I know you're probably thinking that you haven't heard from me in a while. I know you're probably wondering how I am doing, what I am doing and what God is doing in my life. Those are really good questions. And I would like to answer them… as best I can.
You see, it's slightly complicated to do a full update of absolutely everything. But I can tell you a few things. First off, I'd be lying if I told you everything was peachy keen right now. If I told you that it was all flowers and rainbows. It's actually been sort of hard lately. But it's also been wonderful at the same time. And on top of the good and the bad, it's been mostly very beautiful.
So let me share with you briefly the good, the bad and the beautiful of this month so far in South Africa.
The Good
- God really is teaching me a lot. Trust me, I will be posting a blog of two about all that God is teaching me later. The main verses that keep hitting me and coming up this month are:
- That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)
- Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
- I feel extremely desperate for God. I decided that this is a good thing.
- I've bonded a ton with the other team that we are working with this month- Veracity. I really love that team a lot.
- I'm eating wonderfully this month. Living on a guava farm, eating guavas, which I had no idea were so delicious! Healthy breakfast meals, and the woman whose farm we are living on is a spectacular cook! I'm very blessed in the food area this month.
- I am reading a ton of awesome books and learning a lot. And I am flying through the old testament, which is really neat! I am digging into all God wants to tell me in scripture and learning so much.
- I am holding really adorable babies this month. It's a crazy big blessing! We are volunteering long shifts at a halfway home for babies that have been abandoned or given up and waiting for their adoptions to be finalized.
- God is teaching me a lot about thankfulness and happiness.
The Bad
- I feel extremely disconnected from most of my teammates. It's been really hard. And awkward. And is affecting me greatly.
- I'm physically tired throughout the week. With overnight baby house shifts, early morning guava picking, late night prostitution ministry and hot days at the squatter camps, sleep is a tricky thing to get in. This month has been really cool in terms of ministry, because we have done the most this month of all previous months, but at the same time it is most exhausting.
- I miss my friends a lot this month. And my family. And my cat.
- My computer is broken. So I can't do much. My memory card on my camera is full. I have a bunch of blogs of that computer that I can't post. I can't use internet when I rarely have it. (It's been both good and bad not having internet this month too).
- I feel like I've hit a plateau spiritually. I know that God is wanting me to walk toward Him desperately and I desperately want the same. So it's been an interesting dilemma. He is still teaching me a ton. And I am still loving Him. But I don't feel as close as I want to be.
- I am $2,736 away from being fully funded and that deadline is quickly approaching. I know that God will provide as He has been, but it is an added thought in my already full brain.
The Beautiful
- The guava farm where we are living in Belville, South Africa (right outside of Cape Town) is totally awesome. I love eating guavas whenever I want. I love watching the sun set over tons of green land. It's so neat living on a fruit farm!
- Gordon's Bay in the Western Cape of Cape Town is amazing! We are staying a beach house this weekend on our weekend off, which is ridiculously cool!!!! It's been such a blessing to relax and taking in God's beautiful creations.
- The people of South Africa are wonderful. They are so nice! And so hospitable. And so talkative, I love it! It's been really fun to get to know people that live in this beautiful country.
So here is an overall quick list of how I am doing. I really want to update you more and tell you some details of things. I hopefully can borrow someone's computer and type some blogs that way I can post them when I hopefully get internet next weekend.
The "bad" that I listed are the prayer requests that I have. I would love if you were praying for me. As I said, I miss people a lot this month. So from South Africa, I want to send you a ginormous hug!!! I love you all, thanks for being a part of my life.
