You Should Have Seen It In Color

 I could tell you of the beauty my eyes have beheld over the years and how amazing it is the history in which they hold, the places and moments they have witnessed. I could tell you how my pictures can’t do the African night sky justice, and I’d love to tell you of the mountains and their beauty. The splendor of every sunrise and sunset we see here. I’ve seen the world around me, I have dove deep into culture, lived in the rough, seen many faces, and tasted many foods, I’ve had many beautiful moments that my eyes have seen, but here in this place I’ve seen one of the most precious moments. I didn’t see in color, I saw in black and white.

Let me tell you of David and Shiloh. Shiloh is our host’s granddaughter a white South African blonde hair, white skinned blue eyed cute little girl, and David a Swazi, so dark skinned black genius of a little boy. David is 8 and Shiloh is 5. I watched David walk Shiloh to wherever they were going, doing whatever they were going to do. It was one of the sweetest moments I’ve seen here.

David walked with Shiloh arm around her talking to her guiding her as a older brother would do. Both these kids have stories. David especially. David adopted in to the host Charmain’s family as he an orphan boy became grafted into a home he can call his own, and with a family that loves him.

Every day I learn from these kids. Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 “Let the little ones come to me, and do not hinder them for such is the Kingdom of Heaven, it belongs to ones such as these”. I sat down in Grassroots with a dear friend right before leaving, and spoke of this moment. This very moment when I knew it would be the kids I would learn from.

Sure we work. That’s what I love doing too. I love working with my hands and seeing physical representation of progress and that something is done, finished, completed. We work hard all day. We do a lot of manual labor, we clean pig pens out, work in the garden, build fire breaks on the mountain, level the roads up and down the mountain, we’re running a clinic twice a week now, and gearing up for house visits as well around in other villages. 

All of that sounds very busy, but TIA This Is Africa. Everything here moves at a much slower pace. We just kind of live in time, not for time. We work hard, we sing, we dance and throughout our day there are these little moments your eyes get to capture something beautiful like this. You get to watch a sunset, or see the clouds roll over the mountain peak. You see the stars in the sky and can swear you could just reach out and touch them. 

It's in this moment I get to see love displayed not with veiled lens or prejudice, but simply Kingdom type love. Love that knows no color, no race. Only heart, only human. A young boy and a young girl, black and white, Swazi and South African they are teaching me love today. 

Take a minute today and look around you. Look around you at how love is displayed to you today. Maybe it's in a sunset, or another person. Maybe it's in your family, your friends or where you work. Wherever you see love displayed today soak it up, take it all in. . 

Where do you see love displayed? 

Passport in Paris

We've arrived in Paris!!! 

We landed in Paris today, and are adjusting to being 6 hours ahead time zone wise. I've literally almost fallen asleep 3 times writing this out! 

We did get to go see some of the most stunning places in Paris due to our long layover, and that was incredible. 

We are getting ready to leave tonight for South Africa, and we will be at our ministry site by Sunday morning in Swaziland. 

I love this. 

I love traveling again. 

I love being in airports, getting lost in cities I know nothing about, searching for wi-fi, and enjoying the world around you so much more since you don't have it constantly. . . 

I love walking the streets of an unfamiliar city and be-boppin my way through traffic like a boss! 

I love talking in a british accent and getting flight attendents and anyone else who will give me the time of day to think I'm from South Africa. . . yeah. . haha . . It's fun!  

Listen, This team is hungry. 

They are eager to grow, be stretched and work, act, and do life as the body. One body. His hands, His feet. It's exciting to watch this team dive deep, and push past the "small talk" to go into the hard places of their own hearts, and deal with baggage. . . 

The Lord is at work in our hearts as we prepare to take a journey up on the mountain.

Literally. . . 

We will be tucked away on a mountain in Swaziland, and I know it's gonna stretch us. It's going to stretch me. 

Africa can be hard on the heart. Africa is not always hugging on orphans or lions and elephants despite the awesome IG pics you may see from time to time. When given the choice I chose this.

 I chose to leave at this time. I chose this way of life. I could be sitting behind a desk, or working my way through college, but I'm not. I'm not knocking any of those things because I do believe in school, and establishing yourself in whatever trade you wish to pursue, but I'll tell you why I chose this. Why I chose Africa.  I chose Africa because it terrifies me. 

I chose Africa because last time I was here it was far outside my comfort zone. Took me to higher heights and deeper depths that I just could not have reached myself without the struggle bus rolling through my life in that red clay, that my feel will again be marching on soon. 

It was a time of surrender then, and not much has changed now. . . 

I'm at another place of surrender in my life, and I'm leaning into it. . . 

I  remember the way the Lord was such a gentleman with my heart. He was so gracious, so kind. He walked me through the thicket hand in hand. . . 

A lot has happened in my heart and life to prepare me to go back out on the field. I'm incredibly grateful for this journey, even in times when I don't "feel" it. I'm being stretched, I'm growing. . . I'm in a position that allows me to learn more listening, and how to do life with people in close quarters again. I get to pour into these team members and help empower them, and boy do /I see Jesus. I see Him in them. Their hunger, their passion, their hearts. 

I'm so grateful for so many things, and so many people that I do life with. Here now, and those of you at home I love so dearly. I am grateful for this summer-realistic in my thinking that at times this will be hard, but also excited in the fact, that it's these hard times that cause the deepest change, most lasting impact in me and those I do life with, and it causes the most growth in me as I continue becoming the man I desire to be. I'm excited about being out again. Seeing the faces I'll never forget, doing life with these with me now, learning and knowing their stories to the point I feel pain when we separate. . .  I'm all in. I'm a mess, and it's perfect. 

He has gone before me, and He will be beside me. 

I'm eternally grateful for the companionship and the partnership of the Lord's heart in this season and time. 

I hope I can update you soon! Stay tuned!

Kingdom Living

-Kingdom -

Know that you are worth the fathers attention. That's the Kingdom. Kingdom living inside you 
Give Him opportunity to show up for you 
He desires companionship and partnership with you and your heart 
That is the Holy Spirit. He the person. 

-There may be times you need to get over yourself sometimes and realize you don't have to be a theologian or scholar to come to Him and to walk into kingdom living. You don't have to have it altogether. You don't have to have all the answers or solutions for everyone or for even yourself. "Come as you are" "my sheep will know me by my voice" 

Whenever you are called out in this phase and given a new name by the Lord walk in that accordingly. 

Believe in who you are and the potential inside yourself 

The Lord called Gideon a. Mighty man of valor. Was he feeling like a mighty man of valor? Probably not at the time because he was hiding. . 
It's not always about what or how you feel. 
Again, believe in who you are and the potential inside yourself. Walk in that whether you believe it or not. Your mind heart and emotions may not believe it yet, but once you start to walk in it the mind heart and emotions will catch up with the action being taken. 

It's amazing how much life is in someone who's dying . . Have you ever seen someone when they know they are dying? They spend their last days truly living. Truly live life. Enjoy every second. Grieve yes, there's time for that today, tomorrow His grace and mercies are new for you. There is something to celebrate. Something to rejoice in. 

It's love that truly compels change in your heart and the world around you. 
We are promised love. That we will be pursued, cared for. Don't walk in an orphaned spirit any longer. 
It's not the promise that sustains love. 
It's the love that sustains the promise

By you choosing this life your living and how your responding to this season and this time you yourself are already changing the world more than you realize. 

I believe It's not this season that will change you, but it's your choice of how you will engage in this season, of how you will respond to this season. That is what will change you. 

Cs Lewis said - "we are who we believe we are" 

Take a risk with yourself 
When Jesus believes in you so much, who are we to say otherwise? 

We have enough critics in the world let's be people of life and hope. A people who create a culture of life and hope around us. 

So I want to challenge you and encourage you be willing to see beyond yourself because your more than what you think you are. 

If something terrifies you go after it. 
Sometimes it's the enemy's last weapon -to use fear -it's the last obstacle before great breakthrough. 

-Use your voice
What we don't acknowledge the Lord can't heal. What we don't confess the Lord can't redeem. Not because He's incapable but but because He wants us to choose healing, choose redemption, choose freedom.

Your a person of courage. 


Not only because of your heart towards ministry but because of how your willing to deal with the stuff inside you. Your willing to go to the hard, ugly, messy parts of your heart and deal with yourself. 

-Challenge the Lord as Jacob wrestled with the Lord and demanded His blessing 
He's a good father and loves to take care of His children

He's gonna show up 

Once we trust God for who He is, we get to experience the Father

Living beyond yourself is scary, but you can do it. 
I believe in you 
Be a people of courage 

Now go, The world is waiting . . .