It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard / Impossible is not a word / It’s just a reason for someone not to try / Everybody’s scared to death / When they decide to take that step / Out on the water / But it’ll be all right / Life is so much more / Than what your eyes are seeing / You will find your way / If you keep believing

… “What Faith Can Do,” Kutless …

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Does anyone know the date and time, because I seem to have lost track entirely. Honestly, the last month has disappeared so rapidly that I’m only just pausing to take a deep breath and reflect. So much has occurred since my arrival here in South Africa, and I just don’t think I could possibly tell it all and do justice to each moment with mere words. However, I would be slain where I stand if I dared to leave you all oblivious to the happenings of my life here in Africa, so I shall make a daring attempt to provide a glimpse into the blissful insanity my life has thus become.

I should first tell you that living in South Africa is quite an adventure into a different world. This is a land where robots direct traffic, the phrase “just now” means “in an hour,” biscuits wear the guise of an American cookie, frogs sing with you in the shower, mosquitoes buzz in your ears like alarm bells, and lizards linger at your door like irksome neighbours. Tea and coffee are offered at every home you enter regardless of the length of your visit, and cuddling with throw pillows is, apparently, a singularly American habit of comfort.

Adventure, however, doesn’t always quite describe the insanity of life here. Between school, volunteer projects, cooking and cleaning duties, Bible study, and various other tasks around the base, free time is rarely found. Weekends provide a break from our crazy existence, but even those can be eventful now and again. Reading and writing have been, unfortunately, placed on the back burner in light of my hectic schedule. However, I have always enjoyed living my life in the fast lane, so I embrace the craziness wholeheartedly. I enjoy my life here, and my adopted family on the base make it that much more enjoyable.

The people on the base are comprised of singles and families, so we tend to resemble a small village packed into a small area of land enclosed behind a wall. The singles are all grouped into one area, while the families and/or couples live in semi-detached homes across a field. I have a room to myself, but all the girls share a bathroom and kitchen. (The same applies for the guys, but since we have only one single male on the base, he doesn’t exactly “share” in the same capacity as we girls do.)  There is also a lounge area for all the singles to share. The close living arrangements may not sound ideal on paper, but once you experience this place firsthand, you quickly realize how perfect it is. We are just like a family here, and the constant hubbub of people makes me feel right at home. I never feel like I have to dress up or put on a show for anyone. I don’t have to be anyone but me, flaws included.

Alongside the living quarters of the base is the Shayandima School of Tomorrow, where I spend most of my week working. I have been placed in the Senior Learning Center, which means I am specifically working with students ages 11 to 17. Since the school uses the ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) program, which is rather like homeschooling within a classroom setting, I am not teaching. Rather, I act as a monitor within the learning center, meaning I grant permission for students to “score” their work, retrieve dictionaries, etc. I work alongside four others in the learning center, one of whom is another monitor (Nicole, my one American friend here), while the other three (Mr. Clayton, Mr. Kellerman, and Mrs. Chauke) serve as supervisors. I love working these guys. No matter how difficult a day might be, I know I can count on any of them to make me smile.

In addition to working as a monitor, I also teach a Conversational English class. I held my first two classes today, which went relatively well and I will have three more classes tomorrow and Wednesday. The real test will be next week when I have to rely on lesson plans and run the class entirely on my own. I have never commanded a classroom by myself, so your prayers in this regard would be greatly appreciated. An exciting aspect of these classes is that I will be heading up the school newspaper with my oldest group of students. I’ve worked on literary magazines in the past, so this will be a slightly different experience that I cannot wait to start.

In the month that I have lived in Shayandima, South Africa, I have really pushed myself in a variety of ways. I knew moving here would put me to the test, and I am determined to meet every new experience head-on. There have been some instances where I let my pessimistic side get the best of me, but I quickly forced myself to check my attitude, pray for a better outlook, and then walk into the task with a cheerful spirit. While living in the States, I rarely pushed myself to do anything I didn’t want to do. Here, I have no option. As such, God has been teaching me a lot about myself, as well as showing me all the areas in my life that need changing. It’s incredible how God works when you let Him. If I had to choose my favourite bit about moving here, that would be it: God actively working in my life and helping me to grow into who He wants me to be. I’ve always operated on the “Me, Myself, and I” mindset, but moving here has completely altered that mentality. No one can live on this mission base and work in this environment while maintaining a selfish lifestyle. Everyone pitches in to help, no matter the circumstance. We work together as one group, a family, and I would never have it any other way.

Prayer serves as the backbone of the mission base, and I have been amazed at how blessed this place is because of that. Not a single decision is made without first praying about it. As a team, we meet every Sunday evening at 6PM for a 30-minute prayer time where we lift one another, the school, the students, and the mission base up in prayer. We also meet every weekday morning at 7:20 for a prayer and devotional time before the school day begins. We sing, we pray, and we share so that we might grow together as a family. I have always heard about the power of prayer, but witnessing its power firsthand is a whole new experience.

While Skyping with my parents Saturday evening, my mom asked me a simple question: “Do you every regret going to South Africa?” My answer was immediate and simple: “Absolutely not.” I cannot explain how much this place has changed me. While I may miss the conveniences of home, I would never exchange my life here for any of it. For months prior to my departure, I knew that God wanted me in South Africa, but I never really knew why. Now that I have been here for a month, I am starting to see God’s purpose, and I am incredibly excited to see what else He has in store for me this year. I’ve still got another eleven months here, and I cannot wait to see where God will lead me next.