June 1st, about 1am, the H squad stepped onto a plane bound for Africa. Only hours before, we waved goodbye to our last remaining squad leader. The squad is on its own. New squad leaders, almost all new team leaders, new continent. Many on the squad have had similar dreams and visions from the Lord, and everything within me agrees – this is also a new season we are entering for the squad. The rainy season. There are storms and floods that will test and prove our foundations – anything we rely on in our lives apart from God is about to be demolished. Teams and individuals are about to have to weather some storms. We three squad leaders 
will have to help navigate this squad through, what will probably be some tough roads ahead. But, with the storms and the rain and the floods, comes growth…rebirth…strength…confidence…stronger foundations…brokenness. Everything we’ve already experienced since landing in Africa confirms this is happening. Our arrival in this country has been marked with frustrations and blockades from the first moment. We’ve had transportation plans fall through, overly expensive accommodations, miscommunications, trouble coordinating schedules, not being able to access finances…you name it, we’ve faced it. But praise God, we’re all safe and finally in route to our ministry sites today. And in the process of being forced to wait here until plans were worked out, God has done an amazing work in our squad. We’ve had some great times with the Lord individually and as a squad…and honestly, I don’t think our squad has ever been as healthy as it is right now. I think the corn hole tournament was pretty key in unifying us…check out Di Dinnis’s blog of that one! Clearly God had some things He wanted to do in us before we were ready to leave this country and enter another for ministry. We are going in unified and much more prepared than we were 5 days ago. God is good.
My team will be making a two day, 33 hours bus ride north into Mozambique into a town called Biera. We’ll spend the night there and then travel another 3 or 4 hours west into Zimbabwe towards our ministry town of Mutare. This ministry contact works with families that have been displaced from their homes by Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s crazy dictator-like leader. What we’ve been told that the people in this country need most is hope and encouragement. So we will have lots of opportunities to love on and encourage and pray over these families specifically, as well as working with groups that are teaching sustainable skills to those in the greatest need. Apparently we’re going to learn about farming and chicken farming so we can help teach those skills to the locals. I know my Mom for one thought that was thoroughly amusing. We’re so excited about all that God will do…what we expect and what we have no idea is coming. Pray for our team as we make our way there. Pray for safe travels, favor at the borders we’re crossing, and safety. If there’s internet access, I’ll send you an update mid month, but otherwise it will be the end of the month before we are back in South Africa and have easy internet access. Zim…here we come!
