This week wrapped up the International Leadership Academy. It was an unforgettable week filled with amazing times to talk and encourage South Africa’s young leaders. Last week we met some incredible people from the great state of Alabama .God graciously allowed us to be apart of eternally impacting the lives of over 12,000 people through a teachers training as well as school ministry. It was great to see the team’s passion for God displayed in every presentation and personal interaction. Throughout these past weeks God has been developing our hearts to see our world with the eternal perspective. Since our training in Florida we have been studying the reason missions exists and simply put; because worship doesn’t. Missions is not about anything other than helping people know and grow to love Jesus with the same intensity he showed for us.
During this past week at the leadership academy in one of our devotion time with the girls we talked about how much God desires to love and romance us through the “small” daily things that we easily take for granted. I remember my feelings and thoughts that came rushing in my head the first time I understood and embraced that idea that God desires such a personal and intimate relationship with me. It was wonderful to be able to share the truth of God’s love with those precious young girls. It was also a reminder that God is in everything, and that ever day we need His help to live each day intentionally and also not to miss the ways that He talks and encourages us. Throughout the academy the team was able share about courage, serving, purpose, restoration and self control.
Throughout the day we had small discussion groups. During these times we were privileged to have that time to talk to these young teens, hear their struggles and just be real with them as well as love and encourage them. Andy was able to really speak into the lives of three of the boys who were dealing some cultural pressures and questioned what was right according to the Bible. He referred them to Luke 14 and how we need to count the cost of being followers of Christ (So true for every one of us). There were great relationships built over the past week. God was there… and in every one of them. He used many times during the camp to touch our hearts through the different situations and discussions. After one of our sessions one of the girls told me that her mother had died a year ago and that there were some things in her life that she regretted and had not been able to forgive herself for not doing things for her mom. As tears were running down her face she asked if Jesus could forgive our sins if we haven’t forgiven ourselves. I quickly hugged her and told her that He already had. As we talked I encouraged her that God is a God of healing that wants to bring comfort and restore our broken hearts. After speaking with her it hit me that what I said is so incredible and so true but that I’m so unworthy of any part of that love, but He still chooses to say, yes you’re my child and I love and want to help you. As we celebrate Easter let us never forget this undeserved love that was demonstrated on Calvary and that nothing other than the power of Jesus’ resurrection could have brought the redemption and intimacy back between us and God. May we never forget to live out our lives accordingly. May God receive all the Glory!! We would all like to say Happy Easter to everyone back home !!!I love and miss you.
A big THANK YOU for your prayers, I am very blessed. The past few weeks have been very but its been incredible to see God move. We took a vacation over Easter to Victoria Falls. It was indescribably beautiful and inspiring to see the tremendous power and greatness of our God. After our vacation we traveled to the Free State Providence near Lesotho. We partnered with a team in Bethlehem and visited around twenty four schools and were able to talk with over 16,000 students One of the students we talked with was considering committing suicide due to his situation and he said that the Book of Hope brought change in his life. He said that in it talks about when things are bad to get away from everything and be with God. This time had brought him hope in dealing with his problems. We also were able to visit a deaf and blind school. The time we spent there was one of the best times of my life. All the children there were so excited to hear that they were loved and important to us and Jesus. Our last day we went to a prison and were able to encourage men in the prison and talk with them about the hope and peace that Jesus offers. Andy was able to share with the two types of peace that God offers us . The first kind of peace is when we stop fighting against God and the life he has planned for us, and the second is when we surrender to God and allow him to restore our hearts and change our lives. This week we have twenty four new students at our Leadership Academy. It wonderful to see how excited these
s fifteen year olds are to make an impact in their communities and we hope to grow these desires to allow them to see leadership as God intends and equip them to make a difference in SA and the world. The next week we will be traveling to Zimbabwe. Please keep our team from North Carolina in prayers as well as that God would work in Big ways to bring hope to a nation that is broken and oppressed. Thank you all so much for being big part of helping bring Gods love to Africa.
