Adventures With God In Africa

So where to begin??

When I finished in Korea I was so full of faith that God would give me a new job and there would be no problems. I came home in a big whirl, I'd applied for a job in Korea that I thought would be an awesome mission opportunity and I was quite confident that I would get that job. So when I got home to New Zealand I told my family that it was only ten days and then I'd be going back to Korea for an interview and starting work the Monday after. Only I didn't make the interview list ...

So back to waiting on God. I started knocking on doors, which is actually not really waiting - sending out job applications with my CV. And then had to turn one job down because it had Sabbath work that wasn't in the advertisement. Other jobs, in Korea and in other countries, had conditions that were just too close to the reasons I had left my job in Korea, so I didn't feel comfortable accepting them. I started to wonder if I had made the wrong decision about leaving my job in Korea, if I was being too strict with my understanding of scripture. Not actually a time of great faith. :-(

Then one day, a couple of weeks back I was praying "God, I just want a job that doesn't make my conscience feel bad." The next morning I was talking with my friends in South Africa over instant messaging. We'd been chatting on and off ever since we'd all gone home to our respective countries. They'd already suggested I come to South Africa but I'd been so sure I was going back to Korea and people always say, 'You must come visit." So I'd treated it as a bit of a joke and kept talking about all the jobs I was applying for.

Now this morning, the one after I'd prayed, my friend says, "Cat we're serious, we want you to come work with us ..." And long discussions have ensued ever since.

Do I believe God is in this? Yes I most definitely do. Apart from the timing of my friends serious invitation, there is the fact that I had no money and now I have enough for a one way ticket to South Africa, and almost enough for a return - and I didn't ask anybody for anything. And other things are just falling into place. Churches in the area are coming forward wanting evangelism training. We are being offered amazing opportunities that have to come from God.

Last but not least this answers several prayers I have prayed in the past re jobs. I wanted to teach something that was important and useful. Chemistry, as much as I love it, is neither important nor useful for the majority of the population. There, you have it in writing from a Chemistry teacher. The only people who really need to know about the insides of atoms are Chemistry teachers and scientists, the rest of the world just want to know that the products of science work. Why do we force feed chemistry to every kid who goes through high school when most of them can't even cook a decent meal? Or an indecent one for that matter??

Teaching Bible on the other hand is the most important thing there is. It is the difference between life and death for the world. And teaching it to people who really want to know it - well that as as close to heaven as I am going to get this side of eternity. Willing Students!!!

I wanted to be involved in building something, not just maintaining the status quo - well this is building, literally. At the moment we have a bare piece of land in the country for our school. We will be building it from the ground up. I'm guessing there will be nails I will be able to look at in the future and say - I did that.

And then there are all the lovely systems and curricula to be designed and implemented, Bliss!

What will I actually be doing? Well we are going to build a Missionary Training School in South Africa. But not just for teaching the Bible. Bible is important, but a missionary still has to be able to survive and not be a financial burden on the people around him. So we will also be teaching practical skills, like gardening, and building, cooking, simple home remedies, skills that will allow our missionaries to grow and flourish. I get to help set up and run this school. It will take all the skills I've learned in every job I've ever had and stretch them as far as they will go.

We have big dreams, so big that sometimes it scares me. Then I remember this is not my dream, and not my problem, it is God's dream and His problem, and since He's given us the dream He will provide the resources to carry it out and each day I just have to do the task that is directly in front of me and not worry about everything else. Right now that task is making a Strategic Plan.

Life is grand :-) I feel like God has wrapped the world up in a package, tied it with a bow and given it to me.