The last month of the race was a gift from God. We traveled from Swaziland safely across the boarder and into South Africa. We stopped at Durban for just a quick rest and took off the next day for Port Elizabeth. We stayed 2 nights there and finally arrived at Cape Town. We met our contacts Bradley and Joselyn Barnes. We were paired up with Day 3 which was also special because Moriah was on the that team so we finished as Sweet Aroma with everyone together. Our living arrangements were separate from Day 3 and our team stayed in a small sweet house in Ocean View. We moved in and met our neighbors and were warmly accepted by all on the street. I met 4 year old Jodi,
her grandparents and family, 
Chandre and her parents, and they became like family. We were introduced to Clifton as the mayor of our street, ha ha and he helped us get around and show us the ropes. We also met a family on the other side of our house that Noah got close with. Bradley and Joselyn's family felt like family too. Joselyn's sister Ivy loaned us her car, her daughter Isaiah went with us anytime she could, and Bradley and Joselyn's 2 boys were awesome, Lyle and Blakster. It was fun to live as a Sweet Aroma family too even if the house seemed to get smaller and smaller as the month went on!
The last month our contact Bradley really cared for us and spoke into our teams. He was aware of what we needed and how we needed to be challenged. He also knew that we were going through finishing well as this was our last month. We arrived and had the first weekend off to get settled and check out the area. We went to a small shopping center and got sim cards. We met some cool people at the Vodocom shop and the New Balance store. (A shout out to Matt and Kyle if they are reading this!) We were just able to live in the community and build friendships this month. It was a cool stepping stone for what we are to do now back home in our communities. Noah and I have often talked about how the biggest thing on the race (and in life) is building relationships with people, hearing their story and sharing our own.
Bradley helped us get involved in a lot of stuff too. He had us helping out at a busy preschool in the mornings for the first week just loving on the kids! In the afternoons we helped with an after-school kids club with games, songs, and a Bible story. We were able to perform our Everything Skit for them as well and share a testimony. Some of us got plugged in with soccer and some of us like myself played basketball every Wednesday night! I got to meet some great guys there too, Talip, Jason, Jean, Pedro, and others! A true blessing to play again!
The next week we took off to Masiphumelele (the town Obama visited while I was here!). It is a small, low income community where we helped with orphanages and preschools. We also did a lot of door to door ministry and praying for people. I was also able to share with some people in hospice and we prayed over them too. The last week we traveled a bit to Simon's Town (where the penguins hang out on Boulder's Bay). We helped with their non-existent physical education program. Bradley our contact, volunteers there and helps with the after-school sports program but it's a lot for one man! Carly, Emily, and Christin were loving it because they were able to plan a gymnastics class and we helped them lead it.
It was so fun and the students loved it! We were able to share with each class just what we were all about. My favorite times that week were hanging out in the library with Tanya. There were a few classes she let us do a question/answer time. It was great!
One of my favorite students ( I know you shouldn't really have those) is Bilqeez, a 3rd grader.
I got to hang out with her a bit while she waited for her ride. She is so sweet, with a great smile. I shared with her why I was there helping at the school and introduced her to Jesus. I also gave her a Bible and hope that she keeps seeking after Him! We really did make some great connections with a ton of kids that week. It was great! Our team went to the youth group that meets there on campus and shared the Everything Skit with them as well. Carly and I shared our testimonies and that really was one of the first times I have ever shared it. It was awesome! I loved it! I miss partnering in ministry with Sweet Aroma. God really used our unique gifts together for His purpose.
We got plugged in with Bradley and Joselyn's church too. I have never felt so welcomed. We got to know the pastors, Carl and Verina and their passion to grow the church. We shared the skit and testimonies there too and from that got asked to share at a different church too. There are some awesome families at that church. 
It was another small step getting ready to come home. This church family made me miss my church family all the more! I have missed Calvary and worshiping together all year. I am definitely spoiled by my church family with prayers and support! (A big shout out to all of YOU!)
In between all of this we were able to visit Cape Town, see a rugby game, travel to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, visit a lighthouse, climb some mountains, chase a baboon around the neighborhood or watch Jason do it, sit out front and visit with people, have a braai (bbq), celebrate birthday's, see penguins, and camels, drive to Chapman's Peak, play basketball, shop at a mall, see movies, drive Bradley's car, and just hang out together as a team savoring the last month together!
God definitely didn't let up the last month, He was right there to get in a few more teachable moments before the end of the race! I lost my flash drive of pics, continued to complain about it the rest of the month and hoped they would return, but my team was so sweet to share theirs and listen to me complain! I learned to abandon more and more, to know that God will provide. He used Bradley to show us again how great it is to obey Him and to see blessing flow. He said one thing to us that continues to stick out to me now, “if you've been too comfortable on this race then you haven't been obeying the Spirit”. The Spirit calls us out of our comfort zones and right into the center of God's will. It was a good word.
I was in awe over and over again of the greatness and splendor and wonder of our great God and King! To see all the beauty in South Africa, the sunrises, sunsets, ocean, mountains, stars, creation and not sing out in praise is impossible! He loves us so much! A song from Bethel has a line that says, “What other king leaves his throne?” Our God is an awesome God. We are without excuse (Romans 1:20) to know for sure if God exists after seeing His creation and here it is so evident. If you still have that void in your life and after trying to fill it with everything else, you still come up empty..just stop. Confess your sins. Seek God. He's there to fill that void perfectly! Thanks God! To you be the glory! Forever and ever. Amen! *Psalm 😯 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens. When I consider your heavens the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?!
So we left Ocean View and headed to the Lighthouse Farm and Lodge in Cape Town and loved the couple running the place. They took such great care of us. We got to bond as a big squad and hang out for the last time on the race. We met and debriefed as teams, had some nights together full of laughs and tears. We are forever L squad united in Spirit by this amazing journey. A big thanks to Carly and KK (who came back for final debrief) our fearless and bold squad leaders that along with Seth Jr. started us out on this thing a year ago. We could not have finished so well in South Africa if they had not been so faithful in their prayers from the beginning.
I'll miss South Africa and we'll see if God ever directs my steps back there. I sure hope so.
