March Update

Hey everyone!

I hope this posts finds you all doing well. I wanted to write a quick update about South Africa!! The second month has FLOWN by! I can't believe I only have a little over 2 months before I'm on a plane headed home! I'm still definitely enjoying my time here. Life hasn't been a bed of roses the whole time, but I've learned so much. My only expectation for living in Africa was that I would grow, and it is an expectation that has definitely been met. I've learned a lot more about myself, more about my sweet Lord Jesus Christ, and more about other people and how we relate. Being here has put my life into a different perspective. I definitely spend more time praying nowadays. I pray for my friends so much more than I ever have before. I just pray more in general. As I pray for others and continue to live here, I have one prayer request that I would love for you to pray for me. Please pray for me that when I open my mouth God will give me the words to proclaim fearlessly the mystery of the Gospel. I would be so grateful for that prayer.

Logistically, it's mid-term time. Instead of an exam, I had a survey to fill out about my time here. One semester is such a short time! It's a very rewarding time though :) I honestly have no clue where God desires me to be next, so I'm praying about it and trying to figure out how my passions for knowledge and creativity and encouraging others all fit together. I have a tendency to get distracted by my future because I feel pressure to always know what's coming next. The truth is, I could die tomorrow and I have no clue what's coming next, so instead of praying for my future I would like you to pray for my present. I'm realizing more and more, day by day, that I'm supposed to proclaim the mystery of Christ's beautiful Gospel fearlessly with every word and action.

The next two months are going to be a whirlwind of African adventures!! The first week of March I get to attend a business conference. I'll have plenty of time to learn and fellowship with people my age, younger, and older. After that I get to spend a few days of vacation with two friends exploring Cape Town! I'll get to go shark cage diving as well, and my inner marine-biologist is FREAKING OUT about how exciting that's going to be!! Soon after returning from Cape Town I'll leave for a business trip to Tanzania! I'll be hiking, taking a 2 hour boat ride, visiting different villages, and hanging out with university students in the city. Needless to say, the next two months will certainly be a grand adventure. I'm very excited to get out of the office! As these adventures begin, I have other prayer requests after you've prayed about the Gospel being proclaimed fearlessly every time I open my mouth (I'm hoping repetition will help you understand just how important this request is to me!).

2. Pray that things will continue to go well with work as I travel and that our team will be able to help all of the clients we're trying to assist.
3. Pray that my friends in the States that have continually been on my heart since arriving here will see the supremacy and grace of Christ in a way they haven't seen it before.
4. Pray that God will keep our Tanzania team protected from malaria and another other illnesses, and that he'll protect us from broken bones or any other set back as we do a good bit of hiking.

I leave you with a song recommendation (it's a song I keep singing here!). YouTube "Lay Me Down" by Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman. The chorus is so awesome. It goes, "I lay me down, I'm not my own. I belong to you alone. Lay me down, lay me down. Hand on my heart, this much is true: there's no life apart from You. Lay me down, lay me down."

Thank you for your prayers! Love you all!