On my wrist...

I wear these 3 items pretty much everyday. In a weird sense I feel "naked" without them...my left wrist is too light, something is off balance, essentially something is just not right. Let me share a little something about each of these items.

• My students often give me a hard time for wearing an athletic watch everyday, but it's practical for me & I'm always ready to time an event in class or out at practice.
• The wooden bead bracelet was given to me as a "thank you" gift and it used to have a mustard seed charm, but that fell off months ago yet I still wear it as a reminder of Matthew 17:20 "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
• I can tell you exactly when I first placed the beaded bracelet that says "S. Africa" flanked by South African flag on my wrist, it was August 16, 2008 (the day I left South Africa). This bracelet has been a conversation starter with total strangers, an entertainment to babies & little children who have been mesmerized by the texture and color of the beads, it has also been a reminder of my time in South Africa at Bridges Academy and in Sweet Home, and perhaps it has also been a symbol of hope that I would one day return.

Nearly four years after putting that bracelet on I am returning to South Africa with a small team to  deepen and further develop not only our involvement at Bridges Academy, but to become invested in the township of Sweet Home in a much more significant way through our relationship with the CHEs as we aim to support them as they promote sustainable transformation in their community. Please keep our small team of 5 in prayer as we are gone from July 28th-August 16th. Specifically please pray for: 

• Obedience to God.
• Unity amongst the team members.
• Open hearts (ours and the hearts of those who we come in to contact with). 
• Safety and health.
• Wisdom, patience, and discernment in all situations.

Thank you in advance for keeping us in prayer & be sure to check the blog for frequent updates!