“so we are going to Tanzania, in 3 days but we have no contacts, no phone numbers, no ministry connections, no bus tickets, no accommodations, no plans. here is your country now go explore and rely on God.”
UM WHAT?!?!?!
screamed in the back of my mind when our leader, Angie, told my team about blank plans for our last and final country. I was confused. I mean the whole trip had been planned out for us so perfectly, the ministry we’d been connected to was impactful. The places and sights we’d seen were outstanding. I didn’t want this trip to now end on a floppy, messy, unorganized note.
I’m so grateful that I’m wrong all the time.
Our team just sat together in mystery-desperately praying and exploring and questioning. We researched on the internet, we went to local coffee shops in the city of Nairobi and struck up HOLY SPIRIT ROCKING conversations with locals about their opinion of Tanzania, but most importantly we freely surrendered this country and time to God. I’ve never really experienced praying to God for so much direction. I felt like I was in a car with a blindfold on and God was my GPS and eyes, telling me where to turn, stop, go.
The first day of research God continually and repetively highlighted the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam to my team. So we faithfully proclaimed that Dar was our Destination and the logistics, ministry and budget would all fall into play. of course it did, we have the creator of all things empowering us YO!
sooo……
We are now living in a small house right next to a World Race team of 8. (a team of young adults that travels to a different country every month for a full year) It has been more than a joy to have them as our neighbors and dear friends. It has been so encouraging and empowering to hear their stories, lessons learned, and sweet voices worship and pray to God. (dang do world racers know how to worship).
We are also staying about 2 miles away from a Christian orphanage. So every day we have been walking to go hang out, cook, wash clothes, build, teach, pray and laugh with our new dear friends.
PRAISE GOD. I’m SO immensely grateful that Angie didn’t just hand us an itinerary for Tanzania. I’m so grateful that my reliance on God was able to deepen. So I challenge you to let go of some plans, ideas or directions and surrender them in blindness to God. Because it’s then when he does “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! AMEN!” Ephesians 3:20-21
wow. God is so real. Like Come on, For real, there so is a God. wow.
