Life seems to be made up of paradoxical situations that escape what we believe to make sense. One of them being, (and probably the most simple) that when you pack a lot of experiences into life, time seems to race by. It doesn’t really make sense if you think about it. With more in a day, it should feel longer. This month was the perfect example of this simple and true fact of life, and it seems that it was just a few days ago that I left the states and started this journey into the unknown-unknown by me at least.
My team and I are now at debrief. A few days where the whole squad comes together and we have time to rest and restore ourselves, as well as talk about all that we experienced in the times previously on the field. It is also a time where we have free time to spend however we need, whether that is napping and movies or jumping into the ocean and diving with sharks (I chose the latter). We also receive teachings and have time to grow together as a squad in unity. Throughout my whole time on the field I will have four of these in total. (Just so you don’t get the wrong idea- I don’t get to run around in cities and shark dive all the time)
As I am writing this, I am sitting in a small coffee shop in Durban, South Africa. This little place has quickly become a quiet retreat in this city and a time to reconnect with home, with myself, and to process what was experienced in this last month. I am sitting here in the courtyard and I see vines of flowers above my head, the sound of families and friends conversing, the sound of pots and pans being used, and the quiet whisper of surroundings as the wind gently passes by. Why is it that I am drawn to this place so much? Simplicity. As I reflect back on this last month it was loaded with relationships, ministry, exploration, hardships, and growth. However, there is a common theme gently laced through it all and that is simplicity. On the race, we really are not doing anything complicated. Yes, there are challenges and there are times that will make my heart break a hundred times over- but through it all it is simple. My team and I, my squad, we are just learning to live as we are called. How to love people for no agenda other than loving them, and wanting them to know how much they are loved by their maker. This past month, I would say I was learning how to walk in that daily. Everything we did in our days was intentional. The way we woke up early, walked as the sun was rising, sat with people in the villages as they told us about their life, built relationships with our ministry hosts and loved them well. Nothing extravagant, nothing out of the ordinary. But that is also a theme that I have seen constantly woven through my own personal story- God takes what is ordinary and makes it extraordinary. He calls us to more- right where we are. It’s simple, it’s pure with no agendas other than love- its extraordinary living.
Because of where we were staying in Lesotho had no wifi I was unable to write as much as I wanted too. When looking over all that happened this month I could not pick one to share, so I made a small video with highlights. Unfortunately the wifi is currently not strong enough to post it- but it will come so keep your eye out!
~Katie
P.S Next stop…Swaziland!
