Katie Ely First Year Missionary - S. Africa

"Own Me"

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Over the course of this semester I have been challenged a lot about what I truly believe. I have come to the realization that many of the things that I preach to others about what I believe, I only hold close to me because people I love taught me them. I do not say this to confuse anyone, I am thankful for the fundamentals that I have been taught as a child. Without those truths, I would not have fallen in love with Jesus. However, I have learned that christianity is not a formula that one can follow and perfect. Christianity is about a relationship with a Savior. The other day I was praying and listening to my ipod on shuffle, when the song "Own Me", by Ginny Owens started to play. I was so touched by the lyrics because what she says is much of what I have been feeling this semester.

Got a stack of books,
So I could learn how to live;
Many are left half-read,
Covered by the cobwebs on my shelf.
And I got a list of laws,
Growing longer everyday;
If I keep pluggin' away,
Maybe one day I'll perfect myself.
Oh, but all of my labor,
Seems to be in vain;
And all of my laws,
Just cause me more pain;
So I fall before You,
In all of my shame;
Ready and willing to be changed-

Chorus:
Own me
Take all that I am,
And heal me
With the blood of the Lamb.
Mold me
With Your gracious hand;
Break me till I'm only Yours-
Own me

Oh, you call me Daughter,
And you take my blame;
And you run to meet me,
When I cry out Your name,
So I fall before You,
In all of my shame.
Lord, I am willing to be changed

Hungry for God

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have been slowly working my way through the book, "A Hunger for God" by John Piper, and have been challenged greatly. The past couple of weeks I have been confronted a lot with the idea of what I find pleasure in. Last week, my team fasted on Wednesday in order to seek the Lord and find contentment in Him. At the end of the day, what I came to conclude is that I eat for pleasure. It is not necessarily and bad thing to enjoy what the Lord has provided for me, but I often forget that I should find more pleasure from the Lord. I need to be hungry for Him and hungry to sit in His presence.

It was a very emotionally draining day for me on Wednesday. It is always interesting how the Lord puts us in situations to grab our attention. He definately was trying to teach me something this day about being hungry for Him. The day started out well. I went to the clinic in the morning because we had the opportunity to visit a disability center in the afternoon. When I arrived at the clinic it was packed with young mothers and their babies. I always love going to the clinic on Tuesdays because I can hold babies the whole time. As I scoped the waiting room, looking for which mother I would approach first, a women came up to Hilliary and I asking for assistance. She was holding a five week old baby that looked like it was one day old. She started to explain that she needed to get formula for her baby because she cannot produce milk for her daughter to eat. I asked the women if I could hold her daughter, and as I unraveled the blanket, I noticed every bone in the child's arms and hands. I asked the women when the last time her daughter ate, and she proceeded to tell me that she hasn't eaten in five days but has only drank water. I almost broke down crying as Hilliary rushed to get one of the sisters. Hilliary assisted the women as she began to cry in her brokenness. Here she was, a first-time mother, unable to provide for her newborn baby. Hilliary found a sister to help her, but we both felt so helpless. There was nothing we could do for her.

As I proceeded down the hallway, an elderly women called out for me. She told me that she could tell that I loved babies, and said that she also did. As I sat down next to her very thin frame, she began to tell me her story of living with low blood sugar. She explained that she had just gotten out of the hospital where the doctors told her she needed to eat fruits and other special foods. The women asked me to pray for her because she could not afford to buy any of the things that were needed in order for her health to be as it should. As I held her close to me and prayed, I prayed that the Lord would fill her hunger and provide a way for her to get the items she needed.

I left the clinic drained by the encounters that I had. I knew that the Lord was definately trying to get my attention. In the afternoon, half of my team visited a disability center called Algoa Frail Care Center. It is home to people of all ages that are mentally and physically disabled. We only went through the three childrens wards that housed over one hundred children, but it is also home to many adults. Going through the wards was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have never seen so many severly handicapped children in my life. While walking through the first ward, the nurse explained to us that the children all had feeding tubes because none of them had the mental ability to feed themselves. Once again, I was reminded that these children would never be able to experience the same pleasure out of food that I enjoy so greatly. Over the next few hours, my team and me sang to the children and loved on them. The nurses said that most people are afraid to touch the children because of their disfigurement, so the fact that we loved on them physically meant a lot.

As I thought about the experiences that I had that day, I was completely broken and drained emotionally. It was odd though, because spiritually I felt refreshed and renewed. I was reminded that as children of God, we need to look to Him to fill us eat day physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I need to find pleasure in Him and delight in being in His presence.

His Perfect Plan

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There are times in my life when I think I have everything figured out. I think I have everything planned out, yet, at those times, I find myself scared to death because I forget who holds my future. I am at a place in my life, where I have no idea what lies ahead. I have no definate plans for my future, but I am at peace, because I know the Lord has a perfect plan for me. The Lord is constantly challenging me with this concept of Him being in control. As most of you know, I work at a clinic with two other girls, four days a week. I was surprised that I even found myself wanting to work there in the first place because I do not like anything medical, but it was in His plan. Now that we are there regularly, we do not like to leave because we find that after being gone for a period of time, our relationship with some of the workers diminish. Awhile back, our leaders told us about a trip to Lesotho we were going to go on for two weeks. It sounded great at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I found myself not wanting to leave the clinic. I did not want to take away any of the short amount of time I had left with the nurses. I knew that I needed to get a positive attitude about Lesotho if that is where the Lord wanted us to serve. After many nights of prayer, I finally came to the realization that maybe the Lord was using this time away to show me that He will still be at work in the clinic even if the three of us are not there.
It turns out, that Lesotho was not where God wanted us to minister. We were all planning to leave on Saturday, but after much prayer, our leaders along with the team, felt that the Lord was leading us to stay in Jeffrey's Bay. Maybe God was using this whole time to teach me that His plans are not always mine. So now, as the weeks I have left here dwindle down, I find myself resting in the promise of His perfect plan for my life.

Clinic Crew

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"Real Ministry"

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

One of my biggest prayer requests last semester was that this semester God would open doors for the opportunity to go deeper with people in my ministry. I see the people at the clinic everyday, but I never felt as if they desired anything from me other than cleaning the bathrooms and floors. This semester, God has completely answered my prayers in every way possible. Initially, I thought that my ministry at the clinic would be ministering to the patients. I never thought about the fact that I could be an encouragement to the staff and that they would become my ministry. I still love having conversations with the patients in the waiting room, and playing with the children, but the times I enjoy most are hanging out with all of the sisters in the kitchen. I do not think that I have ever laughed as hard as I often do there. I love watching the barriers break down as the ladies open up to Hilliary, Aaryn and me about their lives, struggles, hopes, and dreams for the future. We have been able to encourage, laugh, and pray with them. Just today, we were able to go to the hospital to visit and pray with one of the nurses' assistants who had a stroke and is in the hospital. God has shown me that I often put Him in a box and put my ministry in a box. I have this idea of what I am supposed to be doing while I am here in Africa and He constantly shows me that He is bigger than that and there are opportunities all around me to serve others and minister to them. My prayer now is that when I return home I have the same attitude towards ministry. I pray that I do not put God in a box by having my ideas of what real ministry looks like. Opportunities for "real ministry" are all around us whether we are in Africa or Amherst, Ohio. Ministry is defined as the act of serving others. I pray as believers we are all constantly in a state of ministry.

Lesotho Update

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

On Saturday, we will all be traveling to the country of Lesotho for our outreach. We will be there for two weeks working in an orphanage, ministering in townships and doing small construction projects. The country of Lesotho is surrounded by S. Africa and is made up mostly of mountains. Eighty-one percent of the country is rural and we will have no running water or electricity while we are there. I just am asking for your prayers as we are there. It is going to be very difficult going form life in Jeffrey's Bay to the chance that we may not be able to have a bath or shower for two weeks. We will also not have any form of communication while we are there, being that there is no electricity. Please pray for safe travels and that the Lord would use us to minister to the people there.

Graduation Day

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For the past four weeks I, along with two other teammates, have been participating in an HIV/ AIDS counseling course. Each day patients come into the clinic for HIV tests and we have been learning how to interact with them and pre-counsel them. Before one can be tested for HIV, he/she must first sign a document saying they have been pre-counseled and understand what they are taking part in. The main things that we talk to them about are: Confidentiality- We need to reassure that the results of the test are completely confidential and no one will know except the patient and the person administering the test. HIV/AIDS- Many times the patients do not understand what the virus and syndrome are so we have to explain what exactly is taking place in the body when the virus attacks. Transmission- Patients, many times are unaware how they became affected with the virus, so we have to explain the different means of transmission. The main three ways people are affected by HIV are through bodily fluids, needles, and from mother to child. Prevention- It is important for us to talk to the patients about ways to prevent transmission. In this part of the conversation we talk to the patients about the ABC's of prevention, which are abstinence, be faithful to one partner, and condomize. Although it can be awkward explaining the importance of condoms to the patients, it is important that they take some sort of precautions to protect himself or herself from the virus. Lifestyle Change- The next part is a very important section where we explain to the patients the importance of a lifestyle change whether the test results are positive or negative. It is in this section that we talk about nutrition, healthy living, follow-up visits, and treatments if the test returns positive. The last thing that we talk about is how the test will work and the amount of time it will take. After explaining these main points, we then ask the patient if they have any questions.
This is just an outline of the conversation that takes place, but hopefully it gives you some understanding of what I have learned the past few weeks. I have only gotten to take part in one counseling session, but I am excited to be a part of many more. It has been so exciting for me to be able to see how God is using Hilliary, Aaryn and myself at the clinic. The doors that the Lord has opened for us to minister to people are amazing and I am so excited to see how He will use me next.
Although we have been taught what to say, it is still very difficult, and at times awkward, for us to lead these sessions, so I just ask that you pray for boldness on my part and that the patients would understand us.

Join the Awakening: Discipleship & Missions

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Awaken to the Adventure

Disciples aren't born; they're made. It's a process that takes time, discipline, and God. In reality, it looks more like waking up than attending a class.

As part of The Awakening, you can undergo a discipleship program like no other, experiencing four months of intense training in another country to prepare you for the ministry that awaits you for the rest of the year.

Join The Awakening

Your mornings will be spent in training and your afternoons ministering in local communities, activating what you've learned. In the context of experiential learning, you will be discipled by mentors who want to see you grow deeply in your faith.

You will be part of a community of other individuals who share your passion and desire to come alive in Christ. This time will challenge and stretch you in new ways, and you will never be the same.

Become a part of The Awakening in either Latin America or Africa and discover your role in the kingdom of God.

You were made for greatness, to experience the abundant life and freedom that Jesus promised. As they awaken, current participants are saying:

I don't think that I will ever have such an opportunity to give up all of myself and all of my expectations as I do here. (Emily Tissot, Latin America)

The Bible study has... turned into a church. So, we have church at noon Tuesday-Friday under the tree in front of the market. I love watching as people just bring their stool/chair/water container... and join in the singing. We are going through the book of Galatians, and it is cool to see how freedom is effecting their hearts. (Denise Eckert, Africa)

For more on The Awakening, visit the First-Year Missionary website.

Who am I?

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This week in our family discipleship we have been learning about our identity in Christ. It is a topic that we as Christians have all studied before, but it is also one of the first things that we forget. For most of us, if we had to make a list describing ourselves to others, things like: I am a son/daughter of the King, I am made perfect in Christ, I have security in Christ, I have a spirit of boldness, I am redeemed by Christ's blood, I am a new creation and I am made alive through Christ, normally do not make it to our top ten list. The truth is that I am all of those things and many more. We were encouraged to spend a lot of time alone this week searching through the Bible to find out who Christ says that we are. As a twenty year old girl, I face many of the same issues as others. I worry about my appearance, I desire to please people, I wonder what people think about my personality and many other things that are not of Christ. It is often hard to accept all of the things that Christ says that I am to Him. It does not matter whether or not I make a mistake because He says that I am constantly being perfected into what He desires me to be. After taking a closer look at who I really am, I have a different attitude about my ministry here in Jeffrey's Bay. No matter how many times I get pushed away or rejected I know that Christ has given me not a spirit of timidity, but of boldness. He planned my life before I was even created, and He will guide me every step along the path that He has made for me.

AIDS Seminar

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So ministry at the clinic has started once again and I am amazed to see how God is working. Hilliary and I were excited to bring the books and toys to the clinic. The first day we decided that we would only bring out a few coloring books to see how many children would join us and there were over fifteen children outside within five minutes. Throughout the next couple of days we ventured out and taught them memory, go fish, and old maid. In addition to loving the coloring books, the children also loved playing puzzles and having us show love to them. It is amazing how the Lord answers our prayers.

This week we also started attending an AIDS seminar at the clinic. The clinical psychologist decided to put on an awareness seminar for anyone that was interested. The course is made up of six sessions that will run over a four week period. We will be learning about how to counsel people with HIV and will try to do hands on research in the township, finding out the history and lifestyles of those affected. We will also be learning how to administer the test and have the option of getting tested ourselves. So far it has been very interesting learning the correct approach to take while talking to HIV and AIDS patients.

Another answer to prayer that I have had this semester is with my relationships with the nurses and staff at the clinic. I was praying last semester that the Lord would allow further growth and that He would allow doors to open in the area of relationships there. It is difficult because the sisters are always busy and the cleaning lady that we work alongside does not speak very much English. When I returned after Christmas there was a new lady that started who is also cleaning. She has been such a blessing to Hilliary, Aaryn and I because of her love of the Lord and her desire to further His Kingdom. We have had the most incredible conversations with her and are enjoying learning about her testimony and visions for the clinic. I see her as a link in connecting us to the rest of the staff and as someone that I will hopefully be able to learn from and teach as well.

I have arrived!

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I finally returned to Jeffrey's Bay on Saturday afternoon. Yes, your calculations are correct, it took me one complete week to get here. I left the house Sunday afternoon in eager anticipation of arriving back in Jeffrey's Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, every plane that I had was either cancelled or delayed so it took a bit longer than I had expected. I think maybe the Lord was teaching me a lesson in patience and humility because after waiting in airports for a week in the same outfit, I was both humbled and learned to be patient. When I signed up for this trip I knew that I would do things that I never could see myself doing, but walking around the streets of Philadelphia and London by myself were two things that I never pictured myself doing. I am thankful that the Lord protected me and allowed me to return home safely. It has been wonderful to see my family here. Even though I enjoyed my time back in the states, I am excited to see how the Lord will work in my life and through my life this semester in Jeffrey's Bay. He is and has been at work here. Two new teams from YWAM have arrived this month, so it will be nice to be able to work alongside other young people. Thank you for your prayers. Praise the Lord that I finally arrived and now let's all pray that my luggage arrives here quickly.

Leadership Conference

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This week we have had the awesome opportunity to attend a Leadership Conference that AIM has set up for us. The rest of the Africa team came down to Jeffrey's Bay, so it has been great catching up with my old teammates. The conference was broken up into two different classes that you could chose to attend: leadership or discipleship. I decided to attend the leadership classes, and I am learning so much from them. Our speaker, Ben, has been teaching about what it is like to be a missional leader and a courageous leader. Being here in Jeffrey's Bay, it is important that I am remember that God is already here at work and I have to be willing to jump into my ministries and get dirty. Another part about being a missional leader is that we have to live first, speak second. We are able to show others so much more of our hearts by our actions, then with words. I also need to be a courageous leader. I need to be willing to step out and call others to follow me in ministry.

Today we had time to reflect on what God has been teaching us. As I sat alone praying to God to reveal His plan for me, I was taken to Matthew 6. All God told me was "seek first my Kingdom". I felt like a burden was lifted off of me. Isn't it so true that we get so worried about our daily routines and ministries that we forget what our focus really should be? I don't need to worry about tomorrow, I need to rest in God's faithfulness and seek after Him. It was amazing after I left the session and went to ministry today, because I felt so free. I had probably the best day I have ever had at the clinic. Hilliary, Aaryn and I were able to talk with patients, hold their children, pray for people who were sick and just seek after His Kingdom.

Thanksgiving

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It has been such a wonderful week here in Jeffrey's Bay. Last week Hilliary and I were able to shadow the head nurse on Tuesday. We arrived early in the morning to help out anywhere that we could. I was a little nervous when the nurse, Sister Rowan, asked us if we knew how to take people's blood sugar. Thankfully, she allowed us to start with easier things like taking temperature, pulse and weight. Then, Hilliary and I went on to test people's blood sugar level. I have never done that before, so I just watched and wrote in the patients' files while Hilliary pricked their fingers. I was so surprised that we were able to get so invovled. The rest of the week was not very busy, but we were able to help in the pharmacy unpacking medicines and filing the patients' records.

My team had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are all on a cooking team made up of three people, and each team made two dishes for the meal. We invited a few South Africans to come celebrate with us, and it was wonderful. Although I missed my family, it was great to be able to celebrate a time of thanks with my new family here in Jeffrey's Bay.

Children's Corner

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I continue to love working at the clinic. Everyday I get the opportunity to meet new people and build a deeper relationship with the staff there. I was wondering all along why God would want me to work there being that I cannot stand anything medical. I feel light-headed at the sight of blood, I become weak at the mention of an IV and I cry when I get shots. But, for some reason, the clinic is where I felt the Lord calling me to serve. I always thought that I would serve somewhere where there were kids that I could be with. I am always drawn to children, I just love them! What I have come to notice is that there are many children who come to the clinic with their parents. These children are bored and just want to play. Everyday, I at least find two children who want to play and spend time with me. I enjoy getting to pour into them, even if it is only for an hour. After talking to the head nurse, Hilliary and I have decided to start a children's corner at the clinic. We are going to try and purchase, or bring back after Christmas, coloring books and small activities that the children can do while their parents are waiting to be seen. Often times parents will wait in the clinic all day with their children to be seen by the nurse. I think that the children will love being able to participate in some activity for a couple of hours to break up their long day. The head nurse said that if Hilliary and I really enjoy this, that we will be able to use one of the other buildings on the property so that we will have more space.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please pray for me while I am ministering at the clinic and that we will be able to get the supplies needed to minister to the children. Also, continue to pray for the health of our team. Unfortunately, I got sick this past week. I was dehydrated and had the stomach flu, but I feel much better now. Another one of my team mates woke up this morning and said that she felt sick and had the same symptoms as me, so pray that our house would me healed of all of this sickness. Thank you.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Fri, 2 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Praise the Lord for another incredible week here in Jeffrey's Bay. I continued my internship at the Pellsrus Clinic this week. Today is our day off, but the clinic was having a special free breast examination day for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Hilliary, Aaryn (who also work at the clinic) and myself volunteered all morning at the event. It was great to see all of the women who came out to support it. While I was there, they did over fifty free examinations which was such a blessing to many of the women who cannot get regular checkups. The three of us interns were able to serve all of the women in the waiting area tea and coffee and keep everything tidy. It is such a blessing to work alongside of the nurses and have the opportunity to build relationships with them. I look forward to continued relationships and opportunities to serve.

Ministry Internship: Week 1

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Monday started my first official week of my ministry internship. After praying about where the Lord wanted me to work, I decided that I would spend the majority of my time at the Pellsrus Clinic. I will be working alongside another girl on my team cleaning, answering phones, running for the nurses and talking with the patients who are waiting. The clinic opens at eight in the morning and some patients can come and wait all day without being able to see the doctor, so we have a great opportunity to talk to them and minister to them. On thursday mornings we will be counselling the young girls who are pregnant and HIV positive. We are still learning and getting adjusted, but I am so excited.

Yesterday was supposed to be our first day in learning how to counsel the young girls, but the head nurse was sick, so we did family ministry instead. Family ministry is something that our team as a group decides to do for the town or a family. We decided to help clean and paint a family's home in the township. One of the locals was telling us that black people never allow white people to clean and do housework for them because for so long white people were always in control and they grew accustomed to serving them. It was so wonderful serving this family and allowing them to see that our skin color does not mean anything, and we are all servants for Christ.

On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, myself and Hillary cleaned at the clinic. We are still learning and getting adjusted to the workings of the clinic, so this week we just cleaned and talked with patients. At first, I was frustrated that we were stuck cleaning the entire time, but once the lady that cleans came in, Sister Primrose, my attitude changed. She was so thankful that we were willing to help her because she has to clean everything by herself! It was great being able to minister to her and see how touched she was. She has a funeral to go to next week, so she was thrilled that we would be able to clean everything while she is out of town.

Tonight I will be going to youth group at a local church called Deo Doxa. I have enjoyed building relationships with fellow young people who are christians. I am amazed and in awe of God everytime we as a group are able to worship with fellow believers in Christ here in South Africa. God is so real and big and it is awesome to see that He is the same God that we praise at home in the states.

I have a couple of prayer requests this week. First, I ask that you pray for my team as we continue to get involved in our ministries here. Pray that we allow God to use us how He wants, and that our attitudes would be uplifting and glorifying to Him. I also ask that you pray for the physical health of our team. Over half of the team is currently sick and many are unable to go out to their ministries. Living in such close quarters makes in easy to spread germs, so please pray for renewed strength for us all. Thank you all so much.

Jeffrey's Bay

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you all for your prayers as my team travelled from Pretoria to Jeffrey's Bay last Saturday. It was a long day in the car, but we all arrived safely! We are living in a house that is a five minute walk from the downtown area, and also a five minute walk from the townships. Jeffrey's Bay is interesting because there is a white, upper class, and also a very poverty stricken area as well. The townships are divided into two sections, one is called Ithemba and it is the poorest area in J. Bay. The people live in make shift homes and the majority of the people suffer from HIV and AIDS. The other section is called Pellsurus, and it is an extrememly poor, colored area, however the homes are mostly government owned.

While I am in J. Bay, I will be participating in an internship. I will be able to pick a few ministries that I feel the Lord is drawing me the most to, and I will work in them for at least twenty hours a week. This past week, we have been visiting a few places that are possible sites for our internships. Next week, I will start my internship, but I am still not sure where the Lord wants me to serve and build relationships. The places that I am thinking are the clinic, house visits in Pellsurus, and also participating in a youth group at the local church, Deo Doxa. The clinic needs so much help. People go there and often wait all day long, and never get seen. They are understaffed and need help with deskwork, sorting prescriptions, and cleaning. We can also pray with the people in the waiting room and minister to them. The house visits consists of me picking a few people that I would visit consistently throughout the week. While we were visiting people this past week, many of the people had AIDS and TB, so having the opportunity to just sit and pray with them is awesome.

Last night we had the opportunity to go to a seminar on HIV and AIDS. It was very eye opening to see the statistics of the people in S. Africa. Here in J.Bay at least 25% of the people are infected with HIV and forty percent of the children are infected. Although, there is not much that medicine can do once people have HIV and AIDS, with Christ anything is possible. He can bring people hope and bring them out of this terrible disease. I am thankful for the church that put on the seminar, and definately feel more informed about the disease as I visit people in their homes who are suffering from HIV.

Please continue to pray as I minister to the people here in J. Bay. This week, please be praying that the Lord will show me where He wants me to serve Him while I am here. Thank you all so much.

Change of Plans

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I am so thankful that I serve a God that knows the desires of my heart and has a plan for me. There are about sixty First Year Missionaries that I have been staying with in South Africa. At the end of this month, the group will be splitting up into four different groups. The groups will be going to Swaziland, Kenya, Johannesburg, or Jeffrey's Bay. Whichever group you chose, that is the place that you will minister after Christmas. The group for J. Bay was already chosen before training camp, so it was never an option for me to be a part of. Before last week, I was thinking I would either like to go to Kenya or Swaziland, but after visiting Swaziland, I knew that it was not the place that I would like to do ministry after Christmas. I was not sure where the Lord was calling me, because I was not excited for one place over the other. The group going to J. Bay is leaving in the morning, so a few days ago all of the leaders were praying about the team. They felt that the team could possibly use another member. My name ended up coming up, as someone they felt would do well on the team, so they ended up asking me if I was interested. I prayed about it, and got so excited. I really wanted to join the team, but I asked the Lord to give me a peace about my decision if it is what He wanted. I officially became a member of the J. Bay team Wednesday night. I am beyond excited to see how the Lord will use me there. My new team has welcomed me with open arms and have made my transition so easy. I am so thankful that God has everything planned out, and will lead us where He wants. Our team is leaving tomorrow morning, so that we can jump into ministry in J. Bay. Please pray for safety while traveling, because it is about a twelve hour drive. Thank you for your prayers.

Swaziland

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello from Swaziland! On Saturday my team left our home at Alabanza in S. Africa and headed to the Kingdom of Swaziland. It is about a six hour drive, but it is so beautiful. Swaziland has one of the highest concentrations of people affected by aids in the world. About sixty percent of the people living here have aids. Although Swaziland is incredibly beautiful with all of its mountains, the people here are living in poverty and the nation is dying. Statistics show that by the year 2050 the Swazi people will be no more, because the aids virus is taking over so quickly. Many of the men here believe that if they rape a virgin, they will be cured of aids. As a result, the majority of the children have aids.

While we are here in Swaziland we are staying at a nice home that has been stripped of all furniture and loaded with bunk beds. We are definitely learning the definition of community living. Our routine here has been similar to that of S. Africa. Every morning after devotions we have sessions for about two hours. This week we have been learning about our identity in Christ and the gifts that He has given to us. The staff broke us up into four groups, and each day we have been able to experience a different ministry sight.

On Monday, my group was able to go to a care point and minister to children. Care points are places where children can go to receive meals during the day. In Swaziland, families must pay for their children to go to school, so if they cannot afford it, their children are free all day. At the care points, we were able to play with the children and help them get their food. There is also a lady who has started a ministry at the care point by having local women make purses to sell. I purchases one of the purses already, and it has so much more meaning to me now that I have seen the women hand make them. Many of the girls on my team were able to help them cut out fabric and such. I spent about an hour that day allowing about six children fill my head with small braids. Needless to say, it was a great day.

On Tuesday, we traveled to another care point. It served the same purpose as the previous care point, but at this one we were able to watch the children have a time of discipleship. AIM has hired a team of local Christians to hold Bible lessons and discipleship times for the children at the care point. The children sang a few songs for us and recited scriptures, so we sang a song in return.

Wednesday was a new experience for me. We went to a squatter camp that is attached to a dump. The majorities of the people living there are without work and live in tiny little boxes. A man has started a church at the camp, so we broke up into groups of three and went door to door inviting people to a church BBQ that was held yesterday. As we traveled door to door we were able to share our faith with people via a translator. I have never actually done door to door ministry so I was forced a little out of my comfort zone, but it was a good experience.

Yesterday, we went to the local hospital in the city we are staying at. Most of the people there have aids or TB. I spent most of my time sitting on the floor next to a lady who has TB. She didn't speak English, so I just held her hand and sang to her. I also spent a few minutes in the children's ward, where I prayed for a tiny baby afflicted with the HIV virus. His mother said that he hadn't eaten in seven days and they didn't expect him to live through the night. My heart was broken when he tried to cry, because nothing would come out of his mouth. It is such an eye opening experience seeing the results of sin and how the enemy is killing this country with aids. We also had the BBQ at the church last night. Many people came and sang and danced to gospel music. Again, I got my hair braided, but I also got to hold the head of a slaughter cow. I am definitely doing things I never thought I would!

Today is our free day, PRAISE THE LORD! Tonight we are having a talent show, and just are relaxing. I am excited for tomorrow because we are going to a game park to see animals and hike, and also going to a cultural market. I cannot wait for church on Sunday. Last week was interesting at church. The service was over three hours long, but so great. I cannot wait to see what a different church is like here in Swaziland.

Thank you all so much for your continual prayers. I am learning so much here and learning what it means to fully surrender your life to Christ. We have no control what it going to happen, so as Christians all we can do is be still and know that He is God.

I have arrived

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I have finally arrived in S. Africa. I am so thrilled to be here and am thankful that the plane trip was safe. We had a sixteen hour layover in Germany, but we arrived after two solid days of traveling. My team is staying at a compound called Alabanza. It is an old farm house, but it reminds me of a little town. It is so beautiful, I cannot believe that we are so blessed to stay in such an amazing place. Alabanza is community living, so there are other families that live on the compound. It has been great getting to know the couples and there children. This past week we have gone through more trainging and have been talking about surrender. We have been studying about how the Lord wants us to surrender everything we have to do what He wants. It is hard to surrender your dreams to the Lord and trust that He will use you in a greater way. In addition to our trainging, in the afternoons, we have been able to go out and do ministry. They broke us up into four different groups and have taken us to different towns around Pretoria and Johannesburg. My group has been doing street evangelism and was able to put on a program in the streets for the people to see. The day that we performed our dramas, about one hundred and sixty people came and heard the Gospel. Tonight we are hosting a children's program at Alabanza and are going to be able to disciple a group of children and teens from a nearby town. God has been so good and faithful so far, and I know that He will continue to work in my life while I am here. Please continue to pray for me and my team. Tomorrow we leave for the country of Swaziland for over a week, so pray for safety as we travel. Please also continue to pray for the people here in S. Africa. Pray that their eyes would be opened to the love of Jesus Christ, and that they would be able to experience hope in this dark world. Thank you for your love and prayers.

training camp

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I just finished my very first training camp in Gainesville, GA. It was quite overwhelming, but enjoyable at the same time. When I first arrived at the airport I was so nervous to go meet up with everyone, because I had never met anyone that I was going with. After I got over my nerves, I met up with all of the team members in the middle of the airport, loaded a school bus, and headed for one week of camp. I was not sure what to expect when I was arriving to training camp, but I imagined it to be like a summer camp, where we may have to sleep in tents, but not be too far out of my comfort zone. I was so wrong! It was more or less a boot camp where we had sessions and speakers from sun up to sun down. There were various other teams at the training camp besides my S. Africa team, so we did a lot of team building activities. I was so thankful for those activities because we were able to grow so close as a team in such a short amount of time. Every morning before breakfast we would pray together as a camp and have a concert of prayer. It was during our time together in prayer that I was so thankful that God had brought me to a place where hundreds of other people my age were in love with the same Lord and Savior!

In addition to our team builders, we also were able to hear various speakers throughout the week. At times it was overwhelming, but it was so encouraging and I learned a lot about myself and the reasons I want to participate in this ministry. As a team, we learned about the different cultures we would encounter in S. Africa and Swaziland, children's ministry, prayer, and we also learned about eight different dramas that we will be able to use in ministry in S. Africa.

I am so thankful for relationships I have formed with my team here at training camp, and I am so excited to grow into a deeper friendship with these people. The Lord has been my strength while I have been here, and I know that He will continue to comfort me on my journey to S. Africa. Thank you so much for your prayers and comments.

Encouragement

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I am not sure what to say as my departure date becomes nearer and nearer. Words cannot express how excited I am. As I was packing these past few days, I came upon a journal from a couple of years ago. In it, I had written down verses that brought me encouragement at that time. At the time that I wrote them down, I could not have imagined going to Africa for nine months, but today they were encouraging to me. It is so amazing how verses that you hear your entire life, can make such an impact on your life even after hearing them dozens of times.

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to GOD must believe that He is, and the He is a reward for those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, 'I have overcome the world'" John 16:33

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ" Philippians 3:20

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Reality

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The reality of my trip is officially starting to hit me. I cannot believe that I leave in less than two weeks. I cannot even begin to express how excited I am. It has been so awesome to see how God has allowed this trip to happen for me. I didn't even apply until the middle of June, and in this short amount of time He has made everything come along so smoothly. In the past two months, this trip has been such an awesome tool to minister to other people. Many non-christians do not understand why I would take nine months out of my life to travel to the other side of the world to minister to people. I have been able to share with friends, co-workers, and family the desires the Holy Spirit has placed in my heart to minister to others in Africa. I too have been ministered through this though. I never imagined how much people would gather around me to support me. People I do not even know have been telling me that they are going to be praying for me, and that is so encouraging. I just have to remember that my life is my testimony to others around me. Man looks on the outward appearance, because that is all that he can see, but our actions show our heart. Our outward lives should bring credit to our Master's name. My prayer for myself and my team in Africa is the same as Paul's prayer for the Colossians. And that is,

" so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the LORD, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Heaven

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I was reading in Revelation this past week and I was so encouraged after reading this:

"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals, for You were slain, and purchased for God with your blood men from EVERY tribe and EVERY tongue and people and nation.'"

My desire is to reach the lost that have not heard the Gospel. God tells us that there will be people from every tribe in heaven rejoicing the same God I serve. I am so excited to be able to be a light in South Africa in hopes God will use me as an instrument to reach the unsaved.

God directs

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

"Live by faith" seems like a simple concept, however I struggle with this in my everyday life. I desire to have faith like Abraham had when God told him to set out on a journey to a place that he had never seen. He had no idea what the future held, but he trusted in the God that had been faithful to him.

When I first felt God directing me towards missions, I was nervous and questioned where He was leading me. But it is not my job to know what is going to happen, it is my responsibility to be obedient to the call and "live by faith".

Faith is defined as: confidence or trust in a person or thing. As I embark on a new journey this next month, I will be blinded to what the future holds, but I have faith that God is directing my steps. "The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9