Fear is a tricky feeling. Anxiety and worry are but a few of its manifestations. Though I wouldn’t label myself as an anxious person, I definitely find myself trying to navigate around my fear, whether intentionally or not. But for these next three months, I’m choosing to press into the unknown and see how the Father is furthering His Kingdom in a new context.
For those of you who may not know me, allow me to catch you up to speed. I am about to travel with 10 new friends to Africa to serve alongside the local church in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. How did I end up here? It was not out of fear or trying to avoid being uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
Last spring, the Father allowed me to serve alongside the local church in Haiti for a few months and work with medical professionals to bring mobile clinics to different villages (see video link below). It was during that time that a group of racers, who were traveling through 11 countries to work with local ministries, passed through Haiti. I could write a whole story about this team but I’ll use the phrase, “spirit-led”, to attempt to drive my point here.
My church background/upbringing is one with a basic acknowledgement of Holy Spirit. I would be lying if I said I was familiar with Him. With this team, I saw people around my age interact with each other and the Haitians with a level of confidence and authority in the spirit that I had never experienced before. Even though it was unfamiliar, I knew it was good and was oddly drawn to it. I spent my last two weeks in Haiti around them, trying to learn how/why their community was so life-giving. I had wanted and prayed for a community like after leaving my community in college and I was about to find out where those prayers would take me….
