Rachel's Reflections

Elizabeth and Refilwe clung to me. Their long faces matched mine. The dreaded time to say goodbye had come.  Last week I told them I had one more week left with them. They were sad and asked if I was coming back next year. I told them no and explained that there are still people in the world who do not know that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and people groups that do not have a Bible in their own language. I told them I want to go to some of these people to tell them about Jesus. They understood but were still sad. They both came Thursday afternoon for the final day of ministry hungry for the Word of God, excited for the fun games, and happy to see me. They also came with something for me... They each gave me a note that expressed their thanks and love. Our time was drawing to a close. The lesson was over, the games were all packed up, everyone else started to leave. Elizabeth and Refilwe sat down next to me to say goodbye, their friends crowding around.  "B

This morning I had the privilege of teaching the Bible lesson for our Larsen's road ministry. In the book of Judges God's people forgot who the Lord was and what He had done for them so they started making bad choices (worshipping idols).  During small group with the older girls we talked about why it's important to remember what God has done and the need to share those things with other people. They all gave specific examples  and ways they could apply this to their lives: daily reading God's Word and telling their friends at school about God. It was the best discussion I've ever had from those girls. Praise the Lord for their genuine interest and pray these seeds take root in their lives and grow. Gugulethu, one of the girls, talked to me afterwards. She was concerned about why the Israelites would forget God and make bad choices. This gave me the chance to review the Gospel with her, especially sin nature and the need to believe in Jesus for salvation. She had

Wow a whole month since I wrote a blog and a lot has happened. I went to Cape Town on a missions trip and two days after returning my parents arrived in South Africa to visit me. I had the privilege of taking them into Mozambique for part of the time. They just arrived safely back in the U.S. today and I have started catching back up on the work I pushed aside while I spent time with them. SMASH Cape Town While in Cape Town I was able to help with a Holiday Bible Club (like a VBS) at a church in Mitchell's Plain. We had a good average of kids from the community each day and several of them made professions of faith. One of the unexpected things I did was adapt the songs for the specific need in that church which was not too challenging as God brought to mind several songs I learned from teaching with Child Evangelism Fellowship. It is always cool to see how God uses various things in our lives in unexpected ways.  We also went out one afternoon to share the Gospel with people

Welkom This past weekend my friend, K-tee, and I had an adventurous trip to Welkom (a town in the Free State province) to visit our friends from last year. It was great to spend so much quality time with K-tee (pictured far right) during the taxi rides to and from, especially the blessing of sitting next to each other both times. In Welkom we saw DK, Connie, and Grace (3 on the left) who were students with K-tee last year, as well as other friends. W e shared a lot of laughter and memories and were all encouraged in the Lord throughout the time. Every night, before going to sleep K-tee and I would read the Quiet Time passage from the Bible and discuss it with each other. Thankful for friends, safety, and making memories. Next Stop: Cape Town Early Saturday morning (30 September) we're off to Cape Town for SMASH (Students Ministering and Serving Him). The Word of Life staff, interns, and students will be leading this trip for youth from various churchs in the Johannesburg

Parents This week has shown me the incredible heritage my parents have given me and I thank God for them. When my mom was homeschooling me she always read missionary stories or updates from her missionary friends. I have a rich knowledge about missions that most people my age do not have because of her and it has fueled my love and interest in pursuing missions long-term. My Dad has always been talking to people, networking, and building relationships. I have recently stumbled upon several people who I thought I did not know but was shocked when half-way through the conversation they say "oh you're Dan Williams daughter! I remember him from ... " (often Nairobi, Kenya at the AIM-AIR hangar, but other places as well). It felt so good to reminisce about common memories and familiar places and the rest of the conversations were able to go deeper because of this. Even now my parents  are always there for me, supportive of me, praying for me, offering advice, and walking thr

As the U.S. celebrated Labor Day, ending summer and moving into fall, South Africa celebrated the arrival of Spring! :) The weather is finally warming up; last week  we hosted a Spring Braai (aka barbecue) for families and youth. As the kitchen intern my primary responsibility was helping with lunch/food details. We planned to cater for 200 people but praise the Lord we had over 250 people come and still enough food to feed everyone. The weather was perfect allowing for great conversations, games, sports, and crafts. Everyone enjoyed and left encouraged, but most importantly the gospel message was shared and seeds planted in people's hearts. ------- Two girls in my weekly ministry at Zandspruit on Thursday afternoons have been visibly growing in their knowledge of God. They asked for Bibles about two months ago but for various reasons I was unable to give them each a Bible until this week. They kept asking and reminding me, revealing their sincere hunger for the Word of God. It

July was a super busy month. We had winter camp, outreach programs, a satellite camp (in another region), and the students helped with a Holidy Bible Club, two youth groups from the U.S. came to help with various projects, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking, and I completed my online studies for my bachelor degree in Chistian Ministries which required a lot of studying and two big exams (1 written 1 oral). Praise the Lord for giving the strength and energy needed to accomplish each task for His honor and glory. Without a breather I went directly into Mozambique on August 1 to help with a camp in Inhambane (a province further north) for two weeks. I had a great time serving the missionaries there, experiencing how they did camp, and God even allowed me to see a few friends I didn't think I would be able to see which was a blessing. I functioned completely in Portuguese, learned a lot about the culture there, was blessed with new friends, and was greatly encoura

"The only thing I want in life, is to be known for loving Christ." The Cause of Christ By Kari Jobe My personality is polar opposite of Peter's. He was a bold, rash, extreme, intense, all-or-nothing kind of guy. I am quiet, reserved, balanced, and thoughtful. Yet in the midst of these differences I have seen myself in Peter through studying his life this past week with a few other young women.  Peter was an uneducated, common man but he made the decision to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11). Even after this decision he had many ups and downs: he walked on water, denied Jesus 3 times, and confessed Jesus as the Son of God. In every instance God was working in Peter's life to grow him in maturity. The study ended with a confrontation between the religious leaders, responsible for Jesus' death, and Peter (and John). Despite the leaders' warnings Peter boldly proclaimed the Truth. The religious leaders were astonished because these men, Peter and John, were un

I was sitting on a couch in the lobby last night while all the youth from 6 different churches worshipped inside the auditorium. After a long, stressful, exhausting day my stomach and head decided to hurt. I was beginning to wonder why I had gone to the youth combine when one of our girls came out and sat by me. It started as a casual conversation but I felt the Lord urging me to go deeper. I was not sure how until she started talking about her friend's struggle and I saw how I could connect it.  "Let me ask you two questions that you can ask your friend, but first I want you to answer. On a scale from 0-100 how sure are you that you are going to heaven when you die?" "I think 50% because I'm not perfect but I've been a good person." "Next question: you're standing before the gates of heaven and God asks you why He should let you in, what would you say?" Her answer was very uncertain and works based. She said nothing about Jesus as the

80+ kids sat attentively as I spoke about Noah's trust in God Thursday afternoon, but they did not know how real this story was for me. God asked Noah to trust and obey Him even though he did not fully understand why "and Noah did all that the Lord commanded him," (Gen 6:22). God called Noah to a very specific task and Noah did not turn away from it, no matter how hard it became. These kids from the Zandspruit community grasped the message of the story and the importance of trusting God in the midst of difficult circumstances.  I have taught many lessons to children over the years as many of you know, but I always find that kids are the most attentive when God is using the lesson to speak into my own life as well. God's Word never returns void but it is extra encouraging to see the visible impact on others when I simply share from a heart being molded by the hands of my Heavenly Father.  Earlier in the week a situation stared me in the face and drove me directly t

" I can rest in the fact that God is in control. Which means I can face things that are out of my control and not act out of control. " Lysa TerKeurst My life is in God's hands, I know I can trust Him, but it is not always easy when things are complicated and out of my control. “To stay in Mozambique this year you need to apply for a total of 4 visas this year and have to cross the border every 30 days.”  My heart sank, several thoughts ran through my mind: * wow that’s complicated and expensive . * how am I going to do that ? * I’ll become a pro at border crossing . But one thought did not cross my mind: Go back to South Africa for the rest of the year. However this is what my leadership has decided for everyone. While difficult, God is teaching me that when life looks out of control He is in control and has a plan, I can trust Him.   Mozambique: I spent March-April in Mozambique. I counseled at two camps, met with a few girls for discipleship, participated in e

Acorda! Acorda! (Wake up! Wake up!)  The campers stumbled out of their tents in the pre-dawn chill wrapping their capulanas (traditional cloth) and blankets around them. We all followed the program leader to a corner where one of the other counselors was crying. She had a candle and there was a white cloth in front of her.  As she started speaking the campers realized she was pretending to be Mary at the tomb of Jesus. Walking further we encountered two of the "disciples" pondering over what they had heard from the women about Jesus being alive. In the middle of their conversation "Jesus" appeared and reassured them. Afterwards we discussed the significance of Easter morning and then prayed. The above re-enactment stuck with the campers the rest of that morning, discussing and thinking about it. It was the culmination of a weekend camp over Easter for a church. I had the privilege of helping counsel three of the younger youth girls with my friend Anabela.  A par

This is a story about T__, one of the campers from my cabin last week. As you read her story you will understand why I am not writing her full name: T__ was placed in my cabin with 3 other girls, she was quiet and reserved, often sitting alone. On the second day I learned she was Muslim . During devotions that night I asked all of them two questions: If you were to die tomorrow are you sure you would go to heaven? If God asked you why he should let you into heaven what would your response be? T__ was the last to answer, after hesitating she said, “ In my religion we do not know if we will go to heaven or not. ” She had no idea who Paul was and did not want to borrow my Bible for devotions.  The next day I asked her, "Did your parents grow up Muslim?” She explained that her Father had been Catholic but converted to Islam to marry her mother. Her grandmother is a devout Muslim. “I think both religions are good and worship the same God,” she told me. I told her this could not

"My future and all to which I relate hangs in the balance, and You tell me wait?!?" This has honestly felt like my life this week. Waiting on the Lord, waiting for other people, waiting for decisions to be made. I am still waiting for the biggest decision to be made, but at least the smaller one was finalized yesterday. Early Thursday morning I will be taking a bus from Maputo to the border of South Africa (SA), crossing the border, and then re-entering Mozambique within two hours with the Word of Life team from SA coming into Mozambique for the English Camp (see below). I have to exit Mozambique because my first 30 days expires during the camp.  Last Sunday I was able to attend church with my friends from December camp, Catarina and Elina. To step into their lives in their home and community environment apart from camp was an honour. I wish I could describe it for you. A small black church nestled in the heart of their community but with hymns from the Western culture t

Mais Descobertas aos pes da Cruz  (More Discoveries at the foot of the Cross)   " If anyone would come after Me [Jesus], let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? "  Mark 8:38-36 The above title and verses are from my Portuguese Quiet Time (QT) this past week. They sum up a little of what I have learned this past week.  What discoveries lay at the foot of the Cross? I have discovered the depth and reality of surrender and what peace in the presence of my Lord means. In the course of the week, and in different ways, God has asked me to surrender to Him every single   area of my life. I have been stretched and challenged more than I thought possible in one week and have only bourne it in the strength of the Savior. I cannot share everything with you yet b

Alexandra and I sat on two couch cushions and talked in the seminary/office/church building on Wednesday. I was sharing with her, “After the camp in April last year where we met I struggled spiritually and did not read my Bible as often as I knew I should…” she interrupted,” how often do you try to read your Bible?” “Every day,” I responded, “but I am not perfect.” Her eyes widened in shock, “EVERY DAY?!?” I tried to explain that this is a habit every Christian must learn, but it comes in levels. To illustrate my point I used the couch cushions we were sitting on. “This cushion has a crowd of people who either do not believe in God or know about Him but have not believed in Him to save them from their sins. This valley in between cushions is the point where a person decides to make that decision.” Alexandra interrupted again, “I’m on that side of the cushion.” For her to say this openly and honestly is huge! Last year in April at the English Camp, when she was in my cabin, she kne

I arrived safely in South Africa Wednesday evening and have had a wonderful time so far, although I was a little jet lagged on Thursday.  I am leaving Monday morning for Mozambique (traveling by bus). Please pray for safety as I travel.  Friday night I had the opportunity to go to youth at the church I attended most of last year. It was so great to see everyone again! A few of the girls were not expecting to see me and their reactions were priceless. :)  One of the missionary families in Mozambique is here for the weekend, on their way to the airport tomorrow afternoon. They are leaving for Brazil for their furlough. I am really glad I got to talk with them today before they leave for a few months, and I got to practive my Portuguese.  My accountability partner/best friend and roommate from last year came to visit me this weekend!!! :) What a joy to my soul to see her again after 3 months. We have talked a lot, updated each other on how our lives have been going, and then we went t

On Tuesday I board a plane for Africa and land in Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday. Why did I have to wait so long? God knows the full answer but a few blessings inlcude: extra time with family and friends, having several much needed conversations, seeing my brother interact with his new girlfriend, and spending time with my first Portuguese tutor. There are still other areas of my life where I am waiting to see what God will do. It is hard to wait, but I frequently go back to this poem and am reminded of God's most precious answer. He has a purpose in all He does, including extended periods of waiting.  Wait by Russell Kelfer Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate And the Master so genlty said, "Wait" "Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply "Lord, I need answers, I need to know why! Is Your hand shortened? Or have you not heard? By fait

Departure Date: February 21 Arrival Date in Johannesburg: 22 February Possible Date for Maputo: 27 February Torn. Divided.  My heart has longed to return to my African home. I miss all of my friends and family in the Lord.    How is my desire so great to return to Africa when I have been with family and friends in the U.S.? Why does it feel like I am going home when I have been sitting at home the past several weeks? I was born in Africa; I know and love the culture and the ministry. I am a Third Culture Kid (TCK). I call many places home in two distinct cultures but one day I will have one, true Home with God for all eternity. I am looking forward to being part of the ministry in Mozambique again. I have been keeping in touch with several girls and can't wait to talk with them in person.  My foot  has finally healed enough for travel as long as I am still careful. Please pray for safe travels and a fast adjustment so I can jump back into ministry.  I have enjoyed my ex

I am still in the U.S. waiting to head back to Mozambique because of an unexpected health issue. Back in December I got blisters on my feet from new shoes. The blisters were healing well until one of them got infected in January. It turned in a staph infection and I was immediately put on antiobiotics. The infection took much longer to heal than the doctor expected and though it's not fully healed yet and I'm still on the antiobiotics he is happy with the progress it has made this past week. My departure date is delayed because of the infection but I am hoping to leave around February 15, Lord willing. Along with the infection I was struggling with my visa situation. I now have a 30 day visa that I am going to try to extend once I arrive in Mozambique. A new intern to South Africa, Nikki, is still waiting for her visa and we hope to fly out together.  My prayer is that I use this extra, unexpected time wisely with family and friends.  It can be hard to sit still and wait

" It's not a matter of if you are called, it's a matter of where and how."  J.D. Greear Pray, Send, Welcome, Go, Mobilize.  Each session had a focus word to explain the various ways Christians can   Do Something  in missions. Each is a way that you could be involved in missions. Not everyone   go es into career missions across the ocean, but everyone can make someone visiting from another culture feel welcome.   How can  you   be involved in missions ? Greear was the key speaker at the Word of Life Missions Conference and delivered two powerful messages towards Christian missions. Another speaker was from Pakistan and shared his perspective on the real threat of the Spirit of Islam but the need to still love our muslim neighbors (Luke 10:25-37).  Prior to the start of missions conference 73 Cross Cultural Interns  were in training. A few were graduating from their two years abroad, my class is going back for our 2nd year, and the rest are preparing to go