Can you guys believe I move back to the states in just a few weeks?! This past two years has gone by so fast, but it has been the most life-changing and beautiful two years. The last time I checked in with you guys was just after our church's one year anniversary in February. So much has happened since then, so I'm going to try to hit all of the important stuff!
**IF YOU HAVE FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED ME, PLEASE DO NOT SEND JANUARY SUPPORT**
Thank you so much for all you have given the past two years!
If you give via automatic withdrawal, go to giving.ag.org, login to your account and stop your support.
If you mail in a check, you can just simply stop mailing and AGWM will cancel for you.
MOZAMBIQUE
Earlier this year, Mozambique experienced a devastating natural disaster. Cyclone Idai destroyed over 100,000 homes and not long after, Cyclone Kenneth caused over $100 million of damage. On top of the loss of homes and crops, over 1,000 lives were lost. In Beira, there was a Pastor and his family who's home was destroyed. Not only did they lose their home, but the pastor was killed in the process. Through other AGWM missionaries doing relief work in Beira, our church was asked to send a team to help build this family a new home. In may, we took a team and spent a week in Beira rebuilding this home. This was huge for our church because it was our first international missions trip. Because of the financial support you have given me, I was able to go on this trip as well. It was such a humbling and beautiful time to spend with this family and other missionaries. Our missionary hosts, Melinda and Toby, had been sleeping in dorms at the Heidi Baker center for months. Toby is a contractor, so they were overseeing the rebuilding of many churches and homes in the area.
Building this home was a lot of very difficult work. We had to make our own gravel with a pile of rocks and hammers, mix our own cement by hand, dig out the old foundations with a pick and shovels, and haul in all of the bricks by hand. None of this phased everyone else. Pastors came out in their nice shoes and suits and helped. The mother of the family, who was an older woman, came and carried bricks from the truck to the site. Little children from the village came and helped carry bricks and shovel gravel. That home wasn't just built by us, but by that entire village. One of the pastors who came to help was a young man who spoke some english so we were able to talk with him. He has his own family and children, but was at the site everyday helping build. He was probably the hardest worker there. Later, we found out that his church was destroyed, so he was now jobless. On top of that, his home had been destroyed by the cyclone, so he was living in a tent with his family. He didn't allow his own loss or needs keep him from helping others and using what he had to give to someone else in need. Not long after we left, he ended up finding work and being able to provide for his family!
One of our team members from our church, Mark, really moved us all on this trip. Mark is 60, but he was out there working hard and even though his back was giving him issues, he continued to shovel cement and when others took a break, he picked up their shovel and carried on. During the trip, Toby told us that the church in the community had also been destroyed, but they didn't have the funds to rebuild. It would cost several thousand dollars. Mark immediately without pause said, "Well I'd like to pay for it." Mark didn't think twice about giving what he had. That was what I witnessed all around me the entire trip, people living with relentless love and generosity for others.
FIRST THURSDAY
So the story of First Thursday actually starts back in November of 2018. I was attending a Church planting conference with Aaron and Sara Henry, some of our other team members, and we had to create a mock church plant. In the process, we had this idea of doing a coffee and music night for the community. It was clear to us then that this was a God idea, but we had no idea what God was going to grow it into. Earlier this year I came to our pastor, Randy, with the idea. Now, 8 months later, we have a thriving ministry that reaches into the arts & market communities of Durban. Our first event had about 80 people and our most recent event had 180! This ministry is so unique because it's not a church service. We invite local musicians, artists, food vendors and craftsmen to come and sell their work or display their art. We even did a film fest earlier this year showing three documentaries highlighting social issues in South Africa that were made by one of our church members who is a professor at a local film school! We've had muslims, buddhists, atheists, agnostics and everything in between come into our building to be a part of these events. It has opened the door to so many critical conversations and relationships with these people. Here's a few stories so far:
After one of our events that had a make-your-own slime station, a couple and their granddaughter started attending the church. They said she had so much fun that they had to come back. :)
We have had a sushi vendor that has been a part of each of our First Thursdays so far. Him and his wife are not Christians, but because of the relationship we've built with them, they actually ended up coming to our Christmas Eve service!
A few months ago, we invited a food vendor that we were put in contact with. Their whole family came and we immediately formed a friendship with them. They have been back every time since then and love it. After each one, we ask them how they did and the response is always the same. "Well we did ok financially, but it doesn't matter. We're coming back. We love it here. It's like family." Their entire family is muslim. But they sense something when they come into our church. They sense something different when they interact with us. We are praying for each of these artists and vendors that their hearts will continue to be touched and softened and that they will be drawn to God each time they enter our building. I am so so grateful that God opened this door and allowed me to be part of such a beautiful ministry in my time here.
CHURCH GROWTH
This year our church experienced a lot of important milestones and growth. Like I already mentioned earlier, we had our first international mission trip. We also hosted another medical outreach & kids program in a community near Durban called Waterloo. In August, one of our church members organized a clothing and coat drive for the community. Remember, August is winter for us here in Durban! It was so cool to see one of our own church members taking ownership in Northplace's role in the community. This past December, we also gave out 20 Christmas hampers to people from our church and the community. Side note, a Christmas hamper is just a bucket filled with holiday food items for those who can't afford them. We also bought backpacks with school supplies for 22 children living at an orphanage in Swaziland as well as collected money to buy them all a new pair of shoes for this next school year! Northplace has done so much this year to achieve our Glocal (global + local) vision of being generous to others. I love watching our people serve and care for others so well!
We also developed a process this year called Growth Track. At the end of Growth Track, people have the option of becoming a Covenant Partner. This is the first time we'd introduced a form of membership at our church. Since having Growth Tracks this year, so many more of our people are serving in the church in areas that use their gifts. We welcomed 85 Covenant Partners to the Northplace family this year and are so excited for all of those who will join that list in the future!
I think one of the biggest markers of our growth as a church was our Christmas Eve service just a few weeks ago. This was a project I started working on back in August and I knew God wanted to do something special here. Well it grew way beyond what I ever could have imagined on my own. We decided to rent out Chris Saunders Park, a large park just a few blocks from our church. This was a big move for us and required finding rental companies for sound, lighting, stage covering, etc. Basically, it was going to be a huge event. For our Christmas Eve service last year, I just used the staff for music. This year, almost every single member of our Sunday morning and Youth worship teams was involved. As well, we hired 10 orchestra musicians to join us. We ended up having about 30 people on stage. Leading up to this, I was really nervous about having people show up. The week leading up, we had weather forecasts for thunderstorms. I was getting really discouraged, but I knew God wanted to do something amazing that night. Well, God ended up opening doors for us to advertise for free with several different large news outlets and our church members stepped up and invited so many people. Just a few days before, our forecast changed to the best weather we could ask for. On a normal Sunday morning, we have about 160 in attendance. That night we ended up having over 600 people attended, many who were non-christians! We are already seeing families come to Sunday morning service because of being there that night. God moved in our community in such a special way that night and he taught me that when he wants to do something, he will make a way.
A few other things that happened this year were baptisms, child dedications, and our first class of Financial Peace University! It's truly a privilege to get to witness God moving in the lives of our church members, calling them to deeper levels and greater things.
EVERYTHING ELSE
It's impossible for me to cover all of the amazing experiences I've had this past year! God has taught me so much in servanthood, humility and leadership. I am so blessed that I have gotten to be a part of this mission and all of these lives for these two years. This literally would have been impossible without all of you supporting me, praying for me & believing in the call God placed on my life. I can't wait to see how God continues to move in Northplace Church and the city of Durban. Even though I'll be far away, these people and this place are always in my heart. Here are few other special experiences I got to have this past year:
- Played trombone with the Durban City Orchestra for a full year. I made so many great friends and got to make amazing music!
- My parents got to come visit South Africa. It was so cool to show them the church and for them to meet all of my friends here.
- My boyfriend Wesley also got to come and visit. While he was here, we even got to play a set together for a First Thursday!
- I had my first interns, Hudson and Drew this past summer. They were so great and we learned A LOT together.
- I got to share a message in Youth, as well as lead some super fun games and oversee Youth Worship.
- Led worship with Meredith & Greg in Dakar, Senegal for an AGWM Africa conference. The beach was a nice bonus!
- Made so many amazing friendships that I will never forget!
So what 's next for me? I'm still trying to follow God's lead even though he doesn't reveal as much of the future as I would always like. During my time here, I did all of the graphic design and video editing for the church. I've always loved it, but never thought I'd have the skill level or opportunity to do it. The past year, God has begun opening several doors for me to continue in graphic design for several different missions projects, organizations and churches. I'm not sure exactly where this will lead, but I'm ready to continue to use the gifts God has given me to help grow the kingdom. I would appreciate your prayers as I navigate this new season and step into something new and a little scary!
The last thing I want to say is, if you feel God is calling you to something, do it. Don't be scared. Don't believe the lie that you aren't good enough, that you're under-qualified, or that you're damaged goods. I'm telling you, if God could use me, he can use you. God loves using unlikely people, broken people, forgotten people from forgotten place, people that have been rejected and shut down, people that to the world seem like they aren't good enough. I remember a moment that changed my life forever. I was standing on the sidewalk about to go and get high again, and I heard a voice so distinctly say to me, "You need to decide right now. If you go do this, if you choose this path, you will miss out on something I have planned for you. I am trying to prepare you for something but you have to decide if you want this." I decided right then to change the direction my life was going and to devote it to following God. That was a year before I received an email inviting me to be part of a church plant in Durban, South Africa. During that year, God grew me and healed me and prepared my heart to say yes to this. So if you're in that moment, decide. Decide to follow God's plan because it will lead you to infinitely better places. It will lead you to joy and peace and freedom. More importantly, you get to be a part of something bigger than yourself, something that brings people hope and life. And maybe that means you move across the world. Maybe that means that you become a Godly employee and point others to Christ through your actions. Maybe you get involved in community outreach. Whatever it is, it is worth giving up everything for. Obedience is worth the sacrifice every time. What's waiting on the other side is greater than anything you could ever imagine.