Hello friends and family!

I hope you are all well, and I'm so excited to tell you about the ministry we have been able to do at JBAY (Jefferey's Bay in South Africa). The first week, we did a VBS for the kids from the townships. The townships are miles of tin, cinderblock, and sometimes wooden houses. The folks that live there often have little to no income, so it was a blessing to be able to meet and get to know some of the kids. There was a small stadium bordering the townships that the kids were able to come to. We walked through the townships with a few of the locals and called for the kids to come to the program because there was not a lot of typical advertising. About 15-20 kids would follow us (or we would carry them if they were super young) as we went through the townships each day. In all about 120-140 kids came to the program each day.

We sang songs, taught them dances, did crafts and activities, gave them a meal daily, and showed them Jesus' love. I was able to lead worship for the camp and narrate the Bible stories we planned every day. This was during Holy Week, so we could celebrate Good Friday with the kids and teach them the importance of observing and celebrating Holy Week.

For the second week, we worked in a preschool, helping the teachers and the kids in the same area. I was able to teach the pre-schoolers how to write their names, which was a very sweet experience. Some of the kiddos in my class had come to the VBS, so I recognized them. It was sweet being able to see them again. My teacher and I got along very well and were able to talk and get to know each other during the kids' free time.

During the third and fourth weeks, my team transitioned into ATL ministry on Tuesdays through Thursdays while staying at the preschool on Mondays and Fridays. ATL (Ask The Lord) ministry looked different every day. On the Sunday before, we would plan what locations to be at and then once dropped off every day, we would pray about where God wanted us, who He wanted us to talk to, and what He wanted us to say. Through consistent prayer and discernment of the spirit (something we had been practicing since training camp) we were able to have many fruitful conversations. We were able to encourage Christians and teach non-believers about the gospel. By God's grace, we were able to pray the prayer of salvation with a few different people. Overall, we could pray for over 70 people in those two weeks. It was an amazing experience!

We did our last day of Ministry on Thursday of the fourth week, had Friday to clean where we were staying, and left for Port Elizabeth at 6 a.m. on Saturday.

What I learned from South Africa:

-We are serving a living and active God that can still use others to radically change people's lives

-Our lives are not our own. Every breath should be for the LORD

-We are fully forgiven

-Our purpose is found in God only

-We need to seek Him first and often

-He is a good God with good plans for us

-The power of intercession and prayer is real (I've seen it! It's absolutely amazing)

Thank you for all of the support! I'll post one more blog about returning to the States and another blog with reflection questions I found helpful in this 4-month spiritual rollercoaster. The questions impacted me greatly, so I highly recommend you read them!

I love you all. Thank you again for this amazing experience. Goodbye, South Africa. Where the people are kind, the weather is beautiful (compared to 108 sunny Swazi), and the opportunities to share God's love are endless.

Kate Bowdoin