this month has completely CHANGED! dont even know where to begin….so from the beginning I spent my 21st birthday on a 30 hour bus ride from swaziland to south africa, can you say YOLO! but really I did have a great time and my team did help me celebrate when we got to South Africa! so we made it… but now what….our ministry has changed completely we went from drug addicts in rehab to sports ministries and day cares. We are all split up into Host Homes and living with families in a community called Ocean View. We travel by "taxi" here or better know as a bus/mini van. It has been very difficult so far to adjust to being separated from the team and submitting to authority. We have to be indoors during the week at 7 o' clock and we have a curfew of 6 o'colck on the weekends…needless to say im struggling! Our host does mean well and she is a lovely lady just a little protective. Its hard for us to communicate because i'm the only one with a phone but hopefully that will change soon. So apparently turning 21 in this country is a huge deal. We celebrated my birthday last weekend and I was given a key by my host family… not quite sure what it means but it was a big deal! they blind folded me and brought me into a room in the house and had a cake prepared and there were people everywhere. I believe the relationship we are building with our Host family here will last a lifetime. My team also got me an awesome Barcelona jersey from Swaziland and carried it with them to South Africa. It was a great surprise and I really enjoyed it, little things like that really go a long way. So ministry opportunities are everywhere! I preached the Sunday after my birthday out of Deuteronomy and went through the story of Moses leading the Israelites into the mountains and referenced it to the book Seth Barns wrote called Kingdom Journeys. Which if you havent read yet I highly recommend to anyone! This morning Josh, Jason, and myself talked to 750 students at our school sports ministry. That was amazing Josh overcame a little bit of stage fright with the help of his brothers. This thursday we are having dinner with a NAVY couple to talk about ministry and encourage them in the mission field. Then, this Friday we are speaking at a youth event, then possibly giving testimonies at a different church this Sunday. Our schedules are sooo full but in a good way…kinda..we got this…OH and dont even get me started on India. We have been through so much crap trying to get these India visa's filled out that I dont even want to go to India anymore. We literally have filled out these forms 5 times after today! I am over it! I dont care if we go or dont go. But I know God is really trying to teach me something through it! Not sure what it is yet but I'm having faith that God is in control! Havent made it to the beach to surf yet but praying I will! It kills me to know that it is sooo close but at the same time very far..God is teaching me patience in this and showing me that His ministry comes first. Today is my moms birthday. I just wanted to mention that I would not be here without her! Mom you are an inspiration to me and I love you very much! Someday I wish to experience all these thing I am now with you! I think God is calling us to something much bigger than Georgia but He will reveal it to us in His timing! Happy Birthday and know you are missed all the way from South Africa! God is teaching me so much this month and we arent even half way though it yet! I believe there is much more to come! Love you all!
Currently, My fundraising is at 8,375.01 I know God will get me to my marker of 11,000 by the end of the month. If there is anything you guys can do for me it would be greatly appreciated, even if its just re-posting this blog on your Facebook page or anyone of my blogs it would really make an impact!
