As I boarded the plane for my long flight to the states my last time there, I sat next to a couple doing ministry in the Durban area of South Africa. We covered the small talk and then began to dip our toes into the deeper conversation with these two complete strangers in the worldly sense, but a brother and sister in the Kingdom sense. The wife reached into her bag and began to tell me that she felt the Lord telling her to give me a necklace. It was a simple silver rectangle with one word stamped into the metal “Brave”. Little did I know that, that moment would be my strength for the next season that the Lord was preparing me for in South Africa.

Brave. Was I brave? Am I brave? These questions flooded my mind. I wrestled the next few hours in my head with this debate. I began to think what does brave or bravery mean?

• Fearless
• Courageous
• Daring
• Adventurous

I was not fearless when the poison snake got into my house and I found it in my kitchen. I was not courageous when I was involved in a car accident here in Africa.

I felt I was only daring when playing soccer goalkeeper diving after the ball. The only thing I do feel like is adventurous. Life is an adventure. But did that all equal to bravery?

I think of Mary, the mother of Jesus. How she must have felt when the angel of the Lord appeared to her to tell her that she was going to bear a son and that He would be the Son of God. I know she was fearful at first since the angel told her to do not be afraid. Not yet married, I bet she was fearful at what Joseph was going to think when he heard. She was given a task that probably felt at first to be all consuming and impossible. Questions I would assume filled her mind: What would people in the community think? What would my parents think? Why me? I’m not worthy for this task. Can I really do this? Mary was brave. She pushed through the challenging times and was blessed to be the Mother of the Son of God. Wow what an honor!

I know I am no Mary but I do see many similarities especially feeling called by God to do a task but feeling unequipped, unworthy and unprepared. Lets start back at the beginning. Last year starting in January the Lord started providing me dreams of a ministry center. Dreams was not the typical way I heard from the Lord so it got my attention quickly, but being human I quickly rationalized my way out of what the Lord was revealing. In my dream the Lord was showing me a gate that I entered through onto a beautiful property. It was large with lots of fruit trees, green grass and plants. I began to walk around the property in my dream and the Lord said this is going to be my ministry center. A place I will use for my kingdom and to further the ministry I am doing through you in eManzana. At that time, I traveled out to all my ministry sites and I only had one women working in my house on a part time basis. So why did I need a big ministry center? I pushed it aside then moved on. Little did I know that over the next year the Lord was going to provide 19 more dreams each time with new information about this Ministry center he was calling me to.

Fast forward to October 2017, three days before I was leaving for America. I felt the Lord saying that my upcoming trip to America was to cast the vision for this ministry center and fundraise, but what was not clear on the details of the exact property. I had been looking and asking around, but I hadn’t found the property the Lord was calling me to. Then the day before I was flying out I found it. When I entered the gate of the property I felt the peace of the Lord. This was the property from my dream and now it was right before me. God was asking me to trust Him.

I was trying to step out in faith and be obedient, but in the back of my mind I doubted. The price tag on this property was more money than I had ever seen in my life, but I knew I had to be obedient and trust. I had to try. I had to be brave.

God has shown me in this process that He is the one that makes me brave. God does not call the qualified. He qualifies those He calls. He filled my doubts, fears and weaknesses with his strength, bravery and confidence.

God has also called me to help the women I love and serve to be brave. He has provided me with this vision: Lydia’s Mission empowers women in rural South Africa to feed, educate, and care for their children by earning a living wage. And, when a woman begins to grasp her value in Christ through intentional discipleship and biblical training, her life becomes the first ripple of hope…that will last for generations.

Will you be brave with me? Is God challenging you to be brave by stepping up in faith financially to help me on this adventure to make that vision a reality? This ministry center cannot happen without your prayers and support. Very soon the contract for purchasing this property will be signed. Lydia’s Mission will take ownership around April 30th.

The ministry’s goal is to take possession of the property with as little debt as possible. We are still activity fundraising to make this dream a reality.

I’m asking you to join me in partnering with God to make a difference one life at a time.

I can’t wait to share the stories of the women who have learned to be brave because of you.