I'm Coming Home!!

Sorry everyone for the really long space between this blog and the last! I don't have excuses so I'm just gonna say sorry. Anyhoo, I'm coming home in 7 days!!! One more week in Africa! Really I'm so super exited to go HOME! One year definitely does fly by but still, one year is one year! I'm so excited to be home and be in Canada and see my family again and my FRIENDS!! Praise the Lord I was able to see my family in May. What a huge blessing that was for me and for them : )

I'm feeling fine about leaving in a week. Yes, a bit stressed but emotionally I'm ready. It feels good to know I'm going home... and I think its been easy for me emotionally because I am trusting the Lord to bring me back to this place in a few months time. I plan on coming back for another year or so. It is a big step and decision and it was quite difficult to discern what God wanted me to do a few months back, but about a month ago He revealed His desire for me to come back. Honestly some days I question Him... but that is only because my desires get in the way of where He is leading me. But ya, if you could pray for me about that. Just that I would not shift and waver but continue to follow and walk in the way God wants me to and that I would be thankful about it and have peace.

This weekend Judy, Andrea and myself went CAMPING in AFRICA!! It was about 2 hours away from Dundee. It was such a great experience camping in a little 3 man tent in the middle of the mountains with baboons, jackals and warthogs roaming free around us. hahaha serious! It was crazy. Yes there were other people around us : ) We climbed a mountain 4.5 hours on Saturday and had a picnic at the top with the magnificent view of the Drakensburg. So incredibly beautiful! And perfect weather too. The Lord is so good to us. AND He protected from the swinging baboons in the trees above us. haha. We went Friday afternoon and came back Saturday night. And during the night there was some strange animal outside our tent sniffing and make a clunky sound as he walked. We still had no idea what it was. We thought maybe a Eland (big buck) then a cow with a bell on it... and then Pastor Peter heard the story and thinks it must have been a warthog.

So I will see you all very very soon!! I leave South Africa September 8 and I arrive in Hamiliton, ON, on the 9th. I need to stay there for a few days for de-briefing and then I'm home home on Saturday (13th). I'M SOO EXCITED!!! Till then, God bless you and enjoy your week!

Love you all,

Lindsay

Just wanted to share a few things with you that have been happening around here. Exciting things, new experiences, randomness and just other different things : )

Two weeks ago the creche was donated this awesome playset by a couple from our church and the kids absolutely LOVE it! The first day or two Sibongile said she couldn't even get the kids inside at all! They were all just piled on this thing! As you can see you can barely see what is actually is! haha.

Yesterday we received the biggest donation we have ever recieved from a local frozen foods place called Cold Chain. So many bags of fries and mixed veggies and pizza's and meat pies. Me and D had fun with the Pastor Peter and Angeline as we sorted through it and packed it all in the coolers. We don't even have a freezer big enough to put all of it in so we gave some away and stored the rest in coolers.

Also this week we were able to give out nice toques, mitts and socks to some of the children of the families that we give a food parcel to each week. It was so nice because it is soo cold at night and in the mornings here! I just wish every child could have a pair! It's so hard to see and think that most of them feel so cold for so long : ( Next week we hope to give out some blankets.

Last weekend we have an outreach for a group of virgins from the township here at the mission. Every month these girls get together on a Friday night and they are encouraged and go through a testing to make sure they are still virgins. The pressure to have sex is SO high in the townships but these girls have been very strong and we are proud of them for it! There was a morning program set up for them and then at the end they performed their virgin dance and song for us. So different from what our culture would think! Topless girls would not be thought of as virgins! It's so interesting/wierd how different cultures can be.

Then on Monday night us girls had a crazy night of dressing up random and funny and sharing a meal together and having fun laughing lots in a game of 30 seconds : )

So ya, there's just some things that have been happening over here lately : )

Cheers!

Family in Africa!!

My time with my family was soo incredible! Wow! They were actually HERE with me! That is just way too cool : ) Once again, I give all the glory to God for making it all work out for them to come to Africa. They truly enjoyed, each one of them and they experience A LOT in just two and half weeks! But even though it was busy it was well worth it. Plus there was many times for us to just relax as well. Praise the Lord, they didn't experience ANY jetlag! Really that is a miracle because 8 hours difference really can mess up your body.. Dione and I sure suffered for at least a good week! I think Dione a little long even.

They arrived May 12, in Durban (a city on the coast) and we spent a few days there, seeing some of the sights, going out for supper and playing in the waves and Aaron and I tried to learn how to surf. Oh yeah! And my birthday was so awesome, first because I got the best b-day present ever! (My fam coming to Africa of course) and also because the restarant we went to was very African style and the waitress and waiters were all dressed in their African gear and our waitress came around washing each one of our hands and painting our faces. And the BEST thing was having 4 black singers dressed as the Jackson 5 come around the table to sing happy birthday to me in a sweet African tune. haha, so great.

Then we flew to the famous and BEAUTIFUL Cape Town, on the other coast-side of South Africa and spent a few days there. I didn't realize how much there was to do in Cape Town so our time was quite a bit too short but I'm still so thankful we went because we were blessed so much there. Every thing that we were able to experience and seeing and getting to know Joseph and Eileen better was so worth it. Such wonderful, hospitable people who really love the Lord. While there we got to see a castle, a beautiful botanical garden, HUGE crashing waves. Seriously I've never seen such big ones! We did a lot of street vendor shopping and got nice cheap stuff.. haha. We went to Robben Island which is the island where many blacks, including Nelson Mandela, were held in prison during the aparthied years. We enjoyed a very nice fancy meal along the waterfront. We saw magfinicent mountain ranges, and rocks and so much green! There were a few things I would have loved to do but they just didn't work out for us but that was fine. That will just be for the next time I visit!

Having my family get to see what I've been doing here in Africa was so special to me. And I'm sure very special to them also. They enjoyed it a lot. Playing with the children at the crèche, play center, during the hospital visits and in the townships on outreach and Kid’s Club; giving food parcels and praying with families in great need; gardening (my mom), and physical labor around the mission (my brother). For those of you who will be seeing them soon, I’m sure they will tell you much more! They were touched with the great need here and at the same time greatly encouraged at the work the Lord is doing here at Melusi.

As well we got to enjoy some African animals on the Saturday. We went to a game reserve called Ithala with Dione and Judy and it was fun just to see more of Africa and enjoy the fellowship together. Warthogs are now my favorite animals...well one of my favorites! They are TOO cute!

The Lord is so good and I know I have been very blessed to have had my family share with me the ministry here in South Africa.

Enjoy the pics!

Lindsay

WEC Conference

Last month (April 3-7) we had the WEC Annual Conference, where all the missionaries which are a part of WEC working in South Africa come together. It was such a great time for me, just to see people that I had met before here, and to meet new people.

We had times of laughter.. especially at the "Fun Night". Here is bobbing for apples....

And this is the children doing a dance to some music off a CD. It was too cute!

And the classic... Kareoke!!

Dione and I had the blessing of being a part of the worship team and playing with the main speaker, Elfi. She and her husband, Hans, are from Switzerland and were missionaries in Gambia. They were a very special couple.

This is Elfi and Hans. Lots of time was spent praying for WEC and all the different ministries WEC does in South Africa and for personal needs. This is Ameila, a very precious lady. She is Irish and so great and makes everyone around her laugh... and her absolute favorite topic is discuss with anyone is marriage/relationships/etc.. haha, she calls herself The Match Maker.

Lots of time to hang out with friends and to make new ones...And, alas! Another fellow Canadian! This is Amanda. She married a guy from Zimbabwe, Sipho, and now they are living there and starting up a children's ministry. They are such an amazing couple. They are living in this tiny little house.. well, not really a house, looks like a little shed, no electricity, no running water... and yet they are so happy and joyful and the Lord is in their hearts very much.
Then Dione, Judy, Sofia and I got to see some AFRICAN ANIMALS! It was amazing. I still haven't seen an giraffee or an elephant yet.. but soon.. very soon :)

The beautiful African skies.

So ya, the conference was really great and it was so fun to just be able to get a break from the mission and just to see what God is doing around the rest of South Africa. Please continue to pray for the people's of Africa and that God's people would continue to bring others to Him.

Cheers,

Lindsay

8 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

In 8 days I get to see my WHOLE family again!! My mom, Hil, Tiff and Aaron are coming to visit me!! I'm soo incredibly excited! They arrive on May 12 and will be here till the 29th. A nice good two and a half weeks!
I will be meeting them in Durban and then we will be staying there for a few days and then we will be heading to Cape Town, the most beautiful city in South Africa, for 4 days. I've been looking at pics and trying to plan what we will do and it looks so fun and so much to do : ) And it's such a blessing because we have places to stay at both cities. There is a WEC headquaters in Durban and Cape Town and both of them have been soo welcoming in letting us stay with them! I'm so grateful to God for how He is working things out for us.
Then on the 18th to the 29th my family will be coming to the mission here and will work alongside with us, doing the different ministries (children's ministries, food program, outreaches, hospital visits, etc) and as well, my brother might do some electrical work or something practical a few days he is here. I know this is God's will for them to come. I'm really needing a holiday and lately I've been just needing to see my family and it's so cool how perfect God's timing is.

It would be super if you would pray with me about a few things:

- safe flight for my family to South Africa
- that my family wouldn't experience much jet lag
- safe flight to Cape Town and safety in Cape Town/and Durban (Durban is a little dangerous...)
- planning our time together - things to do in Cape Town and at Melusi. It's kinda stressful when I've never been there (Cape Town) before and I don't know how far away things are from each other. But praise God Andrea and Katy are from Cape Town and so I'm planning on asking Andrea to come over one night this week and help me plan our time/activities there!
- Oh! Yes! Please pray about driving. As maybe some of you don't know, here we drive on the left side of the road... and so please pray that as my family drives they will be confident, and wise and will not get into any accidents. Especially driving in Cape Town. It's a really big city. It will definitely be a fun adventure for us!
- That God would really be preparing their hearts for what He has for them here and that he would do a great work in each one of their lives as the meet the local people (Zulu's) and see their cultural and lifestyle and minster to them
- That the Lord would richly bless our time together as a family in Africa

Thank you to those who will be praying for us! I will definitely share with you the pics of our time in Cape Town and at Melusi.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR THIS HUGE BLESSING!!!

A Hammer and a Wall

I wanted to share with you guys something the pastor shared with the team this morning about prayer. It was soo powerful and a new and neat way of looking at prayer. Maybe right now you are praying about something that you have been praying about for weeks, months and even years. It can get disheartening when you haven't seen any change in that situation and you feel just like giving up and saying "Where are You?? Why aren't You listening to me?!?"

Here's what the Pastor shared this morning:

"Praying is like taking a hammer to a wall. Every time you pray, you knock off a piece of the wall and you get closer to the final result. Sometimes we get weary and sometimes we will stop using the hammer. This is when we fall into unbelief and in unbelief nothing will happen. What we don't know is that maybe one or two more hits may have crumbled that wall."

So ya, sometimes it's going to be tough, really tough, but God knows the perfect timing for His answers to our prayers and we as Christians must continue to believe that. The pastor also talked about the verse Jer. 29:11 where God says that he has good plans for us and plans to must us propser and not to harm us. Pastor said that verse is useless and irrelavent in our lives if we don't BELIEVE in that verse. He said the Bible isn't magic and that things won't just happen like that, we must have faith in it and believe with all our hearts.

Don't miss out on the results because of one final swing of the hammer!