For those of you who read
my blog and have not been updated, I have been home for four weeks. I broke my
covenant that I agreed to in order to attend the trip. In result, I was sent
home.
WHILE AT HOME:
The time at "home" has
been extremely beneficial for me. God has continued to reveal things to me to
help me with what I am trying to give up to Him. I say "home" because I feel
like my real home is in Africa. This past week
I started working at my church helping out with our annual Christmas "pageant",
for lack of better word, which has consumed much of my time. I have enjoyed
helping though. While I have been home, I've read a book called "Crazy Love" by
Francis Chan. I recommend this book to anybody who is curious about God, and
His love for us. Crazy Love has been a real eye and heart opener for me.. God
has some crazy love for His children. I have also been recording all the songs
that God gave me while I was in Africa. It has
been a long, but very fun process for me. It has been fun sharing these songs
with my friends and family. Also having friends play and sing with me while I
record has been a huge blessing.
GETTING BACK:
When I was sent home I
was given a list of things I had to do to come back. One of these things was to
meet with a mentor while I was home. God told me exactly who he wanted my
mentor to be. My mentor and I met once a week to talk about what I was doing,
what God was and is doing, and what my plan is to prevent future selfish
decisions.
THINGS TO WORK ON:
My pride was constantly
getting in the way of my walk with Christ. I was in desperate need to get rid
of it. My teammates were keeping me accountable and my leaders were willing to
help. I was so grateful that I had, and still have, such a supportive team. My
other team was just as supportive. My family has been nothing but kind and
supportive of me. I've felt extremely encouraged by my family and friends while
I've been home.
THINGS I'VE LEARNED:
Along with the pride
there is a need for selflessness. I need to continue to find ways to "say no to
myself", which is my reminder from my mom on a daily basis. Thanks mom ;).
Also, I started writing a song that I felt God was pressing on my heart. The
line "Maybe I forgot to remember to sever myself from me" came out and gave me
another realization about my pride. I need to remember how big God is and how
small I am. Having that mind set should change the subject matter of my speech
from me to Him.
HERE AND NOW:
The past few days have
been very, very exciting and brought me a great sense of relief. I had a
conversation with Tag, my leader, and he let me know that he talked with my
mentor and that I am going back! This occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday I got
the information that I will be in Port
Elizabeth! I was very excited to hear this news even
though I will not be able to see the team that will be going to Swazi until
May. I miss my team an extreme amount and cannot wait to be reunited with them!
I hope that I will get a chance to visit my boys at Joshua Project at some
point since I will be within driving distance of J- bay.
PRAYER:
Here are a few things
that you can be praying about for me and my family (team).
As the Christmas holiday comes, there are some who are
flying home and some who are staying. For those who are coming home pray that
their mission mindset stays with them. For those who are staying, that they
have a sense of peace as they will be missing their families. Also for God to go
before us and prepare the way for us and our ministries.
Thanks guys for all of your support!!
People who are obsessed with God are known as givers,
not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they
do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world.
(James 2 : 14 - 26)
Where do I start? Where do I end? What to tell? So much has been happening and God has done mind blowing things!
Well, I'll start off by saying, Hey! im sure you are all very happy that i have finally blogged. haha.
I just want to pray real quick before i actually start this thing.
Father God, I come to you today with a broken heart and humbled knees. I am so thankful that you have blessed me with this opportunity to come to Africa and allowed me to teach your word and love to these people.
I pray that you srengthen my team and me every day, for sickness has brought a cloud of desparation over us.
I pray for healing over our team, and for health for us and our leaders. i pray that you use us to shine a light to the people here in Africa, and that you come and dwell here. Father please make yourself evident to these people that they may see you in even the smallest of things. I love you, and I thank you.
in your name,
Amen
So, Africa is the most amazing place i have ever set foot in. If i actually had the choice, I'd stay here.....forever.
Let me just tell you a little bit about what i have been doing here, and ill tell you more later on in my next blog, next week.
I am working at Joshua Project, its a after school program where underprivilaged kids come to learn about God. They also practice skills that can help them for their future, such as, wood work, painting, music, etc.
I am living at a camp base called UCSA, which is a very tiny yet very cool little place. my rondovel (round house) is based in the center of the camp, and its right by the kitchen :) :) haha
My team is AMAZING!!! i have fallen in love with every single one of them.
it is so evident that the people on this team were hand picked by God to work extremely well with each other.
J-baai is a very small town right on the southern cape. Its where the Billabong Surf Pro is held every year, sadly in july. haha. it mainly consists of surf shops and coffee shops, for those of you who know me well that is a very deadly combination.
God has really been working on my heart even since training camp where my pride is concerned. I have been getting help from my leaders and my teamates to put my pride in its grave. it has been REALLY hard for me to do.....which is sad. So if you at home could be praying for me, that would be awesome. God even uses prayers from the other side of the world to help people. haha. Also, if you could pray for my team and for the people of J-Baai that would rock my world, and I'm sure God would think its pretty neat too.
if you guys have any questions for me hit me up on facebook, or email me at kevinking@austin.rr.com, i check it often and ill try to do a little Q&A for one of my next blogs. haha
Alright guys, thats all for now!
holla at ya later!
Is. 50 :4
"Sustaining the weary with his word"
- Kevin "K-Dubbs, Sasha, Kev-Bot, K, and whatever else my team calls me" King
So much in the past few months has changed in my life. I'm
done with high school, that's huge, I let go of commitments, that was hard, I
became an adult by law, and that was stressful. Even through all of the ups,
downs, and stress God has been there every step of the way. He guided me with His
right had through all of my work for this trip. I believe the single most
evident place he was had to be in my support. My support partners donated over
$8000 in 4 months. Now if that's not something of God, well you know. So as of
two days ago I received my visa for the trip, which was exhilarating! To open
my passport and see my "Tourist Visa" inside lifted a great weight off of my
shoulders! So now I sit and wait, which will kill me. I only have a few things
going on till we leave. I cannot wait to finally meet everybody that I have
talked to over Facebook. I think that
our team is going to blend very well
Woah, it has been one crazy summer! One amazing thing happening after the next. I have attempted to just relax for most of the summer, but of course, thats not gonna happen...
So lets see...what cool God things have happened since my last post....
I went with my parents to California about a month ago and got to go to a C28 store! Which was an experience like no other. I walked in just to mosey around a little when the people working in the store started asking my dad and me alot of questions. By the time we left the girl at the counter was praying for me and this trip, it was awesome! I had never seen people working in such a public place with the willingness and eagerness to pray for someone that they don't even know. Major props to them. I also had an encounter with a stingray while I was there...all I have to say is, ouch.
I just went on my last youth camp with my church as an attendee this past month. That was one of the hardest things ever for me even though it was the best camp I have ever been on. At one moment I questioned why God wanted me on this trip. And through the encouragement and loving words of my friends, and youth leaders I understood that God can use anybody to further His kingdom. I am humbled and amazed that he would choose me.
I recently went on a mission trip with my church to Mexico. We take a group of teens and their parents or even entire families three to four times a year. I felt like this year was one of the best trips so far. Which was nice since it will be my last trip until our trip to Africa. God has revealed a lot of thing to me about myself these past few months. He is preparing me for this trip daily.
So life is starting to get pretty crazy for me lately. Even in the midst of all the craziness, God has still made himself manifest to me. Now that school is over, the fun of work begins. I don't think I have one spare moment during June. Besides the busyness, I am ready for summer. The entire process proceeding this month have been very worrisome. I never thought I would get the amounts needed for each checkpoint. when I first started fund raising I thought it was going to be impossible to raise $1400 by June 8th. At the moment I have $3865 in my account, wow. I couldn't muster any other words than "wow". It amazes me to see how much my friends and family have given to me to be able to go on this trip. God has continually made himself evident in my life, and is teaching me daily. I love it. I am so excited that I have been given this opportunity to go and serve an awesome and loving God. I am excited and ready.
So i am basically in total amazement with how God provides! so many people have been supporting me, i have no worry about getting all of my funds raised by the time needed. it has been very exciting to see how God has been showing me that He wants me here on this trip. it becomes more and more evident every day. he has been showing me that i have to put my total trust in him with the whole going on the opposite side of the world thing. so i am. please keep me in your prayers that i put all of my trust in him
It's getting HOT here in Austin. It's just wrong how hot it is. Well i have lots of people responding to my support letter. its nice to hear people say how happy they are for me and that they are making a contribution to help me follow God's plan for me. My Aunt held a garage sale and was given/raised over 600 dollars. WOAH! i was and am amazed by how God provides, when i haven't even really started my fund-raising yet. i am very excited to see the different ways that God provides for this trip. i am loving the preparation process and i am ready to be on this trip right now. haha. i guess i have to wait.
"Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all
we ask or imagine, according to His power that is a work within us, to Him be
glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and
ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21
"However, as it is written: No eye has seen, nor ear has
heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him..."
1
Corinthians 2:9
"The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of
wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by
morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will."
Alright, so let me start off by saying, WOW! I never knew that I would get a opportunity as amazing as this to go out and serve God, wow.
I have known since a young age that God had a plan for missions in my life. My only problem was that when I first discovered this, I was seven. so i was a little too young to go anywhere, but I knew. God has made this plan more and more evident to me over the years with each mission trip I go on.
I can't wait to see what God has in store for me and my team mates throughout the preparation and during this amazing experience!
