Some amazing things have happened in the past 10 days, and it’s about time I share them with you.
My squad took 2 flights from Vietnam to South Africa, and we first stayed in Johannesburg for 3 days while on lockdown in a hostel. Why were we not allowed to leave the hostel, you may ask? Well, we were in a pretty rough area and it was thought best that we just hunker down for a few days while we applied for our visas to India. These 3 days were a breath of fresh air; after living in Southeast Asia’s humidity for 3 months, the cool spring air of South Africa was more than welcome, despite its chill factor at times. I would wake up early in the morning (circa 5 am—thank you, jet lag) and take a hot shower. I’d then head down to the pool, all bundled up in a hoodie and leggings (and I’m not ashamed to say that I wore this outfit for 4 days straight!) where I’d drink instant coffee and spend time with Jesus. All I could do the rest of the day was spend time relaxing with my squad mates before squad-wide dinner and worship in the evening. It was truly glorious and rejuvenating.
When our time at the hostel came to an end, my team hopped on a sleeper bus for a 20-hour ride to Cape Town. I saw one of the most breathtaking sunsets I’ve seen in my life (Cambodian sunsets come pretty close!) as we rode through the African countryside. I awoke in the morning to fog running over South African vineyards and mountains shooting up all around us. When we arrived in Cape Town, our contact for the month picked my team up. Bradley Barnes is a former professional soccer player and he lives with his family in the rough but colorful neighborhood of Ocean View, where my team is living this month. A year ago, God asked Bradley to give up his house to host missionaries. So, he and his wife Jocelyn along with their 2 boys, moved into his sister-in-law’s house down the street. Can you imagine moving out of your house to host foreigners in, while you and your family squeeze into a tiny 2 bedroom house with another family? Bradley’s obedience and servant’s heart is awe-inspiring to me.
Anyways, my team is beyond blessed to live in Bradley’s old house this month. We have the house all to ourselves—with a kitchen, living room, and hot showers too. The neighborhood of Ocean View is located on a mountain right next to the ocean with some incredible views. The houses are small but brightly colored in hues of pink, green, and yellow. The community is tight-knit, yet it is an extremely dangerous place as it is filled with gangsters and crime. It is wonderful to have our whole team together again in this tiny and cozy house, but it has already been a challenge for all of the obvious reasons you can think of—when you spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the same 6 people, frustrations and annoyances quickly arise. We’ve already had our ups and downs as a team, but I know that in the end, the difficulties will be worth it as we are living in true community. Last night, for example, we laid in the grass in our backyard, completely awestruck at the stars above and marveled at God’s glory together. It’s been years since I’ve seen that many stars… actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many before, and I’m so blessed to have experienced it with my team.
And one final update: I met my third deadline to continue on the race… the night before the funds were due! That’s right. In a matter of 5 days, $1500 came into my support account. I’ve heard stories of this happening before, but never really thought it could happen to me. Our God is so gracious and good! I am so humbled by everyone’s support and faith in what the Lord has called me to. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Blogs are soon to come concerning details of our ministry this month and life in Cape Town!
