Participant Blogs

After an excruciating two days of travel by bus and train and hanging out at various interesting stop over stations, we arrived in Macedonia in the middle of the night - tired, dirty and hungry. Our moods were immediately lifted when we were welcomed by our friendly hosts who received us at the train station with big smiles and joyful hearts. They treated us to a midnight feast of the biggest hamburgers we have ever seen and it was not long before realized that Macedonia, like the Middle East has a very late night culture. Nothing happens before 10 in...

We spent one week in Greece. One week that help to shape my life. Our ministry there was to clean up the accommodation facilities and prepare the camping grounds for the summer season. We were preparing the ground for summer camps...both physically and in prayer!:) In the afternoons we had the opportunity to swim in the ocean, take long walks along the shoreline, play some sports and explore the little coastal town of Leptokarya. We also had amazing times of worship on the grass outside and around the camp fire at night where God really revealed Himself to us in...

We departed from Turkey almost two months ago already, but it was such an overwhelming experience to be a pilgrim in the country where a big part of the new testament plays off that I struggled to put it into words. Here is my attempt at celebrating the highlights! We arrived in Istanbul, a cosmopolitan city located halfway in Asia and halfway in Europe with a strong Middle Eastern influence. The streets smell of incense and turkish delight and various kinds of fruit teas can be found in every sidewalk cafe and street market. Here I found that Psalm 16:5...

Israel, the promised land, the country where Jesus walked, the place where God revealed so much of His character to us through the Israeli nation. Visiting this special place is an experience that can hardly be captured or described in mere words or pictures. It is seeing a piece of living history, a walk through the gospels. From Bethlehem where Jesus was born to Capernaum next to the sea of Galilea where Jesus ministered to Jerusalem, the city that Jesus loved. How strange and heartbreaking to see the same historic events being viewed so differently through the glasses of different...

From Biblical times until today, the Middle East has been a region subject to near constant unrest and war. Throughout the generations, the kingdom of Jordan has been a safe harbour offering refuge to countless people fleeing from war torn countries on all sides.  In an oasis like this, one finds many interesting people with inspiring stories. Stories of death, pain and destruction; stories of perseverance, courage and relief; stories of hope, love and a Saviour found. On top of that, one finds foreigners from every corner of the earth with the same heart who came to bring relief and...

After two months of training and preparation the day finally arrived for the international leg of our Global Challenge journey to begin! It was with much excitement and expectation that our entire group of 36 students got on the midnight flight form Johannesburg to Dar Es Salam. On arrival we stepped out into the pressing humidity of an early morning in Tanzania. Everyone scurried about to pick up their bags and hurry off to catch the next mode of transport which would take us to our various destinations. When the commotion died down it became evident that my bag might...

"The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him , two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, " The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few . Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals , and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ' Peace be...

Three weeks ago we arrived in Jeffreys Bay, backpacks containing all the belongings that we will need for the year on our backs, mentally and physically ready to begin with training for our Global Challenge Expedition 2015:)   During the first couple of days we were introduced to the Global community. By sharing amazing stories about what God has done in and through their lives all over the world they imparted to us their heart for the nations and a new excitement to see how God wants to love His children across the globe.    On day five we received...