Coco! This word means knock in Zulu and many different languages here in the southern portion of Africa. When we walk through the squatter camps, this is what we call out when we are outside the home standing by the gate. We stand there hopeful that our call will be answered and we will be invited into the homes of the people. After doing this countless times throughout our first month of being in South Africa it has left me with a few thoughts that I (Austin) wanted to share.
When I knock, am I expecting the Lord to answer? (Matt. 7:7) I used to read this verse and think only of when I pray and ask God for something. Then, I began to think about when I am literally knocking on these doors, am I expecting that the Lord will use this moment to show up not for me but for these people that we are reaching out to? In the beginning of the month when we would go out to do community outreach, my heart would race after uttering the words coco! I would begin to think to myself I hope they will understand me. I really hope they want to have a conversation with me. What am I going to talk about with them? Do I have something worth sharing? Is what I share even relatable to these people?
The answer to my question time and time again was yes! The yes did not always come in forms that I expected or what I would have anticipated, but the yes that the Lord provided was so evident every time, if I took a second to quiet my heart and mind to look for it. Initially, I was quick to move past this act of quieting my heart and mind to allow for the Lord to show me what he was doing. There would be times of what would be considered “awkward” silence or a pause, or there would be a flurry of conversation or activity and I would continue to reach for “safe” topics in which I had plenty of info or thoughts on. In both of these places when I would quiet my mind and my heart, I began to hear the Lord telling or showing me what He was trying to do.
My first question/challenge is, how are you seeking that quiet space in your heart and mind in the middle of your moments throughout the day?
We all have these crossroads throughout the day. Many of them are almost imperceptible because of the speed and focus we move through the day with. Try inviting the Lord into those micro decisions. Not the obligatory God what should I do here? Wait for 5 seconds then continue on your way. Truly clear your mind and heart for a moment and allow the space for the Lord to direct those moments.
The second thought that I had while doing community outreach was, all I am doing is asking people how there day is going and truly seeking an answer then sharing my faith and truths about the Lord with them. That was it, no fancy pre-planned speech or approach, no pamphlet or handout, no sermon or expertise on the Bible. This is literally the rawest form of sharing the gospel and talking about Jesus. I then began to think why don’t I do this more often? Why do I not look for times or places in my life where I can just start a conversation with someone whether it be a friend, colleague, or stranger and share these things? My first thoughts were, oh it’s because they are just more open to that here in South Africa. Then I thought no it’s just a cultural thing, some people and cultures are just more open to it. Then I arrived at my final thought and the answer. I make myself too busy/unavailable and honestly at times I am scared of the potential negative outcomes. Far too often we put time blocks into our day and say this is my time when I work, this is my time to relax, my meal time, my personal time, this is my time for socializing, and so on. What if we lived in a place of being more available and open? The phrase that “ministry should be life and life should be ministry” isn’t just a cute thought for people into church stuff. This a charge for anyone who calls Jesus Christ there Lord and Savior.
My second question/challenge is what people or places in our lives are we missing out on connecting with a purpose?
This doesn’t mean that every person we see that we need to stop them and share the gospel or our testimony. This also doesn’t give us the freedom to just go about our lives and only share about our faith and who the Lord is during “designated” times. What I ask is for you to think of those people or places that you frequent and begin to be intentional with connecting with people. Ministry isn’t always sharing the gospel or a testimony, it is connecting with people making them feel loved and acknowledged. The Lord is inviting us to partner with Him and go beyond just being “nice” or “friendly” to people. He is inviting us to go deeper and bolder with sharing about Him and what Jesus has done for us.
These are just two of the many thoughts that have come to mind during the first month in South Africa. I know that I will strive to implement both of these into my everyday walk. Not just for the next 11 months, not just for overseas mission trips, not just for church events. These are thoughts that I want to define the way that I walk with the Lord each and every day. The road won’t always be easy, but as our church in River Oaks, Texas often says, “the best is yet to come!”
Love,
Austin and Ally
*Ally and I are now settling into life in Zimbabwe with our team. We are in Bulawayo. We will update you about our ministry here in the week to come. Please be lifting up the economic crisis going on here. Many are suffering greatly with extreme lack of food, water, and basic resources. Life is hard here. But, despite these challenges, the Lord is moving greatly here and we are looking forward to sharing about it with you all.*
**Picture credit to our awesome teammate Erin Johnson! Check out her blog erinjohnson.theworldrace.org for more and consider supporting her as she is still raising funds to remain on the field with our team!**
