Unseen Changes And Another Hard Turn

Over the last few weeks it feels like I've been going through a whole series of faith shaking events. Those of you who have been following my story, both here on my blog and on Facebook, have been aware that I've been going through a long and drawn out process of applying for a special program visa, so I can work with YWAM in Darwin, Australia.

Just the other day, this door was shut. Not via my visa being denied but because I was led to write to the Department of Immigration and withdraw my visa. There were a number of reasons behind this decision. My peace went out the window when I heard that the DTS I was hoping to staff has only one student. There were a few people who suggested me doing different things with other organizations in Australia but I didn't feel right about that nor did I quite like the idea of starting my visa application from the beginning. I know God has called me to work with YWAM. There's no doubt about that.

The last nine months since I have been in South Africa have not been wasted, as some might think. I've learnt so much since I've been here. I did a counseling course and I've learnt so much from my mother.

I don't know where exactly I'll be going next, but I know that I'm going to stay with YWAM, and that it'll be somewhere in Europe. On my DTS God really made it clear that I'm a team player and that I function best in a team situation. God showed me this again when I joined one of Operation Mobilization's Africa Trek teams for a week in Swaziland. God will show me the next step soon.

I'll let you know what the next step is when I do.

Update

I know I haven't posted anything in a while, and I apologise for my silence. Something has come up and its become quite complex. However, when things are a little more clear for me, I will post and explain what's been happening this last week.

Its a choice to keep trusting that God knows best for me, and that He holds my future in His hands. But I must admit that walking by faith and not by sight is something that easier said than done. I'm praying that everything is sorted out soon and after that, you'll know what's going on.

I'm aware that a number of you really like my photographs and enjoy seeing what I see, but through my camera lens. So I wanted to bring your attention to my photo-a-day space on blipfoto.com, all you need to do is just click here. The link will take you straight to where my photo journal. I hope you enjoy the photos I've already posted. I'll be posting photos there a lot.

Just Days Away (I Hope)

The wait has been a real trial, a lesson I've had to learn. Twelve months ago I was in Brazil, Belo Horizonte, if I'm correct... I've grown so much over the course of the last year... It has been quite a journey and though, I must say that much of the last few months has included long stints of waiting and few occasions of rushing around to print, photocopy, certify and scan the documents to send them back as quickly as possible. For me, it's been a really walk of faith, and trust, that this is what God wants for me right now. I've never had to deal with a process like this before. I never had this issue before... we were always travelling back and forth to Kenya, usually within the three months I had was allowed to stay in Uganda. I remember one time I was threatened by the immigrations officer, on the Ugandan side of the border, with a fine for having so many visitor's visas in my passport. That fine never did materialise, thankfully.

Nothing much has happened in the last week or so, in regards to hearing about my visa. Even though I had been able to get a new South African visa in my passport, which expires at the end of January, my father and I stillr went to the nearest home affairs office to have my visa extended. It was another occasion of running around making sure I had all the right documents... And the right amount of photocopies. It took time but I'm legally safe, for now. I have a slip of paper in my passport saying that I'm waiting for the South African visa to be granted. This takes the pressure off me, in regards to having to leave South Africa before 27 January 2014. I really don't have any intension of another crazy border escapade into Mozambique or Swaziland. One time doing this twice (one time across each border) was chaotic and nerve wrecking enough.

Until next time...

P.S. The photos are of a mushroom outside my parents' room and a warthog walking past my window. This one's siblings got very scared of the shutter sound so I had to turn it off before I could get a nice one. Warthogs are funny animals.

Peace And Praise

It has been one of those day when I realized, afresh, that God cares about me and my desire to serve Him. I was reminded of the sparrows and that God cares about me more. He looks after me, and I know that even if I don't get my visa, He will always be my God. It's hard to say, let alone think because I'm sure God has lead me to apply to YWAM in Australia. If I don't get the visa it would be another lesson for me to learn. I have chosen that whatever happens He is still my God.

Since I submitted my visa I've had peace about it, but still had my moments, when I've balked a little bit at the idea that, after this long process, I might not get it. Yet, every day afresh, I am reminded that His Grace is sufficient for me... today. He'll walk with me through each day. It's my human nature that causes me to fear, but God doesn't want me to fear my visa application's rejection. He wants me to be totally dependent on Him. All I can do is pray, trust and leave the rest up to Him. Sometimes that's easier said than done...

Over the last few days we've been settling into life in Hoedspuit. Caleb started grade nine this week. Over breakfast, the other morning, he said that he was ready for the new academic year. For me to see my brother in grade nine makes me wonder where the time has gone to. It seems like yesterday that I was his age... Now he's taller than me and is fast approaching my father's hight (6 ft. 2). He's definitely got that from the Dutch side of the family.

If you are a bit confused by here, let me explain, South African schools start in January, as the South Hemisphere's winter is Northern Hemisphere's summer whilst South Hemisphere's summer is over the Northern Hemisphere's winter. Its a case of back to front, or you could say its a some type of weather mirror as it were, autumn (fall) is the begging of the school year and summer brings the end ... In some countries, where there's no summer and winter, it can get a bit confusing. Uganda's one of them. Uganda has two seasons, twice a year. There's rainy season, then dry season and so on. The international schools run their academic year according the North Hemisphere's schooling systems (British, American and International Baccalaureate Diploma) whilst the local schools run their school year (according to a local curriculum) according to the South Hemisphere's school year.

Hannah has also started her last cooking course at Le Cordon Bleu, just the other day. She was ever so excited about what she's going to learn over the next few months, with the goal of being placed very well by the chefs and getting a very good work placement.

People wonder what I'm doing these days. now that Christmas and New Year have both slipped by. Well, I'm at home, doing some housework and helping mum. I never realised that a house with a thatched roof was so hard to keep clean. I'm learning a lot from being here. And I'm still trusting God to provide my visa.

Until next time...

2014: A Year Of Praise

2013. It's just four individual numbers put together to differentiate the days that fell within its care from the preceding years and those that follow. People have written about what has happened to them or what they did in 2013. For me, it's what my God did in me.

I was in Brazil, on my knees in a church, when 2013 started. We were having communion, in a way I have never had before. We received the bread and the grape juice, before returning to our chairs to pray a blessing over the communion. After this, we exchanged the bread with someone else around us (this might happen a number of times) before we ate it. The same happened with the juice. I can't say I remember what happened next as I don't speak Portuguese... But it was definitely unforgettable. God showed me another way to welcome the New Year in.

The Classic Discipleship Training School (otherwise known as the Classic DTS) ended in March, it was quite painful for me when I had to say good bye to the people who had come to mean so much to me. I look back now and I'm ever so grateful for being able to meet that incredible group of individuals from whom I learnt so much. It was a privilege and an honour to work along side them. God was definitely behind my father's suggestion to do a DTS and it was God who lead me to YWAM Heidebeek. It was an incredible six months.

A number of years ago I became good friends with an English girl, who's parents were missionaries in Riga, the capital of the Boltic state of Latvia. We'd been email for a number of years and had met twice. I had really wanted to go to Riga and spend some time with her. So I had prayed and God provided. I spent just under two weeks with her in Riga over Easter. It was great fun and, for me, the first 'white Easter' I'd ever had (much the amusement of my friend and her sisters).

After my Latvian holiday I wasn't sure what God wanted me to do. I knew He had called me to missions but I had no idea where. Because I'd done a DTS in Holland, there were some who thought I'd stay on and work with one of the DTSs run by YWAM Heidebeek. But God had other plans. Before going to Latvia, I had gone on the YWAM International's website and looked for bases that needed staff for one of their DTS's. Then I came across YWAM Outback, in Darwin, Australia. It almost jumped off the computer monitor's display. I then made contact with the base and began filling in the forms, which I sent after flying down to South Africa to join my wonderful family. My application was accepted and I began to work on the visa.

Having grown up in Uganda, I knew that visas can be tricky to get hold of, but could be issued at the borders. I remember going to visit Hannah, my sister, when she was in boarding school in Kenya, and the lady at the Ugandan departures office threatening me that I'd get fined for having so many visitor's visas in my passport. I wasn't fined, thankfully. But I didn't expect that getting a visa for Australia would take so long. God is still working on my heart and has been teaching me a lot of patience over the last few months. I told Him that if this wasn't what He wanted for me, He could shut the door on the whole process. My parents have been a great support and I'm very grateful for that. They had both done a DTS (over 25 years ago) and had both staffed DTS's. That's where they had met... And when my dad had proposed. So YWAM and DTSs run in the blood, I guess. Now that my visa is at the department of Immigration, there's nothing more I can do, but wait. It's in His hands.

The past twelve months have flown by, but I'm so grateful to God for His guidance, and the lessons I've learnt. It's been difficult at times, but God has really taught me what trust is, on a deeper level that what I had known before.

So, at the beginning of a new year, I give God praise for what He has done and what He is going to do in and through me.