Kwandebele

We spent the second half of the trip in Kwandebele--a more remote village/area. Since it was more spread out, we didn't get the chance to do children's ministry there. We did door to door each morning and afternoon and then we did a revival in the evenings. I PREACHED AT A REVIVAL IN AFRICA! I never thought I would do that, but God spoke through me and I believe it was good and touched some lives. I don't rememeber everything I shared, but it's better that way right--cause that means God was talking not me!

We met many people who after answer many questions gave up worshipping their ancestors and chose to follow Christ. It was awesome to be a part of that. We also met many Christians who were discouraged and we were able to encourage them and pray for them. Some of the families we ministered to we were able to go back and visit them before we left--I really felt connected there--and I wanted to stay.

We spent one morning visiting a clinic where we shared the gospel and laid hands on the sick to pray for them - many were aids patients, so that was sad. We also went to an old person home where we shared the gospel and prayed for them as well. God was working and we were just extensions of His hands.

One story from Kwandebele that stands out is about my new friend Julia. She walked up to me while I was at another house and she asked me how to get Satan out of her mind. I began talking with her but she had to go to a meeting so she made me promise to stop by her house that day. I made it there right after lunch. She was under some intense spiritual warfare. She was depressed and had often contemplated suicide. She had been abused in her past and just had a rough life. Her parents didn't want her, so she had grown up with her grandparents and she still lived with them. She had an 8-year old daughter and her daughter was the only reason she was still living. My heart broke for her and I shared from my heart. I told her about how I struggled with spiritual warfare in college and how through proclaiming the Word of God it went away. I shared the gospel with her and the authority Christians have as HIS children and that Satan has to listen to us. She committed her life to Jesus right then. It was so awesome to hear her cry out to God in her own words, why she needed him and wanted to change. Then I instructed her to read the Bible out loud and if she ever had those feelings that she was being attacked to speak out loud that she is God's daughter and that Satan needs to leave her alone. I made her say it out loud with me. She was shy/hesitant at first, but after my leading a few times, she was proclaiming it. She ended up coming to the revival that evening and she told me that she had already started saying that and reading the Bible out loud and it was helping. She also asked me to counsel her to help her work through her problems, but I was leaving in a few days, so I connected her with the Pastor's wife and she was going to disciple and counsel her. It was t that point that my desire to be full time in missions hit me more. I deeply desired to stay and disciple her. I wanted to see what God was going to do in her life.

I have heard from the missionaries and our translators that followup/discipleship and Bible studies have already started with the people we met/led to Christ/prayed for. God is still working and it's awesome.

A family from my church made hats for me to take and distribute to the children I met in Africa.  I had 36 hats and these are a few of the beautiful kids who now have warm heads:)

I was so blessed to have a great team and awesome translators!