There is a saying and it goes something like this, “When I is replaced with We even illness because wellness”. In the last 6 months I have learned the importance of community. I come from a loner-esque background and was extremely worried I wouldn’t adjust to being around so many people, but I was wrong. I loved it.
(My friends and classmates the last 6 months)
Our Father taught me so much it’s made me question my whole life’s purpose (in a good way). My team, 6 girls; Kari, Corrie, Kyra, Katherine, and Tori went on outreach first to Tanzania for 3 weeks, and then to South Africa for 4 weeks. I’m going to tell you a story from each location. But first! PICTURES FROM TANZANIA YAYYYYY !!!
Team minus Tori headed to Tanzania. Left to Right: Katherine, Kyra, Kari, Corrie, and I (Tori joined us in South Africa)
So we took pictures like this. Hi Tori! (Left to Right:Kari, Tori, Kyra, Corrie, Katherine, Me)
She shops in the Missionary Clothing aisle at Walmart. (Corrie after preaching on our first sunday in Tanzania)
Playing Bata Bata zinga (Duck Duck Goose) The kids loved this game!
Bible story time ft. Katherine in a school plus 75 kids not pictured. She’s working hard!
So ya gotta balance out the work with a little play! Katherine and Josiah, Elisante’s (Our host) son.
Brothers bonding. I love that kid ( On the way back from school ministry)
Story time with Kyra! Elisante is to her right and is our Host and at times translator
Song and dance time!
5 of the girls from one of the morning schools we hosted in King’ori (Tanzania)
Five minutes later we turned that rock to pavement with a sledgehammer. And by we I mean I, but they watched so that counts for something, right
SMASH BROS. Fam? Smash Fam? uhh.. (Kyra working hard at Shalom)
We helped out for a few days at an Orphanage called Shalom. This is Corrie with a few of the orphans
THUMBS UP CAUSE GOD IS GOOD! Kyra at Shalom
This kid is a treasure ( At Shalom)
A couple staff and a few of the orphans at Shalom (Karatu)
Praying for Momma Warra. She is the tremendous visionary responsible for creating Shalom orphanage. God bless her
Hey lookie me and Josiah again. Right after I preached
Happiness (After preaching at our seminar in Masailand)
wait a second..how’d this get in here…
Posing for a picture with Laseeka, a Masai man who is an Elder at the Camp of Blessing church we hosted our seminar from (also ft. Katherine, I, and Corrie)
Me speaking at Camp Blessing. Next to me are Glory,(Elisante’s sister) Elisante, and Bishop (the Bishop..idk his name so I call him Bishop..good guy that man is.. very humble)
A good 5/7th of our daily ministry was with children, hence the many children in the pictures. And while children were a huge part of Tanzania, the most impactful time was in Masailand, (the middle leg of our 3 weeks in Tanzania)where we were asked to hold a six day long seminar, preaching for two hours every day. It was very intimidating because before that I had only preached twice. In my life. And both times were the weeks before. God greatly stretched me by testing my obedience. Every day except one he called me to preach, and so I would have the morning (About 4-5 hours) to prepare my sermon for that day. It’s important to note that I was not alone. Kyra, Katherine, Kari, and Corrie were there speaking as well, but God asked me oftentimes to speak the longest. The 4th day of the seminar I was going to be speaking with Kyra. As we were preparing that morning I asked God, “What will my notes look like?” and He showed me a blank page. Now, I knew that He was asking me to go up without notes and speak, guided by His Spirit. I was nervous. I wrote a couple notes on my hand and when it was time for the service to begin, I waltzed up, quite desperately aware of just how much I needed Jesus to guide my tongue. That day I spoke for an hour, with no notes(the picture above is from that experience). I felt so assured, and so organically natural. With notes at times I felt robotic, unable to convey myself through the veil of paper I was using. But speaking without notes freed me. I’ve never felt more like myself upon a stage than in that moment. In that moment I saw that God wants to use ME. Not the carbon copy cookie cutter version of me. But the ORIGINAL me. The creative me. As I spoke I tied in many art references and ended up using art as a metaphor for life as a follower of Christ. We’re supposed to lead a life like we’re pioneering an art form: It’s brand new. The experience was humbling. I saw in a glimpse who I am in relation to my Father in heaven.
Who am I?
I’ll write about that (and other stuff) in my next update which will be about our time South Africa.
Thanks for reading! And thanks for your prayers and support of me in my journey!
Praise Reports:
-DTS is over!
-I’m back home
-I’m figuring out what my next step is
Prayer Requests:
-DTS is over, I’m back home, and figuring out what my next step is. I need Father’s guidance and assurance.
-My twin is quite possibly going to prison for a couple years. Hearing in September. Pray that God’s will is done. And that whatever happens this becomes a season where he builds his dependance on Him in Heaven.
-My mom. Physical strength. Spiritual fortitude. Continued seeking of God’s will in her life.
God is good! ALL THE TIME. All the time, GOD IS GOOD. And that’s His nature WOW.
-Matthew
P.S If you’d like to contact me personally my email address is followapollo@hotmail.com