This past month started off just incredible! Here we are at debrief – so happy to be together again (the whole squad), SO happy that Mike & Patti are with us, and OVERWHELMED at the surprise of Ashley Musick (our squad leader who went back home in April) being back with us for the week!! J It was just amazing and I was by far the most content in the Lord I had ever been in my life during this week. We were asked by our leaders to pray into the upcoming month of ministry….where do we feel like God is calling our team?! Well, the count was in: and Swaziland it was – our whole team felt like God was leading us to go to Swaziland. So, it was MUCH to our surprise when the evening came and we were told that our team had been chosen to spend ANOTHER MONTH IN THE BUSH in Botswana! My Spirit was a little crushed and disappointed … I felt like I had come crawling out of last month … barely surviving, but by the grace of God. Going back into the bush of Africa was not really something I was thrilled about. Were we all wrong on our team – how did each one of us feel like Swaziland was where we were supposed to go – if apparently we are headed to Botswana? We had to brace ourselves for yet another month of tenting in the bush – with NO accommodation what so ever – cooking all of our meals over a fire and most likely 3 weeks without a good shower.
I finally wrestled in my heart and decided that because God had changed my heart during our time in Mozambique and I had the opportunity to spend such quality time with Him – that maybe another month in the bush would not be so bad. I had survived it just before … I could simply survive it again! Team Spectacle and Team BLING would be working together (this thrilled us because it would be our first time to be alone with this team and we love them). We started our trek to Botswana and we were THRILLED to be greeted by a beautiful woman and her three sons, who welcomed us to stay at the missionary school housing next door to their home. It was probably around 40 degrees outside and we would be staying in a freezing cement house… who ever thought Africa could get this cold?!! Thankfully Heather and the boys brought us small space heaters for our bedrooms and we were given huge and really thick blankets to cover us in the night – and I was definitely sweating inside my sleeping bag that night. The next couple of days we stayed there (in Lobatse, Botswana) – helping to clear out some land, in which a garden will be planted. We ended up staying longer than we thought and were able to build a relationship with the Walker family (Michael, Heather, Beracah, Judah, Josiah, & Charissma). This family is not only beautiful, but has been an unbelievable blessing to us in the short amount of time we were able to spend with them. They provided us with company – company with a family I have only experienced one other time on this Race (in Malaysia) and a home to spend time in – even Sunday movies and naps at their home if we wish, and SO much amazing food and movie/popcorn time. Their family is from America and felt called to Africa many years ago – serving in Uganda, and now almost 6 years in Botswana. They understand the true difficulty of what it means to give your whole life to the Lord and serve Him however He calls you – and they wanted to bless us. I thought that I would be incredibly happy to just stay here and spend the whole month soaking in my time with this family.
But, we were told that BLING and Spectacle would have to split up for the rest of the month and be headed in completely different directions. We were starting to think that this bush experience this month was not so bad after all – and then the news. Spectacle would be traveling 1000km north to a place called Mahopa – it was going to take us almost 2 full days to arrive at our destination: THE BUSH! The comfort we had been living in was soon to disappear. I was not very happy, and I started questioning God on this decision…hoping that he would change His mind and let us stay here in Lobatse. But, He didn’t change His mind and we soon had to make our way up the 1000 km, 2 day trip to Mahopa, Botswana. We headed North and ended up two days later at the home of Dreis and Ilse Van Jaarsveldt. This is not where we were originally supposed to be – but it is where God obviously had ordained us to be.
We drive up and see the bush all around us – thinking for sure that this is where we will be sleeping during the night…in our tents again. Much to our surprise, just one week before, their brand new home had been completed. Because they were not living in it yet, we were able to sleep in their brand new – empty home. Just for the sake of feeling like I had my own space – I decided to set up my tent and sleep inside of it – inside the house. We took a tour of their land and saw actual bathrooms, with real seats, real showers – including hot water to go in the buckets, a fire pit where we can cook our food and an insulated home – and our job for the time being was to help finish their new home. We were to paint, stain, tile, and make their house into a home. The day we got there and I was pleasantly surprised by our living conditions – I read this verse in my devotional. Matthew 7:11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask.”
I quickly confessed my sins to the Lord, asked for forgiveness and wrote this prayer in my journal… “I am amazed at how quickly I not only jump to conclusions, but that I will complain – when I have NO clue what something will be like. I have so much to learn. I need to just shut my big freaking mouth – because I have no idea EVER! God: why don’t I TRUST YOU? I doubt you all the time and You still prove Yourself over and over and over again!” (July 16, 2009). I had to remind myself of what it says in Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without complaining & arguing” and told the Lord that I was going to try really hard to not complain about things anymore and just trust in Him at all times – knowing that He has my best interest and my growth at heart. I decided that even if He does call me to go back into the bush – that He is Almighty and His love can spur me on to do anything. But, in my complaining – God must have been laughing, because He knew exactly what He had planned for us and there I was fearing the worst. It ended up being one of my favorite months on the Race so far. We spent each day, working on the house, and each evening – growing closer together as a team sitting around the fire – discussing the character of God and just brutally making fun of one another …that time together will be some of my favorite memories from this whole year.
I have been reading the devotion My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers everyday on this trip and this went along with the verse in Matthew 7:11. “He urges us to keep our minds filled with the notion of God’s control behind everything, which means that the disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek. God is my Father, He loves me, I shall never think of anything He will forget, why should I worry? Nothing happens in any particular unless God’s will is behind it; therefore you can rest in perfect confidence in Him.” The best part of the month, was not only the closeness that developed amongst my team, but the relationship that we built with our contacts, Dreis, Ilse & Jana Van Jaarsveldt. We immediately connected with them and the friendship grew more and more each day. They not only blessed us with their friendship and time, but with AMAZING food for dinner. The team that left right before us bought a cow, and we got all the left-over meat for our dinners…which meant, we got stew several times, and our last night together : STEAK!!
My point in all of this – is that I continue to learn more and more each month that God passionately loves me and that He can be trusted completely. I never need to worry or complain, but just to trust in Him – because I know Him and He is good and loving and He loves to give good gifts to His children. I will be putting up pictures soon – showing you our ministry and our time in Botswana. I will also introduce you to both the Walkers and the Van Jaarsveldt’s – and tell you a little more about them.
I love you all and look forward to catching you up on the month. We think that we are going to Swaziland next month, but we are not sure yet. I cannot believe that I am about to go into month 8! It is insane that I only have 17 weeks until I come home!
