Hello from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe!
Where do I even start? I have been here for two weeks—14 days that seemed to have gone by in the blink of an eye. As I write this, I only have a week and a half left before we travel on to our next destination.
Our first week in Zim was spent preaching at an all girls boarding school, teaching/playing games at a girls club, practicing skits to perform in schools, doing a prayer walk around the city, having morning Bible studies, cleaning the Youth for Christ (YFC) center, and having an all night prayer and worship event.
Above is a picture with some of the boarding school girls
Making paper tiaras at the girls club
This past week (week 2), we went into multiple schools every day and performed the skits we had been practicing the week before. I’m unsure exactly how to explain these skits, but basically they are 5-10 minute skits that high school students can relate to with issues such as porn addiction, alcoholism, pregnancy, suicide, etc. and how Jesus is calling us back home into his arms and how Jesus is fighting for us. One of these skits is called the Everything skit. Click HERE to watch a version someone else did on Youtube. The other skit is called the Problems skit which our friends at YFC made up themselves (these are the men and women our age who are either interns or volunteers at YFC). This week in the high schools, over 2000 teenagers decided to give their lives to Christ. So awesome!!!!!
The above photo is from the Problem skit at one of the public schools in Bulawayo
These three pictures are (most) of my YFC family aka the men and women who intern/volunteer for YFC
During our down time, I have been able to play LOTS of basketball. My dad would be proud of my skills…I’m a much better baller than I was in middle school (hahaha). My team and our YFC friends also love to blast Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and KB on my speaker and dance our hearts out.
Playing baskeball
I never thought a place so far from my American home and family can also feel so much like home. My heart actually hurts when I think about how my time here is almost to an end. I guess that pain is the price we pay for loving on people so hard. But it’s so worth it and I would never trade it for anything else. My YFC friends have welcomed my team and I with open arms. We have connected with them so quickly and gotten to know their stories and struggles and what brings them joy, and we have gotten to share those things about ourselves with them as well. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe—this is home—whether it be for just this season or another time in my future as well. I have no words to express how thankful I am that the Lord placed team Overflow at YFC in Bulawayo. I am here and I am happy and I feel so alive. Thrilled to see what God does in the upcoming week.
With love,
Hals
