South Africa Feb 2024

by Cammy Brantzeg     God's plan is always much bigger and more amazing that what I can ever imagine.  As I look back on our mission trip, I can see how God was working in the big and the small moments to create something more beautiful than I could have ever imagined before the trip. As I reflect on this trip, I thought of the scripture below.   1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV) All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it.   I want to start by talking about this mission trip team.  We all had a part to play on this mission trip.  We were constantly shifting roles where different people stepped to the front to lead while others fell back to support.  No one person was more important than any other person.  We all filled necessary roles throughout the trip.  Roles that included driver, jewelry store facilitators, soap instructor, lip balm instructor, encourager, selfie taker, vision board leader, bracelet...

by Karen Ross As we begin our long journey home, I am reflecting on how this goodbye is different from the last time I visited. My first trip to South Africa was in November of 2022. It was the beginning of something beautiful. I met so many wonderful people and began to build lasting relationships. I felt a new purpose as I walked alongside my new friends at Avodah, a Christian group of intellectually and physically challenged young adults. This time together provides them with a safe place for fellowship, a home cooked meal and an opportunity to learn and cultivate each of their God given gifts. Simply put, here they receive unconditional LOVE.  When it was time to say goodbye, I struggled. I wasn’t sure if I would see them again and they had already woven themselves into my heart. From then until now we continued to grow our relationship, to connect them with our group in the US, the New Life Rock Stars. Across 8000 miles countless prayers were shared, cards and small handmade g...

by Katie Siewert I can’t begin to describe the feeling of seeing an individual, smiling brightly, and hearing their shack burned to the ground less than an hour later. It was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday and very, very dry. We were doing some home visits, both in concrete homes and shacks. I had asked our friend the likelihood of shacks catching on fire during similar weather events. Soon after, I could see and smell the smoke from this individual’s house. In South Africa, there are over 100 shack fires a day with at least one death every other day. In the blink of an eye, everything can change. Those living in the shacks already have very little. They struggle to have access to basic human needs. I was happy to hear that organizations, including Ma’s vir Wellington (Ma’s for Wellington), jumped into helping her. They provided clothing and a place to stay as everything had burned to the ground. They are now working to build a more stable shack, with help from donations. It’...