When Londiwe and I finished our study on the Book of John,
we decided to do something fun together.
So we went down to the Indian Ocean.
It is only about a 45 minute drive from my house.
Londiwe does not get to see the ocean very often.
Here in South Africa, alot of families, English and Zulu alike,
will go down to the beach over the holidays.
Remember, our seasons are opposite of yours,
so Christmastime will be Summertime.
We enjoyed: walking along the shore, picking up seashells, exploring the rocks,
having a picnic lunch, and playing in the sand.
After lunch, we spent time in God's Word,
sharing what He has been teaching us from our personal devotions.
I turned around at one point and there was Londiwe writting in the sand.
What did she write?
She wrote:
"Gina and Londiwe are one".
What does that mean?
It means that -
1. She sees us as friends,
which we are
2. She doesn't see a cultural or ethnic barrier between us,
which is true
3. She feels that she has grown in the Lord,
which she has
4. She feels like we are both moving on with the same goal -
to win others to the Lord and help them grow too,
which is true!
Londiwe could have written anything in the sand, but she chose to write that.
There it was written in the sand for the whole world to see.
While we were there, I noticed that people would stop and watch us.
I mentioned this to another South African missionary.
She said that they were probably confused or wanted to understand what they saw.
They saw a white American young woman laughing, playing, singing,
and reading Scripture with a young Zulu woman.
The two of us were thoroughly enjoying ourselves.
Although, South Africa has been free from an apartaid rule for some time now,
it is still very much followed.
It is never common to see a white person in the tribal area.
The Zulu people only work for the whites in their homes and buisnesses.
they work as maids, garden workers, truck drivers,
store cashiers, cleaning ladies,....
Only on a rare occasion will you see a white person with a Zulu.
This was one of those "rare" (and precious) occassions.
I love the ocean, sand, waves - I was surprised by this wave
while Londiwe was taking my picture.
For me, it was also a good day to get away and enjoy the sunshine and ocean.
While I was growing up, my family would go to Virginia a few times each year.
As an adult, I cherished those times that we could go to the ocean.
When I was finishing high school, I wanted to be an oceanographer.
So I began studying, but the Lord got ahold of me
and led me into ministry instead.
It was such a blessing for both of us to get away
from the normal surroundings of life
and reflect on all that the Lord taught us from the Book of John.
Thanks you for praying for our Bible Study times.
We are now studying the Book of I John.
We meet every Wednesday from 1:30-4:30/5pm.