the Lord continues to grow them and teach them more about Him. Also pray for the hearts the people they come in contact with, especially the kids that they make friends with and play with. Pray for their hearts to be opened and their lives to be changed through the wisdom my friends have to offer.

Ask God to continue to bless the harvest of Francois and Madalie's fields. They are hard workers and lovers of Christ; they are some of the sweetest, most giving people I have met here.

Also pray for my team. Satan really is trying to tear a couple of us down- so pray that we surrender it all to the foot of the cross. Pray for discernment and healing as well.