These past few months I have spent my time in southern Africa. (Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa ) It has been so amazing to be in Africa with all the different ministries and cultures. Africa is an amazing place, rich with culture and diversity, yet some of the cultural beliefs are ancestor worship. Many of them even mix Christianity with ancestral worship, something we experienced first-hand everywhere we went, occasionally witnessing people come to accept Christ and reject ancestral worship. I’m going to tell you about the last three months in short summaries.
In Eswatini we worked at feeding centers, assisting with construction projects, pouring into the staff, having fun with the kids, teaching them Bible stories and showing them the Love of Christ through dancing and playing. We also were able to evangelize in town every Monday, able to meet some really cool people and have great experiences along the way. We had our parent vision trip, so some of the parents on the squad came out to do ministry with us for a few days and spend time with us. It was such an incredible thing to be able to do ministry along side our parents and also see the full scope of the ministry that was taking place through AIM in Eswatini. They were feeding about 10,000 kids daily if I remember correctly. They helped kids and cared for them. They also empowered locals to help with all of the centers as well. It was a great experience from the host to the staff!
In Lesotho, we were able to do outreach in the mountains, working with a ministry called Africa 4 Jesus. We saw multiple salvations in those mountains, re-dedications, and lives changed. We encouraged families, village chiefs, and even teenagers. We were also able to really love on the host family and pour into that ministry with construction projects, sharing with them and spending time with their family. I made some good friends there with the host family. It was really hard to leave the people there (which it normally is but it was just more difficult here because of the connection I made with them). I even wrote a song with the host’s son Jaime. If you want to here it I can email it or message it!
In Johannesburg, South Africa, we worked with Impact Africa. They had 5 different ministries: Impact baby rescue, Impact kids, Impact students, outreach, and Jabulani kids. The first ministry, Impact baby rescue, consisted of us handing out flyers to raise awareness for women to not dump their babies. Because of the culture, families don’t accept their children if they come back around the holidays with a kid out of wedlock. It could be due to shame, thinking they can’t take care of the baby, or rape. Reason such as these are why they would dump them in the first place, so this was a very hard ministry when realized how real this was. The Impact students and kids is a ministry where we go to assemblies at schools to speak and teach there. We would usually dance with the kids, teach on a topic and give them a memory verse! The branch of the ministry called Outreach was just evangelism in the squatter camps (poor communities). The Jabulani kids is where we would drive a van out into communities into an empty space and played music that drew the kids in. After they all arrived we danced, played games, taught them a lesson, a memory verse and then gave out sweets. It was an awesome ministry with amazing hosts, interns and staff. It was the most well organized and structured ministry I have been to all year. We saw many people come to Christ, as well as be freed from the evil in ancestral worship.
So now. As I write this, I am on the flight back to America. What a year it has been. So many ups and downs. So many healings, miracles, signs and wonders. There were countless salvations and re-dedications. So many hosts, families, brothers and sisters in Christ encouraged. So many adventures, experiences, and languages to see and hear. It was also such a sweet thing to be able to get to know each and every person on this squad. We all brought something different to the table. Each person so different, from different places, different upbringings, different backgrounds, different beliefs, all with one goal: To see the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. There will be people I will miss dearly. I know for sure I am going to stay in contact and even get to see some of them. One thing I learned this year is the hardest yet best thing about being a Christian is community. Community that loves, uplifts, challenges, encourages, and tells the hard truth. Community has been the hardest thing on this Race: not the places with no hot water, nor the bad or weird food. It wasn’t the long travel days or even the team changes… just people in general. The thing about that though is it was all worth it because, although it was the hardest thing, it has also been one of the best things. Everyone, including myself, have issues currently and have grown from issues from the past. Though people are one of the hardest things about life, it is also the one of the best things about life. We all have highs and lows. But the beautiful thing is that though we are not perfect, so much growth, maturity, freedom and change has happened in each person. It has been an absolute pleasure to learn from each person and see them grow into the men and women of God they are designed to be. I can’t put this year into enough words from all the stories of Gods goodness, His grace, His power to free the captives, His anointing being poured out, His salvations, His callings, His presence, and His love spread to every place we went and now every place we go. This Race is something special, but the thing is I know the best is to come. For His goodness and His mystery never ends. I can never get enough of his presence.
With that being said, a big shout out to AIM! I know everyone has different opinions and that’s okay. I think AIM is an incredible organization— it does have flaws but what organization/church doesn’t? AIM is a great organization, they do teach what they believe about the Bible and don’t force it on anyone. They do however teach about the Holy Spirit, how to be lead by the Spirit, how to give feedback, how to do life on ministry, how to serve and love others better and so many other things. They do an amazing job with their debriefs, teachings, leadership, and all of it. I can’t thank them enough for all they have sacrificed, from prayer, to time, and money. There is some really special people at AIM and they care so much and try to lead us the in best way.
Thank you all so much for the support, prayers, love, encouragement, contact, and all of it. Presently, I am going into final debrief and fundraising for my trip to the alumni trip this upcoming January. I’ll be going to countries that are still technically unreached, into places where the gospel needs to be shared. If you would like to support me, click the link on my profile or give through Venmo or Cash App. Thank you all. If you want to continue reading these updates via blog, you will have to subscribe, since I can’t take the chance of someone from where I am going reading this with ill intent. So please subscribe to the blog! It will be closed to the public, so subscription is the only way you can read them. I love you all and thank you! The best is yet to come.
Also to continue to follow and be a part of my journey got to Missional.life/Zachary-Martin this is where my blogs will be from now on. So this is the last one on this platform!
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Hi Zach! This is so beautiful! Thank you for all the updates and your reflections on the journey. It has been a WILD ride! Thank you for loving people so well….and loving us so well. We are tied at the heart. We love you so much Zach! Still praying.
I am so glad it’s not over, but just the very beginning. Immeasurable are His plans for you! And for the record, we (AIM) really think you’re incredible, too!