“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come perch in its branches.”
Matthew 13: 31-32
It is said that the mustard seed was known for its infectious qualities and that it was notorious for taking over gardens. Mustard was also known for its fiery potency; but the seed had to be crushed, ground and broken for its power to be released. Finally, mustard was known for its healing power and was rubbed on the chest to help with breathing. Now, you may be wondering why I would chose to begin this letter talking about mustard, but the fact of the matter is that mustard and Matthew 13:31-32 have everything to do with my nine months in Africa.
Dear Friends and Family,
I must admit that I struggle to write this letter. Time and time again, I have contemplated what I should say, but no words do my time in Africa justice. Being back in the states has been difficult; my heart is forever altered, immersion into North American culture has been abrupt, eye opening and really hard. Daily, my soul aches to be able to see the people of Jeffrey’s Bay; not a moment goes by when they are not on my heart. I will never be able to sum up my time in Africa; it changed me, broke me, and grew me. I not only saw the Kingdom of God come to earth, but I had the honor of being a part of the kingdom; the Lord revealed more of His heart to me and let me daily walk along side the people He loves.
I met so many beautiful people during my time with Adventure In Missions. I got to experience true community with my team members. I shared every joy and hardship with them; they are now like family and I am so blessed to have them in my life.
I had the opportunity to do ministry at Joshua Project, an after school program for vulnerable children in the township. The children there brought so much joy to my every day and never ceased to make me laugh. A few days a week, we would do house visits and we built deep relationships with impoverished, addicted and abused women in the poorest sect of the community. With a deck of cards in hand, every Tuesday and Thursday we would bond over something that transcends all language barriers – a rousing game of crazy 8’s. We saw these women begin to hope again and to realize their worth to Christ; they realized that the ways they had been treated were not a reflection of their worth to HIM.
Then there were the boys that stole my heart, the ministry that was constant – working with the street kids. We had “official” hangout times with infamous boys of the community two nights a week, but we grabbed every available opportunity to head into town to find them. These boys, ages 8 to 16, broke my heart. What an honor it was to be able to join their lives – to lay on the concrete beside them as hundreds passed by as if they were invisible. I wish I could describe the fun, the heartache, the tears; fights, game, laughs; the fury and the joy that I experienced with these boys. Of all the people I met in Jeffrey’s Bay, these boys forever have my heart.
Slowly and subtly, we saw glimpses of the Kingdom in Jeffrey’s Bay – like a mustard seed taking over a garden. While there was so much beauty, there was also a great deal of pain.
On April 5,th our team received a phone call telling us that three of our teammates in Port Elizabeth had been in a car accident; two of them were okay, but one of our teammates, Sarah Buller, had passed away. We were broken.
Honestly, I do not know how to write about this. It hurts so deeply.
People ask me how my time in Africa was …and Sarah is always the first thing that comes to mind. Her death changed my life forever. We not only lost a teammate, but a sister and a friend. Our hearts were burdened for her family, and also for our two other team members who survived the accident. You never expect to go to Africa and lose a beloved teammate; it was by far one of the hardest experiences I have ever been through. I saw God in it- He gave us the strength to keep going and spurred us to love all the more. I saw the universal Body of Christ come together and bring healing to broken hearts. I saw true love being poured out. I saw a glimpse of Kingdom come; it was beautiful. After Sarah, the trip was no longer a trip; it was raw, it was real life and the depth of what went on during my nine months in Africa is something only those who were there will be able to understand.
This letter has been very difficult for me to write. My year in Africa was the hardest year of my life, and yet one of the best. I do not want to diminish the difficulties, but I also do not want to glorify them. As a team, we were faced with the harsh realities of a fallen world; daily we looked into the sorrowful eyes of poverty, the bondage of prejudice, the pain of abandonment and the sorrow of death.
But again, like a mustard seed, we were crushed and broken, but in the end we were able to say, “He gives and takes a way, my heart will choose to say, blessed be Your Name.”
Africa wrecked me. Sarah’s death wrecked me. The street boys wrecked me. I am so thankful for every moment I got so spend in South Africa. I will never be the same.
I want to thank you for being such a large part of this experience. Without all of your prayers, love and support, I would not be the person that I am today. I would have missed out on a year that drastically changed me and drew me closer to the heart of the Father. Without you, I would have never known what true community is, I wouldn’t have known my street boys, I wouldn’t have understood the value of bringing the gospel with actions that crosses all language barriers. So… thank you. I do not take lightly the time and financial sacrifices that each of you made to send me to South Africa. I will be forever grateful. I will never be able to express the immensity of your gifts, and all the opportunities that your sacrifices allowed me. I will not ever be able to tell you of the many ways in which God changed me, but I assure you, I am wrecked. Thank you for being a part of this beautiful wreckage in my life. Thank you for sending me. Thank you for giving me the gift of being able to join the forgotten and overlooked.
And now, to Him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in His bright presence, fresh and celebrating- to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time.
With Grace, Peace & Love, Sydney Sample
