When the days blur together…(Month 1)

[Written Month 1: Pretoria, South Africa; POPUP Ministry]

When the days blur together, and internet is not consistently available or even priority, it’s hard to keep up with blogs. I’ve learned to prioritize rest and hygiene, only after ministry. Even stopping to eat has become a mundane task and rarely enjoyable for me.

It’s strange to think how I now opt in and out of “normal” tasks based on how long it takes and how much energy I have – like changing my clothes, or stopping to eat or drink, or styling my hair for example.
I seriously don’t know what day of the week it is anymore and yesterday feels like last week. Days are long. Mornings are early. Nights are late. I’ve set an hourly alarm chime on my watch just to be able to track the hours of the day. The cool thing is, is that time seems to fly when I’ve got my hand to the plow. Another cool thing is that every time I hear that little chime on the hour, I say out loud “Lord, you are here” as a powerful reminder to myself.

 SO MUCH happens in so little time, I’d have to blog three times a day to share the events and happenings. I confess I have not been journaling. Admittedly, God has been working so quickly, so powerfully, so amazingly that ministry has been jam-packed. At the end of each day I am completely exhausted.
The things that I can share is that I’m more in love with Jesus, more in love with ministry and more in love with South Africa! I feel like I’m totally in my element. I am absolutely keeping my heart open and praying for opportunities to be made clear. I feel like I am definitely being empowered this season and stepping closer to my calling.

Life is by no means easy, but the ministry is totally worth it!
I’m living out my dreams here in South Africa: growing in the Spirit, diving into ministry and chasing God’s heart.
Here are the reasons why I’m more in love with Jesus:

• He has consistently lavished me with love that is made manifest through His word and the kindness of local saints
• He has taken me to a point of understanding my supernatural identity in Him and it’s royal
• He is manifest through healings here
• He takes care of my every need in the bare necessities and in the desires of my heart in a drastically obvious way
• He is literally the shield about me as He daily leads me into enemy territory to fight the good fight of faith
• He is teaching me that I have been equipped for this calling by Him and for Him
• He is absolutely 100% always good even in the most hopeless looking situations out here
• Jesus is jealously calling His own unto Himself and bringing the wayward home in miraculous ways (and I’ve got a front row seat)

Here are the reasons I am falling in love with POPUP ministry:

• I have every opportunity to exercise my spiritual gifts freely and with power
• The word of my testimony  is making an impact and allows me to draw near to the broken
• I have built relationships with their ministry team and the rest of the staff here, and I love these people deeply
• This ministry is about empowering the disempowered and preaching the Gospel while feeding the hungry, healing the sick and helping the poor
• I’ve been able to minister the word and prayer,  preach the Gospel and connect through the word of my testimony to the learners here and also the staff
• There are a boatload of teenagers and women of all ages walking in through the front gates daily
• There are some very well-seasoned saints here that pour into me and refresh me in the Spirit
• It’s all about the Word being taught here
• The people here REALLY love Jesus and live out Kingdom dreams
• I get hugs here every day (bonus!)
• Jesus is here in a powerful way
• I know Jesus sent me here for a reason and my heart is captured

The reasons I’m falling in love with South Africa:

• It reminds me a lot of California in so many ways: climate, urban sprawl, FOOD, cultural diversity
• There are 11 languages to learn here and Afrikaans is growing on me
• The people here are amazing and they have so many needs to be met
• There is a movement of world-changers with Godly vision for a future here
• Wildlife here is pretty awesome
• Jesus is allowed in schools and in public
• I can see so many possibilities for ministry in-roads should the Lord lead
• Life is simple in so many ways, but also complicated in really spiritually challenging ways
• High risk, high reward, more glory to God!

I’m praying and just letting the Lord lead…
…but for now I must go on.
I’m nearing the end of month one on the World Race and it’s official: I’m in love.