Africa- Paballelo

We only had one youth meeting at Paballelo. It was on a Monday night, our first Monday in Upington. Let's go back to the beginning of that day. We got to sleep in a little later than usual because we had nothing really planned for the morning. We went to John and Liz's to check email and whatnot for the first time. We were there from sometime in the morning until at least 4:30pm. I had enough time to start and finish a bracelet there. So the day was long and kind of boring. Someone even said ,"This day is so boring, I just wanna die." Surely they didn't really want to die but you get the gist of how the day was going. Our first youth meeting was planned for that night at Paballelo. Most of us, if not all, didn't have big expectations about it. We didn't really know what would be happening or what we would be doing there. Originally not all of us were supposed to go. We were only supposed to send a few so we didn't show up in overwhelming numbers compared to how many youth would come. I was okay with that and okay if I didn't get to go. We all ended up going and how grateful I am we all did! Over the course of the night there were 4 youth. Monica and Olwetu who were there the entire time, a lady with her kid who left after we played a game or two, and Elliot who didn't come until much later. So we began by playing I Never.

After the game Eddy shared his testimony. At one point he used the word "conviction." We had a discussion about what conviction means. In that discussion someone used the word "repent" so we then had a discussion on what it means to repent. After that I shared my testimony. After I shared Petrus used the waiting for sign then realizing I don't need one part from my testimony to lead a discussion with Olwetu and Monica (Elliot was still not here yet). He asked them if they were waiting for a sign. They both said they didn't need a sign. Morgan and Lindsay took them outside to talk with them and some time shortly before they went outside Elliot arrived. While the girls went outside Ethan shared his testimony. So then Petrus used that to lead a discussion with Elliot and then John and Ethan went outside with Elliot to talk more.

Olwethu, Patience, Monica

While they were all outside talking. Petrus got a call from his daughter-in-law that she was getting ready to have her twins! So we prayed for the conversations that were happening outside and for Petrus grandkids that were on their way. Then Petrus was like, "Tiffany, I have a word from God for you." He shared it and later that night when we were having a group devotion Tiffany told us how true it was and how much it meant to her. So there was amazing stuff happening inside and outside.

They all come back inside, and we have 2 new sisters and 1 new brother in Christ! Amen! We thought this day was lame and nothing was going to happen. How wrong we were! God showed us and showed up in mighty ways!!

Lindsay joked more than once, before and after the meeting, that she was going to journal about me that night. That morning had been my turn to lead the devotion and share my testimony. Devotion on Mark 1:35 and Luke 22:39-46. Jesus went out "as usual" to pray, He went to a "solitary place", He prayed so earnestly that, "His sweat fell like drops of blood." How much more should we be praying if Jesus prayed that much and so earnestly. Follow it up with Philippians 1:3-6 as a prayer for John & Liz and Petrus & Mariana and then we prayed with them. I was like I am nobody but God uses nobodies. Petrus is the one that then took my testimony to guide a discussion if it were up to me it would of just ended after I gave my testimony. Ok, so maybe it was still my testimony that was used but it weren't for Christ I wouldn't even have a testimony. I don't want to take any credit for what He did.

Throughout the rest of our time in Upington we were not able to have another youth meeting in Paballelo but the 2 girls, and another girl Patience who has not yet accepted Christ, came to a cultural party we had and we were able to spend a girls day with them shopping and hanging out. We ended the day getting milkshakes/desserts as Wimpy's with them and talking to them about the Bible and suggestions of books and passages to read.