With every hipster restaurant you dine at, smoothie or ice cream cone you indulge in, coffee that you sip, or wave that you ride in on, this place is sure to make you never want to leave.
Looking at a map, I could see that we would be on the coast this month, but I still didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, we were close to the water and ya girls heart was happy… Little did I know that Jeffrey’s Bay (J-Bay) is a beautiful, vacation, surfer town.
Chatting with our ministry hosts upon arrival, made me feel like I was heading home. From the, “Darling, we cannot wait to see you!” to the “We are praying for your journey!” it was as if I was talking to Ken and Joni on the other end of the phone… Just with a South African accent. Lyndon and Anthea strive to serve us, each other, their family, but more importantly, Christ every day. They have hosted many world race teams before and have already opened their home for us all to come back to visit! (May or may not have already booked my flight)
If there is one thing that the world race has taught me this month, it’s that ministry can look SO different. It doesn’t always have to be teaching Vacation Bible School, preaching a sermon, praying for someone, or leading someone to Christ… Ministry is whatever God has called you to do. With that being said, ministry for my team has looked a tad different this month… But it’s all good because this is where He has called us.
Celenne and Chandler go to a Christian high school everyday and teach sex Ed. It’s cool because they have been able to teach children what love really is and share from a biblical perspective. Through this, amazing conversation has been had, and these high schoolers have been able to see how God views and loves them.
Sue, Kristi, Lindsay, Shay, and I go to another high school that just recently opened. They are still doing construction and that’s where us strong gals come in. Everyday is a surprise for us! Some days we varnish wood and bricks, move bricks/dirt/wood/metal rods/palettes across a field, disassemble and move scaffolding or even sand dried cement off of hundreds of bricks. As EASY as it is to say, “Are you kidding me?” or “Is this a joke?” I remember that I chose the World Race to serve God, serve others, and grow in my walk with Him. So on days that we are asked to do something that may seem absolutely ridiculous and not “ministry”, I remember that this is where God has called me to be. I ask God to show me opportunities to minister to the students, my teammates, or even the staff at the school. I choose joy because I am helping and serving others through whatever task God has called me to do. Side note, I have a team full of ROCKSTARS that never back down from a challenge and give 110% everyday… I am so proud of them!
Only a couple weeks into the month, I can rest in peace that it will be okay if I leave Jeffrey’s Bay without some nice triceps because of all the manual labor, or didn’t have a platform to preach a sermon on… At the end of the day I said, “Yes” to what God asked of me and I chose to give Him all of the glory.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
