Hello and welcome back! A LOT has changed since my last blog… My squad and I have been in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa for about two weeks now! We are all staying in the Global Leadership Academy mission house, a few minutes outside of town, and it has been nothing but sweet! My favorite part by far has been waking up before the rest of the house every morning to watch the sunrise and have some quiet time before the day gets busy. Every single morning, sitting out in the open field behind our house in complete silence (other than the sound of a crazy rooster that never stops crowing), the Lord has taught me so much.
My team has had a couple of different ministry opportunities since being here! When we first began ministry, we were able to help at an after-school program called Beats and Books. Every day after school, about 30 middle school students came to Beats and Books eager to keep learning, receive homework help, and learn instruments! My team and I filled many roles, no matter how unqualified we felt. Whether it was giving spelling tests, teaching math, or leading dance class, we all found so much joy in working with the kids and building relationships. In the middle of every day, all of the students gathered for worship, our favorite part for sure! Students played trumpets, drums, and violins, and we sang songs in Zulu and Afrikaans. I even had the opportunity to lead on guitar! I promise you that ever since our first day at Beats and Books, my teammates and I have not stopped singing those songs over and over again! The opportunity to worship, pray, and learn alongside the kids has been unforgettable.
Another ministry opportunity that our whole squad was able to take part in was leading a christian camp called Camp UCSA, for primary school and high school students. My team was actually on kitchen duty while the rest of the squad filled the roles of counselors and camp leaders. At first I was a little upset that we weren’t as involved with the campers, but working behind the scenes turned out to be such a blessing. After so many days of ministry working with kids at Beats and Books, I think its safe to say my team and I needed some rest… Preparing 3 meals a day for 150 people didn’t seem like it would be very restful, but being able to step away from all of the craziness of camp was so good for us, and I think we all needed that time to refuel! Even though we were out of the limelight when we were on kitchen duty, my team and I were still able to build awesome relationships with staff and campers. Between sessions and meals, I was able to have super meaningful conversations about what the Lord is doing with some of the high school students, which was just as enriching for me as it was for them.
After our squad got back from camp UCSA, we jumped into ministry back at GLA. The house we live in is actually on the campus of a high school, so the whole squad has been helping out wherever we are needed, painting, varnishing, building, gardening… you name it!
So now lets get into the good stuff… what Jesus is teaching me! I learned very quickly that ministry can be anything, and that God can be glorified through anything: giving spelling tests, peeling potatoes, sanding wood floors… ANYTHING. The most important lessons I learned however, are ones that did NOT come easy. I’ll be honest, I’ve been wrestling with the Lord a lot since being here, and I’m learning (with a little help from my teammates) that it’s okay to feel that way. I have so many questions and so much that confuses me about how I ended up here and how the Lord wants to use me, but I’m learning that when I trust Him I don’t need to understand everything. He has me right where He wants me, and even in all of the doubt and confusion, I’m learning to walk confidently in that truth. I still have SO much to learn and grow in, and I CANNOT WAIT to see how He uses me. I am clay in the hands of a potter, and I am more than ready for my heart to be molded and refined. In the words of my sweet teammate Anna Wilkerson, “He is breaking you down so He can build you back up again, HIS way.” Can I get an AMEN?!
And that’s all I have for right now! Writing this blog honestly took a lot longer than it should’ve, because I just had no idea how to capture this experience so far in words! I truly wish I could tell you all EVERYTHING. If you were wondering just how much has been on my mind, I only have about 5 pages left in my 250 page journal…. Enough said, right? I will have more posts coming soon, and I can’t wait to share more about what I’m learning here! Also, be sure to stay tuned, because in my next post I will have some super exciting news about what’s next for my team here in South Africa! Until next time 🙂
-Reagan
