Currently in: Doma, Zimbabwe
Quick Fundraising Update: $13,625!!! It is incredibly difficult to fundraise from afar, and people tend to forget about it all. So THANK YOU to the ones who haven’t forgotten. Maeta basa (in Shona J). The people who are still with me on this. Supporting and praying. You know who you are. It’s past my final fundraising deadline, and I have $2,625 left to raise. I am awaiting instructions as to what’s next but am sure that you can still donate if you’ve been wanting to. It’s not too late! 😉
Last month, my team was at the Youth With A Mission base in Livingstone, Zambia. We were joined by two lovely World Race Exposure ladies, Caitlin and Syd, who were checking out the race for the month. Our hosts, Jonathan and Jean Mumbi, connected us with several pastors. Partnering with them, we ventured out to several different compounds and shared words of encouragement through door-to-door ministry. I absolutely loved getting to know the people at the base. Getting to cuddle with the adorable three-year old, Lulu, in the mornings and playing guitar with Malenga—it was all so good.
However, the encounters that stood out most to me were the unexpected ones because spreading His glory is not just an isolated action—it’s a lifestyle. God has been teaching me a lot about seeing through His eyes and stepping out during those unexpected times. The times when we are not in structured ministry…
When I’m waiting for a teammate at the ATM and strike up a conversation about the race and what God has been doing with a random man and woman who overheard us talking about not being home for such a long period of time
When I get to share short messages from the Bible when Lulu hops on my lap in the mornings
When we strike up conversations with taxi drivers as they take us to and from town
And then there are the really awesome encounters with people that particularly stood out to me. The ones that I took time to journal. And I don’t journal as much as I should. Let me tell you about them.
Anton: At the end of Malawi at Cape Maclear, Anton came up to me on the beach as I was searching for something in the sand. It was starting to get dark and almost everybody was inside, waiting for dinner to be ready. I turned to leave, and I caught a glimpse of his silhouette in the backdrop of the gorgeous sunset over the sparkling water. He asked me what I was doing. At that moment, I knew I had the chance to either say I had to leave or stay to chat for a few minutes. I decided to stay. I learned that he was 18 years old. He was originally from Lilongwe but his family moved to Cape Maclear. He enjoyed it there but really wants to travel the world. I told him about the race and about the joy of getting to encourage people. I wanted him to ask me more about it, and it wasn’t long that he asked me to encourage him. I asked about Jesus, and he said that he knew Him. And I prayed for him on the beach that evening. I prayed that he would get to intimately know the Lord and know that He gives us the desires of our heart when we ask for them. I prayed that Anton would be blessed and encouraged by the goodness of who He is and that he will walk as a strong man of faith.
Phillip: I went over to a coffee shop in a mall in Lusaka with a squadmate while we were waiting for the bus to Livingstone to leave. As we were waiting for her coffee, we started talking to one of the workers. His name was Phillip, and he was originally from Livingstone. He was working temporarily in Lusaka and planned on going back. After hearing about our journey, he shyly added that he was also a local missionary. I jumped at the chance to pray and encourage him in his walk with Him.
Mike: Our team would often go to Café Zambezi to get wifi during the month. Every time we went, men would swarm the entrance, asking us to look at their things because “looking is free.” Sometimes they would wait for hours until we left the shop. This can be aggravating when we’re tired, and everybody’s in our faces. One of the days, I originally didn’t plan on buying anything (especially with not having a working credit or debit card since January/February—long story probably coming later). But I felt the Spirit telling me to just get to know these people. So I talked with one of the men. He was slightly taken aback that I started to ask him about his life and family as he’s throwing necklaces in my face. I did decide to buy something from him. And I prayed for him and his family in the village outside of Livingstone and the beautiful gift of creativity that God had given him.
Njamba: When I first learned where we were going to be and that there was a rock climbing wall at a nearby lodge, I FLIPPED OUT. Pretty sure I squealed and was literally jumping up and down. Not often that you can find a wall in Africa…seriously though. My body and my soul needed it. As well as my rock climbing shoes that have been patiently waiting for the next opportunity to be used. Exhausted from a horrible cough that kept me up for many weeks, I managed to make my way over with a teammate on our last day in Livingstone.
The man who belayed us, Njamba, was really curious about what God had been teaching us. He was my beta for a route, and as I came down, he said that he taught me something, so I should teach him something. I was so excited but needed background info so I asked him about Christ and church and what he had been learning. He knew about God and sometimes went to church but didn’t feel as if he got much from it. Knowing that, I decided to share with him the things I shared in Malawi as words of encouragement for new believers. Unfortunately, his boss came over, and I didn’t have time to pray for him but that didn’t stop me from doing it later. So Njamba, if you read this, know that I am thinking and praying for you but more importantly, God is ALWAYS with you.
My alumni squad leader, Katie, talked about Africa being a training ground, and it’s so true. It’d be exponentially more awkward to walk into a coffee shop in America and pray for somebody while they were working. I’m hoping it’s not going to stop me because that’s exactly the kind of life I want to live from this point forward. I’m excited to live it in America (and potentially back in the corporate world) because it’s so off the wall, and that’s the type of person God has made me to be. One who eats strange combinations of food and randomly does crazy things. If anything, this month has taught me a lot about being a blessing anywhere and everywhere. About being alert and on the lookout for opportunities to share Him in both the expected and unexpected times.
Also in Zambia…
He wants me to dive deeper and the only way to bridge the gap is to jump.
