Global Challenge South America: adventure awaits!

After a few weeks in the Caribbean it was time to return to the mainland of South America. Columbia stretches in diversity from high Andes mountain ranges, to coffee farms to tropical beaches. Our time in Columbia was equally diverse as it started with the much anticipated parent visit in Bogota and Cartagena, moving into a backpacker challenge from Cartagena to Santa Marta, ministry in the hot, tropical coastal town of Santa Marta and finishing off in the much cooler Fusagasuga mountain town. The parents visit was a time of exploring, relaxing, story telling and being showered with love, affirmation...

In the 500 year old multicoloured town of Santiago we found ourselves lost in time back in the 1950's with vintage cars, Cuban men smoking cigars and playing dominoes on the street, and Latino salsa music filling the warm night air in the plazas. Cuba has ridiculously cheap and delicious street food. So we took full advantage of the 1 peso (60c) ice creams, espressos and butter cookies every day! In this communist country everyday life for a Cuban is quite hard. Small sizes of food rations are handed out to each household monthly; street sweepers' and doctors' salaries are...

Lush green jungle, mountains, waterfalls, hummingbirds and big blue butterflies. This was the setting of our first ministry point in South America. Our mission in Itatiaia was the fulfilment of a vision God gave Mariana Adolpho 10 years ago: to build a prayer room on the mountain where people from all over the world could come and spend time with God. There is a big witchcraft influence in the area and hotels and houses ran empty as a result. During our time there we helped to build the prayer room, painted the house in bright, life giving orange and yellow...

Our plan (man's plan) was to go to Bolivia to serve at a church there. We were prepared and ready for ministry, just like the rest of the year...but we encountered visa problems at the border. After searching God's guidance in prayer, He directed our paths towards Chile...unknown territory for the team in more than one way. In times like these you realize God send you on this journey as a leader for times like these...recklessly trusting Him to come through for you and your team when you have nothing secure to hold on to accept His promises of never...

At the end of 2014 I quit my job as a Physio, said goodbye to my comfortable life in Sea Point and decided to pack my backpack and join Global Challenge in travelling the world to make known to the nations what Jesus has done for us and to share His love. I believe God places a desire in your heart for the reason to bring Him glory and that He gives you talents, interests and passion for that same reason. What a privilege to be part of a group of 16 like minded young people forming the Hidden World...

A happy and satisfied Global Challenge team put their paintbrushes and hammers down on Friday evening, after a week of intense sanding and painting to help build the GLA Ecocampus School in Jeffreys Bay. The Ecocampus vision: to raise future leaders with firm core values who will impact and serve their community and beyond. As part of our first big project, everybody got jobs allocated to them, from making food, to financial management, to raising awareness, to fundraising through sponsorships, "blikskud" and busking. At the school building site during the day we had the chance to develop our building skills,...