It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written anything, but I have wonderful news – I am malaria free and have been for a while. I’ve made almost a full recovery, and I am so thankful for all of you praying for me while I’ve been fighting this battle.
It’s been two weeks since I had my face pressed up to the plane window and watched as the brown African soil grew smaller and smaller below me. I caught myself wiping a few tears away, it had been a hard run, and it hadn’t been how I expected it. Before takeoff, I wondered if I’d want to go back, but as we flew away from Burkina Faso, Ghana and The Ivory Coast, I didnt think I knew the answer… but now I do.
I’d be back.
It’s funny how even typing those words has me sitting at my computer overwhelmed with emotions. I learned a lot from my bed in Ghana, through the fevers and the misery, God revealed a lot to me in a way I hadn’t expected. I was ready to leave but I wasn’t ready to give up my dream of returning to Africa many more times in my life. One of the best things about God is that he knows the desires of our hearts before we even do, and He had a plan set in motion before I even reached Europe that would rekindle the little flame that I thought had been scuffed out by sickness. Ya wanna know how?
My hosts here in Montenegro are from Africa.
Not kidding. I’m in a tiny little mountain village in Eastern Europe and staying with probably the only Africans in the entire country. They’re from South Africa, the most southern country on the continent of Africa. They are white, have accents that are delightful, (sounds like a mix of Australian and British) and they are so wise. They have quickly become like parents to me, and I am so thankful for them. They’re a bit older than my parents, have been married a long time, and have incredible testimonies. They’ve seen and done it all, seen wealth and seen poverty, they’ve lived all over South Africa and have children and Grandchildren, but the greatest thing about them is the wisdom that pours out of them. They know Jesus in the most intimate and beautiful way, a way that I hope to know Him when I’m their age, hopefully even sooner. They get the scripture. Phil and Tanya have been pouring into us since the moment we got here.
Our ministry this month is a bit different than it’s been in the past. Phil and Tanya knew coming into this month what we’d been through in Africa, and one of the first things they said to us was “We are here to pour into you. This month is for you and Jesus to find some rest and restoration together, and hey, maybe some people will come to Jesus in the midst of that. Whatever you need we want to help you and pour into you.”
They have. Every morning after breakfast Phil teaches us the scripture. There’s no better way to explain it than that – he opens the bible and starts walking us through the words. This morning we covered the first three chapters of Ephesians. He’s got wisdom, he gets it, and it’s so cool watching how he and Tanya work as a team. These people are awesome, and they’ve also made it clear that their home in South Africa is always open for me to come visit, whether that be for vacation or to help around their Bible College they started there, I’m welcome, and I plan to visit them there one day.
God knew what my heart needed, He knew I’d been feeling the loss of my desire to return to Africa, and so He gave me a different way to return to a totally different part of Africa. South Africa is highly developed, especially compared to west Africa.
Our goal this month is to meet and get to know as many locals in this city as we can, to build friendships with them, and to eventually leave them with the hope that Jesus gives. We’ve got a huge box of bibles in Serbian and Montenegren, and we operate on prayer and friendship. It’s relaxed, and pretty fun to get to know these people. The town is so small that we see many people more than once in the day.
My time here has been extraordinary thus far. We’ve only had about four real days of ministry, because my first five days in Europe was with my squad in Tivat, Montenegro, where we had our third “Debrief.” Debrief is a time to rest with our squad, spend time in fellowship, rest and to get ready for the next few months of ministry. We’ve had two debriefs before this one, and they’re always restful and good for the soul. During my time in Tivat, I got to spend lots of time in the Adriatic sea swimming with my friends, we took a boat ride to a huge tourist city called Kotor that has a huge castle wall built into the side of the mountain. I ate crepes on the waterfront with my great friend Ashley, went to a very classy wine tasting with my sweet friend Jessica, dressed up real nice and took cute pictures with my team, and got to watch as twelve of my squadmates got baptized in the sea. We worshiped on the rooftop of our hostel together, all 54 of us competed in a scavenger hunt through the city, and we filled up on rest and fun. It was really great to have fun. I’ve almost completely recovered from my fight with Malaria, occasionally the familiar ache and exhaustion hits me, but I just take some medication and use essential oils and I almost always bounce right back after sitting down for a few minutes.
God has been faithful and has loved me in special little ways. We’re staying in an old little hotel in the center of Bijelo Polje, a city right on the northern border between Montenegro and Serbia, and I have my own bed and share a room with my teammate Brittanee. It’s safe enough to go out alone and I’ve been enjoying solice in going running through the city, something I couldn’t do in Africa because it was unsafe and I was too sick to get out of bed. He’s giving me what He knows I need, which is often different than what I thought I needed, and He’s faithful. In the nights where I thought I was close to death in my bed in Ghana, he was with me and was holding me close, and in the mornings where I wake up in my little bed in my little hotel room here, He reminds me of his promise to comfort me in all situations, to finish the works He’s started in me, to supply my needs, and for peace in Him that surpasses all understanding, and He is doing those things. He’s faithful, this race is not over yet, and I’m still runnin!
Here are some pictures of our fun we’ve had in Tivat, Kotor, and Bar, Montenegro!
The Mountains Are Incredible Here!!!
Me and some of my squad-mates with Phil, (not our ministry host, Phil, but our Squad Coach, Phil, who flies out and stays with us during Debrief)
Ashley and I drinking Cokes and floating in the Sea!
I have a serious love for Crepes
It felt really great to feel great, and look good too!
THIS SHIP IS REALLY COOL
We bought floaties and spent a day in the water with ice cream!
Our experience in Tivat during Debrief was clearly quite wonderful.
Check out those mountains. I took this picture, then put my phone away and jumped in!
I got to eat dinner and watch this sunset over the sea for two nights during a brief holiday in Bar. It was glorious.
