Hi everyone! I am so glad to be writing to you today. I hope that everyone is doing well :)
Our team has now been in Tanzania for six and a half weeks. Time is flying and soon the Gap Year will come to an end. But that only means that we will get to bring the things we learned and gained on this year back home!
The previous weeks have been so fun. Every week looks pretty similar so here is a "week" with the Gap Year.
Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
CHURCH | Gap Year trains volunteers with the ministry | Devotional with staff and volunteers | School Visits | School Visits | Sabbath | Family Bible Study |
Family Lunch | Megan, JP, and I go to the gym | Planning for school visits | Megan, JP, and I go to the gym | Megan, JP, and I go to the gym | | Time with Student leaders |
Catch up on personal work | | Megan, JP, and I go to the gym | | Team Fun time! | | |
Ministry
- Our focus with ministry here is to raise up twenty-five new student leaders.
- Like the schedule suggests on Wednesday and Thursday we attend secondary schools with students from the ages of 14-20. These schools have "religion periods," in which the students come together to worship and praise God. We join them during this time and share short teachings, testimonies, or academic resources.
- These students LOVEEEE the Lord. It is such a joy to join them during this time and see how they worship God at such young ages.
- Almost every week the Gospel is shared at these school and many students rededicate or give their lives to Christ for the first time. It's incredible.
- On Saturdays, student leaders from the "religion periods" join us at our place. We get together and dance, play games, worship, and study the Bible. Through this we have been able to befriend the students and have gotten to know them better.
Fun things
- WE WENT ON A SAFARI. It was really incredible.
- All of the girls have been crocheting away. Mackenzie taught us how to crochet in Egypt and we have not put it down.
- We have gotten to go to the beach and spend informal time with the staff here just building relationships.
- We have made lots of bug, reptiles, insect, and livestock friends.
- I have finished all school related things (ie.applications, scholarships, financial aid)
- We all (including JP) got our nails done for less than like $5. Best deal ever.
- We have been going to the gym a couple times a week!
Growth
It has been a beautiful thing to break down the enemy’s play titled “Destruction,” scene by scene. This entire year our team has been under spiritual attack, but personally I have felt it very heavily during the past couple of weeks. In the fire I realized that I actually believed that the victory in the battle was up to me. I did not believe or trust that the victory was brought by Jesus on the cross. Knowing this I have been faithfully praying for a heart that is rooted on the truth that Jesus blood allows me to truly walk in freedom everyday. As hard as truly understanding this has been, I have realized that this is the grace and unconditional love of God pouring over me. Like a muscle I am being stretched and torn, but God is bringing reparation that is ultimately resulting in so much growth.
Praises/Prayer Requests
- Praise God for so many students here are coming to know Christ deeply.
- Praise God that our team has been able to focus on falling more in love with Jesus.
- Praise God for students we left behind in Central Asia are flourishing spiritually.
- Praise God because over the course of this college application season He has helped me write 30+ essays.
- It is looking like I will end up at Biola University in the fall! It is very expensive and I cannot attend without help. Pray that God ties the ends and works out the finances for me.
- Please pray that our team remains healthy for the rest of our time here.
- Precious has had some minor issues with her visa. Pray that it all gets worked out soon!
- Pray that we can have a deep love for the people and ministry here, and that we can whole heartedly focus on what God is doing right now.
Here are some recent pictures! (scroll for more)
I love you all so much! Thank you so much for your continued support and love that you show me. I am so excited to see some of your faces soon.