December has come and gone. What was supposed to be a month full of Christmas cheer ended up being the hardest month of the Race so far. It was a month of homesickness as I missed out on all of the Christmas traditions from home with my own friends and family. It was the halfway point of my Race – and the thrill of being overseas and living in intentional community has worn off. We were also based in a rough spot in Johannesburg where we were constantly warned about safety while every other team was located on the beautiful beaches of South Africa.
It was a hard month, and for much of my time in South Africa I was stuck in a place of comparison, bitterness, frustrations and complaints.
But just because things get hard does not mean God is not there. God never promised this journey would be an easy one. Christmas was not God’s promise of worldly cheer every December. Christmas was God coming to the earth to be with us – to be our source of comfort and joy no matter what life brought our way.
As I sit and reflect I become more and more aware of God’s presence this last month. While it wasn’t necessarily anything earth shattering or life changing, God was there with us.
Our ministry was putting on a 3 hour holiday club each day for kids in the community. It provided a safe place for kids to come while they were on break from school. There weren’t a lot of kids who showed up but I was blessed by the ones who did come. I got to see the amazing faith and understanding of a 10 year old girl as she made Christmas cards for her family and for our team with the reminder of the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus. I was able to build a relationship with her and encourage her in ways I would not have expected. God used her to give me hope – to show me I can make a difference.
While our living situation was not on the beautiful beaches, we were blessed with a nice home with wifi, our own den and kitchen and a wonderful house mama, Dipou. Dipou really was a blessing from God. The very first weekend she was already welcoming us with excitement and big hugs. She not only helped take care of the house, but she worshipped with us, prayed for us and showed us around the city. The day left, we gave her our extra change. She put it in a glass and told me with tears in her eyes she would pray for us every time she looked at the glass. She was an example of God’s love and hospitality.
While I missed my family on Christmas, God still provided us with a family. We ate a home-cooked Christmas Eve dinner with our host and our house mama followed by Christmas worship. Then Christmas day we were invited to the home of Dylan, the director of our ministry. Dinner was a traditional South African braii (or BBQ). His three kids put on a self-directed play. I got to spend the evening hearing stories of how God was using Dylan and his family in Joburg and around the world. I heard stories of Korean missionaries serving the Chinese population in Joburg. I was encouraged to press into the gifts and strengths God has given me. While it wasn’t the traditional Christmas day experience, God was there.
These are just a few examples of how God showed up. It was hard, but I learned a lot. I let the hard things get the best of my month, and now the month is gone. But the rest of the Race doesn’t have to be like that. We have to choose to be all in. We have to choose to make the most of every moment. We have to choose to believe God is there even when he isn’t obvious.
Team Us is now headed to northern Botswana near the border of Namibia. The location has been described as “the boonies” – so we are not expecting much comfort. However, I am excited to see how God stretches us. I am excited to have a month of truly relying on God. I am choosing to embrace a month in the bush and grow with my team. Pray that we as a team would make the most of every opportunity and seek God in every moment this month!
God Bless & Happy New Year!!
