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!