Africa Recap: Part 2

Saying I loved our team this summer is a huge understatement. We prayed for unity and enjoyment of each other, but I never could have imagined how much our team would feel like a family. We brought 9 students with us: 5 girls, 4 guys. 6 students were from Missouri State which was really fun for me. I’ve been able to see these students this semester and see how summer project continues to have an impact in their lives. The other three students were from schools in our region: Wichita State, Colorado School of Mines, and Mizzou. I was also really blessed to help lead this project with some incredible Cru staff. Danny and Nicole were our team leaders. They courageously brought their sweet baby boy, Charlie. He brought so much joy to our team with his bright smile and infectious giggles. Regan and his wife Sheila live in Colorado also joined us on this trip. Regan used to be on staff at MSU and let the athletes Bible study I was a part of. And finally, Davy and I finished up the team. Davy is a fellow staff member at MSU and just so happens to be my boyfriend. However, we didn’t start the trip that way. More on that in the next post when I share about what God did in my life personally.  

This was a pretty common sight. Oh, the joys of airplane travel. 

Our amazing staff. From L to R: Danny, Regan, Davy, me, Sheila, Nicole, and Charlie (look a little closer).

This sweet boy brought immense joy to our team.

Our team and a few of the staff from the house we stayed at our last day in Africa. 

I’ve said it before, but before I left I had this idea that ministry was going to be mostly with Ivorian students. As you read in my last post ministry to the Ivorians was incredible, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that God changed the lives of our American students as well. It brought so much joy to my heart to be able to invest in the Ivorians and the students we brought with us to Cote d’Ivoire. Our schedule was geared toward their growth. Each student had a staff person discipling them. We met one on one weekly to go through a Bible study and process life while on project. Our nightly schedule also promoted growth and team unity. After we got home from campus and ate dinner we had some sort of team event in the evenings.

• Mondays: Bible study for the whole team. The students planned and led this time. It was a perfect opportunity for them to learn how to lead Bible study. I think it definitely equipped them to be able to do that back in the States.
• Tuesdays: “fresh bread” which essentially means you share what’s on your heart. It’s the good, bad, ugly, and vulnerable side of life. Every person gets the opportunity to share whatever they feel like sharing. It’s a wonderful chance to get to know your team and support each other in all aspects of life. And it sometimes involved fresh baked croissants which was a plus. Fresh bread is always better with literal fresh bread.
•  Wednesdays: night off.
•  Thursdays: men’s/women’s times. The men and women split up into different groups and did a Bible study together. The women went through a John Piper book called A Sweet and Bitter Providence. It’s all about God’s goodness and sovereignty as seen in the book of Ruth. We had ton of fun meeting as women and it was actually really good for my growth. I’ll share more on that in my next post.
• Fridays: dinner and hang outs at the Hauqwitz’s house (American staff couple living in Cote d’Ivoire full time). Bryn is one of the most incredible cooks I have ever met. I’m not sure how she manages to make pizza or chicken pot pie that tastes like it’s from home, but she does. Bryn and her husband Craig, have 3 beautiful children. We all loved Friday nights because we got to spend time with this wonderful family.
• Saturdays: night off.
• Sundays: family night. The staff planned different fun events (movies, game nights, water balloon fights, puzzles, etc). More bonding!
• 
  

  

  The women on project. I SO enjoyed living life with these women.

  

  Cote d'Ivoire means "Ivory Coast" in French. Here's a beautiful shot of the coast. We got to spend one weekend at the beach. 

  

  The team spent one Saturday morning at an orphanage, loving on the children and encouraging the staff. 

As I’m sure you can tell our team got incredibly close. It was so fun to see the transformation in students over the six weeks. Many of them went from nervous about sharing their faith to boldly sharing and discipling others. This is the kind of experience that changes your life. I saw that very intimately with the girls I discipled: Kelsey, Leslie, and Renee. I had the privilege of meeting with each of them weekly, one on one. I obviously can’t share some of the very personal things they walked through, but I assure you by God’s grace these women walked away absolutely transformed. It was a joy to be a part of that process. Each girl:

• Experienced freedom from sin they had never told anyone about before.
• Learned how to lead a Bible study and disciple someone.
• Learned how to share their faith.
• Grew in leadership skills.
• Was challenged and had their faith in God stretched.
• Experienced authentic, life-giving Christian community.
• Took huge steps of faith.
• Walked away from project with a plan on how to take what they learned back to the USA.
• Expressed excitement about how the Lord is going to use them to change the lives of college students on their campus.

And the coolest part is I’ve seen all of these continue since they’ve gotten back. I see Kelsey and Renee frequently because they go to MSU and I got to sit down with Leslie a few weeks ago at a conference in Kansas City and catch up. I’m thankful for how God is continuing to work in their hearts. Project has been a springboard of growth for them and I can’t wait to see how God uses them for his glory in the future.

I love these girls. From L to R: Leslie, Renee, me, and Kelsey.

Hanging out on the beach with Charlie.

This team LOVED to worship. We spent a lot of time praising the Lord together. I'm thankful for the musically gifted people on our team.

To wrap this post up, I’ll tell you about Istanbul... beautiful, wonderful Istanbul. After 6 weeks in Africa we spent 1 week debriefing in Istanbul, Turkey. Debrief is important because it gives students a chance to process what God has taught them and challenged them to change the past 6 weeks. We got to enjoy each other’s company as we rested from an exhausting 6 weeks. We also led students through processing questions and prepared them for re-entry into the “normal” life. Many times students suffer from “post-project blues.” Sometimes it’s hard to come back from a spiritual high like project and thrive in the day to day grind. So we did our best to equip students with the tools they needed to live intentionally and missionally at home. I’m not sure if Istanbul is in fact as beautiful as I thought. It may have been the fact we were in Africa for 6 weeks which isn’t the most beautiful or glamorous place in the world. Maybe Istanbul was wonderful because it contrasted with Africa. Or maybe it really is that great. Until I return I guess I’ll never know. It’s best described in pictures so… enjoy! 

Fountain outside the Hagai Sophia. 

Shopping at the Grand Bazaar. SO MANY THINGS TO LOOK AT! You could have spent days in here.  

The Blue Mosque. 

The streets were beautiful!

Every meal seemed to be on a rooftop. After dinner tea was a given.

We got to see the Europe AND Asia side of Istanbul. Four continents in a week: Africa, Europe, Asia, and America. Whew! Oh... and this is Davy, my boyfriend. Thankful we got to experience so many cool places together.