Coming Back!!!!!!!

I hope this post finds you guys well! I can’t believe I’ve been back in the States for six months already! It seems like just yesterday I was running up and down South Africa with Jabulani African Ministries in our work to make disciples of all nations. The best way I know how to describe what it feels like to be in America after an indescribable year in Africa is by quoting Jena Lee, director of Blood:Water Mission as she describes the same reality:

“I straddle two worlds. One foot in America. One foot in Africa. My heart is split. It’s an awkward place to be, as it stretches the legs upon which I stand. I would prefer to be in one place instead of straddled awkwardly across an ocean. Contrary to American doctrine, however, I think we’re supposed to be a little bit uncomfortable as we live within the tensions of this complicated world.”

Coming back from a year in South Africa has definitely been an adjustment for me. There is not a day that goes by without my heart hurting to go back. I do many outreaches here in Sacramento among the homeless and among children in low-income housing apartments and trailer parks and after each outreach, I remember the townships and communities we would enter into and the faces of the people we would speak to and the children we would throw up into our arms.

My biggest prayer since I have returned has been: “God, given everything you have allowed me to experience and learn from you these past few years, how can I best love the world this next year of my life?” I believe one answer God has given me to this question is to return to South Africa with a team of Americans to continue in making disciples.

For the end of July and the first two weeks of August, I will be taking a team of young adults to Mavhusa, a tiny village in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. There is a huge need for spiritual presence and the knowledge of Christ in this area, which suffers from issues of poverty, witchcraft, unemployment, drugs and alcohol, and disease. The suicide rate is very high among the youth here as many don’t know where to turn to for hope. Our team will be coming alongside the young missionaries of Jabulani African Ministries as they work towards building spiritual leaders among the youth and young adults of this area. (You can read a lot more about Mavhusa by looking at some older posts of my time there)

We hope to run some children programs, visit youth in their high schools, continue in the construction of a youth camp JAM is working on building, and maybe even running a youth camp for local youth to encounter Christ. There will be compassionate ministry towards refugees from Mozambique who have fled from the oppression of their homeland. There will be of soccer games, and hut to hut evangelism, many youth group meetings around fireplaces and whatever else we can do to support the ongoing ministry of JAM in Mahvusa.

I am very excited to return to South Africa and take an amazing team of friends with me to experience serving God in this beautiful and broken country. Please pray for the village of Mavhusa and the missionaries who serve there. Pray that the youth, orphans and refugees of this area will know God as their father and friend. And please pray for our team as we prepare ourselves for ministry across an ocean and raise funds towards this endeavor.

If you are interested in supporting us financially, please make your checks out to JARON ministries (The American organization that is assisting us in getting over there) and mail it to:

4710 N. Maple Ave. Fresno, CA 93726

Also, put a memo that says you wish the funds to go towards Megan’s trip to Mavhusa in July/August

Finally, since it is Holy Week, I wanted to give a shout out to the glorious and gracious God who gave us Jesus, the suffering servant on our behalf who conquered death so our sins can be absolved and we can rejoice in the Presence of our King for all eternity!!! Let us never forget what He has done for us!

“Sing for Joy oh Africa! The Lord your God has risen upon you now!”