I am officially into month four of eleven. I’m one continent down. I still remember so vividly the moment when I realized that God was telling me to go on the race, the pit in my stomach of both nerves and excitement, wondering what He had in store for me. Now here I am, in my fourth country, and it still feels surreal. So many times a day I think to myself, how did I end up here? Why am I so blessed to get to do this? If you would’ve asked me a year ago if this is where I’d be, I probably would’ve just laughed at you. But I am so grateful that God’s plans are not my plans, because His are so much better.
It’s only been three months, but already God has taught me so much. So as I’m going into a new month and a new country, I want to stop and reflect on my first three months. I want to tell you about what God is doing in my heart. He is so good, and so sweet, and so caring. He is pursuing me intimately and personally. He knows the little details about me, what I like and what I don’t like, and He knows how to make me smile. He is gently drawing me closer to Him. He is walking by my side every step of the way, assuring me that He knows what He’s doing, to trust Him. He’s teaching me about community and relationships, what the body of Christ looks like. I’ve made friends that will be forever friends, people I never would’ve met if I didn’t come on the race, who have already impacted my life so deeply. He is restoring joy. He is teaching me contentment. He is calling me to open up with people around me, to be vulnerable and to share my heart and my thoughts, He is calling me simply to be me. And I am expectant that this is just the beginning, that He has so much more that He wants to reveal to me, and I’m excited to see what it is.
But one of the biggest things God has been teaching me throughout this journey so far is the power of love. In the last three countries that I’ve been to, the people that I have felt most connected to, haven’t spoken English, and I don’t speak French or Ewe or the other local languages. We haven’t been able to share words, I don’t know their stories, but I have felt loved by them, and seen by them, and I hope they felt the same from me. And through this, I am reminded that as cliche as it may be, love truly is the universal language. A simple smile can impact someone’s day more than you know. I met a little boy in a village last month and all we shared were smiles and silly faces, but I am confident I will remember him for the rest of my life, because those smiles touched my heart. So no matter how small the act may be, even a simple smile, know that you do have an impact on those around you.
While we were in Togo, our ministry was a little bit of everything. We did a lot of children’s ministry, which included leading Bible clubs, going to schools and sharing in classrooms, or teaching Sunday school lessons. We also had the opportunity to share in two prisons. We did evangelism in the market and in the villages. We led women’s Bible studies. We partnered with several different churches and pastors, met some amazing people, and continued to see God work in awesome ways. Don’t get me wrong, Togo had its challenges, but lucky for us God uses those moments to teach us and to draw us closer to Him.
It’s bittersweet leaving Africa, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I am so grateful for all that God taught me while there, and for all of the wonderful people that He allowed my path to cross. But I’m also excited for Thailand and to see what other amazing things God has in store for me and my team, for this country and the 7 still to come. He is so good, and so worthy, and I am so honored to be able to serve Him – thank you for all of your support, both financially and in prayer, for making this opportunity possible for me. I am about $3,000 away from being fully funded. Thank you so much for partnering with me – when I first started fundraising, honestly I never thought I’d make it to this point. But God continues to amaze me, and I’m trusting that He will continue to provide the rest of my funds. They are due by the end of this month.
P.S. WiFi was pretty hard to come by in Africa, so I’m hopeful to be able to share more in the coming months. I still haven’t been able to upload pictures on here though, so if you want to see a glimpse of my life the last few months, find me on Facebook (Annie Schlonecker) or Instagram (aschlon), or if you’d rather, comment your email below and I’ll send you some!
