How can I stand here...and not be moved by You?

I was telling one of our team members today how I already feel that I have had an amazing spiritual journey in South Africa and we have not yet started our ministry projects with Living Hope. We have spent the last few days getting acquainted with Cape Town and the surrounding area, and I continue to be amazed daily at the beauty of the Lord revealed in Creation. Today we attended a church called Masiphuwalele Baptist, an all-black church in a poor black community called Masiphuwalele (try saying that five times fast!). I joked with my roommates before leaving the house this morning that we would be worshipping God today in a way that we have never worshipped before, and boy was I right! We arrived at the church to the most amazing sound of Africans loudly and boldly singing praises to the Lord. I cannot describe the beauty of their voices as they rejoiced simply to be alive. Though I understood very few of the words they were singing, I felt completely free to follow the Spirit's guiding and to worship the Lord with gladness. What a blessing.

After church, we went to see a community of African penguins (an incredible experience) and then headed up to Cape Point, the southernmost tip of the African continent. We "hiked" (I put it in quotes because while it is a straight up climb, the way is paved) up the mountain to a lighthouse, where we were surrounded on every side by the vast, beautiful ocean. It is the place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, and it is an absolutely incredible sight. I cannot put into words the beauty that surrounded us there.

Again I will say that I continue to stand amazed at the beauty of the Lord. And I feel very encouraged spiritually, because I am reminded again and again that the Lord has huge and amazing plans for my life that I cannot myself imagine. My human brain is incapable of thinking up the designs to create something as beautiful as Africa, much less the entire world, and my mind definitely cannot design amazing plans for my life. My prayer for the last few months has been, "Lord, do that for which we know not how to ask; do that which we cannot imagine." And the Lord continues to pour out His goodness, faithfulness, and beauty upon my life, and I stand utterly amazed. The Lord is highly creative, and I truly think He loves surprising His children with the awesome things He can do.

Please pray for us, as tomorrow we will begin class and our ministry project at Living Hope. I don't know exactly where we will be placed, as LH has several campuses throughout Cape Town, but I do know that we are in for an absolutely amazing experience! Please join me in praying for the Lord to do what we cannot even imagine, both in us and through us. And stand back with me, watch, and be amazed at what the Lord reveals to us all. :)

Blessings! Love you all!!


Michelle