hey !! it’s anna from the prison cell walls of Pietermaritzburg !! Don’t worry parents or grandparents, it is an old prison that has been turned into a museum that we are living in. We, meaning my team, Refinement, and the guys team, Abide. If you didn’t read my last blog, about a week ago we moved to Johannesburg to work with Impact Africa and they are HUGE into outreach. Which means a couple days after moving to Impact we repacked our bags and headed southish of Johannesburg to the city of Pietermaritzburg to do outreach/ evangelism in schools and churches.
I have never been one for public speaking. Don’t get me wrong,I am usually the loudest person in the room and can out talk any person you sit me next to BUTTTT as soon as you put me in front of people with a microphone, I freeze. My heart pounds out of my chest, my hands get even sweatier than usual, and my voice goes a million miles a minute. I do not volunteer to speak in front of groups of people, I usually have to be asked. But here, it’s different. God has given me this new instilled confidence to spread his word.
Everyday here we go to 3-4 schools and do a skit, one of us gives our testimony, someone gives the Word, and we do a dance. Everyone on each of our teams, used to public speaking or not, has stepped out of their comfort zone to share with the 100s of kids sitting before them. God is showing us to step out with no fear of man and be who we are, to share the parts of our story that are hard, and teach what we are learning from Him. We are humbled everyday by the kindness within the schools and how eager the kids are to learn about Jesus.
No matter what each of us have been scared of sharing He has shown up in our words. No matter how pressed we have felt recently He is showing us our growth. No matter how down or tired we are He continually has shown us how we are sustained by Him. No matter how silly we feel dancing to Waka Waka or the insecurities we have for our role in the skit He has shown us the faithfulness through the great fullness of the Principals. And the greatest reward is after every program we finish we are flooded by hugs, high fives, and hand holds. We get to see the kids laugh and jump around. The joy they hold is a slice of Heaven that we get to see. Working in the schools and seeing the kids reaction is a testament to the Lord’s faithfulness. I love this life and I love how Impact is growing me.
