unworthy.

As I reflect on my time in Africa, I am floored at God's grace that brought me here.

Mac Mac Falls, South Africa

24 years ago, I was born into a loving, Christian family with a father who worked hard to set a righteous example for me to follow, a mother who loved me unconditionally, and the most amazing sister I could ask for. Three years later, God gave me a best friend in my little brother. That same year, via a late-night conversation with my parents, I met Jesus for the first time.

I didn't deserve the family I got, but God blessed me with them anyway.

14 years ago, my family was called to serve as missionaries in Mozambique, Africa; I wasn't. Not realizing the blessing of traveling abroad, I felt forced to live in a third world country. I hated being separated from my family and friends at home. My eyes were focused on the tough, the scary, and the stinky parts of Mozambique. I couldn't look past the cultural differences to see the incredible amount of similarities I shared with people. I never got over the crime and corruption to realize the country's outcry for justice and equal opportunity. And instead of relishing the beauty of living near the ocean in a tropical climate with so much diversity, I chose to slump down in the back seat of our Nissan 4x4 and imagine myself in the USA. My parents were the missionaries; I was just a kid along for the ride…a ride I had no desire to be on.

I didn't deserve the life God gave me, but He blessed me with it anyway.

My hatred for life in Africa grew to the point where I found myself weighing death as an alternative. Serious thoughts of suicide began crossing my mind, but God's grace showed up again. When I was ready to throw in the towel, God told me a secret that turned my life around. He showed me something that gave me purpose for the present and hope for the future. The overwhelming sense of God's love that brought me to tears that day, has taken me through university, and has led me back to Africa again.

I didn't deserve the call God gave me, but He has blessed me with it anyway.

4 months ago, I arrived in Mozambique as a single missionary. As I unpacked my luggage I discovered encouraging notes from my family. Remembering my former struggles with life in Africa, my mother closed her letter to me with Isaiah 43:18-19 which says,

"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."

I have many things I don't deserve, all because of God's grace:
- I don't deserve a loving family, but I have one.
- I don't deserve salvation, but I'm forgiven through faith in Christ.
- I didn't deserve a culturally enriched childhood, but I had one.
- I don't deserve to be alive right now, but I am.
- I didn't deserve to receive the call to ministry, but I have.

In a world of single opportunities, God has blessed me with a second chance at life in Africa. And He is definitely doing a new thing!

In this month alone...

I was blessed to attend the 2011 African Games.




Kyla and I took students to follow Mozambique men's basketball.




They kept winning, so we kept going!




Mozambique's Cinderella story took them past repeated, nail-biting upsets and to a silver medal!




I was blessed to define the word "catamaran" by riding one over the Mozambique Channel to Xafina Island for a relaxing day on the beach with missionary couple, Jim and Stacie Bowers.




I was blessed with a weekend getaway to South Africa.
Above: myself, Gary, Diane, and Kyla in front of Mac Mac Falls

We don't deserve a sight of a lot, but we serve a gracious God.

We live in a world of single opportunities, but we serve a God of second chances. It's easy to get lost in the difficulties of life, I know. But when you set your eyes on all the blessings God graciously gives, you will begin to forget the former things and you won't have time to dwell on the past.

Keep looking up, gang!