LIFE IS MINISTRY, MINISTRY IS LIFE

In South Africa, I’ve been living life with 14 other girls and living out “life is ministry, ministry is life”. We had no schedule, no list of things we had to get done, so it was a beautiful opportunity to live a life of seeking out ways to serve and minister to God and to others. No matter where you go, you can live doing ministry. It’s part of what it means to follow Jesus, to do what he did, which a carry the goods news with you anywhere and share it with anyone.

Here’s what ministry looked like while we were here!

- Vacation Bible School for kids!
- Evangelism
- Cleaning the church and school as well as doing any organizing that was needed
- Barbecue aka “bry” and volleyball nights that we invited the town to!
- Helping teachers in classrooms when school started
- Worship nights twice a week
- Prayer each morning, ministering to God first before we did anything else

GOD IS A GOD OF REVIVAL AND AWAKENING

God woke me up in South Africa. I’m myself again! Joyful, thinking deeply, silly, driven + motivated, loving ministry, full of purpose, just me + Jesus, pressing into relationships, present, stepping out of my comfort zone, awake and alive! God wants to wake up people! We came to Heidelberg and the town felt asleep, and I felt asleep with it. I was unshakeably exhausted all the time, and my whole team felt it too. By the end, I beat it, well Jesus beat it in me. He woke me up. He reminded me of what it’s like to know him hear him, and be with him and what it evokes in me. It made me sing. I learned guitar, I started worshipping. Heidelberg started to come alive too. People started coming to church again. The town came to the events we invited them to. Being in community with one another was bearing fruit. We were all experiencing what it’s like to love and be loved by God. Unity amount Gods people is the product. And this awakening that God did in me and my team was contagious. It drove me to want to tell others about the love of God.

South Africa was a country where God moved so much, but in subtle ways. Slowly, consistently, in his time, where in the moment it might be hard to see, but looking back, I’m in awe. His faithfulness reaches the sky and lasts through generations. I believe staying open hearted to God allows him to move and awaken people that were once sleeping.

ONWARD
It’s already been two countries and I’m over half way through the race. Moving to Eswatini is a major reality check to say the least. I just think of how awesome it is that knowing Jesus has led me all this way. But I could not be more excited for this next country. As my whole squad reunites, be praying for unity, and that Jesus would grow in each of us, greater sacrificial love for each other!

Thank you all for your prayers. Prayer truly has power