2 days.

Time has flown by so fast here!  It's so crazy to think that we only have 2 days left to labor on campus!!! God has really grown my vision for the world just by being here in South Africa.  It's been so sweet to see God work in mighty ways here and for Him to let me be apart of it.  It says in Matthew 9:37 that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  This has opened my eyes to see that it REALLY is by God's grace that He has me here in South Africa and is using a nobody like me from the little town of Harrisburg, IL to spread the Gospel for His glory.  It still blows my mind that I'm in Africa.  I'M IN AFRICA!!

Slowly things are coming to an end here and our team has been getting some perspective on just how big our God is and how He is the One that has the power to continue to work in the lives of South Africans long after our CCP team is gone.  We were imagining today what it would be like if Jesus took over Johannesburg and penetrated the lives here with the Gospel.  With Johannesburg having the second highest crime in the world, what would it look like if Christ changed the life of robbers and residents of Joburg no longer had to live with bars on their doors and barbed wire fences around their houses?  Our house has been an example of this.  What would happen if the kids on the streets found their hope in Christ and through their lives shared with the rest of their families?  These are only a couple examples of the many things that God is able and has the power to do!

A Mighty God!

Africa has been treating me so well! Words can’t even describe how amazing it has been here!  I’m so amazingly sorry that I haven’t been able to update my blog.  We have very limited time to get on the internet and with a team of 20 people and five laptops, it is sometimes hard to get sufficient time to update blogs, skype and etc.  I know you all have been wondering if I’m still alive, if I’m still in Africa or if I’ve been eaten by a lion. J Yes I’m alive, yes I’m still in South Africa, and sadly I haven’t even seen a lion yet.

So a typical week consists of our mornings open to really good time meeting with Jesus, ministry training on Tuesday mornings, discipleship group on Wednesday mornings, and going to campus to share with students that we have met and built relationships with from 1:00-9:00 pm from Monday through Friday.  On Satudays we have our team social and on Sundays we attend church and have our Sabbath.

God has really been working in the lives of two girls that my ministry partner and I have met.  Both of them have a lot of knowledge of the Bible and have been to church their whole lives.  They have both realized that they don’t have a relationship with Christ and want it.  We have challenged them to pray for Christ to come in their lives and change their hearts.  (Ezekiel 36:26)  Be praying for both Rutendo and Diana. 

We have an evangelistic camp that our ministry is getting ready for.  It is called the Unashamed Camp coming from Romans 1:16 and not being ashamed of the Gospel.  Our team is trusting that God would bring 90 people to this camp.  To us it seems like this is such a big number, but no number is too big for God. 

As of today we have eight days left on campus.  We are still praying that big things would happen and that we would maximize our time on campus.  It has been really challenging to get time with students because they are in the middle of taking their final exams.  This is exactly what the enemy delights in.  We are trusting that God would continue to open doors and that we would be able to spend time with students during any breaks and sharing the gospel with every opportunity that we get.

Be praying for:

Rutendo and Diana

Unashamed Camp

We would take advantage of the short amount of time we have left on campus

Thanks for all your prayers and support!!   

finally here!

Hii! Today was my first full day at Johannesburg, South Africa! It's amazing here and I wish I could have packed all of my friends, family and supporters in my two suitcases that I brought!  There is so much to tell but I only have a little bit of time on the internet tonight.  Today I learned a little bit of what it's gonna be like for the next six weeks. I got a tour of Jo-burg and the University of Wits, the campus that we'll be staying on.  Our theme for our CCP team is "Down and Out."  Basically, we want the Gospel to penetrate DOWN into our hearts and then through that flow OUT of us.  It's very exciting.  As a team, we are all studying the Gospel of Mark.  While reading though Mark, we continue to ask ourselves two questions.  1. What does this teach me about Jesus? 2. How did Jesus do ministry?  It's been really good learning about Jesus' character and how much he cared about his disciples and people He would come across.  I encourage you to read through this if you aren't already studying something else!  

I got to meet a lot of first year girls that live in a residents hall called jubilee and go to school at Wits.  They are all very welcoming.  Everyone you come across is so easy to talk to and love it when you ask questions about them so it has been a really good way to learn more of the South African culture. 

I'm out of time and can't wait to tell you more!!  Please be praying for the students that we meet and that their hearts would be softened to the Gospel.  Also, a lot of my teammates have been getting sick, mostly getting the cold, so pray for the health of our team.  It is a very extreme change coming from the summer weather and coming to South Africa winter weather.  It is nice during the day when the sun is out, but when it goes down it starts to get kinda cold!  

Love you all!  Thank you so much for your support, prayers and encouragement!!  :)