Experiencing South Africa to its full extent would be….
1.Zulu dancing in front of the entire church congregation Sunday morning
2.Playing soccer barefoot in the middle of a dirt field while being jumped on by about 3 kids at one time
3.Waking up to the sunrise every morning
4.Screaming “sowabona” (means “hello” in Zulu) outside of the van while driving through the streets – and – yes, for those who know me can picture this happening. I was halfway out of the van window, waving and smiling to these people I’ve never met. It was quite amazing BUT they stared at me like I was an alien from outer space.
5.Spending the day (Thursday, July 14) in bed because you ate something that didn’t quite agree with your stomach – mom and dad, I don’t have malaria so don’t freak out. I did however, open the window of the bathroom to air it out (thanks to the lovely smell of vomit) and accidentally let a monkey into the house….yeah….a monkey was sitting on the toilet when one of the girls came down to check on me.
These past few days have been great (Sunday, July 10 – Friday, July 15). They’ve consisted of worship and socializing with both the locals and our team as well. We attended a great church service on Sunday night that held a message that hit home. The pastor clearly knew I was going to be sitting in one of those rows and just knew I needed to hear his message. He simply explained how we need to get quiet so our God can get LOUD. Instead of getting loud ourselves with doubt, fear and insecurities, we need to get quiet and let our Father handle our concerns. Personally, my mind never stops racing and it’s on constant “go” mode 24/7. I have to force myself to get silent – to shut out the noise around me. The pastor then called all of those who are struggling with not being still and soaking in what the Lord has to offer to raise our hands. Mine shot up like a bullet – no shame. Word of advice, don’t EVER be ashamed of raising your hand or standing up when a pastor calls out something that reflects your current state. I can assure you that the person next to you is struggling with the exact same issue.
So – raise that hand. Stand up in the pew. Whatever is takes to declare that you are breaking away from whatever is holding you down, in my case it would consist of not letting myself sit sill and be quiet.
We heard Patricia’s testimony this morning about how she struggled with not understand what God was doing in her life as she was growing up. She explained how her frustration only grew over time and how the mistakes she’s made has brought her to a place that she’d never imagined. I can vouch with what she is saying to a tee! I’m going to be a college freshman this fall in an unfamiliar setting and atmosphere. I am studying something that I think is best for me but from Trisha’s testimony, I can say that at that given moment, I was scared for what God was going to change in my own life. I got emotional, of course, and could sense myself becoming overwhelmed with the thought of God totally REROUTING my entire life plan, the plans I had for myself. And then I was reminded that those plans are destined to fail with me being the pilot of my own plane. My routes and my destinations are not decided by ME and they are defiantly not certain.
I am challenging myself to step back and let the Lord take over even more. I want to be able to “test and approve” what Gods will is for me, as it says in Romans 12. My hope is to seek out the gifts that the Lord has given to me throughout this trip. Not only will He test those gifts but He will reveal new ones to me – to practice and to strengthen.
After communicating with my family and friends last night for the first time in a couple of days, I can say that I miss you all BUT I do truly love it here. I’m learning a whole new part of me that I’ve never seen before which is refreshing.
Side note: Living out of suitcase with only 3 pairs of pants for a whole month in 60 degree weather is quite satisfying AND washing them in a utility sink is pretty great too (said with FULL sarcasm but TIA, meaning “this is Africa”)
