My words could never do justice to explaining our time in Durban, South Africa, but i will try to give you a glimpse of what the Lord did and taught me while we were there. My summer in Durban was so amazing and unforgettable! The people, the land, the culture...everything about this place is so unique and unfamiliar. It would be impossible for me to pick my favorite part of our time there.
We spent the first week dividing our mornings into gospel training and sharing on the beach. we spent our afternoons coaching a soccer camp for kids ages 20 and under who were out of school due to the extended holiday for the World Cup. We related soccer skills to life skills and therefore, was able to share the gospel with them. As i wrote before, it was so sad seeing the physical needs of the kids. However, these kids brought so much happiness with them on the field. It was always such a joy coaching them, even though they didn't need me at all.
The next two weeks, we spent working at different HIV/AIDS hospice centers and orphanages. We were able to serve the community and really engage in their culture. This was so great because I felt like we got an actual taste of what life is like for many people living with the disease. We were also able to see the great physical need everywhere! I can't begin to describe the sadness we saw when we went to the orphanage. It was hard being there but I am so thankful to be aware of the need. I pray that the Lord will constantly make me uncomfortable so that I am aware of the world's need around me. There are 26,000 children dying each day of starvation or preventable diseases- how can we ignore that? What if those were our brothers/sisters or children?
The last two weeks we spent on the college campus of University of KwaZulu-Natal. Campus Crusade has a student ministry started there but is still very new. Our purpose in being there was to share the gospel with as many students as possible and to help promote Crusade. The entire time we were in Durban, I was constantly so amazed at how open people were to talk about spiritual things or their religion, but I was especially surprised when we were on this college campus. It was so easy to walk up to students and dive straight into sharing the gospel with them. The Lord was so faithful to strengthen my confidence and boldness in sharing. We saw 26 people come to know the Lord while we were there! It was so exciting to see how quickly their ministry is growing. There were several people from religions who trusted Christ for the first time. There were also several people, we spoke to, who were already believers but wanted to know more about how to share their faith! How encouraging!
To say I loved everything about our time in South Africa would be an understatement! I honestly can't wait to go back! Currently, I am applying for a program, through Crusade, that would allow me to move there in January, for a year and continue the work that the Lord has already begun. I would work with college students as well as serve the community like we did this summer. The Lord has given me a passion for this place and these people. I know that it may seem crazy to move to an unfamiliar place after I graduate but I know that we are called to risk it all for the sake of the Lord. I want to tell people, who have never heard the Lord's name, about Him....I want to help the kids who have no home or family feel loved....I want to serve the Lord and see His kingdom advanced. Please pray that my desires are to follow the Lord wherever He may lead me this year.
