Her name was a Rebekah. She was a young World Racer with beautiful bright eyes and curls. She was kind and full of joy. In South Africa, her ministry involved working in a small coffee shop. She served there, created a prayer wall there, and left her mark of beauty and love in that place. Austin noticed. Austin was a handsome guy who brought laughter and life to a room. After finishing his year of worldwide missions on Global Challenge, Austin was back serving with Global during his internship. He couldn’t help but fall for Rebekah from their interactions, seeing the love of Jesus radiate from her. He fasted and prayed, not wanting to distract her from her Race or the Lord and not wanting to be distracted from his ministry. But he knew she was it. They waited it out, trusting the Lord for His will to be done after she finished the Race. After she returned to the States, they got engaged. Some people were skeptical because of their young age and difficulties with international travel and jobs, but they were confident. They loved Jesus more than they could ever love each other, and they loved each other wholeheartedly, and they were sure the Lord had let them cross paths for His purpose. Austin went to the States and they began planning a wedding. Rebekah got her dress, and they took engagement pictures with her donning her “Bride-to-Be” tiara.
Due to some international paperwork things, they said “I do” a bit before their planned wedding at a courthouse. The Lord had brought them together, uniting two lives and embodying the Church connections between Adventures in Missions and Global.
The day after their courthouse wedding, Austin and Rebekah were driving in the countryside and were in a fatal car-crash.
•••
A year later, Global began the construction on a log house in their honor, where future missionaries can stay. This month, during my month in South Africa, I’ve had the privilege to spend time every day for two weeks working on this log house. It’s such a humbling experience, getting to sand floors, stain beams, and hammer nails in their memory. We’ve gotten to worship within its mostly-finished walls with the construction crew, laugh over our shaking arms from using the electric sander, and praise Jesus daily for the chance to be a part of something so beautiful. Austin’s parents, Wendy and Roger, have been a large part of our ministry as well, serving us and pouring into us daily. We even got to surprise Austin’s grandmother by singing to her during her first visit to the log home. What an honor it is to be a part of this life, of this world, and this Kingdom.
