Tony and I will be leading a group of 15 people to Paarl Valley, South Africa November 11-22. We have our second meeting tomorrow to prepare the group for the trip. I wanted to set up the trip blog before our meeting so I thought I would write something quick.
Our team plans to build two brick houses for Mosaic Paarl Valley and visit the Mosaic mothers, the Mosaic After School Program, the Ma's for Wellington preschool, the Ma's for Wellington Avodah group and possibly visit a prison with my friend Cornel.
I am excited to share the love I have for this country and the people with this team. I am excited to see South Africa through the eyes of the 5 new people going on this trip. I am excited to return with the 9 people who have traveled to SA with me before. I am excited to see my SA friends again and catch up. I am looking forward to walking off the plane in Cape Town and knowing I am back.
With each trip I take to South Africa, I am learning to hold lightly to the plan and be open to where God leads us. On my first mission trip to South Africa in August 2015, I remember the day we had our commissioning at Hopewell UMC before our trip. We had a meeting with our team after the commissioning. Tony had to walk into that meeting and tell the team that the plan we had for that trip did not work out. Our friends in South Africa quickly came up with an alternative plan and we ended up in a park renovating shipping containers that became the start of the Mosaic Paarl Valley Community Center. God had a plan and worked it out but it wasn't what we expected. (The photo below was in the park at the end of my first mission trip. We took a group photo.)
Most trips do not have something that dramatic happen on them but God always shows up in big and small ways on our trips. I can't wait to see where He leads our group and who He places in our path.
Please keep our team in your prayers as we prepare for our trip.
If we believe, we will love.
