God's Heart and Mine

God has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1)! What an awesome privilege, right?

Well, how could I even think of doing this when my heart wasn’t even healed from certain things. Is it possible to minister to people and expect them change in areas that you are still working through? I guess you really can because it is through those times of being weak that God is strong. But I will admit that it was hard for me to say to girls that God has perfect plans for them and that they need to trust Him for absolutely everything when I, myself, was doubting these very things. I just sounded so sure of myself when I would speak to people but inside I was torn.

I began a few weeks ago to see how my heart was becoming hardened to certain things. I had begun shifting to working more full time with Justice Acts and although I know that this is what God wants me to do I wasn’t fully prepared for the shock to my system.

For those of you who don’t know, Justice Acts is an organization who is fighting human trafficking in the Western Cape of South Africa. With the World Cup coming to South Africa there is an increasing amount of people being trafficked into the large cities for prostitution or slave labor. I am working with them to start a safe house for some of these under aged girls that will be brought in for next year. We are hoping to have it up and running by next year May, Lord willing. There is a lot to say about it but I will save that for my next blog.

Well, as I begun to work with Justice Acts, doing presentations and attending other meetings, I felt something shifting in my heart. As I was constantly being bombarded by stories from trafficked girls about their families that sold them, pimps, or the men that bought them, I found it very hard to keep God’s heart of love inside me. I know in my head that God loves these family members, pimps, and buyers just as much as He loves you and I and His heart breaks for them. But I found myself almost loathing them. I was closing my heart to them. I had stopped believing that God had perfect plans for them as well even though they had turned their backs on Him.

God really confronted me on this and I saw where it would lead me. If I let this hatred in where would it stop? Would it lead to shutting out all men because of the ones that I see in these stories? I really felt like that was how my heart would end up. It scared me so bad and I had to cry out to God. I have traveled half way around the world to comfort the brokenhearted and here I was shutting out some of the most hurt ones. If I can watch drug dealers and gang members come to the Lord what’s to stop pimps and sex addicts? It took me quite a few days to overcome the feelings that had entered my heart and have God completely transform it again. In fact I am still dealing with it daily.

But you know the amazing thing about God is that He does it! He used not only times between just Him and me but He used friends to change my heart when really none of them knew what was going on inside of me. I love the way my God works!
Psalm 103.

The Power of Prayer

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

James 5:16b

I have been encouraged a lot lately about prayer. Both the words of others speaking into my life and words that God has given me in my times with Him have said "the greatest movements and times of revival have been birthed through prayer". It really got me thinking about how much I pray. How important is it to me? Do I really believe that the first battles are won in the heavenly places before we see any fruits down here on earth? In the hour that we are living in there is a huge need for prayer warriors to rise up and take part in the battle that has already begun. With my team working in Red Hill we have seen so much evidence of the victories that are won in people’s lives through them praying and us praying for them. As important as it is for us to be physically there encouraging and teaching them I see an almost more important work of constantly and earnestly covering them in prayer. Through this I have seen the Holy Spirit transform anyone from drug addicts and alcoholics to simply insecure, shy people into passionate leaders in the house churches and communities!


After seeing all this and knowing that only God can really change a persons heart encouraged me so much more to battle for people’s lives through prayer. Of course this has to be a burden from God on each of our lives and that is what I would encourage each of you to pray for. Ask for God’s heart for prayer. Ask Him to give you pictures of just how powerful prayer really is. As God to lay specific things on your heart to pray for. Ask God to show you how your prayers are being answered. Trust me, He will give you what you ask for so be ready for it!

So, something I am asking of you when you feel lead to is please adopt a country, people group, or community to pray for. Each of us in my Red Hill team of course prays for the community we work in but have also adopted a country to pray for. We know God is raising up His people to bring in the harvest but the enemy won’t take it lying down. Each one of us wether we are in a foreign country or in our home neighborhood has battles and struggles to keep walking passionately for God. I really believe that amazing things will start to happen when God’s people start to ask and not stop until it is done!

P.S. Let me know if I can send you any information, prayer requests or etc. from the areas that we are working in over here.

A fruit of Discipleship

I think one of the best parts of living a life of deliberate discipleship is seeing others catch the love and passion of God for themselves. Sometimes it takes years to see fruit and sometimes it is immediate. But either way the feeling is beyond words when you see someone that you have poured hours of your time into finally take on the passion of God as their own.

That is what I got to experience today in Red Hill. One of the girls who is my age is growing so much in the Lord! When I first met her last year she was quiet, shy and would only talk to two of the guys on our team. Over the year she has begun to open up and gradually step out in speaking more English. Speaking in another language alone is a big step but what followed is what I get excited about. As I spent more time with her and the other ladies in her house she got more comfortable with me. She would never speak up at our Bible studies but I just sensed she had something to share. Then one night after hanging out with them she walked me back to my car and shared a Bible verse with me. She wouldn’t share it with the whole group but she shared it one on one. She told me how much she wanted to learn more about God and have a closer relationship with Him. I knew from that moment that it was only a matter of time. As I continue to see her she remains quiet in groups but I see that there is something growing inside. Especially after today when she shared that she had been reading Matthew 28:18-20 and the verses have shown her how she can share with her friends and not be afraid. I wanted to jump out of my seat for joy. I saw God fanning the flame that is inside of her. In fact when I got in the car and it was only our team I did kind of shriek for joy. I see God taking a girl that was insecure and scared and turning her into a bold bride of Christ. I praise God for the work that He does in the hearts of people! I hope and pray you guys can go out and see the amazing work that God is doing in people around you today!

New Apartment

Exciting news!!!

I have just moved into my own apartment! Well, I share it with two other girls but none the less I have my own room where I can completely unpack my stuff and not have to move again (FYI-this is the first time this year). It is also a really nice place for what we are paying. It is a two story place with the kitchen/living area downstairs and three bedrooms upstairs. I don’t have any pictures yet but I will get some soon to show now and when we actually get some furniture. It is in an apartment complex so we have a pool that everyone shares and our own little portion of the yard. My friend and I have great dreams for it once we have it furnished and are able to have friends over;)

As nice as it is now and how excited we are about it was a big step of faith for each of us. We were scared at first to step out and believe that this is where God wants us and that He will provide for everything we need for it. When the other girl and I first signed the lease, which is for a year, we were completely silent. Our friends were wondering why we weren’t more excited and celebrating. I think we were in so much shock that we were actually taking this step and there was that fear that comes when making a big decision that relies all on God and not on anything you can do. From the rent every month down to the furnishings, we are relying completely on God and the family of believers that surround us. It may sound crazy to some, I know, but I think it is the only way to live life in the end. So, even though we have nothing in the place except our bags and three beds that we borrowed we love it now. In my eyes it makes it all the more exciting to see how God furnishes the place because He is the one that has given it to us so He will provide the stuff to put in it and the money to get it!

Crazy Life

I don't honestly have much to report to you. I wish I had a huge praise report to share and encouraging stories of people overcoming. But not anything so exciting yet. To be honest, it has been somewhat of a rough patch for me this past month.
God is moving me into a new season so I am just trying to figure out what that is. This past month has been a lot of orientation for those wanting to serve long term with All Nations. I am praying hard about making a 3 year commitment to work with All Nations here in Cape Town and then maybe farther up north in Africa one day. So, please be praying about that with me. That God will reveal to me if He wants me to commit and if so what He wants me to do.
With that in mind I have been exploring the different passions that God has been putting on my heart and figuring out how to put them all together. I have fallen in love so much with working with the kids and youth in Red Hill, and then I have really loved exploring the Safe House and human trafficking options. I have to ask how you combine all of these? God is revealing it to me slowly and it is a real test of my faith. Being here for 7 months now and the need to know what I would do if I came back next year I am desperate for answers.
Out of this state with so much on my mind I haven't been able to do to much ministry but God does keep me strong. He knows what I need and I know that it is my work to push through the hard times. Even though I am distracted, everytime I take the first step to go up to Red Hill all it takes is the first few moments of seeing my friends and I forget all else. I enjoy so much talking to them, hearing their stories, and playing with the kids that almost anything could hit me and it wouldn't effect me. Strange I know but it is through those times that God is revealing to me what I am doing next.
It is an adventure. One that you don't know where it ends because of all the twists and turns but one you don't want to turn back from. The next turn is scary not knowing where it leads or what it holds but something inside you needs to know so you keep pushing on. I don't know about anyone else but that is the way my life feels.

The Passion for a Safe House

So, let me tell you what has been brewing on my heart these past few months. Besides the fact that I have become a regular celebrity in Red Hill. I have been working with the kids steadily now for about two months so now everyday that I drive up there are always around a dozen kids that will yell my name and surround my car. Yes, it makes me feel loved !

But, that is not what I will focus on now ;) The passion that God has been growing in my heart is for the broken, abused women and children. The ones that have been taken from their families through lies and false hopes and put in a lost place of violence and abuse. The ones also that are with their families but are looking for a place of safety, love and joy to escape to. These are the ones that have been growing in my heart in a bigger and bigger scale. The two main things that have really escalated my heart for this people group is:

With the 2010 World Cup of soccer coming to South Africa the amount of women and children being trafficked into South Africa has skyrocketed. What will happen after this is over? Where will they go? Who will take care of them when their families don’t take them back?
There is a large number of domestic violence in all countries but in the townships I have found very few houses not touched by it. With so few people being able to afford the bride price most just live together which gives the men very little incentive to treat the wife or the children fairly.

These are the helpless ones, the orphans, that God has put so heavily on my heart. These are the ones that I want to reach out to and help. So, what I have been praying into is starting a safe house for abused women and their children in this area of Cape Town. To provide a place for them to be discipled, trained and be able to go out and live in the communities and disciple others like them. It will of course take time but I have already met people who have given me huge tips in starting one and people who want to team with me and start one. I would so much appreciate all your prayers for me and for this project. God will have to provide everything for it. From the funding, to the cooperation of the government, NGO’s and communities, to the volunteers and staff to make it happen. So, please share with me if you would like to be involved with it as well and see with me where God takes this vision from here.

Intense Two Weeks

Exhausting. Exhilarating. Overwhelming. Amazing!
Those are just four words that would describe these past two weeks. As some of you know I was busy helping host a team of 27 Americans with ministry in one of the townships called Masi. And it definitely fit each one of those words.
It was a solid two weeks of going non-stop. With the exception of three days we were in Masi from 10am till 4-5pm. The team was split into teams of 3-4 which I would join in with. We spent our time walking around the wetlands of Masi. The wetlands are the unofficial squatter camps of that area. The poorest live there in shacks no bigger and sometimes smaller than your bedroom.
Each team had their area of it that they would walk around meeting people. Yes, it sounds like door to door evangelism, which they do here, but for us it was different. From the very beginning the Holy Spirit was with us and we could feel it. We immediately found people that were open to us and others in great need open to prayer. As tired as we got, we saw miracles happening everyday. People who hadn’t had jobs in months were getting two jobs in a week and others that had been kept from getting jobs from their sicknesses were healed. My favorite stories were of the people that received healing and then would be so excited they would then lead us all over the wetlands to pray for family members and friends. We were always being drawn out of our comfort zone. Such as one day we began the day with worship and prayer as normal but continued it for six hours! During that time we walked to two different houses on opposite sides of Masi to pray for families that the team had met. All the time carrying guitars and singing as we went. It was quite the scene that none of us had ever seen before but it also had effects that none of us had seen before either. So many people came to us with questions, requests that we make a stop to pray for them as well, and many were touched by Jesus. It was a day none of us will forget and definitely one that was not of our idea.

Life...you never know what each stage of it will bring. Two weeks ago I was somewhat lonely. With everyone leaving it was really quiet and I had no idea what was in store for me. It was nice to have a quiet week catching up on rest that I needed before starting again. The week was also a blessing because it was the same week that a friend in Alaska passed away. It was so hard for me to deal with it on my own and also feeling the grief of everyone there was tough. I am sure people could tell I was not myself. I even turned down leading a Bible study because I was still in shock. God has really brought me through it in a good way. I am still overcome by sadness thinking of what people are going through but I know God is doing something great through it. I also couldn’t have done it without my friends here. There were two in particular that were so encouraging. One of them is a married lady on my team and she gave me the most wonderful hugs at the exact moments that I needed them. It was a tough week but with the help of my friends here and my Red Hill kids I got through it.
I started last week helping with the children and youth clubs there. For a long time it has only been two guys doing the work so they were more than happy to let me and two other girls, that are also interns, join. I can’t say how much I love those kids up there! They are trouble makers, rambunctious, noisy, and always climbing on you but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I started to get to know them last year so I know some names and faces but it is so much more fun seeing them four days a week and watching them grow.
The more time I spend with them I realize how much I missed working with children. They are such a huge part of my heart. I love discipling people which I am still doing. I go up to Red Hill one night a week and meet with a group of ladies which is really nice. It is such a privilege to be a part of their lives as they grasp the truth of God for themselves. And as rewarding as that work is, I have still been missing the children. I can see why they are so close to the heart of the Father. So, all that to say how my kids in Red Hill have really helped me get through a tough week. And they have gotten me excited about working with them for the rest of the year!

Just 3 of my many kids!

Enjoying fruit leather from the states

thanks to Codi and Stephanie!

Testimony to God's goodness

I have moved into a new stage in my time here. All the students and quite a few of the staff have left to go on outreach. It is almost unbearably quiet. I have gotten so used to the business of the Cpx time that I almost don’t know what to do with myself now. Crazy isn’t it.
The greatest thing is to watch what God is doing in me now. It is almost like He is saying, "okay, now you have learned all this stuff and I have brought all this stuff out of you I want to see how serious you are about it." It is scary, and exciting at the same time (yet probably more on the scary side). The unknowns of what I am doing and who is going to be there when I need a friend feels so overwhelming at times. But I am here to say that the testimonies that come out of this time by far outweigh any fear that I am feeling.
I went out today with one of my dear sisters in the Lord and being girls we talked solid for probably three hours! Amazing I know. The talk was exactly what I needed and I had so many of my questions answered. Thankfully it was the same for her as well. However, as precious as that time was, and I am looking forward to more to come, the best part of our day was the last hour of it. We were at Boulders Beach looking at the penguins and the bay and as we were leaving I stopped to look at some pictures on the side. The guy had noticed us when we first arrived so now he was even more eager to sell us something. The amazing thing turned out to be that he talked more about completely random things than actually trying to sell us his pictures. Most of the time that would annoy me and I would be rude and walk away. But something was drawing us to stay. And we went away feeling really encouraged as we watched God work in this man’s heart. We had just been questioning how God was going to be able to transform the world and He was quick to answer. This man was so honest about almost everything. How He felt about church, Jesus, Africa, leaders, smoking, music and probably anything else we would have asked him. We saw bitterness and we were able to plant love, we saw low self esteem and we were able to encourage. For myself it really felt like we came away after planting a seed. I have never come away from a conversation on the street feeling like that! I am so encouraged to physically see how God is touching hearts and they are the hearts that I pass by everyday. Just imagine if I take that time everyday and talk to someone like that how many seeds will be planted. And before we know it Jesus’ Name will be proclaimed in every corner of every nation!!!

What can I say after staying away from my blog for so long? God is still moving in my life, bringing up things that I need to learn but mostly helping me walk out the things I have learned so far.
One major thing is not walking in the fear of man but in the fear of God. A few weeks ago a couple from Pretoria, who are a real father and mother in the Lord, prayed me through identifying that strong hold in my life and starting to walk free of it. I was a huge people pleaser. Always wanting to look good in others eyes, never wanting to let others down, and certainly never wanting to walk in a way that would cause conflict. The couple prayed with me until I could remember the exact moment that certain spirit took root in my life and how it effected me. It was so overwhelming. I didn’t even fully realize how big it was until I started to walk in that freedom. It weighted me down and controlled what I did and said in such a huge way. Trying to live up to what I thought people expect of me and then to they way people live their own life just gets to be to much at one point. You can’t be who God really created you to be and you can’t walk in that freedom that He has waiting for you. It really does hold so much back from you. I wish I could say that it has been easy but that would not be true. But it is the hardship that makes it so much more a God thing. Everyday I am faced with the temptation to give into the fear of man but when I resist it, it is afterwards that I feel the freedom washing over me! Walking in a way that pleases God is more amazing than I thought! It gives me so much joy, peace, and refreshing!
And that is probably what I can narrow down everything I have learned up to this point. God is doing such amazing things in my life and in the lives of those people up in Red Hill and it all revolves around having Him the center of our life. Nothing in between us, nothing holding us back from the power that He gives us. When we realize what holds us back from Him and get rid of it you will be unstoppable. The whole power of the Holy Spirit that is inside of you will be seen on a whole new scale. Of course we have access to that power right now and it is always there for us to see but imagine more. Being closer to God in such an intimate way that there is nothing standing there waiting to be taken care of. Clear access to His throne, His Power, His Glory! All of that indwelling in you, in your very being just waiting for you to want badly enough to share it. I can only picture this in my imagination but I want to see it become real in my life, in the lives of the people I am around and the ones that I disciple.

God's Passion

How much can you learn in one lifetime? How much information can your brain process before it is done. How much can one heart hold before it is full? I don’t’ expect an answer because I see how God keeps expanding it all. Right when I think okay, I have learned enough, or I can’t hold anymore, or I just can’t deal with anymore God gives me more. I don’t know how He does it or how we do it but it happens. The capacity of our hearts and lives amazes me. The amount of information and experience one life can hold leaves me in awe. It is even more mind boggling when you think that in Heaven we are going to be even more full. That is something I am going to leave up to God to understand. My finite brain is to small when I think of things on God’s level. But yet that is the way He wired us. To dream, and think in the way that He does. The way that He made our hearts. God has placed in me (and in each one of us) such a huge inconceivable dream that I want to see happen. If you look at it or think about it in the flesh I really should just go home. It won’t happen in my lifetime if I am doing it on my own. But God put it inside of me. It is so beyond human possibility that the only way to see it happen is to join God and what He is doing. It is after all His dream and passion and I just get the privilege of being a part of it Thinking of it in that exciting way I don’t want to live any other way. I get so excited and have so much joy when I go out and pursue that passion that God has put in my heart. I love talking about it and seeing others start to catch a vision for it. Now, you are probably wondering what the heck it is. Well, so not to keep you in suspense I will tell you. It is to see discipleship groups (big and small) growing all over the world. I will start small in South Africa because that is where God has me here for this season. But one day I want to see it grow up through Africa and then into the Middle East, Asia, Europe and then over to the Americas. That isn’t to big is it? I really don’t think so since God already has workers in place doing it and I am just joining an existing work. God is working in my life in some painful ways right now but it is so good. Because it is igniting my heart for Him and His plans for my life. I am finding such a passion for the people here and to disciple them and for them to grow to do the same for others. I will be honest and say that the vision is really from All Nations but I am catching and owning it and making it personal. I have been reading some great books about it too. Two that I would suggest is Floyd McClung’s book “You See Bones I See an Army” then also Neil Cole’s book “Organic Church”. Both are amazing

Touched by the Holy Spirit

When was the last time I posted? I can’t even remember. These past weeks have been so hectic. I haven’t even been at the place I live except to sleep. I don’t know why I do this to myself but the amazing thing is that God works through it and is teaching me to change.
This past week was so amazing for me and the pivotal point for my time so far. I go to the classes of the church planting school so that I can keep updated with my team and also I take all that I can get. I especially wanted to be there for this week though. We had a Scottish teacher this week talking about the Holy Spirit. He was one of my favorite teachers last year and I knew it would be even better this year. I was right. The first day of his teaching we had prophecies and amazing ministry time. I don’t want to say that it doesn’t happen any other time because it does. But he is very gifted in bringing out the gifts of the Holy Spirit in people and drawing the people out that aren’t used to it or are scared of it. So, that is how the week that God ministered to me began.
I didn’t know it but I had really let things build up on my heart day after day instead of going to God everyday and off loading to Him. It builds up so quickly especially when it concerns my walk with God. You can let the littlest thing in and right away you feel its effects on your walk. Well, come Thursday night I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I cried my entire ride home (only about 10 minutes) then sat in my car for about 40 minutes. So, for close to an hour I sat crying out to God and letting it all come out. I was honest and opened up my heart to Him. I had no idea how He was going to respond. It confirms so much to me how much God really loves us. God has a heart for the nations and for all peoples to worship Him but more importantly He wants to take care of our hearts. He wants us to go out and serve Him but more important than that He wants our hearts to be right with Him. He cares so much for the littlest things in our lives and that makes Him such a good God. He spoke so personally to me that night but the best was yet to come. The next day was focused on the prophetic gifting and through seven different people God confirmed to me everything He had spoken to me personally plus more. I have never been so touched in my life! In two days God not only broke down disappointments, hurts, and grudges that had been building up around me but then put me to higher place than I was before. He is Amazing! It is such an exciting place to be. God is making the direction He is taking me in more clear and He is preparing me in the ministry that He wants to catapult me into. I have so much to learn but then again that is what I came here for. I knew God had things He wanted me to learn and gain from the people here and already it has been such a rich time. I am so excited to see where God points to next and how He does it. Just looking into my past I can see how present He was through it all so looking into the future is even better. The words I received that day were so incredible to me and if you want to hear more about them let me know. I can write you a personal e-mail telling you all about them. So, thank you to all of you who have been praying for me because God is really answering prayers. He is taking me far beyond anything I thought would happen!

Setting up and getting things working

To be honest these past two weeks have been some what hard. God has really been pressing me about what I am doing here, where my heart is, and how I am working that out from day to day. It has been a big inner battle but a good one. It has been hard to make time for just me and God as well.
All Nations is the organization that I work with over here and they just bought an old school about two weeks ago that they want to use for housing and lectures for Cpx (church planting experience). Cpx teaches about discipling and planting small house churches. It started on February 9th and it has been so hectic for us setting up for it that none of us had much time to think about anything else. We each had our areas of responsibility so we carried our own plus some of the others when needed. The school was so dirty and so many things had to be fixed. They want to house around 30 people there and there was only one shower, one tub and most of the bathroom stalls were small because they were built for kids. All of the stuff that the school used was still there so we had to clean it all out and then buy new stuff for ourselves. I still don’t know how we did it with the money as a factor but God is good! With the way things go in Africa I had my doubts about it being done in time for students to move in. But I learned once again not to doubt God’s ability. We found workers for everything that needed to be done and they came mostly on time. God really worked a miracle through this place. I don’t know how but yesterday we had almost all of it done and cleaned for the new students to move in. We were sitting there in our new living space, with four couches that were donated to us, exhausted and amazed that in 9 days the place had been transformed. It felt like Extreme Home Makeover (not quite as nice granted, but still it was our new home.
So, with that going on and everything else that keeps us busy God still finds little times to speak with me. He has revealed some more of my heart to me and opened up my heart to new things. I have been so busy that I haven’t been able to really commit to Red Hill yet but that will come. I think God is putting me through a time of cleansing and getting me ready for that. As each new day comes I am learning to put into work the heart that God is giving me and looking for all the little opportunities that God gives me to serve Him. I am also learning how small those jobs really are most of the time;) But I am loving it. Being part of what God is doing here is amazing! Watching the people come through here and catch the vision of what God is doing is really exciting and being able to be a part of helping them go out and spread that is even better. Every time I doubt the reason why I am here or think maybe I made the wrong decision God is always ready to show me how He brought me here and how this was His idea and in His plan. You gotta love Him!

Training

Since I am now back in full swing here in South Africa I wanted to let you know what I am doing. I am working back up in Red Hill again. As most of you know Red Hill is the township that I worked in last year.
Last year our focus was on rebuilding the houses and starting up small Bible studies. We were all new at it so we didn’t really know what we were doing. Now the focus has changed a little bit so I am getting used to it. Also the team has connected with a lot of new people so I am trying to catch up to where they are. I haven’t been up there a whole lot since I have been back but I already love it. I missed it more than I thought. Just seeing the people that I knew from before makes it so comforting being back. And it is always fun to meet more of the people that live there. Well, enough of what is new there let me tell you what we are doing up there.
We are still focused on starting small house churches just changing our emphasis a little. We are trying out this new thing for us called T4T or training for trainers. It is a few basic lessons to for us to teach the main commands of the Bible to people in Red Hill and it is easy enough so they can then pass it on to others. Our vision is to see the people we are working with now to take leadership and feel that they can lead their house church. We want to see them reach out to others and share the gospel then take in more disciples and train them to do what they are doing. Up until now we have always been kind of the leader in the house churches so we wanted to change that. If we pull out of Red Hill all of a sudden we have no idea if the people will take ownership and keep the Bible studies going on. I know that God would look after His children so I am not to worried. But the vision to go along with this training is to see house churches starting all over Africa that have been started by the people we are training now and by their disciples.
I got to see it kind of start the other day when I was up there. I was visiting a couple of guys and telling them about the training we are going to start. The one guy was excited to start and he was in a sense already looking for men to start a house church with. That was encouraging in itself but it got even better. His friend who was sitting there listening got interested in what we were doing as well. The guy on my team who could speak the language started talking to him and soon led him in a prayer to accept Jesus as his Savior. He too is now interested in the training so that he can share his story with his friends and family. It was so amazing to see his face change and to see the joy that came over him. I couldn’t have asked for a better day!. God has so many surprises in store for us.
That is what I live for and why I keep coming back here. I love to see people that are not living for anything come to the understanding that God has something special in store for them and take that into their lives and into the lives of the people all around them. Africa is in desperate need of Godly leaders and I feel very honored to be a part of seeing some them start stepping up to the plate!

The Beginning

I have arrived at my destination and just begun on my journey! In a way it was like coming home. The heat hit me like a wave and the beauty of the land took my breath away. It is midsummer and very hot. I sat out today for maybe half an hour and am already sun burned. I am sure that is a consolation to you all back at home in the cold;) The hills and the coastline have a beauty unlike anywhere else. I have no words to explain it now so I will send pictures sometime.
There are so many returning people from the Cpx school last year that it almost felt like a reunion. This entire week is spent with All Nations staff sharing our purpose and goals. Hence, we are a little more focused this time around. We have our places of ministry and some have launched the projects that have been on their heart.
I will be working once again in Red Hill. That small community that was burned down by the fire. It is green now and all of the houses have been painted. It is familiar which is nice but there are a lot of new faces thanks to the continued work there. The team there has been praying for another women to join their team (they are 5 guys and 1 girl). They have a growing number of ladies they reach out to so this is an answer to prayer for both them and myself. I have had it on my heart to start a discipleship group with women so this will be a good start.
I know that God has a great deal in store for me here. And I am excited for it even though I know that it won't come without hardship. Even in the first few days it was hard to see why I had come back and how to continue. But God is faithful and always sends confirmation. The more I walk around, talk with people, and see; the more I feel like this is one of my homes. This is where God has placed my heart for the time being. I love it!