I kinda feel like I shouldn’t tell anyone what these seemingly random assortment of acronyms mean just to see if anyone can figure it out. But if I did that then no one would have a clue what I’m talking about for the rest of this blog.

So here it goes:

TIY = This Is YWAM

This little saying cropped up right around Debrief since it so accurately encompassed all of our thoughts and frustrations. It’s not necessarily a dismissive excuse for the way things are, like “Boys will be boys,” but rather a general acceptance of the current state of affairs with an ever-so-faint hope that things might actually change.

Ok, before you start assuming the worst I’ll just tell you that our DTS Debrief definitely wasn’t the best it could have been. There were a lot of issues carrying over from Panama concerning the areas of leadership, communication and the overall spiritual health and well-being of our teams.

I confess, I wasn’t in the most joyful of moods when we arrived in South Africa for a YWAM Conference before our debrief. It’s not that I wasn’t excited about meeting new people or even hearing from all the top YWAM leaders but logistically it was just super hard to try and absorb even more information or to fully engage in a completely different culture than we had previously experienced in Panama. Not to mention the jet lag from crossing the Atlantic!

So instead of finally having a chance to debrief/detox from some of the stuff we were dealing with in Panama, everything was pushed to the back burner where it just simmered, bitterly, for a good week or so. And even when we finally made it to the separate location for Debrief there still wasn’t the proper amount of time to address all of our issues. Well, I should state that I had more time than most during my one-on-one but I think that’s because I had written out all my points in a solid, presentable document. (Special thanks to unordered lists!)

It’s still taken quite a bit of time since then to truly process all the things I’ve learned and experienced. But the biggest take-away that I only just realized a day or two ago was this:

You’re the only one responsible for your spiritual growth, regardless of circumstances.

Again, sometimes I miss the most obvious truths…

What I’ve learned is that even though you might be attending a church, involved in some group or even on a missions trip, you’ve still got to make sure you’re feeding yourself. Ultimately, no one else is going to do it for you. It’s sort of like being potty trained; eventually you have to learn how to take care of it on your own since mommy isn’t always going to be there for the rest of your life (no matter how much I’d like that, lol).

Most recently this has been illustrated in my over-reliance on my leaders to provide for all of my spiritual needs. As if my entire spiritual development is contingent on whether or not I have good leaders looking out for me.

With that said, I’ve been having some great quiet times lately and really enjoyed the small group I attended the other day. It’s actually amazing how visibly God is moving in the poor communities here in South Africa. I’m specifically looking to get involved with the local township of Capricorn which is just a 30 minute walk away from the Track House, where I’m staying.

By the way, I might even be on Google Earth standing right outside the house since I saw the Google Earth Car drive past me the other day! (You have no idea how excited my inner nerd was when I realized I might be forever immortalized online in Google Maps Street View, lol).

TIA = This Is Africa

Just when you think you’re about to have a productive day you realize everything shuts down here at anywhere from 2:00pm to 6:00pm.

I wanted to buy some milk, but… the store was closed.
I wanted to use the internet cafe, but… the shop was closed.
I wanted to take the train home, but… the station was shut down.
I wanted to charge my netbook, but… the electricity ran out.
I wanted to take a warm shower, but… there’s only enough for three people.
Etc.

I wonder how much I would have suffered in Panama if we weren’t able to steal internet from the Smithsonian next door?!

But on the plus side, real produce is cheaper than processed food by a wide margin.

Fish & Chips is only $4!

And lastly:

MSG = Monosodium Glutamate

All that means is every single flavor and spice over here is ridiculously savory. I’ve never, ever been addicted to potato chips until I came here. And the have the most bizarre flavors!

• BBQ Chutney
• Flame Grilled Steak
• Smoked Spare Ribs
• Caribbean Salt & Balsamic Vinegar
• Spicy Tomato & Onion
• Tomato Sauce
• Sweet Chilli
• Mexican Chilli

Had I been able to use the internet today I would have liked to send out another newsletter talking about the different ministry opportunities I’ll be involved with before I leave. I could easily see my heart fall for the people of Capricorn. Even though I only have four weeks left I plan on spending them several times a week over there!