Money Saving Mom®

After 6 days of being on the other side of the world and 18 hours on a plane, being reunited with my family was one of the most beautiful things yesterday morning! We drove straight from the airport in DC to our home in TN and got home last night.

I brought home a sunburn and a weary body, but it was every bit worth it for the amazing and life-impacting lessons learned, memories made, experiences shared, and incredible people we met.

And while my body may no longer be in beautiful South Africa, I left part of my heart there. The people, the scenery, the history, the climate, the food, the warmth… I fell in love with all of it.

There aren’t words to describe just how much this trip impacted me, just how much I saw God show up on my behalf, and just how hard it was for me to leave. There were so many needs. So many children who were desperate for love and words of encouragement. So much poverty and hunger.

We are excited for what we’re planning and dreaming for the future and how we’re going to come alongside some of these neediest communities to bring hope and practical help. There are great needs, but there are also great opportunities to help bring lasting change to these communities. We can’t wait to share more about that in the weeks and months to come!

Getting to spend the week with Lisa-Jo in her home country of South Africa was a gift I’ll never forget. Her heart, her passion, her graciousness, her laughter, her authenticity, her encouragement… it blessed my soul at a deep level.

I’m humbly grateful that God connected us five years ago through this crazy blogging thing we’ve been called to do. My life will never be the same because of knowing Lisa-Jo.

We are so very grateful to each one of you who prayed for us. We saw God answer your prayers in very direct ways — from allowing us to have energy and strength even with little sleep and jet lag, to our families back home doing so well, to the clear direction and leading we felt for how God wants us to be involved in South Africa in the future as we met with the local leaders there… we felt such calmness, such joy, and such peace the whole trip. And we know it was because of your many prayers on our behalf.

I have many more stories and pictures to share in the coming days. Right now, though, I’m going to try to head back to bed to get some more sleep. (I’ve been up since 2:30 a.m. thanks to jet lag!)

Y’all. My heart feels like it just might burst right in two. I have fallen madly in love with South Africa.

So many people asked me why I was going on this trip. Part of me knew why: so Lisa-Jo and I could meet with some of the local leaders here and see the work that Take Action Ministries is doing in partnership with Help One Now.

For many months, we’ve been talking and dreaming and praying and planning about how we can come alongside and help in a long-term capacity. I wanted to go and see first before we started any long-term commitment. It was important for me to get to know the people behind the ministry, to get to see the work in person, and to really have a better grasp of the needs in South Africa.

So that was one part of why I said yes to this trip.

But there was another part of me that felt like there were more reasons why I was going on this trip. That God had bigger plans and purposes — that He wanted to do something through this trip that couldn’t be accomplished by me just sending money from afar or reading about a ministry or even seeing pictures or Skyping with those involved in the ministry.

I knew I was supposed to step outside my safe Americanized bubble and go.

And if today was the only day we had on this whole trip, it was every bit worth me coming.

It was worth the time spent preparing.

It was worth a long drive to DC with my family and getting in at 3:30 a.m. in the morning only to discover there had been some miscommunication and our hotel was completely booked (and it was quite the adventure to find another hotel with an open room at 3:30 a.m.!)

It was worth leaving my family in DC and braving an 18-hour flight.

It was worth working through the what ifs.

It was worth every one of those things and so much more.

You see, because today I saw one of the beautiful examples of hope I’ve ever witnessed. Hope in the middle of what many would consider a hopeless situation. Hope where many would have long ago given up.

And not just hope, but joy, and life, and amazing impact.

But before I tell you about that hope, I want to first back up and contrast it with telling you about a woman we met with this morning who lacked hope.

We pulled up to her two-room shack this morning and you could immediately tell that she was tired, exhausted, worn out, and feeling completely overwhelmed with life. She lives in the shack with 3 other adults and 9 children. She spends her days taking care of her two young children and her neighbor’s children, as well as her nieces and nephews.

We tried to encourage her. We brought fruit for the children. We asked about her needs. But the whole time, her eyes just had this glazed over look. From what she told us, she’s been living like this for a long time and she doesn’t see a way out.

She’s lost any drive or motivation she once had. And she’s just barely making it through each day.

Her facial expressions and tone of voice just exuded lifelessness and hopelessness. Take Action Ministries has been checking in on her and doing what they can to help her. They’ve encouraged her to do what she can to take some baby steps toward progress in her life. But she’s lost her drive and motivation.

As I watched her, my heart hurt for her. This is the only life she knows. She’s probably never had any good examples or models in her life. But at the same time, if she doesn’t want to take tiny steps to climb out of the hole she’s in, she’s never going to make any progress.

Take Action is going to continue encouraging her and making sure her children have food to eat and clothes to wear and they also want to do all they can to encourage her children to break free from this vicious cycle of hopelessness.

When we left her house, we had many discussions about what we could do to spark even a drop of hope in the lives of women like this. There are so many women who feel just like this mom does and it’s an epidemic that’s sweeping so many countries — including America.

For the next few hours, as we had meetings with the amazing folks from the Take Action Team. We talked more about the pressing needs, the greatest struggles, and how we can partner with them in the most effective manner.

(Side note: We’ve bonded so quickly with the Take Action Team — Annelien, Wanda, Jonna, Peter, Darrin, and Morne — that we feel like we’ve known them for years. These are truly some of the most selfless, warm, gracious, and giving people I’ve ever. They’ve opened their homes and hearts to us and we are already dreading having to say goodbye to them in a few days!)

All the while, my brain was in fast-forward strategy and analyst mode thinking of how we can actually spark hope for these women who are struggling with so much hopelessness. The need is staggering and there are no quick fixes or pat answers.

As I was contemplating this, we drove up to our next destination, the Reagoboka Drop-in Centre and Early Childhood Development Centre, and sparks of hope came hitting at us from all directions. Elizabeth, the beaming leader of these centers came running out to greet us.

She was excitedly laughing and exclaiming over and over again about all of the wonderful things happening in their centers. She was the epitome of hope.

But here’s the thing: in many people’s eyes, she shouldn’t have hope. In fact, she should be exhausted, overwhelmed, and discouraged. She’s worked incredibly hard, managed what little she has well, and has poured out herself for her community.

In the process, she’s hit roadblock after roadblock after roadblock. Lisa-Jo shared more of her story tonight and you must go read it right now.

Because Elizabeth has chosen to persevere in spite of the odds, because she’s chosen to make the most of the little she has, because she’s chosen to do all she can to make an impact in her community, literally hundreds of children have been fed, cared for, loved on, and invested in over these past years she’s been running the home.

And we got to meet these children and we were blown away by the joy in their faces, the spark in their eyes, and zest they all have for life.

We played with the children, held the little ones, met the incredible team of Care Givers, asked lots of questions, saw their tiny facilities and how they are making the most of them for the 100+ children they currently help, and ate lunch with them.

My lunch today: a traditional South African lunch — samp (a kind of maize porridge) Morogo (spinach), and Mealies (corn).

The children were all smiles and hugs and the Care Givers were laughing and playing with the kids and exclaiming to us how much they loved working with the children and helping the community. All around, we saw hope bursting forth. I was contagious and inspiring.

And it was all because one woman chose to not be overwhelmed by her limited circumstances, but to do what she could, with what she had.

She has not only inspired and impacted countless families in this community, but her life will forever impact mine.

The Care Givers — don’t these look like such a fun group? They were so full of life and energy!

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A big thank you to Anthony Churchyard for donating his time and skills to capture hundreds of pictures and videos for us today! There will be many more stories and pictures to come in the weeks and months ahead! I have dozens of blog posts percolating in my brain right now. 🙂

Before the flight

After 18 hours on a plane, we made it to South Africa this afternoon!!!! This was my first time to be on another continent, so it was quite surreal.

The flight went far better than I could have imagined. The first few hours we chatted, ate the yummy dinner they served on the plane, and I read a short book.

I was starting to feel really tired, so I decided to go ahead and try to sleep. Well, after tossing and turning for awhile and struggling to find a comfortable position, I then started feeling sick to my stomach.

“Oh, great! We’re only a few hours into the flight and I’m already feeling pretty miserable!” I thought.

I decided to ask Lisa-Jo for some Dramamine since she had gone out and bought extra just in case any of us needed some. Let me just say: I’m so, so grateful she did.

I’ve never taken Dramamine before, but within 30 minutes of taking it, I was in love with the stuff! Not only did they end up calming my queasy stomach, but they also put me into a deep sleep. And I slept soundly for 7-8 hours total!!

I woke up feeling refreshed and rested — which was a huge blessing! I spent the rest of the flight watching a movie and getting caught up on my She Reads Truth study of John. Then it was breakfast time on the plane and then we landed!

While I was initially really dreading the 18-hour flight, it turned out going by quite quickly! Thank you so much for your prayers that I could sleep on the flight — God definitely answered them. And I also have become a firm believer in bringing Dramamine on long flights. 🙂

After the flight — with some of Lisa-Jo’s family

We’ve only been here a few hours and I’m already head over heels in love with the people, the climate, the food, and the hospitality! The weather is amazing — it was a little rainy and overcast but just so refreshing.

Lisa-Jo’s family is just so, so dear. They’ve already bent over backwards to host us.

We had dinner with them tonight and then sat around the table and talked for a long time while Lisa-Jo’s dad brought out different kinds of fruits, cut them up, and passed them around for us to eat.

I’ve tried two new-to-me foods so far: Beef Biltong and Lychee. Plus, we had some of the best fresh peaches and mango I’ve ever had!

Tomorrow, we’re headed out to meet a lot of the locals and see some of the different ministries here that Lisa-Jo’s parents are involved in. I feel so grateful to have this opportunity and am excited for what the next few days will hold.

Thank you for praying for us, sending such encouraging notes, emails, texts, and comments, and for being our cheerleaders on this adventure. We appreciate you all so much!

Today’s the big day! In just a few hours, I’ll be boarding a plane for an 18-hour flight to South Africa.

I’m going with Lisa-Jo and her 9-year-old son, Jackson (both who were born in South Africa), and my friend and business manager, Joy.

The past two weeks, I experienced quite a few moments where I felt anxious — anxious over the unknowns, anxious over how I would survive such a long flight, anxious over stepping outside my comfort zone, anxious over flying internationally without my husband, anxious about jet lag, anxious about cultural differences.

Overwhelmed By the What Ifs

I had a few nights where I struggled to sleep because I pictured myself cooped up on an airplane for 18 hours and I started to consider all the what ifs.

What if I start feeling claustrophobic just a few hours into the flight?

What if I can’t sleep at all on the flight and arrive in South Africa an exhausted, irritable mess?

What if the airplane has mechanical failure?

What if I get terribly sick from something I eat or drink in South Africa?

What if…? What if…? What if…?

Some people people crave adventure and adrenaline rush; I prefer familiarity and sameness. I have irrational fears involving meeting new people, being in new situations, and not having a set plan in place. What ifs and unknowns can make me stressed and anxious. Enough to feel like I might hyperventilate.

So I’ve had many moments where I’ve wondered what I was thinking when I signed up for this trip. But I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that I’m supposed to go on this trip. And I really feel like it’s going to impact my life in big ways for years to come.

From Fear To Excitement

Also, in the last few days, I’ve felt such a peace about the whole trip. In fact, I’ve started to get really excited about it.

I’m excited about the opportunity to experience a new culture, learn about the struggles South Africans face, see the hope they have, hear about their victories, and get a better grasp on their needs and how we can come alongside and partner with them.

I’m also really thrilled to get to update you in person about the community center, veggie garden, playground, and laundry center many of you helped build in Maubane!

Thank You So Much For Being Our Cheerleaders

So many of you have mentioned that you are praying for me and I just want to tell you thank you so much. I truly feel your prayers. I feel such peace and calmness and excitement about this trip — and I know that that is every bit a result of your prayers and the grace of God.

I have to tell you, I woke up this morning to an outpouring of texts and emails and tweets and Instagram messages from you all with words of encouragement. With so many needs and to-do’s, the fact that you all would care enough to take time to pray and share words of encouragement is a very humbling thing for me.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for praying and cheering for us in this. We feel so loved and supported.

Meet Our 4-Person Team

We wanted to introduce you to our little team and share some specific prayer requests for those of you who want to be praying for us. Here are some of the specific prayer requests from each of the four members of our team who will be spending 18 hours together in row 58 seats D, E, F, & G:

Lisa-Jo

Been doing this trip between continents for two decades now
Will be staying at her parents’ house
Her brother and sister-in-law in South Africa are expecting their first baby the same week

You can follow her here on Instagram this week.

Lisa-Jo’s Prayer Requests:

1. That I would be a generous host, conscious of the needs of my fellow travelers and quick to encourage them.
2. That even though we have so few days in country it would be enough time for South Africa to burrow deep into the hearts of our team
3. For safety and for courage and for hope in the midst of what others might see as poverty and despair. That we would find the joy and be faithful tellers of those stories for each of you.
4. For special times of bonding with my first born, my South African son, Jackson
5. For peace and health and hopefully managing just fine without us for my husband Peter and precious Micah and Zoe.

Jackson

Been doing this trip since he was born
On his second passport
Seasoned traveler who is most excited about watching movies for 18 hours straight.

(this is him hugging Lisa-Jo’s little brother good-bye last time they were home –a year ago).

Jackson’s Prayer Requests:

1. That we would be safe on the long flight.
2. That I have lots of time to catch up with my big brother, Karabo.
3. That me and my mom have fun.
4. That my brother and little sister are OK without me.

Crystal

First time flying longer than a 5-hour trip
Her 3 kids and husband will spend the week doing historical trips in DC while she’s away
Nervous but excited to get another stamp in her passport!

You can follow me here on Instagram this week.

My Prayer Requests:

1. A calm spirit during both flights and the ability to sleep on both flights so that I can arrive in South Africa and then back home to my family feeling rested, cheerful, and energetic instead of exhausted and drained.
2. An open heart to whatever God wants to teach me through this trip — that my heart would never be the same as a result of this trip.
3. That I would be a blessing and an encouragement to each person I am with on the trip.

Joy

Fly by the seat of her pants extrovert
Helps Crystal manage her blog and business
Mom to 4 kiddos
Bringing her Go-Pro camera with her so we can document the trip for you all!

You can follow her here on Instagram this week.

Joy’s Prayer Requests:

1. Pray for my husband and four kiddos at home. Eight nights is a long time for mama to be gone and Africa is a long way away.
2. Pray for my mind to settle and for any anxiousness to be gone, so that I can focus on this experience and soak up every bit of it without being distracted.
3. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be unleashed to do a mighty mighty work through this team and in my own heart. God is up to something and it’s a HUGE blessing to get to be a small part of it.

And now I’m off to wash my hair, double-check all my luggage to make sure I have everything on my list, and head to the airport!

Next time you hear from me, I’ll be in sunny and hot South Africa! I can hardly believe it!