We have only nine days left in Zimbabwe before we head to our final country, South Africa. I’ve realized that as soon as I am starting to feel at home where I’m at it’s pretty much time to move on to the next country. I’ve also realized that I’ve spent a lot of time missing home throughout this trip and felt like I was going to be in Africa for what feels like forever but I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m wanting to cherish my time more now that I realize we don’t have much time left on our trip. I will be home soon but I’ll probably never have the opportunity to do anything like this again, and I know as soon as I get home, where I want to be sometimes, I will immediately miss being in Africa. God has done some amazing things during this trip in myself and my teammates and in the cities we’ve visited. I have already grown in ways that were only because of the challenges and difficulties I’ve faced and I’m so thankful for that. My faith is definitely stronger now than it was going into the trip and I excited to see where I am when I finally am home. I’ve been able to step out of my comfort zone and trust God like never before. I’ve been able to pray over so many and build relationships with the most unsuspecting people. I’ve seen God’s beauty all around me both in nature and in the people here. One thing I’ve learned from Africa is that material things don’t make you rich. I’ve seen people here love and care for each other like I never have at home. I’ve seen homeless children with more laughter and joy and I have children at home with every toy they could ever want. I am here to love on people and spread the word of God but sometimes I think that people back home actually lack faith more than people here do. I know that doesn’t make any sense but when you’re here you can see it. People here have no other option but to trust God. They have little to nothing, some have nothing to eat, death and sickness plague their lives, rainstorms kill people, droughts kills people, the flu kills people, and so all they can do is trust God. The world has little to offer them but He has everything. They trust that he will provide all they need to survive and they rejoice in the fact that they will one day get to meet God and live in His kingdom. This is something that doesn’t happen easily in first world countries. We don’t have to trust in God as much because our world provides for us. We have endless food, technology, healthcare, etc. all at the tips of our fingers. We can say that we trust God fully but it’s hard to know for sure when you don’t have to trust that He will keep you alive, that He will provide your next meal, that He will send you just one customer to buy your vegetables or handmade goods in order to feed your family for the night. It’s a different world over here but God is abundant. I hope this is something I’m able to take with me when I go back home. I hope I don’t fall back into the life of trusting myself to provide but that I can still fully trust God. I want my life to be in His hands and trust that we will catch me when I fall. God tells us He will provide for our needs if we trust in Him and His word is truth. All we have to do is trust without boundaries or circumstances and He will move in our lives in the most amazing ways.
Psalm 20:7
Psalm 62:8
Isaiah 25:7
