During the Parent Vision Trip testimony night, Bethany challenged the parents to consider guest writing in their racer’s blog. So here goes.
Time has flown so quickly that I’m having difficulty processing that I was literally half way around the world less than three weeks ago.
Spending time with my daughter who has been away from our familiar first world continent for eight months imparting the hope and peace of Jesus on second and third world continents.
I’m having difficulty processing that people are the same everywhere on the planet.
We all need love.
We all have an innate ministry within ourselves endowed to us by our Creator.
And most importantly, we all just need Jesus.
I first learned PVT would be in South Africa last August at launch; I had been curious where it may be, because I knew that I couldn’t miss the opportunity for a second time. I had to miss my eldest daughter’s WR PVT in Thailand 18 months prior and if at all possible, I wasn’t going to miss this one opportunity to hug and love on my racer.
As the months leading up to PVT progressed, the reality of Bethany being on the other side of the world for the past eight months really began to sink in. And I began realizing what other parents had been realizing since launch.
The girl I had seen nearly daily for the past 24 ½ years;
The fiercely independent, homeschooled, medically challenged, double engineering college graduate girl;
The ‘every parent’s dream’ girl;
The ‘all things medical and mechanical’ girl;
The ‘everyone’s best friend’ girl;
The girl I had come to rely on for so many things,
The girl that helped ‘hold me together’ when I would begin to fall apart,
And the girl that I missed more than life itself,
Had already been gone for eight months.
And I was grieving.
Life had become so busy that I hadn’t taken time to grieve. Yet.
But I also realized…
Bethany had a more worthy purpose in life than to just live the ‘American Dream.’
She was destined to be a world changer.
Impacting one person at a time.
And I was so happy.
Although the thought of travelling alone to South Africa was daunting, I Was Committed to Going.
I had been reading about the current racial situation there, the ‘reverse apartheid,’ so-to-say, and I paused. Thus, going with Bethany’s dad was such a blessing to me.
And to Bethany.
If anyone ever needs a travelling companion, he’s the one—all things travel—and with excellence.
As my life swirled around me for the past 8 months, planning my trip to SA was the last thing on my mind. I just knew it would come together; God always has a way of doing that in my life. His timing has always been perfect, so when people kept asking me about my flight information and thoughts about the trip, I barely had any answers. My mind could only hold so much information, and once my flights were booked, I virtually forgot about them.
I had to focus on my life in the U.S.A.
As always, time has a way of sneaking up on me, and as I began to write my extremely lengthy blessing to Bethany, the reality of this kingdom journey hit me;
The realization that I have ‘lost’ my daughter to a more worthy calling;
That she will no longer ‘be mine’ when she returns from the WR—as if she ever really was;
That she will probably always ‘long to be a world changer’ on another continent.
Just as her older sister does.
And my son-in-law, who met my eldest while on the WR in 2015, does.
And that this will probably be the absolute best mission trip I have ever been on because I get to live out The Great Commission with my daughter—in Africa, no less.
And I would be changed in the process, too.
I slowly began to get excited.
I had been on numerous foreign and domestic mission trips. Alone. And with Bethany and my other children—now all adults.
But not like this.
PVT allowed me to not only see, but to experience, a new generation of young adults who truly love Jesus.
Who truly live to obey Him.
In all facets of their lives.
Who truly live sacrificially.
For their teammates.
Their squad mates.
And for those less fortunate;
They haven’t even met,
But may in the future.
I experienced true love in action.
The world is changing—one life at a time. And these young adults are leading the way.
I think I experienced more emotions the week I was in South Africa than I have in quite some time. The prior eight months of emotions pouring out. In various ways and stages. All good. Cathartic. And refreshing.
I had tears every time we acted out something at Life Skills in Mamelodi;
Every time, we witnessed to someone in the mall;
Every time someone accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior;
Every night I had to say, ‘good night’ to Bethany, until the next morning; and
Every time, TT, Carol, Deon and/or Erika would bless me with their kind words.
When Agnes gave me her “Prayer Shirt.” (I mean, who really does that?)
When Caleb told me of his of life journeys. Around the world. Ministering with his family, and alone, for Jesus.
When I met Marissa, who was cut from the same cloth as my Bethany, and heard a bit of her ‘story’ and plans for her future.
When I had the privilege of hearing our safari driver’s life story of growing up in South Africa, how the current genocide has affected him and his family, and how much he loves the Lord.
When our bus driver accepted Jesus and relayed his ‘life story.’
When I sat around the campfire singing praises with those ‘of like precious faith,’ who loved the Lord with all their heart; Who chose lives of sacrificial ministry over the ‘successes this world has to offer.’
When I watched the racers dance with the African dancers at the braai. Pure joy.
As we experienced fighting giraffes and an elephant who escaped, along with parents and racers who were all in awe.
As I formed lasting friendships with the other parents, namely Agnes. My sister from another mother. Who even shares my mom’s first name.
And my heart.
And her daughter, Sarah—who lives and shares her life with my daughter.
I am so very grateful for that.
As I heard testimony after testimony of the Lord’s work in each person’s life. Each racer. Each parent. The ministry hosts.
I cried.
But nothing could have prepared me for the first time I saw Bethany, and she saw me, in South Africa.
Literally, on the other side of the world.
It was definitely our ‘million dollar moment.’ It could never be replicated—even if we tried.
Due to potential motion sickness, I had driven from the airport with our ministry host, Erika, while the other parents drove in the large bus. Although we departed from the airport after the bus, we pulled into Erika and Louis’ ministry site ahead of the bus, thus being first to see our racers.
We drove down the dirt path, past the meeting rooms, the other campground, the outdoor eating area and towards the dorms where all the racers were waiting in a crowd. I couldn’t really see anyone individually, but the moment I started to open my door, Bethany came bursting through the crowd.
Tears exploding from her eyes.
Hands on her face.
And into my arms.
That made absolutely everything worth it.
Worth the motion sickness I had experienced every time I travelled since I was a little girl, thus causing me to need to be in the front seat with the driver. And if this was the only reason the Lord has allowed me to be motion sick every day of my life until now—just so I would be able to have this moment with Bethany—then it has been worth it.
Every penny.
Every apprehension.
Every moment of everything that it took to get me there.
For such a time as that.
And I knew we were both where we had been called to be. For that moment. Before the beginning of time.
And we both rejoiced; not only in seeing each other, but in watching her teammates and squad mates reunite with their parents after the same eight months of separation.
As the bus unloaded, Bethany ran to her dad, and he was able to experience what I had…
Pure joy.
Watching my daughter grow from a little girl to a high school student, and from a college graduate to a full-time missionary has been a life changing experience for me.
To be able to minister with BEAM Africa, knowing that we were doing it together. That the Lord blessed me with this child, so many years ago, knowing that we would be blessing the African women in Mamelodi, and in turn, they would be blessing us.
Is well… life changing.
When I read books about people who travel to a third world continent and feel as though they wouldn’t really ever need to return to the U.S.A. because their mission is life is being fulfilled,
Right before their eyes.
At that particular stage in their lives.
On that continent.
I had always been intrigued, but I was never that person.
But Africa was different.
I understood.
The more time I spent with Bethany, the more I saw her heart. A heart that was soft, pliable towards the Lord. A heart that loves others more than herself. A heart of compassion and empathy. A true servant’s heart. And I realized her ‘kingdom journey’ has fulfilled each and every expectation. Subconscious and conscious.
I also realized my short term ‘kingdom journey,’ has done the same for me.
And I understood.
As I had never wanted Bethany’s childhood to end, I would love it if this season in her life did not end. But I know it is yet another season in God’s purpose in her life.
I can honestly say that I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for Bethany.
For her teammates.
For her squad mates.
All of whom I consider my children from other parents.
Knowing that Bethany is being mentored by TT, a follower, disciple and lover of all things Jesus, made my heart totally at rest. Knowing her squad mentor, Deon, truly loves these racers and Jesus with all of his heart, made my heart happy. Knowing Bethany is content in her discontentment of dirty clothing, bucket showers, bed hopping, bathroom sharing, unfamiliar food and all out weariness, put my heart at peace.
And as I experienced the love of those less fortunate by the world’s standards, serve us with joy and love, my heart was full.
Thank you, Bethany, for inviting me to share a week in your new life;
AIM for providing such a wonderfully awesome, life changing opportunity;
Deon, Carol, TT, Devon and Jonathan, for sacrificially ministering and for serving all of the racers and parents with total excellence;
Erika and Louis for all of the time, energy and love you pour daily into BEAM Africa and the African people;
And to the Lord, for creating such a beautiful continent with such beautiful people.
