Africa gives me hope.

I’ve been meaning to write a blog for a few days now, but I wasn’t quite sure what the Lord wanted me to say or how I would put into words everything God is doing in me and in this place. I say none of this to glorify myself in any way, but to make known how GREAT our GOD is!! The more I am challenged to put my faith in my God and not in the things of this world or my own strength, the more freedom He has in my life to show up in mighty ways. It has been my prayer that God would break open the box I try to keep Him in, that He would shatter my attempts to make Him feeble and unable and reveal WHO He is - Healer, Provider, Protector, Savior, Friend!

Heb 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

hope: noun

1 a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen

• a person or thing that may help or save someone

• grounds for believing that something good may happen

2 a feeling of trust

Walking with God in South Africa gives me HOPE.

I have HOPE that God is always GOOD,

always WORKING,

always in the midst of whatever we’re going through

and holding our hand

whether we’re dancing for joy

or barely hanging on.

I believe that He has given us hope so that we will expect great things from an unbelievably great God. I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and I choose to put my hope in HIM.

What has God been doing here, you may ask? Well, let me brag on my Savior!

• We had a divine appointment on a random walk to learn of a sweet daughter of the King who had heard some lies from the enemy and wound up in the hospital. Praise God that He is bigger than hospital visiting hour rules and big scary security guards and can bring healing and restoration whenever He choses! We were able to pray over and speak life into our sister despite the obstacles. I have hope that He who is in us is greater than He who is in the world and Jesus always gets the victory.

• Each week at our soup kitchen in Avian Park, God faithfully makes sure each hungry belly gets food no matter how many kids we round up with their “buckes” (bowls...or tupperware, or empty ice cream containers, whatever they have) for “kos”(food). We gather with precious children and sing praises to our great High Priest who is so aware of and familiar with our needs. It hurts my heart to see the way these children live, but it gives me hope that Jesus can redeem any situation and bring light to shatter any darkness.

• I got to spend a day in Cape Town with Eva while Fola visited friends at the Lausanne Conference....what a beautiful city! We ate delicious food while overlooking the beach and had REAL coffee and yummy dessert and some much needed girl time. AND God totally surprised me and blessed me when I ran into a friend from UF at the conference! It was definitely a specific answer to prayer and so encouraging. I have hope that God knows this heart that He created and He works all things for my good.

• He is teaching me the art of following those who are wiser than I instead of always being in charge or constantly on a schedule. I am learning obedience and patience in very real ways...it’s definitely not always easy! I have hope that I will not leave Africa as the same person that came here 5 weeks ago.

• It’s Holy Spirit week at the YWAM base which means we get lots of teachings about the power and presence of the Spirit. We had an incredible night in the presence of the Spirit; the glory of the Lord was so intense and so so real! And we had a giving night, where people gave things to each other as an act of worship. Some gave encouraging gifts, some gave precious heirlooms, one girl received her first pair of gold earrings in her life from a dear woman who got them when she lived in Jordan (she was robbed and they were one of the few pieces of fine jewelry that weren’t taken), people received money and cameras and cell phones and funds for a car! My small act of giving brought a lot of giggles...my friend Janel (from Montreat College!) gave our sister Peggy (here with a team from YWAM in Texas) her watch when Peggy mentioned that she had forgotten to pack hers. This summer when I was in California I lost my watch and had to purchase a new one. When I was packing for Africa I found my old watch and wound up bringing both. As I watched Janel give Peggy her watch, I realized God had given me two watches so that I could give one away! We laughed and prayed together and thanked God that He could unite our hearts in such a simple yet profound way. I have hope that God sees the heart of our giving and is in the midst of our simple acts of worship before a holy God.

• I met a girl named De-monique in one of the areas we were ministering in a few days ago. She was 12 and so full of life - we became best friends instantly. She kept her arm around me for most of the time we were there, until her friends dragged her off to play in a ditch. When the Texas team started their street drama, I went to find her because I felt like she really needed to see and hear the message they were presenting (I hadn’t seen it yet but I heard it was powerful!) At the end, De-monique gave her life to the Lord and I got to hug her as she prayed for Jesus to come into her heart! She only let 2 little tears run down her cheek, but it was so evident that Jesus had entered her heart and made her a new creation in that instant. I have hope that I’ll see her again and that she will continue to grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man, because our God is good and He has written De-monique’s name on His hand and in His book of Life!

• I HAVE HOPE because as hard as my first two weeks here were, the past three have been three times as sweet! I definitely miss my family and friends like crazy, but God is filling the hurting places with Himself and nurturing a love and passion for this place and these people. Whether I’m teaching cheerleading, grading math exams (just finished grading a 3 page exam for 37 students...whoo!), holding and hugging sweet children, or just hanging out with Simile and Halo coloring in our princess coloring book and looking at my pictures, I LOVE living in South Africa! I came across this blog http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/ and was so comforted to know that other people have felt the same way I have when moving to a new country...the first few weeks are “Really Lord??” and then He changes our hearts to say “REALLY! LORD!” I have HOPE that God is doing a good thing here!

Can I just encourage you to put your hope in Christ? Colossians 1 tells us that Christ in us is the hope of glory. Romans 12 says that we should be joyful in hope! The Word encourages us over and over again to put our hope in God, in His promises and His faithfulness. Hebrews 6:19 says “We have this HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain”. Oh that our HOPE in the Lord would draw us deeper and deeper into the presence of and communion with the Living God! Thank You, Jesus, that You are our hope and that we walk through this life with our name written on Your hands. That, my friends, gives me hope.