Coffee Bay, South Africa is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. I can’t help but just stare in wonder at God’s beautiful creation. I can’t decide the best part of this place… maybe it’s the fact that we are living in our tents this month under the moon and millions of stars, or the fact that the crashing waves on the beach put me to sleep each night. Or maybe it’s the fact that we are so 'disconnected’ to the world out here.. hardly any internet or electricity, we spend our free time getting to know each other, singing, dancing, laughing, praying, exploring, worshiping, and laying on the hills or the beach. Being here really makes you appreciate God, life, nature, people, and all the things we may miss while watching TV, or being on the computer. This may be the only blog I post this month until the end of the month because it’s hard enough just keeping my computer charged here, then we have to transfer our stuff from our computers to the desktop in the hostel across the street (which is dial up internet at about $1 every 10 minutes, and to a World Racer, that’s really expensive!).
I wanted to take some time though to explain our ministry this month. It is one of the most exciting ministries of 
the race so far. This month is special because my team is actually with 3 other teams from my squad and a group of World Race Exposure people. Each team has 2 extra teammates that are here just for the month to get a 'taste’ of the WR. This is a great month for them to experience because they are getting the experience of living minimally and we are definitely keeping busy with ministry and community living. The reason we have so many people here this month (36 to be exact) is because this is a brand new ministry. We are actually the founders of it! First, I’ll explain the need for a ministry in this area that seems like a paradise. The place we are staying (Bomvu Paradise) is actually a little backpackers hostel complete with horseback riding, yoga, restaurant, hiking trails, beaches and more. Surrounding this place is a half dozen other shops and tourist activities. (Of course, we are not doing the tourist things here unless we have the extra time/money) :). Anyway, Bomvu is known as the ‘party’ place around here. There are a lot of tourists here looking to have a wild time… late nights, drugs, sex, you name it. On top of that, the community and surrounding villages are very much involved in these activities. 1 in 3 people in this area have HIV and it spreads to tourists who are here for a fun time and don’t even know the people here are infected and giving it to them. Tuberculosis is also very common here and many people are infected. There is just a dark spirit here, the suicide rate is high, the teenagers of the community gather together to get drunk once a week, many people are very sick, and it seems the only thing for these people to do around here is to hang out at the bar.
So where does ministry fit in here? The owner of Bomvu has a very special daughter, Mandy, who has another vision of this place. Instead of seeing it as a party hangout, she saw the need for Jesus here and decided to start a ministry. A few ministries, in fact. Her vision for the local kids is to have a soccer and surfing ministry. Her vision for the tourists and backpackers that come here to camp is to be surrounded by Godly people who can have a positive influence on them. Her vision for the mothers and fathers and chiefs of this community is to have a place to gather and worship the Lord instead of get drunk or use drugs. That’s where we come in. As founders of this ministry, this month it is our job to make her vision for this place a reality and to get something established here for future volunteers to come to. You wouldn’t believe how excited my teammate Trey was when he found out he was starting a surfing ministry (he is from Florida and has surfed his whole life). So, for the past 2 weeks, we have been working on going out in to the villages and gathering children to sign up for the ministries, holding 2 worship sessions a week for the community, and just becoming part of the community. A typical soccer or surf ministry starts out with group prayer, then the sport, and ends with a message for the kids, including a skit and a chance for them to receive Jesus. We’ve also been able to visit different churches and speak in them and help the kids find a church they can go to. This ministry has been so much fun and really such a blessing to see how receptive these kids are to the Gospel and to Jesus. On top of being blessed by this ministry, I’ve had a lot of personal growth this month because I’ve had so much time with God. I’ve been really diving into the Word and getting so much out of it. This month I’ve been focusing on understanding His love for me, so I can love others in the same way. I’m going to end this blog with a song that has really touched me because it is exactly how I feel right now because I know Jesus is the ruler of this land and these people and He is making Himself known here in mighty ways…
Lord of all creation, of water earth and sky,
the heavens are your tabernacle, Glory to the Lord on High…
God of Wonders beyond all galaxies, you are Holy, Holy
The Universe declares your majesty, you are Holy, Holy
Lord of heaven and Earth……
Here are some pics from the Soccer Ministry, the Surfing Ministry and beautiful Coffee Bay where we are camping this month! 🙂
