A lot has been going on since we've landed in South Africa. Mainly logistical things but God has really been showing and teaching lessons through all the chaos. Funny how you have certain expectations but reality shuts that down real fast.
One thing the staff here at world race has definitely taught us is get rid of all of our expectations. Now it is clear why they express that so much.
Expectation 1: Our whole squad (60) would be in south africa doing ministry for the first month. Expectation failed! Instead our squad is spread out between 4 countries which is a first in world race history!
Expectation 2: To walk into a village filled with abandoned kids, widowed mothers, and broken fathers. Expectation failed! Sure I will see this soon but not this first week. Instead I saw a well established home, with readily available beds, and western toilets.
Side note: I am going to write a blog on self righteous suffering stay tuned for this one, it was a reality that I was awakened to this week.
Expectation 3: To enter the city of Johannesburg and hit the drug infested streets, spreading the gospel and serving the whole month. Expectation failed! Instead we spent only a week in Johannesburg, doing no ministry at all but rather spending intimate time with God, and our teams.
Totally took advantage of this because we realized that this week was ordained, this week was a week of preparation to where we are headed now which is pretoria, South Africa for a full month of ministry. I wrote a blog called "ministry begins" and I expressed the fear of doing ministry in Jo-burg and how Jo-burg was the first city I'd go to do ministry but God for whatever reason had other plans. As I spent a great deal of time with him during this 1wk he grew me and liberated me from the prison and the burden of the fears that I held on to so that I would be fruitful in building his kingdom. I have a lot of ministry to do and going forth i will not hold on to fear!
Expectation 4: As a team leader I expected to lead on competence, skill and knowing a lot of biblical theology. Expectation failed! Instead i'm learning how to lead by throwing myself upon Christ. Because I am looking to him and only him he is teaching me to lead through brokeness, transparency, humility, encouraging, edifying, serving, knowing biblical knowledge to know him not to showcase, and most of all Loving. That love as 1st John 3:18 says "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." I can talk all day and youll know that i'm a fool as proverbs says "you shall know a fool by the multitude of his words." So I lead by showing love in deed and in truth.
Deed – I serve you, I put you above myself, I labor among you, I am vulnerable to you, I encourage you, I pour into you, I edify you, I correct you, I hold you accountable, I rebuke you, I teach you, = I love you
Truth = in a spirit of gentleness, I tell you the complete un-compromised truth of the word of God = I love you
