World Faiths Outreach

Durban is a beautiful, coastal city that hosts the largest amount of Indian people outside of India. Of the large Indian population that resides in Durban 57% are Hindus. We were placed in areas where there was a high amount of Hindus in hopes to reach out to them and show them the love of Christ. Although my team was quite excited about getting to know these people better we didn’t anticipate the difficulty of this task. The first few days of door to door visits, which was our main ministry, were filled with some disappointment. A few doors were closed in our faces or even when we did get into the homes the conversations never allowed us to chat about Jesus. We really struggled with this but God showed us that He is the one moving and stirring people’s hearts. We planted many seeds and with our faith in God, He will water.

We had two unique opportunities that touched me. The first was when my team was in charge of running a home small group meeting. The meeting was being hosted in an apartment of a family that two weeks prior had turned from Hinduism and accepted Jesus as their only Lord and Savior. I had the privilege of giving a message about faith. It was a really tricky message to try and prepare because there were some Hindus also there at the meeting. However I was able to share about different Bible characters that showed an incredible amount of faith. I emphasized how faith saves us, not by our works, something that is very prominent in the religion of Hinduism. Although we saw no obvious fruits of our program the place was just filled with God’s spirit. I had goose bumps as we worshipped. What an amazing opportunity to worship in the home of new believers! We saw them many times throughout the two weeks we were there. They were very special to me and it was so neat to watch them grow in their relationship with God. I saw them buy their first Bible and was even able to teach their children some Bible stories. It really reminded me how we are like babies, craving for spiritual milk. It greatly touched me.

One Saturday evening a Hindu family invited a few of us into their home for dinner to have the platform to talk more about our religions. I could really sense a yearning for knowledge and love.  In their home they were extremely hospitable and we were able to joke around with them and have a friendly and loving atmosphere. After a while I began talking with the man of the house about our different concepts of life and death, suffering, good works, etc. He listened to what I had to say and was often intrigued by my responses. It was really cool because I was able to share some of my testimony with him and we found that in our pasts we have some things in common. I really felt like God was connecting us and working in this man’s heart. After three hours it was time for us to go. They asked us to continue to email them and invited us to their home whenever we are back in the area. Once again, we didn’t see any conversions from these people but yet by faith I trust that God will allow this seed to grow.

Although these two stories were quite unique for me and touching the whole outreach was very challenging for me. In the middle of the first week I began to get sick and went to the doctor to find out that I had a viral infection. This forced me to stay in bed for three whole days and to only drink liquids. I am a very social person and this was very difficult for me to handle. I missed a lot of ministry and I felt disconnected at times from my team. I felt at times like I was failing and that I didn’t have a purpose in being on this outreach, I could only lie in my bed, read and pray. However God greatly transformed my thinking. I began to realize that as humans we often look for “success” in what we do. As a missionary that would be through seeing people come to Christ, having lots of people attend your events, etc. So whenever we do something we classify it as a success or a failure. I was wondering why I felt like I was failing. Maybe because we didn’t see results from our door to door visits? Maybe because I couldn’t physically do anything? God revealed to me through His word that my concept of failure is wrong. God doesn’t look at things the way I look at things. God showed me that He is rejoicing in what I am doing. He is rejoicing that as I lay in bed I was interceding for my team through prayer and was coming closer to Him through His word. I was filled with joy in the picture of God looking down at me, His daughter, and smiling. Know that He is also looking at you and smiling. May you make the most of your time and see the quaint opportunities to give God the glory, even in the moments when things didn’t happen the way you and I wished it would have. Be blessed!

city of durban

snow ins south africa!

sings for hinduism in our community

selling books

representing a Zulu couple at a cultural evening

our host church

our community

my team

hindu temple

hindu family

The Realities of the Inner City

There is a young girl at the age of 16 who was a little rebellious and so was kicked out of her home. She traveled into the city hoping to find something or someone that could help her. Fortunately an older woman found her and took her to a women’s shelter where she could comfortably stay for a few days. A few days later her brother and sister found her in the shelter and took her home.

Once again a family member turned on her and convinced the others that she was up to no good. She was chased away from her home and found herself once again in the busy life of the city. There a man found her and welcomed her into his apartment. There he treated her well. Thankfully she was treated fine however the other women that were staying in this apartment were not. They were forced to take drugs and drink alcohol so that at night they could make this man some money. This man also got her pregnant last October.

Since her family wouldn’t recognize their relationship he didn’t want to be with her anymore. So he also forced her to pack her bags and go. A distant family member took her in only because they knew she was working. Every night she came into the city from 6 pm- 1 am working as a prostitute- just so she could make money. Although she is six months pregnant she didn’t tell anyone.  She was fearful her family would force her to get an abortion and she didn’t feel comfortable with that.  I was literally the first person she told, besides her ex-boyfriend, that she was pregnant. As I sat with this woman, watching her break down and cry I thought, “What can I say to this woman?”

This was a thought that often came into my head on my inner-city outreach. I daily listened to stories from street children, homeless men, prostitutes and poor people that unfortunately had just as much tragedy as the one mentioned above. The ministry was quite draining because of this alone. My heart broke for so many people yet I had no idea what to say or do. Often I was literally at a loss of words.

And I am glad because of that. I, myself, could not speak. I could not offer them any comfort or fix their physical need. However God said incredible things through my mouth. He worked through many members in my team showing us that His power is shown through our weakness. Although I enjoyed lots of the ministry I enjoyed the most challenging: the ladies of the night.

The above story is a true story from the life of an 18 year old woman Kahaya. Kahaya is now living with another sister. She had the strength to tell her sister, who is married with children, that she is six months pregnant. Her sister gladly accepted this information and is allowing her to stay in her home. Kahaya decided to volunteer three times a week at a local hospital. She also wanted to come with us one evening to reach out to the prostitutes with us, unfortunately it didn’t work out. She is having her baby, “Precious,” in mid-July. I’m really hoping I can see the baby!

This is just one of many incredible stories we witnessed. In our two weeks in the city we were able to tell countless prostitutes that they were beautiful in the eyes of God. You wouldn’t believe the smiles-it was as if no one had ever told them that. We were able to help (in any kind of way: taking to a shelter, sending them back to their families, getting them connected to a drug rehabilitation center, etc.) about six prostitutes get off the street. And believe me this is not an easy thing. Many of the women have a “pimp” the man who controls the “business.” He would often threaten the girls that if they talked with us then they would get beaten up. They are often forced to take drugs so that they don’t have a clear picture of what they are doing. It is really a sad situation but God’s light is shining amidst the darkness.

I would really love that you pray specifically for a few things:

1. Kahaya: that she really seeks God during this time. That the baby is born without any problems and that she can find a job with a good pay.
2. Nirvada: This is a very sad story of a prostitute that really wanted to “get out” of this situation. She stayed the night at our camp because she was too fearful to go back to her apartment. The next morning she went back to her apartment to get her ID with a few of our team members. Her pimps were waiting for her and all our team members could hear from outside was screaming. Thirty minutes later the pimps came out and told the guys she wasn’t coming back with us. That evening when we went out for ladies of the night ministry she was there on the corner again. When we tried talking with her the pimps came over and threatened us. Please pray for a breakthrough. Pray that some how she can get some help and can safely get out of this situation.
3. The Home of Hope: This is a shelter for abandoned and orphaned women as well as ex-prostitutes. They have about 24 women staying there. They originally were funded by the government but the government stopped supporting them. So now they really struggle to get food and clothing donations. We were able to go do programs there with the girls. Many of their stories are heart breaking and I really pray that God brings someone into their lives that can counsel them and help them through their hurts.
4. Please also pray for the “baby drop” that they have. This is where mothers can bring their unwanted babies and they take care of them. At the moment there is one woman watching over six babies! Pray that this place can really be a home of hope. A hope that lasts longer than this life time. Pray for strength for the women working there!

I praise God for the mighty things He did through me and my team members in just a short few weeks. I’m once again humbled by the works that He can do. I have such little faith sometimes and often think that I can not offer anything to these people that are searching for life. However, when we put our trust in God, He can give us the right words and actions. We just have to be willing! May you have faith that God can do amazing things through you! Be strong in Him and always keep your eyes fixed on Christ!

a few of the girls at the home of hope

coffee house working with the homeless

doing a program at the home of hope

baby drop

me doing a presentation on world missions

sleeping on the street

Mabarhule

God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. This is the one statement that I would use to describe how God worked in and through me and my team the past two weeks. We stayed in Mabarhule, a small village, in the Mpumalanga state. For the two weeks we stayed in tents, showering with buckets, cooking over the fire and using outhouses. We tried our best to relate with the community and serve in various ways. We had devotions at the primary school and a vacation bible school with them, HIV/AIDS classes at the high school, home visits, programs at an orphanage and a disabled school, led a youth service and also had daily church services. We really kept ourselves busy and God did incredible things.

I want to highlight three touching stories from my past two weeks that proclaim that Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” is true of God.

1) We led a youth service for about twenty of the local youth. I was giving the message and I decided to really challenge the youth. I encouraged them to met together and to uplift one another using Hebrews 10:25 as my reference. I didn’t really seem to get that great of a response and there was some difficulty with the translation so I didn’t feel great about it afterwards. However on our last day I got a letter from a girl whom I never really talked with but had attended the youth service. And this is what it said: “I now read my Bible everyday because of you. Your message the other day really helped me.” God can speak through us, even despite language barriers, to bring others closer to him.

2)The next story is about a twelve year old girl named Queen. She lived near our tents and so I saw her frequently. She was a beautiful girl but it was difficult for me to talk with her because her English wasn’t very good. So we didn’t talk very much. However every morning we had a conversation. A very simple conversation. It went like this:

me: “Avuseni Queen! (Good morning in Shangaan) Ungani? (How are you?)”
Queen: “I’m fine and you maria?”

And every morning for the two weeks we had this basic conversation- nothing more, nothing less. On the last day she also approached me and handed me a beautifully decorated card. It had leaves that were shaped like hearts taped all over the paper. And inside she explained that just by me saying “good morning! how are you?” every morning I showed her so much love. She greatly appreciated this and would really miss me. God can use simple actions for his glory.

3)The last story is definitely my favorite and a testimony for me that God can do anything through me if I am available. One afternoon we had off and my team and I decided to go on a “trust” walk throughout the community. We wouldn’t bring a translator, didn’t have things to offer the people besides Jesus and so we set off. As we were walking I noticed some teenage girls talking and I felt like I needed to go talk with them, so I did. As I was making small talk with them a young boy also joined our conversation. He began to ask me about what we were doing here, etc. After some small conversation i asked him if he knew God to which he replied, “yes.” Okay I thought, many of the people in this village “know” God but they don’t often have a relationship with him or are even given false information about God in their church.

So I asked, “Do you know Jesus?” and he just looked back at me with such a confused face and asked, “Jesus?” I was shocked. “You don’t know Jesus? You’ve never heard of him?” “No,” he replied. So then I began to tell him about this incredible man called Jesus. I read some verses from the Gospel of John of why Jesus came and how we can accept him in his heart and have everlasting life. I didn’t want to force any kind of decision on him so I gave him a copy of the Gospel of John and told him that we really hope and pray that he comes to know Jesus Christ as his Savior. He looked back at me and asked, “Can I do it now?” And so with great joy I prayed with him and welcomed him to the family of Christ Jesus. I was so overwhelmed with joy and I could just imagine heaven rejoicing with me. And the craziest thing about this story is that I didn’t ever really believe that I could bring someone to Christ. But God told me again, “Maria, I can do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine because I have given you power.” Amen!

God has done incredible things through me and I know He can also work in
and through you! May you trust Him and cling to His hand!

cool spider

high school visit

outhouse

our view

disabled school motto

my living area

me and my entourage

me leading the youth meeting

cleaning the chicken

elephants crossing road at krueger

my team with the pastor

hippo

snake!

the disabled class

the shower

us and the church members

Kosi Bay & Mozambique!

I never would of imagined that one weekend could display so much of God’s greatness. This past weekend four of my closest girlfriends and I traveled 9 hours to Kosi Bay. Kosi Bay is a semi-tropical area in the very northeastern part of South Africa. It is about a 20 minute drive from the southern Mozambique border.

Early Friday morning we left and traveled through the Mapumalanga state and Kwazulu-Natal state in South Africa. In my opinion they are the two most beautiful states in South Africa. It is very mountainous, everything is green and the clouds just beautifully sit in the blue sky. When we finally reached Kosi Bay it was in the beginning of the afternoon. We decided to head to Kosi Bay mouth. Here there are three large lakes that are quite beautiful and have a unique structure.

The third lake, which is the farthest away is completely filled with hippos! There were many monkeys jumping through the trees. We then went to the “Kosi Bay Mouth.” This is where (if you look on a map at the NE part of South Africa) the land curves in and is a great place to snorkel. So I went snorkeling for the first time and saw such amazing fish! You can really see God’s creativity here because it seemed like every time I turned there was a new, unique fish! I got to swim through many schools of fish, saw some fish eggs with its protective mother, and even a lion fish! It was quite beautiful.

The next morning we woke up early to go to the Mozambique border. Thankfully we had no problems getting through. As soon as we entered Mozambique the roads went from nicely paved to completely sand. There was only one lane and you needed a 4-wheel drive to get through the deep sand!

After 20 minutes of sliding around the sand we finally reached the beautiful Panto D’Ouro. There we walked on the beach and tried to find the right contact person to swim with the dolphins. For some reason things were just not working out with the dolphins- we couldn’t find the right people, we needed more people with us, etc. We finally found this lady who was just about to go out to the ocean. She told us that we could come and pay the money but there was absolutely no chance we could swim with the dolphins because the waves were so rough.

Samantha and I decided to take the chance anyways and at least be able to see them up close. We were on the boat for about thirty minutes and still had seen no dolphins. Finally we saw some dolphins in the distance, about 20 in all and they were heading to our boat. I was able to stand at the front of the boat and they were literally swimming around our boat. The instructor told us that it would be fine to go into the ocean with them! I didn’t have time to even get scared about jumping into the deep ocean. We had to quickly put on our flippers and snorkels before they swam away!

A minute later I jumped into the ocean and I saw before my eyes a dolphin! Behind me were several other dolphins. They are so graceful and beautiful in the water. It was so majestic words can hardly describe it. We even saw a baby dolphin with its parents. It was really an amazing event. Afterwards we went to some markets and bought some coconuts and pineapples. I was even able to try a traditional Mozambican sandwich! The rest of our day was spent in the beautiful ocean. It was a day I will never forget.

The next morning we drove into a rural area to go to a church. The roads were red dirt and there were butterflies everywhere! It was also beautiful. The church “building” was basically a circle built of sticks with a tree protruding from the middle to provide shade for the members. The Zulu people are so welcoming and are such a joy to be around. Also singing worship with them is always a treat- trying to make the clicks in all the right spots!

It really was a fantastic weekend and God definitely answered my prayers and more! Two or three times this weekend we saw large rainbows- reminding me of the faithfulness that God gives to those who follow after Him. May He also continue to bless you! This week we are doing AIDS training as well as Kid’s ministry. We are preparing ourselves for our rural outreach. We leave for Gazankulu next Monday. After God so richly blessed me this weekend I am really hoping that I can also be a blessing to those in Gazankulu! Continue to pray for me and my team! Thanks!

cool fish

canoeing in the Indian Ocean

entering Mozambique

Kosi Bay

Pineapple Lady

Capetown!

I was very excited to travel to Capetown- mostly to just be able to relax- but I never imagined that it would be such a beautiful place. Capetown, often referred to as the “Mother City” of South Africa holds up to all the great stories I had heard. There is so much to see and do in this busy, upbeat city that I wish we could have stayed for even longer! I will just share about fun stories of things we did and also have plenty of pictures to go along with the stories. I really hope you enjoy reading about the places and also seeing the pictures. And I’m sure after reading and seeing you won’t be able to resist coming to Capetown!

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront:

This is a very famous place right on the harbor of Capetown. This was one of my favorite places to hang out. There are tons of shops, restaurants, harbor tours, live music, African dancers, men appearing to be statues, etc. It is so upbeat and lively that it is just really fun to get dressed up and walk around. We also were able to enjoy a super cheap harbor tour on a boat. There were many seals on the dock right next to us. It is a really beautiful view from the harbor of all the hotels, mountains, ships, Robben Island, etc. This is one of the best places to be on New Year’s Eve because the fireworks are shot off right across the harbor over the water. Despite the massive crowd we were able to get amazing seats right next to the water (I had to take my shoes off in fear that they would fall into the harbor!) and watched the great fireworks from there. It was an awesome way to ring in 2009!

Boulders Coastal Park and Stony Point:

These are two famous beach areas that have colonies for the penguins that are native to South Africa. (really strange huh?) They are called the jackass penguins because of the obnoxious sounds that they make. In both of these places we saw hundreds of these penguins.

Cape Point:

This is on the south western part of South Africa. This is the spot where some geologists believe that the Atlantic and Indian ocean meet. There is a beautiful light house that you walk up to see and can look to both sides and see the oceans flow forever with some mountains barely seen in the distance. On the one side of the lighthouse the wind that is blown from the ocean is very cold (the Atlantic side) and the opposite side has much warmer air blown (the Indian side). This was definitely beautiful and really cool thing to see.

Cape of Good Hope:

This is the most south western point of the whole continent of Africa. In the old days many ships would crash into the mountain side from the really rough waves. So I’m not sure really why it is called the cape of Good Hope- maybe because you need good hope to survive.

Hillsong Church of Capetown:

On our only Sunday we went to the Hillsong church in Capetown. This is one of the few Hillsong churches in the world. It was started in June by the Hillsong church in Australia. It was by far the best church I have attended here so far. And of course the worship was great!

Betty’s Bay:

This is a bay on the Indian ocean side, so the water is fairly warm. Here the sunsets are absolutely beautiful. They also had many of these interesting snails all over the ocean. I found here the most beautiful spiral seashells that got stuck behind many rocks that were not broken at all. A few minutes away from Betty’s Bay there is a river that has a 26 foot cliff. The locals will often jump from this cliff into the river which has water that is fresh from the mountains. Although I was scared I jumped and it was so much fun!

Camp’s Bay:

Another beautiful beach that is on the Atlantic side. The waters are therefore very cold but can be quite refreshing on a really hot day. We spent some time here chilling and working on our tans on New Years Day. It is a really gorgeous beach with lots of rocks to sit on and gaze out into the deep sea. Sometimes you can even see dolphins!

Monkeys:

On our way to Cape Point we were driving along this bend and noticed that some cars had stopped on the side of the road. This was a strange place to stop and we looked over only to find a whole family of monkeys! We immediately pulled over and then got out of the car to take some pictures (we were still some distance away). Then all of a sudden the biggest monkey turned around and started chasing us! We quickly jumped into the van and slammed the door. Don’t worry we were safe from the monkeys!

Table Mountain:

This is the famous backdrop of the city and one of the biggest tourist attractions. It is a mountain that runs flat on the top and therefore looks like a table. There is a mountain that is shaped like a lion’s head right across from it. The clouds will often times be just right above the mountains- creating such a beautiful picture. Every where you go in Capetown Table Mountain makes a beautiful silhouette.

Well this is just a small taste of what Capetown has to offer and things we did. It was a really relaxing time and I truly enjoyed it. I wished we could of stayed longer but now we are back in Pretoria and are starting work again on Monday. We will be helping in the kitchen again at a retreat. Please pray that it won’t be too physically challenging as we are still desiring to relax. And that we might have a great servants attitude. Thanks for your prayers and I hope your Christmas and New Years was blessed!

Limopo Valley

Limpopo Valley was our last outreach of 2008 and was definitely one of the most challenging. Our team has really been pushed to what we feel is our limits. We have been going non-stop for quite some time now and on this outreach we really felt the effects of that. We went into the outreach exhausted from Teen Street and anxious for our vacation time. I prayed many times throughout this outreach that God would strength us and help keep us focused. Thankfully God did answer and I realized that many times we feel as if we are at the breaking point but God is at the peak of His performance in us.

Limpopo Valley is one of the most beautiful places we have been to so far. There are mountains everywhere. God was definitely watching over us because Limpopo is generally extremely hot but every day we were there (except for the last) it was cloudy and “cool”. This was a great sign to me that God wanted us there. The whole week we attended different churches. There was anywhere from 20 to 150 people at each church. The whole year a team of young people from this area put together a program to teach locals about staying healthy and active not only physically but also spiritually. They challenged them to memorize verses and learn Bible stories.

We were there for the last celebration day of their program. So our involvement was really to stir up excitement in the town so that others may also want to join the program next year. Many people came to see the “lekua “- white people. It was very fun to play games, sing songs, dance, do skits, kid’s programs, etc. Although I would be quite exhausted during the day whenever I was needed in a program I really felt reenergized- something only God can do.

The people in Limpopo are in desperate need of understanding God’s love. A Christian native told me her testimony, which made me realize the state of these people. Over 80% claim to be a “Christian.” But many of these “Christians” are a part of the Zionist church. The Zionist church takes some Christian morals, but completely disregards the need of salvation and acceptance of Jesus to be saved. They also encourage members to go to the songomas (witch doctors) for help. They are caught in this cycle of ancestral worship and can’t get away from it.

This local believer told me how for her exams she went to the songoma all the time in hopes that she would do well on her exams. Whenever she visited the songoma she would come home to find that her mom was extremely sick. The more she went to the songoma the worst her mom became and suddenly one day her mom became blind. She has been blind now for ten years. She said that after she became a Christian things are better with her mom but her mom still wishes to go to the songmas in hopes to have sight again. This is not an uncommon story. When we did house visits there were three people who when asked if they had any prayer requests, they all said that they have terrible dreams and feel as if some kind of spirit is troubling them.

People in Limpopo Valley, as well as many other parts of Africa, have these issues with spiritual warfare, something we as Americans do not experience. I would really ask that you

1. thank God for where you are and that this is not such a huge issue
2. pray for these people, even right now as you read this, pray that they will not believe the lies of Satan and will find Jesus.

I’ve realized from this as well how powerful Jesus is and I am very thankful that He has all the power and authority on the Earth.

Limpopo was a tiring yet beneficial outreach. I’m sure you can understand me when I say I am very excited to have some vacation time. On Monday the team is leaving to Capetown for the holidays! I only have a few things to do like wash clothes, pack, finish up presents, etc. but I can’t wait to be able to relax on the beach in Capetown. With the warmth it is very hard to find the Christmas spirit but today I was listening to Christmas music and making Christmas cut outs and I really felt like I was at home. I know that my Christmas will be a unique and memorable one. I hope that yours is as well. May you enjoy the hustle and bustle of the season, the snow, your family and most importantly celebrating the birth of Our Lord and Savior. May you have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

me & the 3 rondovos round houses that are naturally shaped mountains

african art village

beautiful mountains

church

my family

gorgeous scenery

Durban

I just returned a few days ago from a two week outreach in Durban. Durban is a busy city on the east coast of South Africa. We didn’t actually work in Durban but rather in the Zulu speaking areas right outside the busy city.

The first week we worked at Lilly of the Valley. LOV is a community projects place that is making a huge difference in the surrounding community. On the base there they have a soup kitchen, sewing classes, computer classes, Zulu classes, vegetable tunnels, community center, an outdoor amphitheater and a medical clinic. There are tons of volunteers who are encouraged to creatively think of ways to reach the community of various age groups. It was amazing to hear of all that LOV is doing and it was clear when we went throughout the community that they were making a big difference.

There is also an orphanage nearby that LOV supports. A year and a half ago the kids at this orphanage were being sold as sex slaves but you would never imagine that when you visit it now. It is a place that is full of joy in Christ. The kids love reading, playing, smiling and being in Sunday school! They are even putting on a Christmas play in the next few weeks.The orphanage was one of my favorite places to be. I loved reading with the orphans and just playing with them. They had so much joy and always wanted to be hugged. God is definitely working through the volunteers, the staff and hopefully our team as well.

We also went to nearby medical clinics in LOV. We sang Zulu songs, did a drama, an application and prayed with the many people that were waiting in lines to go in. Some of the people would wait all day just to see a doctor. It was at our first medical clinic that I really had a touching conversation. In the beginning of our program we were singing some Zulu songs and this beautiful young woman kept catching my eye. She had such a big, bright smile and I really felt like I needed to talk with her. So when we had a chance to pray with people I went over to her. She told me her name was Zudowa and she was 24. She told me about how she was almost done with school with a marketing major. She asked me questions about my life, etc.

After a short conversation I told her I wished to pray with her and asked if she had any special requests. She said school but more importantly healing. She then went to tell me that her younger brother died last week of AIDS. She said as she walked three miles to get to the medical clinic today she couldn’t stop thinking about him and was really sad. I told her that I was very shocked to hear that because the first thing I noticed about her was her joy and big smile. She then just looked at me, smiled and said, “I can’t not smile when I see you smiling. You all brought me great joy today and now I can’t stop smiling.” I was really blown away by this comment.

At another medical clinic five people came to know Jesus. Many others asked for prayer from us. God was truly working through us at these medical clinics. We also visited medical clinics in the second week in IMBALIYWEZWE. We had another awesome experience at a medical clinic. As we went to leave our leader said we want to give hugs to you all before we leave. The translator then translated in Zulu and all of a sudden everyone jumped up from their seats with joy and opened their arms. There was so much love and joy in that room- I can’t even describe it. I never realized before that morning how much a hug can mean to someone.

We also did many kid’s programs in preschools and helped clear some ground for a church plant. During this week we also stayed with families. So now my name is Maria Ntuli. My family was very hospitable and had four adorable children. Although we weren’t in the homes that often it was once again a great opportunity to see how people here in South Africa live.

After our two weeks of ministry we stayed a few extra days so that we could see more of Durban. We went to a street market where you could buy great African crafts. But my favorite time was going to the Indian Ocean! It was my first time seeing the ocean in my whole life! The waves were huge and fun to swim in. God definitely can be seen in the vastness of the ocean. He really blessed me by giving me this relaxing time at the beach but also here at the OM base.

We don’t have anything until December 8th so we have a good amount of time to reflect and relax. On December 8th we are leaving to go to another location here in Pretoria. There is a week long conference for local teenagers called Teen Street. We are helping in the kitchen for the week and may also get to attend some of the sessions. Please pray for Teen Street. They are still waiting for applications to come in, trying to set up everything for the conference. Pray for the teenagers: that they may come in with open hearts that are ready and willing to be changed. Thanks for your prayers and I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Enjoy the pictures

Namibia (Part 1)

Namibia is a sun scorched land with scarce amounts of water, exotic animals, wondrous sunrises and sunsets, temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, stars that seem so close you can almost touch them, people that live in the “bush” and are far away from technology and luxuries we know in the US. Amongst the thirsty and hungry people there is a deep pride and joy of their culture: the things that they have grown up to know and accept. What is amazing about my time in this country is that I not only enjoyed my time with the people but also through experiencing God’s creation. We traveled a lot in our time in Namibia. From Pretoria, S. Africa to Okahana, Namibia it took about 28 hours, split between two days, on our OM bus. Not only did we travel a lot to get into the country but also throughout the country. We traveled from the south of Namibia to the very north and were even a few minutes away from Angola. Although we spent a lot of the time in the road we did get to stop at some beautiful places and stayed in Okangwati, a small town in the “bush” of Africa for nearly a week doing ministry. I left Namibia with a renewed mindset of myself, of God’s creation and His plans for me: all of which I would love to share with you.

Thankfully we had time to relax and truly experience God’s craftsmanship in making this country. We stayed a few days at Epupa Falls. The water falls were captivating and really reflected God’s creativity. One morning a group of us woke up around 4:30 am and hiked up some mountains to see the sunrise. I believe it was the best sunrise I have ever seen. It was really like God shining in all His glory and gave me a beautiful picture of the light that will be in heaven. We also went to Etosha Game Park. This is the 2nd largest game park in the world and very famous because of their water hole. A few years ago they set up video cameras to capture the animals that came here to drink and set up connecting screens in countries in Europe so that people could watch the animals come to drink. It may sound boring: watching animals come to drink but a lot of action takes place at the water hole. It is not uncommon to hear lions roaring in the distance or to see a pack of lions attack their prey right at the hole.

Our time at the water hole was just as exciting. I saw a few elephants, large groups of zebras, giraffes, springbok, oryxs, rhinos and even saw a lion come to drink. We went in the early morning, in the afternoon and late at night to see the animals come to drink water. I think for the first time I got to see these animals in such a natural setting, it was a neat experience. I also had my first authentic safari ride. We traveled in a large jeep with no windows through a man’s farm where the animals run wild. They were not a part of a park, hindered by fences but were free and roaming. We also stopped at a crocodile farm where I saw many huge crocodiles. I even had one snap at me- which made my heart beat very fast! I must share with you that I have a “South African Dream List.” It is a piece of paper that hangs near my bed of things that I wish to see or accomplish here in South Africa. I can say with joy that one of those dreams happened! I really wanted to try crocodile meat and so where else should I do that but at a crocodile farm! So I ordered a salad with many strips of crocodile on it. I have to say it was quite delicious!

Namibia is rich in creation and animals but the people are also very fascinating. There are many different people groups in Namibia. We had the privilege of staying with two of them. One of people groups have a distinct look and culture all their own: they are the Himba people. They are very proud of their culture and distinction. A Himba is easily noticeable by their outer appearance alone. The woman and men were no tops and have a skirt, sort of like a sack cloth around their lower halves. The woman use “oker” which is a red rock to help keep their skin looking young. They mix the rock with water and then like lotion, rub it all over their body so the people have skin that is stained red. If you touch them it is immediately evident because you too will be stained. They live in circular villages with little huts. They have a “holy fire” in the middle of their village that can never be put out. If you accidentally put it out you could be excommunicated. Men are also highly respected amongst these people and therefore always eat first and sit in chairs whereas the women normally sit on the floor.

Another cultural asset which we got to enjoy was that for bathing they sit in a hot spring. A hot spring is a pool of water that comes naturally from the Earth’s center. It is extremely warm and very relaxing to sit in. So when it was dark the girls would go to bathe under the stars- a truly once in a life time opportunity. As you can see they live very basically, especially when compared to the wonders of America and Western Europe. But these people also have a different view of life than we has Americans do. They take pride in their culture and their lifestyle and from that we were able to learn a lot. A small group of local believers, half of whom were Himbas, stayed in tents in our campsite so we were able to interact with them often. Although it was rough to try and connect with these people because of the language and culture barrier we did get a chance to hear their testimonies which were really moving. God really works in miraculous ways to prove Himself to these people. At the end of the week we, along with the native believers, had a church service for the whole community. With the songs and music much of the community was pulled in and after a few minutes we had quite a crowd. The local believers shared the gospel with their community which was really awesome to see. We really planted the seeds for people in the village to know who to go to if they have questions or are wondering about Jesus. One young girl asked one of my team members if she could pray for her because she really wants to become a believer. It is really exciting to think about how God can work in this community.

There was really one moment that was extremely impactful and touching to me during our ministry in this community, Okangwati. I worked in a small group in the local school. We went on a Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning doing programs for the school. I guess in this town Maria is a very popular name and so after I told one person my name it seemed as if all knew my name. We would walk into the school yard and kids I had never seen before would run up to me and say, “Maria! How are you?” Even when I walked on the streets kids would pop out of their homes calling my name and said hi! It was so touching to me and made me feel as if I was making an impact on these kids. On the last day at the school I was walking towards the bus with a group of about twenty girls following me. One girl that I had talked with during the time at the school just came over to me and gave me a huge hug. It was the best hug I have ever gotten. She clung on to me with so much love. I felt as if she had never felt a true hug before or met someone that really cared about her. As we embraced about thirty other kids came and latched themselves on to me. We really had to leave and I couldn’t even move. I wanted to cry with tears of joy because of the love that was being poured out. I wanted to just stay with them forever. And this small event really made me realize what makes my heart beat.

It revealed to me the passions I have for myself and the goals I have for my daily life, even when I am back in the US. Here is an excerpt from my journal entry from the end of this monumental day: “Today being with kids here in Namibia brought me so much joy. One girl just clung to me like she had never experienced a hug before. I want to share my love and joy with everyone. I never want someone to feel inadequate, that no one loves them, that are hungry and thirsty for answers in life, lost amongst civilization, not sure of what lies ahead or not heard the beautiful sound of Jesus… I feel like when I return home I want to be at school where I can build relationships with people who feel inadequate in a world that demands an impossible standard, that search for love in all the wrong places, that hunger and thirst for truth amongst earthly lies, lost amongst the best of the best and of course I want their lives to be complete thorough Jesus Christ… I fully trust in God’s plan for my life because no matter where I am- in the desert or in the comfort of a home-I know I will praise Jesus. To God be the glory!”

On Tuesday the 11th our team will continue to share Christ’s love to the people of South Africa in the big city, Durban. We will be there for two weeks doing various kinds of ministry. Please pray that our team can continue to have good health: physically and spiritually. Also that God may continue to reveal to me the plans He has for my future. Thanks for reading my blog and for your prayers. I really hope that you can also be blessed by what God is teaching and showing me! (And enjoy the pictures!)

a friend beside my bed

me and my elephant skull

an exotic plant

the beautiful sky and thorns of namibia

a view from our campsite: a once flowing river that is now dried up

one of our campsites

some friends that would join us by our tents

a beautiful sunset

at the school

at the hot spring

a gorgeous sunrise

Namibia (Part 2)

an “upside down” tree: also what cream of tarter is made from

Adam and I: Namibia on the right, Angola on the Left

the water hole

Oryxs fighting in the water hole

the water hole is a busy place in the mornings

Etosha Game Park

water hole at night

Swaziland

Sanibonani! Swaziland is a small country north of South Africa. It is a beautiful country that has many mountains and therefore some gorgeous views. However it is a country that is in a great need of many things- including hope. AIDS has greatly stricken the country. 40% of the population has been infected by HIV/AIDS, the largest percentage in the world. The life expectancy for people in Swaziland is 36 years old. A full generation has been nearly wiped out by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Nearly every where we went we would see small children that were being taken care of by “gogos”- the name for a grandmother. The middle generation is rare to see, it is normally just small children and old people. The people walk many, many miles to get suitable water. And even then that water is not suitable for us to drink and is normally taken from a river where people wash their clothes, take baths, etc. The people are just crying out for hope- something that I hope our team was able to give them, through the Gospel, in the two weeks we were there.

The first week we stayed in city called Siteki. I was very nervous about staying with families but that ended up being an awesome experience. A girl named Anne and myself stayed together in a family’s home. The two parents were teachers and they had three loving children. I truly think I got the real African experience with them. One of them being that Anne, myself and the two little girls all slept together in a double bed. We showered with buckets and enjoyed meals with them. They are truly an inspiration to me and I really enjoyed all of my time with them. They are truly lights for Christ in their communities. They live out their life for Christ in everything they do. They prayed every morning and evening together as a family asking for God’s protection and provision over their family. I really feel as if I have family in Swaziland and they even called me their daughter. It was a great experience with them. While we were in Siteki we did ministry from early in the morning until late afternoon. We did a lot of kid’s ministry at various schools. We also visited the local hospital. We opened a medical clinic and while people were waiting for the doctor we entertained them with skits, songs, etc. We also did many home visits which was one of my highlights. It was good to see the people in their homes. I saw many people that looked close to death and very well could die in a few days. It was amazing to bring them hope and life when they seemed to have no more.

The second week we spent in a city called Manzini. All the girls stayed together in a woman’s home. In Manzini we did a lot of practical work. We made bricks for a person’s home, dug holes for a garden, cleaned out a house, etc. My favorite part in Manzini was one day we were working on the garden and there was really too many people working and not enough work to do so a lot of us were just standing around. We asked if we could go to a home nearby and pray with them. After the man said that was fine a small group of us headed to the person’s home. Unfortunately the door was locked and no one was home. A native that was with us to help translate encouraged us to continue on to another house. We were climbing through the fields, over bushes, over trenches, around rivers, etc. Eventually we saw a house but then the native turned around and told us that there were some dangerous dogs at the house that may try and bite us. At this I said that we should turn around, I was obviously quite frightened.

The native however encouraged us to continue on. As soon as we opened the gates two dogs ran towards us and were barking madly. I began to turn to run away when a woman came out and yelled at the dogs and they retreated back to their spot beside the house. She said something like “I know why you have come” and welcomed us into her home. Inside was her husband who was very sick. His breathing was so raspy and he seemed to be in so much pain. We shared some scripture with them, sang some songs and gave her a Bible in her language. I asked her to read the Bible to her husband so that he may learn more about Jesus’ love for him and a hope that he can cling to. She said that she would read it to him and that she would have her children also read it to him when they come home from school. Just that morning I was reading about how fear can stop us from proclaiming the Gospel and fully living our lives to Christ. Immediately that became true in my own life. I was so afraid of the dogs and didn’t trust in God’s plan enough. But it was amazing to see that once I trusted Him and allowed him to guide my feet, He led me to a man that was desperate for hope and love which we were able to bring to him.

At the end of the two weeks I was very exhausted and ready to head back to Pretoria. On the last day a few of our leaders were meeting with the Mother Queen of Swaziland. We prayed over this large field where they hoped to build a medical clinic. They had to meet with the Mother Queen and get her permission to have the land and build on it. They had many appointments that got canceled and were not getting their hopes up for meeting with her. On the afternoon of the last day the leaders went and the Mother Queen granted them permission to have and build on the land. Our leaders explained to her what our team was doing and after hearing the things we had been doing in Swaziland she desired to meet with us. She said that she would like us to do a small church service for her and then have a braai (a barbecue) at her house. She bought bush pig meat, which is a warthog for the braai. It was quite the experience being able to sit with a woman that has so much power. We shared scriptures with her and encouraged her to love her people and help them. She said that she really appreciated our time and thoughts and that we really encouraged her to help provide for those in need in her country. It was such an incredible and rare experience to meet her. She even said that she won’t quickly forget us and that we have made an impact on her and her country. This was such a great way to end our time in Swaziland and I really think there is so much more hope for the circumstances in this country.

Now we have a two week at the base in Pretoria. We will be doing some practical work on the base and also hear some teachings from special speakers. It will be a nice rest period before our next outreach to Namibia. Please continue to pray for my team that we will continue to connect not only with each other but also with our leaders. Please also lift up the country of Swaziland and the people that our team came in contact with. Thank you so much for reading this and for your prayers! Enjoy the pictures! And please if you have any questions about what I was doing or want to hear more stories just email me at: maria.messner@tt.rsa.om.org Thanks!

the people lined up outside the medical clinic

my my "mother", my "sister" Alice and I

a group of us on a safari, we got out of the car and were a few feet away from a crash of rhinos (they are right behind us!)

me and the landscape of Swaziland

the beautiful jacaranda trees

swaziland

me and Mother Queen of Swaziland

Anne and I braying the bush pig

beautiful swaziland

beautiful mountains

me loving on the kids

me and my Siswati family