It is crazy how time flies. One second you are on your way to Africa and then you find yourself in a cafe in Malaysia, wondering how three months have passed and how you got there.
If I am totally honest, I have been avoiding writing a blog because I do not know how to explain the rollercoaster that was Africa. But for the sake of not leaving you guys in the dark, I will attempt to eloquently summarize the last three months.
ZAMBIA:
Zambia was quite literally a wreck (no really. we got into two car wrecks). Our ministry there was entirely made up of evangelism. This looked like handing out fliers for 4-6 hours a day. The fliers were an invitation to the church that we were partnered with. In order to avoid offense I will just quickly mention that the theology of this church was less than stellar, so supporting it was very difficult. It was also difficult to hand out fliers in the areas we were visiting because the main group of people we were interacting with were middle aged drunk men. They were very aggressive and none of us felt very safe during ministry. Zambia also brought two car accidents, a bug infested home, and malaria for me and three of my teammates.
HOWEVER, Zambia also reminded me of the Lord’s provision. Going December, I was nervous. It was a new continent, a new team, and I felt isolated. But in a month where I felt unwanted by an entire country, I felt equally cherished by my team. They loved, and continue to love, me so well and I can not imagine doing the past three months without them.
BOTSWANA:
Botswana was a tame month. As another testament to the Lord’s provision, we did very little ministry. I think he knew we needed a break after such a hard month. In Botswana our busiest days were Saturday and Sunday. On Saturdays we helped put on a kids event, where we played games, gave a mini sermon, and provided food. There were a couple days a week that we went out and invited children to come to the event and there was always an overflow.
On Sundays we spent most of the day at church. We were partnered with Kingdom City, a church that has plants all over the world. The branch in Botswana uses space at a school so the day included set up, the actual service, and take down. It was truly incredible to see this church in action. There were so many people there that were hungry for the Lord and it was clear, through the administration, that the Lord’s arms were open and ready. The remainder of our time in Botswana was spent growing together as a team as well as with our hosts. We spent a lot of time playing games with our hosts.
NAMIBIA:
Transitioning to Namibia felt like getting back on the roller coaster that was Zambia. My team was placed in a town called Oshakati. The area we were in was very unsafe and the very first night we spent there, someone tried to break in the gate around the house we were staying in. The second night a strange man came in the house after we were all asleep (it turns out it was the hosts son), and the next day our team wallet was stolen. There were these and a series of other red flags that urged my team to relocate, and a few days later we found ourselves in a little town called Okahandja. It was here that we finished out our month, going into countless preschools, helping to teach and play with the tiny humans. Unfortunately, Okahandja also brought sickness (there was a virus in the water), so our ministry time this month was very limited.
Once again, this month spoke to the Lord’s provision. My team was kept safe and we were given a new host that not only quickly invited us in but desired to spend time with us. One night they prepared supper for us and another night they provided snacks so that we would sit around and talk with them.
Africa was so hard but full of growth. I can’t say I was sad to leave and am really excited for the next four months. This month my team is in Malaysia but we are doing something new and exciting. Within the World Race there is a ministry called Unsung Heroes. This looks like teams contacting people in assigned regions, to see if they would be willing and able to host future World Race teams. This is what my ministry looks like this month! I am so excited to see what the Lord has planned through this ministry and who he puts us in contact with.
Please be in prayer for me and my team as we reach out to people. It has been difficult to find potential hosts and so far seems less than fruitful. Pray that we will be lead by the Lord and that we will continue to see his provision, coming into contact with the right people.
Please also pray for my health, as well as the health of my team. We have experienced a lot of sickness and it is clearly an attack of the enemy.
Lastly, please be in prayer for my parents! Next month they get to fly out to Thailand for a Parent Vision Trip!!! Pray that everything will come together smoothly and that the Lord will prepare them for a week on the World Race!
