NEWSLETTER
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May 2007
Greetings from South Africa:
The suitcases were all packed. The farewells had all been said. Sleep was nowhere to be found. The mixed emotions of excitement and nerves were billowing through the air. All of the final details were set... At 6:00am, the next morning, the journey of a lifetime would begin – my journey to Africa.
On June 23, 2006, I boarded an airplane bound for South Africa. As I left home, I had no idea what to expect – I had no idea what the next year would hold. Uncertainty and the unknown stared me in the face; however, that did not matter. God had brought me to that place, and my life was completely surrendered to following Him down whatever path He chose…
Now, I am standing at the other end, looking back over that journey. I can say, in complete honesty, that God’s way is the best way! At times, the way was hard and my faith wavered, but God remained ever faithful, gently prodding me on and whispering to me the words of Hebrews 13:5 – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It has been a privilege and an honor to take this journey through Africa with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The month of April passed by so quickly, I can scarcely remember what took place… On two separate occasions, I was stretched beyond my comfort zone when I was asked to play piano for the evening services at Central Baptist Church. Thankfully, both evenings went very well, and it was a joy to be able to minister. Over the Easter weekend, we were blessed to participate with various township churches in an Easter Conference, out in the village of Soutpan. It was a well-attended weekend, filled with preaching, worship, and fellowship. On the 20th, I experienced the ever-dreaded removal of my wisdom teeth. The procedure went very well, despite the fact that I was conscious and awake for all of it. Nearly two weeks and 20 bowls of jello later, my mouth is getting back to normal, and I praise the Lord for a relatively uncomplicated recovery. And, just last week, we welcomed seven new puppies to the family… True to form, the past month has been packed full of activity; but, I would not want it any other way!
Nine days… This is all the time that remains of my year in Africa. As time continues to march on, I find myself continually reflecting on the past year. I have said it before, and I will say it once again, “God is good – all the time. All the time – God is good!” And, there seems to be no verse more fitting than Ephesians 3:20, when attempting to sum up my year in Africa – “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…”
Taking river-crossing, comfort-zone stretching adventures into Mozambique, Botswana, & Zambia… Beholding the awe-inspiring, stand-in-amazement beauties of God’s creation – Victoria Falls, African wildlife, amazing sunsets, etc… Worshipping with the ever-enthusiastic, always sincere African people... Having a long-time dream fulfilled, in the giving of a Christmas shoebox… Becoming the tenth member of a most amazing family – the Zakariasen’s… The opportunities God has given me, over the past year, have far exceeded anything I could have ever asked or imagined. Truly, I did not deserve such blessings; but, I praise God for choosing, in His grace, to send them anyway.
My heart is filled with sadness at the thought of leaving a place I have come to love so much. Truly, it is not so much the place that has made the impact, but the people. God has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people and, on top of it all, He gave me a wonderful second family. It is going to be difficult to say goodbye to all of these people, and to a place that I have come to know as home. Going back to the States, I am once again faced with uncertainty and the unknown. However, I have no reason to fear because God is in control, and He will continue to walk with me in the States, just as He has in South Africa. I can echo the words of Psalm 118:6, when the psalmist says, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” I would love for the Lord to lead me back to South Africa; but, for now, I am simply praying that God's will would be done in my life. In the past year, I have learned that there is no greater joy than to be in the center of God's will, following the path He has prepared for me.
Through His all-sufficient grace,
Krista Smith
P.S. For current updates and pictures, please visit my website: www.journeytoafrica.org
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