How is it that I’m already recapping Africa?! Time flies by too quickly. Of course Africa would be the hump months of this trip.
Malawi seems like forever ago. I remember walking off the plane, getting checked for Ebola, going through immigration, and driving off with my new team to our ministry site, with expectations about what I believed Africa will be like.
Expectations were the death of me that month. It was a season of frustration and confusion, but I learned what rubbed me the wrong way. I learned what I couldn’t stand to see in life.
And God asked me, “What are you going to do about it, Kai?”
Meeting up with D Squad at the end of the month was such a great encouragement. It rejuvenated me and gave me hope.
Then came Zambia. A country I’d fallen in love with so many years ago. Zambia stole my heart. And so did Rachael.
Zambia was my home away from home. We had freedom. Driving around, exploring when we could, playing soccer at the Olympic Youth Center, going on sunset walks, setting up our tents every night for a sleepover in the living room, these are all beautiful memories that I’ll cherish forever.
Even the simple things like dropping off the kids at school, filling up air in the tires, laughing in the kitchen, hanging out on the porch, made it feel like I was home.
After that was we had our brief respite at Victoria Falls. Meeting up with the rest of J Squad, reveling in God’s natural beauty, going on a spontaneous safari in a neighboring country, these were all key in giving me hope and joy for our last month in Africa.
Three days before we made our way to Zimbabwe, we found out that our contact fell through and we were picked up by a new contact. This month, Team Gener8 had the honor of serving alongside Team Fellowship at the Hunnington Retreat Centre in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe.
All month we did manual labor. Mostly painting. I focused on painting the windows. It was a tedious job, but I felt God teaching me the importance of paying attention to details.
Working at the camp reminded me of Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp A.K.A. one of the greatest places on earth! I also LOVED God’s timing in what He’s planning for me after the race. Being at camp solidified my decision and I’m excited to see what the future holds!
This month was a month of rest and rejuvenation. All 16 of us were up and active from 6:30 am. The sunrises and sunrises were spectacular, you could see the Milky Way and the constellations at night, and there’s something special about working hard all day and having a meal cooked over the fire for dinner at night.
One of our last moments at camp was something special. Imagine this. A blazing bonfire illuminating the faces of those you love around you, twinkling stars shining bright above you, worshiping Jesus with a guitar and our voices, feeling full after a delicious meal cooked over the fire, and reminiscing about our times together in Africa.
These are the moments I live for.
The small moments that can so easily be looked over. Yet, these are the small moments that make all the difference. My small moments in Africa, when put together, made a huge impact on my life.
Hold tight to those small moments.
These small moments transformed my race into something spectacular, incredible, and memorable.
It’s crazy to think that tomorrow we’ll be in Southeast Asia. I’m thankful for these past three months in Africa, and I’m stoked to see God transform our lives in this next season!
Please keep us in prayer during our transition from Zimbabwe to Malaysia!
Thank you to everyone who has supported me both financially and prayerfully over the course of these past 7 months! If you feel led, I’m still about $4,000 away from reaching my final deadline! You can donate by clicking on the “Support Me!” tab on the left side of my blog. Thank you, thank you!
