Mambo Sawa Sawa!

Hello y'all :] (I need to say y'all somewhere...)

This is my second writing for the OM news website. You can find the first one posted here if you're interested!

Pray for me tomorrow as I travel to Madagascar, I know the Lord is doing mighty things in my life through your prayers. Thanks so much, I love you!

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You might be wondering, what exactly does an OM intern do during orientation? For me, it has involved some traveling, some eating, and lots and lots of learning. I'm so grateful that I was given the opportunity to travel to Kabwe, Zambia for the annual "Love Africa" conference hosted by OM; missionaries from all over Africa and all over the world meet in Zambia once a year to recount the incredible ways God is moving on this continent. However, when 4 a.m. rolled around and it was time to head to the airport - I was less than enthusiastic. Despite the early departure, the conference was an amazing experience and I felt privileged to glean some knowledge from these men and women who are following Jesus. The main hall at the conference center was practically shaking with the voices lifted in worship singing, "Mambo sawa sawa! Mambo sawa sawa! Yesu akiwa enzini, Mambo sawa sawa!" (Translation: Things are getting better! Things are getting better! When the Lord is on the throne, things are getting better!). 

Another learning opportunity presented itself after the conference. I arrived back in South Africa, and the very next day began learning important communications skills at a communications seminar led by OMer Greg Kernaghan. Lessons like "less is more" and "remember your audience" were drilled into me and the other members of the OM communications team. I gained a new perspective on effective communication and a new desire to utilize these skills in Madagascar! 

So here I am, on my last day at the OM Africa office in Pretoria, where the rain is steadily falling and the temperature steadily dropping. I'm staring out the window thinking about what adventures tomorrow will hold for me. "Will my luggage arrive? Will I forget all the French I used to be able to speak? What if I catch some tropical disease?" The questions keep flowing. Nevertheless, after months of preparation and praying, tomorrow is the day I will finally set foot in Antananarivo, Madagascar. One question I need not ask is "Will my God be with me?" - He is always there. Whatever tomorrow brings, He is faithful and will never leave me.