Over the last 4 moths I have learned so much and i have met so many great people along the way. Although i picked the route i am on for India, Nepal and ecuador i knew Africa would be great for me too. Every country has taught me so much and i can only thank the lord for putting me in places where i can grow and where i can extend the kingdom.
My first month in Africa was Zimbabwe and it was such a great start to my africa experience. My host was a nice family, and my team felt at home the moment we got there. Every weekday my team and i got the opportunity to go to different schools and teach kids about Jesus. This is what lead me to my first main lesson of africa… that children are the future. I understand that the statement is a well known one (only because of how factual it is), but it really hit me hard on what we are teaching our kids. It is still crazy to me that i can teach thousands of kids about jesus and his love to african children but it is against the rules of a normal public school in America. It is mind boggling how fruitful it could be to teach our kids about the lord but then not have that possibility. Zim really opened my heart about america and possibilities to extend the kingdom in the country that i left.
The next african country was Zambia which was also manistry month. (this ment that all the guys were put on one team with no girls) A really big thing in my life is brotherhood. I got to grow up with 2 younger brothers and i couldnt be more thankful. Whether it was me beating them up or them beating me up we learned so much together growing up and i couldnt be more proud to be called the oldest brother. I love the idea of brotherhood and what that looks like in the bible as well, which is what lead me to another lesson. The big lesson for that month was that i am not alone. i realized how fortunate i am to have younger brothers and older brothers in christ, in my life. People i can help and they can help me. After that month in an african village with my brothers i realized that I am truly not alone. Although i do not mind being alone, i am fortunate to have cool people in my life to have fun with, but also grow with.
Finally the last 2 months were spent in Malawi and i had a really big realization for these months. Everyone is told that the world is a cold hearted place and i believe that to no longer be true. The Lord has been so alive in the past 6 months in my life during the race and its only getting sweeter. I have met some of the most genuine people being on this huge mission trip and it blows my mind that i keep meeting more. I guess you could argue and say that i only meet nice people because im on a mission trip which is partially true, but that doesnt mean the world is a cold place. The lord is alive and he is working through so many people. It is crazy to think that a year ago, i didnt know i would be sitting in a bed in malawi trying to throw my thoughts on a laptop and share this to people who support me. The world is such a beautiful place and so are all the beautiful people who live in it. I am more than thankful for the opportunities that have come my way and the people i get to meet on a day to day basis.
This pretty sums up my africa experiences. I have been reading alot and studying and i grow more and more each day. I will be leaving for a long 4 day travel to ecuador soon and i thank everyone for the love and support for putting me here.
My next blog post will be a Question and Answer so if you have any questions that you would like me to answer (about the race or anything) please message me on instagram, facebook, or even in the comments below!!
Thank you everyone for the love and support
-Rodrigo
Malawi March 4th 7:20 pm
