Hello all! it has been a little while since I wrote, because I have been waiting to get into ministry before explaining what we are doing. I have been posting pictures on Facebook & Instagram to check in and show that i am alive and well.
((my biggest prayer is that no one sees the part of Africa that I am in and doubts the power of God through ministry. I am believing that you will stand by me and
realize how ministry is available here as much as it was in Swaziland. geography and money have nothing to do with spiritual need. America needs to drill out the idea in our minds that sharing the gospel is only about making a difference with poverty- because that is so far from the truth. ))
As you already know, I am spending the next few weeks in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. if you have already done the research then you know its a beautiful little surfer town and very different from the bush in Swazi. We are actually here during the surfing competition which has been such a cool thing to tune into and keep up with. we are truly getting the whole Jbay expirence! This place is so special and I am believing that it is going to make my transition back home a little easier, and remind me that ministry is in everyday life.
While we are staying here, our team is divided into a few different groups to split throughout the community. we were divided based on our passions and an area that would best equip us for our life calling. some of the team was assigned a baking class for students, working at the school coffee shop, doing construction, and teaching music and tutoring at an after school program. I was assigned to go to a little local coffee shop called “First Light” with my leader Andrew.
What you don’t know about First Light is that it is a ministry within a market place. You probably don’t know that they have a 24/7 prayer room in the back available for the public, but also for the employees to spend hours on their knees praying for their customers. You probably don’t know that they individually pray over their cups and write prophetic words on them to encourage. You probably don’t know that they empower artists in such a way that glorifies God and encourages them to do the same.
While I am serving here for the next few weeks I will be training as a barista, helping with baking, cleaning and doing anything I possibly can to help. I have been writing prophetic words on the cups, spending time chatting with customers, and getting to serve the owners. My favorite thing is how they asked us to create a piece of art for the wall because we are apart of the story. wow. unreal to me.
The biggest thing you probably don’t know about this coffee shop ministry, is this is for me. this is my specific calling. I have had prophetic dreams over dreams over dreams of creating a coffee shop, a mission field, and serving people through this. I was even trying to understand how to incorperate art within the shop. I knew this was what I was called to do, but I always felt alone and confused with this passion. Everyone close to me seemed to support this, but is it too big of a dream to even have? how do you even combine art, coffee and Jesus and make it a ministry?
I think I cried a few times during my first day, and came home and shed a few tears of relief and excitement that someone else had my calling, almost everything the same, and did it. Not because of who she is but because of who God is. We went over the values and reasoning for opening the shop, and God had spoken some of the same words to the owners that He has spoken over my calling. I have never felt so encouraged to just be in a place knowing that it holds a lot of what my future looks like. God is so good to me for giving me this beautiful opportunity to learn and grow from someone elses calling as well as my own. i am so blessed!!! thank you for the prayers!!
