As soon as we walked outside the airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, we were greeted by cool, but refreshing breezes. I breathed deeply and told myself, “I think I’m gonna like this place.”
I was right.
I love South Africa. For many reasons.
It’s a beautiful country. Rolling hills, blanketed by bright blue skies dotted with puffy clouds, mountains and beaches, beautiful lakes and wildlife.
But mostly, I loved the people.
So much diversity… the clicking of the Xhosa language, the fascinating Afrikaans, the English, wrapped up in wonderful accents…people with cultural traditions and ways of thinking, dancing, music, and art, all bursting from the Rainbow Nation.
While this all sounds beautiful and perfect, I was humbled to hear some of the stories of the past—pain and hate, forgiveness and courage, faith in the midst of such difficult circumstances.
During the month, I read through Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, and was reminded there is often a cost when we fight for things that are important to us.
I was honored to sit with young and old and listen to how God redeemed. Over and over.
Team Mighty Love and Team Refined Elegance served with a church in Middelburg, South Africa. It was one of the rare months my team was with another group of ladies, and it was fun to do life together for a month!
The church was called Full Gospel Church of God. It didn’t take long to see that the pastors valued community and building relationships in the nearby areas. As a result , there is also a movement called Kruis Generasie (Cross Generation) that is impacting various areas of South Africa. It was exciting to meet other pastors that were part of this initiative, as well.
I could type for hours, but here are a few things that I learned during our month.
Braai—anytime, anywhere!! A braai is the equivalent to a grill-out in America. And it is acceptable at any time of day—breakfast, lunch, dinner; or all three! One cannot simply have a meal without meat in South Africa. 🙂
Life is an Adventure. I’ve read from other racers about months where they would wake up each morning and really not know what was going to happen.
October was that kind of month for me.
One morning I am sitting on a stage in a school gym filled with smiling faces and youthful energy, and that afternoon, I’m standing ankle deep in a creek, giggling with Laren while we sift through the sand in our hands looking for fools’ good.
Another morning we are helping deliver food for a drug rehab program, the next we are holding snakes, iguanas and a python!
While there were days it was a little exasperating, looking back I see the fun and the laughter of those moments. It reminds me to say “yes” to more things, tip my head back and laugh at the beauty of the crazy in it all.
Cool weather? To the mall we go!!! Buying clothes because I’m chilly?? such a foreign but welcome concept after 5 months of sweating almost non-stop.
Rugby—the game of South Africa. Go Springboks! I pretend I know what they’re doing…. But sometimes I wonder if they just like bashing their heads together. 🙂
The younger generation is going to change this world. We were able to visit several provinces, and met so many wonderful young people in the churches and schools.
I remember looking out over the gyms, packed with eager faces. Being bombarded with hugs from beautiful young women and handsome young men. Teaching little children songs with motions and feeling them surround me, their tiny hands in mine, and resting on my back and my legs. Visiting a little school where each child had come in on their free day to introduce themselves, and sing for us…looking over a group of elementary students, worshiping God with hands lifted and bodies swaying in the rhythm of His grace and His joy.
I was blown away by the bright minds of high-school students and their desire to grow and excel in their God-given talents, and humbled to sit alongside brothers and sisters in Christ as they fasted and prayed.
The youth of South Africa are a force to be reckoned with.
A beautiful, diverse, exuberant force.
Barefoot and legal!!! I should’ve gone to school in South Africa. Yes, children can go to school barefoot. It’s also ok to walk through malls shoe-less. At least I think so. If not…woopsie. 😉
We were designed to worship God—with our lives, with our hearts, with our voices.
Singing with the worship team every Sunday morning at the church….mingling our voices with the rising smoke from our campfire one evening in Barberton, worshiping in an attic with Chelle, watching the youth of Pretoria give God all they had in dance and praise.
It’s like oxygen.
It’s the simple things. Heart-to-hearts in sleeping bags in the driveway. Doing the Wobble under the stars with my team, oohing and aaahing over the elephants, tigers, and bears—oh my!, sitting around a puzzle drinking tea and talking about life, making food together in the evenings, getting hugs every morning from Peter, trying to learn the waitress dance at Spur Steakhouse, climbing trees, stimulating conversations about church, beliefs, sharing our stories…laughing at myself trying to speak Afrikaans…learning new games and playing, “What are the odds?,” evenings at our house with our host couple, skype chats with Andie, spending hours doing the budget with Christina, learning to play squash…
It’s a good list…that definitely could be longer.
Rooibos tea. Seriously. How many cups a day is too many? and is that even possible?
God can and will use you anywhere.
South Africa was the more like America/home than any other place on the Race. Sometimes I found it hard to fight complacency, but it was also so encouraging to see a church thriving and growing in a world more similar to the one I came from.
It’s possible—anywhere. When He is in charge, any day can be filled with the divine. Sometimes He’ll bring surprises that delight your heart and leave you wondering what He’ll do next. The label of “ministry” or “just for fun” doesn’t matter to Him.
Every moment has potential when He is part of it.
I still need reminded of this.
Looking back at the memories helps me remember.
