"So uh, why Africa?"

It was a year ago today that I got on a plane and headed to Rwanda. I was scared, excited, nervous and hopeful and a little sad to say goodbye to my family for 5 months. I went to Rwanda in the first place because I wanted to move to Africa. I wanted to be a missionary and YWAM would let me do that faster than other organizations. But still, I thought this whole "full time missionary in Africa" thing was farther down the road. But, it wasn't to far. After 5 months of encounters with God that left me broken and then healed, scared and then filled with confidence and above all, I was left in awe of who my Jesus is - I decided to stay. I went on to staff and watched 7 others go through what I went through. It was amazing! 

This year I have been to 4 new countries, other than my own. Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the newest country in the world, South Sudan (which also met my dream of always going to a nation in the 10/40 window). I have seen God answer prayers and work within 30 seconds, I have seen demons come of a women, I have seen men and women who were completely broken become healed and complete. I have lived in the bush bush and learned how much work it is. And I would do it again in a heart beat, by the way. God has healed, provided, spoken, showed His love and comfort. I have lived without electricity, running water or western toilets. Sometimes I lived without a bed. I climbed a mountain. I've eaten bush rat and fried ants. I ate rice and beans everyday (twice a day) for a time. I showered from a bucket for a year. I went without coffee (for some of the time) and chocolate cake (for most of the time). Now, this may sound crazy to you, but...I cannot wait to do it again. I would do everything again in a heartbeat! 

People ask me why Africa, or why I do what I do, or how I can live like that. Well, my living conditions may not be what I've grown up with, but most of the world has it worse than I ever have, bush bush living included. I've lived in those conditions only temporarily, not my whole life. Bats & rats are no big deal - you just tuck your mosquito net in and go to sleep. I do this because of Jesus. He has drastically changed my life. He saved me right when I was heading in a horrible direction. I want others to have this drastic change. A lot of places in Africa, women have no value. They are abused and unloved. I want my sisters to see the value that they have. I want my sisters to have hope. There, kids don't always get a child hood. They dont always get a family. I want all my babies to have fun and know whats its like to be loved. Thats why I do it. Because people are dying without knowing Jesus and the life that He brings. Because Africa gets forgotten about. Because in Africa, the need is right in your face. Because the widow needs help building her house, the old man needs help in his field and the missionary needs help in his field so more people can come to Jesus. And...because it's a Biblical mandate to go and do something. Not to just sit on my butt and maybe feel a bit sad when I see a starving baby on an UNICEF commercial.

I am ordered by the Lord to do something. 

...and the action that I took was moving to Africa. This is why.