Participant Blogs

Transkei 2021 What started off as just a far off idea. Maybe even too far to reach. An image very differently painted in my head. "The Transkei". A place I knew I've never set foot on in the physical. A place so unfamiliar to me, none of the conversations with past travelers could've prepared me well enough for. Racing through emotions as we exit the familiar gates of what was now known as home to us, "The Missions House". Somewhat afraid, yet excited for what will be discovered. A month in the Transkei. A time of disconnecting from our familiar...

The dirt between our toes as we trudged through the mud tracks; the squinting of our eyes as another dawn succeeded to take our breath away; the brown tan on our skin after a long day in the sun: The daily attire of Zithulele.   After a month spent in the Transkei, I have a new definition of "having your world flipped upside down". On the first of March it was travel day - our team of fifteen people were half asleep in the bus and little did we know what lay ahead. It was a month where most of...

Finally: Global 2021. Hi, Uné here :) I am a nineteen year old from Pretoria with a heart for God, missions and architecture. From a young age it has been my passion to lead people to my Savior. This was further ignited when I joined a Spirit-filled youth church in Pretoria. It turned my world upside down. About two months later, one of my church leaders told me about Global Challenge. Little did I know how momentous that moment would be in the months to come. I began researching Global Challenge and reached out to a member of a previous...

My name is Anri, I am 23 years of age and I grew up in the Western Cape, South Africa. I finished my diploma in Event Management in December 2020 and with many uncertainties the past year with our industry being one of the many closed due to Covid the pressure to make a decision for what I was going to do the upcoming year was even greater. I've never had a clear example of what a missionary life looks like, but it was something I believe God made me quite curious about. I also felt a strong sense that...

Last year I was apart part of Global challenge and I knew Jesus wanted me to do a second year, but I didn't know how it was going to look like. On the 1st of March we left for Zithulele Transkei. Our team volunteered at the various NGO's for a month. The drive there was beautiful, full of excitement and expectations for what this small rural place in the middle of nowhere might hold for us. My biggest dream is to be a full time missionary in the underground churches in Iran. I always had this perfect Idea of how...

Frankfort Echo Farm in the Free State was a jol ! Our team served there for two weeks and it was incredible to contribute to something way bigger than ourselves. The farm is almost entirely off grid, which meant no signal (unless you walk a few kilo’s to a random bush at the top op the farm), no electricity, rats and bats as roommates and often lekker cold showers. Oh yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about ! In between the dirty feet, callused hands and a little sunburn, I really experienced true freedom. Our team is closer now than...

Its early hours in the day, sitting on a hill, on a flat rock bed, I can see the sun slowly rising on the horizon and my whole being is filled with a peace and an excitement for the day. What a blessing it was to have stayed on the beautiful farm! I exchanged my shoes and the paved paths for dirty feet and a dusty brown dirt road. And during that simple but joyful time I realized just how deeply the love of Abba Father runs, whether it was in the gentle breeze on a hot day, the breathtaking...

Somewhere close to nowhere a river bends and flows freely through a remote dryland. It’s a place where the hot summer sun makes the earth pay its tax in the form of water in exchange for its energy and promise of growth. It’s a place where insects rule the ground and the call of the fish eagle sounds.   It’s a place where God uses the dusk air as a canvas to paint a new masterpiece every day.   With every sunset comes a new promise of a cool night. It’s a place where the stars rule the night sky...

Work your Way, aka a year traveling the world with a bunch of guys, sounds like Neverland...because it is! Corona aka villain aka my arch nemesis sounds like captain Hook trying to ruin my fun...because it is! Ticking crocodile reminding me that time is running out and the year is coming to an end...because it is! Then there's Wendy, a woman, the one that convinces Peter pan to grow the hell up, leave Neverland and become a real man with responsibility... well damn. Looks like God used women this year to turn me into a better man. Deal with conflict,...

I've heard people say South Africa is such a wonderful country and it's so diverse, in fact I've said something similar, travel magazines and tourists too. It's even in our De facto slogan, the rainbow nation. Diverse in people, nature, culture and heritage. It's one thing to think you know something and a whole lot different to know you only know a little. Naively I thought I knew. Since we've been expropriated from Brazil the team has actively served in 4 of our 8 provinces and not even lockdown has been able to impede our travels. Where's the truth in...