Team Reflections

Hi all, we've asked the team to reflect on their time away and answer some questions. So as I get responses in I will put them up here. Hopefully that will give you some more insight into what God was doing in us and how the trip affected each one of us... So let me kick things off with my responses below...the rest of the team's answers should come through over the next few days :) Bless you.

Emily says...

1. What were your highlights from the trip?
Team sing-alongs in the van, seeing the team step up and embrace the culture and the challenges they were faced with, meeting & interacting with the OM missionaries, visiting the deaf cell group (& learning some sign language so we could communicate with them), hanging out and getting to know the NZ team better, working with the kids & church in a nearby village called Makwati, and seeing all that God is doing through OM in Zambia & South Africa.

2. What did you find hardest about the trip?
Three days in Zambia with no power, no running water and the pouring rain made for some fun stories, but were also a bit trying at times! I also found leaving was difficult – leaving behind all the new friends we had made knowing we may not ever meet again.

3. What did you learn about God on this trip?
I learnt a lot about God’s sovereignty on this trip. How he is in control of and takes care of all things. I learnt more about what it means to trust in him. So often I try to control and work things out on my own, however because there were so many unknowns on this trip, it was impossible for me to do that! I learnt to ‘be still and know that [God is] God’. As long as we abide in him he will sort everything out along the way – even the little things. It’s incredible.

4. What did you learn about yourself on this trip?
I learnt that without God I can do nothing, but with him I can do so much more than I could ever think or imagine! “My Grace is all you need” he says “my power works best in weakness”. I learnt that I need to draw all my strength from him and as I do that he can and will work through me to achieve his purposes.

5. What did you learn from being part of the team?
The team made this trip for me – they were so much fun! As well as learning a whole lot about music (I’ve never enjoyed singing as much in my life as I did on this trip!) I also learnt to depend on others. While beforehand I knew the theory about being part of the body of Christ, on the trip I learnt what that meant practically. We all had strengths and weaknesses, and we all had to work together (stepping back at times & forward at others) in order to achieve what God had for us to do while we were there. No one person on the team could do everything!

6. What did you like the most about Zambian/South African Culture?
I love the singing and dancing in worship. I was blown away by the hospitality and generosity of people. I was encouraged by the missionaries we met - their commitment to God’s call and their dependence on him for all they need. I love how Africans always have time for people and I like the ‘laid-back’ nature & simplicity of their culture. I love their hunger for God and their openness to talk about spiritual things. I love that there seems to be much more space and time for God there.

7. What thoughts about NZ Culture & Society have you had since returning?
While I was away, and since returning, I’ve been reminded and made aware of how much the people of NZ need to hear the Gospel. While our society might not be as open to talking about it as people were in the African context, but we still need to be bold and find ways to share the gospel in our context.
I’ve also been really proud of our church community. So many people in Africa commented on the diversity of our group (particularly our cultural diversity) and I love that. I’m encouraged by the way our church demonstrates the unity that Christ brings among all people.

8. How is or will life be different for you now that you are back?
I hope that I will learn to trust God and draw my strength from him in everything I do in my everyday life (even the little things). I also hope to continue to engage in musical worship more, and to continue to challenge myself & allow God to use me for his kingdom. To not let the busyness of my life crowd out God’s voice, but instead to live a more simple life and allow him space to speak to me. I also want to take more seriously the call we have to share the gospel here in NZ...taking what we learnt and experienced in Africa and to find ways to translate it into our own context.