I can’t believe we have already been gone six weeks! Time is flying by, and today, we’ll be headed off to Botswana where we will spend three weeks before spending our last three weeks in Zambia.The last six weeks we have spent in Port Elizabeth have been absolutely amazing. I have learned to experience God in so many new ways, and I am seeking Him now more than ever. My relationship with God has grown exponentially. Love Story has opened my eyes to how much more I can be doing in my community at home. Much of our time over the past month was spent going around to local grocery stores and bakeries and picking up the excess food that was not yet expired, but couldn’t be sold off the shelf anymore. We would then package all of that into grocery parcels for those in need, and deliver them. It is so simple, but makes such a difference in the community.
Cityfeed was something that our team did every week night and we were able to serve homeless men and woman food and talk and pray with them. It was hard for me to push myself to go because going up and starting conversations with strangers isn’t exactly my thing. I have been praying for God to push me outside of my comfort zone, and I knew that this was exactly what He was doing. It was amazing to get to know the lovely souls that came to eat every night there. Love Story also works a lot with local creches, which are basically daycares, so we went on play dates to those and loved on the sweet kids and got to perform a bible story skit for them. Coming from being a childcare worker at home, these days really struck a chord with me. A crib full of babies with flies on their faces all sharing the same bottle was the first thing I noticed when we arrived. It was poverty like I have never experienced before. I feel so privileged to have been able to love on these children and show them just how much their father in Heaven loves them too.
My favorite day in Port Elizabeth was when we made care packages for new mothers and their premature babies. We were then able to deliver them in the hospital and and pray with the mothers. Another place we were able to serve at was a safe haven for women in crisis. Bet Shekoom, which means “house of restoration” in Hebrew, provides women who are struggling with addiction, domestic abuse, and prostitution a place to safely get well. While the founder of the program was talking to us, he said, “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” This statement really stuck with me because sometimes I wonder why God sent me here when there seems to be to many other better qualified people; but I know now that He will equip me with all I need for any situation he calls me to.
I got a tattoo here (sorry dad) that says HE>i. It’s something that I’ve wanted to get for a while now, and having gotten it here while I’m growing so much in my faith makes it even more meaningful. It is on the inside of my arm and it’s the first thing I see every morning when I wake up, and it just reminds me to trust in His plan, even when I can’t see the bigger picture. It also reminds me that the little plans I make for myself are nothing in comparison to what He has planned for me. As hard as it is to leave this beautiful city and the amazing people here, I am beyond excited to see how the Lord will work through us in Botswana! I will be in a primary school classroom teaching during the week and I couldn’t be more excited! Please pray for safe travels and good health as we make our way into the second half of our trip!
