I’m ALIVE and WELL…
(this was a blog I meant to post last month while in Zambia…sorry it took a bit)
HEYYYY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!! It has been a hot minute (or two or three…ok it’s been a whileeee) since I have posted on here! My apologies…things can get a bit HECTIC when you are unpacking and packing up every month, jumping into new ministry every month, learning and adapting to new cultures, and processing good-byes to newly made friends and family at the end of EVERY month. BUT, I am happy to report that I am indeed ALIVE and WELL🙂 haha
Reflection is good…
These past four months I have spent my time with the ladies of Team DECIDED.
We have laughed, cried, and even ran with giraffes together!! Haha We have seen what beauty and encouragement living in community can bring as well as experienced the hardships and difficulty in choosing to love one another day in and day out. We weren’t perfect and we didn’t get it right every time, but through it all the Lord taught me sooo much about love, vulnerability, and diversity in the body of Christ!! I look forward to seeing how the Lord grows and uses each of these ladies in their new WR teams to bring Kingdom through the ministries they work with!
Reflecting on what the Lord has done for us before stepping into a new season is soooo important….it gives us the opportunity to recall and meditate on the lessons He has taught us and things He has shown us…pausing long enough to thank God for his goodness, faithfulness, and provision in that season. And then ASKING Him to help prepare you and your heart for the GOOD things He has in store for you in this next season!!!
(**Because He is a GOOD Father who LOVES to give GOOD gifts to His children -Matt. 7:9-11)
I’ve got a new Family…
In this next season of mine on the World Race, I will be doing life and ministry with a new group of women! I will also be transitioning out of a position of leadership as TEAM LEADER to follow, encourage, and empower one of my beloved sisters as my new team’s Team Leader. My heart is excited to have the opportunity to learn and grow from each of these women, as well as BE LOVED by each of these extraordinary ladies!
From left to right: Laiken Martin, Amy Johnson, Katie Martin (me), Elle Luly, and Elsie Miller. Our team is called TEAM TALIA! What a name, right!? Ha you will be hearing more about the women of this team as well as why we came up with the name Team Talia. These lovely ladies will be my new family for the next few months (or more or less…who knows :))!
Mom, I made it to ZAMBIA!!!
So, yea…11 countries in 11 months can kind of be a TOUGH thing to try and keep up with (especially when your girl isn’t on top of her blogging game).
Thus far I have been to:
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (August)
- HAITI (September)
- SOUTH AFRICA (October)
- BOTSWANA (November)
and NOW I am currently in ZAMBIA!! What a JOURNEY it has been! I am currently staying in Livingstone, Zambia working with a ministry called J-ZONE YOUTH ZAMBIA.
We will soon be leaving for our next country to start off the new year. The route for the remaining countries has changed a wee bit, so this is the updated route:
- INDIA (January…guys I will be celebrating my birthday in INDIA…isn’t that crazy!?? AHHHHH!!!)
- NEPAL (February)
- ROMANIA (March)
- BULGARIA (April)
- SERBIA (May)
- ALBANIA (June)
- Good ole U.S.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Throwin’ it back to CAMP life!!!
Upon arriving at our ministry site in Livingstone, Zambia, we have hit the ground RUNNING! Our ministry host with J-Zone Zambia has wasted no time in getting us involved with helping them in ministry!
One of the major projects we got to help with was coordinating and running a camp at a rural village out in the bush.
We hosted the camp at the village’s school. There was a lot of open space for us to be able to spread out and do all the activities that we wanted to do!
Upon arriving at this rural village, I was reminded of my time spent working at the Mtendere Orphanage in Malawi, Africa with Wes Gunn and Landmark Church of Christ (church in Montgomery, AL). Because that was my first trip to Africa, the things I saw and experienced there stayed in my heart and helped shape the way I think and see Africa.
But let me tell you something…Africa is sooo diverse and looks a lot of different ways. Doing ministry in South Africa had been different than I had expected and so had ministry in Botswana. But, arriving in this rural village brought back a flood of memories of the kids I worked day in and day out with at the orphanage. This place felt like the Africa I knew, tasted, and seen many years ago. It felt like coming home to a place I’d known a long time ago.
There were approximately 70 kids that showed up to this camp. Many of these kids traveled a great distance to make it to the camp that day.
My team and I were excited to get the chance to spend the day pouring all that we had into these children. With Christmas quickly approaching, the most important thing we wanted to do was to tell the Christmas story to the kids…we wanted them to leave knowing the TRUE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!
These kids didn’t know what they had coming…we had SEVERAL things in store for them! WE had stations for sports, games, face painting, arts and crafts, and Bible!
Certified Tug of War Referee 🙂
I was in charge of the GAMES station! At my station we did some relay races AND played TUG OF WAR!
We had a lot of GIRLS versus BOYS competitions!
It was sooo much fun getting to spend the day playing games with these kids! We shared sooo many laughs! I loved that they shared my same competitive spirit and took my station very seriously 🙂
There goes the supper bell…
As we were all at our respective stations, my girl ELSIE MILLER partnered up with the local women and helped prepare a traditional meal for all the volunteers and kids! Let me tell you she KILLED it!
We made a line for the kids to wash-up and then our team dished out food and served them.
This was the deliciousness that my girl helped cook: nshima, cabbage slaw, and beef and vegetable stew. I licked my plate CLEAN! There were NO leftovers to be had from me! haha
Testimony and Gospel presentation…
After all the kids and volunteers had finished eating, we gathered around to hear our host tell some of his testimony as well as give the Gospel presentation.
After he spoke, he told them to approach me and Antone (one of the guys who had been helping me at my station) if they had any questions or if they wanted to know more about Jesus.
WELL…I had a HUGE group of kids come up to talk to me, which was GREAT!! Unfortunately, me NOR Antone could speak the language of their local village, and we did not have an interpreter nearby. Needless to say, I felt unprepared and helpless.
As Antone and another young female were collecting the names of the children so they could do follow-ups with them, I walked over to one of the older ladies from our group.
I asked her to pray with me because I was so frustrated that I had all these kids who seemed eager to know more about Jesus, but I was unable to hear them share their heart or hear their questions because I did not have a translator nearby. I honestly felt like I was letting a village of kids down…so we prayed.
Haha I was real honest with God in that prayer. I let Him know that I was frustrated and sad and confused. I had no fear in being real and vulnerable in my prayer to Him…because I know He can handle my tough questions I ask Him. And He is a God who desires to teach and show things to His children who earnestly pursue after Him…
So, I thanked the older lady for praying with me and I left her. As I was helping pack up the vehicles, I ran into another guy who had helped me at my game station. His name was CREIGHTON.
I had this urge to ask Creighton about His faith, and so I did! Creighton could speak both the native language of the village as well as some English. Creighton was also the same age as me, 24 years old, and is a teacher at the school where we hosted the camp (say whatttt??)!!
Long story short (sort of), I had a really good conversation with Creighton and learned that he is a fellow brother in Christ. I let him know about ALL the kids who seemed hungry to learn more about who Jesus is.
I was able to tell him that even though he is young, he has great influence over his students and that they watch him and look up to him. That HE has the ability and position to bring positive change and impact the lives of his students. And that for HIM to be able to pour into the lives of his students, he has to be filled with the Holy Spirit and go to the Father daily in prayer and scripture reading for strength.
Let me telllllll you….there’s something about being able to speak truth and life to another young adult believer and being able to encourage one another in living a life obedient to Christ. He told me thank you and we said our good-byes.
After my conversation with Creighton, I thought back to my prayer with the older lady. And I knew God had done some teaching to me that day:)
Gentle reminder from the Lord…
I have to remember that… It. Is. Not. About. Me.
At the end of every month I leave. And although my time in each place is important and impactful, I cannot stay with the people and friends that I meet and love. I am just passing through. And that’s why it is sooo important to not only show love and pour into the lives of the people we minister to, but to also pour into the lives of our ministry hosts and those other fellow believers who will STILL be there to carry on the work even after we leave.
Oh, and that prayer is important🙂 And that God is able to handle all of our frustrations, confusion, shortcomings, and tough questions…so take them to Him! And see what lessons and teachings He has in store for you!!
Love,
Kt
