The Internet works again today! I get to spend my last day in Bottlebrush! We will be making them the food packages and going to hand them out. Today we also get to hand out toothbrushes and toothpaste. It is such a wonderful way to end this trip. While many of you are reading this I will be on the plane headed home. I will have a lot of time to write an adequate time to write a decent blog post and post it when I get home.
Please pray for safe travel! Cannot believe it is already time to come home. See all of you soon.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
So much to share, not enough time
I haven't had internet now for over two weeks. I finally have it back, but since I am now living with 20 other people instead of just 6, I am not sure how good it will work. This is Africa!! I am typing this post on my phone so it is a lot harder to explain all that has happened in the past couple of weeks! God has done some amazing things in and around me and I might not be able to tell y'all all about it all until I am back home. So I will probably post more in SEVEN days when I get back to the states. I am pretty homesick these days. I cannot wait to be home, but I also know the Lord has more to
teach me.
For now I will tell you that Gateway camp happened and it was wonderful. The Lord moved in some big ways. I got to worship with 50 Africans in Zulu. Let me tell you, it was the coolest thing I have ever experienced. I also got prayed over by my new friend, Pastor Dennis. The Lord spoke in some awesome ways that night!
After gateway we went to Johannesburg. I was really not looking forward to it at all but God wanted us there, for sure! I have a new friend, his name is Alred. He lives at the salvation army and I wish I could bring him home with me. Now we are back in Durban doing things in Bottlebrush, giving out new shoes and toothbrushes. It is going to be a busy 6 days but it will be wonderful.
If you could please just be praying for me to feel well. That would be great! I have been sick the past three days now. Hopefully I will be able to better update y'all soon.
teach me.
For now I will tell you that Gateway camp happened and it was wonderful. The Lord moved in some big ways. I got to worship with 50 Africans in Zulu. Let me tell you, it was the coolest thing I have ever experienced. I also got prayed over by my new friend, Pastor Dennis. The Lord spoke in some awesome ways that night!
After gateway we went to Johannesburg. I was really not looking forward to it at all but God wanted us there, for sure! I have a new friend, his name is Alred. He lives at the salvation army and I wish I could bring him home with me. Now we are back in Durban doing things in Bottlebrush, giving out new shoes and toothbrushes. It is going to be a busy 6 days but it will be wonderful.
If you could please just be praying for me to feel well. That would be great! I have been sick the past three days now. Hopefully I will be able to better update y'all soon.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Home away from Home
I haven't blogged in awhile because I haven't really had much to say or thought anything was worth a post. The next week we will have our gateway camp, and I won't have internet and the following week we are headed to Johannesburg on outreach. I have no idea if we will have internet there either, so I will possibly MIA for two weeks. So I decided to write, just so you know that I am alive and well.
We have been working extremely hard the past 2 1/2 weeks preparing and planning Gateway. It is a 4 day came, filled with speakers, worship and breakouts. Most of them led by pastors from around South Africa, so I am excited to hear what is on their hearts to share about God and the Holy Spirit. It has been some of the most challenging 2 1/2 weeks I have ever had. First of all, at this moment, this is the longest I have ever been away from home. I have also never worked with people from a different culture. It has been hard at times, but the Lord has really shown me a whole lot about myself because of it, so through all the tears and frustrations, I am grateful. I know that I will look back on these difficult days and laugh realizing all of the ways the Lord revealed Himself to me, even when I cannot always see it right now. We have about 36 hours left until our camp kicks off....if we get everything done and this week goes as planned, I know it is ONLY because of Jesus. There is no way we should be able to get all of this done, but the Lord is gracious and His plans always prevail. I am excited for the week to come and to see how this will all come together.
During all this prep time, I have had the great privilege to meet Mary. She is probably one of the sweetest people I have ever met, besides my Mimi, who's name is also Mary, therefore you already know, without meeting her, that she is great! I've gotten to spend time with her, hearing her story and just joking around with her. She has really made me feel at home here. Being with her, in her home, has been such a blessing. It is my home away from home. She continually tells me how much she loves me and that I am her family. I cannot begin to express what a gift from the Lord she is. She keeps me sane, she makes me laugh, and she tells me what to do. I love her. Mary is the manager over the Bottlebrush project. So yet again, we have another connection. Since I got to go to Bottlebrush that one day, I have enjoyed talking with her about it and helping make the lunches for the children. Y'all would be so impressed with how the feeding happens. Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, a group of people come over and pack hundreds of lunches for these kids. This isn't just a one time deal that you go and experience, this is their life. They do this because the truly believe this is one of the ways the Lord has called them to minister to these kids. This is how they show Kingdom life to kids who don't grow up learning this from their parents. I am so blessed to get to experience this and see what working for the Lord is like for them. I am excited for this friendship. I am excited that this isn't just a friendship I am making while I am here, but a friendship that will last me all my life and on into eternity. Even if I was never to see Mary again, I know that I will get to see her in heaven. She has such a servants heart and I know for a fact the Lord is so pleased with her and loves her more than I ever could, and I love this woman a whole lot.
Please be praying for rest. I am extremely tired! We will continue to go and go until I get on the plane to come home. Also, prayers for the Lord's joy to overwhelm my team and I.
Thank you so much for the prayers and for keeping up with me as this journey continues. If you would like to know how things are going in the next two weeks, I will be keeping up with my mom so you can get ahold of her. =)
With love,
Jodi
We have been working extremely hard the past 2 1/2 weeks preparing and planning Gateway. It is a 4 day came, filled with speakers, worship and breakouts. Most of them led by pastors from around South Africa, so I am excited to hear what is on their hearts to share about God and the Holy Spirit. It has been some of the most challenging 2 1/2 weeks I have ever had. First of all, at this moment, this is the longest I have ever been away from home. I have also never worked with people from a different culture. It has been hard at times, but the Lord has really shown me a whole lot about myself because of it, so through all the tears and frustrations, I am grateful. I know that I will look back on these difficult days and laugh realizing all of the ways the Lord revealed Himself to me, even when I cannot always see it right now. We have about 36 hours left until our camp kicks off....if we get everything done and this week goes as planned, I know it is ONLY because of Jesus. There is no way we should be able to get all of this done, but the Lord is gracious and His plans always prevail. I am excited for the week to come and to see how this will all come together.
During all this prep time, I have had the great privilege to meet Mary. She is probably one of the sweetest people I have ever met, besides my Mimi, who's name is also Mary, therefore you already know, without meeting her, that she is great! I've gotten to spend time with her, hearing her story and just joking around with her. She has really made me feel at home here. Being with her, in her home, has been such a blessing. It is my home away from home. She continually tells me how much she loves me and that I am her family. I cannot begin to express what a gift from the Lord she is. She keeps me sane, she makes me laugh, and she tells me what to do. I love her. Mary is the manager over the Bottlebrush project. So yet again, we have another connection. Since I got to go to Bottlebrush that one day, I have enjoyed talking with her about it and helping make the lunches for the children. Y'all would be so impressed with how the feeding happens. Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, a group of people come over and pack hundreds of lunches for these kids. This isn't just a one time deal that you go and experience, this is their life. They do this because the truly believe this is one of the ways the Lord has called them to minister to these kids. This is how they show Kingdom life to kids who don't grow up learning this from their parents. I am so blessed to get to experience this and see what working for the Lord is like for them. I am excited for this friendship. I am excited that this isn't just a friendship I am making while I am here, but a friendship that will last me all my life and on into eternity. Even if I was never to see Mary again, I know that I will get to see her in heaven. She has such a servants heart and I know for a fact the Lord is so pleased with her and loves her more than I ever could, and I love this woman a whole lot.
Please be praying for rest. I am extremely tired! We will continue to go and go until I get on the plane to come home. Also, prayers for the Lord's joy to overwhelm my team and I.
Thank you so much for the prayers and for keeping up with me as this journey continues. If you would like to know how things are going in the next two weeks, I will be keeping up with my mom so you can get ahold of her. =)
With love,
Jodi
Monday, July 4, 2011
One Thing Remains
Today is the 4th of July. Normally on this day I would be at home hanging out with my family grilling and swimming in the backyard, but this year I am in South Africa, where they do not celebrate my country’s independence. I am going to be honest, even if I was at home, I wouldn’t really take the time to remember why I got the excuse to hang out with my family all day but this year is different. One reason would be because I am not at home and second and most important, is that earlier this weekend I got to talk to a good friend of mine who is serving in Iraq right now. This guy means a lot to me! I’ve always looked up to him and respected him and getting to chat with him was such a blessing. He got to share with me a few things about his experience there and I told him that I just wanted to cry for him. During that conversation the Lord reminded me about these past two weeks and how I’ve been growing and learning how to live in a place that is foreign to me and sometimes has been extremely hard. I was also reminded of how much I’ve complained about things and missed home. So while I was thinking about all of this and talking to my friend, the Lord showed me that even though this has been hard it still is nothing compared to what I could be doing. Thanks Jesus for the conviction! Gotta love it. =) It also reminded me how much I need to be praying for all of the soldiers fighting for our freedom and to not just think about them on days like today.
So last week I got to go to a slum called Bottlebrush. It was the most amazing and heartbreaking experience. I got to hear the main guy that helps pass out the food preach to the kids in Zulu and hear all the kids pray to Jesus in their own language. Most of these kids have AIDS and either don’t have parents that love them or their parents passed away already because of AIDS. As Connie and I passed out the food, I fell in love with all of the kids. I wish that I could have taken all of them with me! It was so hard to leave them, but thankfully we get to go back in a few weeks. As we were driving back to where we are staying, Connie and I began to discuss how we can help them. We started talking about orphanages and a way to meet their medical needs. Mary, the lady who is taking care of us and probably one of the coolest people I know, started telling us that that has been their prayer and vision for years now. Connie and I went crazy. We started talking about all the different ways we can raise money for them, to buy the property that the Good News Center and the "Icebox" is on with a few other buildings. It is huge land that could be used for such a wonderful purpose and it is now for sell. The land alone costs $2 million dollar, that doesn't include any of the renovations or buildings they will need. Connie and I, together and individually have now started praying about what we will do with the time we are back home and how we can raise the money. We believe that the Lord is big enough to use us and get this money raised by the time we, hopefully, bring our own team of Americans back to Durban to go to Bottlebrush. As I was thinking about this blog post and what I wanted to say, the Lord gave me the verse from Matthew 25:42-43.
"For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."
It isn't the happiest scripture but it continued to kindle the new passion I have for wanting to help with Bottlebrush. I do not want to be face to face with Jesus and tell him, "Oh, sorry, I saw the need and the hurt but I decided that it was for someone else." Not everyone gets to come to South Africa for 6 1/2 weeks and see this and feel it like I have, it just isn't reasonable for them or the Lord didn't call them to go. I know in my spirit that I was called, by God to come and serve these people and especially these children in Bottlebrush.
I know how much fun it is to get to read about another person's experience. I've read a few blogs from people who have gone overseas and thought to myself that that wasn't for me or that there wasn't anything I could do to help out. Now I know that I can. I am called to go. I am called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these kids. I believe with my whole heart that this money can be raised. I have hope that soon, not years from not, but very soon, Good News Center will be able to purchase this land and build an orphanage for these children and give them the care they so desperately need. I would ask that you be in prayer for the ways the Lord wants to move in this place and with the ways He wants to raise this money. I also ask that you really pray about how you can help too.
So no matter where you serve, give, or go, one thing remains, all of us get the privilege and honor to show one another what it looks like to follow Jesus and be His hands and feet.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Overwhelmed
There has been a lot going on, in and around me the past several days. Almost too much for me to really get it all out in words right now. So I am sharing a link with you that you can read that will really speak to whats been going on.
http://avalanchelove.tumblr.com/
That is the link to my friend Connie's blog. We are in South Africa together and learning and growing together as the "Americans"
Please continue to be praying! Praying for rest and more of the Lord's joy and strength. I am missing home a lot today. I got to talk to my mom and stepdad on the phone today and cried! I have almost been gone for two weeks, which is the longest I have ever been away from my family so it is just hard. I am also missing my house church friends more than they will ever know. This past year they have become more than just friends but my family. I miss getting to see them every week and just be filled with love by them. I am so grateful for email and just getting encouraged by them and reminded that they are praying for me and thinking about me.
This week we have been talking about thankfulness. I am thankful for my family, for the friends that have become my family and for the little things, like mexican food and dr. pepper! Even though I miss those things I am thankful for the opportunities and the lessons I am learning here.
love to all of you! Check Facebook for new pictures =)
http://avalanchelove.tumblr.com/
That is the link to my friend Connie's blog. We are in South Africa together and learning and growing together as the "Americans"
Please continue to be praying! Praying for rest and more of the Lord's joy and strength. I am missing home a lot today. I got to talk to my mom and stepdad on the phone today and cried! I have almost been gone for two weeks, which is the longest I have ever been away from my family so it is just hard. I am also missing my house church friends more than they will ever know. This past year they have become more than just friends but my family. I miss getting to see them every week and just be filled with love by them. I am so grateful for email and just getting encouraged by them and reminded that they are praying for me and thinking about me.
This week we have been talking about thankfulness. I am thankful for my family, for the friends that have become my family and for the little things, like mexican food and dr. pepper! Even though I miss those things I am thankful for the opportunities and the lessons I am learning here.
love to all of you! Check Facebook for new pictures =)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Blessed.
My mom has been getting on me lately to blog and let y'all know what I am up to. I kept telling her we aren't doing much, therefore there is nothing to blog about, but I suppose that there are a few things that I can share that is worthy of a post.
I've officially been here for a week. In that week the Lord has shown me over and over again how blessed I am to live where I do with parents that can financially support all of my needs and wants. I've always known I was a complainer. I use to deny it, but lets get real, I complain about the little things that bother me or things that I just don't want to do. It isn't something I am proud of but it is truth, my parents and especially my siblings would agree. I complain about having to unload the dishwasher and cleaning around the house. I mean, who does that?! ;-) Well this week I am pretty sure that almost everyday so far I have HAND-WASHED and dried everyone's dishes. It has been frustrating and annoying but it is what it is. Last night the sink ended up getting clogged and it was so disgusting but we got it done! That is what you've got to do if you are going to be part of the family. Everyone has things they have to get done in order for our family to work together. I've got to do the dishes and put out or sometimes prepare the food for everyone. My roommates next year and my family, for that matter, will really appreciate all the little things I've learned so far. :-) The Lord has definitely showed me how blessed I am to have a family who can afford a dishwasher where all I have to do is put the dish in and then take it out. Ridiculous.
Another thing that I am appreciative of is a shower. When we got here, Connie and I walked into, what we like to call, The Icebox and saw where we would be staying. The beds aren't too bad, but as I walked into the bathroom my eyes got really big and I thought, "You've got to be kidding me". I knew that coming to Africa would be hard and that it wouldn't be like it is back home, but actually seeing it and realizing this was it was still difficult for me. I am showering with a bucket and a cup, in a bathtub. Thankfully we have a water heater so we aren't showering in the freezing cold house with cold water. The first time I took a bucket shower was rough and really frustrating. I wasn't sure I would be able to make it for 6 1/2 weeks. Then a few days later we went to the mall and I got a bathmat so I could at least sit down on it instead of squatting and trying to hold myself up. That first shower with the bathmat was Heaven. I couldn't believe that one 10 dollar bathmat could make me so happy. I know that if I had first walked in there and it would have already had the bathmat that I would have felt the same way, but the Lord was good and showed me that I can do this and it is the little things that are such a blessing in my life. Besides the broken windows and freezing cold house, all in all, it is not too terrible at all. I am grateful for my subzero sleeping bag that keeps me warm and my little bathmat!!
The past few days and for the next two weeks we are in the office working on Gateway Camp logistics and programs. It has been a bumpy road and we still aren't sure if it is actually going to happen. They have had to redo and fix a lot of previous problems so it isn't going as smooth as they had hoped. We are also struggling with getting a venue because the one we thought we were getting is under renovations. Also, no one has really signed up for the camp. South African culture is really last minute and they do things in their own time which is really stressful for us because we need their info to get a lot of our stuff done now. So if you would, please pray that the Lord's plan would prevail, Gateway Camp or no Gateway Camp and that are purpose here would shine.
love to all of you,
Jodi
I've officially been here for a week. In that week the Lord has shown me over and over again how blessed I am to live where I do with parents that can financially support all of my needs and wants. I've always known I was a complainer. I use to deny it, but lets get real, I complain about the little things that bother me or things that I just don't want to do. It isn't something I am proud of but it is truth, my parents and especially my siblings would agree. I complain about having to unload the dishwasher and cleaning around the house. I mean, who does that?! ;-) Well this week I am pretty sure that almost everyday so far I have HAND-WASHED and dried everyone's dishes. It has been frustrating and annoying but it is what it is. Last night the sink ended up getting clogged and it was so disgusting but we got it done! That is what you've got to do if you are going to be part of the family. Everyone has things they have to get done in order for our family to work together. I've got to do the dishes and put out or sometimes prepare the food for everyone. My roommates next year and my family, for that matter, will really appreciate all the little things I've learned so far. :-) The Lord has definitely showed me how blessed I am to have a family who can afford a dishwasher where all I have to do is put the dish in and then take it out. Ridiculous.
Another thing that I am appreciative of is a shower. When we got here, Connie and I walked into, what we like to call, The Icebox and saw where we would be staying. The beds aren't too bad, but as I walked into the bathroom my eyes got really big and I thought, "You've got to be kidding me". I knew that coming to Africa would be hard and that it wouldn't be like it is back home, but actually seeing it and realizing this was it was still difficult for me. I am showering with a bucket and a cup, in a bathtub. Thankfully we have a water heater so we aren't showering in the freezing cold house with cold water. The first time I took a bucket shower was rough and really frustrating. I wasn't sure I would be able to make it for 6 1/2 weeks. Then a few days later we went to the mall and I got a bathmat so I could at least sit down on it instead of squatting and trying to hold myself up. That first shower with the bathmat was Heaven. I couldn't believe that one 10 dollar bathmat could make me so happy. I know that if I had first walked in there and it would have already had the bathmat that I would have felt the same way, but the Lord was good and showed me that I can do this and it is the little things that are such a blessing in my life. Besides the broken windows and freezing cold house, all in all, it is not too terrible at all. I am grateful for my subzero sleeping bag that keeps me warm and my little bathmat!!
The past few days and for the next two weeks we are in the office working on Gateway Camp logistics and programs. It has been a bumpy road and we still aren't sure if it is actually going to happen. They have had to redo and fix a lot of previous problems so it isn't going as smooth as they had hoped. We are also struggling with getting a venue because the one we thought we were getting is under renovations. Also, no one has really signed up for the camp. South African culture is really last minute and they do things in their own time which is really stressful for us because we need their info to get a lot of our stuff done now. So if you would, please pray that the Lord's plan would prevail, Gateway Camp or no Gateway Camp and that are purpose here would shine.
love to all of you,
Jodi
Monday, June 27, 2011
Home Is Where the Heart Is
So, I miss home. Don't get me wrong, I love being in South Africa and I love getting to experience all it has to offer me. It just isn't home. Yes, my title is cliche, but it is true. You can make anywhere your home, as long as your heart is there also. See, everything I love about my home has nothing to do with where it is or what it looks like or what I can do there, home is what makes me feel like me and makes me feel loved. My house is full of hugs. If you don't already know, I LOVE hugs. I love giving them and receiving them. They make me feel loved, safe, comforted. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hug at least one person and if I only see one person, I probably hug them more then once.
I've only been gone for 6 days and I don't go home for another 39 days. I've received/given less hugs in the past 6 days then I have in probably one day back home and that is hard for me. Also, in the past 6 days, I've only heard "I love you" once, when I talked to my mom on the phone. These things are extremely important to me so the next time you give someone a hug or say I love you, remember that it is a gift given to us from the Lord and not to take it for granted. What an awesome way we get to share Jesus' love with one another.... Not only has it taught me how much of a gift those things are, but the Lord has also begun teaching me what it looks like to be satisfied and filled up, loved and comforted by Him alone! Talk about tough, yet in the end so rewarding.
Another big thing I miss about home is the people I do life with, my wonderful community. They know me, the real me, with all my struggles and heartaches and the joys and laughter. These people know when I am happy and when I am not as fine as I say I am. The past two days the Lord has shown me how I take them for granted. I get to be intentional with these people, tell them the good the bad and the ugly and most of the time I am scared to do that, so I keep my mouth shut or get all nervous when I do share or am called out because they know I need to talk. I have loved getting to know the people I am serving with here, but they don't know me. Everyone knows each other well minus me. There have been times recently that I wish they just knew me and my story, but there isn't a time for that and I am not sure there will be. It has really made me appreciate the community I have back home and how I really want to be more open and quick to share because I know those people really do want to know me and they care about me deeply.
There hasn't been too much going on around here. Today is our first official office day; working 8:30-5 all week and next. I have a few random stories to share from the past few days but I will save them for another time. For now though, I decided to share what was on my heart and some things the lord has been teaching me
Thank you for the continued prayers and for reading my blog! Please feel free to leave a comment, I've enjoyed the ones I've gotten previously.
I've only been gone for 6 days and I don't go home for another 39 days. I've received/given less hugs in the past 6 days then I have in probably one day back home and that is hard for me. Also, in the past 6 days, I've only heard "I love you" once, when I talked to my mom on the phone. These things are extremely important to me so the next time you give someone a hug or say I love you, remember that it is a gift given to us from the Lord and not to take it for granted. What an awesome way we get to share Jesus' love with one another.... Not only has it taught me how much of a gift those things are, but the Lord has also begun teaching me what it looks like to be satisfied and filled up, loved and comforted by Him alone! Talk about tough, yet in the end so rewarding.
Another big thing I miss about home is the people I do life with, my wonderful community. They know me, the real me, with all my struggles and heartaches and the joys and laughter. These people know when I am happy and when I am not as fine as I say I am. The past two days the Lord has shown me how I take them for granted. I get to be intentional with these people, tell them the good the bad and the ugly and most of the time I am scared to do that, so I keep my mouth shut or get all nervous when I do share or am called out because they know I need to talk. I have loved getting to know the people I am serving with here, but they don't know me. Everyone knows each other well minus me. There have been times recently that I wish they just knew me and my story, but there isn't a time for that and I am not sure there will be. It has really made me appreciate the community I have back home and how I really want to be more open and quick to share because I know those people really do want to know me and they care about me deeply.
There hasn't been too much going on around here. Today is our first official office day; working 8:30-5 all week and next. I have a few random stories to share from the past few days but I will save them for another time. For now though, I decided to share what was on my heart and some things the lord has been teaching me
Thank you for the continued prayers and for reading my blog! Please feel free to leave a comment, I've enjoyed the ones I've gotten previously.
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