God has done it again. You know, that thing He does. Where He takes all of the expectations you have and blows them out of the water.
I certainly did not envision living in a beautiful cottage/guest house with a spacious kitchen, more beds than there are people, a hot shower, and a yard that reminds me of the garden of eden for our first month in Africa!
It took 2 flights, a layover/hotel stay in the middle east, and a busride from South Africa (50+ hours of traveling) to get to Zimbabwe.
The new team I’m serving with for the last leg of the race is called Wabi-Sabi. It is a little goofy but I think we are too. It means finding beauty in imperfection.
Think: laugh lines, the crack a tea kettle has acquired after years of producing delicious hot drinks, or a scar that silently illustrates a story of healing giving character to it’s owner. Fun fact: I’m the oldest one on the team (that’s a first).
(Rachael, me, Allie, Klancy, Courtney, Saraya)
We have incredible hosts for the month and they’ve allowed us to jump right in to help with the work they do. The church were partnering with is a baptist church and I am already amazed at the outreaches they have, their passion for the Lord, and the numerous ways they practically uplift and serve the community.
Twice a week they put on a soup kitchen where they pray for people, share God’s Word, and supply large portions of traditional African food to a lot of hungry people.
(Klancy giving the Word)
They also spend time every week walking through the veggie market talking to people, sharing the gospel or praying, and holding a bible study right there in the street. We met a lot of people struggling to provide food for their families and eager for prayer, conversation, and big hugs.
(Veggie market bible study)
Right now there is a money crisis in Zimbabwe. It’s very hard to take out money or find jobs. One of the outreaches the church does is ministering to a squatter camp out in the bush. When we got there I noticed homes were made of all kinds of random objects and I didn’t see a store or food source nearby. This was the most severe poverty I’ve seen on the race.
The group we went with put on a little program for the kids, taught from God’s Word, and sent people from the village with people from our team to go out 2 by 2 to evangelize and pray. I stayed with the kids but I learned from my teammate that many of these people are on the brink of starvation and the timing of their next meal could mean life or death.
One little girl touched my face so gently and took my glasses off to stare at my eyes. Her gentle hand felt like the closest thing to Jesus physically touching me this side of heaven. Later she fell asleep in my arms and I wanted to just hold her close forever and never let her go. But, eventually I had to pass her off to her older sister and it was time to leave.
Later that night I wrestled with the familiar questions of what will happen to these people and how can us being here for such a short time make a difference. But, I was reminded of the power of prayer, the power of bringing the gospel message, and of Gods soveriengty over their lives. It is only by His grace that we have the ability to serve and be here for any length of time.
After only a few days here in Africa I am already being challenged spiritually, inspired by those around me, and falling in love with this place. The Lord is stirring something up inside of me and I can’t wait to see what He has in store for the rest of our time.
Thanks to all of my friends and supporters for sticking with me this far. Because of you God’s Kingdom has been growing around the world.
Love, Jenna
