Hey everyone!
As I'm sitting here writing this post, I'm bundled up in sweatshirt and jacket listening to the sounds of wind and rain from the storm going on outside. Hello, winter in South Africa! I definitely underestimated how cold it would get here. If I were to compare it to a season in America, I'd say it's probably closest to our spring, but just a little bit colder. I think the part that has taken the most getting used to is the absence of heating systems in houses here. It does actually get quite chilly sometimes, especially at night. But I'm someone that would choose cold weather over hot weather any day, so I haven't minded too much.
Load-shedding is another part of living in South Africa that has taken some getting used to. There's a national electricity shortage in South Africa and, in order to balance out the supply and demand, they often have to interrupt or cut off power for certain periods of time. Those periods generally last for two and a half hours. The time of day it happens depends on what stage of severity we are in and on the load-shedding schedule, which has the city divided up into different areas. Here's a link to the schedule.
When we're in Stage 1, the power might go out during our scheduled time. In Stage 2, it definitely will. It's hard to keep track of because the stages change every day and often aren't announced ahead of time. It is an inconvenience sometimes, especially when it happens from 6 - 8:30 p.m. when it's dark and you can't cook dinner. I'm planning on having some friends over for dinner on Wednesday night, but if we're in Stage 2, we'll have load-shedding from 6-8:30. I'm praying that we won't be! Haha.
It has been a busy and eventful last few weeks at church and work. I'm continuing to make strides on the newsletter and other projects, one of our Lights On after-school programs had a record attendance of 127 kids last week, and Hillsong celebrated it's 7th year of building the church in South Africa this last Sunday! Exciting things all around!
Last weekend, I took a road trip up to Boulders Beach with a few of my closest friends here where we got to hang out with some African penguins living in their natural habitat. We also tried to drive up to Cape Point, the southern most part of Africa, to catch the sunset. We were a little delayed and they had already closed the gates by the time we got there, but the breathtaking views of the mountains and the ocean along the way were more than worth the trip. It was probably one of the most fun days I've had here yet!
Today is a public holiday in South Africa, so we have the day off from work. After talking with my boss a few days ago, I'm also going to be taking the rest of this week to rest and work from home. The last few weeks have been quite busy, and my face rash and other symptoms have been acting up again recently. I've also started to get more frequent headaches and have been very tired and dizzy. We're starting to wonder if the initial diagnosis might be incorrect. Although it is frustrating and I want nothing more than to be able to participate and make the most of my time here, I also know that I need to let myself heal first. It is such a blessing that I am able to do that!
I'm planning to use this week to re-focus on my relationship with God. I've been so worried and distracted with things lately that I've really felt myself pulling back. There are so many topics in my heart that I feel God telling me to dig further into and explore with Him - who I am, my strengths and weaknesses, spiritual gifts, who I hope to be, where I want to go, the visions and dreams I have for my life. I'm going to start writing my future. Norbert and Phil gave me a notebook with the words "Write The Future" on the front about a month ago, and I think I've found the perfect use for it.
Today, I started out by reminding myself who I am according to God - who we all are according to God.
We are:
As I'm sitting here writing this post, I'm bundled up in sweatshirt and jacket listening to the sounds of wind and rain from the storm going on outside. Hello, winter in South Africa! I definitely underestimated how cold it would get here. If I were to compare it to a season in America, I'd say it's probably closest to our spring, but just a little bit colder. I think the part that has taken the most getting used to is the absence of heating systems in houses here. It does actually get quite chilly sometimes, especially at night. But I'm someone that would choose cold weather over hot weather any day, so I haven't minded too much.
Load-shedding is another part of living in South Africa that has taken some getting used to. There's a national electricity shortage in South Africa and, in order to balance out the supply and demand, they often have to interrupt or cut off power for certain periods of time. Those periods generally last for two and a half hours. The time of day it happens depends on what stage of severity we are in and on the load-shedding schedule, which has the city divided up into different areas. Here's a link to the schedule.When we're in Stage 1, the power might go out during our scheduled time. In Stage 2, it definitely will. It's hard to keep track of because the stages change every day and often aren't announced ahead of time. It is an inconvenience sometimes, especially when it happens from 6 - 8:30 p.m. when it's dark and you can't cook dinner. I'm planning on having some friends over for dinner on Wednesday night, but if we're in Stage 2, we'll have load-shedding from 6-8:30. I'm praying that we won't be! Haha.
It has been a busy and eventful last few weeks at church and work. I'm continuing to make strides on the newsletter and other projects, one of our Lights On after-school programs had a record attendance of 127 kids last week, and Hillsong celebrated it's 7th year of building the church in South Africa this last Sunday! Exciting things all around!
Last weekend, I took a road trip up to Boulders Beach with a few of my closest friends here where we got to hang out with some African penguins living in their natural habitat. We also tried to drive up to Cape Point, the southern most part of Africa, to catch the sunset. We were a little delayed and they had already closed the gates by the time we got there, but the breathtaking views of the mountains and the ocean along the way were more than worth the trip. It was probably one of the most fun days I've had here yet!
Today is a public holiday in South Africa, so we have the day off from work. After talking with my boss a few days ago, I'm also going to be taking the rest of this week to rest and work from home. The last few weeks have been quite busy, and my face rash and other symptoms have been acting up again recently. I've also started to get more frequent headaches and have been very tired and dizzy. We're starting to wonder if the initial diagnosis might be incorrect. Although it is frustrating and I want nothing more than to be able to participate and make the most of my time here, I also know that I need to let myself heal first. It is such a blessing that I am able to do that!
I'm planning to use this week to re-focus on my relationship with God. I've been so worried and distracted with things lately that I've really felt myself pulling back. There are so many topics in my heart that I feel God telling me to dig further into and explore with Him - who I am, my strengths and weaknesses, spiritual gifts, who I hope to be, where I want to go, the visions and dreams I have for my life. I'm going to start writing my future. Norbert and Phil gave me a notebook with the words "Write The Future" on the front about a month ago, and I think I've found the perfect use for it.
Today, I started out by reminding myself who I am according to God - who we all are according to God.
We are:
- His children:
- "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God." - 1 John 3:2
- Unconditionally and fiercely loved:
- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16
- "... neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor things present nor things to come, nor any powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39
- Washed free from sin through Christ:
- "Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:4-5
- A new creation in Him:
- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Made in His image:
- "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female he created them." - Genesis 1:27
- "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are th work of your hand." - Isaiah 64:8
- Intimately known by Him. He knows your name:
- "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." - Psalm 139:14
- Created for good works:
- "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared us in advance to do." - Ephesians 2:10
- An important part of His plan:
- "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans for prosper and not for evil, to give you a hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
- Called for a purpose:
- "And we know that those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
- Strong and wise in Him:
- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
- "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31
- Made to be a light in the darkness:
- "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." - Matthew 5:14
