Yep, you read the title right. Contagious Praise (my team + the men’s team) just spent the last 10 days staying in a prison in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa- FUN FACT: It was the prison that Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, and his wife all stayed in. We stayed in actual cells, toured the old insane asylum, shared the Gospel to over 3,000 students/15 schools, and experienced freedom by physically walking out of the prison cells & mentally/spiritually/emotionally walking out of the ones the enemy has had us in.
We came on behalf of Impact Africa and partnered with a MOG (Man of God) named Fush. That is not his real name, but in the African culture, you typically cannot say their actual name so they give lots of a grace and give you a nickname to call them haha!! On our first full day here, we went to a retirement home as well as did community outreach. It was a sweet time to talk to people who have lived so much life as well as had so many stories and so much wisdom. Community outreach can look like door to door evangelism or in this case, we just set up shop on a street corner, sang and danced to bring people in + got to know them, and then shared the Gospel.
As far as what the other days looked like: We went to 15 schools and they so kindly gave us about 30 minutes to do a program which consisted of a skit, a testimony, and a word. The leadership of the school + the students were each so appreciative of us sharing the Gospel, something you don’t see often in the States. We spoke to primary schools as well as high schools and what a blessing it was. This is such a sweet life and I am so thankful that Jesus doesn’t need me, but He invites me along anyways.
I want to share a short story with you, one that isn’t fun or happy, but one that I feel like needs to be shared because Jesus continues to press it on my heart. Just when I started to complain about going and doing outreach because I was tired and ready for lunch one day, we passed a man on the side of the road, dead. He got hit by a car just seconds before. My heart sunk and I was so immediately burdened for those that don’t know Jesus. It causes me to take a whole new look at my heart first of all, but there is a desperate need for Jesus everywhere, here especially, and I HAVE THAT. People here die every single day- diseases, car accidents, and you honestly never know if the person you sit with one day will be there the next. In saying that, I should be so much more willing to share and give what I have freely received. I want to encourage you to do the same- People NEED to hear the Good News and you have the key to set them free!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of being set free, we had a worship night on Monday night, as we do every Monday, but instead of doing it with people playing the guitar and singing, we did it with a speaker, loudly, and we just soaked the Father in. Little did I know, but I so desperately needed that worship night and Jesus spoke so sweetly to me. The greatest struggle of my first two months has been doubt. I am hearing and seeing healings and demons being cast out, but part of me still doubts when it comes to hearing from the Lord. I am learning that the Holy Spirit lives IN me, which empowers me to do all that Jesus did because He is with me and just using me while I am here on this earth and living in this life! Something that I chose to leave in the cells at the prison is doubt. I no longer want to wonder if I will hear from God or if it’s really Him, but I am choosing to walking into expectancy that I DO indeed hear from Him because I do indeed KNOW Him. He is a good Father, friends. He wants to know you and talk with you too, if you are not already walking in relationship with Him.
