{Malibongwe}

'Malibongwe igama lakho' means 'let His name be praised' in Zulu (one of the 12 official languages of South Africa). 

And truly, this simple phrase sums up my trip to South Africa. Let God be praised! I saw God move in some incredible and unimaginable ways. Reflecting on the past couple of weeks leads me to worship!

     During our first week in South Africa, we were working in a section of Johannesburg called Braamfontein (Braam)- a hipster college town. In Braam, we walked around striking up conversations with people on the streets which hopefully turned into a Gospel conversation. When we asked them if they knew who Jesus is, most people would reply by saying that Jesus was their friend and savior, which is all true, but they didn't know anything beyond that. They didn't know what it meant for Jesus to be a friend and savior. I remember one conversation that I had with two college students. The conversation started off with them saying that they've heard about Jesus, but they didn't really know if they believed Him or not. Once I got to share the Gospel with them as clearly as I can, they said it made sense to them. Initially, they were complacent to make a decision to follow Jesus, but I am so confident that God is working in their lives. After I prayed over them, I  started getting up but they asked that I stay and answer more questions they had. They had all sorts of questions ranging from speaking in Tongues to what a Gospel-centered marriage looks like. Just seeing their eagerness to learn more about the Bible led me to worship. God is definitely pursuing their hearts, and I pray that He continues to put other Christ followers to point them to himself.

    When we continued to tell people of the story of Jesus, many people expressed that they heard it for the first time. This blows my mind- the fact that people heard the Gospel for the very first time these past couple of weeks, and God chose to use me to do so. What a privilege! He doesn't need me at all, but he still chose me. The God of America is the same God of South Africa, and he can easily save everyone in South Africa if he chose to do so, but he invited us to take part in seeking and saving the lost. The Great Commission is something God does through us. He saved us for the sake of missions.

 "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? " 

(Romans 10:14-15)

     Our second week in South Africa was a little different than our first week. I'm not sure how much I can share without putting the long-term missionaries there in danger, but we were in a different part of Johannesburg. The town was primarily all Somali Muslims. I had the opportunity to talk with many of them, and they are some of the most loving people I have ever met. They were so quick to give, whether it was a bracelet that I thought was pretty or a ton of food when they invited me into their homes. Talking with these Somali women, I truly understood for the first time what it meant to be set free. Christ has set us free. As believers, we don't have to bow down 5 times a day for recited prayer or fast for two weeks. We are called to pray and fast, but it's all a means to know God more and not to earn points for salvation. The Muslim woman expressed that she was scared because she didn't know if her salvation was secure. She didn't know if she will go to paradise after her death. When I explained to her that as a believer in Jesus Christ, I am not scared at all because I know that my salvation is secure. I did nothing to earn my salvation. It was by grace that I have been saved, and therefore, there is nothing I can do to take it away. She was in shock, and that was the moment that I truly realized that Christ has set me free. And God continued to reveal to me that there are SO many people that He loves so dearly and that He has died for, but they don't even know His name. His purpose is to bring all the nations to himself, and He promises that He will do so. Our role is to believe in Jesus and to believe that He will do what He said he will do.

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes, and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb." 

(Revelations 7:9)

"Ask of me. and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession." (Psalm 2:8)

     City Project came to a close, but I am so excited to take all the things that I learned back home and back to campus. The more I behold the beauty of Jesus, the more I can't help but talk about Him. He is too good not to tell others about! 

     I want to say thank you for all of those who prayed and supported me on this trip. Thank you for allowing me to participate in City Project, because it really has been life changing.

Much love,

Sumi