Thirty Days.........

It's been thirty days since DTS ended. It feels like just yesterday the whole thing started and I arrived in Montana, nervous and excited to begin a new journey. I can hardly believe how time passes by so quickly and it just goes to show that we must take hold of every opportunity that comes our way. The past thirty days have been full of friends, family, work, and more emotions than I can list. I have pretty much adjusted back into daily life and my new "normal" but that didn't come without it's own struggles.

The last week of DTS was called "debrief" week and it was all about how to re-enter into your home after such a whirlwind experience. All week I kept thinking to myself that I would have no problems going home and that all the information they told us wouldn't really apply to me. I was coming home to a great family, a supportive group of friends, an awesome church, and not to mention my old job! Fast forward to my arrival home and boy, I quickly realized how wrong my thoughts had been.  It was not as easy as I had hoped it to be and I found myself frustrated with all the emotions I felt towards things. Don't get me wrong, I was beyond ready and happy to be home but I just didn't realize how different things were going to be.

Over the course of five months my worldview changed and my life was transformed by Jesus. I didn't realize that back at home peoples lives went on and changed as well. After coming off a time doing ministry all day for two months and really setting aside time to focus on my relationship with Christ, I found myself missing those things. I missed living in a community and having someone always readily available to talk to or hang out with. I missed the people I grew so close with and friendships I developed. I missed Africa and the culture I so dearly came to love. I missed YWAM Montana and the time spent there.

I started to feel guilty for missing all those things and I didn't want to make my family and friends feel like I wasn't happy to see them and be home. God quickly reminded me that I shouldn't beat myself up for experiencing all these emotions but rather embrace them and let Him guide me through them. I have finally come to a place where I have processed through a lot of things and I can see more clearly. I look back on my DTS with lots of fond memories and I see how much God worked in my heart but I also realize that He has new memories to be made in my future. He has given me such great opportunities to shine His light here in my own hometown and to let the transformation that took place in my heart during DTS, to show in my daily life.

A lot has happened in thirty days and I'm so glad that Jesus has walked through it all with me. What an awesome father He is! I look back with a lot of thankfulness in my heart but now I'm focusing forward, ready to embrace all that Christ has in store for me. During this time of adjustment I kept going back to Hebrews 12:1-3 which just so happened to be the DTS theme verse. It says this "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and since which clings closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the same, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." I am choosing to stay focused on Christ and run relentlessly after Him!

Outreach: Mossel Bay

                                                                  Hey Y'all!

I'm finally back from my globe trotting adventures armed with plenty of stories,moments, and photos to share. I can hardly wrap my mind around the fact that DTS is over and I'm back home in good ole' NC. Time really does fly fast when you are having fun. It will be hard to fully express in words all that has taken place in my life these past five months but I will try my best to describe it all. I've spent the last two months on "outreach phase" in South Africa. I witnessed God show up in some mighty ways over our two months in Africa and it really was one of the most amazing trips of my life. 

(Just arrived in Cape Town)

I was on a team of fourteen people, twelve students and two leaders, and we arrived in South Africa on December 11th after two long days of traveling. It took us 23 hours of flying, 16 hours of layovers, and finally a four hour bus ride before we arrived safely in our final destination, Mossel Bay. Needless to say we were all beyond exhausted when we arrived. We spent the first two days settling in and adjusting to the time change. Mossel Bay is in the eastern part of South Africa and it is a vacation spot for locals during the holiday season. There was an abundance of people there from all different parts of SA so we had plenty of witnessing opportunities at all times. Mossel Bay is absolutely stunning and it was such a fun place to live during the holidays. 

(Mossel Bay) 

                                                                     

Our first week there we did spirit-led ministry which basically means we would divide up into groups of four and ask God where we should go and what we should do with our ministry time. We did a wide range of things for ministry but our main focus was evangelism. We would walk down main street and just befriend locals who were working or anyone who would stop and have a conversation with us. South Africans are extremely relationship oriented people so we would revisit the same people and really build a lasting friendship with them. When we built relationships with people they began opening up to us and letting us pour into their lives. A lot of people we talked to knew who Jesus was but had no clue what it meant to have a relationship with Him and they didn't grasp the concept of grace at all. As we shared with them, it was incredible to really see people grasp God's grace for the first time and to see an overwhelming transformation in their heart and soul. 

(View of the stunning ocean/mountains) 

 Week two we ran a children's program every morning in the township that was within walking distance from the house we lived in. We had some great local contacts who facilitated some of the children's program but we were in charge of running games, doing skits, and giving a teaching every day. We decided to teach everyday on a different piece of the armour of God. The kids LOVED all we did with them and really connected with all we taught them. I personally love children's ministry and it was so fun just to give the kids something productive and positive to do for two hours out of their day. We saw a couple of the older kids give their hearts to Christ by the end of the week which was awesome. 

(Children's ministry in the township)

Our last week in Mossel Bay we did night ministry, an open air, more spirit-led ministry, and more evangelism. We also celebrated Christmas and New Years while there. It was weird being away from my family for the holidays and it didn't really even feel like Christmas simply because I was at the beach and wearing shorts. Due to the fact that it was the holiday season it was really easy to have a conversation with people about Jesus since that is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. There really are no words to describe seeing someone coming to the knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus and seeing them basically walk from death into life. That is the reason why we went to South Africa and the reason why God commands us all throughout the Bible to go and preach the good news. It isn't always easy to evangelize and there were times I didn't feel like I was adequate enough or had the right words to speak. When these doubts would arise God always reminded me that His power is perfected in my weakness and that He would use my words no matter what they sounded like. I was challenged to not just evangelize on the mission field but that this can be done in everyday life. 

There is so much more I have to share with everyone about my time in Africa and this post is only scratching the surface of all we saw God do. Make sure you stay tuned for more posts about South Africa and how God moved in my personal life and in the lives of the people there!

SOUTH AFRICA Happenings.....

SOUTH AFRICA!!!!  

Since Shelby doesn't have access to a computer she has given me (her mama) info to pass along on her blog for an update so I will try my best to tell it as she has told it to me.

The team has been in SA for 41/2 weeks now.  The first 3 weeks they were in a tourist and farming area called Mosselbaai  which lies on the Indian Ocean side of SA.  While there they developed relationships with the locals, evangelized, ran children's programs, and ministered to the community.  They spent Christmas and New Year's here and had opportunity to celebrate it South African style with their YWAM Montana base director's and her family who lives in this community. They have seen many salvations, witnessed physical healings - specifically of a woman blind in one eye-and been able to minister to many.  One of her "fun" experiences was petting, feeding and posing for a picture with Sam the elephant.

They left Mosselbaai on January 2 and went to a small farming village for 5 days.  They spent time here mostly working with the children, doing open air worship service and evangelism.  The accommodations were "different" as they took up residence with many bugs and even saw a snake or two.

They continued on their way to Muizenberg, Capetown (Atlantic Ocean side) and stopped to do a safari.  Giraffes, zebras, antelopes, etc but no lions.....they were there but remained in hiding.  She loved every second of it!!  When they arrived to their destination they discovered their housing arrangements had fallen through to no fault of their own so they had the challenge of waiting patiently for God to work it all out and boy did He!  They were able to stay at the YWAM Muizenberg base for a night, a local hostel for a few nights and then moved to a surfing hostel for the rest of the week. YWAM Muizenberg has been taking great care of them by feeding them 3 times a day. Oh the excitement of having an actual bed to sleep in for a week has been over the top!  Meanwhile they found a house that they will be moving into Monday for their remaining 2 1/2 weeks and they will be sharing it with a YWAM team on outreach from Kentucky.  How cool is that?!   She was glad to be back in a big city. They continue to do home to home evangelism/visits, prayer & worship services, children's programs, and leading church services. They have seen people set free from addictions and struggle, salvation's, and have met some people in the culture that love Jesus. This area is very different from where they have been.   Shelby has seen the extremes of poverty and wealth all in this area within blocks from each other.  They are spending time in 2 townships that are extremely impoverished where 95% of the population are abusing drugs/alcohol, many without food, living in scrap metal and wood lean-to's with no running water. The smell of trash and fluids is so strong.  HIV is extremely prevalent in the area.  She has learned that SA has the most HIV people in all of Africa. She is heartbroken by what she has seen but is so very excited about people coming to know Christ, encouragement, and building up of the body.   The team is working well together without any major issues and she loves everyone of them so much!    

On the lighter side:  all the food rocks!, Seafood is unbelievable, they have pineapple flavored Fanta, she has had lamb and likes it, the weather is a little cooler on this side of SA, and she is thrilled to finally have access to wifi so she can connect with home a little!

She is beginning to get a little homesick and excited about her return. She asks that you all please continue to pray for her team these last few weeks -that they stay healthy, safe, that they finish well and that many continue to come to a saving knowledge and relationship with Christ.  She has written her journey and cannot wait to share her thoughts, feelings, and experiences with you when she returns.......and this mama is counting down the days!!!   Feb 9