Participant Blogs

So this is the last country of our journey. In a sense the last stretch home. We have experienced a lot up until now and it is with mixed emotions we approach the finish line. Some of us are sad that our travels are coming to an end mixed with excitement of seeing our homeland again. Some of us are excited at the prospect of wearing new outfits. And then there are those who are excited about the full farmhouse breakfast awaiting us in Johannesburg...eggs sunny side up, no toast, lots of bacon, and a good cup of coffee. Paraguay...

So this is the account of our Luke10 faith journey. This story starts with two guys setting out on an adventure. Jesus sent out his disciples two by two into towns to prepare the way for the kingdom. We prayed and felt God said we should travel through Argentina to the city of Asuncion in Paraguay. I asked God to show me His love on this Luke 10...He did. Day 1 - Wednesday 14 Oct On a bus from Chile to Argentina at 05:00 We traveled over the Andes mountains at 4200m above sea level Andes mountains are amazing...snow capped...

  After our Machu Picchu adventure we got on a bus to the Bolivian border from Cusco on a Monday evening at 22:30. We reached the Bolivian border the next morning with anticipation and hopes of seeing the jungle again but...God had other plans. About an hour later we found ourselves on the pavement back in Peru as we couldn't get into Bolivia. In a rush of praying and thinking and trusting we unloaded our bags from the bus and waved it goodbye as it entered Bolivia without us. So there we were...apparently Peru wanted some more pictures with us....

  Im busy reading this book on vulnerability and shame. Apparently shame does not like it when we talk about it and this is where vulnerability comes in. Its to open up a part of yourself that may be assaulted or hurt by others. So its about the courage to open up. To step into the arena and fight the fight with others who are courages enough. And people who are not in the arena don't have a say or should not influence the way you think about yourself. Your worthiness is in your courage to step out in faith...

Leadership gets defined when you are thrown into the back of an airplane wondering if all the team members are on board. Or when, a supposedly agreed upon, 5 minute per person shower, turns into a self proclaimed 10 minute spa treatment with 6 other people waiting for their turn with a "what are you going to do about this" expressions on their faces. Or even that moment when someone tries to convince the guys that lentils have the same amount of protein as a steak. And all this before breakfast. Our team is neatly divided into 5 smaller teams....

I'm being reinvented. Trying new things. Beliefs are broken. New ones are being formed. It's not an easy process. The values Jesus taught are treasures. They bring life. They bring meaning to a world in need. They make our world a better place. The values will change humanity and the way we are living. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Love your neighbor. Take care of the widows. Honor your parents. Don't kill someone. Don't take stuff that don't belong to you. Treat others the way you want to be treated. And then in the end...do this all out of...

Flight. Midnight. Arrive. Panama. Airport. Sleep. Morning. Adventure. Taxi. Gamboa. Church. Pastor. Carmelita. Canal. Boats. Coffee. Breakfast. Explore. Shower. Outside. Mangoes. Jungle. Tourists. Boat. Canal. Island. Monkeys. Bananas. Locals. Indians. Village. Native. Dance. Sing. Pray. Chief. Heat. Pray. Coke. Armadillos. Conversations. Worship. Prison. Confinement. Solitary. General. Testimony. Pray. Causeway. Pray. Pictures. Search. Treasures. Pray. Pizza. Malls. Busses. Confusion. Running. YWAM. Move. Hotel. Start. New. Change. Season. Food. Cookies. Bed. Mattress. Debrief. Heart. Relaxed. Bus. Airport. Coffee. Shopping. Goodbyes.

This is one of the most intense, unpredictable, mind blowing, captivating, speechless processes I have been through in my life. Some days I just sit and stare because I don't even know where to begin processing or debriefing or evaluating the experience. Like a blank space just fills my head. I get up, take a shower, get on a truck with 14 other people, and go help clean a yard. And then it happens. That unpredictable thing. The pastor tells you that it is a gift from God that the team came today because it's almost their two year birthday...

Nutten. Whatever. No mon. These are the words that you'll hear when you set foot on this island, the birthplace of reggae. The landscape is as diverse as the experiences we had. Golden age home, children's home, homeless shelter, city council meeting, laying cement floors, looking for wifi, eating all the different types of mangoes, going to a cinema to watch the new Avengers movie, having patties at Tastees, ice cream at Devon House, hosting church services and prayer meetings, playing games in Emancipation park, visiting a chicken farm, going to the beach, eating ackee and salt fish with dumplings,...

One way to describe Guyana is Amazon jungle with a hint of India. The food is very spicy and ricy. Lots of colors. The caribbean accent is very prominent. Oh and sand. Lots and lots of sand. A peculiar thing if you think about it. Sand belongs on a beach, not in a jungle. Or that's my western mindset. Georgetown is the capital and is about 5m below sea level. The coast is mostly mangroves and dykes to keep the ocean at bay. While we were here it was election time and a new political party won. The people have...