Jeffreys Bay, South Africa! Hello from the surfing capital of the world! This month we’re working with Global Challenge (a mission focused organization) doing some manual labor at the high school they started and working with kids at an after school program called Beats & Books that focuses on improving kids literacy, musical ability and walk with the Lord. The Christian community here is thriving and involved. Everyone is so quick to pour their energy and love into the people around them. They all make a point to see the person next to them first. It’s the kind of community that draws people in no matter what they come from.
Our placement this month is timely for me in particular. Based on some of my past experiences, I sometimes find myself questioning the sincerity and motives of people within the church and worse, God Himself. It always catches my attention when I encounter people living with deep sincerity and real joy because it unearths and challenges some of my assumptions. Something is happening to me here. I feel like I’m finally starting to push through the junk that I’ve let inhabit the space between me and God. I have standards for myself and others when it comes to authenticity both personally and in relation to faith. Unfortunately, many of those standards have been forged under the pressure of injury and hurt and broken trust. The biases that have been formed as a result have left me always holding something of myself back.
But I don’t question the authenticity of the people around me right now, not my team and not the people in J-Bay. I’m slowly letting go the death grip I’ve had on my perceived right to judge and therefore discount the intentions and faith of others. I don’t know what’s happening inside me, but I’ve been told that I don’t have to understand in order for a change to happen.
Part of me wants to believe that I’ll come back to J-Bay someday. I would absolutely love that, but I know there’s always a possibility that I’ll never see this place again, that I’ll never see any of these people again. That thought has pushed me to try to take everything I can away from here. I want to know what makes this place work, what makes the people so awesome, what makes the community works so well. I want to bring that information with me wherever I go and wherever I land. Hopefully when I see you again I’ll be carrying a little bit of J-Bay with me.
