26

Yes it's officially my birthday. WOW, just looking back at a year ago with my mommy in NZ. Hard to top that. However, each day, year, memory carries it's own. I love it all. (Miss you mommy)

I remember a year ago, JUST beginning to get my new job with Captial Football to start the first-ever girls-only football league. The Templetons allowed me to leave my nanny position, which was heart wrenching to leave, but bless their hearts. I left with no idea how it was going to happen, and a boss giving me no real criteria either. I was hungry and fearful. Hmmm, sounding familiar to my position now.

Over a week ago, I was in turmoil. I was confused as to what to do here in this country. I knew I wanted to leave something good. Whether it was small or large, I wanted to leave something. That's what I said about New Zealand. It wasn't enough for me no matter how much I tried to tell myself it was a selfish time for me to just enjoy and play footy. No no, life needed more meaning. I loved to partake in the children Lucy, Emma and Max (whom I miss oh so much), and the bar tending was entertaining for sure. BUT, to get to actually help do something in that wonderful city to make a change towards the future meant so much more. Whether I failed at the league or not, I had to try.

Now I must do the same.

I'm released to try and help this country. Just like everyone said I couldn't or I heard, "they dont' want to be helped". That's not the case. We're all children of God, and we want to restore this world bit by bit back to it's original perfection it was created to be.

Now I want to invest the next months to do that. Even better this time, it aims at not just this country, but the world. WOW, God loves to surprise. Challenge.

What really hit me today, was the reality of God's plan for me.

I did so much with children, mostly girls in schools, camps in New Zealand, but I encouraged and loved and taught. But it wasn't enough. That's year there I lacked the most important key to the door.

I didn't share the gospel. I never left them with everlasting knowledge. Soccer is great and inspires, but why do I care to teach it? Why do I care about them? Why do I want to give them hope? To have this incredible relationship with God that I get.

Today, I helped the South Africa outreach team, alongside Upward Ministries, through this local church called The Bay, and we can a 3 hour soccer camp. VERY basic, but it was easy and fun. That was the point to just bring the kids out, love on them, and share of bit of Jesus with them.

I was hit blindsided when after a few drills, which I have to admit I missed showing and playing with them, but after games, we had a very small devotional.

I was interested in seeing how this volunteer would talk to these kids about God. With about 5 boys, around the ages of 10, we sat in a circle. This leader talked about gifts for christmas, and waht they got for Christmas. Then he asked WHY we get gifts? Why do our parents give us gifts? Why do they love us? Even if/when we're bad? We still get gifts right? Well Jesus gave us a gift too. He gives us that love that our parents give us. Love, even if we're bad, he still loves us. Then we noticed some of the kids faces. They were not tracking, and that's when he realized. So the leader asked, "who here has heard of Jesus?" ONLY 2 out of 5 knew or no, had heard of Jesus. 3 boys had never heard the name Jesus before. This country wher eit's completely free to speak about God and Christianity in schools, and there's churches everywhere, 3 young boys had never heard the name. What the real meaning of Christmas was. That's what I've been missing.

We left these 3 boys, along as many other children today, with hearing the name of Jesus for the first time. Hopefully not the last, but at least hearing who this man is that Loves them. That's absolutely incredible!

So that's what I was missing. I could do great things to help inspire these girls in soccer, but without knowing Jesus, I haven't FULLY equiped them for life! Everlasting and true life. That's what I'm her eto learn to continue teaching in ALL I do. Thank you Father for bringing me here to grow and become closer to you.

What a ministry eh?

I have this knowledge now, and that's power. I just as Paul the Apostle, have a call, a race to run. I have God telling me he loves me and has me in his heart, but now I get the opportunity to respond to His call to do more work for Him. I want to serve. I want to live as much as Him as I can, so that even walking into a room, people will know and feel His presence, and not mine. Demons will fear me, because HE is in me.

I look so forward to changing my family's generations to come. Something that I'm so so fotunate to have been taught and restored in my family.

We looked at 2 different families lines that were traced over a hundred years ago. One was Jon Edward, and I think the other was something like Max Jucko or something. Anyways, Sarol said one was a man of God, and became a follower and became a father to his family and husband to his wife as a man of God. He was a father, as His father. The other, Max, was a gangster and did evil crime. He was a terrible father. When those families lines were traced, Max, the bad example for teh family had generation after generation of criminals, divorces, and evil from their blood lines. Then Jon Edward's line produced fruit! Juicy fruit came from this man who raise his generations to follow with a walk of the Lord. He had decendents who were missionaries, successful businessmen, had many in colleges, professors, open colleges, I think he said one even was a president and a few in the senate. God changes lives, families, even the community and grass gets greener. It starts from the inside out.

Thank you dad, for being teh father as He is your father. I can always remember people asking me if I was a preacher's kid. I took it offensively when i was young. Now, I'm so proud of you, it brings me to tears. I resented all those 'stupid' rules of the house, but dad, luckily we all lived through some very rough times, to finally get to see the fruits sprout. It even took Kale and I finding on our own suffering the absolute truth we were missing. I'm sorry you and mom had to go through so much of our struggles, but it's worth it and I and Kale are going to continue and have fruitful generations to come. We're going to spark light around us because we have the father. Our relatives can't help but want to know more. It's only going to be better and better. Thank you, and Kale, thank you. Mommy, you have had almost as much suffering as Dad from us, but luckily, you still serve us with a smile and desire to have us ALWAYS. I can't believe I have that blessing in my life. Thank you for never stopping prayer, never giving up, and always having hope. I lov eyou and I've grown in that because of you and your gracious love.  I look so forward to this year...