“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” Psalm143:13
“He is faithful in all He does.” Psalm 33:4
I stand victorious through the precious blood of my Savior Jesus Christ. Who has won the battle and defeated the power of the enemy in my life.
Nine months ago I was preparing to leave for my journey back to Jbay for my new experience in LXP. So unsure of what laid ahead of me and with so many expectations of what God wanted to do in my life. I can stand here nine months later at the end of my year in LXP and say far above what I accepted God to do has happened in my life.
“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.”
Ephesians 3:20
I’ve been spending the last weeks processing and reflecting on what God has done in me and I see how quickly I’ve forgotten the places God took me from and how He has brought so much freedom into my life. He has taken me from a place of insecurity and little confidence to a place of being a confident leader and the woman God had intended me to be all along.
This experience has changed my life completely. I’ve been challenged like never before and taken out of my comfort zone almost on a daily basis. I looked back to my prayer list before I came to LXP and one of the things I was praying was that God would take me out of my comfort zone every day. Well, He did just that!
I’ve been changed in my leadership ability. When I came to LXP and had to lead a small group of teen I was terrified and so unsure, but now I can confidently and comfortably lead a small group of many ages and backgrounds. It has definitely been, because of all the experiences and the weekly youth program we held every Thursday afternoon.
I learned how to disciple a person and really walk with them through the ups and downs of life. During this year I discipled two girls every week, it was so amazing to see the change in them and where God took them from to where they are at now. One of the girls after months of praying for her just gave her life to Christ two weeks ago. I truly believe this year after discipling that the first step is discipleship and then during this time they are given the choice to accept Christ and they really learn what it means to follow Christ. As this girl and I spoke on the beach on Saturday afternoon the time was so powerful as she declared she wanted to give up her heart of stone and receive the heart of flesh that Jesus awaits to give us. At that moment the Holy Spirit gave me this. I told her to go where the sand and water meet and write every sin she needed to ask for forgiveness and the things she needed to surrender to Jesus. It was such a beautiful picture of what God does for us every day as He completely removes our sin. I praise the LORD for what He had done in the life of this sweet girl.
During the year the Lord has places so many different people in my path to walk, pray for and just encourage and speak life into. One of those is Jonathan. From my previous post most of you know Jonathan. He is a boy that has completely captured my heart like very few children. The past two months it’s been a journey that I wouldn’t trade for anything. It has been one of the most difficult journeys I have walked with anyone. One with many tears, questions, doubts, and unknowns. But through this I have been learning so much about the heart of my Heavenly Father and also about myself. I will speak more about Jonathan and his story in a later post.
In LXP my prayer life has changed so much. I remember in coming to LXP and Tuesday’s were our days of corporate fasting. We would meet during the lunch hour to prayer; I remember thinking to myself how can I pray for an hour? The first two weeks were difficult, but as I continued I began to grow in my hunger for prayer and talking to my Father. An hour became not enough!
I’ve seen God’s power in ways I’ve dreamt and read about in the bible come and be part of my life and my LXP family. One of those times was when two of my teammates and me went to visit a family and we began to pray for woman there that was sobbing uncontrollably. As we continued praying demons started manifesting in her and after some time praying for her the demons were cast out in Jesus name. I truly experienced the power of God has He used my mortal body where His Holy Spirit resides to cast the demons out of this woman. I can’t even say I prayed for her, cause it was not I that was praying-but the Holy Spirit through me. This should be the normal! In Mark 16:17-18 it says;
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
The power of God is real and manifests through the Holy Spirit in us. If only we let Him has His way in our life and walk in in obedience to His Spirit.
I’ve been stretched to live in a house full of people from a different culture and language then me. I can stand here and say it’s made me a stronger and better person. Like it says in James chapter one; consider it pure joy when you face trials, because it develops perservance. The first couple months for those who walk closely beside me know that I was ready to catch the next flight home. I felt alone, like the alien, but I know that God had called me here to LXP and I could not go home and is obey His call. I truly felt the reality of paying the cost to be a disciple of Jesus.
When He says;
“Anyone of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
Jesus truly became my Rock, My Fortress and my Stronghold.
Psalm 62
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
This became my daily prayer over my life. Before I left for Africa the Lord has promised me that when I felt alone or insecure I would find everything I needed in His presence and that was a promise fulfilled.
One of my mentors here in Africa told me before I came to LXP that after this year I would know if I really love Africa. Because this year was 100% different then my previous year coming with Americans-still in my comfort zone of culture, language and mindset. But now I was being placed in a setting so unknown to me with all Africans. This was the promise God gave me in
Isaiah 41:9-10
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand
To answer her question; Yes, I STILL love Africa. And God has continued to confirm my call for this continent. People often ask me aren’t you scared to live in Africa and leave your family, friends and home behind. My answer is; “it’s not easy, I miss my family and friends so much every day, but over the past two years of my life I’ve come to know the heart of my Jesus much more intimately. I know that He only has me do what is the best for His kingdom and the life He has given me. He calls me to the end of the earth, because He knows that is what He has made me to do. The Creator of the heavens and the earth also made me and know what I was created for.
The call is great and the cost is high, but the promises of our faithful God are endless. Every time I was faced with doubt, the unknown, fear, anxiety and homesickness there was a promise awaiting me in His word.
“God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.”
Numbers 23:19
It’s difficult to put into words and write exactly what my time in LXP was like, but this is just a small taste of what God did in my life and I pray it encourages you.
Thank you to each and every one of you my dear brothers and sister for you support this year as I journeyed in LXP. I can see the hand of God working so mightily as I there was days I was weak and in need of prayer and I would receive a phone call or an email from one of you at just the right time. Or times when finances were low and God would put on someone’s heart to give just the right amount that I was needing. Thank you for being obedient to the promptings of the Spirit and blessing me. I really could not do this journey without each and every one of your prayers and financial support. I praise the Lord for you and I pray His blessing over you as you have been such a blessing to me.
I will be arriving home on Christmas day. Until then I am visiting some friends in different parts of South Africa and then taking a two week missions trip to India. Please be in prayer for me as I go and work in the orphanages and the children.
I appreciate each and every one of you and look forward to seeing you next month!
Until then, may His blessing rest upon you.
Much love from South Africa
