Something Beautiful

Where to begin….This is it…The end has come.

14 weeks has come and gone, and tomorrow morning I will be boarding a plane, along with 47 other APU students, back to the U.S. I want to thank all of you who have prayed, read my blog, left a note of encouragement, and walked with me along this journey, even if only for a short time.

Even though going home feels like the end, with every end there is a new beginning.

There are so many things I could say about the last week here. I could talk about the way Lindsey and I felt so welcomed and loved by our homestay family. I could talk about the Christmas dinner we made (homemade Egg Nogg included). I could talk about our family’s church we went to on Sunday (and I had the privilege of singing my Aaronic Benediction and leading worship for a couple of songs). Or I could talk about the fun our group had when we all dressed up as 80’s teenagers and went bowling in Cape Town (with a McDonald’s ice cream cone run afterwards and a huge medley of Christmas carols sung at the top of our lungs on the bus ride back).

I could talk about the last day of class we had when we were given a chance to share our favorite pictures from the semester and reflect on the things we’ve learned and what the Lord has done in our lives. I could talk about all of these things (and I guess I kind of just did because I couldn’t help myself), but I want to talk about one thing, specifically, and that is the power of Yeshua in us, the hope of glory.

Without Him this semester would have meant nothing, and that’s not an understatement because without Him…there is nothing. That’s just the reality. Apart from Jesus, there is no life at all, but in Him there is LIFE, and life more abundantly than we could ever imagine.

A small yet significantly important detail that goes along with all of this is the fact that, a lot of the time, we don’t choose life. Every morning, every day, every moment, we are given a choice. That choice is life or death, and depending on the choice I make, my moments will either be filled with His spirit or they will filled with my own fleshly thoughts and desires. Life is hard, but God is good, and being in South Africa has revealed that truth like no other situation or setting could have. A life lived for the sake of the Lord and for the sake of others is the only kind of life worth living. My life is not my own and my time here is short…Who knows if I even have tomorrow?

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” How am I supposed to walk in any of those works if I’m not walking with Him? For within myself nothing good dwells, but in Him I am made righteous and transformed with a new mind and a new self (Eph. 4:17-24).

As I bring my last blog to a close, I want to leave all of you with the same encouragement left to us this morning by Reg. Our God is a God of second chances. Not only of second chances, but of third, fourth, fifth…well, you get the picture. His compassions fail not, and His mercies are new every morning. No matter the struggle, no matter the stumbling, no matter how far we wander, He is always there calling us back to Himself.

Jeremiah 15:19 says, “If you return, then I will restore you.” That is a promise, and God is faithful to keep His promises. He is a God of restoration and healing, and only He has the power to take what’s been broken and make it into something beautiful. So what are you waiting for? Give your life to Him—entirely. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it” (Luke 9:24).

“Like clay in the hands of the potter, so are you in My hand” (Jer. 18:6) Shape me. Mold me, Jesus. Make me more like you. Leaving South Africa that is my prayer for myself and for all of you, both now and forever.

May the God of all peace be with you.

Shalom ya’ll!!

Misha

Homemade Egg Nogg and Brownies
Made by Misha and Lindsey

Downtown Cape Town Christmas lights

Hopping in the car at 10:30 PM
for a Friday night adventure

Table Mountain
One of the new 7 natural wonders of the world

Yup. We hiked that thing.

View from the top.
That's Robben Island out there! 

Glory, Hallelujah I made it alive!!!

There's No Place Like Home

Hello again blog family.

Here's a bittersweet thought-- my South Africa experience is coming to a close. In ten days time I will be on a plane back to U.S. and so much of my time here will feel like a dream. 

This past week was spent in Fishoek (as I mentioned in my last blog), and we had some interesting adventures, but mostly we just went to bed early, hung out at the bed and breakfast a lot of the time and went to Cape Town to explore down by the waterfront.

This week I am at homestays. During homestays, we have the opportunity to stay with a family and live life with them for the week. The township we stay in is called Ocean View. It’s about fifteen minutes from Fishoek and made up of almost 30,000 people. My homestay family is amazing. Tanya and Jeremy Koeries are a coloured husband and wife with three children—Phoebe is 10, Carl is 7, and Sarah Michelle is 4. Jeremy is the pastor of a charismatic Baptist church in the township, and both he and his wife have lived in Ocean View their entire lives. Most of their family has left at this point, but they feel called to stay here as part of their life’s ministry.

Lindsey (my roommate) and I arrived here yesterday afternoon and immediately fell in love with the family. We will be here all week (in class during the day), and we leave on Sunday afternoon to go back to the bed and breakfast for a final wrap up before the whole group departs from the Cape Town airport on Wednesday afternoon.

Even though I’ve so enjoyed being in Cape Town, it’s been quite a rough week. We’re all ready to go home, and as wonderful as South Africa is, there’s no place like home. I’m really missing everyone a lot. To my APU friends, I’ll see you in five weeks (it’ll go by fast—I hope)!! To Mom, Dad, and Tennessee friends, I’ll see you in ten days!! I literally cannot wait, but until then, I’m trying to take life moment by moment, knowing that each day is a gift not to be taken for granted. 

Thank you Lord for South Africa. Thank you for APU. Thank you for my home. Thank you for my friends there. Thank you for my Mom and my Dad. Thank you for your son, Jesus.

Amen.

“I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live (in every season of the soul).”

Ps. 116:1-2

My new love- the 4 year old, Sarah Michelle. 

Dinner in Cape Town with the roommate!

At Robben Island across the sea from Table Mountain

Whirlwind

So much has happened over the past week since we left AE, I don't even know where to begin. On top of that, the reason I have yet to blog has to do with the fact that the place I am currently staying has no internet. That being said, I am at an internet cafe. Yes, an internet cafe-- a whole new world more like it. Tracking down internet is quite a feat. The good news is, next week starting Dec. 3, I leave the bed and breakfast where myself and half the group is currently staying and we all head our separate ways into the last leg of the journey known as home stays. I met my "home stay family" this past week and found out that they do indeed have internet. WAHOO! I'll tell you more about home stays when I'm actually doing them, but for now, I'm going to do a super quick overview of this past week. 

We left AE (Pietermaritzburg) bright and early last Saturday morning and began our journey along the South African coast, or what is better known as the Garden Route. We stopped over at different hotels along the way (all located directly on the beach, I might add), and this lasted for the next 4 nights until, finally, we arrived at our final destination in Fish Hoek (pronounced Hook), a city about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town. We are here for the next three weeks and halfway through that time, the group of us at the bed and breakfast will switch with the group currently at home stays. It is sad and different being split up from the group. We all love and miss each other a lot, even after such a short period of time. 

Here are some pictures from the Garden Route, and that will give you a better idea of what went on during that trip (one of the highlights included bungy jumping off the highest bridged bungy in the world--something everyone should do at least once in their life, naturally). The past three days, since we arrived in Fish Hoek, have been spent mostly in Cape Town-- one of the most beautiful cities in the world, for sure. I can't upload a ton of pictures just yet because of my lack of internet, but for now, here a few main snapshots. 

Climbing through the Conga Caves with Christa!

5-4-3-2-1 BUNGYYY!!!!! 

Coming into Cape Town

Inside the caves

Baby Tigers!!!!

Simba and Nola

Finally arrived in Fish Hoek

Cape Town

Eating a Gatsby...biggest sandwich of my life

Table Mountain and Cape Town! 

On a Catamaran circling the cape.
That's one of the World Cup stadiums to the right of my head

Yup. I jumped off that bridge. 709 foot free fall! 

Lastly, I'd like to leave you with some encouragement and verses that spoke to me this morning....

Phil 4:11

"...for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am..."

2 Peter 1:5-10

"Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble."

Be blessed!!! And Happy (late) Thanksgiving!

Last Days at AE

It is a Wednesday night, and I have a little more than 48 hours left on the African Enterprise campus in Pietermaritzburg. Saturday morning, at 6 AM all forty-eight of us will be packing up and heading off to Cape Town. We are taking a 5 day drive along the coast in order to get there, and we will be stopping at different sites and staying in hotels along the way.

Tomorrow is the last day at Gateway. So much has happened. We said goodbye to the Cele family (one of the craft groups we were able to visit multiple times), and Promise (one of the aunts who is 56 years old) shed tears of sadness and joy as we were walking out the door. On our last day with the Celes we listened to Lionel Richie, painted nails, ate cookies, and spent time relaxing. It was a beautiful day, and the hospitality and generosity this family showed to each of us far surpasses anything I've seen in my life thus far. They have so little, yet the little the do have, they give-- freely. We prayed with them before we left and we all walked, as slowly as possible mind you, back to the car for a final goodbye.

On Friday, my Gateway group will present about our service site in our Community Engagement class, so here is a little slideshow I put together showing some of the highlights over these last four weeks. I hope you enjoy!

See you in Cape Town next week! Till then, be blessed and be a blessing.

"My child, remember what I say and never forget what I tell you to do.Do what I say, and you will live. Be as careful to follow my teaching as you are to protect your eyes.Keep my teaching with you all the time; write it on your heart.Treat wisdom as your sister, and insight as your closest friend."
-Prov. 7:1-4

Hallelujah (Jabulani Africa)

The Church Tent

We like pictures with them. They like  pictures with us
It all works out quite nicely! 

Playing during communion.

I'm an honorary usher! See the name-tag?! 

Another amazing day here in South Africa. I feel bad for blogging so much, but there’s so much I just cannot NOT write about! I’d like to tell you about this Sunday morning, specifically. About twenty of us had the privilege of going with one our CLCs (Community Life Coordinators) this morning, Reagan Joseph, to a township about forty-five minutes outside of Maritzburg because he was preaching.

When we arrived there was a large white tent set up and there was music playing. That was around 10 AM, by the way. We were seated as a group in the very front row nearest the stage and closest to the large speakers that were blasting the music we had heard from outside. I had earplugs (as I always do), so I put them in immediately, but it was just too loud, and if my father has taught me anything, he has taught me to protect my ears. That being said, after one song, I headed to the back of the tent to stand near the doorway/tent opening. There were two female ushers, probably about my age, and as the music continued I started to make quick friends with them as we danced, shouted hallelujah and lifted up our hands to the Lord.

After about ten minutes of being in the back with them, one of the girls (Ntobe) pulled a nametag out of her purse and put it on my shirt. It said “Usher.” I’d been there less than twenty minutes and I had already been designated to usher and invite people in as they walked through the tent opening, one after the other (there were probably about 300 people under that tiny tent by the middle of the service). It was a BLAST and a BLESSING. Looking into people’s eyes, shaking their hands, and saying “God bless you” was something I could have done all day (or at least until my legs gave out). Anyway, the dancing and singing went on for about an hour and a half. Every time you thought it was over, you were wrong and a new song of praise, adoration, or victory broke out. The sound, as I’ve said multiple times before, is a sound like none other. The passion with which they sing and worship the Lord takes your breath away.

After worship a few of the APU students were invited up on the spot. One of them was my friend, Christa. She and the others were wonderful as they shared verses, shared parts of their lives, and shared a bit about what they’ve been learning over their short time here in South Africa. It was really amazing how each one’s comments added so much to the service as a whole. Also, the South Africans were quite excited to hear the sound of an “American accent.” After Reagan spoke, he asked me to come up and play piano as communion was taken. I sang a song he requested called, “Break Every Chain” (it’s a great one by Will Reagan and the United Pursuit, if you don’t know it), and as I sang the words, “There is power in the name of Jesus,” over and over again, the whole congregation sang along. I was reminded in this moment, once more, that the love of Jesus crosses all borders and allows people from all nations and all ethnicities to stand as one in the presence of the Lord who has united us together by His spirit. What a beautiful and supernatural thing that is. Enjoy the pictures and video :)

“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.”

 John 17:22

Pictures thanks to my good friend, Christa :)

Project Gateway and Some Fun…Upload #8

Project Gateway and Some Fun…Upload #8, a set on Flickr.