Ministry
South Africa was a different experience for me because unlike Mozambique and Swaziland where I worked with children I was able to work with people my age. I worked at a place called Camp Joy which is a rehab center for people trying to break their addiction to drugs or alcohol. It is a 6 month program and to add to the goodness of this rehab it is also Christian based.
The set up of Camp Joy is that men only work with men and women only work women so that relationships or feelings are not built up. As I walked in to see everyone for the first time the women seemed really intimidating like they did not want to be there, but come to find out they were just really shy at first. In all reality they were extremely nice. I did not think I would be able to connect with anyone because I have not been addicted to drugs or alcohol, but I was wrong. In a matter of almost three weeks I built some friendships with these women that I will never forget.
Personal Growth
During my time in South Africa I spent a lot of my free time digging into the Bible, and for once I feel like I'm actually able to connect to it and decipher what it means on my own without relying on someone else to tell me. Now every time before I start reading I ask God to give me the wisdom to know what each book/chapter is trying to get at, and how I should apply it to my life.
At times I would have doubts in myself and one morning I ran into this verse: James 1: 5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts I like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
After reading those verses it hit me like a crashing wave. I should not doubt but believe. Something that keeps coming to my mind is, ask and you shall receive but there's more to it, and that is you to believe and have faith.
