My Solo Grand Adventure Pt. 1 | South Africa
In exactly one month, I will be landing in Cape Town South Africa. EEKS!
I know, right?! It’s been one heck of a year as I have planned and prayed and produced. Ha! Produced sounds weird, but technically I am a producer as I “pro·duce verb /prəˈd(y)o͞os/ make or manufacture from components or raw materials.”
But really, I’ve had to learn tricks of the podcast trade and only by God’s grace. I know, that’s more Christianese for you, but I really don’t know how else to put it. It’s unexplainable, radical grace that I’m at this point. It’s been a year to celebrate as the podcast and project that’s been on my heart for a couple years finally launched. I’m so glad it’s out for others to hear. I’ve had to learn how to go easy on myself, it’s one big learning curve as I’m no expert podcaster or no expert audio editor. But it’s amazing what prayer can achieve.
It’s been so encouraging to hear the feedback, people who have encouraged me to keep walking in this and that it’s something that is needed, “a dry valley”. God faithfully has brought couples to me or put them on my heart to reach out to and as the podcast launched I felt it was finally time to reach out to some of the couples who were further… two families in particular, one in Uganda and one in South Africa but whose story I really wanted to tell.
The responses I got back from both women was something wild and glorious. They both understood my heart and the vision and agreed to be a part and offered me a place to stay! Whenever I reach out to people I don’t fully know what to expect. Marriage is a tricky thing and if not in the right place to talk about marriage related things, then I just never know what sort of reply I will get. I’ve reached out to people and had *crickets* (no response) or schedules not line up.
But all I can say is this year God intended me to go to South Africa.
The craziest part was that I felt I was to go by myself. Or at least when I entertained the thought, I had a peace about it. A couple friends were interested but decided against it. And it kept coming back around to me journeying alone, with the Lord.
“The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14
This was the verse I came to. How would traveling 25+ hours one way bring rest? In solitude. To get away. To write. To take in the beauty of a new land. And the assurance I wouldn’t really be alone alone. I’ve always wanted to go to Africa, but the southern most part? I have to admit I never had it on my radar. But that’s life with Jesus. He takes what we think we want and gives us things our little minds could never dream up on our own. And it truly isn’t happening based on anything I could have done on my own. Sure, I’m making moves to put the podcast out. Sure, I emailed the couples but it’s supernatural what’s happened to secure all the tiniest of details. I’ll traveling alone but it’s taken a lot of moving parts to get me to this place. I’ve been surrounded by people praying for me and the logistics. If it weren’t for the help of others offering their homes and hearts to me I wouldn’t be going.
As I make the journey across the Atlantic, down passed Europe and the Middle East and onto the continent of Africa, I genuinely have no idea what’s in store for this part of my story. I know I’m on my way to collect another story for the project, but also wondering who I’ll meet to tell them about His story, the gospel of Jesus and how He saved me.
It’s a journey of faith…and courage, scarcely found but faithfully given by the One who is the most courageous. My prayer is that I absorb every part of it, document it well, live by the call He’s placed in my heart and open myself up to what He wants to do in me through a journey such as this. One I never expected to be on.
If someone had told — “At 31, you’ll still be single, traveling to South Africa, going on a safari, and recording for the podcast you have, alone…” I’d never have believed them. But this is life in Christ. This is life surrendered to do His will. This is life “dying to self”. This is life walking by faith, not by sight. This is life lived for the message of the gospel because I know its power to save. To save souls literally falling apart at the seams with lost hope, in the midst of political wars, flailing in the sea of mental illness, dying from starvation, facing the daily reality of genocide, who are victims of greed, evil and abused power, you name it. Jesus can save from it all and gives us something to live for in the midst of a world such as this. His power has no match against the powers of this world.
Traveling to South Africa to share this with others?! Wow! Sign me up, Jesus. He knows the messenger ain’t perfect (that’s me!)… she may slip up, not say the right thing, yet she’s simply forgiven. And Jesus can work with that. He lets us help in the work.