Participant Blogs

How precious are friendships not?  To be quite honest I arrived in Jordan thinking we will not form very close bonds with these people thus will it not be so difficult to say goodbye after two weeks. False. Doing life with people, caring for each other, seeing someone in the waking stages of their morning asking how you have slept, sharing food, sharing victories and sorrows in the ministry - these kind of actions forms special kind of bonds quickly and deeply. Before you realize it you are opening your heart to a friend who two weeks before was a...

In 1994 there was a genocide in Rwanda where the Hutu people group hunted down, tortured and killed their Tutsi brothers and sisters. These people used to be neighbours, living together in harmony on the beautiful hills of Rwanda.  At the genocide memorial museum, we heard stories of Tutsi families slaughtered by their Hutu friends. The friends they thought would protect them. This was truly inhumane and our Rwandan friends agreed that it was impossible for a whole people group to turn into murderers if it was not by some demonic force. This attack definitely started in the spiritual realm....

One religion says I am right and You are wrong   Another religion says You are goin to heaven and thay are going to hell   Where is the love in that   This religion says you have to pray six times a day for all your sins   That religion states you need to burn offerings to your statue god to be forgiven   Another religion says you need to pray facing a surtain direction   One religion says everyone is welkom    Another one states you can only be born in to it   That religion you pay...

On the 15th of March we arrived at our very first country, Rwanda. We were greeted by Bosco, our host and his family with a lot of love. Bosco runs a NGO where he nominates underprivileged children for a mentorship program, for proper schooling and to teach them the proper values and skills to be affective leaders. I immediately got excited when they told us that we would be helping at a local school teaching them from English to even sports. Members of our team was also needed at Bosco's office, for admin and advertisement of his NGO. During the...

At 12- midnight our travelday began On a 9 hour busride from Rwanda to Uganda we set off.  Sleepy heads swaying side to side. A popping sound of a tire awakens us. Friends piggybackride eachother into the dark to do 'short call'  12- midnight again we were off to India. 12- noon we left the airport, not aware of the adventure that awaited us.  So we set forth with a limited budget, 20 kgs on our backs with a day bag in the front. Minds set on the dormitory 3km from the airport. Trying to stay strong, the humid and...

Hallelujah! A 5 day lay over in India! Perfect for a little break, a lot of sleep and of course, exploring. So what's our budget? R1500 for 9 people. Not each. All together, inclusive of food, accommodation and travel. No sweat. Actually, a lot of sweat, this is India, the heat and humidity is next level!  Off we go, out the airport, 20kg on our backs, 5kgs on our fronts, ready to walk a short 2.5km to our hostel in the blistering heat. As we turn a corner, a taxi offers us a ride and calls his mate to assist....

This is a country where kites soar above your head while people peacefully go about their daily tasks. It wasn't always like this. Rwanda has a dark history which is so dark that one would not think that this is the same country as 25 years ago.    In 1994 for a period of 100 days the streets of Kigali, the capital, were drenched in blood. A million people lost their lives. The smell of dead bodies flooded the air while dogs feasted on human flesh. Neighbours turned against each other and even family. Fear, rape, abuse and hate dominated...

Every good blog needs at least one or more movie quotes and references. When Captain Jack Sparrow was asked the question how he was able to escape a desert island, after being marooned their by his mutinous crew, with only one pistol and one shot, he simply responded with:"you forgot one very important thing mate, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."   During our Luke 10, the part in the Bible where seventy people where send out by Jesus to preach the Gospel but they are not allowed to take anything with them, our leaders "marooned" us us in Swaziland and told...

You know the song, "break my heart for what breaks yours"? There are times when I regret singing it, because God wants us to know His heart, and He will definitely fulfill this request. And that's exactly what He did over this time in Africa. When this happens, you have two decisions. You could feel guilty for everything you have and make it about you. Or, you take the opportunity to learn God's heart in this situation and step up to make a difference. Even if it's in one person's life. You get to love this person with a God...

In the Global community, a "Luke 10" is a concept that is spoken of with much excitement, because everyone who has participated in such a challenge, has seen how God provides and how there is a multiplication of miracles when you have only Him to trust in.    "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them: The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his...