Church in Action.....

' Above all, Keep loving one another earnestly......

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,

As good stewards of God's varied grace.'

1 Peter 4: 8 and 10

I've always felt completely and utterly blessed by my church back home and how they serve, there love for each other and the blessing they are to me. Yesterday I saw that in Dihlabeng church....

In one week the church got together to make a wedding happen.....they provided food, a garden for the couple to have photos taken, a house for a reception, a place for the couple to go on their wedding night and an incredibly beautiful service. I was overwhelmed by the whole day. I felt part of a caring, serving, loving family.

The sevice was very african.....loud, lively, joyful, chaotic. Instead of the bridesmaids and bride walking down the aisle to her chosen song, the whole wedding party danced down the aisle with everyone singing an african worship song. It was loud and stunning.

God has used this trip lots to build up my confidence in photography....and yesterday I was the wedding photographer!! I have never photographed a wedding before but because the wedding was organised in a week, they couldn't afford photographer and I was here (perfect timing) with my camera they asked if I could and nervously I agreed but I am so thankful to God for it...I had such a great day.

Yesterday once again showed how different life is over here to England and how they just take each day as it comes and a lot of the time each hour as it come....no one knew the precise details of the wedding day, I didn't know what was happening from one moment to the next but you just roll with it....I kinda like it!

I'm back!

So I'm here again in Clarens, and it took flippin forever to get here.....29 hours door to door, needless to say I was completely shattered by the time we entered are little flat.

So Clarens is exactly how I remember it but also very different at the same time. The awesome scenery, beautiful weather and amazing stars are completely like I remember. However there is a different feel to the church, not better or worse, just different. I guess a big factor is in the last year and a half many people who I got to know before have moved away to study, plant churches or go back home. So this week has taken longer to settle in than I thought it would. I am glad though to meet some lovely new people and excited to see a lot of the people I met in my last trip in a few weeks at the conference (Master Builders).

This week has been great - socializing, getting the church ready for Master Builders, youth and church yesterday morning (which was brilliant). I particularly enjoyed Mapeo (the vulnerable children project), they went swimming and it was so awesome to see the joy on their faces, I remember this being a highlight of my trip to Clarens before and I think it will be again.

I feel like God has been speaking to me a lot this week about why I'm here, at first I thought I was coming to serve and to also have a nice trip. However now I feel like this trip is to grow in my relationship with God, in my understanding of the Bible and to build up my confidence in photography and produce some good photos to go in my portfolio.

One Year On...

So its been a year since I last posted, I'm starting again because I am about to go on another adventure.....I'm heading back to South Africa for 6 weeks with a good friend. It feels so different this time round instead of fear and anxiety being my main feelings, I feel excited and expectant for God to do a lot in me over the coming weeks.

However before I start going into all that, this post will just be a catch up of this year and its main highlights.......

• God provided me with a job (it wasn't the most exciting! but it was answer to pray).

• This job allowed me to save to go back to SA, buy a new Mac and camera to help me with my photography portfolio and help towards getting me a driving license (still haven't got that yet but I'm working on it).

• I have become co-leader of such an exciting youth group!

• I think this last highlight is the best one.....God has blessed me with some incredible friendships! I have been able to make deeper friendships with friends I have known for some time, and I am so so thankful to God for this. God has also blessed me with amazing new friendships. This year, like every year does, has had its ups and downs but the one thing that has stayed at a steady high has been these incredible friendships which I honestly couldn't do without and I will always be grateful for.

Praise God for friends......