Dumela from Botswana!

Whew! To say the last week and a half has been a blur feels like an understatement. On one hand, I feel as though I’ve been here for a month because of the way the Lord has really ignited friendships, revealed Himself to me, and really grown me and prepared me for the field. On the other hand, I feel like I just landed here in Botswana yesterday and that training can’t possibly be over. This blog post isn’t filled with words of wisdom or anything profound, but instead just an update on my time here in Africa and prayer requests as my team and I move forward in the journey.

But first, let me clue y’all in on the last week. “Botswana? I thought she was going to Senegal?”, you may say. Or maybe, “that girl hasn’t posted any sort of update at all…is she alive?”. The answer to all of the above is yes: I am in Botswana, I am going to Senegal, I am alive J For the last week and a half, my team and I (which consists of 17 students traveling all over Africa) have been attending orientation here in Botswana. Because we had so much to learn in such a short amount of time, we have not been connected to the outside world (but I’m sure my mother already told y’all that). Orientation started out fairly rough for me: my luggage got lost in transit, like ALL of it; and then I ended up with some sort of stomach bug or food poisoning or something, we aren’t sure which…all we know is that there was vomit and lots of it. Welcome to Africa, eh?! But in all honesty, I’m so grateful for those hardships. These bumps in the road forced me to start this term off in a humble mindset, realizing that I will have to rely on others and that there truly is no I in team. But after those little things got situated, things have been great! God has been teaching me so much about myself and about serving throughout this term, about my teammate (Kat) and how she and I work together, and has provided some friendships that I already know will last a lifetime.

As I type this, my friends and I are all in transit to our final destinations. I exaggerate none when I say that we are literally all over the continent.  Even though it is sad to know that I will not see most of my new friends again until the end of May, I find such joy and hope in the fact that God is using my generation to change the nations for His glory. I have full confidence in the work that our Father is going to do in and through each and every person on this corporate team and I can’t wait to hear the stories of His grace and love in such a season of stretching and learning.

As we go, I ask that you pray not only for me, but for my friends as well. Please pray for:

Confidence – that the Lord would constantly remind us that the work we are doing is not about our strength or will or grit, but only about Him and the grace He offers us in the Gospel

Revival – Africa is a continent that is hurting for a Savior. Please pray for open doors, softened hearts, and favor as we go and spread the Word. Pray that God would give us wisdom in sharing.

Endurance – that we would focus on the Task we are given and live our lives in a way that glorifies God and shines His light in darkness. Some of the places we are going are dark. And spiritual warfare is real (says the girl who experienced lost luggage and a puke-fest within a matter of 48 hours). Please pray that even whilst experiencing the attacks of the enemy, we will turn to the Rock that is stronger than us.

Transition – pray for comfort during this time of transition. I wish I could come up with words to explain how gracious God has been in blessing our friendships and causing them to grow in a way that is so pleasing to Him. Please pray that as we all go our separate ways that we would remember that Christ is our true rock, not friends…no matter how likeminded they may be.

Unity – please pray that we would continue to lift one another up in prayer and in love from afar.  Pray that God would cause unity in the teams who are placed together.  Pray that Christ would bind our hearts together with a supernatural love that can only be explained by Him.

Our leadership – please thank God for the leaders we had during orientation. They were such a blessing to us and truly prepared us for the field. Please also be praying for the leadership we will soon all be under as we reach our final destinations.

Home – pray for the ones we left back home.  Pray for our hearts as we are away.  Being gone is hard not only for those of us serving, but also for our loved ones. Please pray that God would continue to wrap His comforting arms around us and that we would continue to trust wholeheartedly in Him.

ABOVE ALL ELSE, please pray that His will be done.

I know that’s a lot, but there is so much going on here and I know that there is undeniable power in prayer! God is beyond good, all the time. One last thing I will say is this: we’ve been doing a study on 2 Corinthians 4 & 5 and it has encouraged me beyond belief. If you’re wondering what our role is in ministry, check it out. In case you don’t know yet, it’s not about us and it’s truly all about Him and His love. How wonderful is that?