Report from Durban

I'm not sure when I posted here last, so if it seems like you're picking this up in the middle of the story you can check out my other blog for more details. I'm currently in Durban, South Africa, about half-way through a mission trip. So far, absolutely amazing.

I think it’s Sunday night. It feels like we’ve been up for days. I know that we go to bed every night, but between late nights, early mornings and the African rooster outside our window, the nights seem pretty short. This has been an absolutely amazing trip so far.

Yesterday we got to train volunteers from several different countries on awareness for HT. It was great. They were so open and hungry for information; one of our team members said they were spongy

After that we went to the streets and invited people to church. I’ve never handed out tracks before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Again, it was great. I met a guy named Grant. He was obviously homeless, obviously drunk and smoking a cigarette that he probably found on the road. I invited him to church and he quoted scripture to me. We chatted for a few minutes and then he wandered away. A few minutes later he wandered back over and we chatted again…then again…then again. Finally I asked him, “Tell me Grant, are you supposed to be preaching instead of drinking?” His eyes filled with tears and he dropped his head. As he walked away I said, “You know God still loves you, right?”

One of the guys on our team had a couple of pairs of socks to give away. He took them over to Grant and his buddy. Grant came back around the corner, walked over to me and pulled up his pant legs to show me his new socks. He was beaming. I smiled at him and nodded. “Donna,” he said, “God bless you. May God truly bless you and your ministry.” I thanked him and told him I’d be looking for him Sunday at church. We crossed the street to meet up with the rest of our team and all I could think about was, ‘that could be me.’

That should be me. With all of the bad choices I’ve made; wrong places, wrong faces…I should be either living in the streets or dead. But for the grace of God, there go I.

Thank God for His mercy and forgiveness. All glory to God!