Serve Week Day 1

Yesterday we went to a festival in Hennenman, where local vendors sell crafts and food. There was live music and dancing. We helped the church's cafe set up under their tent. It was great for them to have a presence at the festival.

We were able to experience their culture, visit with the locals and enjoy the slow pace of South Africa. The man running the sausage stand had a Detroit Tigers hat on! 

Today was our first day of serve week with Imago Dei Church. Before church, we made lunch as a surprise for the congregation for after church. We fed 144 people and it was a great time for fellowship. It was so nice to be back at Imago Dei, seeing familiar faces and experiencing church in a different country.

In the afternoon we made up care packages to hand out later this week in the community. The bags included toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, wash cloths and snacks. Thank you again to those of you who contributed these items for the care packages. They were surprised with how big our toothpaste tubes were! 

Last week we attended a bible study at the pastor's house, where they were reviewing last week's sermon, which was Romans 12:1-2. The sermon at Imago Dei today was on Romans 12:3-4. This afternoon I received a message from the South African pastor I met at the South African Embassy in D.C. All the message said was, 

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Romans 12:2

Isn't that a God kiss! Being on a mission trip definitely creates the environment to allow the Lord to work in your heart and mind. I am so grateful to experience God's presence in a more intimate way. I feel like when I open His word on these hot South African mornings, that the words speak to me in a more tender way. When I was sitting with the Lord today, my eyes filled with tears and my only explanation was that I felt his nearness and I didn't want to leave it. 

Lizel, my South African friend who has been going through chemo, and I went to visit a widow from the church this afternoon. She was so sweet and made us fresh South African corn. It was my first time eating it off the cob! I usually cut off the kernels 😆

Lizel finished chemotherapy last week and has a little break until her surgery. Her hair is starting to grow back and I have to remind her how beautiful she is.

I can't imagine going through all these changes. She is still low on energy but we went on a 2 mi walk yesterday and she said it was the longest she's been on her feet since getting diagnosed. As I walk through her house I find little sticky notes she has hidden for me. The one I found today said, "your presence is a fragrance". This warmed my heart and made me think of 2 Corinthians 2:14,

"God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance."

Let's be the fragrance.