Africaans

I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to keep up with this; I haven’t even posted anymore photos on Facebook! What a fail! My schedule is really starting to get busy. We are also getting our weekly work duties next week so free time may just be a thing of the past. But, I promise I’ll try and keep people updated and put up photos when I can. We had some visitors come in last night! Although they weren’t invited… or here during a decent time. Locals broke into our dorms last night while we were sleeping and came through our rooms. They managed to get away with a women’s bag of stuff and also had fun smashing a car window on their way out. No one happened to see them we just woke up to the aftermath. To be honest I am actually creeped out by it. Just the thought of people being around you, looking through your stuff while you’re asleep. We have everything hidden and locked away now especially the valuables. But, before that fiasco it was a goodnight, we had a group meeting in the classroom and had just an hour or so of praying for one another, our school and other things. Prayers were said in many different languages and if you have never heard a group of people pray in English, Portuguese, Africaans and Korean at the same time, well buddy you are missing out. During the quiet time that followed I started just writing down in my journal. Writing about this feeling I’ve been getting lately, the feeling I get when I go to Detroit. Many people calling it the so cleverly named… “Detroit Feeling” haha. I just decided to post it on here in case anyone wanted to read it. Love you guys, things are awesome here.

It’s what I and the privileged others would call the “Detroit Feeling”. That feeling you get; knowing you’re so close to God. A feeling that seems unreachable when you’re back in your hometown. But… I’m not in Detroit. I now find myself being flooded with the feeling of this closeness but not finding myself in Michigan. I am here sitting in a room, in Worcester South Africa. So would I continue to describe it the same way? Only calling it the “South Africa Feeling” now? Sitting in this room, each wall lined with students. The only light being that of about ten candles flickering around the room; all you hear is a faint whisper of worship music coming from the speakers in the corner. Tonight we are given the opportunity to write down our goals, and place them with others. As well as write down the abilities we believe God has given us. But, perhaps the most important of them all is the chance to write anything on a piece of paper, any worries and struggles anything; place them into this bucket of water only for them to disintegrate and wash away. It allows me to realize how easily God can handle a problem in our life, with friends, parents or us… anything. Love that never fails nor gives up. Perhaps this
“________ feeling” is us as his children realizing how much our Father loves us. Sort of like our parents. We know they love us. But it seems to be so much more apparent when we are someplace else as it seems to be magnified. This could totally just be me, as I’m sure it is but it’s my opinion. When we are home with our parents the love is obviously there, for some families; it’s just a known thing. But when your parents say… take you to Disney World. You realize it then that they do love you enough to take you someplace so awesome. Makes me think of when God allows us to take a trip to Detroit or Africa to learn about him and work with his children. I am not proud of it, but I think I am missing the love God has for me every day. He just doesn’t love me when I’m out in the mission field. He loves me always. When I’m at a show, or in line at the bank even when I’m pooping! Love far more powerful than I can imagine. A love that can bring nations together, even able to get the undivided attention of college students! That’s practically magic. One thing I have learned that I really appreciate is… “Don’t tell your God how big your problem is, tell you problem how big your God is.” The teachers here are really awesome. I just hope I one day have the ability to speak with students with such confidence and faith as these men and women do.