Hey everyone,
My first shot-term missions trip experience was 14 days in Guatemala. Those 14 days changed my life! It was the first time I had seen extreme poverty. We had an opportunity to minister to families in the city dump. It was a huge culture shock, there was roughly 30,000 people living in the middle of the dump. Their homes were built against each other from scraps of metal, wood, and anything else they could find, It was heart breaking! For the rest of the trip we put on a daily devotional bible camp for the local kids of Tactic a small town 4 hours out side of Guatemala. We also poured a cement floor in a church and painted a couple of the schools class rooms. During this missions trip I realized that I would never be the same and that Gods plan for my life was to work in full time missions.
This picure was taked at a school in Tactic Guatemala. ( yr 2003)
In 2008 I got an amazaing opportunity to go to South Africa. Going to Afirca has always been my dream. After graduation my friend and I signed up for a short-term missions trip. Our ministry was sharing the gosple of Jesus Christ through the humble act of washing the orphans feet. All 26 of us brought two 50 lb duffle bags full of shoes and socks to Africa. By the end of the two months we providing more then 1000 orphans with a pair of new shoes and socks. It was incredible spending time and getting to know the children. There was one little girl who became a dear friend to me her name is Mushia, you will see her in the video below. Every moring my team and I would wash feet and in the afternoons we presented dramas, puppet shows, testimonies, games and read the children bible stories.
I love so much about Africa but one of my favorite things would have to be the church services. Being from Canada I am used to going to church at 10:00am in the morning and getting out an hour and a half later. Going to church in Africa is a totally different story. The services I attended started at 9:00am and end around 4:00pm! The first service was a little difficult to endure, mostly cause we didn't have chairs so we stood the whole time. Aside from that the services were amazing they are full of energy, beautiful singing and lots of dancing. I loved it! I can't wait to go back to Africa in August and experience its wonderful culture again.
At the end of our trip we had a chance to go on a Safari in Krugar National Park. The first night we spent in Krugar my team and I heard lions roaring off in the distance. It was one of the most crazy and amazing moments during the trip!The next moring we woke up before the sun and headed out on our safari. We were lucky enough to see the big five Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Lion, and Water Buffalo. Oh yea I have to tell you this story! While on the Safari we had stopped for lunch at one of the parks rest stops and there were monkeys and birds everywhere!There was this one monkey sitting in tree above me, it was a perfect picture. So as I was getting my camera ready the monkey leeps out of the tree opens up my hand and takes my lunch! He stole my lunch, and thats not even the best part. My lunch was banana bread haha. On our way back the next day we also got to see and explore Blyde River Canyon one of the largest in the world and the only one to have lush vegetation.
Watch the video below to see my adventure in South Africa.
