… My computer did. So my apologies for the lack of blogging. It’s very hard to do on an iPhone. 🙂
Now, although it was now a solid 2 months ago I would like to do a recap of Africa for you similar to my recap of Asia as we ended our time there. We were in Africa for just 2 short months, in South Africa and Swaziland. The first month (SA) was on my team Lumos Dei (Light of God) and the second month (Swazi) was Manistry or, so the women weren’t left out, Feministry. J So my team was called Mezcla 1212.
South Africa:
This was month 6 of our race and we were staying in a small town called Friemershiem. We did some work with the Preschool and Primary school in Friemersheim but also worked in the neighboring towns of George at the prison and Great Brak at their high school. We were the first World Race team to ever work in these places and our contact was still establishing his ministry there, so most of what we did was getting our name out and building relationships with the community so they knew we were reliable. My favorite ministry was the prison closely followed by our work at the high school. South Africa was by far the most difficult month for me. Through various things that happened in the months previous the Lord brought them all together and worked to solidify my identity in Him. In all honesty this was a very painful process and I often considered how much easier it would be to give up and go home. I felt that what I was experiencing truly count not be worth it in the end. Obviously, since I’m still here I was very wrong. God places us in the valley because that’s what we need to be able to grow closer to him. But He also promises that he is our strength and that he will not to give us more than we can bear. And, as always, he was faithful in those promises to his children.
Swaziland:
Month 7 of this journey was one of the greatest for me. My team and I were working in Manzini, Swaziland with another team. We all divided up to do different jobs, my job was doing various administration things/random other jobs. While I loved getting to experience the behind the scenes side of missions and thoroughly enjoyed the people I worked with, what made this month truly special was my team. As I said above we had Feministry and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to call my teammates. Again, God is faithful in providing exactly what we need when we need it, even if it’s not in our exact timing. As a team we bonded well, spoke life and truth into each other, and loved well. I was very sad to leave my team at the end of the month, and half wished to be with them for the rest of the time on the race. While the month before was a sort of testing and questioning of who I was as a person and who I was in my faith, this month was a month of rejuvenation, truth, and new identity for me.
Although Africa in general had it’s many challenges, and at times it seemed too much I am so grateful looking back at what the Lord had me walk through in my own life and with others. One of the girls on my squad asked me about a month ago if I would have gone on the race knowing now all the things that would happen. After thinking about it for a moment I told her I would because no matter the challenges that I have faced, I know and have seen at least pieces of the aftermath. All those pieces I have seen continue to solidify the truth in me that God is good, God is active today, and it is ALWAYS worth it.
One of my first blogs on the race, all the way from the Philippines (month 1) was about doing hard things. When I wrote that blog I had no idea what hard things were. The world race has been challenging is ways I never would have imagined on my own and at times seems unbearable. Even still, I am so grateful for the willingness and desire for more in myself, this world, and this life that God has given me.
“Count if all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it’s full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
