Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. Psalm 105:1
My faith has grown tremendously over these past months, but the growth I have seen in my daughter, Emily, is unbelievable. Seth Barnes, Founder of the WORLD RACE, states in his book, Kingdom Journeys,” a kingdom journey removes the scales from our eyes and allows us to see God all around and even within.” I only had a small glimpse of this on my recent Parent Vision Trip (PVT) to South Africa while serving on the mission field with 20+ racers and their parents. My first real exposure to the culture was when a few of the parents visited a “shanty town” in the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. On a very small parcel of land, there were approximately 5000 men, women, and children (lots of children) living in one room shacks made of tin…one bed for a family of four, no electricity, and the only running water was in the middle of the parcel of land—five faucets where they washed what clothes they had as well as used for drinking and bathing. Portable toilets were available but only emptied by the city twice a month. When I asked what prevents the people from getting jobs, the answer was “insufficient education and not enough jobs for the number of people” …and of course they can’t afford to travel to find jobs elsewhere. Participating in ministry, worship, evangelism and adventure time with Emily, her squad mates, and their parents for the week produced many blessings. Everyone asks what stood out the most. And, I cannot lie…NOTHING compared to the first moment I saw Emily and then held her in my arms. Remember, she had not been in my physical presence since August 5 of last year…7.5 months…which seemed like a lifetime. The anticipation of all the parents was extremely high on that late Sunday morning as we met at the Johannesburg Airport awaiting our bus ride to the mission site in Pretoria, about an hour away…a really long hour away. We were provided a bag lunch on the way, but I was so excited I couldn’t eat or talk. Honestly, I was praying I wouldn’t completely breakdown when I saw Emily. As the bus pulled up to the ministry site, I could see all the RACERS standing outside waiting on us. As we got closer, I spotted Emily with her big beautiful smile…and a super tan face making it that much brighter…such a BEAUTIFUL and WELCOME sight!!! I literally could not believe I was about to get my hands on her and my arms around her for that long awaited hug. Keep in mind, Emily is not a “hugging” person, so I wasn’t real sure how that was going to go. But, I got off that bus as quickly as I could and when I rounded the front of it, she met me and it was absolutely WONDERFUL! Tears filled my eyes, I couldn’t believe I was actually with her. And guess what…she actually hugged me more than once and I took in every moment!!! Blessing #1
We spent the afternoon together relaxing outside in her “Eno” where she talked non-stop, and I loved hearing every detail of her journey thus far. She is full of JOY—it shows on her face, in her voice, and in her actions. As you all know, I am so proud of her and the young woman she has become. She definitely has a heart for the LORD and for missions. Blessing #2
Monday and Tuesday were Ministry days with our host BEAM Africa. We all participated in the “Life Skills” workshops aimed at equipping the youth to understand who they are and that they have a purpose. This ministry focuses on equipping students ages 18-30 for entry level job opportunities. A few topics given focus include: interview skills, communication skills, budgeting, and how to handle emotions…but, above all they want to make sure each person knows God has a purpose for them. If they pass their final assessments, they qualify to work in a “learnership” program for one year. This helps these young adults stop the cycle for their families and provide a better quality of life. During these sessions, we had worship time, and to hear these young South Africans worship God through song in their native Zulu language was unbelievable. Blessing #3
Sadly, we were to visit a nearby orphanage on Monday, but due to a riot outbreak between the two locations, we were not allowed to go for safety reasons. We were all disappointed, but understood the decision. Wednesday was ADVENTURE day. We went into Pretoria to the mall, basically to walk around a bit and get something to eat!!! Emily wanted pancakes…so that is what we got…along with some bacon J. Then, it was back to our place to get ready to go on the SAFARI where we saw zebra, elephant (we actually saw one escape), a couple of fighting giraffe and other animals as well. It wasn’t exactly what I expected…but, it was a lot of fun. We were treated to an African Braiie for dinner—I ate lamb—and for entertainment, an African dance troupe performed (and, yes, I was pulled out there to participate!). By the way, it started raining while we were on the safari and I promise it did not stop very long at the time until Friday around lunch. Talk about the song “Rains Down in Africa” …we were playing/singing that song while riding. Also, while on the safari, the racers ministered to the drivers/trackers and had a couple of them accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I tell you these kids are serious!! It was Adventure Day, but not an off day…these racers don’t believe in “Off Days”!! Blessing #4
Thursday was EVANGELISM day. Training was held for the parents first thing, then we loaded up on the bus and headed back to the mall. I admit Evangelism is not in my comfort zone—but these WORLD RACE kids made it look easy. They were not hesitant about setting out and sharing God’s love with strangers at all!!! It was wonderful that evening listening to all the encounters the teams had during the few hours of evangelizing. As for Em and myself, we paired up with Marissa, one of Em’s teammates, and her mom, Vonnie, from Wisconsin. We witnessed to Leon, a store manager in the mall, and an UBER driver…two totally different experiences. Leon believed in Jesus and asked each of us to write our favorite verse. The girls even gave him the addresses for their WORLD RACE blogs so he could read them. We talked for a bit and then prayed with him and I’m pretty sure we were all in tears by the time we left. The UBER driver was very nice and said he knew Jesus. We asked him who does he say Jesus is and he said “Jesus is a prophet of God” …at the same time all four of us said “Jesus is the SON of God” and that led into some really good discussion. We were not able to convince him otherwise, but I was very impressed with Emily and Marissa on how they handled the conversation and planted the seed. Blessing #5
Each night, the racers led worship through song and testimonies. These kids love the LORD and are passionate about spreading the Good News all over the world. They are not just FANS, they are truly verbal and visible FOLLOWERS of Christ. It was amazing to witness. My biggest take away from them was this…they all stressed at various times that the mission field is WHEREVER you are…you don’t have to be on a “mission trip” to meet people’s needs and witness to them. It is simply talking with people and letting them know through words, actions or just a simple hug or smile that Jesus loves them. Let the people see, hear, and feel your faith. And, you know what, I actually had the opportunity to do just that not only in the Johannesburg airport with an American gentleman but also on the plane ride with my South Afrikaan neighbor traveling to the states. You never know… the seeds you plant may one day grow. The parents went on PVT to see their children—some, including myself, didn’t realize how impactful the RACE would be for us as well. This was reinforced with my verse for the day shortly upon my return—Psalm 105:1. Blessing #6
In Summary…Jesus sent his disciples out to discover the kingdom with no provisions. And, that is pretty much the truth for these racers. Thankfully, the WORLD RACE organizers took a little pity on the parents because per the racers, they were living well while we were there…and we thought we were “roughing it”. But they were thankful for having a mattress to sleep on, showers (with hot water), indoor plumbing, and three good meals a day. These are things most of us take for granted each and every day; but, the racers don’t know what they will have from country to country/ministry to ministry. At times they are in sleeping bags on the floor, taking “bucket baths” or showering with cold water…if the water is even working, and eating on a $5 a day budget. But you know what…these kids don’t complain. You can see the JOY in their faces, hear the LOVE of Christ in their words, and feel the FAITH in their actions. And, the one that stood out the most to me, of course, was MY EMILY… …And, that my friends, is my Blessing #7.
Love in Christ,
Leanne Lincoln aka Emily’s Mom
