Thank you so much for praying for me! God’s work is so evident here and in me and it’s only the first week. I’m currently sitting at Christ Church Sybrand Park listening to the worship group practice. It’s just those playing and me listening in a little church with very strong supportive community and inspiring dependence on God. I’ll briefly mention where I am, what I’m doing, and then a few of the ways God has been apparent.
First off, after traveling four days, I’m here in Cape Town, South Africa! Our squad of 47 had some training at Launch along with our leaders Andrew and Alys, who are traveling with us the first few months, and Kayla, Erin, Ryan, and Daniel, who are also supporting and guiding us through the trip. They are a huge blessing. My family, Dad, Mom, and Drew, joined me at launch to send me off and attend their own sessions. I’m really thankful for each of their love and support.
I am working on more blogs to post soon. Thank you for asking how I’m doing. We have been busy in good ways and are all doing very well.
After wishing our families and stateside leaders farewell, my squad left on a 15hr flight to Johannesburg. It was a fine flight and I caught up on some sleep. When we arrived it was ~4pm South African time and we spent that night camped out in an alcove of the airport. The next morning we drove to the bus station where we eventually boarded a bus for a 20hr drive to Cape Town. Everything went well; you must have been praying.
When we finally arrived, my team (five other girls and I) met our host, Mike, and church members, Robbie and Paul. They took us to the Living Sports Ministry in the Pine Lands (the first garden city of Cape Town) where Mike and Ivan live. Then soon after we arrived we headed out to church. Our hosts and the church body have been so eager to care for us and they are blessing us richly! They spend hours filling our schedule with ministry opportunities, preparing meals for us, taking us places, teaching us about the history and culture, and showing us the needs and extreme beauty of Cape Town.
The natural beauty here is Awesome! I’ve never seen so much breath taking scenery in one area. There are massive rocks, abundant greenery, stunning people, and beach after beach of turquoise water. You have to remind yourself you aren’t walking in a movie set. We are amazed and delighted that God has placed us here, with these people, at this time. It is clearly His will that we are here, but we can’t get over it.
So that is where I am. Regarding what we are doing, we’re here to serve wherever needed, but primarily we are here to serve the Living Sports ministry. This ministry seeks to engage disadvantaged kids through sports and share God’s love with them. I’ll have to detail more about the cultural needs and unique ministry difficulties later. Our first week here has been packed though the next two weeks have even more ministry planned. Please be praying for the sports ministry as it begins tomorrow, Monday, 20.
So much has happened; these are a few of the things God has done:
Exuberant African worship
– Long relaxed community braai (barbeque) at Christ Church Sybrand Park
– Each of us spoke on the radio and Michael (a warrior of God) shared the gospel to a listening audience of 120,000
– Many house chores because Mike and Ivan just moved in a little over a month and two week ago respectively and the house was in disrepair
– Time with God in the mornings with a view of the mountains from the front yard
– Finding contacts for AIM from people who drop by for lunch
– Praising God amid tedious tasks
– As a team, learning what it means to love each other as we are, and seeking to do so more and more as we live vulnerably
– Complete strangers telling us messages of encouragement that only God could have sent
– The challenge to emulate so many people around us as they live, teach, and pray their relationship with God
– Anthea’s 21st birthday! (one of the other five girls on my team)
– An opportunity to share at a prayer meeting that happened to be on the exact same topic: trust.
– Learning about the culture here and praying about how to go about meeting its needs
– A church body dependent on God and eager to sacrificially love us
– Continual opportunities to marvel at God’s creation
– Enjoying the mixture of British, Indian, and African language, people, food, culture, and faith, here in Cape Town
– Helping to serve breakfast (oatmeal and a pb&j sandwich for lunch) to about 100 children before school. For most of them this is all they have to eat
– Spending time fellowshipping and worshiping God with young men of Beth Uriel (troubled backgrounds)
– Daily God shows me that He is with me and that He wants me to seek Him and pray for those around me. Sure it sounds unreal, but regardless, I’ve been seeing many things each day that I’ve seen in dreams. An example of this is a wall of windows beside me in this church and the passageway outside. I had most of the dreams long ago and at the time some of them were scary. But I have no reason to fear. God has planned for me to be here. He has also prepared me for all He calls me to. He keeps reminding me and showing me this.
Please keep praying! Pray is vital to whatever God does here, so I need you guys to be praying over all of us. Pray for unity and for God to use us for His glory. Thank you guys!
I love you,
Meredith
