“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:7-8
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The past two weeks of living in South Africa have been so exhausting yet so rewarding and refreshing. My team and I spent our first 3 days of ministry doing manual labor, digging trenches and beginning to lay a foundation for a new school building on the campus we’re staying at. Getting to pray over the building and the students that would be learning there was so sweet, and I loved getting build a stronger foundation in my faith and relationship with the Lord all while getting to build a physical foundation for others. After our first few days of ministry we got the opportunity to be counselors at a Christian kids camp in downtown Jeffrey’s Bay. We packed up some of our stuff and stayed for 5 days in cabins with around 24 people in each, Racers and high school campers combined. I loved getting to pour into my group of kids each day while we were there, and I learned the importance of sowing seeds even if we wouldn’t be able to see those seeds come to fruition after leaving. My campers learned so much about the Lord over this past weekend, and they taught me even more. They stepped out in boldness and blew me away that at the age of 13/14/15 they were able to go with us around the town and approach strangers to pray for them and tell them about what God has done and how he has been faithful in their lives.
Leading and loving them was exhausting when we also had to room with them and get them to meals and bed on time, so another thing they taught me was the importance of filling myself with the presence and peace of the Lord so I could give that to them in return. I truly noticed a difference how spending intentional time with the Lord gave me an ability to overflow in His presence onto those around me. We returned this morning to our host home we’re staying at, and we go back to our regular Monday-Friday ministry tomorrow, which will be filling the needs of our amazing hosts, whether it’s manual labor, kids ministry, or really anything else. I’ll be taking what I’ve learned about freely receiving from the Lord so I’m able to freely give to others into this next week, and I’m excited and expectant about the days to come.
