God. Is. Faithful. Period.

“I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 57:9-10

The past three and a half weeks have consisted of testimony after testimony of God’s love and faithfulness in my life; I am so thankful for everything I had the opportunity to be part of and the strength he gave me during this busy but incredibly blessed season. As I mentioned in my last blog, my team and I went to Cape Town for the Ten Days for Jesus program 8-21 December. Then, on the 24th we had a big Christmas party for the kids we work with and their parents, and other friends of our ministry. I also celebrated my first birthday and Christmas away from home; lots of milestones this month!

Our time in Cape Town was very busy, running some errands for the Christmas party, which we couldn’t do in Butha-Buthe, and participating in the packed and powerful Ten Days for Jesus program. The goal was to give Jesus a birthday present of serving him for 10 days in the communities All Nations works with in Cape Town. It was a special time for me because I got to reconnect with some great friends made during my time in CPx. I also got to work in the community, Red Hill, in which I ministered during my 2008 mission trip and CPx. Our team saw amazing fruit during the short time we worked in the community and I was so thankful for God’s faithfulness to set such divine appointments for each one of us. My favorite testimony is the way God changed Sean’s life. Sean shared with us the pain and guilt he experiences because he killed his stepfather earlier this year in self-defense as the man was beating his mother. This 19-year-old guy’s entire family and group of friends are addicted to alcohol, and he has also turned to drinking heavily since being released from prison for the crime to escape his pain. God rewarded Sean’s honesty and humility by revealing to his heart the truth that Jesus can save him, forgive him, and set him free to live an abundant life. Our last day in Red Hill we sat with Sean and he said “Sometimes I wonder why I had to be born in such a messed up family, in such a poor community…but I think God has a plan for my life, doesn’t he?” The team looked at each other, grinning, as we let Sean read for himself Jeremiah 1:5 and 29:11. God says “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” Sean’s face lit up as these words from his heavenly Father sunk deep into his heart and gave him hope. Sean has a tough road ahead of him as God helps him conquer alcoholism, guilt, and major conflicts within his family, but I hope you’ll pray with us that God will protect the seed planted in his heart and raise him up as a light in his family and community. In addition to the work God allowed us to be part of in the community I was also so blessed to be part of what God did in the lives of my teammates. We all grew so much in trusting the Holy Spirit and seeing people the way God does. I loved the chance to get to know such wonderful people and I pray the relationships will continue; maybe some of them will come visit us in Lesotho! Below is a photo of my team, minus myself and Godfrey.


After we got home from Cape Town it was a mad rush to get the final things ready for the Christmas party. I’m reaching new depths of flexibility and faith as I learn to trust God to provide and make a way where there seems to be no way. By many measures we are resource-poor, so up to the last minute it was unclear how we would accomplish some things that were necessary for the party. However, God is ever faithful and he brought everything into place in his perfect timing and by his power alone. We were amazed at the ways God provided for us and want to thank all of you who prayed for us and donated in various ways to the event. God is a God of relationship so we know we cannot do our work alone and deeply value the people God uses to bless us. The party ran smoothly and everyone had such a great time! The kids were so excited, the parents were impressed, and all who participated shared that they were abundantly blessed by the opportunity to be part of what God is doing through us in the village of Nkoeng. During the program our kids presented the poems, dances, and drama they had been working on and we got to hear testimonies from some of them and their parents about the impact our work has had in their lives. We also had the chance to share with those present the vision God has given us for this ministry, which was so powerful because it was our first time to speak with some of the parents whose kids we work with every week. It’s our desire to connect more with the parents in the upcoming year so they can be more involved and touched by what God is doing in their kid’s lives. We always say to the kids “we are a family of Jesus and we love one another” and we were so blessed to get to enjoy the party and share a meal with over 150 members of that family. Of course, no party is complete without a cake fight, so the kids fulfilled that part of the deal by smearing icing all over one another’s faces at the end of the day. I love my job!


This month has been such a special time of growing in faith as God has proven yet again he will meet all my needs and stand behind his word to fulfill it when he asks me to do things, even big things like the Christmas party. He blessed me with joy as I spent holidays away from friends, family and familiar traditions; he gave me the strength I needed for each day and healed me completely in his perfect timing when I fell ill the 3 days before we went to Cape Town and the 3 days just before the Christmas party; he provided amazing opportunities for me to be part of the work he was doing in the lives of the people in Red Hill and on my Ten Days for Jesus team; he sorted out every single detail and provided for a fun, monumental Christmas party for our kids. The moral of every story I’ve been part of this December is that God is loving and God is faithful. For that I am eternally thankful and will praise him among all nations!

Please be praying with me for health and grace as I continue to adjust and grow in my new life. Also, please pray for wisdom and unity as our team dreams and plans for what God wants to do in 2010, both personally and in the ministry. I hope you had a blessed Christmas and pray for a wonderful start to the New Year!

Loving Lesotho Life

I really wish I could take you step by step through the journey God has brought me on the past few weeks. I have been so blessed to experience his faithfulness and confirmations that I am where he wants me to be. From the time he started speaking to me in June about moving back to Lesotho to serve long-term, the cry of my heart has been that he will be with me and lead me by his Holy Spirit; I know very well I cannot move forward without his presence. He affirmed that prayer in a mighty way during a morning of worship with my team here. Holy Spirit took me through the scriptures in Exodus where God used Moses to lead the Israelites in the desert. He reminded me of his faithfulness up to that moment, to lead me and provide for all he called me to: Exodus 19:4 “You…have seen…how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”
Then God yet again affirmed his call and promised his presence through Exodus 33:12-14: “Moses said to the Lord, ‘You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.’ The Lord replied, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’”

This is a small example of the many ways God has been comforting me and teaching me through his word over the past two and a half weeks. I arrived in Butha-Buthe, Lesotho from Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa on the 13th of November. Godfrey and I traveled together and joined our teammate, Thandiwe. The day after we arrived we held the Saturday kids program Godfrey has been running in his village all year, which I helped with during my CPx outreach. It was great to see all the kids again and reunite with Godfrey’s family. From Saturday we took a couple days to rest, and then we hit the ground running! God has provided us with a full schedule of opportunities to minister and we are so excited about the work. Mondays we are off; Tuesdays we have team worship and prayer, planning and debrief meetings, and run errands; Wednesdays and Thursdays we do house visits in the community of Nkoeng and attend the JGM (Jesus Generation Movement) gathering Thursday evenings; Fridays we have team prayer and planning, then run an abstinence club with local high school students with whom LXP did an abstinence program earlier this year; Saturdays we have the kids program then go to youth group at the local church from 9 pm to 2 am (what do you think of that, Americans??); Sundays we go to church (again Americans, 11am to 4pm) and spend time with friends and family. I am so excited at the way God has shown us how he wants to spend our time and am abundantly blessed by the way our team has worked together so far. God has truly brought us together, with unique giftings and passions, to accomplish his purposes in Lesotho at such a time as this!

There are many challenges personally, as one would expect in moving to a new country to start a new life. Sometimes I get frustrated that I don’t speak the language; but praise God I am learning quickly. Sometimes I feel lonely because it takes time to make new friends in a new place; but praise God my team is amazing and the families I stay with provide the love I need. Sometimes I really miss my family, especially when I know they are busy decorating the house for Christmas now; but praise God for skype-to-cell-phone calls, email, and snail mail! Sometimes I struggle to adjust to things like the fact that I am going to be sweating on my birthday and Christmas this year instead of the winter season I’m used to; but praise God for sunscreen (which is hard to find here and my black friends laugh at me putting on ☺) and the big Christmas program we are planning for the kids we work with. No matter what challenges I face, God’s promises are bigger; “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4. The most amazing thing to me about this truth is that sometimes we don’t even know what the desires of our heart really look like, but when we delight ourselves in the Lord he gives them to us as perfect blessings in his perfect time. Who knew the desires of my heart would be found in a village in Butha-Buthe? God knew ☺ Kea leboha haholo Ntate Molimo! Thank you so much Father God, for giving them to me.

P.S. Stay tuned: over the upcoming couple months I will be posting “special features” to share more about what God is doing through the kid’s program, highlights from our house visits in the community, the vision we’ve been given for the future of LXP Lesotho, and more about the team I am part of here. Also, the team will be heading to Cape Town 8-21 December to take part in a ministry program called Ten Days for Jesus and I can’t wait to report back all God does there! Thank you so much for your love, interest, support, and prayers; I would not be who and where if it wasn’t for you. Kea orata, I love you.

Transition Time

I can hardly believe it, but my month and a half in South Africa is over. This afternoon I will get on a bus to start my journey to Lesotho. It’s difficult to look forward when there’s so much to look back on. It was a fun, albeit short, visit to Cape Town and has been a busy, blessed season with LXP’s headquarters in Jeffrey’s Bay; I praise God he sent me here for such a time as this.

After a long flight I arrived in Cape Town to visit my friends at All Nations. I thank God that my travels and immigration process were flawless and I was able to enjoy a week in and around Cape Town before hopping on a bus to Jeffrey’s Bay. I stayed with the LXP students in their team house for the last month of the 2009 program. The goal for my time was to get more of a feel for the heart of LXP and build relationships since I will be serving under them in Lesotho. I was able to accomplish those goals as I participated in the sessions and activities with the students as well as operating as a full-time staff member.

In addition to the classroom sessions and debriefs with the students, each week I participated in the Tuesday worship and prayer night, the Thursday youth program called D.O.G.s (Disciples of God), and attended Ithemba Community Church which the director of LXP, George Mwanza, is also one of the pastors. I was blessed to experience what God is doing in the lives of the youth of the local communities through the D.O.G.s program. This discipleship-based program is focused on ministering to the local youth and raising them up as leaders for the kingdom of God. We had a powerful visitation of the Holy Spirit two weeks after I arrived and saw many of the youth healed, empowered and delivered. The following morning the LXP students and staff ourselves were similarly visited and experienced a mighty infilling as well. We were so thankful for this experience and felt God was empowering us as the LXP year concludes and we scatter to fulfill the assignments God has placed on each of our lives. For me personally it was an answer to prayer and a fulfillment of the words God had spoken to me about his purposes for my season in Jeffrey’s Bay; he had revealed it would be a time of rest, receiving, and learning before I ventured into the unknown in Lesotho. Indeed it was exactly that!

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind as I worked alongside Ricky, one of the long-time staff members of LXP, to prepare for all the end of the year events, namely the LXP graduation ceremony. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to serve my new family and I really got to see the heart and spirit of LXP as I “got my hands dirty”. I am so blessed by the way I’ve been received by this team and am excited to continue working closely with them as Godfrey and I are working in the Lesotho branch of LXP. The past two days were spent in meetings planning for 2010 and I feel so excited and expectant as we look forward to what God has placed in our hearts for the work in Jeffery’s Bay and Lesotho. I am sad to leave today since it has been such a wonderful time and I will miss my friends, but I am thrilled to be moving toward what God has called me to in Lesotho. Each day confirms more that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and there’s nothing more I could ask for in this life!

oh my, how time flies

Today feels like the eye of the storm; since I arrived in the States on 5 August my life has been a whirlwind of traveling to visit friends and family and share about my time in Africa.  Next, in three days time, I will cash in my one way ticket for a plane ride to Cape Town.  From there I have a feeling the whirlwind will resume. Thankfully, I know the One who can calm any storm :)

After my last post, upon graduating CPx, fellow student-friend Shannon and I spent an amazing weekend with our friends at LXP in Jeffrey's Bay. I shared with the directors of LXP, George and Michele, what I felt God had revealed about his plan for me to return to Lesotho in a few months to serve under LXP Lesotho long term. They were thrilled to hear it, and committed to praying with me as I continued planning and seeking God's timing. They also invited me to spend the month of October with the LXP family in JBay before moving to Lesotho; I am ecstatic to say that since those conversations nearly two months ago God has blessed every step of my journey and I will be doing just that! After our visit to JBay Shannon and I spent a refreshing week in Lesotho. I got to see the friends I'd made during the CPx outreach and spend lots of wonderful of time with Godfrey and his family, who graciously hosted us in their home in Nkoeng. It was a sweet time for me, full of confirmations and peace that God had truly prepared a place for me in the ministry in that village, and it was just a matter of his timing before I would return.

I can hardly believe that the time to return has nearly come. On the one hand it feels like I left only yesterday because, thanks to modern technology, I've been able to stay up to date on the happenings in Lesotho. On the other hand it feels like a lifetime since I was in the beautiful village of Nkoeng because of all I've experienced in the interim. My summer in the States was full of wonderful times with friends and family in all different places. I road-tripped the Northwest; visited my grandparents in Arkansas with my sister; reunited with CPx friends; camped for a weekend with the Agape network of churches at Festival of Tents in Oregon; visited friends and family in Los Angeles and San Diego, CA; shared about my time in Africa with people from my home church; and spent amazingly restful times with my parents in Eugene, OR. In between these fun adventures I made all the necessary arrangements to move back to serve in Lesotho long term, and got some fillings in my teeth.

Looking back and looking forward I am overwhelmed by the way God has poured out his love and grace in my life. I am eternally grateful for the growth he realized in me through the challenges and victories I experienced in CPx. These changes show up even more starkly here, against the familiar background of friends and family in the US. I am also awed by the way God has guided and provided as I have attempted to make the most of my short time here while preparing for my return to Africa. He has proven over and over that he is my true Provider, Comforter, Counselor, and Friend in so many ways. I am humbled by the call he has placed on my life, but confident to follow it because I know he is with me and will continue to be my All in All. There's nothing better than learning to fly when you've been promised "those who hope in the Lord will soar on wings like eagles"! I'm sad to say "see you later" to those who I'll be leaving here and nervous about the unknowns my future holds, but steady because I stand on the Rock of Ages and joyfully expectant because my Jesus always takes me from glory to glory. Thank you to all I've had the pleasure of seeing this summer, and to those I wasn't able to see as well; you've all been amazingly supportive and encouraging and I'm so excited to write you next time, from my beloved Africa!

graduated!

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening…You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.” Psalm 92:1-2, 4

CPx 2009 officially ended yesterday with our graduation ceremony. Looking back over the past six months it was difficult to imagine how we could bring satisfactory closure to such a life-changing season. However, the short, sweet ceremony successfully met that need. We celebrated our accomplishments, gave all the thanks to God, and enjoyed our last moments together because, as Sally McClung put it, we are not saying goodbye but rather releasing one another into what God has planned for us. Today is my last day in Cape Town and things are already feeling very quiet as some of the students have left and many of the rest are packing up to leave. I will be in the country for another couple weeks traveling so I can connect with friends I’ve made over the last few months before heading back to the States on August 3.

To catch you up on what’s been happening since I last wrote I will summarize the rest of outreach and our two weeks of debrief once all the teams were back together in Cape Town. There is no way to express all that God did through our team in Lesotho. We had such a blessed ministry and time as a team, and for that I am exceedingly grateful. We loved the family we stayed with, and our team itself really grew into a tight knit family that spent free time playing cards and watching movies together. I personally loved my time in the community. I kept meeting with Ntate Lellanie, Mahalalele and the other youth girls, and some other women and their families. It was amazing to see the way they grew in the Lord as we would study scripture, pray, and share things about our lives. We intentionally encouraged the people we met with to group in bible study and house church groups so when we left they would continue getting closer to God. We were so thrilled at the way the different groups became passionate about meeting together and inviting others to join. We have faith that God will carry on with the work he started during our time with them.

Our team had a difficult time leaving the work and the people in Lesotho, but we were very excited to rejoin the rest of our friends in Cape Town when we arrived July 9. We had a couple days of rest and some work at the Africa House property before the group debrief program began. The week kicked off with a night of worship on Sunday, then the rest of the week was spent in the lecture hall. We had teachings from Floyd and a couple guests, and each afternoon a different outreach team had the opportunity to share about their time. It was amazing to hear everyone’s stories and see pictures. It was difficult to hear about the many challenges our friends faced, but we rejoiced more as they told us all the successes they realized with the Lord. I was humbled and awed the whole time thinking how God had brought all of us to CPx, then sent us out to do such awesome work all over Africa, and brought us safely back again. I couldn’t help but recognize that my role is just a small one in the bigger plan God has for humanity and the world; very cool!

So what’s next you ask? The answer to that question is an amazing story of joy and revelation as I walked a journey with the Lord these past few months. As I said, I will be coming back to the States in August, and I plan to return to serve in Lesotho at the beginning of October. I am so excited and really humbled at what God has put in my heart to do here. It’s still in the early stages in terms of planning, but I can’t wait to share with you what I know already  Thank you for walking this road with me as I answered God’s call to come to Africa, and I invite you to continue with me as I plan to return again! Blessings!!

girl talk, simple church & kid's camp, oh yeah!

“Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him – for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.” Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

This passage really sums up my life these days. This season of outreach in Butha-Buthe, Lesotho is the most fulfilling I've ever been blessed to be part of. I wake up with such joy that I am serving my God in such a tangible way, and I am blessed in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). God has moved so powerfully in the community of Nkoeng where we are working, I can't help but skip my way through the 45 minute walk each morning, rain or shine. My love of ministering to and discipling youth girls has grown into an all-consuming passion. God has blessed me with a group of fun, hungry young women to meet with and share the word of God. Mahlalele, Ntoaski, Neheng and the others are in turn teaching me to cook over the fire, speak Sesotho, and play the games they love. As we gather together a few times each week I am amazed over and over again at the transformation God is effecting in their lives. They are receiving deep revelations from the Holy Spirit about the importance of forgiveness, power of unity, and character of Father God. Many of these girls are orphans or from very broken homes, so it's been incredible to see how God has brought together this family built on love, unity, and Jesus Christ.

In addition to the youth girls, I have had the amazing opportunity to connect with a number of widows who struggle under the burdens of lonliness, grief, and raising children without men to provide for and protect them. God moves powerfully as we listen to them share stories about their lives and pray for their needs. Inevitably he replaces their sadness with joy and their fear with peace. Many have come to know Jesus during our visits with them and we have been able to encourage them to meet together to continue learning from the Word.

As much as I love working with the girls and women, one old man has stolen my heart. Ntate Lillane is a sweet, spunky man who raises his two young sons without the help of his wife, who works in South Africa. He has suffered from TB for many years and often battles to complete his daily tasks due to his illness. However, God has done miracles in his life. He knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior when we met him, but his faith has grown so much since we started visiting him. God is healing his body and he testifies he hasn't suffered from his sickness since we prayed for him over two weeks ago. He also experienced an attack from the enemy in his dreams one night, so we prayed with him the next day and explained the battle that rages in the spiritual realm between the armies of God and Satan. When we asked him how things have been since we prayed he told us “all those bad things have gone to hell!”. I love seeing his joy and energy increase with each visit and sharing of God's word. His sons are part of the program we help Godfrey run on Saturdays and they are stealing my heart as well. A big prayer request is for the kids camp we are putting on. We will be having an overnight camp this Friday to Sunday full of games, activities, ministry in the community, and sessions aimed at building the foundations of Jesus and scripture into their lives. Please pray for wisdom as we plan and prepare for the camp. We are also trusting God for finances and people to help us. Mostly, please pray that God will prepare the hearts of the kids to encounter Jesus in a powerful way. We believe God will use the camp to speak to a lot of kids about his plan for their lives and boost the momentum of Godfrey's ministry to them. Thank you for your prayers!

When did it become June???

Time has absolutely flown by during this outreach phase. In some ways it has been much more challenging than my experience in Cape Town, but in many ways it has far exceeded my expectations. Our team has had so many adventures (some planned, some very unexpected) and God has been so faithful through it all. Never in my life have I experienced God's grace so powerfully as I have this past month. I've also never experienced such clear guidance from Holy Spirit as I have during our time ministering in the communities. Our time spent meeting people and sharing with them never seems to be in vain because we are continually receiving confirmations that we are exactly where God sent us to be.

We left Cape Town by bus on May 1 and spent the weekend in Jeffrey's Bay with friends at our sister ministry, LXP (Leadership Experience). This is an intense, nine month discipleship and ministry program for emerging spiritual leaders in Africa. It's a very powerful program, and the fruit of it is extremely encouraging! We drove from J Bay to Mthatha, Transkei in a van borrowed from LXP, visiting a few friends of All Nations along the way. Our time in Mthatha was chaotic at first. During the third night our van was stolen from the front yard of the house we stayed in! It was a shock to the team, but we immediately came together in a time of worship. God restored our joy, giving us confidence that he had a plan, albeit different from the one we made originally. The first day after the theft my teammate Bethany and I took a long bus trip into Lesotho. Her visa needed to be renewed by crossing the nearest border, so we spent the weekend with our new friend and soon-to-be ministry facilitator, Godfrey, in the town of Butha-Buthe, where our second leg of the outreach phase would be spent. It was a blessing to get a sneak-peak of the community and ministry we would soon be involved with.

When we got back to Mthatha, Godfrey in tow, the rest of our team had adjusted to a new ministry plan and begun working in the community nearest our house called Zimbane Valley. We only had two short weeks there, but God moved powerfully! Not even mentioning all the amazing experiences of the rest of my team, I personally experienced leading Nceba to the Lord who was so excited to share with his friends, ministering to Ayanda who had suffered a miscarriage three days before we met her, praying for Nopiseka to accept Jesus and be set free of curses from her ancestors and witchcraft and be healed of a stomach illness, and rejoicing with 20 year old Thandaza, who is the head of his household, when he receieved a job the day after my team prayed for him after months of unemployment. God is so good and we felt so honored to be part of bringing the message of Jesus to these people and seeing them set free! These miracles we saw God perform in the people's lives highlight the deep needs of the community, however, so we continue to be in prayer for the new believers and the people we didn't even get to meet.

On May 25 we took a hired van from Mthatha to Ficksburg, which is on the border of Lesotho. We walked across the border with no trouble (praise God!) and entered the beautiful mountain kingdom. To be honest, God really worked on me personally in Mthatha and I had a very challenging time adjusting. This new season in Lesotho feels like a breath of fresh air after God brought serious breakthrough in my life during our last days in Mthatha. I am so full of the joy of the Lord and am experiencing fulfillment I never imagined possible! We are staying with a mentor of Godfrey's, Mme Moratoua, and our team is really becoming a family in this home. Our time in the community, Nkoeng, has been so encouraging and, as one lady put it, God has put such love and passion in our hearts for these people that we don't even notice the cold or the long walks to, from and around Nkoeng each day. During the week we visit with the families God leads us to and we have really enjoyed hearing their stories, praying with them, and encouraging them with scripture. On Saturdays Godfrey leads a program for the local kids where we play games, disciple them, and just generally love on them. We are all excitedly preparing for an overnight camp for these kids coming up on June 19-21 based around the theme of 'Foundations'. Our time here is just beginning, but we're trusting God for huge transformation in this community over the next five weeks. Thank you so much for your prayers for my team and our ministry, we are seeing the results manifesting powerfully. Please continue to be in prayer for us as we work with the kids with the aim of discipling them into passionate followers of Jesus, for the kid's camp, for our team's unity and sensitivity to the Spirit, and for the people of Nkoeng who are in deep need of the salvation, love, healing, and provision of Jesus Christ. For me personally, the joy of the Lord is my strength, so please pray I will continue to live out this truth!

it's time to reach out

Hello faithful blog followers! I can't believe I'm saying this already, but the lecture phase of CPx is finished. The past three months have absolutely flown by, full of wonderful encounters with God, growing relationships with the other students, and amazing time spent ministering in Red Hill. Now, with our heads full of theoretical teachings and our hearts full of faith and expectations about how God wants to out-work that in the world, we are packing our bags to take this show on the road.

Tomorrow morning at 06:00 my team is heading to Cape Town to catch a bus to Jeffrey's Bay. We will stay there for two days with our sister ministry, LXP, waiting for two other team members before heading to the Transkei. We will be there for about three weeks in the cities of Umtata and Coffee Bay. The Transkei, now called the Wild Coast, is the region in the Eastern Cape where the Xhosa were forced to live under the apartheid government. It is an impoverished area with strong beliefs in ancestor worship, witchcraft, and other traditional religious and cultural practices. HIV/AIDS is very prevalent, which leaves many orphans and child-headed households. Jobs are very scarce, so most men go to the cities to find work, often resulting in troubled marriages and broken families. Please keep these issues in mind when praying for us!

Our ministry in the Transkei will be focused on following up with people met by some of my team during previous outreaches and encouraging them to continue growing in the Lord. The model for growth we believe in is studying the word and praying together in small, simple churches that meet in homes and other places. This is based on the way Jesus and Paul spread the gospel in the New Testament; sometimes they would only be in an area for a few weeks, but the believers they left were equipped to continue learning from scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit, and were motivated to share what they learned to continue spreading the gospel. The church in Thessaloniki we read about in Paul's book 1 Thessalonians is a great example of what we're praying for! In addition to encouraging the believers there we are believing God for new churches to be started through those contacts. We will also be researching and praying about the possibility of a long term base for All Nations in Transkei. It's a dream of Floyd's to have a base in that area, much like the one we have here at Africa House.

At the end of May we will leave Transkei and head into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, which is one of the small, independent countries in South Africa. Our time in the "kingdom in the sky" will be spent working alongside former CPx student, Godfrey. He works with vulnerable children and plants simple churches in his home town, Butha-Buthe. His ministry has had a powerful impact in the area, but he is the only one working full-time there so he will really benefit from the encouragement and support our team will bring. Lesotho faces similar struggles as Transkei in terms of HIV/AIDS prevalence and lack of job opportunities. We will work closely with Godfrey's vulnerable children to disciple them in following Jesus and planting more simple churches in the community. We are very expectant about our six weeks in Lesotho, believing God for many lives transformed by the gospel and lasting impact in the community through simple churches.

I am personally very excited to have this amazing opportunity to spread God's glory and see people brought from death to life by the power of Jesus Christ. Please keep us in your prayers as we go out. My team members are Bruce, Petrus, Pattiswa, Bethany, and Lucas. Vuyani, Nicholas, and Gawie will also be with us in the Transkei. Our prayer is for safety, unity in the team and lasting fruit that comes from obedience to God as he leads by his Holy Spirit. Please pray for the other CPx students as well. Their outreach locations include Zimbabwe, Springbok (South Africa), Mozambique, and two teams in Zambia. In addition to the specific requests mentioned above, we would all appreciate your prayers for financial breakthrough. Many of the students are still trusting God for the rest of the money they need to pay their CPx fees, so we are starting our outreaches with only 80% of the projected budget in the bank. Each team has prayed about heading out without all the money in and we've got the faith to trust God for the rest of the money after we head out. We'd love it if you'd stand with us in this!

As sad as it's been to say goodbye to one another as we prepare to leave, we are so excited to hear stories of what God does in the different teams and outreach locations. We will all reunite in Cape Town at the beginning of July for two weeks of debriefing our outreaches. I will do my best to keep you updated over the next two and a half months. Thank you so much for your love and support. Blessings!!!

cooking pots to diamonds

My last entry was a testimony of what God is doing in Red Hill. Today I am writing to praise Him for the work He's been doing in my heart. It would be difficult to describe in detail the lessons I've been learning and the challenges I've been given the grace to overcome. Thankfully, God gave me two pictures this weekend which describe perfectly the process He's taking me through. The first picture was of a big crusty, rugged black cooking pot hanging over a long abandoned fire pit. It's contents had been sitting for a long time, and had sunk to the bottom of the pot and solidified. However, a fire was lit under the pot, and the contents began to liquify. Then, God came with a big wooden spoon and began stirring everything around. All the nasty stuff that had been lying at the bottom for who knows how long began to rise to the surface and swirl around. That's what's happening to me right now; all the lies I've believed, all the bad habits I've formed, and all the ugly, impure stuff in my life is being brought to the surface in the fire of my experiences at CPx. Despite how ugly and horrible this picture seems, however, there is a beautiful outcome, which God revelaed in the second picture. He showed me a perfectly cut diamond with no blemishes. God told me that when He is finished working in my life during this season, my life will be like that diamond. He will shine His light into my life and because of the work he has done in me, I will refract the light and shine it into the world even more beautiful than it was when it shone in! This picture confirms a verse I came across in my quiet time back on February 25. At the time it felt like a promise for me and now I know that it was; 2 Corinthians 3:18 says "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory." I am so encouraged by this hope of being transformed to be more like Jesus. That is the desire of my heart, and I am humbled and so grateful that God has promised me he will carry out this process. So, even though now I am going through one of the most challenging seasons of my life with all I am experiencing at CPx, I know that it will produce the greatest reward. The verse a friend gave me yesterday confirms this; "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9) Praise God for all he's doing in me! :)

Red Hill and sour milk

I have been battling for days trying to figure out a way to convey all the amazing stuff I’ve been learning in a concise, blog-able fashion. Today I came to a conclusion: it’s impossible! Through the lectures, group experiences, and time spent ministering in the communities God is teaching me so much about His love and power that it’s nearly impossible to absorb it all myself, let alone process and share with you all. However, I trust the Holy Spirit to take that which has eternal value and plant it deep in my heart so it will become part of my life.

Thankfully, there are some things I have figured out how to share with you. Today for our prayer and worship time at the beginning of lecture we met in our house churches. These house churches are groups of 5-10 students and leaders who go into the communities together and will go to another country or city on outreach during May and June. My church works together in Red Hill, the township I ministered in during my short-term mission trip this summer. We have had an awesome few weeks of meeting new friends and discipling older friends who follow Jesus. The meeting today was especially encouraging as each pair shared their experiences from yesterday’s visit to Red Hill.

Here are a few amazing testimonies of what God is doing through us in Red Hill:

Eric and I visited Lemise and her husband Mawetu, who are two of the faithful participants in the leadership training sessions we’ve been holding on Sundays. As we chatted with them we noticed two new paintings on the wall. Lemise told us her daughters, Unati and Fiogasi, had done them that day. Eric and I were so excited to read on the paintings “God is the healer; believe and trust him” and “I trust God because he loves us” because we had just led these two girls to the Lord on Friday! We met the girls walking on the road later that afternoon, and the two who had been shy and barely talked to us before were beaming and excitedly confirmed they would be coming to be baptized on Sunday. (We are having a celebration on Sunday at Africa House, where I live, for all the house church members in the communities we serve and baptizing people in our pool!)

Lucas and Petrus visited Bonisile who had accepted Jesus about a month ago. From the beginning he wanted to share with people what God had done in his life, but lacked boldness since he used to sell marijuana. In the past few weeks our guys have seen God strengthen him, and now he boldly shares Jesus with everyone he meets! While they were sitting with him yesterday he led a spontaneous bible study as Bonisile and 5 of his friends discussed what Mark 5:11 means to them. By the end of the conversation one of the friends, who Lucas described as a very rough looking guy who never smiled, expressed his hunger for God’s word and Bonisile led him to Christ. We are so thankful for guys like Bonisile who live in Red Hill who are working with us to fulfill Christ’s commission of making disciples of all nations.

Bruce, Bethany, and Pattiswa visited Nono yesterday to encourage her as her husband, Bantu, is home in the Eastern Cape for a family member’s funeral. She asked for prayer for her 9 month old baby who has had no use of one of her legs since birth. She had an operation on the leg, but it was still unable to bend and just dangled from the hip. The team prayed for the baby, then carried on chatting with Nono about her personal prayer requests. A moment later Nono pointed toward the floor in surprise – her baby was crawling! Praise God, the baby’s leg was totally healed.

In addition to the miracles God is doing in people’s life in Red Hill, he is really working in my heart. He is teaching me to be humble and live in true unity with the 21 other people who live in my house. I am amazed daily at the genuine love God puts in my heart for each person here. In the natural I couldn’t love them; there are so many cultural and personality differences which I know are only overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t just live alongside each other in tolerance, but we work together cooking, cleaning, studying, and ministering. It’s truly a miracle considering all the cultures represented in Africa House: Peri, Ghana, American, Afrikaans, German, and Xhosa, not to mention all the guests who filter in and out of the house since it’s the office and home base of All Nations. It’s truly a special opportunity to get to live with so many drastically different people who are united by our love for Christ. Another special experience was the traditional Xhosa meal we shared tonight that involved a sauce of sour milk…literally. Thank God for toothpaste.

The Big Picture

NB: this was written yesterday, but I was unable to post it until today.

Today, my tenth day in Cape Town, was amazing. I experienced breakthrough in numerous ways. The first week was spent recovering from jet lag, adjusting to living in one house with 21 other people from all over the world, processing the lectures and group sessions, and generally wrapping my head around the reality that I’m in Africa for at least the next 6 months. The schedule was light, allowing everyone time to settle in and adjust, which I credit to wise leadership. However, it seemed a bit boring to me. I enjoyed chatting with my housemates, sorting out practical things like cleaning and cooking duties, and the hike of beautiful Lion’s Head they took us on on Thursday. However, I had a hard time figuring out exactly where the teachers were heading with the lectures we had. Also, we only took one hour each on two afternoons to visit the townships in which we will be working. We prayer walked through the communities, asking God to reveal to us His heart for the people there and for divine appointments for each of us. Overall, it felt a bit boring and uninvolved, but I truly appreciated the time to rest and reflect which we will have less of as things really get underway.

The weekend was very nice, with a (windy) trip to the beach, lots of time to read, and some cooking and cleaning duties along with my team. By last night, though, I was feeling very ready for the action to begin. Today exceeded my expectations! I had amazing quiet time early in the morning, watching the sun rise over the mountains next to our house. God really met me there and gave me a special revelation about freedom in Christ from Luke 4: . Jesus came to earth free us from the bondage of discouragement, disillusionment, and purposelessness just as much as from sin and death! Anytime I feel bound by anything, I can remind myself Jesus already overcame that issue and walk in freedom. In the afterglow of my time with the Lord, the worship time with the large group was amazing. We sing songs in African languages, and English, and dance around like I’ve never done at home. After worship someone leads us in a time of prayer either for something on their heart, or for the community we would be visiting that day. Then we hear teachings from Floyd McClung or Alexander Campbell, or some others who are part of All Nations. Today in lecture I had a breakthrough in understanding where we, the CPx students, are headed and why we are here. Naturally before coming here I knew the church planting training was something I wanted to be part of, but today the proverbial forest and the trees all came into harmonious focus for me.

All over the world God is building his church through a grassroots movement of small, member-led, out-ward focused groups. People are meeting in workplaces, homes, restaurants, and grassy fields to read the bible, worship Jesus, pray, share what’s happening in their lives, and think of who to share with and invite to the next meeting. The secret to the success of this movement is that it embodies the heart of God’s desire for His church in its simplest form; God’s church is meant to love and worship Him, take care of each other, and reach out to the people who don’t know Jesus. Our purpose in participating in CPx is to learn how to be part of this movement by being trained to train others who train others to plant churches. Just like in the book of Acts! It’s really exciting, because everyone can do it. All you have to do is share your story of how Jesus changed your life, and invite people to hang out together in intentional, discipling relationships. This concept can function alone, or within a larger institutional church setting, and thus can reach any segment of any community who are open to Jesus. Now that is something worth flying halfway around the world to be part of!!

I'm alive!

Hello from Cape Town! Well, actually just outside Cape Town; I live in a little spot of no-man's land between Fishoek and Nordhoek. After two loooong flights and a day trip around Frankfurt in the middle I arrived at the Africa House around noon yesterday. A lot of us have arrived already and are just milling about town waiting for the rest of the arrivals and our big kick-off dinner tonight. We are housed in three different places, and I am excited to be living in the big house where leactures and meetings are held. There is plenty of space around the grounds to get alone; we even have a pool! I am sharing a room with six other women, which is fine. We have to walk outside to get to the two toilet/one shower bathroom which will be fun once the cold winter hits :) I am feeling so glad to be here and extremely blessed. God is such an extravagant giver - I got to go for a run on the beach this morning since one of the women I live with has a car and took me with her! More later...time is up at the internet cafe for now.

it's allllllll in

Praise God!  I just received a check in the mail which covers the last financial need for my trip.  Luke 1:45 says "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."  I am so thankful to be able to say God has faithfully fulfilled the word He gave me personally, and confirmed through a friend, way back in September; the Lord said He called me to go to Africa and He would provide, so I don't need to worry about the money.  As always, He was right :)

Thank you so much to all of you who helped pray in the money needed for this trip, and for those of you who gave, some at great sacrifice, to support me.  I am humbled by your faith in what God will do through my life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I pray God blesses you for your generous hearts and that He gets all the glory for this financial miracle.  Yippee!!!

the countdown has begun

Hello, and welcome to the beginning of what will (hopefully) be an entertaining and informative communication process!  As many of you know, I will be moving to Cape Town, South Africa in just nine short days and creating a blog seemed like a great way to stay in touch.

For those who haven't heard me excitedly babble about my grand adventure, I am heading to Cape Town to join All Nations for their six month spiritual leadership equipping program, CPx (Church Planting Experience).  During CPx I will be living with 46 other students from all over the world, studying God's word and His vision for His church in a classroom setting.  We will also do outreach to share the Good News about Jesus in the local townships and other parts of Africa.  God clearly called me to this program when I worked with All Nations this summer during a two week mission trip through Believer's World Outreach.  I am so excited about this awesome opportunity to share with others what Jesus has done in my life, and am also looking forward to the personal growth that I will inevitably experience!

CPx is obviously an end in and of itself, however, I am curiously praying about what God has planned for me after the six months are over.  There are a number of exciting opportunities on my radar, both in South Africa and here in the US.  God has been faithful to lay a clear path before me up to this point, and I have no doubt that when the time comes to make decisions He will make the path clear yet again.

Thank you so much to all of you who have supported me in prayer and financially as I have prepared to take this step in faith.  I ask that you would continue to pray for me as I make the final preparations to leave on February 5, and I'll let you know how everything goes via this fantastically exciting blog!  Until next time, be blessed.