I hope this letter find you and yours well and happy, enjoying the love of one another and of the joy of Christmas and the new year!
As I come to the close of this year and my time with YWAM, I look back on it and see it has been a crazy time. No more so then my time in South Africa. That was more amazing then I could have dreamed of. There where callings as all journeys have but in them I was able to rely on God and learn how to love Him and others!
In the month we spent in Durban we worked mainly with a community development project and a rehab clinic. To see poverty in a country seeking to recover from apartheid was tuff but it only highlighted the work and people we meet. People who were seeking the Kingdom in new way and that brought fresh air to the stale heat of brokenness. One example of this was a Swedish social-worker who had come to live and work in the Burlington the township where we worked. Even with the many twists and turns in her time there, it was so amazing to see her seeking the kingdom in a way that empowered people. Not just teaching them, but living and sharing in an open organic way. In our conversations, I found a kindred spirit who was seeking to bring change by asking questions and live them out. The other example was a man of 25 who I meet at the rehab clinic. He knew that if he failed this time he would be lost for good. He shared the stories of his life and the life on the street; a life that he not only lived but was a student of, a well educated one at that, having lived not only in South Africa but in the U.S. and England. In his stories I sensed a love for people and hart felt longing to see God and help others.
After Durban we went to Musenburg for 3 weeks. I can say that in this time all my hopes for my DTS came true. I had the pleasure to meet some amazing people and my heart aches in missing my time with them. It was amazing to sit in lectures on Acts and then go and live it in a township. This township, Masi, stole a bit of my heart. Masi or Masiphumelele, has more than 40,000 people living in it from all over Africa. It is colorful, stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking all in once. The 'wetlands', a section of the township, is built on a marsh and is a beautiful mass of life. All the structures are made from found materials, painted in bright colors; some burnt with past fires and some a stunning red of rust. In this bustling community there is a group of people that seek to live intently for the Kingdom and I was honored to live life for a few days with them. In these few days, so many of the spaces of my hart where filled! This time felt so natural to me that I was tempted to never leave. I am still thinking about going back as there is an opportunity to work with developing work opportunities that are unique to my skills. This is something I would appreciate your prayers for. It was so hard to leave South Africa after my hart had been so full. I was fighting all that was in me not to just stay. But as it is I did leave and graduated my DTS in York.
The past year has been one of learning and growing with many times wanting to give up, and to “just walk away for it all”. Even so it has brought me and others so much Joy and love. I have been given an education on how hard it is to living in community and in Christ can be. However, also how it can bring so many blessings and a bit of the Kingdom for God. With all of this in my heart and mind I am now at home in the Netherlands hoping to see what is next on this journey.
Once more thank you for coming on this journey with me till now.
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