Truth is who You are

2 Saturdays ago was our last day at the orphanage. We all gave our all to play with and have fun with the kids. We put on some more bible story skits, played some group games, and did a gospel presentation based on the color of the beads of a bracelet we passed out to all of them. It was a very tiring day but definitely worth every bit of energy we put into it. The end was very sad and hard to leave. A lot of kids would ask which day we were coming back and we had to somehow muster the strength to say that we weren't coming back, at least not for a very long time.

The Moffat situation also took some very radical turns. When I last updated as far as we knew Moffat would not be coming back to the U.S. with us, but because of some miracles things quickly changed and we were able to have Zambian Social Services approve his departure of the country and the U.S. Embassy granted him a Visa! The situation was probably one of the most growing moments for my faith on the trip. First of all, it brought me to a position of complete dependence on God; that is I was in a position where if God didn't come through, something I really wanted to happen was not going to happen. Secondly, it showed me that God is greater than every great and horrible thing that happens in life. He is greater than our best efforts, and he is greater than all adversity we face. Regardless of whether or not Moffat was able to return with us, these lessons would have remained on my heart, thankfully what I wanted to happen also was what God wanted to happen, he just chose to show bring us to a state of dependence and awe throughout the process.

During our last 2 days on campus, I was able to meet up again with my friend Chanda and do a bible study one day, and then sort of commission him to continue as a light on campus after I leave. It was really encouraging to see how eager he was to grow, and even after the commission how the idea of spiritual multiplication really made sense (he's a computer science major, just like me).

On Wednesday we bussed down to Livingstone which is where Victoria Falls is (one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World) and let me just say that it was absolutely breathtaking. God's creativity and majesty was made even more evident because of my time at the falls. While at Livingstone I also had the opportunity to go on a Safari where I saw many wild animals up close like baboons, monkeys, elephants, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, gazelles, impalas, and probably others i'm forgetting. 15 of us also went bungee jumping off a bridge over the Zambezi River (same river the falls is part of). It was a ridiculously awesome faith exercise. The way I looked at it was that if I have the faith to believe in God and His death on the cross, then it should be a way easier step of faith to jump off that bridge after having seen many successful bungee jumps.

After Livingstone we bussed back to Lusaka and then started the crazy trip back to the U.S. We left Lusaka at 12:45pm (6:45 am Eastern time) and arrived in Chicago on Sunday at 2pm Eastern time. I then had to catch 2 flights back to my home near Cleveland. I did not make it back until about 1 a.m (Monday). So needless to say I was quite exhausted. Saying good-bye was pretty hard and something I didn't want to do, but it is a part of life and we all share a bond that nobody will ever take away from us.

This is most likely the last post I'll make, I don't really know if I will use this blog for anything else...who knows. Thank you so much if you read one post, some posts, every post; I am extremely thankful for you and your prayers. God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good. This trip has grown me in so many different ways, many of which I have mentioned in this post or previous posts. As far as prayers, you can pray that this trip doesn't just become an experience that I use to tell stories from, but that it has a lifelong impact on how I minister to others, as well as for my own growth. Pray that we all continue to remember and believe what Jesus said to his disciples before he departed from them in Matthew 28: 18-20. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."