Today as I write, it is Sunday morning, and in less than 24 hours I’ll be flying to Egypt to meet up with one of our Global Challenge teams - the “Explore Africa” team. After I spend a week with them, I’ll fly on to meet another team - the “Northbound” team in Croatia, only to return homeon July 17th.
These teams have been traveling since the end of their training in January of this year, so they’re about half way through their one-year journeys. The focus of our visit is to help debrief the teams, encourage them for the rest of their year, and help them to refocus their vision. I’ll be having one-on-one time with the leaders to make sure there aren’t any issues that need sorting out, and to just let them “vent” a little. We’ll spend a lot of time together in the Word of God and allow Him to refresh us all. I am very blessed to be a part of this. I’m also excited to be traveling with two other leaders on this journey.
The Lord has been so good to me. These last three months have been a battle for me to re-take ME –those things which the Lord has instilled in me, that which brings me life, that which encourages people. A big part of this process has been the rediscovery of my dormant creativity. I have decided to step out in faith and be all that I know God has created me to be. That choice has begun transforming my thinking, which is bringing me so much joy, courage, and peace. I believe the rest of the year will mark the rebirth of the blueprint that God has planned for me to be. (More on this later)
I am including a few pictures of some of the projects we’ve been up to lately. Two Saturdays ago a few of us Global guys were privileged to build a small house for a widow in the local township. Each of us on leadership meet weekly in our home cell groups and one of our leaders, Clara, has been building a relationship with this elderly lady named Maria. Maria was homeless, and so Clara let the need be known to all of the home cell groups, and we took up an offering, and were able to build her a home! What a joy to be part of this. I cut all of the corrugated tin for the roof and the sides and helped with the framing. Between about 10 of us, Maria had a house in 6 hours! How is that for an Extreme Home Makeover?
The moment that touched my heart was when Ouma Maria grabbed a bucket of water and started washing the cars of those of us who had come to build her home. This is what she had to offer, and so this is what she gave.
Sorry for not blogging lately. There has been so much going on in preparing for this Egypt trip, in local projects to help raise money for our new high school that is in the planning stages, lots of meetings with the full-time Global Challenge staff here, and in helping to raise our 19-month-old ball of energy, Emi.
Thank you for playing a role in everything we do here. We don’t take you for granted for a moment. Hebrews 10: 24 in the New Living Translation says this:
“Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.”
Let’s all be known by our love and good deeds towards the ones that the Lord puts across our paths. Thanks again for journeying with us in all of this. Pray for me while I’m in Egypt and Croatia, and for Jodi and Emi back home in South Africa while I’m away.
Thanks so much,
Marius
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