“What’s your major?, Where do you work?, Where did you go to school?” These are questions that are commonly asked among adults and peers in our day and age. Although these questions seem fitting in our success driven society, I often stop myself and ask..”Why?”. Why are these questions so often the first ones we ask after exchanging simply, “hello” and “nice to meet you.”? The reason why we ask these questions is because we often seek the answers that we believe define people - their income, education, intelligence, friendships, etc. the list goes on and on.
What we forget to ask are the questions that are of the heart. Again with intentionality, the culture of our success driven society makes us eager to ask the questions which give us a label as either a success or a failure. But what is your definition of success? This pivotal question is one I have asked myself often these past few weeks. In different cultures, the definition of success is often altered due to the demographics of one’s society. Here in Swaziland, you are considered above the poverty line if you make more than $3,280 (US dollars) in a given year. Money doesn’t rule the mind and hearts here in Swaziland, and I’ve learned to really love and appreciate this concept – coming from a money driven society. I’ve learned that people from all over the world define success in vastly different ways. Some define it by one’s family, others by their impact on the community, and there are very few who finally realize the true definition of success: living for the kingdom and nothing more. To be honest, I think I have known this true measure of success for a while now, but I guess it took coming all the way to Africa to truly realize that nothing else is worth living for. Success is something that people take so seriously all over the world, but how will you choose to define what success is in your life? Will it be the number of zeros in your bank account? How about showing the world the prestigious parts of your life? Whatever it is, we are all putting something in front of God and measuring it as a defining factor in our lives. It’s really just finding what that thing is in your life, and finally deciding if it’s worth laying down for the sake of the gospel. “If you trust God, renounce self-reliance, and bring him into every life situation, he is going to make your paths straight.” -John Piper (of course) That’s it for now, -gcg
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Hi friends & family! If you haven’t heard, I’m currently writing to you from Siteki, Swaziland! A few months ago the Lord put on my heart that my summer was to be dedicated to missions, and this wonderful internship opportunity fell upon my lap in just the right timing.
I am 1 of 3 interns currently at One Heart Africa, a non profit organization run by Ryan and Anna Carmichael. The OHA farm is located in Swaziland (and partly in Mozambique) aimed to bring sustainable change to disease stricken and highly impoverished parts of southern Africa. OHA sits on a beautiful plot of land in the Lubombo valley, with multiple acres of farmland and an aquaponics system (lettuce, basil, peppers, onions, all that good stuff = best salads ever!). The farm provides fresh produce to neighboring people who are affected by HIV and also to care points who serve orphaned and vulnerable children in the community. One Heart Africa also started Sharing Hope Preschool in 2013 and it is located in Mozambique. This preschool educates 100 children who are fed daily, taught the gospel, given a quality education, and provided access to safe water through the school’s fresh water well. Learn more at oneheartfrica.org and be sure to follow the Facebook page too! So, yes this place is amazing! The Lord is never ceases to put me in awe of ministries like One Heart Africa - what a special place! 11 things i've learned in Swazi after 11 days:
On the real, I’ve learned some crazy things, but most of all I’ve learned that intentionality is a huge concept here. The American culture lacks an intentional desire to really know what’s going on in people’s lives. We lack the time to sit and listen to people’s struggles, their spiritual life, and how we can invest time in them. Here in Swazi, people greet each other everywhere. Strolling in town they will stop what they are occupied with to be present in the moment and enjoy conversing just a few words. They take the time to invest just a few seconds into real conversation and yes it makes a big difference. This seems so easy, but being here has made me realize that we are running a rat race and life gets so crazy sometimes that we lose our focus, our purpose behind our each and every breath. We wake up, we work, we eat, we have small talk in the Starbucks, we say "thank you" at the checkout...we run the rat race. I’ve learned here that sitting in His presence and running the true race for the Lord is what my life should be centered around - not the every day jumble and chaos. Our typical routine checklist isn't important, changing lives is. We are called here to run the race towards our heavenly Father - every moment with intentionality and pursuit for His glory. It’s a beautiful thing to see the joy on people’s faces here, even those who may not believe in Jesus, they still have joy. Imagine if their lives were changed by Him, even more joy, even more intentionality! This is a calling to all who believe - run the race towards Him, fiercely in pursuit for his will and His glory - nothing more nothing less. Sala kahle for now, -gcg |
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