We’ve made it to our ministry in South Africa (our third country of six already, how crazy is that!) and have been spending the last week or so adjusting and learning the ropes here! This month/country looks a little different than previous ones because our squad is divided by gender. So this time around, ministry for us girls is a place called Lydia’s Mission – a fast-growing ministry that empowers local women and the community through farming, Hope Centers (kids ministry), Gogo Centers (elderly ministry), youth ministry, and even sewing! Our role with the ministry is different every day – from connecting with locals at the distribution centers to serving with staff on the farm. Here’s a look at what our first week here has been like:
Monday: planning a fun youth ministry day and helping finish Africa-shaped magnets, the proceeds of which help support the women who make them and the ministry
Tuesday: visiting gogo centers, dropping off supplies, grocery shopping, and helping around the property/farm – when I asked how I could help, I was directed to the compost piles 😆
Wednesday: this week was a public holiday (South Africa’s Election Day) so we planned/hosted a fun day for the local teen church group – utilizing the ropes course on Lydia’s Mission’s property along with games, worship, teaching, discussion, and snacks. We got to hand out some necessities too like towels, notebooks and some items of clothing!
Thursday: attending a women’s ministry meeting, visiting a newly established gogo center, some more grocery shopping, and helping around the farm
Friday: helping around the farm, with options to visit a hope center Bible club and a youth ministry meeting in the afternoon
Saturday and Sunday are our adventure/rest days, though here there’s arguably not much “adventuring” to be done. But since the days will be full of anything and everything to be done around the ministry here, a little extra rest isn’t bad, at least in my opinion! (Plus it helps us learn how to balance a life of mission and service with rest – avoiding burnout that can be all too common in ministry.)
Our F Squad guys, meanwhile, are in Lesotho – a landlocked country completely bordered by South Africa – working in the mountains to quite literally bring the Gospel to people who have never heard it before! They’re on the front lines of the Kingdom, and as much as we miss them, we’re so excited for what the Lord is going to do in and through them in this time!!
Our South Africa ministry has been amazing so far, and it’s clear that the Lord has His hand on this place and mission… which is why I’m a little sad that I will not be here for the entire month of ministry. Why on earth would that be, you may ask?
Each World Race squad that goes to the field has what are called “squad leaders” – alumni who have done the Race and come back to lead squads in adjusting to new cultures, ministry connections and expectations, health and safety protocol, etc. They also serve as liaisons back to mentors and coaches in the States and spend lots of time investing in the squad relationally and through prayer. For gap year and semesters trips, the alumni leaders are always there, but expedition (11 month) routes are different: after five months, the alumni leave and new leaders are “raised up” from the squad to take their place.
Towards the end of our time in Eswatini, Josie and I were asked to be the raised-up squad leaders for F Squad! So after about 2 weeks of ministry here, us two and our alumni squad leaders will head elsewhere in South Africa for training so that we can fully step into this role for the rest of the Race. It is truly an honor to have been asked to serve the squad in this way, and I look forward to learning more as well as seeing the squad as a whole grow as our alumni leave (though we will miss them dearly)!
One final squad update: as we near our final fundraising deadline, we do still have some people on our squad who aren’t fully funded yet! If you’d like to support our squad and the ministries we’ll be focusing on for the rest of our Race, any and all help is greatly appreciated!
With the utmost gratitude, thank you again for all the support, prayers, and kind messages. We’re already almost halfway through this World Race journey, which is absolutely crazy! It’s amazing to look back and see all that God has done, and so too look ahead with expectancy for what He’ll do next! ❤️
Prayer Requests!
– for safety and health for the squad, especially for the guys in Lesotho
– for the squad leaders (alumni and raised ups) to be able to invest well in our current ministry but also prepare our hearts for the changes/transitions ahead
– that our squad would be persistent in prayer before, during and after our ministry
– that we would not grow complacent in any way but keep leaning into the Lord and having hearts to love and serve based on His love
is there a specific reason as to why your group is divided male/female?
Good luck with your time as squad leader!
Thank you! I believe it’s done to give the squad time to grow and connect in different ways, similar to dividing us into different teams or having the whole squad together at once 🙂
Thank you for sharing your journey, I have enjoyed reading your very detailed blog. ( I am a neighbor of yours by the way if you are wondering who the heck this is. lol) What you are doing is amazing, CONGRATS on being promoted to a leader! That is exciting! I have to ask… because I am all about the wildlife and insects. lol What have you encountered so far regarding the completely different ecosystem compared to back home? I am sure it is not just a few barking dogs and loud cicadas! lol Thank you for what you are doing, be safe to all of you and take care!
Heather
Wow, thank you so much for following this journey and your encouragement! 😊❤️
Hmm, the one consistently different thing so far has been lizards! We’ve encountered lizards in every country so far since leaving the States, a lot of times near or in our housing haha! There have also been a lot of wandering cows and goats. The most different has probably been here in SA – we’ve encountered monkeys, mongooses, peacocks, and a couple people even saw an ostrich! Plus getting to see unique-to-Africa animals on safari like giraffes and rhinos 🙂
Congratulations on being “raised up” to squad leader! Such an honor, and I believe it is because you are so capable and good at what you do!! I love reading your blogs! What a magnificent experience you are having!
I am in awe of your animal adventures: like being at a zoo without cages, Be careful of those rhinos, they are dangerous and can run fast. My other concern for Africa would be large snakes! (I hate snakes)
May God Bless you and keep you safe……and the rest of your squad, also! God will provide direction for the new squad leaders. You will do fine, and he will be with you always. Thank you for all the work you are doing there………..
Thank you so much!! Your words are such a sweet encouragement to me, I really appreciate it! ❤️
And luckily we’ve only seen rhinos on safari/in reserves so far, and only a few snake encounters! The Lord protects us while also letting us see more of His creation, which is so special!