My time in Africa

My time with Rob, Jeanie, and the boys has been busy and refreshing all at the same time. My time here has gone so quickly, but I’m thankful for the time I have had. This last week has been packed with looking for the “big five”, participating with Jeanie in ministry with the women at the local church, and watching the way Rob and Jeanie love and disciple those whom they come into contact with. It has truly changed the way that I look at what I am a part of in India, and has given me a clearer picture of what is to come there.

Not having been to a game park before, Jeanie, Tanner, and Hudson took me on quite the adventure to Kruger National Park, a game park in South Africa and Mozambique. Apparently, you can’t go to Africa and not search for some wild animals. We spent 3 days adventuring to and from and in the park, averaging about 8 hours in the car each day, and it paid off. We saw the “big five” (lion, leopard, elephant, water buffalo, and rhino), as well as giraffe, kudu, wildebeest, and countless impala. We also stayed two nights in the park, which included grilling beef steaks on the braai and roasting marshmallows for s’mores, two things I haven’t had in almost two years!

Recently, Jeanie and the pastor’s wife from the local church started a meeting for the women in the church on Saturday afternoons. I was thankful to be here on a week when they were meeting, and had the privilege to speak to them. Watching and learning about some of the culture tendencies from Jeanie and my own experience here, I was burdened by the fact that so many of the women waste their time on things that have no eternal impact. I challenged them on this, and as we looked at scripture, they saw that as a new creation in Christ, their lives can and should be compelled by the love of Christ to use their time for greater purposes for God, themselves, their families, and their communities. Below is a photo of those who were able to come.

The way that Rob and Jeanie interact and disciple the local people has been challenging to me. They give so much of their time and resources and love deeply for the sake of the gospel. This has made me look at my own life and work overseas, and has forced me to reevaluate what my life looks like there, and how I interact and view the local people. Our work and the people we are among are quite different, but watching them has reinvigorated my passion for working overseas, and their kindness toward me has brought refreshment, even in the busyness of this past week. I’m excited to get back home and to use what I have learned to live more like Christ in my community, and be more bold for the sake of the gospel.