Wow, Five months have absolutely flown by! I am currently still in South Africa, with our entire squad of 45 people, where we were put on hold until we receive our India visas (they had our passports also, so we could not move to another country just yet). We currently have our passports and India visas and will be moving on to Swaziland on November 29. How do I put into words the things that I have learned in the past few months? God has shown me so many things! I have made it through some of the biggest changes in my life, to date, with a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart!
Thailand
Our first stop. During this month we spent a lot of time getting to know each other. Our entire squad was together in one building above a sweet little cafe called Zion Cafe. We learned much about being vulnerable with each other and how to live in community. During this month my team was assigned to work with the kids in the night market and in the Slums. I, personally, had no idea what that meant. Slums. Not a common word in American culture, but to put it bluntly, the Slums are the outcasts of society. Generally it is a community of huts/houses/shacks, with the poorest of the poor living within its confines. Day one in the Slums we all walked through the village with wide eyes, not knowing what was going to happen, and kids literally came out of these small alley ways between houses to join us for a game of futball (soccer). This continued through the month with added children, teens and even adults daily.
Cambodia
Month two was great! We lived and did ministry with a YWAM Youth Development Center (YDC). Classes were not in session but we were on a very regular schedule. During this month, we worked in two villages, did prison ministry, prayer walks on an island, taught guitar lessons, and invested in the lives of the staff at YDC. I went into the month with full intentions on investing in people's lives. I wanted to learn the stories of people's lives. I wanted to share my stories with them; through this, I was able to bless and receive so much blessing. We helped a child, Dara, get into an orphanage and on his way to a better life. God taught me so much about surrender this month. I fell in love with Cambodia. I fell in love with the people. I fell in love with their desire for more; more love, more truth, more of learning that their Maker has made
them whole and perfect where they are now.
Vietnam
Vietnam was hard. Very hard. My team was on a mission to find Unsung Heros (UH). During this month we didn't have a contact or specified ministry, instead we traveled the country in search of new contacts for future teams to come to, and new partnerships for Adventures to bless. This month was hard because we were in a 'closed country,' meaning we couldn't openly speak about God, Christ, religion or even politics. Every potential contact we met with would give us names of others potential contacts; it was a huge networking month. God greatly blessed us through all the aggravation we experienced. We were able to meet many wonderful people doing wonderful things for the Kingdom. We even met a couple who took us into their home for 10 days, while there, they poured into us spiritually and emotionally, something we definitely needed at this point.
South Africa
This past month, my team worked at a Rehab center for drug users, Camp Joy. This was a place where you check yourself in, you pay to stay for the six week program, and you get clean and learn about Christ. During this month God used me in ways I honestly didn't know was possible. God showed me that He trusts me with His children's hearts. He proved to me that I am more than just listening ears, but I am also His voice. God used me to encourage and speak into people's lives at Camp Joy. We went to visit them three times a day five days a week. We sat in classes, devotions, and smoke breaks with them. We got to hear their stories, their heartaches, their struggles and in return share ours with them. God was very prominent this month.
Month Five, South Africa Continued….
This month, while waiting for our visas to come in, we spent the first week in Nelspruit relaxing and rejuvenating at debrief. From there God provided a place of living and ministry for us on the campus of a church in White River, SA. We are camping, which means surviving through many horrible thunder storms, wind storms, freezing nights and blazing nights; it's been fun! We have been working with the church, doing maintenance and helping to keep the grounds up. I have been working in the kitchen with one other squad-mate preparing for social gatherings and feeding the local children five days a week.
Where am I sitting financially? I am currently $2100 away from my $15,500-fully funded. I am also in need of around $500 in my personal account. I have had some unexpected expenses with doctors or medicines, as well as using my personal account to purchase supplies for ministry, or blessings for ministry contacts. The other thing I did not account for has been ATM fees (which has been over $100 during the past four months).
To sow into my World Race account please go to lauraschaefer.theworldrace.org and click the "support me" tab.
To sow into my personal account, please send to Laura Schaefer 811 Garbry Rd. Piqua, Oh 45356.
Thank you for all of your love, prayers and support; they have definitely been felt. Our God does not fail, His calling me to this 11 month journey has been perfect for my life at this moment, hard, but perfect.
His
