With a heart wild with expectancy, and eyes filled with wonder, I arrived at OR Tambo on the 4th of March. What to expect? I didn't know. All I knew is that I am about to embark on the journey of a lifetime, to live a life like no other. And all this, with Jesus as my compass and anchor. We boarded flight 202 headed to Dar es Salaam, and you could smell the excitement in the air. Our flight only jetted off at 23:20, and I soon found out that a dinner tray can also be used as a pillow. The first akward sleeping position of many to come! When we landed in Dar, and got our bags, we discovered that Génekes bag went missing. We had to say goodbye to our friends, Hidden World and Work Your Way, and leave the airport without Ginxs bag, and headed off to Zanzibar. After almost 3 hours of bag searching, taxi scouting, money drawing, and being bombarded by people who want to assist you with everything you don't want/need and also can't afford. In a city full of chaos, we met Mr Basheer, our first man of peace. He invited all ten of us in to his matchbox sized ferry ticket office, and helped us. When we were thirsty, he gave us water. He's whole being was woven together by kindness and humbleness. He gave us discount on our ferry tickets AND changed it to VIP tickets. When we boarded the ferry, he gave us orange soda and muffins. And he did all this, not because he felt sorry for us, but because of WHO HE IS. Peace that surpasses all understanding. I never quite got that, until it happened to me. But you never really understand something until you see it in your team mate, who's bag, with her whole journeys things inside was stolen. It's all about trusting and knowing that He is control. We arrived in Stone town, Zanzibar, after approximately 14 hours of traveling. Hot, sweaty, overwhelmed by the humidity, hungry and tired, but definately not dismayed. Our host waited for us at the harbors gate, and soon enough we were on our way to the place we would call home for the next 10 days. Our American/Canadian turned Zanzibari hosts welcomed us with open arms, and after we settled in, we had dinner with them, which consisted of Zanzibar pizza, salad and watermelon.
Little did I know, that Jesus would be shaking me a bit the next day. A personal jounrey I've been on for a really long time, is spending. I've never had to be responsible for anyone but myself, so I would buy myself things I want, even if it meant eating bread instead of Woolies food for the rest of the month. And then Jesus decided I should be on the food team this year. The next morning Lisa, Seth, our host and I went to the local market to go buy food for the week. Géneke (who is in charge of our finances), gave me approximately 19 600 shillings to go and buy food. Sounds like a lot of money right? Nope. R140 to be precise. Feeding TEN people with R2 per person per day? Challenge accepted!! We left the market with pap, meat, carrots, potatoes, 5 kilos of rice, tomatoes, onions, fresh bread rolls, cabbage, beans, sugar and toilet paper! I can not explain multiplication, or miracles. I cannot explain the feeling of knowing that the impossible turned possible. But I know that every time I put my foot in that market, Jesus was with me. HE IS FOR US!!!
We stared sanding and re varnishing our hosts windows, and worked in the scorching sun in the morning, and moved on to the shade during the afternoons. The best thing about projects is the fact that you can witness the progress, and that gives you a sense of purpose!
Zanzibar has a population of about 1.5 million people, and 99% of them are of Muslim faith. Our host gave us awesome lectures about how to evangelise Muslims, and soon enough we were out and about, and ready to love on some Zanzibaris. Our first outing was to Jamhuri gardens, where our christian friend Juma, told us his story about how Jesus appeared to him in a dream. There, me and Géneke met a young girl who goes to a public school across the road. She was taking her afternoon rest before heading home. We started chatting to her, and we asked her why she wears a burkha, and she told us that she doesn't know, and that it's just the way it is. The truth is, that the enemy uses IDENTITY in Muslims to deceive them. Their religion and culture aren't two separate things, so when they come to Christ, they don't understand that they can be liberalised in a sense, because they can't differentiate between who they are, and what they believed. Their prayer times, burkas, rituals and everything they do and say become a part of their identity, and because their is a lack of relationship, they struggle to come out of the grip of a false identity. I am thankful for meeting this amazing girl in the garden, and the fact that Jesus used her to reveal to us the riches of His heart. "You're a good good Father, it's who You are. And I'm loved by You, it's who I am"
We were also sent out on some treasure hunts, and Chris, Willem and we soon met one of most interesting, wise men I have ever met. Malcolm X is a 60 something Muslim who owns a local coffee shop in the area we lived in. He's smart, and very kind, and is also passionate about Allah. He treated me lilike a real lady, and offered me a seat and some amazing Zanzibari coffee. He told us about his life and shared some wisdom. When we went back a few days later, the guys decided that it's time to talk about something more serious, Jesus. He was very open and okay with the fact that we live Jesus. And then something I cannot comprehend, happened. He told us that there are 73 different types of Muslims, but none of them know in what group they are. All he knows is that ONLY those who follow Isah (Jesus) will go to heaven one day. WAIT! WHAT????? I almost choked on my coffee and fell off my chair!!! As soon as he realised what he said, he changed the subject. You see, he KNOWS the truth. Not because of what we did or said, but because of who Jesus is. Because He loves us all the same. Because he wispers in to our souls. He appears in our dreams. The zeal of the Lord of heaven and earth is upon Zanzibar!! The seeds are planted by His servants, watered by His spirit, and when the time is right, Zanzibar will explode in to a River of Revival. Thank You Jesus for this reality!!!
After a week of working non stop in the sun to finish our "masterpiece" windows, we got to celebrate my 24th birthday. My team had a few surprises up their sleeves and I was woken up with Happy birthday songs and a make shift cake at 5 in the morning, on FRIDAY (let's just double check that) the 13th of March. We left for Kizmkazi a while later, to take part in what ended up to be the best day of my life, so far. Nothing can prepare you for the sight of God's glorious workmanship. Breathtaking moments, whether it's the sea or the mountains, people or moments. It hits you solid between the eyes, and a new dimension of who God is, Is revealed to your inner most being. And Kizmkazi is one of those. Google images don't cut it, and it can't be explained either, but the experience is etched in my memory. We hired two boats, and went out on an adventure not to be forgotten.Swimming with wild dolphins is something that should definitely be on your bucket list, especially jumping on top of one and having a stare down afterwards :) I was free from varnishing for the day, and spent my birthday relaxing on the couch. My favorite moment of the day was when my team "called me in for a meeting" that was actually a surprise birthday cake!! All in all, I had an epic day, and I am blessed with an amazing team!
Fellowship in Zanzibar was definitely different than in Jeffreys bay. We were confined by 8 foot walls, and had a lot of sanding and varnishing to do. Night times consisted of Chanté and Willem playing guitar, eating on the steps of our hosts back porch, and sitting under the fan to prevent ourselves from turning in to raisins. We got to know each other on deeper, more personal levels. We served each other and prayed with and for each other daily. We prayed for Génekes bag, and we held on to fact that He is a faithful Father. In the meantime, our toiletries, clothes and literally everything else became hers. We shared joyfully and with glad hearts, because that's what sisters do. We made jokes and laughed until we couldn't anymore, especially about the fact that everyone thought Johnstone was a Zanzibari, and he was spoken to in Swahili most of the time!! "Isit? Hahahha, asante sana" was he's usual response, which led to all of us bursting out with laughter. From walking in to the washing line, getting a happy birthday song from the mouse who lived under our bags, Johnstone making jokes about himself, having a braai, drinking litres and litres of Coke, all the way to traveling to Kenya...MEMORIES WERE MADE!!
The Lord showed His faithfulness to us in the form of rain. One afternoon, Géneke, Seth and I went to Stonetown. We were busy in a tiny little shop, when I looked out the door and there it was: RAIN!!!!!! Prayers answered!! We ended up running FREE, in the narrow streets of Stonetown, soaking wet and laughing at how Glorious God really is! Definitely my favorite moment in Zanzibar!