leadership development weekend: also known as LDW. phrase used by worldracers to refer to a weekend in between countries that they spend resting, adjusting to time zone differences, and attending lessons to grow in our faith.
This past week we had an LDW between Haiti and Botswana. We spent ours at this cute little backpackers hostile in South Africa.
Our time at LDW’s typically look like a lot of sleeping, a lot of eating, and a lot of window shopping. The first night at our short stay in South Africa I could already tell something was going to be a little different about this weekend stay. A few friends and myself spent the night getting to know a few of the other people staying in the hostile, just learning more about who we were staying with. Turns out most of the people staying there are students at a college near by. The place was essentially a college apartment. Completely felt like one. There was drinking and fights and just complete chaos the ENTIRE night. But In between all the drinks and fights that were going on around us we were able to see deeper and have deep intelligent conversations with students staying in this hostile with us.
The first night in South Africa I learned many people’s stories and had the privilege to share the gospel with them.
The second night in South Africa I was able to follow up with these people and continue to lead them closer to Christ and share what Christ desires from them. And not only that, I got to form a real friendship with these girls. We ended the night playing the funniest card games and learning how to braid in weave.
The third night in South Africa we sadly said our goodbyes and these girls said how much they desired a relationship with Christ and how they wanted to peruse a genuine faith life.
Ministry is a choice.
I didn’t go into my off weekend thinking “wow I’m going to lead so many people to Christ this weekend!!!” No. It was more like “wow I’m about to get so much sleep in a real bed with real AC!!!” But hey, sometimes God uses us when we least expect it. Ministry is 100% a choice and I could have chosen to walk right to my room and never speak to these crazy college kids but boy am I glad that I gave up those few extra hours of sleep and chose to walk in faith and speak to these ladies who I can now call friends!
At home ministry is a choice as well. Maybe you’re not sitting in a hostile living room in South Africa but maybe someone in your own living room hasn’t heard the gospel. Or maybe you bump into an old friend from church that you haven’t seen in a while just needs a simple word of encouragement to come back to the church. Or a friend who has faith and is a Christian but just needs someone to encourage them to make the right choice every once in a while. This is ministry. Ministry is a choice you have to make everyday from the moment that you wake up. A choice to bring the kingdom wherever you go, a choice to lead others, and a choice to show up where God leads you.
I encourage all of you reading this to choose ministry everyday no matter where you are because you never know who you may run into who truly needs it.
Love Em.
