Participant Blogs

I am currently lying on my back on a bamboo bench, Just after my fellow rookie constructionist and I finished building a sturdy wooden grass covered structure.This process involved a dangerous amount of inexperience ,riggedy scaffoldings, and the use of a nail gun while suspended up in the air.I suspect God poured out some serious last minute wisdom into our arrogantly confident hearts.None the less we are finished and admiring our golden creation.There is a sence of pride and contentment flowing through our veins.Wiping a drop of sweat from my brow, I can not help to realize the privilege of...

Ahh Middle East, what an awesome place! I'm so stoked that I had the privilege of serving the people of crossroads. I'm really liking the tea a lot it's like a mix between rooibos and normal tea, it's perfect! I thought that we would be doing intense physical labor, but actually we just helped out with whatever needed to be done! Us guys got to play soccer with the kids every Saturday but because their culture requires men to wear pants we had to play in our jeans, and that made things a bit heated, and these kids completely wrecked...

 Since Kosovo, our team has stepped into a musical. The absence of wifi and the presence of lovely hosts made the difference. We had a lot of freedom to spend time with Christ and grow in unity. It was a healing and strengthening time there and not at all a disappointment. The fact that we could not go to China is long forgotten, because we truly believe God wanted us in Kosovo. Our hosts admitted to wishing for help and knowing God used us to show them He hears their prayers even before they pray them, means the world. We...

The 15'th February Norm Wakefield came from Texas to help us understand the canvas God is painting. He is a true epistle  of Christ and has shown me and 50 other Global Challengers how to know the Father and the Son. To know more go to www.spiritofelijah.com or email Norm, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On the other side of the wall… As South Africans we are familiar with the concept of having a country within another country, but this did not prepare me for what I experienced crossing the ‘border’ into Palestine. Bethlehem is about 7,1km outside Jerusalem with a large 8m high wall dividing the one city from the other. Imagine a scene out of the Hunger Games with the towering wall, barbed wire everywhere and people with guns patrolling the area. And so we drove through this scene only to be met with gas bombs, tires burning and people with gas masks...

Knowing God means being exposed to supernatural knowledge and deeds. I cannot believe I was so blind to think any of this could be boring? But then again i could not see without Him opening my eyes. So if you are reading this and you do not understand or you think God is boring, just do yourself a favor and ask for ears to hear and eyes to see. It is not a worldly experience. Of course it is not because God is not an earthly being. He is not what we have made Him to be. His ways are...

I'm still trying to figure out who this God of mine really is. Last night I found myself scolding God as if He were a little child. I felt like He wanted me to come on this journey. Knowing I don't have the funds. I felt like He must have known what He was doing but now it feels like He just doesn't care. After I spoke my mind for a good 30 min He simply asked me if I was done. A moment after someone walked in. Gave me all the answers I just asked God and walked out....

What is important? For some people that read this blog, you might not have the answer to his tricky truth. Some of you might have an immediate answer, some will hesitate but will get to the answer and some people more often than you think, will not have an answer at that very time. Why does this question raise so many different answers in life, and why does everyone’s answer differ? I have asked myself this question many times before. What does it mean? What is the truth? What is the correct answer? Everything that I can think of that...

My mind is blown. My foundations shaken. Suffering is still a thing? It's still happening? Why do we not know about this? Why did I not know about this? Do people actually know what is going on? Do people actually realize that there are PEOPLE in these circumstances. Living breathing people. What do you do in a situation like this? What can you do? Deliver a heater and a stove? A few mattresses, pillows, gas? Just enough food to get by for maybe a month? Show LOVE. We've been in the Middle East for three weeks now. Visiting families and...

Going to the Promised Land for the first time of my life was a dream come true. Seeing the places where so many things happened in the Bible, reading the stories and seeing the "exact" place where it happened was amazing. Using your imagination to see where Jesus died, going to all the places where some of it happened, and meeting amazing people at these places that tell us so much of what they know about the old city. The Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee were memorable, but the most amazing thing was when we were in the...

So excited on my destination this is my first time that I will be crossing SA borders not to go ons a gap year but to serve God around the world this is one of my best days of my live in a so honored to be part of GCEX time to help make a difference on earth. Get ready world there's a storm coming and it's going to be global

When gardening, one always starts with the end in mind. There is always a sort of rigorous planning and planting, but soon it is all about maintenance and persevering in the commitment to keep the garden contained. This is also true of our spiritual gardens. At first our spirit dwells in a desert, with no living water and no plants. But as soon as Christ comes and changes our truth and understanding of the good news, He starts planting the first tree…The tree of freedom and salvation. As we start walking an intentional road with Him, God starts bringing new...

Macedonia was one of those countries that I had high expectations of. Mostly due to the fact that I heard so much about the place, the large amount of people that needed help in the camps and the Rama people that also needed help. After Africa left Macedonia, I read their blogs and that helped me to paint a picture of how it is there, and what I can expect. So after reading and hearing about the refugee camp, I was expecting a BIG challenge. Not that it would have demotivated me in some sort of manner but rather start...

Israel.    What can we say. Our lives were impacted. Impacted firstly because we came to know that we were not in Israel because we wanted to be, we were in Israel because God invited us to be there. In His holy land.    All of us experienced a walk with Jesus. His footsteps, our footsteps becoming one. We realized that none of us had the same experience, God personally came and met each one of us where we were at. Exactly when He wanted to and how He wished to do so.   Israel is really, truly the Holy...

Good day! Jerusalem was beautiful and it was special to see where Jesus was, but I honestly enjoyed Bethlehem, on the other side of the wall, more. At both stops, we did a lot of gardening. Goodness, I never thought there could be so many metaphors with pulling out roots of weeds. I started dreaming about it even. Luckily I love gardening and find it to be therapeutic. In Bethlehem we lived with three stunning nuns, who changed my pre-conceived idea about nuns. At all of the ministry points we have gone so far there have been extremely effective women....

i'ts being such an amazing time of rest with friends and family (the south african one) hahahh. Being surrounded by the love of people just make me feel more rea for what's coming. Tomorrow we gonna fly to Jordan, to have a time of serving and loving people. For me it's everything so crazy, I never imagine myself going to countries like Jordan or CHINA!!! But all this just makes me remember Psalm 2 -  8. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. "....

It's been such an amazing time here in Jordan, learning how to love and understand more of your team is so special! The Lord loves these people and I know that he's going to use us here as his vessels. Now it's real! This is living now!!!

weeks??? Why so fast??? Can we come back??? The rime spent in the Middle East has been spectacular! God is showing us his heart for these people. Visits, distribution; gas, pillows, stoves. How can people that need so much basic resources bless us so much???? With peace, joy, love and kindness and a lot of tea. My heart is filled with joy and hope for the rest of the year. Even though you may think that you know something, God always has something to teach us. There's nothing better than to just sit at His feet and listen. Bringing hope...

  I am so scared of using christianese. I used to judge people who used the word "journey" and "blessing". For me it was death! But now I'm starting to get there! So funny! I asked God to please take away my "judger". And ever since then, when I judge somebody for a characteristic, I get the characteristic #