It's been a really special night. Brian and Lois Niehoff are back in the States from South Africa visiting for the next couple of months. This weekend they are speaking at all three church services at Point of Grace and tonight we got to have a dinner with them. Everyone from our church who has travelled to South Africa got together for the dinner and it was a lot of fun catching up with everyone on my team, hearing stories of other teams, and spending time with Brian and Lois. It was almost surreal seeing them walk into church tonight because when I left South Africa I left with a sadness in my heart knowing that I might never get to see any of those people again. (I knew that Brian and Lois were coming back to visit, but it was hard to picture them anywhere other than SA.) We saw a lot of photos tonight of our trip, other teams' trips, and the kids at The Pines. It was so much fun to take a trip down memory lane but it was also kind of sad because I miss the kids so much and I also miss my time there.
I've readjusted to my life here, but I will never forget my time in South Africa and my heart has been forever changed. I find myself searching for what God is calling me to do next. Not a day has gone by since I've returned that I haven't thought of the people I left behind in South Africa. And not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about all that God has entrusted me with here and because of that, it is my life's passion and purpose to serve God by serving other people. The feeling that I get from doing God's work is indescribable. It's a feeling of pure joy. It's a fulfillment deep within your soul that gives you a glimpse into understanding God's love and how perfectly complete it is.
How awesome is it that God created us to do His work? God is perfect. His love is perfect. His intentions are perfect. And yet He chooses us. We are not perfect and he chooses us to do His work in serving other people. I never understood before going to South Africa what it was like to fully give yourself over to God for His agenda and His work. I can assure you that I was given so much more than I gave. I pray that I won't miss a single opportunity that God gives me to serve. And I pray that each and every one of you will discover the joy of giving and serving that I'm talking about and that together we will be able to really make a difference in the world in the name of the One who gave us the greatest gift the world has ever known, His Son, Jesus Christ.
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life. -John 3:16
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