Dear Reader,
Here’s part two, as promised. I just have too much to say, per usual. Here we go!
7. Allow me to introduce you to JBay High. My teammates and I were at this school for a week to monitor the students as they take their exams. Easy, right? We expected to become glorified babysitters. Not quite.
I’ve never been so disrespected in my entire life. Almost every student spoke over us, argued with us and completely disregarded our words of encouragement. I sat next to a student to assist him with his exam and he literally jumped over my head to walk out the door. A 16-year-old student was stabbed by a fellow student and his life was threatened. These kids were no joke.
But I can’t share the bad without sharing the good with you. Before school started my teammates and I would make it a point to pray with these students, many of who heard the gospel for the first time. Relationships were built, and prayers were exchanged. We were able to encourage the staff more than anything else. But my favorite day of all was the day that 23 of our students heard the Lord speak directly to them, some for the first time in their life. It’s those stories of light and God’s goodness that make it all worth it.
8. SEX! Now I have your attention. There were lots of interesting conversations we had at JBay High, but the most interesting was actually with a staff member. We began sharing our faith with each other and he mentioned his dedication to reading scripture and his love for the Lord. Throughout our discussion on many topics, we came to the topic of premarital sex. It shocked me when he admitted to believing that premarital sex is acceptable for anyone, Christian or not, because nowhere in the Bible does it say that premarital sex is a sin.
I was pissed. Not necessarily because he admitted he believed this, but because the Bible is very clear. So I took it upon myself to do all the research necessary to show this man that premarital sex, though redeemable, is destructive according to the Bible.
First and foremost I want to say that God created the sex drive. Isn’t that comforting? He created us for intimacy and our sex drive serves a purpose. God is not ashamed of our sex drive; we just need to learn how to manage our appetite.
This staff member is correct; the Bible never clearly states, “Don’t have sex before marriage.” However, there are plenty of verses that point to purity and show us that sex is sacred and should be between a married man and woman. The Bible also clearly states that Jesus is our only resolve for full satisfaction.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God
1 Corinthians 10:31
Everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Romans 14:23
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I don’t say any of this to condemn, I say it to clarify. We can’t keep walking around and pretending that it’s a grey area, because it’s not. Premarital sex, along with any other act of fornication is not biblical and I can’t stress that enough because it’s clear and I’ve seen and encountered its destruction. It is not glorifying to God; it is not avoiding the appearance of immorality and it does not pass the test of God having ownership of our bodies.
God is good and everything He created is good. Therefore sex is good, we just need boundaries.
9. Chipping bricks. We did a lot of this at Global Leadership Academy. It got old pretty quick. But God used it to tell me a few things. I’m so easily annoyed with myself. When He shows me pieces of my character that need to change, I want a quick fix. I want to rip the band-aid off and be done with it. But that’s not usually how God works, I’ve realized. It’s a lot like chipping bricks. It takes time, and often needs sanding down to smooth things out. You have to be patient. God told me that despite my frustration, He will chip away as long as it takes. He is patient with me; I should start being patient with the process too.
10. Nelson Mandela. I had the privilege to visit Robben Island and it completely rocked my world. WOOOW. There are few words I can use to describe this experience accurately. I am so grateful for the political prisoners that have crossed those paths. It was hard enough going to prison ministry and witnessing the lives and stories of actual criminals- but to witness and hear the stories of those who suffered for the sake of freedom, it was heart wrenching. Our world is so twisted, but when I hear and read about Nelson Mandela, and the lives of many other revolutionaries, there’s so much hope.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
Nelson Mandela
“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”
Nelson Mandela
11. This month has been amazing and there are a lot of highlights and favorite moments as I sit and reflect. But my favorite part of all was building relationships. I have friends here. We encountered people at our favorite café’s, restaurants, church and ministries. JBay is small and it was easy to connect with people. It was a fun month of meeting new people, getting to know them and coming to a place of closeness in such a short amount of time. But it’s also sad. I have another home that I have to say goodbye to. I have friends here, and in reality, I might not ever see them again on this side of life. That hurts. But it’s all part of the experience and I’m learning so much through it. I’m better having met each and every one of them. I’ve been impacted in ways I couldn’t have been impacted had I not experienced this place. It’s hard, but it’s necessary. It hurts, but it hurts so good.
Africa, you’ve been a great home, to say the least. I love you and I’ve learned so much from your people. It’s been real; it’s been real fun.
Love always,
Linds
