Skipping moments

I was driving to Kalk Bay yesterday and on the way I saw this young lady (maybe around 13 or 14) dressed up as Snow White skipping down the sidewalk.  I had been deep in thought processing the last week and thinking about what it means for my future. So seeing this Snow White skipping down the road obviously brought a smile to my face and set me on a new; lighter train of thought. 


I can get so weighed down and spend so much time thinking about what to do next and how to make my life matter that sometimes I forget to fully enjoy the present moment that I am living in. How often do I throw aside the thoughts of the future and the burdens of today and just do something fun, crazy and spontaneous. Like skipping down the road, singing aloud to my ipod, dressing up really crazy just for the heck of it, or whatever else comes to mind. If you have any ideas please do share. ;) 


I guess what I am feeling is that I can spend so much time thinking, processing and planning that I forget to just enjoy the moment. To do something fun and crazy that I will always remember and be able to laugh about with friends. If I can make a years resolution in April this is what it would be: To make more skipping moments and to draws others into it as well so we can all enjoy it together!

Walking in God's provision

So, I have been thinking about my time since I came back from my trip around East Africa. I have felt a little in limbo a few times but when I look closely I see how God has provided for my every need. I have moved houses every month for the past 3 months but I have never gone without a roof over my head and a car to drive. Every time I had to move there was a friend who was leaving for holiday that let me stay in their house and use their car while they were gone. Sometimes I didn't know what was going to happen until literally the day I had to move but somehow it always worked out. It sounds crazy I know, and it is not the way I would have chosen to do it but it is so exciting to look back and see how God knew what was going on and took care of me. As I look at it, it is absolutely amazing how God works it all out. Really I should never feel the need to worry because I am always taken care of.

Even now, I have a place that came available this week for me to move into long term. I can actually start making that home and plan more of the next step. A friend has also lent me her car for the rest of the year as she will be traveling around Africa so even that is taken care of for awhile. That in itself is a huge blessing as I don't have to feel pressure to buy a car and I can spend time looking for appliances for my new place. Oh, and even with appliances God is providing. I was in our office today looking online for things and when I simply asked the question of how much I should pay for a washing machine a girl in the office offered me hers that she isn't using right now! She is also letting me have an extra arm chair that is taking up space in her place. How awesome is that! Right when I start worrying if I have the money to start furnishing a place, God provides little things for me! I love it! I love that I can have a place of my own to make home, host people in and make a space that is comfortable for myself and others. I just have to say how excited I am for this next season and all that it holds. I will definitely keep you updated as more details fall into place!!

My Heart in Africa

This post is so long overdue. I have now been back in South Africa for 3 months after traveling through 10 East African countries for 3 months. My heart and mind are still so full after seeing and experiencing all that God is doing in those countries! I have gotten very busy as I have thrown myself into helping with the training school that All Nations runs every year. But even in the midst of all the craziness of receiving 50 new people plus guest speakers I have not forgotten what God began to do in my heart during the trip last year.

As we drove through Kenya and South Sudan it was absolutely amazing to witness what God is doing among these people groups! Driving through the deserts with its barren, stark beauty I was awestruck.

Every now and then I would be looking out at the brown landscape and then all of a sudden there would be this pillar of colour as a woman dressed in her bright colourful tribal wear walked out for water or food. Having never experienced the desert before it was all so new to me. And although I still love the green forests and mountains, the desert definitely has a beauty of its own.

I felt so privileged as we spent time with different missionaries that were giving their lives to see these nomadic tribes come to know God the Father. We spent time with one couple that had spent 30 years reaching a tribe. They had so many amazing stories as they saw the tribe go from being completely unreached to now writing their own worship songs and sending out their own missionaries to neighboring tribes. I think each one of us on the team was touched deep in our hearts as we sat in their huts and listened to the peoples passion and love for Jesus. It was a love that far surpassed my own and it was so humbling and inspiring to see!

Even after that as we drove up to South Sudan I couldn't believe it when we were able to join some of the local missionaries going to a tribe that has never been reached but was now

asking for someone to come in and teach them about the God of the Bible. The chief of this tribe had seen how the neighboring tribes had changed after missionaries were welcomed in and the chief wanted that for his people. He said that whoever comes first, that is the God we will believe in. Obviously we wasted no time and it was such an answer to prayer as one of the missionary guys there had actually been praying for an opportunity to go to them.

Sometimes it felt like we were in a National Geographic movie as we drove across deserts,

lava fields, overgrown mountain passes, and into tribes that few other people had ever seen or even heard about. Of course the adventure aspect was out of this world but also the aspect of knowing that as I went into these places, I was a light that the people have never seen before, also brought a whole new height to it.

Needless to say, the trip changed my heart forever on how I see and think about these people. I am finding myself constantly thinking about these people and also about the people that I don't even know about yet. I look at a map we have in our prayer room here and I wonder how many more people groups are out there just waiting for someone to come in carrying the light of the world with them.

I am processing a lot where I will be after this year. My heart is very much to go back out and find those people who are waiting to hear the good news of God the Father. So I don't know specifically where yet but I know it will be an adventure in itself. As I look into different places I am also looking into different schooling opportunities that I could take so that I am able to bring a skill set with me where ever I go. I will admit that sometimes it is a bit frustrating to only have a vague idea of where I want to go but it also gets me excited because as of right now God could open up any door!

Travelling through Africa

Sometimes I look at where I am and I am filled with amazement! I can't believe where God has taken me! I am in Nairobi, Kenya at the moment and not only is it amazing to be here it has been an amazing journey to get here. I am travelling with my team of 7 people and a baby and so far we have travelled through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and now Kenya. We are 1 month in with 2 more to go. I have loved seeing all the different parts of Eastern Africa and I can't wait to see more.

I love the diversity of the people and the land. From urban cities to hutted villages there is no end to God's creativity. And a specific highlight was being able to visit the Ngorogoro crater which is part of the Serengeti. Driving around and watching wildebeest, lions, zebra and gazelle right next to our car was amazing!!! I literally could have reached out and touched them (and believe me it took every inch of my will power not to;). I will show you all pictures soon! Seeing the beauty of creation on land was just as thrilling as seeing it in the ocean off of Zanzibar. While we were there we were able to go swimming. Not just any swimming though, it was swimming with dolphins! Yes, dolphins! It was beyond words!! It was almost unreal being so close to them and watching them underwater and then with that seeing the variety of fish that live on a small reef there was beautiful! I can't say enough how privileged I feel to experience the world in this way! Even as I right this you must be laughing that I even call this a mission trip right..;) I think that is what I am enjoying most about it. Everywhere we have gone so far we have been able to catch a part of God's heart for the people as well as enjoy what He has made. Everyday, as I hear the Muslim call to prayer, watch the Masai people walk down the streets herding their cattle, and watch people eek out a living from the land it puts such a huge passion on my heart to work among these people and see God's love transform their hearts and lives. The more I see and experience of Eastern Africa the more I fall in love with it! I love looking at it all and seeing how beautiful God made it to be and how much more beautiful it can be as God redeems hearts.

I look forward to sharing with you all more as we have more adventures in the coming months (which I am sure there will be;) and especially as we begin exploring the villages and the people groups that God opens up to us.

Preparation

Time is flying by! I only have 4 more weeks until I leave with my team to start driving up into Africa. I can't believe it! It feels like there is so much to do. I am in a season of huge transition right now. Before the trip I will be moving out of my place and selling my car. So along with helping with different details of the trip I will also be packing up. Fun times! Just so you know, the main reason I am letting go of my flat and my car is because my South African visa expires in January so I after coming back from the trip I will be praying about what to do next. I can either try to extend my visa and stay here in Cape Town or move on. Please be keeping that in your prayers.

Anyway, I also wanted to fill you in more on my upcoming trip. Right now we are a team of 8 with room for 1 more...hint, hint. ;) We will be starting from Cape Town the 5^th of September and driving through Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Tanzania where we have a long term team that we are visiting in Zanzibar. We will then drive up through Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and hopefully we will also be able to visit Rwanda and Burundi. We will be visiting contacts that we have in the different areas as well as exploring new areas. We also have a few people that have invited us to do trainings for them while we are there. We want to spend time with people we know along the way but we also want to be open and flexible to what may happen along the way. We really want to explore areas for unreached people groups and see if doors open up to send more people and teams to work in those areas later on.

Our objectives for this trip will be:

• To explore unreached people groups/areas


• 
  
  To engage in/explore ministry opportunities


• 
  
  To follow through with any ministry which may open up to us - To share God’s story and to start DBS' (Discovery Bible Studies) where we can


• 
  
  To give opportunity for those who are looking long term to see and explore east Africa
  

We are all getting really excited about this trip and we are very expectant for great things to happen! We can use a lot of prayer as this trip will take us into some unknown areas. We can use prayer in these specific areas:

• 
  
  The Journey: As mentioned above there are some rough and potentially dangerous areas we need to travel through.


• 
  
  Vehicles: For the necessary fitment and preparation, and durability for such a long and rough journey.


• 
  
  Team: For the individual team members, for team dynamics, for 1 or 2 more people to join.


• 
  
  Ministry: For our connecting and relationship building with those on the ground, for the teaching engagements, for the spirit to lead and highlight unreached areas and people groups to target.


• 
  
  Finances: Our journey can get very expensive with border crossings and fuel so please be praying that all the necessary funds come in so that we are able to go to the areas that we are hoping to explore and reach unreached people groups.

If you would like to help me and my team financially for this trip you can use the link on this blog .

Thank you all for following me thus far on my journey. I will trying to update you on our trip as much as possible so that you can follow me and my team as we travel up through Africa!

To the States and back

I cant' believe its almost been 3 months. It has been so full that only just now I feel like I am catching up. My time back in the states was amazing! Packed full with weddings and catching up times. The time literally flew by. It was so great to see everyone and catch up on families, new babies, school and jobs! Life doesn't pause for any of us that's for sure.

After being gone for a year and a half, 7 weeks in the states almost didn't feel like enough time to see everyone but God worked it out perfectly. I even got to celebrate the 4^th of July in my own country for the 1^st time in 3 years!! I know that may not mean much for those of you not from America but it was a blast! I also had the honour of being back for 3 weddings of people that are very important to me! Two of my sisters and one really good friend. I was so thrilled to be able to be there and witness them starting a new stage in their lives. I can't believe my baby sisters are married! ;) As if that didn't make me feel old enough I got to see all my nephews and nieces and they are growing up SO fast! I know, I know, they all do..haha. I also got to meet my youngest niece for the first time and she actually likes me. That may sound funny to say but wouldn't you agree that there is always that hidden fear that maybe the baby won't like me even though I'm their aunt. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one with that fear. :)

So, that coupled with seeing friends that I haven't seen in years made it a very memorable trip. There isn't room here for all the stories but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and had lots of laughs. Besides the fun times, I was also able to share with many people about what I have been doing and what my upcoming plans are. Thank you to all of you who were interested and helped me out in my passion to work in Africa. It means so much to me. Needless to say that seeing and spending time with everyone almost made it hard to leave as is always the case when I leave my home town. It even felt a little strange to touch down in Cape Town. My time felt like a blur and probably was because we were so busy with weddings and catching up that I didn't have a lot of time to savour the moments. But I didn't have a lot of time to think about that either. I came back on a Saturday and went straight to a youth camp on Monday to help out. Besides the jet lag it was an awesome time! I got to help with the teenage girls which I absolutely love! True, they can be the hardest ones sometimes but they are the ones my heart connects with the most. So, as I got to work with them and also going back into Red Hill and seeing my girls it reminded me of why I love doing what I am doing. It did feel at times that I was working so hard and the girls didn't really care. But when I came back their reactions told me different. I was greeted by screams, big hugs and exclamations about how much they missed me and how bored they were without me. I had such a good laugh with them. It was a good reminder and encouragement that even though it is so hard for me at times to leave behind my family, it is so worth it when I look at these girls, see the change in their lives and think about the ones I have yet to meet. Who knows where God wants to send me next but no matter where I go as long as I am working with the young women I am happy.

As I settle back in I am getting very excited about my next journey coming up! I am going on a 3 month trip up through Eastern Africa. We are visiting long term teams and exploring areas that have not been reached yet, in hopes of maybe sending teams on a long term basis to work there. I will post more on this trip soon. We still have room for two more people if anyone is interested. ;) Please be keeping us in your thoughts and prayers though. We still need money to come in to finish paying for our trip and we are praying hard for protection and health as we travel. So if any of you feel led to help me and my team out on this trip you can use the link to send money and/or just follow my blog as we travel and catch up on all the adventures that I am sure are waiting for us.

Coming back!!

Time is flying by. And although sometimes I feel like I don't have enough time for everything I am getting very exciting for the things coming up. Let me share some of it with you.

Hopefully on May 15^th I will be heading to the States for a visit/fund-raising time. I will be in Alaska from May 17^th-25^th and then I will be heading down to Oregon for a few weeks from May 26^th-June 17^th. Then I will be finishing off my time in Alaska until the 7^th of July. I know it is going to be hectic and busy but I am so looking forward to it. By that time it will be almost 18 months since I have been back. Does that sound like a long time to anyone else? So, if anyone of you wants to make sure I get a visit in let me know and we can plan a good time for me to come and hang out with you!

While I am there I also want to share with you what I have been doing and what I am dreaming of in the future. Should I give you a quick overview? Oh, why not. Basically, I want to share what I have been doing in Red Hill and all that I have seen God do and what He has put on my heart to do in the future. I have been working a lot with young women and girls helping them discover their new identity in Christ and their value. I love helping them start dreaming and see how all that is within them starts to come out as they see who God has made them to be and how important of a role they can play. This love came from helping Justice Acts last year and their safe house for trafficked women. I am not helping them in as big of a capacity as I was but I am still partnering with them in small ways. The experiences that I gained from working with Justice Acts has given me the passion to work with young women all over. I would love to start, what I like to call, 'Healing Homes' in different places that give young women a safe place to come where they feel loved and safe to open up. They wouldn't necessarily stay in these homes but if they need to they would be welcome. I want it to be a springboard as well for all sorts of training that will help them. The opportunity hasn't presented itself to do this in Red Hill yet for various reasons but there is a team going to Eastern Africa to explore and visit some of our long term teams there. Eastern Africa has been on my heart for a long time and I am really hoping to go on this trip. I am wanting to go and see if doors open for me to possibly move up to Eastern Africa and start Healing Homes there and work with the young women there. There are so many other details going into that but I will share them with you when I see you.

I would love to share this vision with everyone so if you or anyone else you know of is interested in hearing it and possibly partnering with me in it, let me know.

Also, please be thinking and praying for me as I go forward in this. I need to buy my plane ticket to the states(and they aren't cheap) and I still have my apartment here that I will need to pay rent on. Then when I come back there will be the issue of paying for the East Africa trip with all the visas and also paying for my apartment if I decide to keep it. Sometimes these issues of money overwhelm me but God is constantly reminding me of how He is taking care of me and will provide.

Please be thinking and praying if you would like to partner with me in this next stage of my journey. I am so thankful for your help in anyway. If you would like to support me monthly, help me with my plane ticket, or simply give a gift you can send money to my parents to deposit into my account or there is a link on my blog which you can give at and it is tax deductible. Thank you so much for your help so far. I am so blessed by you all.