south africa. i have loved you. from jeffrey’s bay to pretoria to pietermaritzburg to durban to johannesburg to capetown. i have loved you. you haven’t been easy. you have left me on the floor of a bathroom at 3 am alone in tears. terrified in a prison bed. questioning my faith. but you have given me more than i have lost. you broke me down to the point i felt like i had no redemption just to build me up the way the Lord wants me to be. riding in a quantum on the way to one of the last days of outreach here in johannesburg i reflect. we are saying bye so soon. here i lost my pride and you restored it with grace and generous giving. here i lost my insecurities and you have restored them with who you have called me to be. here i lost my earthly joy and you have replaced it with a heavenly joy that comes from overflow. I am being made new and here is the start. South Africa you are restoration for me. You are transformation. You taught me unforgiveness and bitterness have no hold in my heart. You have drilled that into me. You had me work through my hurts and wrongs. and you have replaced them again and again. I am eager for you Ecuador, but for now as I enter Diepsloot for one of the last times I will love on these people in a way I never have before. My feet are still planted here. I have you for one more day. Push me to be deeply rooted in contentment here. South Africa I have loved you. You have changed me. You broke me down. You built me up. And you broke me down again. You are what I needed. Thank you.
