Refreshment, Provision, & Hospitality

South Africa

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. (Prov. 27:9)

It had been four days of travel. With one night on a ferry, one night on an airport floor, and one night in an airplane seat, we were ready to have a few nights in a bed. As we passed through South African customs early Tuesday morning Nathan and Brittany jumped out behind a corner. Nathan picked me up with a big brother kinda hug and swung me around while Brittany squealed with excitement. As we drove to the place we were staying Brittany could not keep from saying “just wait ‘till you see this place! You will love it!” And she was right. Spencer and I along with four other married couples were staying in a guest house right on Nordhook beach. As we walked into the dining room we were greeted by Brock and Crystalin, a cup of coffee and a simple breakfast. Jake and Daina as well as Will and Andrea completed the group that evening and laughter stretched to early am as the family reunion was too exciting for sleep.

        To be around happy, loving, giving friends who treat you as if you are their long lost brother and sister was the best medicine for two weary travelers. Staying up too late each night, led to sipping coffee for long hours in the morning. Tears were frequent. At times due to deep conversation and other times a result of breathtaking laughter. To live in community each day and worship God together each evening was the refreshment of our souls. Each couple individually gave listening ears to our pain, comforting words that brought us out of our pain, and financial gifts to pat us on the back and say “keep going, you can’t give up now.”  A week in Cape Town and then a few days in Port Elizabeth left us in tears as we embraced with goodbyes. 

He will supply all our needs according to his riches in glory.(Phil. 4:19)

        As we left Italy spending the last of our money on a place to sleep for three nights we were scared what to do next. God provides in many ways and we are still learning to not put him in a box. We have heard stories of random people walking up to God chasers on the street and handing them a wad of cash, stories of exciting miracles and amazing testimonies. Yet God works in whatever way he sees best for you. For us it was during a conversation with my amazing in-laws. They found out of our financial predicament and supplied our needs. Our amazing miraculous testimony on provision is the God given family we are blessed with.

        We had a month before our plane flies to Mozambique. Researching our options we decided to rent a car. After being completely taken care of by a wonderful couple in Port Elizabeth we pulled our tiny ice teal Chevrolet out of the driveway and the next time we stopped the car, was terrifying… 216 meters, 709 feet of free fall. Spencer and I decided to jump off the world’s highest bungi jump. As we walked to the middle of South Africa’s longest bridge each step made my legs shake a little more. Each heart beat walked my heart upwards toward my throat. As the energetic workers listed the order of jumpers I was relived to be last. I watched my brave husband face a fear of heights and fall gracefully off the side of the bridge with a loud deep yell. I stood in the same spot not long after he came back to solid ground and as I my body pushed into only air,  my arms did not want to glide like a bird, instead they curled up around my chest and my knees inched close as well. I became a ball thrown off a tall bridge. The fear didn’t subside after the gentle bounce and stretch of the bungi. The fear penetrated ever square inch of my body ‘till I reached the bridge once again. We received our certificates proudly and got back in the car. 

I was homeless and you gave me a room. (Matt 25:35)

Some amazing people we met in Port Elizabeth lined us up with a place to stay in Knysna about half way between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. We had heard it was a pretty cute town but we could not have even begun to understand just how blessed we would be. We met a man named Paul about our same age and he took us home to his family that had a hot dinner waiting. After dinner Paul whisked us to a church meeting. At the end of the meeting the speaker pointed us out and encouraged us to continue on our path. We had never met this man before but he spoke exactly our hearts as if we had known him for years.

The next morning Paul made the best latte` I have had our entire trip and took us to a mountain that overlooked a manicured golf course and the town.  We were again blessed with a complimentary breakfast thanks to our host and he then took us to other beautiful view points of the town and ocean. Knysna will remain in my mind one of the most beautiful places on the planet. We said our goodbyes and continued the road to Cape Town.

Jan and Allen Kilpatrick had a room ready for us as we pulled into their driveway. A week with the Kilpatrick family was like a cold glass of water on a hot day. With two girls and two boys we enjoyed being a part of a family again. It was a relaxing balance of getting stuff done, being a Cape Town tourist, and catching up on rest. The week flew by and goodbyes were once again hard to say. Only “see you again soon” could come from our lips. The journey turned a new page and it was just Spencer and I once again on the road. And so starts our Africa road trip.