livin’ & learnin’ in Africa

South Africa is everything I imagined plus some with a twist.

Haha, yep exactly.

The beautiful city of Johannesburg, located in the northern part of South Africa, is full of life. It’s streets are constantly flowing with traffic that often neglect any road rules. The abundance of culture diversity is insane. And the people are so welcoming.

This month my team is working with Impact Africa. As an missions-based organization, their priorities are to educate, rescue and serve. They accomplish this through several ministries that reach into the community and partner with the locals to build better lives for residents of Joburg.

(learn more about their organization at Impact Africa)

“South Africa is a 3rd world country wrapped in a 1st world package” – Michelle Franzen, co-founder of Impact Africa.

Why I believe this quote is so accurate:

From the outside looking in, South Africa is very westernized. There are plenty of malls and grocery stores. English is spoken almost everywhere. And clothing is literally the same as America.

The infrastructure of the government, however, is super chaotic because of an abundance of corruption. Locals are constantly talking about how the economy is like a rollercoaster because the Rand (South African currency) is very weak – every $1 equals about 15 Rands – and changes constantly.

This makes the transition from America a little easier, but definitely makes ministry a lot more interesting.

Going into training camp a few weeks ago, I didn’t realize how much I needed to learn before I jumped onto this very real field of mission work.

Even still, being here for almost a month, I’m learning so much about how to minister with the people on this side of the world.

For the first two weeks in South Africa I struggled because I felt like I was completely ready to hit the field running because I’d dreamed of it for so long.

That is not reality.

Our first day of ministry began in a squatter camp. The shocking reality of true poverty sank deep as we walked down the dirt roads lined with tin and scrap houses.

I was unsure about talking with people that literally have nothing. Why would these people want to hear what a white girl from America had to say? I’ve never experienced the hardships they have. I’ve never gone hungry for days. I’ve never had to wait in line to carry a bucket of water back home.

I was hit with the fact that I was not ready for it.

All my physical prep and spiritual prep seemed absolutely useless. I felt unprepared to share the gospel and unsure how to function in such a drastically different environment than my own.

And then I thought about the people I had met.

Micheal, Timba, Khristina, Fiena, Anikk, Rachel, Lasadie, Epheni and so many others. They didn’t hesitate to pour out kindness on me. They received me, they welcomed me into their lives, they shared their hard stories, and that blessed my soul.

As I processed this first month of ministry, I find there is one common theme in each of my new friends lives that has impacted me greatly and helped me figure out my place here. This one simple concept will forever compel me forward and help me adjust to life as a missionary:

And that is Community.

The dictionary defines community as a unified body of individuals.

This definition mixed with the literal applications has completely wrecked me.

Back in America, I have so often said yes, of course I have community. Whether at school or church or just in town, I believed there was a unified body around me because we were in the same place doing the same thing.

It makes sense, right?

I thought it did.

Until Africa.

At training camp, I was taught that community is essential for the life of missionaries.

I didn’t realize the weight of that until literally having to rely on it every day.

I’m learning that community holds a team together. It fights for unity when people strive for separation. It begs for time when schedules say there isn’t enough time.

Being intrigued by the idea of community, I found that Jesus not only lived this out, but taught and invited people into it as well.

In Mark 1:16-28 community comes to life when Jesus calls fishers to join him.

As Jesus approaches Jacob and John, they are working the family business with their father. The lives these brothers are living are normal and all of a sudden Jesus wrecks that. Jesus calls them to come alongside him to reach the people and spread the gospel.

However, Jesus didn’t just call these brothers to leave behind all that they knew. Jesus called them to join a community that he was building.

This community of believers was unlike any religious group seen before. Why?

I believe that Jesus was creating a unified body of individuals that modeled Kingdom living because we needed an example of a church on the move, a.k.a community. 

This has been more real to me here in Joburg than anywhere ever before.

All of the people I’ve met seem to naturally live in community with one another. Whether in the squatter camps, at the clinics, or the schools, every person does life with those around them.

While sitting with a sweet man named Micheal, all the neighborhood children played in his front yard while the neighborhood mamas helped each other wash laundry. Even though none of those children belonged to him, they were known by him and welcomed by him.

That is community.

Not only is this concept overflowing in the African culture, but I find it in the roots of my team as well.

As a team of mission-minded-people, community is vital in every aspect of our lives on the field. We are learning dependency with one another and how to function by making decisions focused on the health of each individual.

As I spend more and more time here, I can’t help but want more of that. More of sitting with one another to hear life stories, more helping wash dishes or laundry even though you have your own home to care for, more of allowing children to play in your front yard just because of your compassion for them.

My current living situation says that is possible, but I also think it’s possible for you to have it as well.

Dive deep into your people, share and be vulnerable, help each other do all the things.

Find new people to talk with, to share the gospel with, to love on and to build up your very own community.

much love blog fam ??

– chloe b.