WE ARE HEADING TO AFRICA!!
That’s right, tomorrow we are leaving on a jet plane where we will find ourselves in Africa for the next three months.
First stop, LESOTHO.
My team will be paired up with one other team from the squad. We will be partnering with an organization called “Africa4Jesus.” It is a discipleship ministry where they focus on running and opening up sustainable discipleship schools within South Africa and the world. They work with broken and hurting people and through Christian discipleship and biblical teachings restore dignity into their lives. I’m really excited for this next month as I grow and learn in discipleship, something I haven’t really dived into.
As excited as I am to go to Africa I will be sad to leave Asia. What an incredible past three months it’s been. Being immersed in Asian culture for these past months has been nothing short of amazing as we experienced the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. I just kind of wanted to share my heart with you on the last three months and recap as we close out our time here in Asia. Month one was probably by far the hardest. I learned culture shock is a real thing, and my goal honestly was to just get through the month ha. I dealt with some sickness which was not fun but I survived. I was thrust in this community and whole new way of 24/7 living with people who are still trying to learn each other and how to love each other well. Looking back on that month, wow feels like a lifetime ago and I’m a completely different person. I had so many “What am I doing?” moments but he was there through all my doubts and worries and never once left my side. It was a long month but one I can look back on and be so grateful for now. Thailand, month two, where do I even begin? It was a month of God walking me through my identity. My team loved me so well during this month as I was learning not to pull away from them when I needed support and to just allow them to love me as I process and work through what the Lord is teaching me. I learned this month it’s okay to not have it all figured out. He will always get me through the muck, the hard and yucky places. I learned to place an unshakeable trust in believing who he says I am. That I am the daughter of the most high who is seated in the heavenly places, clothed with dignity and strength. He equipped me with everything I needed to get through this month and he always finishes what he started and so onward to Malaysia, month 3. Like seriously, this month has been a month of such personal growth and revelation. I’ve gained a newfound freedom and boldness. I’ve grown so much relationally with each person on my team individually. These humans are my favorite.
This month I have blossomed. It’s like a tulip that is in bloom and slowly but surely it’s been a process of becoming fully bloomed. God so delights in the process, he doesn’t just focus on the end result but he enjoys seeing the development of blossoming into who he has created me to be. It hasn’t been easy, there’s been a lot of pruning and a lot of stripping away as he has been working on different areas of my life. Picture a butterfly…. Once a butterfly you never go back to the cocoon, you are no longer a caterpillar . You are a new creation.
I AM A NEW CREATION.
This month has been just about not striving but simply abiding. Flying like a butterfly, stinging like a bee, as I walk in new authority and live out this calling on the mission field and exuding power that was mine all along, but just needed to take hold and grab on to it.
I’m ready to take everything I learned these past 3 months and walk into these next months in Africa and use it to impact my time there and impact the kingdom. Gosh, I just can’t wait. Please pray for safe travels. We have a layover in Singapore and Ethiopia, and finally make our way into Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s going to be a long travel day but we are all pretty stoked to get there and take on month 4.. (how is that even possible we are already in month 4?).
What a way to start the New Year. 2019 is going to be a great one!! Happy Happy New Year to each and every one of you. I pray it’s a year full of joy, laughter, and God’s abundant blessings.
We will pretty much be in the bushes of Africa with no wifi for the month. So I will try my best to update if and when I can!
Much love to you ALL!!
