Participant Blogs

Not much has changed since we left South Africa for the first time on the 5th of March. Coffee is about R3.50 more expensive per 250g and the Stormsrivier toll gate has increased to R40. 26-inch mountain bikes are almost phased out completely, which means by this stage everyone has a 29-inch to brag with. Some people got married, others got engaged and the rest are still single. Some people have also been oversees, some got new jobs or a raise in their salary and a few have property on their name for the first time. But apart from these...

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...

At this stage of the journey I could write a blog about almost anything. Endurance would be a good subject... With only 22 days to go I have to bite my lip more every day. Even long suffering or forbearance would fit. And when I see the word ''fit'' I am reminded about some of my clothes that does not fit as nicely as they did when I started the journey. My physical, mental and emotional fitness at this stage is also not something to write home about.   Despite my frustrations and irritations God opened my eyes to see...

  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...

Our time in Panama was split in two - the first few days in Gamboa, a beautiful, tranquil cul de sac little town on the Panama Canal with pastor Bill and the last few days in buzzing Panama City on the 15th floor of a hotel with the vibrant YWAM students. Gamboa is situated in a lush green jungle, where sloths hang in trees and howler monkeys cry out loud from deep within the jungle. Here we had the great opportunity to do prison ministry and pray over a notorious political figure who was charged to life sentence in jail...

A year ago I made a definite decision about 2015. It's a year later and we are debriefing the past 24 weeks of the journey. I am not sure who I am quoting now, but this is truly a life like no other. And this is what I mean by that:   We have lived in dodgy hotels with almost no facilities and grand hotels with warm showers and coffee machines. We have lived in musquito nests and random islands. We have slept in airports and busstations. We have travelled with ALL kinds of buses and taxis (including a truck...