So here we are, month 6 and the middle of the race….. THE MIDDLE, I can’t believe it. This is shaping up to be the fastest year of my life and hard to believe I’ve been out of the states that long.
I’m craving Chick-Fi-A like you would not believe. I’m missing that Christian chicken!! SOS!! Ha!
We have found ourselves in the quaint little town of Heidelberg, in Western Cape area of South Africa. Africa has truly surprised me and unexpectedly it’s capturing and taking pieces of my heart I wasn’t quite prepared for. This is our third and final month in this continent as we make our way into Central and South America for the final five months.
This month I’m with all women because it’s “Manistry” month for the men of the squad and so the women from the two co-ed teams came together to form a team for this month. It’s been a great and wonderful dynamic to be with all women as I’ve been only on co-ed teams so far.
Heidelberg is a special town that’s hard to put into words. It’s a town that is refreshing, rejuvenating, and so peaceful; which is exactly what we need going into this second half of the race. The people here are truly wonderful, including our hosts Tanya and Phil who have been nothing short of amazing. The first night we were here the team sat down and had dinner with them and got to know their hearts. From the beginning they said, “This month is about you, to get refilled, we know from past experiences with racers how hard this middle part is and how important it is be refueled to finish strong” and that’s the kind of atmosphere that was created for us as soon as we arrived. With that refill we can adequately pour out from the overflow of our hearts. Our accommodations immediately felt like home, they felt like home the way they instantly poured out love onto us. Everything is within walking distance from where we are staying so as we began walking down the streets of Heidelberg, the people of this town have been like home. What a gift and blessing to have this month and this place. God is so intricate in every detail, isn’t he?
So I will get into ministry aspects in a later post. But I just want to bring you in on where I am at this month. This is the point of the race where people want to give up, there are moments I wanted to give up. This is hard! I don’t want to sugarcoat anything. I share about ministry and the ways God is moving, the fun things and once in a lifetime things we get to do…. but then there are the things you don’t know, the day to day in between, the GRIT, that make months like this and hosts that want to invest in us and say “How can we serve you?”, so very much needed.
I didn’t even know I needed Heidelberg. It found me and I didn’t even have to seek. God knows what we need without even having to ask.
So if I had a specific prayer request for this month, it would be this: I see this month as being one where it’s okay to have a month where it’s more of you being poured into rather than constantly pouring into others. He says be still and know that I am God. God cares about our hearts and where we are at and our needs.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
I was reminded that no matter how many successes or failures I think I have during this journey, none of that has any bearing on God’s love for me. He delights in me not because of my works, but because I am his. Whether I bring 1 person to Jesus over these 11 months or bring 100, nothing changes the fact I am a treasured daughter of the King.
Pray I will lean into that this month!
Much love to you all!
